Our 15-Year Big Goal - by 2035 Every blind and low vision student in Washington has the supports and services they need to succeed (Version 1.1 September 2020 WSSB Vision Strategy Strategy Summary v1.1 pdf)
Core Purpose
To empower blind and low vision individuals to reach their full potential
Core Values
- Student Centered
- Equity
- Accessibility
- Relationships
- Continuous Improvement
Our Staff
- Are highly qualified and trained in the specialty of blindness and low vision, including additional disabilities and deafblindness.
- We are a community of resources and trusted advisors for our field.
- We continually seek to increase our knowledge, skills and abilities through new technologies and academic achievement.
The Clients We Serve
- Infants through young adults who are blind or low vision, including those with additional disabilities or are deafblind.
- Families and caregivers.
- Education service providers and community partners.
The Programs & Services We Offer
- Our programs are provided across a diverse continuum of service options to meet the unique needs of individuals who are blind or low vision including those with additional disabilities or are deafblind.
- The scope of services and supports provided are determined by each individual student’s needs and opportunity gaps.
How We Operate
- We embrace a statewide approach to our work and cooperate as an interdependent set of departments to achieve our shared vision and goals.
- We are empowered to innovate with the freedom to adjust as needed to provide the highest quality services and supports every day.
- We offer an inclusive and supportive service model that respects the unique characteristics of the individual.
- We collaborate with families, caregivers, education service providers and community partners to achieve positive outcomes for those we serve.
- We promote innovation by using new technologies to meet both present and future student needs.
The Outcomes We Help Create
- Students gain skills and confidence to lead their own life’s pursuits.
- All families, caregivers, education service providers and community partners are aware of the range of specialized services and opportunities and how to access them.
3 Year Goals, Objectives and Strategies
Goal #1
Identify statewide need for blind and low vision services
Objectives
- Objective #1: Establish an accurate statewide count of students who are blind or low vision (June 2021).
- Objective #2: Identify the current inventory of blind and low vision services provided or accessed by educational partners (June 2022).
- Objective #3: Identify gaps in blind and low vision services at statewide and regional levels to provide necessary resources and supports (January 2023).
Strategies
- Strategy 1: Examine existing data sources to determine reliability as well as opportunities to build a complete data set of all blind and low vision students in Washington.
- Strategy 2: Develop methods/process to access incomplete data from existing sources relating to both eligibility (for special education as a blind or low vision student) and access to specialist services (TVI, O&M).
- Strategy 3: Design and implement a communication plan to discuss the outcomes of our data analysis efforts with identified stakeholders
Goal #2
Expand awareness of and access to blind and low vision services
Objectives
- Objective #1: Implement a plan to address awareness gaps among families for accessing services (June 2021).
- Objective #2: Implement an evidence-based marketing and communication strategy to continue to increase awareness among key stakeholder groups (June 2022).
Strategies
- Strategy 1: Mobilize internal and external resources to develop a comprehensive marketing and awareness-building campaign targeting key stakeholders.
- Strategy 2: Organize quarterly informational educational services fair for families of students who are blind and low vision.
- Strategy 3: Create media that highlights all programs that WSSB offers (Deafblind services, ORC, on-campus programs, Birth-3, Assistive Technology, LIFTT, Outreach, etc.).
Goal #3
Expand capacity to improve services for all students
Objectives
- Objective 1: Implement WSSB staff development plan that leverages staff strengths and addresses identified gaps (June 2021).
- Objective 2: Design a framework for coordinated system of services and supports for blind and low vision students statewide (June 2023).
Strategies
- Strategy 1: Identify strengths, interests, and needs as they relate to increasing the knowledge and skill of all WSSB staff to provide and/or support the education of blind and low vision students.
- Strategy #2: Adopt an anti-ableist framework and provide training that counters deficit mindsets, implicit bias, and micro-aggressions towards blind people and others living with disability.
- Strategy #3: Inventory service delivery models/systems (specific to Blind/low vision and/or lowincidence disabilities) currently utilized and evaluate their potential for implementation statewide.
WSSB Strategic Plan Notes:
- ‘Students’ are defined as birth through 21 years old
- ‘Statewide’ defined as all service providers in the state including WSSB staff, outreach & external providers
- Capacity = the knowledge, skills, abilities & attitudes (to better equip the team, department or school versus individuals)