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Outreach Access Services

Serving Teachers Statewide

The Washington State School for the Blind Outreach Department continues to offer a comprehensive range of statewide services to support educators of students with blindness and low vision. As our field continues to grow, we remain committed to providing diverse, accessible support to educators across the state, free of charge.

Our mission:

The mission of Outreach Access Services is to provide statewide support for all who educate learners with blindness and low vision ages birth to 21, to help provide quality resources and to increase access to equitable services in Washington. 

What we do: 

Need a hand in any of these areas?  Outreach Access Services Request Form

What's new

Focus Forums - your go-to source for fresh ideas and collaborative learning. 

The WSSB Outreach Access Services (OAS) team will host Focus Forums on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the 1st and 3rd weeks of each month. These one-hour Zoom sessions will cover specific topics related to teaching in the Blind/Low Vision field. Information on upcoming topics will be available on EVE and the OAS page of the WSSB website, allowing you to register in advance.  

Each forum will feature OAS team members who will share the latest insights on the topic and facilitate group discussions. You are welcome to join these sessions to ask questions, share your thoughts, or simply listen in. 

Below are the topics scheduled.

October:

November:

  • Tuesday, November 19th at 8:00 am: Integrating AI Technologies into Everyday Practice (with Joe Dlugo)
  • Thursday, November 21st at 12:00 pm: Working with English Learners (with Kirsten Dlugo, Annie Stockton, and Krista Bulger)
    • What do you do when you get a new blind/low vision learner on your caseload whose native language is not English?  Join us for this session to explore strategies and tools for working with new English Learners.
    • Register here for Working with English Learners

December

With winter break making December a short work month with lots of things going on we are just going to be having Focus Forums the first week of December.   Use the registration links below to sign up for one of these sessions.

  • Tuesday, December 3rd at 8:00 am and Thursday, December 5th at 12:00 pm: ECC Fun for the Holidays
    • We invite you to join a session to learn about and share ideas for the holidays.  Do you have a favorite craft or recipe you do with students during this time of year?  Have you signed students up to receive a braille letter from Santa?  If you are looking for creative ways to teach independent living skills or hoping to share entertaining ways with families to keep kids learning over winter break, we hope this session will provide everyone with ideas to incorporate some fun into this busy time of year.
    • Register here for the Tuesday, December 3rd at 8:00 am session
    • Register here for the Thursday, December 5th at 12:00 pm session

Do you have a topic you would like covered in a Focus Forum? Email Kirsten Dlugo to share your topic idea. 

Our team

The OAS team is made up of 9 educators with many decades of combined experience in educating students with blindness and low vision. They hold certifications in various specialties, including Teaching Students with Blindness and Low Vision (TBLV), Orientation and Mobility (O&M), and Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialists (CATIS). In addition, several teachers hold degrees and certifications in multiple areas across birth-21 special education. 

Services 

Teacher-to-teacher collaboration

Our field is extraordinarily broad in scope, with even experienced teachers finding it difficult to gain and maintain expertise in all areas of instruction and curriculum. The OAS team has specialized knowledge across the gamut of content areas. We’re thrilled to work with you to help make your students successful.  Request teacher-to-teacher collaboration

Professional development  

We’re here to empower teachers. Find OAS teachers providing the latest insights and knowledge at events across the state and in webinars. Stay tuned, as we will post our PD schedule regularly throughout the 2024/25 school year. We will also advertise our professional development offerings on the EVE list serve.

Mentorship & grant program 

Looking to join the amazing world of teaching students with blindness and low vision? Are you new to the field and would like some support? The OAS Mentor Program will help you get to where you want to be. We offer direct support, resources, and even grant funding. Visit the Mentorship & Grant Program web page and join the program that has launched the careers of over 40 new Washington TSVIs since 2017.

Access Technology & STEM 

Technology is a vast realm that evolves at extraordinary speeds. We can help you navigate the ever-changing possibilities by providing consultation, support, and professional development. Have a concern or need resources? Visit the OAS Access Technolgy & Stem web page or complete an Assistance Request form.

Student formal assessment in unserved districts 

The current demand for educators of students with blindness and low vision is extraordinary. Despite strong efforts to bring new teachers in the field, open positions can lie vacant. In these situations, maintaining student assessment schedules is vital. We’re here to help your district document student need by providing formal assessment services for vision and orientation and mobility free of charge. Request assistance for a formal assessment