Disappointing post-school outcomes encountered by young adults with visual impairments have served as a catalyst for recent legislative, policy, and research initiatives calling on schools and communities to better equip students with visual impairments for life after high school. While results from studies such as the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS-2) and NLTS 2012 highlight the areas in which students with visual impairments fall behind their non-disabled peers, there is very little research looking at factors that could be affecting poor post-school outcomes. Further, there is evidence to suggest that parent expectations, specifically, are one of the most highly correlated predictors of attainment of future employment for students with disabilities.
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to better understand how parents, teachers, and students view (a) the goals and expectations for the student for life after high school, (b) the transition-related experiences the student has had in school and in the community, (c) the self-determination skills and opportunities the student possesses and (d) to gather ideas for needed resources and supports that would be most beneficial for students with visual impairments, their families, and their teachers.
To accomplish this, we have created a survey for parents and legal guardians of children with VI, teachers of children with VI, as well as school-aged students with VI 14 years and older. We will use the responses from the anonymous surveys to inform our resource development, professional development offerings, and policy recommendations.
If you are a parent and are interested in participating, please click the following link (or copy and paste into your web browser):
If you are a teacher who currently serves students with visual impairments (TVIs/Special Educators), we need your help! Please contact a member of our research team so that we can provide you with the appropriate information to send to the families on your caseload.
Hilary Travers Erik Carter
Doctoral Student Professor
Department of Special Education Department of Special Education
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University
Hilary.Travers@vanderbilt.edu Erik.Carter@vanderbilt.edu
(203) 247-6945 phone (615) 875-3398 phone
Thank you!