We are going to update our misson statement for our local transition council. We would appreciate any samples that you might like to provide. Thanks and good luck in your transition activities.

In Arizona, VR has a pilot program that provides a Comprehensive Adjustment Service package for high school youth with blindness/visual impairments beginning the summer after the 9th grade year. The program includes the following services: Orientation and Mobility; Orientation and adjustment to blindness/visual impairment; Assistive Technology Evaluation, AT equipment recommended (including laptop computer if indicated), and training; Career Exploration; Job Readiness; Self-advocacy; Rehabilitation Teaching; Personal and Home Management; Communication; and College Sampling.
June 2008 marked the first year of the pilot, and 25 youth received services. We have four service providers, two in state (Foundation for Blind Children, Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired) and two out-of-state (Lion's World, Colorado Center for the Blind), and all four programs are summer programs from four to eight weeks duration. This services is provided through Vocational Rehabilitation, therefore the student must be referred to VR and complete the application and eligibility process.

Do any other states have similar services for their B/VI youth? What agency provides the service? Are there any other transition services for B/VI students from other sources? Thank you.
Betty Schoen, State Transition Coordinator bschoen@azdes.gov

I am taxed with the need to develop common definitions for words we all toss around freely thinking we mean the same thing, when we may in reality be talking apples and mangoes. Our CoP on Transition represents shareholders from many different service types who use these same terms from differing perspectives and thus may have a definition applicable to their agency or program that differs from other shareholders' definition by shades. That stated, I would like to pick the brains of my CoPT colleagues for their understanding of these common terms:

"Transition Population": is this defined by a certain age group, such as 14 to 22, combined with the individual's status as a student in high school? What about drop outs?
Can it be age-based, say 14 to 25 (regardless of student status) combined with the age at point of entry into agency services (for agencies other than Public Education Agency)?

"Successful Outcome": what factors define success for a transition services participant? Are there common elements in the various agencies' definition of "success" with regard to program/service participants?

"Quality": how does your agency define & monitor quality with respect to services and outcomes such as employment that result from such services? What is a "quality employment outcome?"

"Performance": what does this word mean to your agency in the context of measuring actions and results of initiatives. An AZ State Department of Education/Exceptional Student Services illustration might be related to a school receiving Indicator 13 training, raising the Department's expectations of improvement in that school's results based on greater understanding of regulations and directives.

and, last but not least,

"Gap": when applied to populations and services, what is the definition given to this term? A "gap" in transition services available to lower functioning students at ABC district might mean ??? No career exploration? No VR presence? Division of Developmental Disabilities is not involved with potentially eligible students? Students have crooked teeth? Is there certain data used that indicates the existence of a "gap" in services? If so, what is it,

Thank you for any feedback you give. Betty Schoen, Arizona

Does anyone have suggestions or resources for how individals with disabilities interact with first providers (EMS, Fire, Police)? Do you have any ideas suggestions or resources on how first providers should interact with individuals with disabilities? Finally, are there any needs surveys that your transition council or local agencies have utilized in addressing these concerns? I would appreciate any ideas.
Thank you.

Through Project HIRE at Mississippi State University we are initiating an exciting new opportunity for recent high school and college graduates and current seniors who are blind or have low vision, to be involved in an on-line intervention to enhance their employability. As part of a NIDRR funded research project, we are recruiting almost 100 students from all over the country who will be involved for 8 weeks of supplemental activity in either September - November or January-March. Students will be randomly assigned to a group, so we are hoping to get all our candidates lined up by September 14. The purpose of the program is two-fold. First, we are hoping it will be beneficial to the participants in preparing them to find employment, but it is also a research project to develop steps toward evidenced-based practice which we hope will be replicable and available nationwide.

Interested persons and students may find more information and sign up on line through our website at www.blind.msstate.edu .

Specific requirements for participation include:

- Legal blindness or more severe visual impairment
- Blindness as the primary disability, without additional significant disabilities
- Senior in high school (or recent graduate) who does not plan to attend college, OR Senior in college (or recent graduate), under the age of 25, who expects to seek (or is seeking) employment after graduation
- Basic computer literacy and knowledge of accessibility software/hardware that would allow participation in an intervention provided on the Internet

If anyone has students who might be interested in this oopportunity, feel free to contact us on-line or contact me directly at 662-325-2694.

BJ LeJeune
Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision
Mississippi State University
bjlejeune@colled.msstate.edu