UBC Blindness and Visual Impairment Program

Applications for the 2024 O&M cohort are now open!

Applications for the Masters in Special Education, Blindness and Visual Impairment 2023 Cohort are open until December 1, 2022. Please pass on the word to anyone interested.

Summer program has finished for 2022. It was great to be back in person for some hands-on learning. It was intense but also fun!

Some nostalgia for my former O&M students: Do you remember these neighborhood landmarks?

Webinar opportunity November 26th at 3:30 pm PST. Dr. Betânia Passos Medrado will be presenting on adapting materials to teach English as a foreign language to students with visual impairments within the Brazilian context. Join us via Zoom! https://zoom.us/j/145141480

Additional information:
This presentation will share teaching practices in the context of English as a foreign language in a non-governmental organization, from 2012 to 2019, which support people who are blind in the state of Paraíba (Brazil). The activities, based on the idea of recycling and technology, provided blind students with alternative ways of representing language in order to expand their accessibility to the learning of English. Most of the strategies and ideas shared in this presentation can be used to design programs for teaching English, or other languages, to students. The materials presented can be made simply and inexpensively.

A new O&M graduate certificate cohort starts July 2020! Applications are now open through January 3rd. This cohort will have 2 on-line courses and only one summer face-to-face (July/August 2020) and we will have one or two location options in the Atlantic Provinces. For more information:

Certificate in Orientation and Mobility | Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education This program prepares students to teach all age ranges of individuals who are blind or visually impaired to travel safely and efficiently through their environment. Completion of the program will allow students to apply for certification with the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation an...

New Masters cohort starts July 2019! Applications are open and close December 1, 2018, so if you are interested in becoming a teacher of students with visual impairments at UBC, apply soon!

MA information: http://ecps.educ.ubc.ca/special-education/graduate-concentrations/ma-concentrations/blindness-and-visual-impairment/

MEd information: http://ecps.educ.ubc.ca/special-education/graduate-concentrations/med-concentrations/blindness-and-visual-impairment/

Application information: http://ecps.educ.ubc.ca/students/prospective-students/application-information/

Blindness and Visual Impairment | Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education Below is an example of course sequence for the master’s of arts program in Blindness and Visual Impairment. Please note that courses in this program are under revision and course numbers and names are likely to change in the near future. For an updated list of course offerings, contact VIProgram@u...

There's nothing to see here folks; it is just a dinosaur in cane ready position! Thank you UBC O&M graduate Stephanie Weaver for sharing your fun and creative O&M lesson to engage and motivate an elementary student!

This is a page from the first book of the braille code, housed in the American Printing House (APH) for the Blind museum.

Reminder: The application for the next O&M cohort beginning July 2018 is open until March 31st. The first summer course runs July 23-August 17th. More information and the link to the application can be found at:

Certificate in Orientation and Mobility | Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education This program prepares students to teach all age ranges of individuals who are blind or visually impaired to travel safely and efficiently through their environment.Completion of the program will allow students to apply for certification with the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and...

In honour of Louis's birthday on January 4th: Have you practiced your braille lately?

[Picture description: Artsy photo of braille on a metal plate (jewelry created by Kim Christiansen) with multiple colours reflecting off of it. The braille says, 'just for the braille of it!']