Cal State L.A. O&M Program

Congratulations, Dr. Nick❣️

Welcome the scholarship recipients Miranda Hooper and Dr. Nicholas Casias at https://go.hawaii.edu/DDC.

---Miranda Hooper brings both professional expertise and personal insight to her work. In addition to her lived experience as a parent of a young adult with autism and epilepsy, Miranda holds a BA with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership and brings over 10 years of professional experience in the field of disability. She is the Community Education Coordinator at the Center for Learning and Leadership, Oklahoma’s UCEDD, and the Data Coordinator.... Read more at https://go.hawaii.edu/DDC.

---Dr. Nicholas Casias serves as Associate Professor and Coordinator in the Orientation and Mobility Specialist Training Program in the Division of Special Education & Counseling at Cal State LA. Dr. Casias is a certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist and holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of La Verne..... Read more at https://go.hawaii.edu/DDC.

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41st Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability
May 27-30, 2026
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi (in person with virtual options) pacrim.coe.hawaii.edu
email listserv: http://eepurl.com/g79LAX

Happy National White Cane Day!
*Image is of the Cal State LA Golden Eagle Statue with wings spread holding a white cane in his talons.

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED! PLEASE HELP SAVE BRAILLE TRAINING GRANTS!
Details from AER below.

Dear AER members and allies,

We need your help.

On September 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education issued non-continuation notices to all three national Braille Training Grants under the 235E Demonstration Program: Braille Training. This means that for the first time in decades, there will be no federal support for developing specialized braille training resources in the United States.

The three programs that have been eliminated are:
California State University, Los Angeles – focused on braille and technology training
University of Massachusetts at Boston – focused on professional development across the lifespan
University of South Carolina Upstate – focused on preparing new teachers and service providers
This decision impacts the entire field:
No new training resources for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) to provide braille literacy to their students.
No additional training for Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (VRTs) to serve adults.
No professional development or technology innovation to address the braille literacy crisis across the lifespan.
Why This Requires Your Voice
Each of the three universities is pursuing its own appeal through their institutional channels. At the same time, AER is opening a fourth front, mobilizing our membership to apply direct political pressure. Unlike the DeafBlind campaign, this effort is more nuanced and requires personal outreach. The Department’s decision to terminate an entire braille program category cannot go unchallenged.

It is also important to note: all the programs that received non-continuation notices this cycle were related to sensory impairments. This is a targeted and disproportionate impact on children and adults who are blind, DeafBlind, or low vision.

Action Steps
Call your U.S. Senators’ offices, especially if you live in West Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Texas.
Ask to speak with a senior staffer in the state or district office.
Stress that this is not a budget issue. It is a policy choice that wipes out all federal braille training programs nationwide.

Frame your message with these points:
Braille is literacy. Without it, students and adults lose access to education, employment, and independence.
Eliminating these grants means there will be no national support for specialized braille training for TVIs or VRTs.

This decision harms one of the most underserved disability groups, those with sensory impairments.
Some projects had a strong 6-year track record of success and impact.
The effect is national, not local, and every state benefits from the professionals trained in these programs.

Share this request with your networks. AER is working alongside our sister organizations to elevate this issue.

Why Calls Matter
Emails are too easily ignored. Calls to state offices of U.S. Senators carry weight. Especially when they come from constituents. We must ensure that Senators, particularly Republicans in the targeted states, intervene directly with the Department of Education.

AER stands with the California State University, Los Angeles, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the University of South Carolina Upstate. Eliminating these grants is unacceptable. Together, we must make clear that braille literacy is a national priority.

With urgency and appreciation,
Lee Sonnenberg, MA
Executive Director
Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually Impaired

Please email [email protected] to update your email or to unsubscribe from advocacy specific emails.
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This email was sent to [email protected] by [email protected]
Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired • PO Box 16288, Lubbock, Texas 79490, United States • 703-671-4500

https://www.calstatela.edu/coe/edsp/ma-degree-and-credential-program-orientation-mobility

We are excited to announce a unique opportunity for individuals interested in pursuing a one-year Master of Arts degree and credential in Orientation and Mobility (O&M). Our program is designed to prepare dedicated individuals to become O&M Specialists working in a rewarding profession that makes a meaningful impact on the lives of individuals who are blind or have low vision.

Imagine working one-on-one with a student in a “classroom” without walls. O&M Specialists teach independent travel skills and concepts to children and adults with visual impairments. Whether it be teaching a student to get around a new school campus, making safe street crossings, taking buses, shopping, or using assistive technology, O&M specialists are always on the move!

The Cal State LA O&M program stands out for several reasons:

Financial Support: We understand that pursuing higher education can be a significant financial commitment. To help make your dreams a reality, we are pleased to inform you that grant funding is available to eligible applicants to cover in-state tuition costs and most textbooks. We are committed to ensuring that financial barriers do not stand in the way of your educational and career goals.

One-Year Completion: Candidates in this program are dually enrolled in the M.A. degree in Special Education, Option in Visual Impairment & Blindness: Orientation & Mobility, and the California Clinical or Rehabilitative Services Credential in Orientation and Mobility. The combined M.A. degree and credential program is designed to be completed in one full year of full-time, intensive coursework and fieldwork. Most students do not work while in the graduate program but being able to complete an M.A. degree and a credential in one year is certainly worth it to those who pursue this opportunity!

Comprehensive Curriculum & Hands-On Experiences: This program provides extensive hands-on training and fieldwork experiences with coursework in visual impairment, theory, effective teaching practices, and assistive technology to aid independent travel. Learning by doing is an integral part of our program. In your first term, you will learn the skills of independent movement and travel while wearing a sleep shade (blindfold) and low vision simulators. In the following terms, you will gain practical experience teaching school-aged students and adults who have visual impairments under the guidance of experienced professionals in the field.

O&M specialists who are bilingual are in high demand. If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of individuals with visual impairments who are culturally diverse and are ready to embark on a fulfilling career, we encourage you to apply for our M.A. degree and credential program in Orientation & Mobility.

We will be hosting a Zoom information session on the following date. Please email [email protected] for Zoom session link. We hope you can join us!

Monday
May 5, 2025
6:00PM – 7:00PM
Zoom

If you are not available to attend one of the information sessions, but would like to receive additional information, please contact Program Coordinator, Nicholas Casias, at [email protected]. You can also find more information about the O&M program at our website.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Casias, EdD, COMS
Coordinator, O&M Specialist Training Program
California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032
[email protected]

Brenda Naimy, MA, COMS
Faculty, O&M Specialist Training Program
California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032
[email protected]

Orientation & Mobility | Cal State LA The Orientation & Mobility (O&M) program prepares specialists to teach independent travel skills and concepts to infants, children, and adults who are blind or visually impaired. This program provides extensive hands-on training and fieldwork experiences with coursework in visual impairment, theory....

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/blindchildrenscenter_blindchildrenscenter-earlychildhoodeducation-activity-7310744359035879424-7SlU?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAAA0K--AB3T0tdcDjcGwu10vjfp-7vvc38Fg&utm_source=social_share_send&utm_campaign=copy_link

#blindchildrenscenter #earlychildhoodeducation #blindness #lowvision… | Blind Children's Center March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the groundbreaking contributions of women throughout history. At Blind Children’s Center (BCC), we honor the incredible women who have shaped the Center’s mission and continue to lead the charge in empowering children with blindness or low vi...

https://news.calstatela.edu/2024/02/23/cal-state-la-receives-2-5-million-in-grants-to-enhance-services-for-children-with-visual-impairments/

Cal State LA receives $2.5 million in grants to enhance services for children with visual impairments Cal State LA receives $2.5 million in grants to enhance services for children with visual impairments

Day 1 of 5: CSU systemwide strike. ✊🏼🪧

Image below from Cal State LA University Report, recognizing faculty Honors, including Dr. Nicholas Casias, who was recently awarded two personnel preparation grants, totaling $2.5 million, from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to prepare professionals to teach O&M to school-aged students with visual impairments!

2023 So Cal Cane Quest
O&M faculty and alumni at Cal State LA served as skill evaluators for a competition of blind and visual impaired students traveling routes that are designed to test skills in navigating residential and commercial areas as well as public transportation.

Cal State LA O&M Faculty (Nicholas B Casias & Brenda Naimy) in support of students and a fair contract. The CSU is planning 6% tuition hikes for 6 consecutive years 👎🏼

Cal State LA College of Education honors Outstanding Fieldwork Supervisor, Lalo Quezada!