Visually Impaired Learner Initial License

Welcome

Portland State University offers a comprehensive, graduate-level program for the preparation of teachers of students who are vision impaired (TVIs). The program is offered almost entirely online, except for one on-campus summer session.

Deadline to complete all application material is February 15. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student using PacMate electronic note-taker Noah practices using the new PacMate electronic notetaker. Along the wall behind him are several Perkins Braille writers, the industry standard since 1951.

Did you know?

* There is currently a critical need for teachers of students with visual impairments.

* Portland State University offers the only program for TVIs in the Pacific Northwest and one of three national distance programs.

VIL Teachers

Teachers who work with blind or partially sighted are in high demand. Nationwide there is a severe shortage of professionals who typically work with vision impaired students in their home school district. PSU offers help with job placement, making students who obtain the Visually Impaired Learner endorsement highly likely to find employment.

VIL Frequently Asked Questions - View FAQ's

VIL Online Learning Requirements - View


Scholarships Available

Scholarships for this program are available for both coursework and for summer session housing through PSU. Many states have designated funds available for special education and vision impaired programs. For more information about Special Education scholarships, it is recommended that you consult student services Student Financial Assistance page within the Student Resources menu.

Member of the Western Regional Graduate Program

The Western Regional Graduate Program provides in-state tuition to qualified students in member states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

For More Information About Teaching Visually Impaired Children

Dr. James Bickford, director of the VIL program, spoke at length with radio host Paul VanDyck on the show "Sounds of Awareness" on KBOO FM. on "the challenges of teaching visually impaired children and the difficulties of learning in a sighted world."

To listen to the program visit the KBOO program page or download a recording. You can also access a transcript of this program in text format by clicking this link. (27 minutes, 25MB MP3 file, used with permission of KBOO). There is also a transcript available in plain text and PDF formats.