Skip to main content Skip to main menu

Outreach Services

Outreach Services provides consultation and educational support for students with visual impairments, teachers and administrators, and families. We advocate for the registration of students for the Federal Quota Program and work to increase awareness. Pictured, our team includes Cindy Amback, Jeff Schwartz, Leslie Weilbacher, Leanne Grillot, and Amy Campbell.

Group photo of Outreach team. From left to right; Scott Hegle , Cindy Amback, Jeff Schwarz, Leslie Weilbacher, Leanne Grillot, Amy Campbell.

Training

We offer a variety of training options for professionals in the fields of blindness and education, parents, and families including distance learning, exhibits and presentations at conferences, and expanded core curriculum academies/professional learning communities.

Education

Outreach Services offers many opportunities for students to learn on their own or with their classmates. Through the APH Virtual ExCEL Academy and Virtual ExCEL Camp, your students can choose from a wide range of classes and activities.

Regional Support

APH continues to expand its reach through our strategically placed Regional Specialists. Regional Specialists meet the unique needs of EOTs, professionals, families, and other service providers working with students who are blind or low vision by providing tailored support to communities. These experienced professionals are charged with sharing craft knowledge across the field, building local networks of support, assisting with APH products and services, and facilitating solutions. Regional Specialists are available to provide support at conferences, regional events, colleges/universities, public and private schools, rehabilitation centers, and more…so ask!

As part of APH’s ongoing goal to provide regional support, we are working towards establishing regional centers for assistive technology training. The first established regional partnership, the Center for Assistive Technology Training (CATT), is a collaboration between APH and the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB). The CATT project has been expanded in the Southwest through a partnership with the Foundation for Blind Children (FBC) and in the Northwest through a partnership with the Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB). Our team is here to build, train, and support our field and all those working for our students’ success.

Federal Quota

The Federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind was enacted by Congress in 1879. It provides adapted educational materials to eligible students who meet the definition of blindness.

Babies Count

Babies Count is a national database in the US that collects epidemiologic and demographic information on infants and toddlers between the ages of birth and 36 months who are blind or low vision. This information has been used to make policy and budget decisions, to expand programs, to drive medical and educational research, and to track the changing face of blindness of children in our country today.

Annual Meeting

Each year APH hosts Annual Meeting, gathering Ex Officio Trustees (EOTs), Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs), other professionals, and special guests to learn about different products and services that APH offers, discuss important issues in the field, give feedback, and network.

Questions About Our Outreach Services?

Please reach out to us at outreach@aph.org.