Project Goals/Anticipated Outcomes
- By March 30th, 2029, at least 201 students and adults with Blindness, Deaf-Blindness, or Other Visual Impairments seeking CIE, 50 services professionals in the field of education, rehabilitation, or assistive technology fields, and 25 professional mentors who are Blind, Deaf-Blind, or have Other Visual Impairments will receive a Monarch and accompanying innovative training/services to promote CIE.
- By March 30th, 2029, APH will support at least 176 individuals who are Blind, Deaf-Blind, or have Other Visual Impairments in achieving CIE empowered by the Monarch and accompanying training/services.
- By September 30th, 2029, APH will identify and clearly communicate the ways in which the Monarch, its features, and accompanying training/services empower individuals with Blindness, Deaf-Blindness, and Other Visual Impairments to achieve and maintain CIE.
- By September 30th, 2029, APH will identify at least six targeted improvements for Monarch features and/or accompanying training/services to promote CIE.
Monarch RISE Project Key Personnel
Paul Schroeder, Monarch RISE Project Certifying Official, APH VP of Impact and Outreach
Paul serves as the official liaison between APH and RSA; certifying that the information provided in grant applications, reports, and financial documents is accurate, complete, and compliant with all applicable laws, regulations, and grant conditions; and providing internal APH leadership and guidance to the RISE Team and assuming accountability from RSA for the overall project outputs.
LinkedIn: Paul Schroeder
Erin Sigmund, Monarch RISE Project Director, APH Project Director – Monarch Employment Program
Erin serves as the primary point of contact between APH and RSA; providing direction to and facilitating collaboration among APH DIF-Team members/departments and related partners/stakeholders; and leading the RISE team in implementation of project activities (especially related to performance monitoring, evaluation and evidence, and reporting/dissemination) and assuming accountability from APH for the overall project outputs.
LinkedIn: Erin Sigmund
Monarch RISE Project Team Leads and Teams
Richard Rueda, Director of CareerConnect, Assistant Director of ConnectCenter
Richard serves as the primary point of contact for the ConnectCenter Team; serving as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) on transition, competitive integrated employment, vocational rehabilitation, and related products, services, and agencies; and leading the ConnectCenter team in implementation of project activities and assuming accountability for their outputs.
LinkedIn: Richard Rueda
Learn more about CareerConnect
Leanne Grillot, Sr. Director of Outreach Services
Leanne serves as the primary point of contact for the Outreach Services Team; serving as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) on education best practices, training best practices, and braille literacy; and leading the Outreach Services team in implementation of project activities and assuming accountability for their outputs.
LinkedIn: Leanne Grillot
Learn more about APH Outreach Services
Willow Free, Technical Innovations Product Manager
Willow serves as the primary point of contact for the Technical Innovations Team; serving as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) on Monarch, eBraille, and refreshable braille technologies; and leading the Technical Innovations team and relevant contractors in implementation of project activities and assuming accountabilities for their outputs.
Tom Winton, Evaluation Specialist
Tom serves as the primary point of contact for External Local Evaluator and Evidence Building Support Contractor; serving as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) on program and project evaluation; and leading the RISE team and relevant contractors in developing and executing the project evaluation plan.
LinkedIn: Tom Winton
Sarah Gauer, CX Project Manager
Sarah serves as the primary point of contact for the Customer Experience Team and supporting the RISE team on efforts related to Monarch distribution, shipping, and customer experience support.
LinkedIn: Sarah Gauer
Learn more about Monarch Student Pilot Program
Resources and Materials
Updates and News
Contact Information
Email: RISE@aph.org
Director Email: esigmund@aph.org
Director Phone Number: 502-515-9128
For questions about the Monarch device, please review the Monarch product page or contact Monarch Support at monarchsupport@aph.org or 833-447-8444.
For Media Inquiries, please contact Sara Brown at sbrown@aph.org or 502-889-2368
Disclaimer: 100% of the total costs of APH’s DIF-F project will be financed by the $10 million grant. No percentage of the total costs of the project will be financed by non-governmental sources. The contents of this website developed under grant #H421F240052 from the U.S. Department of Education (Department). The Department does not mandate or prescribe practices, models, or other activities described or discussed in this document. The contents of this website may contain examples of, adaptations of, and links to resources created and maintained by another public or private organization. The Department does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. The content of this website does not necessarily represent the policy of the Department. This publication is not intended to represent the views or policy of or be an endorsement of any views expressed or materials provided by any Federal agency.” (EDGAR 75.620)
