OIB-TAC Webinar on September 15th: Falls Prevention

If you’re looking for information on falls prevention for older adults, look no further than OIB-TAC's upcoming webinar, Making a Difference: Social Isolation, Vision, Hearing, and Falls Prevention, on Friday, September 15th, at 2:00 PM Central.

With Falls Prevention Awareness Week just around the corner, this webinar is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the impact of fall risks on multiple areas of consumers’ lives.

Presenters: Valerie Biediger, MS, M.Ed. and Kirsten Dorsey, OTR/L

In this webinar, Valerie and Kirsten will help draw the connection between how the loss of vision and hearing impact fall risk and increase social isolation. They will discuss how falling can lead to reduced activity levels and low mental health. They will also share their experiences in implementing a fall risk reduction program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls and the solutions found to increase participation for people who have vision or hearing loss. 

Participants will have the opportunity to experience a vision and hearing loss simulation, identify strategies to increase participation in evidence-based programming, and hear from a program leader who has vision loss himself about his experiences. 

This webinar is aimed at anyone interested in learning about how participating in evidence-based programming for fall prevention can improve physical health, increase mental well-being, and reduce social isolation in older adults.

Free Continuing Education Courses through OIB-TAC

OIB-TAC produces a variety of Continuing Education courses for diverse professionals working within the vision rehabilitation field. Our courses are free of charge, and most offer continuing education credit (e.g., CRC, ACVREP, NBPCB). Topics include administration, direct service, health, aging, and employment for people who are blind or have low vision. In addition, be on the lookout for several new courses coming soon!

Click here to browse Continuing Education courses!

The 50th Anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

In 1973, the Rehabilitation Act was enacted by Congress, prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in federal agency programs, programs receiving federal financial assistance, federal employment, and the employment practices of federal contractors. President Richard Nixon signed the bill into law on September 26, 1973. The Act authorized the OIB program in 1973, however, every state was guaranteed funding for OIB services in 2000.

Click here to learn more about the anniversary on the Rehabilitation Services Administration website!