OIB-TAC August Webinar: An Overview of Rural Health: Meeting People Where They Are

Join OIB-TAC tomorrow, August 15, 2025, at 2:00 CDT, for our next webinar! This rural health presentation provides an asset-based overview of rural America, highlighting the strengths, resilience, and innovation that define rural communities. Drawing on decades of experience in policy development, research, and cross-sector collaboration, the presentation emphasizes data-informed, community-rooted solutions that have the potential to transform health systems in rural areas and nationwide. It includes background on the unique characteristics and health needs of rural populations, while focusing on practical strategies to improve access to essential services. By highlighting promising practices and resources, this session aims to inform about opportunities to leverage existing rural assets to create sustainable, high-performing health systems that benefit all.

About the Presenter:

Alana Knudson, PhD, is a Senior Fellow in the Public Health Department at NORC at the University of Chicago and the Director of NORC’s Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis. She has over 30 years of experience implementing and directing public health programs, leading health services and policy research projects, and evaluating program effectiveness for projects funded by federal agencies and private foundations. Dr. Knudson currently serves as the Project Director for the ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center, funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model Evaluation, funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.  She has experience in state and national public health, having worked at the North Dakota Department of Health and for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

Dr. Knudson serves on the RUPRI Health Panel, the National Rural Health Resource Center Board of Directors, and is a member of the University of Maryland School of Public Health Community Advisory Council and the ETSU Center for Rural Health Research Advisory Board. Drawing on her roots growing up on a farm in North Dakota, she is committed to partnering with rural communities to identify evidence-based solutions that improve health outcomes and strengthen the economic vitality and well-being of rural areas.

Click here to register for the August Webinar!

AER Foundation of Orientation and Mobility Series

The AER Orientation & Mobility (O&M) Division is excited to announce a new Webinar Series inspired by the recent release of the fourth edition of our beloved textbook Foundations of Orientation and Mobility, Editors- William Wiener, Robert Wall Emerson, and Bruce Blasch.

This long-anticipated series launches on Thursday, September 4, 2025, with a session led by Dr. Wall Emerson and the series will guide us every month through to the 2026 AER International Conference in Louisville. Each session will spotlight the work of a chapter author and/or co-authors, offering deep dives into the essential principles of each chapter.

Click here to register for O&M Series!

Announcement from Council of Citizens with Low Vision International CCLVI

Do you find yourself living in the awkward position of being neither fully sighted nor totally blind? If so, you are not alone.

Whether you were born with low vision or your vision has decreased over the years, the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI) is an organization whose members share similar experiences.

We are dedicated to providing information and tips to help you live well with vision loss. To meet your low vision needs, we sponsor regular Zoom chats, support groups, and learning sessions on different topics such as technology and living with vision loss.

• Join our email list by sending a blank email to cclvi-info+subscribe@acblists.org
• Read our newsletter, Vision Access, at cclvi.org/visionaccess
• Visit our Resources Page at cclvi.org/resources

We facilitate the giving of college scholarships for deserving incoming freshman, undergraduate, and graduate students annually, plus we advocate for issues like low vision devices from Medicare.  If you would like to know more about CCLVI, call our toll-free number at: 1 (844) 460-0625 or click here to contact CCLVI.

If you would like to become a member, visit cclvi.org/join or contact our membership chair by email at cclvimembership@gmail.com to request a membership form or receive help with the completion of the form. Low Vision? We Can Help!

To contact CCLVI:

(502) 905-0869

cclvi.org lowvisionoutreach@gmail.com

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