New Course from OIB-TAC: Teaching Adaptive Technologies to Woodworkers and Carpenters who are Blind or Vision lmpaired 

OIB-TAC is excited to share that we have a new course available, Teaching Adaptive Techniques to Woodworkers and Carpenters who are Blind or Vision Impaired.

This course introduces vision rehabilitation therapists to adaptive strategies for teaching individuals with visual impairments to safely and effectively engage in woodworking and carpentry activities. Course participants will explore assessment, organizational methods, and practical adaptations for measuring, marking, and operating tools. Emphasis is placed on safety, accessibility, and empowering clients to maintain or regain independence in woodworking as a hobby or vocational skill.

Course Objectives:

1. Identify key safety and organizational practices that reduce risk and enhance accessibility in woodworking environments for individuals with visual impairments.
2. Explain adaptive techniques for measuring, marking, and tool operation using tactile, auditory, and high-contrast methods.
3. Develop individualized strategies to support clients in continuing woodworking or carpentry activities safely and confidently.

This course is available for 2 ACVREP credits.

Click here to learn more or enroll in the course!

No OIB Webinar for the Month of December

OIB-TAC will not be hosting a webinar for the month of December, but check out our website, as previous webinars are there on demand.

Click here to view webinars from previous months!

OIB-TAC Webinars Eligible for CE Credits Starting in January

We are excited to announce that our 2026 webinars will be eligible for 1 hour of ACVREP credit! Starting with our January webinar, credits can be obtained by watching the webinar live or watching the recorded version on our website or YouTube channel within 1 year from the original webinar date. Instructions for obtaining these CE credits will be explained during each webinar, as well as written out on our website. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!

*Please note, this will not apply to any of our webinars held before 2026.

OIB-TAC January Webinar: Navajo Elders, Blindness, and Cultural Competence Part 1

Join OIB-TAC on January 16, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. CT, for our next webinar! There are 574 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages in the United States, along with many other state-recognized tribes. Beliefs, customs, and cultural foundations vary among the many Tribal Nations. Join us for Part 1 of this enlightening presentation by disability advocate, Sacheen Smith. This webinar explores culturally competent practices when working with Navajo (Diné) Elders who are blind or have low vision. Drawing on key insights from Native Communities on Health and Disability: Borderland Dialogues, the session highlights how cultural worldviews, relational communication styles, and traditional understandings of disability shape the experiences of Navajo Elders.

Participants will learn how oral tradition, cultural silence, family-centered decision-making, and concepts of hózhó (balance and harmony) influence service engagement and trust-building. This guidance emphasizes respectful collaboration with families, recognition of traditional healing perspectives, and strategies that honor autonomy, dignity, and cultural identity.

Attendees will gain practical approaches to enhance service delivery, reduce barriers, and support self-determination for Navajo Elders with blindness or low vision.

Sacheen Smith is a Diné (Navajo) artist, advocate, and presenter dedicated to advancing disability rights, youth empowerment, and creative expression. With decades of leadership in national organizations, she brings her lived experience as a blind Diné woman to keynote talks, policy advocacy, mentorship, and arts education. Her work spans exhibitions, publications, and community initiatives, championing accessible education and uplifting individuals with disabilities across diverse communities.

Click here to register for our January Webinar!

Transportation Resources

During our most recent OIB-TAC Advisory Council meeting, Melissa Gray, our USAging representative, shared some wonderful resources and ways to get plugged into the accessible transportation network.

• Accessible Transportation Resource Center (ATRC) – The Accessible Transportation Resource Center was created in 2022 as a national technical assistance center that advances accessible transportation. Our mission is to make transportation systems, vehicles, services, apps, and websites accessible for people with disabilities, older adults, and the general population. We carry out this work by increasing awareness and adoption of transportation accessibility strategies, inclusive planning, and Mobility on Demand (MOD) transportation systems.
• ATRC National Accessible Transportation Accelerator Network - National Accessible Transportation Accelerator Network, or NATAN, aims to connect anyone who cares about accessible transportation with resources and best practices. NATAN also invites members to share what they’ve learned about accessible transportation so that we can disseminate strategies to NATAN and beyond. Click the link to join!
• Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility TA Center (CCAM-TAC)- The Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center (CCAM-TAC) is a national technical assistance center funded through a cooperative agreement with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and operated by the Community Transportation Association of America.

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