Job Opening with the OIB-TAC

The OIB-TAC is currently accepting applications for an intermittent worker position. Please visit our website to learn more about the open position and to apply.

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 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.

This webinar is supported by the New Mexico Commission for the Blind.

Click here to register for our January Webinar!

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.

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

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!

U.S. Access Board Webinar: New Year, New Hobby—Find Your Accessible Recreation Fun!

Want to fulfill a New Year’s resolution? Curious to try something new? Join the U.S. Access Board for a webinar on accessible recreation on Thursday, January 8, 2026, from 2:30 – 4:00 PM (ET). Whether you love boating, fishing, or playing golf, recreational activities are a part of a healthy life. This presentation will highlight provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Standards that pertain to making boating facilities, fishing piers and platforms, golf and mini golf accessible for people with disabilities. Actual technical assistance scenarios will be used to provide real-life examples and to further knowledge of applying the Standard to recreational facilities.

For more information or to register, visit the Great Lakes ADA Center’s webinar webpage. All webinars include video remote interpreting (VRI) and real-time captioning. Questions can be submitted in advance of the session or can be posed during the live webinar. Webinar attendees can earn continuing education credits. The webinar series is hosted by the ADA National Network in cooperation with the Board. Archived copies of previous Board webinars are available on the site.

Happy Holidays!

Our office will be closed from Tuesday, December 23rd to Monday, January 5th; therefore, this will be the last brief of the year. OIB-TAC wishes you a safe and happy holiday!

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