OIB-TAC February Webinar: Navajo Elders, Blindness, and Cultural Competence: Part 2

Join OIB-TAC on February 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. CT, for our next webinar! Join us for Part 2 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.

This webinar is available for one ACVREP credit. Visit the following link to find instructions on how to obtain CE credits.

Click here to register for our February Webinar!

AFB Aging & Vision Loss Scholarship

From AFB:

We are pleased to share this scholarship opportunity with you from the American Foundation for the Blind. 

The AFB Aging & Vision Loss Scholarship aims to increase and support the number of blind and low vision students entering the field of aging services, leadership, and research with a focus on vision loss. This scholarship is designed to:

• Support blind students’ long-term career development in gerontology or related fields that address the needs of older adults with vision loss during the scholarship period and beyond.
• Offer mentorship to connect students with leaders and professionals working at the intersection of aging and vision loss, helping to cultivate the next generation of experts, advocates, and service providers.

Visit AFB to learn more about the eligibility requirements and to complete the AFB Aging & Vision Loss Scholarship Application. Application Deadline is Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

EyeCare America

EyeCare America® is a public service program of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Its goal is to provide uninsured and underinsured individuals 18 years and older with access to medical eye exams. It does this by matching patients with a volunteer ophthalmologist in their area. Learn more by visiting EyeCare America's Website.

RX Outreach

RX Outreach is a nonprofit, mail-order pharmacy dedicated to helping people afford the medications they need by offering hundreds of prescription drugs at low, fixed prices, regardless of insurance status.

Learn more by visiting the RX Outreach website or call 888-796-1234.

Want more updates? Connect with us on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

blind.msstate.edu - ntac.blind.msstate.edu - oib-tac.org