Keep up with the current changes to RSA requirements, learn about newly released OIB-TAC courses, upcoming events, and find links to curated resources for older blind service providers. Information is shared through the Weekly Brief.
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.
This webinar is available for one ACVREP credit. Visit the following link to find instructions on how to obtain CE credits.
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.
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.
Here is a list of discussion groups hosted by Hadley for the month of January:
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Tuesday, January 13 Group: Writers’ Circle Topic: Where Do I Begin? 1 p.m. CT |
Tuesday, January 20 Group: Resource Roundtable Topic: Navigating Key Financial Resources Time: 1 p.m. CT |
Tuesday, January 27 Group: Tech It Out Topic: Accessible Appliances Time: 1 p.m. CT |
Wednesday, January 28 Group: What’s Cooking Topic: Adventures in Food Tasting Time: 4 p.m. CT |
To join a discussion group live or listen to the archives, first sign up for a free login at www.hadleyhelps.org or call 800-323-4238 to register free by phone, or to get the meeting I.D.
OIB-TAC is excited to share that we have a new course available, Sew Independent: Teaching Sewing to Individuals with Vision Impairment. This course equips vision rehabilitation professionals with the foundational skills and strategies needed to teach basic hand sewing to adults with vision loss.
OIB-TAC is pleased to announce the release of a new professional development course: Functional Independent Living Assessment (FILA) Training.
On August 6, 2025, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Association of Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (AVRT) honored Older Blind Specialist Jennifer Ottowitz with the Lenore Dillon Leadership Award...
The Time to Be Bold (TTBB) website has been updated with a modern design to better support older adults experiencing vision loss...
OIB-TAC is excited to announce that it has been refunded a five-year grant from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) under the U.S. Department of Education.
On May 30, the Older Individuals who are Blind Technical Assistance Center (OIB-TAC) presented at the 2025 Envision Conference in Dallas, Texas...
The 2025 OIB-TAC Conference brought together 32 state representatives, providing OIB program managers with the opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and refine strategies for serving individuals who are blind or have low vision (B/LV).
OIB-TAC is excited to introduce Promising Practices in Action, a new initiative aimed at enhancing services for older individuals who are blind (OIB)...
This course is designed to offer practical strategies to enhance the everyday lives of individuals who have trouble seeing.
