Outreach Access Services
Serving Teachers Statewide
The Washington State School for the Blind Outreach Department continues to offer a comprehensive range of statewide services to support educators of students with blindness and low vision. As our field continues to grow, we remain committed to providing diverse, accessible support to educators across the state, free of charge.
Our mission:
The mission of Outreach Access Services is to provide statewide support for all who educate learners with blindness and low vision ages birth to 21, to help provide quality resources and to increase access to equitable services in Washington.
What we do:
- Teacher-to-teacher collaboration
- Professional development
- Mentorship & grant program
- Access technology & STEM
- Student formal assessment in unserved areas
Need a hand in any of these areas? Outreach Access Services Request Form
What's new
Focus Forums - your go-to source for fresh ideas and collaborative learning.
The WSSB Outreach Access Services (OAS) team will host Focus Forums on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the 1st and 3rd weeks of each month. These one-hour Zoom sessions will cover specific topics related to teaching in the Blind/Low Vision field. Information on upcoming topics will be available on EVE and the OAS page of the WSSB website, allowing you to register in advance.
Each forum will feature OAS team members who will share the latest insights on the topic and facilitate group discussions. You are welcome to join these sessions to ask questions, share your thoughts, or simply listen in.
Below are the topics scheduled.
Tuesday, January 7th at 8:00 am and Thursday, January 23rd at 12:00 pm: SBA and WA-AIM Testing Accommodations for Blind/Low Vision Learners
- This session will explore the tools, supports, and accommodations available in Smarter Balanced and WA-AIM assessments. Do you have a question about what support is right for one of your students? Are you not sure what accommodations are available? We will be discussing embedded and non-embedded accessibility features for the SBA tests as well as adaptations for WA-AIM participants.
Thursday, January 9th at 12:00 pm and Tuesday, January 21st at 8:00 am: Calendar Systems for the New Calendar Year
- We invite you to join a discussion about calendar systems and how to they can be used as a essential part of a learner’s day. Do you have questions about how to make calendar symbols for one of your students? Are you curious how to determine what kind of a calendar is best for your learner? Do you have a success story you can share about a calendar system you helped collaborate on? We are looking forward to sharing resources we have used to build individualized calendar systems.
Do you have a topic you would like covered in a Focus Forum? Email Kirsten Dlugo to share your topic idea.
Our team
The OAS team is made up of 9 educators with many decades of combined experience in educating students with blindness and low vision. They hold certifications in various specialties, including Teaching Students with Blindness and Low Vision (TBLV), Orientation and Mobility (O&M), and Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialists (CATIS). In addition, several teachers hold degrees and certifications in multiple areas across birth-21 special education.
Services
Teacher-to-teacher collaboration
Our field is extraordinarily broad in scope, with even experienced teachers finding it difficult to gain and maintain expertise in all areas of instruction and curriculum. The OAS team has specialized knowledge across the gamut of content areas. We’re thrilled to work with you to help make your students successful. Request teacher-to-teacher collaboration
Professional development
We’re here to empower teachers. Find OAS teachers providing the latest insights and knowledge at events across the state and in webinars. Stay tuned, as we will post our PD schedule regularly throughout the 2024/25 school year. We will also advertise our professional development offerings on the EVE list serve.
Mentorship & grant program
Looking to join the amazing world of teaching students with blindness and low vision? Are you new to the field and would like some support? The OAS Mentor Program will help you get to where you want to be. We offer direct support, resources, and even grant funding. Visit the Mentorship & Grant Program web page and join the program that has launched the careers of over 40 new Washington TSVIs since 2017.
Access Technology & STEM
Technology is a vast realm that evolves at extraordinary speeds. We can help you navigate the ever-changing possibilities by providing consultation, support, and professional development. Have a concern or need resources? Visit the OAS Access Technolgy & Stem web page or complete an Assistance Request form.
Student formal assessment in unserved districts
The current demand for educators of students with blindness and low vision is extraordinary. Despite strong efforts to bring new teachers in the field, open positions can lie vacant. In these situations, maintaining student assessment schedules is vital. We’re here to help your district document student need by providing formal assessment services for vision and orientation and mobility free of charge. Request assistance for a formal assessment