Article

Introducing the University Technology Specialization in Visual Impairments

There is a long-standing demand for highly trained assistive technology (AT) experts in the field of visual impairments. There have been many viable attempts at establishing an AT credential for people with visual impairments. The efforts have all fallen short of that elusive goal until now. The opportunity finally exists to train professionals at the university level in the field of visual impairments to meet this long-standing demand. On May 1, 2016 the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) launched the Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist for People with Visual Impairments (CATIS) credential. At the exact same time, the first university training program in AT for people with visual impairments began offering coursework. This paper details ACVREP's CATIS eligibility criteria and, in doing so, outlines the CATIS qualification requirements. The body of knowledge, structure, content and other important details of the CATIS credential are included to further explore the context of the guidelines and translation into a viable training program.

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