Literacy Surveys for Parents and Teachers

Literacy is the most important skill a child can obtain. At the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University, we believe in every blind and/ or visually impaired child having access to literacy. That is one of the principal purposes of the Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University—to conduct research that deepens and broadens our understanding of blindness and the best educational practices to help those who are blind to better function in society.

That is why we are embarking on two separate, but related studies. The first is aimed at collecting information from Teachers of the Blind/Visually Impaired about their training and experiences with vision loss. Secondly, we are launching a separate survey that is aimed at parents who have children in K through 12 education. What follows is more information on how teachers and parents can help. Your assistance in helping us spread the word about these studies is very much appreciated.

Parents and teachers can help us evaluate the services and educational experiences of blind and/or visually impaired youth in grades K through 12. When parents and teachers fill out a quick survey, we can examine and better understand the educational experiences of the blind and/or visually impaired youth. Your feedback will improve future policies and practices that prepare teachers in the future. Participation in this study allows us to gain a much richer and robust understanding of factors that impact service options and academic performance of blind and/or visually impaired youth. Data will be collected through summer 2014, or until the desired number of respondents has been reached.

If you are a teacher you must meet the following criteria: (a.) Currently be a certified Teacher of Visual Impairment TVI/TBS; (b) Have a case load of one or more students with low vision or blindness as his or her primary diagnosed disability on his/her Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Teachers may access the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/pdribt.

For a parent or guardian to participate in this study, your child must meet the following criteria: (a.) Be between the ages of 5-22 and be enrolled in a school in the United States in grades K through 12; (b) Visual impairment must be listed as his or her primary diagnosed disability on his or her Individualized Education Plan (IEP); (c) English is his or her primary spoken language. Parents may access the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/pdribp.

Your participation is greatly appreciated. If you have specific questions about either study, or other ways in which you can help, you can contact the principal researchers for this study. Edward Bell, Ph.D., is the Principal Investigator and can be reached at 318-257-4554 or ebell@latech.edu. Casey Robertson, Research Associate, is the lead person for questions about teachers or parents, and she can be contacted at caseywest94@hotmail.com. We at the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness thank you for your attention and assistance in this important research.