NRTC Presents Research and Resources at 2024 AER Conference

NRTC booth at the AER Conference. Polly Abbott and Jamie Boydstun, staff members at the NRTC, are standing beside the booth. Polly is wearing a long blue dress and Jamie is holding an AER tote bag. Banners about OIB-TAC and the NRTC surround the booth.

Staff members at the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NRTC) presented and exhibited at the 2024 Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) Biennial International Conference in Charlotte, NC, from July 24-28. The AER International Conference allowed professionals who provide services to individuals who are blind or have low vision (B/LV) to connect and share the latest information and resources. Over 700 professionals attended this year's 40th anniversary conference, themed "One Community – Many Voices in Concert."

The NRTC team presented highlights from six research projects under the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment of People who are Blind or Have Low Vision grant, funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Additionally, NRTC team members who work with the Older Individuals who are Blind Technical Assistance Center (OIB-TAC) grant, funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) under the US Department of Education, presented on topics related to services for older individuals who are B/LV.

Anne speaking during a presentation. She is gesturing towards a PowerPoint that shows a bar chart with demographics from employed and unemployed samples.

Presentations included:

  • "Hands On: Teaching Braille to Adults" by Polly Abbott, Kendra Farrow, and Jennifer Ottowitz.
  • "Labor Force Participation: Who’s Not Working and Why?" by Anne Steverson and Michele McDonnall.
  • "I’m Not Alone in This: Building Connections and Confidence Through Group Job Search Training" by Karla Antonelli and Jennifer Cmar.
  • "A National Perspective on Employment and Visual Impairment: Positive Trends and Key Takeaways" by Jennifer Cmar and Michele McDonnall.
  • "How Using a Standardized Assessment Will Strengthen the VRT Field" by Kendra Farrow and Elyse Connors.
  • "An Interactive Video to Educate and Improve Attitudes" by Michele McDonnall and Karla Antonelli.
  • July 27 – "What Interests You Most About Working for Wondersmart? Outcomes and Reflections from Virtual Interview Training for Transition-Age Youth" by Jennifer Cmar and Anne Steverson.
  • July 27 – "Braille Today: A Look at Current Usage Among Workers and Job Seekers" by Michele McDonnall, Anne Steverson, and Jamie Boydstun.
  • July 27 – "Did I Really Do It?: The Importance of Documentation" by Jennifer Ottowitz and Kendra Farrow.
Jennifer standing and speaking into a microphone during the "Did I Really Do It?:The Importance of Documentation" presentation. Kendra is sitting beside her.

In case you missed the presentations, most have an associated PowerPoint that is available through the AER Conference speaker page. In addition to the presentations, the NRTC exhibited a booth with various swag and handouts detailing all the services the NRTC and OIB-TAC provide, offering valuable resources and information to conference attendees.

To learn more about the conference, visit the AER conference website.

The NRTC focuses on employment outcomes of people with blindness or low vision (B/LV), providing training, technical assistance, and resources for professionals and people with B/LV interested in employment through funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research grant #90RTEM0007. To learn more, visit our About page and the NTAC-BLV website.