Because Independence Matters!

What does independence mean to you? Synonyms for independence can include traits such as autonomy, self-determination, self-reliance, and self-sufficiency. As citizens of the United States of America, these are also traits that we take pride in as a country that fought for and won our independence over 200 years ago!

 

As we reflect on Independence Day this month, I am reminded that while July 4th is an important milestone moment in our country's history, the process of becoming an independent individual can also be an important personal milestone moment for each of us!

 

Just as our forefathers fought valiantly to gain our independence as a country all those years ago, we must also choose to harness that same grit and determination to develop into fully functioning citizens of this great nation. We must recognize that we each have those individual "milestone moments" that spur us toward the development of personal independence each and every day. 

 

As educators, we strive to provide meaningful opportunities to our students that will foster the development of independence. We seek to provide our students with rich experiences that will aid them in their eventual transition into adulthood. 

 

This concept is also vitally important for our students with disabilities. Successful transition into adulthood is so important that the state of Texas has identified and outlined specific transition services for students with disabilities.

 

 

According to the secondary transition guidance provided by the Texas Education Agency, the TEA identifies transition services as a "coordinated set of activities designed to help the child move from school to post-school activities." Under Texas law, this transition planning must begin no later than when the student reaches 14 years of age. As a result, the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee must consider and address "appropriate means of student involvement in the student's transition to life outside the public school" in the individualized education program (IEP). (Texas Education Agency (TEA), 2024)

 

As you can imagine, the appropriate implementation of transition services for students with disabilities can become a very complex process for teachers, administrators, students, and their families alike. This process becomes even more complicated for our students who are blind or visually impaired due to the impactful nature of a sensory loss (or even a dual sensory loss in the case of our students who experience deafblindness).    

 

Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVIs) and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS) specialize in guiding their students with visual impairments, blindness, or deafblindness through the transition process using the guidelines provided in the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC). 

 

According to the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, "The term expanded core curriculum (ECC) is used to define concepts and skills that often require specialized instruction with students who are blind or visually impaired in order to compensate for decreased opportunities to learn incidentally by observing others. In addition to the general education core curriculum that all students are taught, students with visual impairments, starting at birth, also need instruction in the ECC. The ECC areas include (A) needs that result from the visual impairment that enable the student "to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and (B) other educational needs that result from the child's disability" as required by IDEA (34 CFR 300.320 (a)(2)(A)(B)). Texas Education Code (TEC) 30.002(c)(5) and (e)(5) require the flexibility of school districts to make arrangements for services to occur "beyond regular school hours to ensure the student learns the skills and receives the instruction" in the ECC." (Developed by the Texas ECC Committee, 2014)

 

There are nine areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum, which include the following:

ECC Essentials: Teaching the Expanded Core Curriculum to Students with Visual Impairments describes the ECC as an "essential curriculum." The authors explain that "The ECC encompasses skills in areas fundamental to a student's ability to integrate information and to participate with other classmates in school, such as orientation and mobility (O&M), social interaction, independent living, and sensory efficiency. In addition, segments of the ECC, such as social interaction and independent living, enable individuals who are visually impaired to become integrated into their communities more effectively and participate in life outside school. As students prepare to enter the workforce, they will confront the reality that employers prefer employees who are highly productive and conversant with technology, effective communicators, dependable as well as socially attuned, in possession of good orientation and mobility skills, able to complete tasks independently, and able to use independent living skills effectively. Without skills in these areas, students may not only be unable to learn the core curriculum successfully, they may not be able to work and live as independently as they would otherwise be capable of doing. For this reason, the ECC is, in fact, a fundamental curriculum for students with visual impairments." (Allman & Lewis, 2014)

 

Providing direct instruction in the nine areas of the ECC is at the heart of how we equip students with visual impairments, blindness, and deafblindness to effectively and efficiently transition into successful adult lives. Essentially, we are training our focus on the "potential adults" in our care. We are "beginning with the end in mind!" (Allman & Lewis, 2014)

 

Another important factor in transition planning involves developing a student's understanding of the government and community agencies available to provide additional support throughout the transition process and into adulthood.  

 

 

One such local agency is the East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind (ETLB). The ETLB is headquartered in Tyler, TX, and serves 40 regional counties. The ETLB's mission is to empower individuals with visual impairments or blindness. 

 

The ETLB offers educational programs designed to "prepare teens and young adults for life beyond high school." Programs are designed specifically for teens and young adults who are blind or have a visual impairment so that they, too, can "equip themselves with the skills necessary to conquer their transition goals." (East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind, 2024)

 

As you can see, the goals of the ETLB closely align with our goals as educators. A partnership between Region 7 ESC and the ETLB was born out of this commonality! As a service center, we have had the opportunity to join the ETLB to develop countless ECC events for students with visual impairments in our region! 

 

In addition to our collaborative efforts throughout the school year, we have also had the opportunity to partner during the summer to help provide "Camp Lighthouse!"

 

Because the ETLB believes that summers should be "full of fun, friends, and fearlessness," they launched Camp Lighthouse to ensure that students with blindness, visual impairments, or deafblindness have an opportunity to "safely experience a week of independence, confidence, and connections with friends like them."

 

Alicia Lansford, VP/Chief Mission Officer for the ETLB, summed up her passion for Camp Lighthouse in this way, "East Texas Lighthouse is honored to offer the experience of a customized summer camp for our kiddos. While many of our students could attend mainstream camps, there is something to be said about experiencing a lot of firsts around other people who 'get' what it's like to live in your world. The amount of support our campers offer each other throughout the week, and the friendships formed are truly remarkable. We are thrilled to bring such a camp back to East Texas and cannot wait to see what the future holds."  

 

During this five-day camp, high school students stay on the University of Texas at Tyler campus and participate in fun and educational activities around the community while making memories and creating lasting relationships. 

 

Some of the activities included:

Students are literally immersed in ECC activities for five full days. They are practicing independent living skills as they learn to cook and clean for themselves in their on-campus dorm rooms. Orientation and Mobility is practiced as they orient themselves and travel both on campus and throughout the community. Social skills are practiced as they meet and get to know other students with similar disabilities. The list could literally go on and on. 

 

 

DJ Dean, curriculum consultant, and 3rd-year camp counselor, explained camp this way. "Camp Lighthouse requires a different level of independence than what our students typically get at home or school. Campers also have the opportunity to experience new things and push themselves beyond what they believe they are capable of. In many schools, a student with a visual impairment may be the only one; here, they build relationships with other youth and adults who have visual impairments."

 

Marissa, a 10th grader from Tatum, is in her second year of attendance at Camp Lighthouse. She said, "Camp Lighthouse has been fun! I've learned more things this year. I feel more social, and it has taught me more about how to cook on my own. I can crack an egg now without getting shells in the food. I never thought I would jump off a 40-foot tower (ziplining), and I did that, too!"

 

Leslie, a 12th grader from Marshall and a second-year camper, said, "I learned a lot of things. It was really fun! It changed me a lot! I used to be a shy person, but then I came here, and everything changed! I used to be scared of heights and horses, and now I'm not anymore!"

 

Chance Agorastos, a first-year camp counselor, reflected on what it is like to serve as a camp counselor with a visual impairment. "I think what makes Camp Lighthouse special is the people. There are people here with visual impairments, so the students get to see that it's not them versus the world. We are all in the same boat. We get the opportunity to have real conversations about real issues. I hope us being here gives them some foresight on what life can be like." 

 

A 12th grader from Marshall, Sandra has attended Camp Lighthouse since it began three years ago. She said, "It's really fun. I learn a lot, and it's less lonely to learn that there are other people like me." 

 

John Walker, a first-year camp counselor, summed up his experience at Camp Lighthouse in this way. "Being in the trenches with these guys has taught me a lot. We need more of this! We need people to understand how important something like this is for students!" 

 

Region 7 Education Service Center Coordinators Jennifer Brandt and Kelsey Wigington expressed their impression of Camp Lighthouse in the following way, "The experiences from the Expanded Core Curriculum Camp Lighthouse event allow students with visual impairments to develop valuable independence-building skills that reach far beyond the limits of the classroom. The students are able to learn to be self-sufficient in activities of daily living while conquering small and large fears through fun recreational activities and forging relationships that create a community of support in the transition to adulthood." 

 

Joslin, a 12th grader from Trinidad, is in her second year at Camp Lighthouse. She explained her experiences in the following way, "Camp has made me realize that I don't have a limit and that I can push myself. I can do pretty much anything people with sight can do!"

 

Do you have high school students with visual impairments who would benefit from attendance at Camp Lighthouse? If so, please mark your calendars for next year's event! Camp Lighthouse will be held June 22-27, 2025. Camper applications will be accepted beginning in January 2025. 

 

Are you interested in volunteering at Camp Lighthouse? Volunteer applications will also open in January 2025. 

 

Information and links to apply can be found on the Camp Lighthouse tab on the East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind website.  
 

Resources: