Trainings for Staff
What Are Staff Trainings?
Staff trainings are professional development sessions designed to help school personnel confidently support students with visual impairments. These trainings are led by certified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs) and are appropriate for anyone who works with a student with blindness or low vision, including:
- General and special education teachers
- Therapists such as occupational, physical, and speech language pathologists
- Paraprofessionals and classroom aides
- School psychologists, nurses, and administrators
- Related service providers and intervention teams
Our goal is to ensure your team has the knowledge and tools they need to understand how visual impairments impact learning, behavior, and access, and how to provide effective support throughout each day.
Types of Trainings Offered
We offer two main types of staff trainings to meet your team’s needs.
General Vision Impairment Trainings
These sessions provide a broad overview of visual impairments and how they affect students in educational settings. The depth we go into will depend on the time the district wishes to give for the training, which is most commonly one hour, but can be anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours. Topics typically covered include:
- Types and causes of visual impairment
- How vision loss affects learning, behavior, and mobility
- The difference between low vision and blindness
- Common classroom accommodations and environmental modifications
- Basics of assistive technology for visual access
- Introduction to the Expanded Core Curriculum
This type of training is ideal for schools preparing to welcome their first student with a visual impairment or for districts seeking to build staff capacity across multiple campuses.
Student Specific Trainings
These customized sessions focus on one student or a small group of students who will be attending your school. We review each student’s:
- Eye conditions and how they affect their functional vision
- Additional disabilities or medical considerations
- Specific accommodations and equipment
- Communication preferences, literacy modes, and learning style
- Daily support needs across the school day
We guide staff on how to best interact with, support, and include the student in all routines and activities to ensure a smooth and successful transition into the classroom.
How Are Trainings Delivered?
We offer flexible delivery options to meet your team’s schedule and preferences.
- Live Zoom Training: Interactive sessions with real-time question and answer opportunities
- Pre-recorded Training: A recorded presentation your team can watch on demand
- In-person Training: Available depending on location and scheduling
All trainings include:
- A professional PowerPoint presentation
- Time for staff questions during and after the session (if live)
- A copy of the presentation slides for future reference
- Optional follow-up support via email
Why Choose Virtual TVI for Staff Trainings?
When your team understands how to support a student with a visual impairment, everyone benefits, especially the student. At Virtual TVI, we provide clear, practical, and compassionate training that empowers educators to make meaningful adaptations and foster inclusion.
Whether you are preparing for a new student, looking to boost staff confidence, or trying to ensure compliance with IEP supports, our trainings are tailored to your needs and delivered by certified vision professionals who understand the realities of school life.
Schedule a Training
If your school or district is interested in scheduling a staff training, contact us today. We will help you determine the best format, length, and content for your team and ensure everyone feels prepared to support students with visual impairments effectively and confidently.