Message from the President, Teresa Gest
Happy New Year from your Michigan AER Board!
As we begin the new year, we find ourselves getting excited about the upcoming annual 2022 MAER Conference, Reconnecting for All. This year we are pleased to announce that our Keynote speakers this year will be Motivational Speaker John U. Bacon and American Architect Chris Downey. Once again, the conference be held virtually on April 21 & 22, 2022. We hope to be back in person next year at the Delta Conference Center in Kalamazoo. Please watch for more information on the upcoming conference. This is a conference you will not want to miss!
Have you ever thought about becoming an MAER Board member? There will be three board positions opening in April. If you are a person who is self-motivated, likes working with a team, and would like to attend conferences at a discounted rate, please consider running for a position on the board. If you are interested in, or would like additional information, please reach out to a member of the MAER Board.
Please watch your emails for announcements and conference registration information. We hope to see you all in April!
Best regards,
Teresa Gest, MAER President 2021-22
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
The members in our spotlight this month were sent by Michele Danilowicz. Michelle writes that the Washtenaw Intermediate School District would like to introduce two new team members to our field! We are very excited to work alongside these two wonderful, hardworking, and dedicated teachers!
Jill Burch
“I’ve been teaching special Ed for 17 years. I went into special education after volunteering at my little sisters and brother’s school. I’ve taught in Guyana with the Peace Corps, Detroit, Pontiac, and Dallas before finding my home at WISD. I’ve taught EI, LD, CI, SXI, ASD before switching to VI. Teaching special needs students is my dream profession because I get to work with such a dynamic group of ever-changing students. I am fortunate to be granted this short time in their lives to have the opportunity to make a difference in their futures. This is
something I do not take for granted and work hard to accomplish every day.”
Blake Collins
“Hello! My name is Blake Collins (she/her). I am new to being a teacher for students with visual impairments, but I am not new to the world of blindness. I am legally blind. I was diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity and then optic neuritis in my childhood. In 2019, I received my bachelor’s in elementary education and cognitive impairments from Eastern Michigan University, and now I am finishing my master’s at Western Michigan University in visual impairments and orientation & mobility! After having some great VI teachers growing up, I decided that becoming a teacher was one of my goals. In my free time, I like hiking, learning to play new instruments, playing chess, and studying other languages.”
MAER would like to include two members in each newsletter for the Member Spotlight. The purpose of the Member Spotlight is to help us get to know our membership around the state. Any MAER member can be submitted to be included in this article, regardless of when they started working in the field of blindness and visual impairment. You may either ask your nominee to write something up for you, or you can write something about another person with their permission. If the words are not directly from the person you are submitting, please provide their contact information so that we can verify the information. All newsletter submissions may be sent to bethbrabbs.maer@gmail.com.
NEWS FOR YOU
Leader Dogs for the Blind continues to provide in-person services for both guide dog and orientation and mobility training. Our free services, which include room, board and airfare are taking place on campus and in-home to try and fit each client’s individual needs. Just a quick reminder that Leader Dogs orientation and mobility program is available to individuals whether they are interested in a guide dog or not, there are no vocational goal requirements, no formal referrals necessary and is available to anyone 16 years or older. Leader Dog is also excited to announce that this upcoming summer we will be providing both a Virtual Summer Experience Camp for teens who are 14-17 years old and an in-person Summer Experience Camp for teens who are 16 or 17 years old. If you know someone interested in learning more about leadership skills, guide dog travel, accessible GPS and making friendships with teens like themselves please click this link to learn more! Lastly, Leader Dog has been working very hard to build a
virtual learning resource page where prospective clients, graduates, family/friends, and other professionals can learn about the Leader Dog programs and services, how to prepare for services and a bit more about the application process and our campus. Please check out the Virtual Learning Resources page and share with clients and students, and to receive some free ACVREP credits! If you should have any questions please contact Leslie Hoskins, COMS, and outreach services manager at leslie.hoskins@leaderdog.org.
Submitted by Leslie Hoskins
Upcoming Events from MDE-LIO
Don’t forget to check out the exciting events that are coming up from MDE-LIO! Camp Tuhsmeheta opened for in-person events this past fall! There are many webinars and workshops for professionals, the Michigan Regional Braille Challenge, exciting events for professionals, students, and families in collaboration with the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, and more! Visit the events page for more information: Upcoming Events MDE-
LIO & Camp Tuhsmeheta
MDE-LIO SUPPORT SERVICES The MDE-LIO has a team of education consultants who are available to support families and school districts serving students who are BVI. For more information, visit: BVI Outreach Support. Also, the MDE-LIO Support Team was created to help develop competent, informed, and knowledgeable teachers of students who are visually impaired (TVIs), teacher consultants of students who are visually impaired (TCVIs), and certified orientation and mobility specialists (COMS) in Michigan schools. For more information, visit: Support for New School Personnel.
Nominate Your Colleagues!
MAER Awards
It’s that time of year again—time to honor your colleagues by nominating them for one of the Michigan Chapter AER Awards.
The David and JoAnn Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual who is near or recently retired who has demonstrated a lifetime dedication to serving persons who are blind and visually impaired in Michigan. Preference will be given to those nominees who demonstrate activity and achievement, either past or current, in the following:
1) Overall professional experiences.
2) Innovative practices.
3) Unique or extraordinary contributions to the field.
4) Professional presentations and/or publications.
5) Research; and,
6) AER involvement at the chapter and/or international level.
The Awards Committee will give preference to nominees who are or have been members of MAER. Preference is also given to individuals who have served on the Michigan AER Board.
The MAER Award is a recognition award given to an individual(s) or organization(s) which has made a significant contribution to the field of blindness and/or in the service of persons who are blind and visually impaired in Michigan.
Preference will be given to those nominees who demonstrate activity and achievement, either past or current, in the following:
1) Overall professional experiences.
2) Innovative practices.
3) Unique or extraordinary contributions to the field.
4) Professional presentations and/or publications.
5) Research; and,
6) AER involvement at the chapter and/or international level.
The Awards Committee will give preference to nominees who are or have been members of MAER. Preference is also given to individuals who have served on the Michigan AER Board.
If you have questions or would like a copy of one of the award nomination forms, contact Roberta McCall at Mccallr6246@att.net or Michiganaer@gmail.com. You may also visit the awards page of our website to see past recipients: https://michiganaer.com/awards/
HELPFUL INFORMATION
SAVE THE DATES! “Gateway to Community” AER International Conference 2022 will be held at Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri July 21-25, 2022.
Michigan AER 2022 Annual Conference – Reconnecting for All
Join us April 21 and 22 for the Michigan Chapter of AER’s 2022 Conference. This virtual conference will be a place for professionals to share their expertise, effective practices, innovative programs, employment strategies, and research
results with their colleagues.
HANG ON TO YOUR ACVREP CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
At the last meeting of the MAER Board of Directors, the charge for obtaining a replacement ACVREP Certificate of Completion was raised to $25. The decision was based on the need to offset the time involved in providing replacement paperwork. So, hang on to yours! Create a file for your next recertification and toss all your supporting documents into it for safekeeping!
Submitted by Roberta McCall
MAER Secretary
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
MEMBERS SPEAK OUT
Do you have an article, resource, or other information you would like added to the MAER newsletter? Use this opportunity to get information to other members. The next newsletter goes out in June. Please send your submissions to bethbrabbs.maer@gmail.com by May 31, 2022!
MAER Board Officers and Directors
Please contact michiganaer@gmail.com with any questions.
PRESIDENT: Teresa Gest
PAST PRESIDENT: Micah Bohrmann
PRESIDENT ELECT: Patty Killey
SECRETARY: Roberta McCall
TREASURER: Amy Schreiner
DIRECTORS: Beth Brabbs, Leanne Ford, Jessica Klenk, John Metz, Amber Strasz, and Dr.
Joe Todd
Our AER Mission: To render all possible assistance to the promotion, development, and improvement of all phases of education and rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired persons of all ages.
