Right now, I've been retasked to mostly doing phone calls to check up on clients we haven't heard from in a while to update our records. Unfortunately, the vast majority of my clients don't have the technology or skills to do virtual lessons (I know some other coworkers have been doing some of that, to limited success).

If clients live with family, we have do Facetime and coordinate how to do Sighted Guide and upper/lower protective. But if they are alone, it gets harder. One of my coworkers was working with someone on trailing, and the client fell while walking in their hallway. She was fine, but it was quite frightening, especially since the instructor can't do anything.

It’s difficult. O&M basically can’t. I’m a Tvi and for my low vision academic students I have google classrooms. For my academic Braille students I coordinate and produce Braille and deliver it to their houses. Google classroom can be accessible if the student is technologically capable. It’s hard with math though, which is why I’m still producing Braille. For my low functioning students I’ve uploaded home activities for parents to work on.

Why do you ask?

I guess I never realized how many TVI's and O&M people we have in this community.

Just wanted to say thanks for everything you do. My TVI and O&M made a big difference in my life and it's great to correspond with people dedicated to doing that every day.

I, like others here, have mostly been checking on clients and seeing how they are doing while attempting to update them on the current situation. They seem to appreciate the gesture. Aside from that, I have been creating some tactile maps, researching teaching techniques, and watching seminars to obtain ACVREP credits (but I have plenty of time left, as I am new to the field).

This is one of the top worst things about this situation. I can't claim to be a real instructor or teacher or whatever, but I have someone I mentor and she is completely torn to bits. She was supposed to be doing exams and had worked incredibly hard to be ready for them, and now won't be able to do them at least not on the original schedule. Not only that but all the things we were doing, like cane travel, will be fading really badly without practice. I just want to give her a big hug, and I can't even do that. It's horrible.

It is certainly not common, but we don’t really have any choice in this situation. The mobility instructors I know are going over theory if they have to get hours in or skills related to map reading. It’s less than ideal.

Right now, I’m doing a little bit of everything. For my braille students, I was able to prep and drop off lessons before our district prohibited it. Our braillist is still working and mailing packets to students. I’ve been using zoom, Microsoft teams, WhatsApp and FaceTime to coordinate face to face meetings with my direct service students and make phone calls to parents for students who get consultations. I’ve made YouTube videos with activities and strategies for parents. The COMS have a harder time. One of ours went on a virtual walk with the student and the mom. It’s hard for them because they can’t really go anywhere, so it’s been a lot of just maintaining the skills they already have.

It’s been a challenging and interesting time. I have students I haven’t been able to get in touch with. I’m having a hard time scheduling interpreters. Lots of lessons get canceled last minute. I spend most of my day doing paperwork and documentation. I miss my kids and I miss real teaching.

Its been interesting. I'm a TVI and my COMS and I are trying to team up with students, so we'll do a typing lesson and the student has to call the bus station and look up the route then type it up.

I have a lot of students who are not responding, so I've sent home their class dojo log in links and post goal-related activities in their portfolio.
The job wouldn't be so difficult to do online if we had prepped to go online and had the materials to support it. I will say, that our state school for the blind and visually impaired has been a fantastic resource and has meetings every other day for TVIs and COMS. We have people from around the world joining the meetings. If you're a VI professional and would like the name of the school to join the meetings just DM me and I'll send it your way.