Since the passage of the American with Disabilities Act, people with disabilities have been granted the right of equal access to transportation. With the exception of people who are blind, people with disabilities have not had access to instructors who have been prepared to provide travel instruction. Now that buses must be equipped with lifts, have appropriate signage, and provide stop announcements, people with disabilities have new travel options available to them. This has led to the need for instructors who can teach pedestrian skills and the use of public transportation.
The Department of Blind Rehabilitation at Western Michigan University is pleased to announce that it has received funding from the Rehabilitation Services Administration to launch a baccalaureate personnel preparation program in Travel Instruction. Travel instructors will be prepared to teach persons with various disabilities (except blindness) to travel independently. The curriculum will consist of courses that provide expertise in mental retardation, physical disabilities, and neurological disabilities. Students will have experiences which include the use of wheelchairs, ambulatory aids, communication boards, hearing attenuators, and other equipment to simulate disabilities. There is a 60 hour practicum and a 600 hour internship in agencies that provide travel training. Upon completion of this program, students will be prepared to teach travel to persons with various disabilities.
For application materials please contact the Department of Blind Rehabilitation at 616-387-3455 or email: william.wiener@wmich.edu. To view Web pages go to http://www.wmich.edu/ or http://www.wmich.edu/hhs/blrh/html/blrh.htm.
