The Vision Impairment (VI) Consortium includes five universities:

Norfolk State University (NSU); George Mason University (GM); James Madison University (JMU); Old Dominion University (ODU); and Radford University (RU). Its primary goal is to prepare teachers to be highly skilled in working with students with visual impairments and blindness. The program consists of a thirty-six (36) credit hour licensure curriculum to include coursework and practica.

Classes are offered through video conferencing equipment to establish real-time, interactive, multipoint instruction among the five universities. Through video conferencing, students are able to see and communicate with the instructor and other university students in real time.

Furthermore, students at all classroom sites view multimedia presentations, including video and Power Point slides, through the video conferencing equipment also in real-time. A Blackboard online course delivery system also provides 24/7 asynchronous access to students, professors, and course materials. Use of a video-streaming server allows for individual access of the curriculum for students more than two hours away from any of the participating universities while also serving as a course archive system.

The program is funded and approved by the Virginia Department of Education.

This certificate is designed for students seeking initial teacher licensure in visual impairments PK-12 to be completed with 15 –32 credits based on the number of equivalent courses completed prior to enrollment. Students who already hold a teaching license in another field of special education may be able to waive some of the requirements.

This program is for individuals interested in a Master's degree in Special Education with a focus on Visual Impairments (VI). The focus on VI is accomplished by using electives to take courses included in the VI Licensure program. The Master's degree does not include a license or endorsement to teach students with visual impairments.

For more information about the program:

Visit the Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation in Vision Impairment website at: http://kihd.gmu.edu/teacher_prep_program/

If you are interested in enrolling in the program through Norfolk State University, contact: