PSU - Visually Impaired Learner and Orientation & Mobility Programs

Cane class, 2026. A group of 5 in Seattle, 4 in Puyallup, 8 in Portland. The WA crew connected at SEATAC for experiences with airport navigation and accessibility. Thanks to Candace and TSA Cares for hosting us! Images of cane class students navigating security with TSA support. Visiting the sensory room with a beautiful mosaic created by a Disabled artist. A group poses by a giant soccer ball with Candace, our host. Metal tactile bar tiles indicate stairs.

More happiness! Morgan Plumbtree passed the COMS exam! Here Morgan is participating in a ProTactile workshop led by Jelica Nuccio last summer. Morgan and Aaron are both using blindfolds and communicating via touch about the location of landmarks indoors. Congratulations, Morgan!

Free webinar hosted by HKNC in honor of Helen Keller's birthday. Join DeafBlind panelists and O&Ms as research and practices are shared to support tactile-strategies for O&M.

O&M Strategies for DeafBlind Travelers Free HKNC webinar on tactile O&M strategies for DeafBlind travelers. Research findings from HKNC and Portland State University. ACVREP CEUs available. June 30, 2026.

We continue to celebrate our graduates! Wonderful to see you pursue both an endorsement in vision and an O&M graduate certificate, Tina! 🍎👩‍🦯

🎓✨ Graduate Spotlight: Tina Meier-Nowell, Graduate Certificate '26 ✨ 🎓

Tina is ready to pivot from administration back to teaching! This month, she is earning her Orientation and Mobility graduate certificate along with a Visually Impaired Learners endorsement.

With two decades of experience in the field of autism and special education — including the last 10 years in administration — Tina can’t wait to return to the classroom with a new field of expertise. It’s never too late, she says.

“You are never ‘stuck’ in a career. Joy and satisfaction can come from the academic pursuit of knowledge and from getting back to what is important to you — which for me was teaching and 1:1 student relationships!”

As an orientation and mobility specialist, she will bring her extensive background to support students who are blind or have low vision, including those with co-occurring conditions.

Her advice to future students looking to follow in her footsteps: “This program is rigorous and will prepare you well! Be ready to work! It will be worth it!”

Congratulations, Tina! 👏