You will log into a passcode protected course site. The site is available to you 24/7. The course content is delivered through narrated power point presentations and videos of specific evaluation and intervention techniques. You will participate with classmates and instructors in online discussion boards to analyze cases and discuss intervention application. Online chats are held throughout the courses to allow students to interact with experts who provide low vision services.
Because the courses are sequential and build upon on another to provide basic professional competence, you must commit to taking all of the courses in sequence within your cohort.
No. Universities do not function as certifying organizations such as NBCOT. Therefore we can’t offer you a credential. However you will receive a certificate diploma from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The diploma reflects completion of formal graduate educational preparation to work as a low vision rehabilitation specialist. As such it carries equal weight with potential employers as certification. In addition, completing the Graduate Certificate prepares you to obtain AOTA Specialty Certification in Low Vision Rehabilitation.
The certificate also provides advanced education relevant to ACVREP’s Occupational Therapist Certified in Adult Vision Rehabilitation (OTCAVR) credential. ACVREP recognizes completion of a university graduate certificate in vision rehabilitation as meeting one of the eligibility requirements for the OTCAVR beta examination. Additional practice experience and other eligibility requirements apply.
Students interested in either credential should review ACVREP’s current eligibility and certification requirements.
The program focuses primarily on adults with low vision, blindness, and vision impairment related to acquired brain injury. Many strategies taught in the certificate can be adapted for children and adolescents, and some graduates apply these skills in pediatric practice settings.
Yes. As long as your degree is from a program accredited by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) you may be accepted. You must provide documentation that you graduated from a school with WFOT accreditation.