Planning for a successful transition from school to employment is important for students who are BVI. Many work-related skills, such as assuming responsibility at home and school, being on time, and staying on task, can be taught from a young age. Career education includes learning about jobs and work roles, identifying personal interests, strengths, weaknesses, and personality traits, and creating a plan for transition into adult life.
MDE-LIO does not endorse the purchase or use of any non-State Board of Education-adopted commercial products. Products and services noted below are included for information only and their inclusion should not be interpreted as a recommendation of MDE-LIO.
Lesson Plans
ME! Lessons for Teaching Self-Awareness and Self Advocacy
The University of Oklahoma’s Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment offers ME! Lessons, which help educators teach students self-determination skills.
ChoiceMaker Self-Determination Transition Curriculum
The University of Oklahoma’s Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment offers the ChoiceMaker Curriculum, which includes three strands: Choosing Goals and Taking Action, which can be integrated into a variety of content in both general and special education classrooms, and Expressing Goals, which consists of the Self-Directed IEP module designed for students receiving special education services.
Whose Future Is It Anyway?
The University of Oklahoma’s Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment offers a planning process that helps prepare students for their individualized education program (IEP) meetings and gain self-determination skills through six sections that contain 36 lesson sessions.
American Foundation for the Blind CareerConnect Lesson Plans
These CareerConnect lesson plans provide teachers and specialists with plans and ideas relevant to career exploration, preparation for employment, and navigating the employment process. Lesson plans include learning about work, social skills, problem solving, and more.
Transition Planning
Blind/Visual Impairment Resources for Educators and Families
This page offers a wide range of resources from MDE-LIO and other organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, including transition tips and virtual support.
Transition Planning Overview
The Teaching Students With Visual Impairments website writes about what goes into transition planning and how the schools can help.
Transition Timeline: Where to Start
The Perkins School for the Blind gives a step-by-step guide for the chronology of transition planning.
Transition Goals for a College Bound High School Student
The Perkins School for the Blind Paths to Technology blog wrote about IEP goals for high school students going to college.
Michigan Transition Services Association (MTSA)
MTSA supports educators and others who assist young adults with disabilities as they plan to transition to post-school life.
Additional Resources for Use With Transition-Age Students [PDF]
Dr. Karen Wolffe compiled several resources to help students write a resume, prepare for interviews, and more. The resources also include assessment tools to use with students.
Career Planning
Fillable Handouts for Students
Dr. Karen Wolffe created the following handouts to help students organize their goals while job searching or planning for a career.
- Action Plan Form and Career Planning Sheet [PDF]
- Career Plan Handout [PDF]
- Contact Log Handout [PDF]
Web Resources
Navigating College with Visual Impairments
College Consensus provides information on student rights, accommodations, assistive technology, and more for students who are BVI and attending college.
Resource Guide for Students with Visual Disabilities
This guide offers information on accommodations, assistive technology, and popular college majors for students who are BVI, as well as parent tips for supporting a student.