GOT-IT

Instructor Of The Blind

Grade 18

New York State has approximately 7 positions* in this title statewide. You may view a breakdown of positions by county. This position exists in various agencies statewide. View links to all New York State agencies including agencies that have this title. For more information, New York State employees can contact the Career Mobility Office at (518) 485-6199 or (800) 553-1322. If you are not a current New York State employee, you can use the Department of Civil Service Web site to explore possible employment opportunities.

*The number of positions is approximate and represents the number of positions established (both filled and vacant); it is not an indication or reference to position type or duration, or intent to be filled. If you are viewing a trainee title, please note this number reflects the number of positions established at the journey level. Agencies may fill at the trainee level(s) or at the journey level based on employee qualifications. GOT-IT does not provide information on any job postings or job availability. For information on current job postings, please visit State Jobs NY. You may also visit specific New York State Agency websites for information about an agency and its job opportunities.

Career Ladder

There is currently no Career Ladder information available for this title.

Summary of Job Description

As an Instructor of the Blind, you would:

Establish and maintain lines of communication and a close working relationship with local area agencies involved in providing teaching and rehabilitative services for legally blind and visually impaired individuals within the community.

Inform local agencies of the existence and availability of aids and appliances adapted for use by the visually impaired, the sources from which they can be obtained, and information describing them.

Conduct workshops and other forms of in-service training for local agency staff and for private contracted home instructor-trainers.

Interview consumers in order to obtain information and evaluate the ability of the consumer to assimilate knowledge and skills.

Establish rapport with consumers by meeting and speaking with them in order to facilitate communication and enhance the success of the potential rehabilitative teaching sessions.

Question consumers in order to determine what training they desire and arrange future meetings with the consumers in order to discuss possible learning programs and/or commence training.

Suggest to consumers those services, aids, and appliances which will prove to be of benefit in their particular case.

May perform an introductory Grade 1 Braille lesson in order to elicit the consumer's interest and promote motivation.

Inform consumers of the availability of instruction, rehabilitative facilities and services, aids and appliances, community services, and of the benefits mandated by law.

Prepare written reports regarding the status of each consumer in order to establish a case history.

Teach consumers various skills such as grooming, basic orientation to the home, homemaking, tool usage, record keeping, health and safety activities, communications and social amenities or skills, leisure time activities including recreations and crafts, community resource utilization and location of other aid resources, and impact of legislation in social benefit programs.

Inform consumers of the feasibility of various learning programs and their components in order to prepare them for the learning situation.

Formulate and record individualized training plans for each consumer that will help them relearn or make adaptations in living skills in order to enable them to function at maximum levels of capability. Each training plan contains such information as topics to be covered, objectives of the training plan, materials to be utilized, an introduction of the topic, a presentation of the course material, a practical application of the source material, a method of testing and a means of assessing the acquired knowledge, skills, or abilities.

Carry out a program of individualized instruction by using verbal and tactile instructions and having the client practice various techniques.

Evaluate the consumer's progress in each portion of a program in order to determine future teaching strategies.

Coordinate the implementation of rehabilitation teaching services in conjunction with other program staff.

Arrange and participate in in-service training sessions for staff who are involved in the instruction of the legally blind and visually impaired at hospitals, nursing homes, developmental centers, and at other social services and rehabilitative centers.

Assess community resources and needs in order to ascertain the suitability of conducting in-service training programs.

Arrange, often in conjunction with Mobility Instructors, a planned program designed to familiarize agency staff with various techniques used in the rehabilitative teaching of the legally blind and visually impaired.

Instruct staff members in the application of specific techniques used for the instruction of visually impaired individuals.

Demonstrate to staff members the application of blind teaching techniques in a real life situation.

View the classification standard for this title, on the Classification and Compensation webpage.

The NYS Title and Salary Plan provides additional information regarding other titles. If there is a classification standard available there will be a link under the column labeled STD. NO. If no link is available there is no classification standard available at this time for that title.

Summary of Minimum Qualifications

Please note: qualifications for this position may be subject to change. If substitutions for education and/or experience are allowed, this information would be available on the announcement.

You must take and pass a Civil Service examination in order to be considered for this position.

Candidates must have either 1: a master's or bachelor's degree in rehabilitation teaching of the blind (Be sure to note the date of your degree on your application.);

Or 2: a bachelor's degree and successful completion of the following courses:

Anatomy of the Eye and Low Vision
Psycho-Social Aspects of Visual Impairment
Medical Aspects of Disability
Grade II Braille
Methods in Rehabilitation Teaching
Student Teaching in Rehabilitation Teaching

For informational purposes only, click on the examination number(s) listed below to see the current or previous examination(s) that are used to fill this title.

28-412

How to Apply

When this examination is scheduled to be held, the announcement can be found on the Department of Civil Service, Examination Announcements web page. If you do not see an examination currently scheduled please check back on a monthly basis or sign up for announcement notification by email so that you will automatically be notified when new examinations are being offered.

Career Mobility

Career mobility is not just limited to the titles in the Career Ladder, above. Additional movement may be achieved through other examinations, additional education and/or work experience or transfer opportunities. For additional information or clarification of transfer determinations, current State employees should contact the Career Mobility Office. Visit ELMS Online to view established open-competitive, promotion, and transition eligible lists. If you are not a current New York State employee, see Employment Opportunities with New York State and find out how to become a New York State employee.

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