About Us : An Overview of the VITP
The Board of Governors gave NCCU authorization to develop a master's degree program track, Special Education: Visual Impairment Education (API#0808) in October 1995 in response to Chapter 507, Section 15.2 of House Bill 230 of the General Assembly. This program track was prepared in response to the legislative mandate which instructed the University Of North Carolina Board of Governors to provide a master's level education program to prepare teachers to work with students who have visual impairments. The institution authorized the establishment of the track in July 1997.
The Visual Impairment Training Program is a concentration of study in the Master's of Special Education at North Carolina Central University that prepares teachers of children who are visually impaired. Part of the NC Vision Partnership and housed both at NCCU and on the Governor Morehead School for the Blind campus, the program sequence is designed to meet national accreditation standards as well as fulfill the specific requirements for a North Carolina teaching license specializing in Visual Impairments. Teachers, parents, and professionals may take courses leading to the Master's Degree, Licensure in Visual Impairment Teaching, Certification in Orientation & Mobility, or Certification in Vision Rehabilitation Teaching. Individuals may also enroll for courses for general professional and personal development.
A collaborative agreement with the Governor Morehead School for the Blind creates a sharing of facilities, materials, equipment, resources, and qualified personnel which ensures a well-rounded training program with a dynamic infusion of Visual Impairment Education theory and practice. The Visual Impairment Training Program caters to the working professional in that specialization courses are offered on a year-round basis through evening, weekend, off-campus, and summer semester scheduling. While instilling specific competencies in Visual Impairment education, every effort is made to provide an individualized educational program which meets the varied needs and interests of our students.