About Us : Newsletters : VITP Visionaire Summer/Fall 1999
Please Note: As this is an archive of a previous newsletter, information may no longer be applicable. At time of original publication, however, all information was verified as accurate. The format of this publication may differ from what was originally published, and may include ommissions such as no longer-relavent contact information.
New Faculty and Staff Appointments
We are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to the NCCU-VITP family: Dr. Debbie Sugg and Mr. Ray Dragon. With these new appointments, the VITP has now achieved the full operational staff originally supported by NC General Assembly through House Bill 230 of 1995. Both new members bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience in their respective fields and will be tremendous assets to the VITP as it continues to grow.
Dr. Sugg will become the coordinator for the Visual Impairment (VI) training component that began in the Fall Semester of 1997. In addition to her duties as VI Program Coordinator, Dr. Sugg will be responsible for the instruction of the VI course work as well as the advising of VI Licensure students.
Debbie Sugg, Ph.D. comes to the VITP from the Durham Public Schools where she was an Itinerant VI teacher. Prior to that, Dr. Sugg was a clinical social worker for 3 years, working with chronically mentally ill adults at the Durham County Mental Health Center. Dr. Sugg received an M.Ed. from Duke in 1979, her Doctorate from UNC-CH in 1990, and an MSW from UNC-CH in 1995. Dr Sugg also has a Master's in Education School Counseling from NCCU where she also has taught part-time in Special Education and Counseling.
Mr. Dragon acts as Computer Consultant for the Visual Impairment Training Program / Governor Morehead School Partnership. Mr. Dragon comes to us after several years of consulting work, including consulting for the VITP and webmaster of the AERBVI website, and possesses over 5 years of experience with computers, the Internet, and website design. Mr. Dragon has already proven himself an invaluable resource to VITP faculty and students alike. He may be reached at 919.715.4257 or, via e-mail, at ray DOT dragon AT ncmail DOT net.
VITP - O&M Guiding Eyes Trip
Students from the Orientation and Mobility program at NCCU went to Guiding Eyes for the Blind located in Yorktown Heights, New York from June 25-28, 1999. The students, accompanied by Dr. Laura Bozeman, observed training for dogs that will eventually guide a person who is visually impaired. The weekend culminated with each student experiencing a trip under blindfold with a four-legged friend as their guide!
The staff at Guiding Eyes sponsor this annual trip for students in the O&M program as a way to teach future O&M Specialists about Guiding Eyes' procedures of breeding, raising, and training dogs that guide people with vision impairment. The students enjoyed the opportunity and the wonderful hospitality provided by Guiding Eyes. We look forward to the next trip as well.
For additional information regarding the O&M program, please contact Dr. Laura Bozeman.
Technical Support for VI Teachers
With the recent appointment of Mr. Dragon as the VITP Computer Consultant, North Carolina VI teachers will now have someone to turn to for computer hardware and software support. As written in the mission statement of the NCCU/GMS partnership, part of the responsibilities of the Computer Consultant is to provide support in areas such as: adaptive technology identification, installation and setup; Internet troubleshooting; suggestions for computer upgrades and accessories; and basic hardware and software troubleshooting. Mr. Dragon will maintain regular support hours, being available to take calls, answer e-mail, and respond to ICQ messages. Future plans include specially scheduled chat room sessions. In addition to the support hours, Mr. Dragon will travel to GMS partner schools to assist with troubleshooting and setup.
Technical support hours for the Summer Session 1999 are:
Fridays - 3pm-6 pm
Saturdays - 9am-1pm
Contact information for technical support is:
919.715.4257
ray DOT dragon AT ncmail DOT net
ICQ 41986533
New VITP Student Organization
A new student support organization, NCCU AER, (Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired) was formed in May 1999. The purpose of NCCU AER is to promote, develop, and improve all phases of education and rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired persons.
Membership is open to anyone in the NCCU community who is concerned with the care and education/rehabilitation of persons with visual impairments. This may embody students and faculty from, but not limited to, Visual Impairments, Orientation & Mobility, Nursing, Psychology, Education, Speech and Hearing Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Recreational Therapy, and Rehabilitation.
Plans for this year's activities include professional speakers forums, White Cane Day, and fund-raising for the VITP.
Vision Awareness Festival 2 - A Success!
The most recent Vision Awareness Festival was held May 1, 1999 in the GMS dining hall. The Festival offered free vision screenings for adults and children as well as screenings for Diabetes and Glaucoma. Representatives from the GMS Preschool, Division of Services for the Blind, NCAER, GMS Outreach and GMS Technology were on hand to distribute information and provide demonstrations. Folks from area Lion's Clubs and the Raleigh Fragrance Gardens were present to explain current projects and resources.
Attendees enjoyed popcorn and fresh-baked goods donated by NCCU VITP students. The Fun Run was cancelled due to rain, but that did not dampen the spirits of the festival-goers!
The next scheduled event will be in celebration of "White Cane Day." Please stay in touch to keep informed of the plans and how you may help.
Contact Information
NCCU-VITP
1801 Fayetteville St.
New Education Building 2109
Durham, NC 27707
919.560.5179
GMS
335 ASHE AVENUE
RALEIGH, NC 27699-2601
919.715.4257
(please use all caps., as shown)
Dr. Brad R. Walker
brwalker AT nccu DOT edu (NCCU)
brad DOT walker AT ncmail DOT net (GMS)
Dr. Laura Bozeman
lbozeman AT nccu DOT edu (NCCU)
laura DOT bozeman AT ncmail DOT net (GMS)
Dr. Debbie Sugg
dsugg AT nccu DOT edu (NCCU)
debbie DOT sugg AT ncmail DOT net (GMS)
Ray Dragon
rdragon AT nccu DOT edu
ray DOT dragon AT ncmail DOT net
Important Mail Notice
The mail system for NC state government has changed. As a result, we may not receive all mail in a timely manner - we apologize in advance. If you have sent us mail that is unanswered, please call the VITP.