According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 and the 1998 Amendments of the Rehabilitation Act, transition planning and interagency linkage are vital for successful transition of students with disabilities from educational settings into adult life.
Experts indicate that 75% of persons ages 16 - 54 with visual impairments are unemployed. Currently in Arkansas there are approximately ninety students of transition planning age with visual impairments. These students are in need of transition skills that will lead to successful employment and active participation in their local communities.
To address this need the Arkansas School for the Blind, the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind, the Arkansas School for the Deaf, and the Arkansas Department of Education, Special Education Unit, have collaborated to develop the "JUMP START" summer training program for students with visual impairment.
The summer of 1999 was the pilot year for this project. The purpose of this Director's Communication is to announce JUMP START 2001. There are two attachments to this memo:
Attachment I is a flyer containing specific information regarding JUMP START 2001.
Attachment II is an application for participation in JUMP START 2001.
Please pay close attention to the application deadline of March 1, 2001. Share this information with teachers of students with visual impairment, students with visual impairment and their parents.