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. There are many students in Arkansas between the ages of 14 and 21 who are visually impaired. 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 collaboratively combined their efforts to develop the "JUMP START" summer training program for students with visual impairment in the State of Arkansas.
The summer of 1999 was the pilot year for this project. The purpose of this Director's Communication memo is to announce JUMP START 2002. There are two attachments to this memo:
Attachment I is a flier with specific information regarding JUMP START 2002.
Attachment II is an application for JUMP START 2002.
Please pay close attention to the application deadline of February 1, 2002. Please share this information with teachers of students with visual impairment, students with visual impairments and their parents.