[visionrehabtherapist] Re: What do you think about the new ACVREP Certification requiremetns?
- From: l.mowerson@xxxxxxxxxxx
- To: sheinrich@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:49:15 +0000 (UTC)
First of all, I must say, I have been in the field for over 20 years now. I
have served in AER as a state chair of RT, as national RT division, on the AER
Board of Dirctors, and helped to organize the 1999 Rt conference. I am quite
prou d to be a CVRT.
However, when I saw the postponement today I was upset! I think it was a good
and brave move on the part of ACVREP to move in the direction of two levels of
certification. Prior to 1986, there were BA's with ceritification in the field
of blindnes for VRt, O&M amd TVI. unfortunately grant funding and univeristy
support moved away from these low incident programs (translation, low interes t
and low enroll ments) to Master's level programming were they could be tagged
onto existing higher student programs. To my fellow professionals that believe
this two track system will wa ter down the profession and lessen our
programs, I say get real! With only 6, count them 6 , universities in all of
the US offering VRT training, 1 offering LV and whoopie, 20 offering O&M how
the HELL are we going to prepare enough professionals to meet the shortage!
With the growing older adult populations growing and demending our serives, the
younger multi-impaired population growing and retirements occurring at a rapid
pace, we are opening the flood gates to agencies and adminstrations to offer
jobs to unqualified similiar professions. We can't wait for people to
'discover" the "ideal" in training and certification. We have no professional
career ladder of an assistant, like nursing with aides, LPN and RN or OT with
COTA's. We say to interested professionals, especially ethnic or disabled
individuals, come back in 6 years after you get a Masters! With track
certifcation we are alig ning with teaching and state certification
requirements. We are offering individuals a chance to learn about our
professions, work in our professions with appropriate guidance and with more
training reach the "ideal".
To ACVREP on postponing the implimentation, My first reaction, whimps! It needs
to be done, should have been done years ago and offers the only I hope of
beefing up a profession on its way obscurity.
Respectfully,
Lisa-Anne Mowerson
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