Last year, the Iowa Department for the Blind launched a new learning track at its Orientation Center for the Blind in Des Moines to make training more accessible for blind and low-vision clients across the state. The Specific Skills Track allows students greater flexibility in selecting classes, determining the length of participation, and setting a schedule that fits their individual needs.
Previously, the Orientation Center only offered a full-time training program in which students attended classes in braille, cane travel, home management, technology, woodshop, and seminars. This program, now called the Comprehensive Program, continues to be a popular training option. In September 2025, after listening to clients’ diverse needs and life circumstances, IDB launched the Specific Skills Track. By introducing this more flexible training option, center instructors are now able to serve more clients and provide them with the skills they’ll need in the workforce and community.
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Toni Reimers, who meets with clients across Iowa, observed the immediate impact of the new flexible approach. “When I tell clients about the new ‘meet you where you’re at’ model, their faces light up. It is not just a program anymore. It is a program that meets them where they are in their adjustment to blindness journey.”
Since launching the Specific Skills Track, the Orientation Center has seen a nearly 400 percent increase in enrollment. In September, the center served only three to four students at a time. Today, enrollment has reached capacity at 20 students across both the Comprehensive and Specific Skills tracks, and for the first time in years, there is a waitlist. Reimers added, “We’ve always worked with students to provide them an informed choice in their training, but this new ‘meet them where they’re at’ model offers a fresh perspective, and I’ve found that people are more willing to come in for tours and explore more options.”
Director Stacy Cervenka explained that one of the reasons the Specific Skills Track was created was to allow current college students, people working part-time, and those with caregiving responsibilities the flexibility to gain the skills they needed. She shares, “For many clients, their only option for getting training was meeting with a Rehabilitation Teacher for two hours every other week. The Specific Skills track allows these clients to receive more intensive training on a daily basis.
The Iowa Department for the Blind is committed to providing high-quality, non-visual skills training tailored to each client’s needs. Staff at the Orientation Center are trained to provide instruction that meets each student where they are, regardless of skill, comfort level, or experience.
For more information about the Orientation Center for the Blind or other services offered by the Iowa Department for the Blind, please contact 515-281-1333 or email contact@blind.state.ia.us