The University’s Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) was recently awarded a $1.25 million grant from the Department of Education to be distributed over the next five years. Salus was one of only 40 institutions throughout the U.S. to receive funding. The grant supports Project LEGIT (Learning Experiences Grounded in Interprofessional Training), which will provide students with interprofessional experiences that emphasize working with children that have high intensity needs, particularly Cortical Visual Impairment - a vision issue caused by the brain rather than the health of the eye, according to Dr. Fabiana Perla, BLVS Department chair. As interprofessional educational experiences are a hallmark of a Salus University education, Dr. Perla is thrilled the grant will open the door to more collaborative work amongst various program at Salus.
“This grant provides an exciting interprofessional opportunity for our students to be utilized both in the classroom and through fieldwork experiences,” she said. “It will also allow our BLVS students to work jointly with the University’s Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology students through real-world learning experiences.”
In addition to class work and fieldwork experiences, the grant will also allow students to participate in the “Families as Faculty Program,” which will bring families of children with disabilities and future education and rehabilitation professionals together. Through this experience, students will learn how to work cooperatively with local families to improve outcomes and access to services for children with visual impairments.
