The Northern Illinois University (NIU) Vision Studies Program is working with partners in the state of Wisconsin to explore offering graduate coursework in the area of Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) and Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapy (CVRT). The classes would be offered through a combination of online and in-person coursework in the state of Wisconsin.

TVIs work with students who are blind or have low vision in a wide variety of educational environments such as, public schools, private schools, homeschools and schools for the blind. CVRTs work primarily with adults who are blind or have low vision in a variety of environments to support their needs related to vision loss.

Within the state of Wisconsin, there is no TVI personnel preparation program, and there is no CVRT personnel preparation program. NIU has a longstanding (60+ year) Vision Studies program that prepares professionals to meet the personnel shortage in the areas of TVI and CVRT.

No prior education or background in the area of Vision Studies is required. An undergraduate degree of any kind is required but no prior education or background requirements other than that.

At this time, we are trying to figure out who is interested in this opportunity and where they live to determine when and where the first NIU cohort of this kind could be offered in Wisconsin. 

Please fill out the NIU in Wisconsin Interest Survey to indicate your interest in this opportunity by Friday, January 30, 2026.

For any questions feel free to contact our program director:

Stacy Kelly, Ed.D.

Visual  Disabilities Professor, Program Director

skelly@niu.edu