METAS school for the blind trip
Donation protected
METAS (Mentoring Engaging and Teaching all Students) or Goals in Spanish, is going to Mexico in May 2016 to a school for the blind in Guadalajara, Mexico! The school, Escuela para Nino/as Ciego/as de Guadalajara A.C. is a boarding school that serves blind children from toddlers until the age of 12.
Metas will be working with the students and staff for a total of 5 days. We will be teaching orientation and mobility, daily living skills, adaptive sports and more. We will be working off of the Structured Discovery model that values independence and self determination. Aside from direct instruction and social development, we will be taking supplies to the school. Those include :
Canes
Slates and stylis
Braille paper
Sleep shades
Tactile materials
Adaptive sports equipment
Braille books in Spanish
If you would like to donate any of the following materials please send them by April 30th . Send us a message to receive the shipping address.
METAS is made up of the 4 following participants, all of whom are blind themselves and live an independent life.
Sachin Pavithran: Sachin Pavithran was born in India, but grew up in Dubai which is in the United Arab Emirates. Sachin came to the US at the age of 17 to start his college career at Utah State University. He graduated from USU with a degree in Business Information Systems, and another degree in Marketing. Sachin received his Masters in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling at Utah State University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Disability Disciplines. Sachin is currently the Program Director of the Utah Assistive Technology Program (UATP) and the Disability Policy Analyst for the Center for Persons with Disabilities. Sachin enjoys being an advocate for people with disabilities. He keeps up with the research and development of various assistive technologies, and is involved nationally in working with legislators in the Federal Government to bring a change in various Federal Policies for the benefit of individuals with disabilities. He has trained and presented in several countries such as Egypt, Syria, Philippines, and Turkey. Sachin has over fifteen years of direct involvement in development, testing, and training for accessibility for assistive technology, extensive experience in lecturing and training others in accessible technology. Sachin provides technical assistance on accessible information technology for individuals and groups. He helps in the evaluation of products related to web accessibility and design. force. He sits on various boards nationally, such as, The Research and Development committee for the National Federation of the Blind, The National Multicultural Council, the national board of the Assistive Technology Act Programs, and Senator Hatch’s Advisory board for disability policy. He was appointed by President Obama to the U.S. Access Board where he is currently the Chair of this federal agency and over sees the various rule makings undertaken by this agency.
Garrick Scott: Garrick Scott was born in Warner Robins, Georgia. He has a daughter, four brothers and five sisters. His vision loss is due to a hereditary eye disease, known as Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Scott attended college at Gardener Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. He graduated with a BA degree in Communication Studies. Scott says he pursued this degree because it had 90% of all the things he enjoyed such as radio and TV work, newspaper and drama classes. He is currently in his 5th year as the President of the NFB of GA. In 2002, he was nominated for membership to the advisory board for the Library for Accessible Services, formerly known as the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. In 2004, he received his state certification to be a peer counselor for people with disabilities. Garrick has continued to work diligently in the blind community. He currently serves as Chairman of the board for Disability Link, a Center for Independent Living. He is a recent graduate of the Leadership Dekalb class of 2011, a program designed to foster future leaders in the county. His plans as president are to continue promoting the mission and philosophy of the NFB; to personally increase usage and participation in he NFB-NEWSLINE; and to encourage blind citizens of Georgia to live the life they want.
Conchita Hernandez : Maria (Conchita) Hernandez was born in Mexico and grew up in California. She advocates for the rights of blind children and their parents in the public school setting through a lens of intersectionality focusing on social justice. Conchita received her Bachelor's degree from Saint Mary’s College of California, majoring in International Studies, Spanish, and History. She then went on to Louisiana Tech University were she received her Masters in Teaching with a focus on teaching blind students. As well, Conchita earned a certificate in working with Deaf-Blind students from Northern Illinois University. Conchita is a member of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) where she serves on the education committee, United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA), Washington Metro Association of Blind Athletes (WMABA) where she serves on the board as secretary, and the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind (AER). Conchita has been published in Future Reflections and serves as a peer reviewer on the Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research. She worked in the rehabilitation field in Nebraska where she gained valuable knowledge about the needs of blind students leaving public education. Conchita is the director of the NFB BELL Academy in Washington DC that mainly serves blind youth of color and empowers them to learn braille and foster a positive philosophy on blindness. Conchita runs the Spanish Translation Committee for the National Federation of the Blind, which runs Spanish programming across the country. Conchita recently started a non-profit organization, Mentoring Engaging and Teaching All Students (METAS) that works internationally to train individuals working with blind and low vision students and adults. Currently, Conchita works at a public school in Washington DC as a teacher of blind students.
Richie Flores: Richie Flores hails from the great state of Texas. Richie has dedicated much of his talents and abilities to improving the lives and impressions toward blindness in his work. As a graduate of Texas Tech University Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling Program, earning a degree in History from Texas A&M University, and a graduate of the Louisiana Center for the Blind, Flores enthusiastically seeks opportunity to increase the potential to engage youth to compete equally in the classroom and increase the blind’s role in the workforce. His experience in empowering advocacy group ranges from grassroots to state governed. In addition to his current work as Mentor Coordinator, Flores has five years’ experience as a teacher of life-skills for students with disabilities at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. As a project manager, Flores developed a scope of innovative and inclusive curriculum tools for engaging the print disabled population in exploring topics that range from navigating college to securing meaningful employment utilizing the NFB Newsline program---a multi-accessible electronic resource service for blind Americans.
Flores also serves as an Awareness Consultant for The Blind Café---a traveling pop-up event that empowers positive social-change by hosting the sighted community in a unique forum that allows for open dialogue regarding disability emphasized by the appreciation of the musical and culinary arts. He also is on the Board of Directors of the National Beep Baseball Association---an international adaptive sport for the blind. Flores won a World Series championship ring in this sport as a player for the Austin Blackhawks in 2014. Richie has been honored to take part-in and guide blind student’s paths toward vocational rehabilitative enrichment, higher education, internships, and employment.
Metas will be working with the students and staff for a total of 5 days. We will be teaching orientation and mobility, daily living skills, adaptive sports and more. We will be working off of the Structured Discovery model that values independence and self determination. Aside from direct instruction and social development, we will be taking supplies to the school. Those include :
Canes
Slates and stylis
Braille paper
Sleep shades
Tactile materials
Adaptive sports equipment
Braille books in Spanish
If you would like to donate any of the following materials please send them by April 30th . Send us a message to receive the shipping address.
METAS is made up of the 4 following participants, all of whom are blind themselves and live an independent life.
Sachin Pavithran: Sachin Pavithran was born in India, but grew up in Dubai which is in the United Arab Emirates. Sachin came to the US at the age of 17 to start his college career at Utah State University. He graduated from USU with a degree in Business Information Systems, and another degree in Marketing. Sachin received his Masters in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling at Utah State University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Disability Disciplines. Sachin is currently the Program Director of the Utah Assistive Technology Program (UATP) and the Disability Policy Analyst for the Center for Persons with Disabilities. Sachin enjoys being an advocate for people with disabilities. He keeps up with the research and development of various assistive technologies, and is involved nationally in working with legislators in the Federal Government to bring a change in various Federal Policies for the benefit of individuals with disabilities. He has trained and presented in several countries such as Egypt, Syria, Philippines, and Turkey. Sachin has over fifteen years of direct involvement in development, testing, and training for accessibility for assistive technology, extensive experience in lecturing and training others in accessible technology. Sachin provides technical assistance on accessible information technology for individuals and groups. He helps in the evaluation of products related to web accessibility and design. force. He sits on various boards nationally, such as, The Research and Development committee for the National Federation of the Blind, The National Multicultural Council, the national board of the Assistive Technology Act Programs, and Senator Hatch’s Advisory board for disability policy. He was appointed by President Obama to the U.S. Access Board where he is currently the Chair of this federal agency and over sees the various rule makings undertaken by this agency.
Garrick Scott: Garrick Scott was born in Warner Robins, Georgia. He has a daughter, four brothers and five sisters. His vision loss is due to a hereditary eye disease, known as Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Scott attended college at Gardener Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. He graduated with a BA degree in Communication Studies. Scott says he pursued this degree because it had 90% of all the things he enjoyed such as radio and TV work, newspaper and drama classes. He is currently in his 5th year as the President of the NFB of GA. In 2002, he was nominated for membership to the advisory board for the Library for Accessible Services, formerly known as the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. In 2004, he received his state certification to be a peer counselor for people with disabilities. Garrick has continued to work diligently in the blind community. He currently serves as Chairman of the board for Disability Link, a Center for Independent Living. He is a recent graduate of the Leadership Dekalb class of 2011, a program designed to foster future leaders in the county. His plans as president are to continue promoting the mission and philosophy of the NFB; to personally increase usage and participation in he NFB-NEWSLINE; and to encourage blind citizens of Georgia to live the life they want.
Conchita Hernandez : Maria (Conchita) Hernandez was born in Mexico and grew up in California. She advocates for the rights of blind children and their parents in the public school setting through a lens of intersectionality focusing on social justice. Conchita received her Bachelor's degree from Saint Mary’s College of California, majoring in International Studies, Spanish, and History. She then went on to Louisiana Tech University were she received her Masters in Teaching with a focus on teaching blind students. As well, Conchita earned a certificate in working with Deaf-Blind students from Northern Illinois University. Conchita is a member of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) where she serves on the education committee, United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA), Washington Metro Association of Blind Athletes (WMABA) where she serves on the board as secretary, and the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind (AER). Conchita has been published in Future Reflections and serves as a peer reviewer on the Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research. She worked in the rehabilitation field in Nebraska where she gained valuable knowledge about the needs of blind students leaving public education. Conchita is the director of the NFB BELL Academy in Washington DC that mainly serves blind youth of color and empowers them to learn braille and foster a positive philosophy on blindness. Conchita runs the Spanish Translation Committee for the National Federation of the Blind, which runs Spanish programming across the country. Conchita recently started a non-profit organization, Mentoring Engaging and Teaching All Students (METAS) that works internationally to train individuals working with blind and low vision students and adults. Currently, Conchita works at a public school in Washington DC as a teacher of blind students.
Richie Flores: Richie Flores hails from the great state of Texas. Richie has dedicated much of his talents and abilities to improving the lives and impressions toward blindness in his work. As a graduate of Texas Tech University Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling Program, earning a degree in History from Texas A&M University, and a graduate of the Louisiana Center for the Blind, Flores enthusiastically seeks opportunity to increase the potential to engage youth to compete equally in the classroom and increase the blind’s role in the workforce. His experience in empowering advocacy group ranges from grassroots to state governed. In addition to his current work as Mentor Coordinator, Flores has five years’ experience as a teacher of life-skills for students with disabilities at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. As a project manager, Flores developed a scope of innovative and inclusive curriculum tools for engaging the print disabled population in exploring topics that range from navigating college to securing meaningful employment utilizing the NFB Newsline program---a multi-accessible electronic resource service for blind Americans.
Flores also serves as an Awareness Consultant for The Blind Café---a traveling pop-up event that empowers positive social-change by hosting the sighted community in a unique forum that allows for open dialogue regarding disability emphasized by the appreciation of the musical and culinary arts. He also is on the Board of Directors of the National Beep Baseball Association---an international adaptive sport for the blind. Flores won a World Series championship ring in this sport as a player for the Austin Blackhawks in 2014. Richie has been honored to take part-in and guide blind student’s paths toward vocational rehabilitative enrichment, higher education, internships, and employment.
Organiser
Conchita Hernandez Legorreta
Organiser
Washington D.C., DC
