Comprehensive Youth Services for the Blind
Department of Services for the Blind offers a range of youth services for those under age 14, including career exploration, peer interaction, self-advocacy, and workshops. The in-house staff provides hands-on experiences to broaden awareness of available work options, connects students with peers, and prepares them for future opportunities. Despite recent funding challenges, the program continues to support blind, low vision, and deaf-blind youth with information, training, counseling, and essential life skills workshops. Recent activities like Camp Spark, Financial Beginnings, Good Vibe Friday, and Skiing help youth build confidence, financial literacy, self-advocacy, and social skills.
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Department of Services for the Blind - Youth Services Youth Services Overview and Decision Package ask for Youth Services under age 14
DSB Youth Services Model Statewide in-house staff (five FTE) who provide age-appropriate career exploration, peer interaction and self-advocacy services, workshops & activities to: Build self-belief in capability of blind, low vision and deaf blind youth, and expand their world of options Provide hands-on experiences to expand awareness of the types of work available Connect students and families to community of peers Prepare student for individualized VR services, and to be prepared for opportunities and post-secondary pathways
DSB Need: A recent federal review has disallowed utilization of Pre-Employment Transition dollars to serve youth under age 14. Seeking through legislative decision package allocable dollars to continue serving youth under age 14. Currently there is no allocable funding to serve this population. Decision Package ask: 2FTE, overhead, transportation & workshop costs $275k per year
Services for Youth and their Family Information and referral to the appropriate community resources Training in understanding the specialized developmental needs and parenting techniques for a child who is blind or has low vision and Assistance in advocating for access needs through the K-through-12 school system Counseling towards building the foundation of a productive, independent and successful childhood, youth, and adulthood Training for the youth and their family with daily living skills to help the child become more independent at home and participate in household chores
Some recent workshops & activities for youth under age 14 Camp Spark - Youth learned and practiced self-advocacy, independent living including meal preparation and clean up, orientation and mobility, career skills, and recreation and leisure through health, wellness, and physical education activities. Financial Beginnings - This workshop series (ages 9 13 and ages 14 21) was facilitated by trainers from Financial Beginnings and BECU in partnership with DSB Youth Services. Students learned about banking, investing, credit, ways to protect yourself financially, taxes. Good Vibe Friday - Topics covered this quarter included ableism (from self and from family, friends, and community), and healthy relationship building including self-love, self-worth, and self-value. Pre-ETS skills practiced during these sessions include active listening, training in self-advocacy, and peer mentoring. Skiing! - Students grew their confidence through downhill skiing and snowboarding on the mountain Telling Your Story Jack Straw Cultural Center - In partnership with the non-profit Jack Straw Cultural Center, youth actively participated in this work readiness program, offered over six weeks. Topics focused on careers in the fields of music and drama. I-Fly Workshops - Students learned about careers in the STEM field and about the science behind the indoor sky diving wind tunnels at i-FLY. Using their own mass and surface area calculations based on their weight and height, they were able to do their calculations to determine how fast the wind would need to be for them to fly when they go to visit i-FLY. Step Up To The Plate - DSB Youth Services students worked with a dietician to coordinate a four-part virtual workshop series focused on nutritional wellness and career occupations in the wide field of health and wellness.
Some recent workshops for youth age 14+ Career Exploration Program (six week workshop) - Students learned about networking, resumes, cover letters, interviewing, and mock interviews. Students were encouraged to dress the part, for an actual interview with community employers. Students also learned about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and gained a better understanding of their rights in the workplace. They learned how to discuss their accommodations needed to ensure success in the workplace. Blind and Socially Savvy - The monthly sessions, facilitated by contractor International School of Protocol and Blind Savvy USA, focused on job readiness skills and self-advocacy with employers. Program Development Internships - Youth who completed the B&SS program became eligible to apply for paid internships. They were asked to submit a resume and cover letter and participate in an interview with YSS staff. Interviews were held with all who applied, and two interns were selected. The interns job tasks include developing youth services program ideas for participants in the age range of 9-13. This included finding resources, developing a budget, presenting a proposal to YSS staff and then planning and implementing the approved workshop(s) with support of YSS staff.
Some recent workshops for youth age 14+ Virtual Internship Program (VIP) - The Work Experience portion (phase two) of VIP began with twelve paid, remote work experiences; and one in-person work experience. Job Club - A safe place for work experience interns to discuss their work experience and brainstorm solutions. Opportunity to network/socialize about their individual jobs. Newsletter Internship - DSB youth services hired two of our transition students to edit and write a newsletter for BVI transition age students in Washington State. The focus of the newsletter is transition and vocational-related topics such as college, career exploration, and self-advocacy. We also want the newsletter to highlight our programs and our students around the state and build a sense of community. See: DSB Buzz - Youth Newsletter | DSB - Wa Dept of Services for the Blind Interstate Network Collaborative (INC) - Youth from Washington State met with other youth from three states: Vermont, New Jersey and Idaho, for a monthly youth-led meeting. Each month was assigned to one state to plan and facilitate that month s meeting. Topics for the meetings included: Self-advocacy, Disability awareness (a discussion on how you talk about your disability), Social skills, Active listening.
Annual Youth Programs Youth Employment Solutions 1 (YES1) A two-week program for 14 and 15 year-old students, hosted at Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver, Washington. YES 1 offers students the opportunity to explore their interests and aptitudes through vocational assessments; explore different careers possibilities; and job shadow visit work sites. LEAP - The Leap Program is specifically designed for youth with complex support needs. The Virtual Leap program served youth in a series of five weekly workshops. The hour-long workshops explored careers in the assembly, clerical, laundry, hardware, and plumbing fields. Assembly kits were delivered to each student as part of their participation. Each activity encouraged the students to communicate some of the information about their career interests and task preferences that are typically addressed in a video resume. The group discussed the career field being explored, covering the types of jobs available, skills and strengths needed, typical responsibilities, employer expectations, work environment and requirements for entry level positions. Partners In Careers - Partners in Careers staff provide weekly work readiness soft skills training and work-readiness skills for selected WSSB students.
Annual Youth Programs Youth Employment Solutions 2 (YES2) - YES 2 is a six-week summer program for high school students ages 16 and up that offers students five weeks of paid work experience* based on student interests, experience, and ability and a residential living experience that provides students the opportunity to refine their daily living skills. Bridge - A five-week summer program to assist blind or low vision high school graduates - and high school students considering Running Start or in accelerated school classes - in their transition from high school to post-secondary education. Bridge is held on a university campus and students live in a dorm, learn about campus life in preparation for entering college in the fall, and take a class for credits. Student Work and Academic Growth (SWAG) - SWAG students work part-time* while taking college courses and practicing independent living. Participants in this program must be eligible to work in the U.S.; have acceptable levels of adaptive skills of blindness for independent living; be a high school graduate, or passed GED; successfully completed at least one college-level course.
Recent Work-based Learning Employers Burke Museum Ambassador Program DSB front Desk Career Exploration Diddlehead Preschool DSB Communications UW Food Bank Museum of Flight Jackstraw Cultural Center Little Anchor Childcare Center OFA Day camp MoPop Burke Museum Washington Vocational Services Washington ATAP Museum of Flight Disability Mobility AUW arboretum Preschool Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services
