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NDVS/SB prides itself as an agency that serves people from birth to death. We help those who are experiencing vision loss due to aging find solutions to maintain their independence and happiness. We help those in mid-life find hope and employment solutions, and help them relearn daily living skills like cooking and cleaning after vision loss. We help students learn in new and different ways by determining what accommodations they may need in order to be successful in school and in life. And we serve infants and toddlers, as well as their families, as they navigate sight loss while taking their first steps and their first bites. Just like the students and clients we serve, the babies we serve are all different – they have different diagnoses, different needs, different personalities. But knowing what our babies are experiencing now can help us, as an agency, as a state, and as a country, prepare for the future. 

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by Ken Dockter
NDVS/SB Adult Program Coordinator

If you are blind or have low vision, you may feel intimidated by exercise or self-conscious about performing the activities correctly. But with a few simple adaptations, you can start moving and take advantage of all the benefits of exercise, leading to a more fulfilled life. 

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Not many teens would say that the highlight of their summer was attending a conference, but that’s exactly how 16-year-old Ryder Schlafman-Hieb feels. Ryder, who is starting her junior year at Carrington High School this month, attended the CHARGE Syndrome Conference in Phoenix, AZ, at the end of July with her mom, her TSVI Lanna Slaby, and Lacey Long, the Director of the North Dakota Dual Sensory Project. Ryder was born with CHARGE Syndrome, which stands for Coloboma, Heart defects, Atresia choanae, Retarded growth and development, Genital and/or urinary abnormalities, and Ear abnormalities and deafness. These characteristics vary widely among individuals and not every person will have all the features that make up the acronym. In Ryder’s case, CHARGE Syndrome has caused vision loss, hearing loss, and other physical issues, but, more importantly, she said, “it has offered me opportunities to meet new people.” This summer was no exception, as Ryder met hundreds of individuals of all ages who have CHARGE Syndrome, as well as professionals, including those who are researching CHARGE Syndrome and people working for the CHARGE Foundation.

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by Cindy Williams
NDVS/SB Coordinator of Student Programs

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year, and a warm welcome to Student Short-Term Programs at NDVS/SB! I hope you and your family are settling smoothly into your new school routine—or will be soon. I am honored to be the Coordinator of Student Programs and am excited about the year ahead. Our Short-Term Programs (STP) are designed to offer individual and small class instruction through collaboration with families and local schools. While attending our STPs, students share similar experiences unique to the world of low vision and blindness and take away self-awareness and confidence through this shared experience.

NDVS/SB offers students in North Dakota with low vision or blindness opportunities to come together in the summer to interact socially, learn new skills, experience lessons in the Expanded Core Curriculum and have fun. We had an exciting summer at NDVS/SB through the following programs.

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by Paul Olson
NDVS/SB Superintendent

Dear Families, Partners, and all Citizens of North Dakota,

As we begin another exciting school year, I am thrilled to welcome you all back. It is a time filled with anticipation and enthusiasm as we look forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

At North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind, our commitment to being responsive to the needs of those we serve and providing the highest quality service is of utmost importance. The reputation of our organization, as well as the reputation of each individual within it, is built on trust. We strive to earn and maintain that trust every day.

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