News

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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by Lanna Slaby and Danielle Hillebrand, NDVS/SB Regional Coordinators

North Dakota Vision Servies/School for the Blind (NDVS/SB) has started to use a new infant vision screening tool called the Neonatal Assessment Vision European Grid, or NAVEG. This vision screening is used to identify neurological risks such as Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). It is standardized for preterm and newborn babies and infants up to 12 months of age.

In May 2024, NDVS/SB Regional Coordinators Danielle Hillebrand and Lanna Slaby traveled to Denver to the Anchor Center for Blind Children to become trained in administering this screening tool. During the 2024-25 school year, they trained the rest of the Regional Coordinators to administer this screening tool. This puts North Dakota on the leading edge with other states currently using this screening tool, including Colorado, Utah, Missouri, New Mexico and Washington.

Newborns receive a hearing screening prior to discharge from the hospital, but there is not currently a newborn vision screening. The plan is for the trained NDVS/SB staff to complete the NAVEG screening on infants referred to Early Intervention who were discharged from the NICU in their region of North Dakota.

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by Melissa Snyder, Region 5 Outreach Coordinator, COMS

One thing that I have learned about being a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) is the value of learning through hands-on experien

ces. At times this experience comes through working with students and clients when providing instruction, and at other times from being lucky enough to take part in opportunities like attending the Leader Dogs Pro Seminar. I am thankful for having the opportunity to travel to Rochester, MI, this summer and spend a few days at the Leader Dogs campus doing just that.

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by Ken Dockter
NDVS/SB Adult Program Coordinator

At the end of every adult instructional week, the clients and staff gather in our Vision Resource Center to discuss the week. First, we pass out Certificates of Courage to the adult clients who attended the week. These certificates are high contrast and tactual, and braille is placed on them for the braille readers. The ceremony consists of talking about the courage and sacrifice it takes for adults to come to the school for a week of instruction in training for low vision or blindness. 

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by Cindy Williams
NDVS/SB Student Program Coordinator

Summer is fast approaching, and the school year has come to an end. With that in mind, we look forward to the excitement of summer and summer opportunities! Check out the following resources and ideas you can do at home over the summer to incorporate learning in the Expanded Core.

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by Paul Olson
NDVS/SB Superintendent 

As we close out another successful school year, the NDVS/SB staff can reflect on months of hard work and remarkable service. While summer offers a chance to slow down, the mission to serve individuals with low vision or blindness doesn’t take a break—and neither do we.

Our dedicated team has spent the past year supporting students and adult learners across the state. Their commitment is unwavering, and while the pace may shift in the coming months, our work continues with purpose and enthusiasm.

Professional growth doesn’t stop at the end of the school year. Many of our newer staff members recently participated in a braille training. Braille Fun 101 demonstrated to these new staff the continued importance of braille as the best medium of literacy for many. Meanwhile, teachers and instructors engaged in blindfold training to deepen their understanding of the daily challenges faced by our students. These exercises aren’t just symbolic; they build empathy and sharpen the skills that define our quality of care and instruction.

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NDVS/SB Houseparent

Because it’s part-time work and often filled by college students, there is quite a bit of turnover amongst the houseparents. “Schedules change, students graduate, they need to fulfill internships or are looking for more hours,” explains Cindy Williams, Student Program Coordinator at NDVS/SB. “All of these things mean that we are often hiring and training in new houseparents, and that we are very grateful for the houseparents who do stick with us year after year.” One of those current veteran houseparents is Teagan Weber. While she’s only been on staff for three years, her experience – and her attention to detail – is a huge asset. Teagan, Cindy explains, “is very organized with our Sunday check-in/drop-off of students. I feel confident having her make sure all the necessary paperwork is completed.” Teagan’s experience working in childcare, as well as her future plans to be an occupational therapist, have also served her well as a houseparent. “Her skills shine through,” Cindy says. “She has even requested resources in order to present to her classes on working with individuals who are blind or low vision.” While Teagan will one day move on from NDVS/SB, she feels confident that what she learned while working here will stay with her. “I will be able to use my knowledge about visual impairments when working with future clients who may be experiencing the same challenges as the clients I have worked with at NDVS/SB,” she says. Read on to learn more about Teagan.

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NDVS/SB Houseparent

The role of houseparent attracts a wide variety of individuals. Most houseparents are college students at UND, since NDVS/SB is so close to campus and their students may find out about open positions from simply walking by the building or through volunteering opportunities. UND’s Delta Gamma Sorority, whose philanthropic focus is Service for Sight, has provided countless volunteer hours over the years during short-term program weeks. “Delta Gamma Girls,” as they have come to be known at NDVS/SB, spend one evening each program week with the students. Delta Gamma has also provided NDVS/SB with quite a few houseparents over the years. “The Delta Gamma girls get to know our students and come to really appreciate what we do here,” explains NDVS/SB Student Program Coordinator Cindy Williams. “Many have become houseparents over the years because they know how much fun it is and how much they can learn and grow from the position.” Currently, houseparent Erika Lewis is a member of Delta Gamma. Erika “is always willing to learn new tasks,” houseparent supervisor Erin Storhoff explains. “She is great with communication with the students and adults.” Erika said one of the reasons she applied to be a houseparent was because “I felt comfortable being at the school through my time volunteering.” She already knew many of the students and even some of the other houseparents. Erika, who is studying to become a pilot, may never have even heard of NDVS/SB if it wasn’t for her sorority’s connection to NDVS/SB. Luckily, Erika, NDVS/SB, and all the students and adult clients she has met along the way will now be connected. “I am very grateful to be working at a place that values everyone no matter what,” Erika says. “This is genuinely what keeps me excited about my job at NDVS/SB.” Read more about Erika by clicking the link below.

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