Employing people with vision problems
Nov. 13, 2003
KALAMAZOO--An internationally renowned authority on career development, job placement and job development for people with blindness or low vision problems will visit the Western Michigan University campus Nov. 19-20 as a visiting scholar.
Dr. Karen Wolffe will make a public presentation from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, in the President's Dining Room of the Bernhard Center. The title of her presentation is "Career Counseling for People with Disabilities." A reception is scheduled before the event at 6 p.m. Wolffe also will make two presentations for students and faculty in the WMU Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies as well as area professionals working in the field. Her visit to WMU is part of the University's Visiting Scholars and Artists Program.
Wolffe was recently honored with the John H. McAulay Award for achievement in the placement of people who are blind or visually impaired into employment. She is the American Foundation for the Blind national program associate for employment and education.
Wolffe is a prolific writer, having written numerous articles in leading journals. She has also served as editor for "Skills For Success: A Career Education Handbook For Children And Youth With Visual Impairments." Wolffe also is the author of "Career Counseling For People With Disabilities: A Practical Guide To Finding Employment" and the co-author of "Transition Issues For Students With Visual Impairments."
In addition to her work with AFB, Wolffe is a career counselor in private practice and teaches distance education courses for the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
The Visiting Scholars and Artists Program at WMU was established in 1960 and has supported more than 500 visits by scholars and artists representing some 65 academic disciplines. The chairperson of the committee that oversees the program is Carol Bennett, instructor in the Department of Business Information Systems.
For more information about Wolffe's visit, contact Dr. Jennifer Wiebold, advisor in the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies, at (269) 387-3459.
Media contact: Mark Schwerin, 269 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu