Hadley School's Online Courses

Over 100 Classes Free to Blind and Visually Impaired Via Computer

Jun 12, 2009

The Hadley School for the Blind's e-Hadley classes cover a wide range of topics, including business writing, finding employment, and effective parenting of a blind child.

For 90 years, the Hadley School for the Blind (Winnetka, IL) has provided courses that have enabled the blind and visually impaired to learn crucial life and career-building skills and parents of blind children to be more effective advocates.

The Internet continues to extend Hadley’s reach through its distance learning program called e-Hadley that provides free online courses students can take anywhere via computer. The e-Hadley program offers online courses for four target audiences:

Many Hadley courses are offered in multiple categories. The courses and seminars cover a wide range of topics, from Contracted Braille to Container Gardening. Most courses are free to blind and visually impaired adults. A modest tuition is charged for HSPS courses.

Two of the most popular areas of studies are business and career courses for blind adults and advocacy courses for parents of visually impaired children. Here’s a brief summary of selected courses in both of these areas and the Hadley programs in which they are available.

Hadley Offers Many Courses on Business and Career

This six-lesson course examines the job-search process (for both first-time employment and career enhancement), covering topics specific to the visually impaired.

This six-lesson course focuses on verbal forms of communication and provides students with the information and practice they need to communicate effectively in a variety of business settings.

This four-part course teaches business writing basics, from organizing ideas into clear paragraphs to using the appropriate style for writing letters, memos, and reports.

Hadley Courses Can Help Parents Through Special Education Process

This mini-course explains the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process and Special Education services, and outlines placement options for visually impaired children.

This mini-course presents advocacy strategies, discusses parents' rights pertaining to Special Education laws, and describes how keep track of paperwork and document a child's progress.

This seven-lesson course offers ways to promote home learning and how to take an active role in educational planning for a visually impaired child with one or more additional disabilities.

Other areas of study for which Hadley provides numerous courses include technology (Access Technology: Beginnings Internet Basics, et al), blindness (Glaucoma, Guide Dogs), independent living (Going Places, Safety in the Home), and many others.

The Hadley website has detailed descriptions of each course and includes a course catalogue one can download. Call 800.323.4238 for information.

Hadley course offerings continue to expand and evolve to meet the professional needs of visually impaired persons, their families, and blindness professionals.

The copyright of the article Hadley School's Online Courses in Blind Students is owned by Andrew Leibs. Permission to republish Hadley School's Online Courses in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.