Coffee Hour Archive
View past recordings of our weekly webinar series, Coffee Hour. This free, award-winning webinar series supports educators, service providers, and families of students who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision. Join us on Mondays from 3:00–4:00 PM CT for strategies you can use right away! TSBVI Outreach Coffee Hour recordings are not eligible for delayed viewing credits. To earn CEUs for participating in upcoming sessions, please visit the current events page.
AI for Practitioners
Open captioned. Discover practical AI tools for professionals serving students with visual impairments. Learn to use AI for efficient report writing, innovative instructional planning, and empowering students to use AI for their own learning and support.
Demystifying Texas Medicaid Waivers
Open captioned. This session provides an overview of Texas Medicaid Waivers, teaching educators that the "best" program is not a fixed choice but depends entirely on each student's unique diagnosis and support goals. Participants will learn to navigate the waitlist process and analyze how different waivers offer specialized, program-specific services tailored to individual needs.
Empowering Independence – Teaching Students to Use AI Tools for Creating and Verifying Routes in Orientation and Mobility
Open captioned. This session examines emerging applications of artificial intelligence to support student navigation skills. This session highlights practical, accessible activities and instructional strategies for using AI to generate and validate travel routes, fostering increased independence and confidence in orientation and mobility.
Vision to Reality: Designing Transition Plans That Work
Open captioned. Effective transition plans do more than meet compliance—they build futures. Learn how to design practical, student-driven transition plans that connect assessment, instruction, and community resources. This session provides tools and strategies for TVIs, O&M specialists, and families to support independence, employment, and adult-life readiness.
Creating Digital Tactile Graphics
Open captioned. Join us for a Coffee Hour on creating digital tactile graphics (TGs)! Learn best practices, when to make a TG using a decision tree, and explore tools and resources to design effective, accessible images.
The Role of the TVI in Active Learning
Open captioned. Students with complex access needs constitute a significant proportion of a TVI’s caseload. Providing meaningful support for these learners and their teams presents many challenges. In this coffee chat, we will explore how a TVI can be an effective member of the team.
Beyond “Doing Fine” – Why Our Deafblind Proficient Communicators Still Need Targeted Instruction
Open captioned. Proficient communicators are often perceived as “doing fine,” which can lead teams to overlook ongoing instructional needs. This session examines why proficient communicators are at risk of being underserved and how assumptions of success can limit IEP planning. Participants will learn how to identify these students, recognize subtle indicators of unmet need, and use a practical IEP checklist to guide targeted, intentional instruction that supports continued growth, access, and participation across settings.
Building Blocks of Early Literacy Development
Open captioned. Early literacy experiences are key to the development of formal literacy skills. Engage in this discussion to explore how we can provide quality literacy experiences and create literacy rich environments for children with visual impairments. Presenters will share basic developmental steps and concrete strategies to try with your students and families.
Best Practice for Providing Sexuality Education to Students who are Blind, Deafblind, or Have Low Vision
Open captioned. Youth and Adults who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision are often left out of the conversation about sexuality, almost as if they are incapable of having thoughts, feelings, and needs. In reality, they, too, are sexual beings who need information and skills for making healthy decisions about sexuality. This workshop will help you become more comfortable talking about this sensitive topic by teaching tips and tools for working and teaching with this population.
Count Us In! Understanding the Annual VI Registration and Deafblind Child Count
Open captioned. It’s time to get ready for the annual VI Registration and Deafblind Child Count! This session will walk you through the timeline, registration steps, and key questions on the reporting platform. Everyone is welcome, but the session is especially helpful for those completing the counts in Texas: TVIs, TDHHs, TDBs, Special Education Directors, and 504 Coordinators.