My name is Brenda Stevens and I have worked in the Special Educational field for a long time.

From 1994 to 1998, I worked as a substitute teacher’s aide for early childhood and special needs students in St. Louis Public Schools. It was during this time that I met my first blind student. In 1998, I became an itinerant teacher for the visually impaired, also in the St. Louis Public Schools, and worked in this position until 2000.

From 2000 to 2005, I worked at the Missouri School for the Blind. It was here that I learned everything I thought I knew about the education of blind children that I didn’t know before. It became clear to me that high expectations were a must, and I also learned that speech therapy was more than just articulation. Additionally, occupational therapists and physical therapists had the best educational toys. During this time, I worked in the vocational department serving students 13-21 years old who were not only visually impaired but also had additional disabilities.

From 2005 to 2023, I worked as an itinerant teacher for the visually impaired/blind in Rowan-Salisbury Schools, NC As an itinerant teacher for the Visually Impaired and blind I traveled from school to school. More offend than not I would see one student at each location. In other words, having a visual impairment or blindness is a low incidence occurrence. Therefore, many there is only one student at each location needing my help. Seeing the need for more tactile materials in the early years and the continued need for parents to be more informed about the IEP process, I resigned and started my own business.