NOTE: This service is provided to eligible customers with qualifying disabilities that make reading print difficult. If you are blind, deafblind, low vision, or if you have another disability that makes it hard for you to read print, please continue. If you live in Minnesota and have a print related disability, give us a call to find out more about the services we offer. Call 1-800-722-0550. This application form also provides information on all the services we offer.
Below is a list of available opportunities for students. This is not a comprehensive list; additional services can be explored. Please review and let your SSB representative know if you want to learn more or if you want to pursue any of these opportunities.
Adjustment to Blindness Training: Instruction on areas such as O&M, technology, activities for daily living (cooking, cleaning, labeling, etc.), and more
SSB staff and other training providers are available for individualized training in specific areas. Contact your SSB representative to learn more!
They offer a nine-month program from October to June where students meet remotely every week and travel to Duluth five times for in-person training. Two summer camps are planned for 7/7/24 – 7/14/24 & 2/28/24 – 8/4/24.
The Adjustment to Blindness Training Program at Vision Loss Resources helps you learn adaptive techniques. Subjects include technology, typing, orientation and mobility, Braille, cooking, and tasks of daily living.
Vanward Consulting Services: Virtual workplace readiness for ages 16-18 through Lean In! Prep and internship program for college students through Lean In! USA. They are also hosting a virtual Career Symposium on May 25.
Various other work-based learning and work readiness opportunities are available through SSB staff and community providers.
NLS Aspiring Leaders Internship Program – Apply by March 1, 2025
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), supported by the National Library for the Blind Endowment, has launched a paid internship that offers individuals who are legally blind the opportunity to gain work experience and explore career options working in the areas of collections building, program delivery, and business oversight and management. Application details can be found on the NLS Aspiring Leaders Internship Program website. The deadline for the summer 2025 session is March 1. All interns will work remotely.
Established through the National Library for the Blind Endowment, this paid internship offers legally blind individuals the opportunity to work at NLS in areas that support services for the blind, including collections building, program delivery, and business oversight and management. Through this program, interns will gain valuable experience and explore potential career options while being guided through mentorships and developmental activities. The next session runs for 10 weeks during the summer of 2025.
Application Process
Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students and those who have graduated within the past five years from an accredited two-year or four-year college or university are eligible to apply. In addition, applicants:
Must be US citizens
Must be legally blind
Must be able to work remotely
A complete application package includes a cover letter expressing interest, a resume, a recent official or unofficial transcript, and an application form that is completed online.
Applicants interested in the summer 2025 session must submit completed applications by March 1, 2025.
Two SSB students conduct peer-to-peer programming for students across the state for instruction on various topics of interest for low vision students. They are also available to meet with others one-on-one for peer discussion and will be planning virtual and in-person group activities!
