What Are Transition Programs?

Transition programs focus on the development of daily living and other adaptive skills that will help you succeed on the job and in life. Programs can be located within or outside your state, depending upon where you live and the resources that are available:

• Summer Transition Programs usually include young men and women who are high school-aged, and are offered for several weeks during the summer. These programs offer a range of subjects and skill areas, such as indoor and outdoor travel [1], personal self-care [2], food preparation and cooking [3], reading and writing [4], braille [5], computers and technology [6], managing finances [7], college preparedness, and pre-vocational training.
• Bridge Transition Programs usually include students who are at the end of their high school or college careers. These programs can last from six months to one year and emphasize daily living skills, such as managing finances [7], indoor and outdoor travel [1], personal self-care [2], food preparation and cooking [3], braille [5], computers and technology [6], labeling [8], home maintenance [9], and some vocational training.

Both types of transition programs usually require that you live in residential settings, such as college dormitories, schools for the blind, agencies for people who are blind or have low vision, or regular apartment buildings. Transition programs can help you learn how to live away from home while you concentrate on the skills you’ll need to live and work independently.

Funding for transition programs comes from a variety of sources, including State Departments of Rehabilitation or State Commissions for the Blind/Vision Impaired [10], State Departments of Education, and local agencies for people who are blind or have low vision, schools for the blind, and private organizations and foundations.

If you think a transition program could benefit you, talk with your parents, guardians, teachers, school guidance counselors, and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor [11] to learn more about the types of transition programs that are available.