Visual Impairment Senior Specialist

Company Overview:

Since the establishment of the union of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, education has received the utmost attention of the founding leader, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah have mercy on him, and his founding brothers. They believed that education was the cornerstone of building an enabled community that could keep pace with the advancements. Over the past decades, the wise leadership of the country was keen on building an educational system that matched its counterparts in the advanced nations. It harnessed for this purpose all the required capabilities, to achieve the country's agenda and national vision in this regard. Sincere efforts have also been made to develop education and adopt the best systems that achieve high-quality education outputs, to achieve the future visions and aspirations of the wise leadership.

Since investing in human capital is the main objective, the UAE has been keen on establishing the Ministry of Education and creating the appropriate environment to build pioneering Emirati schools, in terms of standards, form, and content they provide. It also made sure that such schools provided high-quality educational environment and owned the most technically advanced tools to be able to graduate generations that could pursue their university education confidently in higher education institutions to fulfil the requirements of labour market.

The MOE has also provided a smart learning system and high-quality digital platforms, side by side with the continuous development of school curriculums, according to national learning standards, assessment policy that is based on assessing for learning, and highest quality standards that match the best international practices. Various learning tracks, moreover, have been provided to support the capabilities and skills of students and achieve the country's strategy of encouraging the culture of creativity and innovation through providing the students with the skills of the 21st century and motivating them to have new ideas that relate to the reality they live in and foresee the future. This will eventually help in finding radical, sustainable solutions to the major issues, improving competitiveness, and supporting smart government in its attempts to keep pace with global advancements, advance education, and push it to broad horizons of excellence, leadership, and competitiveness.

Department Definition:

Developing and updating the frameworks of educational and training curricula and programs to ensure that they are aligned with the needs of students of determination and learning difficulties in an inclusive learning environment. It also supervises the preparation and implementation of individual educational plans, evaluation frameworks, and tests according to the approved tracks and graduation requirements. It works on preparing manuals, tools, and quality standards for the implementation of programs, and building the capacities of educational cadres in coordination with the concerned authorities. In addition, it provides technical support, monitors the quality of implementation, and promotes partnerships and enrichment programs to ensure continuous improvement

Job Definition:

The purpose of the work of the visual impairment specialist is to contribute to the formulation of policies, the development of standards and manuals, and the provision of technical and advisory support to specialists and teachers in the educational field, in order to ensure the provision of an inclusive and accessible learning environment. He is also responsible for preparing educational programs for the visual impaired category, supervising the implementation of integration programs, and developing the quality of educational services provided to students with visual impairment in public schools.

Its role includes training specialized cadres, following up on meeting the needs and requirements of students, contributing to the development of curricula and making the necessary educational amendments to ensure that they are compatible with their abilities, and enabling them to reach a comprehensive and effective learning environment that enhances their learning, independence, and participation in the school community

Main Job Duties & Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the preparation and development of policies, regulatory frameworks and standards for the education of students with visual impairments, in line with the directions of the inclusive education system at the national level.
• Providing specialized technical support to school administrations and educational staff in the fields of educational evaluation, individual educational planning, teaching strategies and appropriate adaptations for students with visual impairments.
• Developing procedural manuals and specialized materials related to the implementation of integration programs for students with visual impairments, and following up on the quality of their implementation in the educational field.
• Contribute to the development and adaptation of curricula and educational amendments to ensure accessibility and effective learning for students with visual impairments.
• Identify the needs of educational aids, assistive technologies, and adapted textbooks (e.g., Braille, large printing, audio materials), and follow up on their provision and efficient use.
• Building the professional capacities of educational and specialized cadres through the implementation of specialized training programs and workshops in the field of visual impairment.
• Monitoring the level of students' progress, analyzing relevant data and indicators, and proposing improvement plans to ensure the quality of educational outcomes.
• Preparing technical reports and specialized studies and submitting development recommendations to decision makers.
• Coordinating with the relevant internal and external authorities to enhance the integration of supportive services for students with visual impairments.
• Carrying out field studies or educational or scientific research in the field of visual impairment in a way that enriches the field and contributes to the development of performance.
• Spreading the culture of inclusive education and practices that support the independence and active participation of students in the school environment
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the line manager

 Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Special Education or Education.
• Master's in Visual Impairment or Special Education is preferred.

Work Experience

• At least 8 years of experience in the field of special education, including specialized experience in visual impairment.
• Experience in developing educational programs, individualized educational plans, and implementing inclusive education practices.
• Experience in training educational cadres and providing technical support to the field for people with visual impairments (visually impaired – teaching the blind in Braille)
• Added advantage: Experience in the preparation of specialized guides or the development of curricula and educational adaptations are counted.

Specialized Skills   :

• Knowledge of the characteristics and needs of students with visual impairment and their teaching methods , especially the category of total and partial visual impairment.
• Ability to prepare and adapt curricula and educational aids (Braille, large printing, audio materials, and assistive techniques).
• Skills of Preparing, Following up and Evaluating Individual Educational Plans for People with Visual Impairment
• Familiarity with the appropriate educational assessment methods for visual impairment.
• Ability to analyze data and measure performance indicators and program quality.

General Skills:

• Training and capacity building skills of educational cadres.
• Communication skills and working in multidisciplinary teams.
• Technical reporting and recommendation skills.
• Planning, time management, and work organization skills.
• Proficiency in the use of assistive learning technologies.
• English language proficiency is preferred.