DeafBlind Rehabilitation Specialist

Are you ready to make a difference in your community? Do YOU want to work on a team that is committed to empowering individuals? At Helen Keller Services, our employees work in an environment that is more than just a workplace, it’s a community.

Since 1967, Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) has been committed to improving the lives of individuals who are Deaf Blind or have a combined hearing and vision loss. HKNC is dedicated to working with each person to achieve their desired goals towards independence, employment, and quality of life, based on their talents, preferences and aspirations. We currently have an exciting career opportunity available to join the HKNC team as a Deaf Blind Rehabilitation Specialist in our North Central Region.

The Deaf Blind Rehabilitation Specialist provides employment-focused vision rehabilitation, independent living, low vision, and assistive technology training to Deaf Blind youth and adults across North Central Region 5, including individuals with complex medical needs, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or co-occurring disabilities. The Specialist supports employment readiness, workplace success, self-advocacy, daily living skills, community access, and effective use of low vision and adaptive strategies.

This position also provides consultation, training, and technical assistance to consumers, families, caregivers, employers, Vocational Rehabilitation partners, Centers for Independent Living, medical providers, and interdisciplinary community teams, while collaborating with the HKNC Regional Services Coordinator to strengthen regional service capacity and outcomes.

Candidate must reside within Region 5 in one of the following states:
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, or Wisconsin

Pay Range: $70-80k annually.

Include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Provide direct vocational rehabilitation, employment readiness, job development, job placement, job coaching, independent living, low vision, and assistive technology services across North Central Region 5 in accordance with HKNC and applicable service agreements.
• Deliver one‑on‑one and group services in home, community, work‑site, training, or virtual settings based on consumer goals, communication preferences, accessibility needs, and service appropriateness.
• Support consumers with complex medical needs, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or co‑occurring disabilities by adapting instruction, coordinating with families, caregivers, medical providers, and interdisciplinary support teams, and ensuring services are responsive to individual abilities, safety considerations, communication preferences, and support needs.
• Collaborate with Vocational Rehabilitation, community rehabilitation programs, Centers for Independent Living, schools, employers, Deaf Blind projects, families, and other partners to support Individualized Plans for Employment, transition planning, referrals, and community‑based services.
• Provide instruction in independent living skills, IADLs, home and community safety, braille, tactile literacy, keyboarding, mobile device accessibility, screen reader use, low vision devices, environmental modifications, assistive technology, self‑advocacy, and related casework as needed.
• Conduct functional vision, independent living, vocational, and environmental assessments within the scope of CVRT practice to identify strengths, barriers, accessibility needs, communication preferences, training goals, and recommended strategies.
• Develop and implement individualized training plans that integrate employment goals, independent living skills, low vision strategies, adaptive techniques, assistive technology, workplace accommodations,…