UMass Boston

Personnel Preparation; Orientation and Mobility; Self-Defense; Collaborative Partnerships; Low-Incidence Disabilities; Visual Impairment

PhD, University of Texas at Austin, College of Education (Vision Impairment and Multiple Disabilities)

Laura Bozeman has a dual appointment in the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) and the College of Education and Human Development.

Bozeman entered the vision profession in 1974 as an Orientation & Mobility Specialist in Texas. Her research focuses on quality personnel preparation of highly qualified teachers within the low-incidence area of vision impairment. Bozeman promotes a regional model to sustain that preparation at the university level, both nationally and internationally. She has worked with all ages and has taught in the U.S. (mainland, Guam, American Samoa), and internationally in Taiwan, China, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Saipan, the Federated States of Micronesia, and American Samoa.

In 2006, Bozeman moved to New England from New Zealand. She is now Professor and Graduate Program Director of the Vision Studies Program at UMass Boston, which is closely affiliated with the Northeast Resource Center for Vision Education (NERCVE). Bozeman teaches classes as well as directing the program. She also collaborates closely with NERCVE's director, Callie Brusegaard, and Alexandra Futty to ensure the Vision Studies Program's sustainability and to make sure that its offerings are state of the art.

SGISD's Vision Studies Program is the only academic and professional training program in New England to prepare professionals who are uniquely qualified in visual impairment. It is affiliated with the Institute for Community Inclusion, the primary research and training institute of SGISD.

The Vision Studies program now offers four nationally recognized and professionally accredited graduate specializations in Vision Studies: Orientation and Mobility, Vision Rehabilitation Therapy, Assistive Technology for People with Visual Impairment, state-licensed Teacher of Students with Visual Impairment, as well as a graduate certificate in Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairment. Bozeman is the main contact for students applying to all four tracks.

Bozeman is the author of more than 30 books, chapters, and articles on the subject of vision impairment. She has provided extensive training and presented at numerous workshops and conferences, both in the US and internationally. She has served on the executive board of many international associations and committees, and is involved at many levels of the professional organization in vision impairment, the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Learn more about Laura Bozeman's vision studies work.