AMESVI History and Bylaws
In 1997, the Association Of Massachusetts Educators of Students with Visual Impairments and Blindness was formed in order to address the expressed needs of Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments and Orientation and Mobility professionals in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
We serve a low-incidence population and frequently work in relative isolation from others in our profession. Organizing as a group provides both a voice in policy making and a network of support to members of our profession.
AMESVI became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2019 in order to continue and further its mission and purpose.
Networking
As a professional network, AMESVI provides the following:
- Identify and assist in meeting professional development needs for TVIs and O&M professionals.
- Identify people with experience and expertise in particular subject areas to be used as resources.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to develop methods to recruit and retain vision professionals in the state.
- Inform members of best practices in the areas of assessment, curriculum, and service provision.
- Share information with colleagues through postings, webinars, and regional meetings.
- Inform members of legislative and policy changes which will affect our students and our profession
- Seek funding for programs that support AMESVI’s mission.
Advocacy
As a unified voice for teachers and specialists in the blindness and visual impairment field, AMESVI can do the following:
- Propose statewide standards of effective educational practice
- Advocate for quality services for all students with visual impairments in the Commonwealth.
- Work to ensure that the unique educational needs of our students are considered in the implementation of state education reform efforts
- Promote, on the state and local levels, national efforts to improve the standards for educating students with visual impairments
- Advocate on behalf of our students and ourselves for policy change which we view to be beneficial
- Respond to legislative actions or educational decisions which have a potential impact on the needs of our students
- Interact effectively with other agencies, schools, and organizations in the Commonwealth whose interests also focus on students with visual impairments
Bylaws
The Bylaws of the Association of Massachusetts Educators of Students with Visual Impairments were adopted on April 5, 1997.
THE AMESVI BYLAWS were updated on May 28, 2025.
Click here for a copy of the Bylaws