HAPI Program

Helping Adolescents Prepare for Independence (HAPI)

At VABVI, we stress independence. The HAPI teen program was specifically created to address those daily living skills that tend to get overlooked; the same skills that are necessary for our students to possess if they hope to go to college, live on their own, begin jobs, establish careers, start families, and/or become involved in their community.

This program enables our Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs) and Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (CVRTs) to work one-on-one with blind and visually impaired students to practice daily living skills necessary for living independently to ensure that our adolescent clients have the tools they need to succeed as capable, autonomous, motivated adults.

Each year, we will be working with schools to incorporate more and more of the skills taught via the HAPI program into students’ Individual Education Plans (IEPs). This enables us to bill schools for time and equipment. Some schools have already successfully incorporated the HAPI skills into IEPs; others are following their lead because they have realized this extra support allows students to succeed academically more than ever before.

We are confident that every one of our qualifying students can grow to be gainfully employed happy, healthy, positive contributors to society if they have the opportunity to utilize this program.