In this section, you'll tell us about your current education level and your career goals. This information helps us learn more about you and match you with the best opportunities during the internship. 

*Please note: To receive a stipend for participating in this internship, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States and complete a W-9 Form.

This section helps us learn more about your vision and any accommodations you may need to be successful throughout the internship. Your responses will help us provide the support and resources you need to fully participate.

In this section, you'll tell us about the mainstream and assistive technology you use. Prerequisites for this internship include consistent use of a computer and familiarity with the assistive technology you use to access it.

You must have a Windows 11 PC or Mac that is five years old or newer. The computer must belong to you and should not be shared with others, as you will use it regularly throughout the internship. You must also have reliable access to the computer and the administrative permissions needed to install and use required programs.

The following questions will help us confirm that you have the technology and access needed to participate successfully.

In this section, you’ll describe how you complete everyday computer and work-related tasks. Your responses will help us understand your current skills, work habits, and use of assistive technology so we can identify any training or support you may need.

VTS is designed to prepare you for a real workplace, where your work affects your own performance, your team, and the success of the larger project. You’ll be expected to communicate, meet deadlines, complete assigned tasks, and work effectively with others.

Basic technology skills are prerequisites for the internship. You should regularly use a computer and be familiar with any assistive technology you rely on, such as JAWS, NVDA, Narrator, ZoomText, or VoiceOver. You should also be comfortable navigating files and folders, using email and the internet, and working with word-processing and spreadsheet software.

You do not need to be an expert. These questions will give us a baseline of what you can do independently and where you may need additional practice or instruction. Please answer honestly so we can help you strengthen those skills and be ready to contribute to your team.

Each team consists of 4–5 participants. Team assignments are based on your interests, strengths, and availability. While we can't guarantee you'll be placed on your first-choice team, we'll carefully consider your preferences when making assignments to create the best experience for everyone.

What all Teams Teach: Our Three teams build transferable skills in professional communication, collaboration, networking, research, data collection, organization, teamwork, time management, problem-solving, adaptability, accountability, initiative, and project management. But this internship isn't only for participants who are interested in Music, Writing or business. Producing a podcast, writing a feature article, or generating interview leads and making connections requires many of the same skills employers look for in every career: learning new technology, solving problems, communicating professionally, listening carefully, managing deadlines, accepting feedback, making decisions, working with others, and taking a project from beginning to end. 

Over the course of this internship, you’ll explore careers that interest you, research professionals from the blind community, develop interview questions related to your career goals, and interview someone who can answer your questions to help you decide what’s next.

You'll also develop the tools you'll need beyond VTS. You'll create a Career Pathway Plan, elevator pitch, resume, and cover letter, participate in a mock job interview, and learn how to explain your new skills and experience to an employer 

Now that you know the basics, here is an overview of each team and what makes them unique.. 

The research and Outreach team: Want to learn how to find opportunities instead of waiting for them to find you? On the Research & Outreach Team, you’ll connect with professionals from the blind community, explore careers you may never have considered, and build the same skills you’ll need to network, research employers, and pursue future jobs. You’ll research potential guests, make professional phone calls, write outreach emails, schedule and conduct interviews, manage information using spreadsheets, create promotional content, and work with teammates to meet real deadlines and goals. If you want to become more confident talking to professionals, learn how to build a professional network, discover career possibilities, and get better at finding and pursuing opportunities for yourself, the Research & Outreach Team gives you the chance to practice those skills now, before you need them to land your next internship or job.

Audio Team: Why spend 14 weeks on the Audio Team? Because you won't just learn about podcasting—you'll actually produce one.  You'll learn how to record and edit audio in Reaper, work with single- and multitrack recordings, choose the strongest parts of an interview, write and record voiceovers, add music, adjust audio levels, assemble a complete episode, and create a transcript. By the end of 14 weeks, you won't just be able to say, “I learned about audio production.” You'll be able to say, “I researched and interviewed a professional, learned professional audio-production software, solved technical problems, managed a long-term project, responded to feedback, and produced a finished podcast.”

The Writing Team: If you want to become better at taking ideas and information and turning them into something other people can understand, remember, and act on, the Writing Team gives you 14 weeks to practice clear written communication which is useful in any career. You’ll learn how to understand and communicate someone’s story clearly and respectfully through writing, taking everything you learned from your interview and turning it into a polished career spotlight that can be featured on our website.  Our feature writing framework will teach you to find the most important information in an interview, identify a strong theme, write an opening that makes someone want to keep reading, use quotes effectively, describe powerful moments, organize information, and revise your work until it is ready for a real audience.

Use these team overviews to think about what your preferences are and make your selections.  

In this section, you'll tell us about your availability for team and individual meetings.

Team meetings are 2 hours long and held twice each week, between 9:00 AM EST and 6:00 PM EST. We use Eastern time as a starting reference since that is where staff are located, but this may change to accommodate other participants with different time zones. Individual meetings are scheduled by appointment as needed.

Your initial meeting schedule will be developed based on the availability of staff and your team members. Please provide all the days and time windows when you are available so we can develop a workable starting schedule before the first day of the program. 

Vision Towards Success prepares you for a real workplace, where teams depend on one another to complete a larger project accurately and on time. Your deadline may be someone else’s starting line. When one person or team falls behind, it can affect everyone else’s work.

We expect you to treat this internship like a part-time job. Your performance will be evaluated throughout the program, and stipends will be distributed at the end of the internship. Whether you receive the full stipend will depend on your attendance, participation, completion of assigned work, communication, and initiative.