Building Bridges for Independence and Employment: The TWC-VR and TSBVI Transition Partnership�

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Federal Legislation (IDEA and WIOA)

• Transition Services are those coordinated set of activities for students with disabilities to assist with successful movement from school to post-school life.

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• VR programs are required to spend 15% of their federal funding allocation on Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to eligible and potentially eligible students with disabilities

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Statewide Strategies for PreETS

• Summer Earn and Learn

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• Student Navigators with the Workforce Boards

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• STEM Camps

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• Wage Services for Work-Based Learning

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• Contracted PreETS Providers

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• Partnerships with Education Service Centers and LEAs

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Optimizing PreETS Funding

• Contracting between TWC-VR and TSBVI is via the non-competitive, interagency process.

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• Budget line items are discussed and agreed upon to allow for optimized use of PreETS funds, ensuring that costs are reasonable, necessary, and allocable.

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Overview of TSBVI

TSBVI Mission: Serve the 11,000 VI students in Texas

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TSBVI has three educational departments to implement its legislative mission.

• Comprehensive Programs
• Outreach
• Short-Term Programs

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Our Philosophy

Since 1856, our goal has been to eliminate barriers through instruction in all areas of the core and expanded core curriculum.

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Our mission, established by the people of Texas through our legislature, is to serve all students in Texas through partnership with families, communities, and local educational teams.

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Short-Term Programs

Short-Term Programs offers year-round group and individualized classes

School year programs include a wide range of classes addressing needs from academic to recreational for students who are currently working on or near grade level.

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Summer Programs

Summer Programs are divided by age to ensure students are grouped with their peers. Elementary and Secondary Enrichment Programs are for students ages 6–22 and Work Programs are for students ages 16–22.

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Summer 2026 brought 217 students from around the state of Texas to Austin for TSBVI Summer Programs! 

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Work Programs

TSBVI offers 2, 4-week, work programs that are available for students ages 16 – 22.

Working and Living in the Community (WALIC) provides students with real-life work and independent living experiences. Students spend a month at TSBVI developing their pre-employment and transition skills.

Summer Work Experience in Austin, TX (SWEAT) provides students with a month-long independent living experience that includes paid work at a local job site and independent travel using public transportation.

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WALIC, Working and Living in the Community

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Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is excited to collaborate with Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to host Working and Living in the Community (WALIC). This month-long program provides students with vocational and independent living experiences. WALIC students gain pre-employment and transition skills through hands-on lessons and community job placements with job coach support.�

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WALIC - Objectives

• WALIC will provide opportunities for students to:
• Learn a variety of work routines with the support of a job coach.
• Practice social skills necessary to interact with a supervisor and co-workers.
• Manage a $50 weekly stipend received for their work by budgeting, shopping, and choosing recreational activities.
• Learn about typical household bills, writing and cashing checks, and the cost of apartments.
• Live in dorms with 24-hour supervision and practice independent living skills such as cooking, cleaning, dressing, and personal hygiene.

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WALIC

Students participate in a paycheck lesson during WALIC 2026

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WALIC

Bagging groceries at Wheatsville Co-Op during WALIC

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WALIC

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“She took a lot of pride in independence this summer, in a way she hadn’t previously. After just a few initial calls, her check-ins to home became very sporadic (which we were thrilled about!) – she told us she was

“too busy being independent to call us everyday!”

We know this program helped give Nora the important building blocks to achieve maximum levels of independence in the future Thank you so much WALIC Program!”

– Heather F.

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SWEAT- Summer Work Experience in Austin, Texas

Summer Work Experience in Austin, TX (SWEAT) provides students with a month-long independent living experience that includes paid work at a local job site and independent travel using public transportation.

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SWEAT-

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Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is excited to collaborate with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to host Summer Work Experience in Austin, Texas (SWEAT). SWEAT is an experiential learning program designed to prepare students for independence and success after high school. This program will provide:

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• Intensive training in Expanded Core Curriculum skills with a particular focus on independent living skills, Orientation and Mobility skills, and social skills
• Lessons on employability and transition skills
• An individual paid job opportunity in the Austin community supported by a job coach

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SWEAT- Requirement to Apply

• Students should be academically on or near grade level*
• Students should be able to work alone at a job placement
• Students must be on the vocational rehabilitation services caseload of TWC. Students must have an open and active account with TWC (not Blind Children’s Program/HHSC). If you are uncertain about your status, contact your TWC Transition Counselor as soon as possible
• Students may be required to participate in an online interview via Zoom

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SWEAT- Student Expectations

• Students are expected to complete in-class assignments and homework assignments related to employability and independent living skills.
• Students are expected to use a cane for mobility at all appropriate times.
• Students are expected to spend weekends on campus during SWEAT.
• Students will earn an hourly wage approximately equivalent to the minimum wage after deductions. Students will be expected to use some of their wages to pay a minimal amount for living expenses. The purpose of this activity is to help students learn to budget and pay bills. Beyond these expenses, students may use their earnings as they wish.

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SWEAT

Avigael works at the HEB with Job Coach Ashley during SWEAT 2026

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SWEAT

The Head Chef of the Doubletree Hotel Banquet service teaches a lesson to students in SWEAT on how to prepare for large events

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SWEAT

A supervisor orients a student in the SWEAT program to his job at Umauf Sculpture Garden

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SWEAT Employer Experience-

Avigael participated in the SWEAT program with Ashley Maffett as her Job Coach. Avigael’s employer at H-E-B reported,

�“Avigael is always willing to learn new things and put in the effort to work so hard. She also advocated for herself and brought new ideas to help the team and company be more successful. For example, she requested to put up some sensory markers to help her know where she is at the registers. This might be small, but it goes a

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long way to help the company be more mindful of those who may be visually Impaired.”

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SWEAT-

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“SWEAT Program is absolutely awesome!”

– Francisca M.

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“Staff are top notch educators. Allison was able to express herself freely with her teacher, which is a huge win for a student that is deafblind attending a program for the first time (SWEAT).”

– Michelle A.

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The Post-Secondary Program

Preparing young adults with visual impairments for independent living, higher education, and meaningful employment.

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Program Overview

• The Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired (TSBVI), in collaboration with Texas Workforce Commission(TWC) and the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center (CCRC), seeks to provide students with realistic, meaningful, school and community-based work experiences to better prepare them as independent adults in their future environments.
• Students attend regular classes at Criss Cole while living in 1 of 4 apartments on the TSBVI campus. There, students learn the practical skills needed to live more independently.
• We strive to maximize students’ abilities and employability opportunities by partnering with community businesses and organizations for mutually beneficial volunteer work experiences.�

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Key Focus Areas

• Daily Living Skills: Hands-on instruction in cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, budgeting, and transportation.
• Work Experience: 80–100 hours of community job training with staff support, transit assessments, and daily work stipends.
• Transition: Self-advocacy development, college readiness training, organizational systems, and smooth transition to adulthood.�

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Independent Living Skills

• Students receive individualized instruction on the basics of independent food preparation and household cleaning.
• Students learn how to effectively manage their finances through weekly budgeting. Students are required to pay for their own food, cleaning, and hygiene supplies.
• Students learn how to use public buses and paratransit services to independently travel around the Austin area.

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Work Experience

• Students are assigned a job site based upon there interests and vocational goals.
• PSP staff initially work side by side with the student until they learn their daily tasks then slowly phase out assistance once the student displays complete independence.
• Students earn a work stipend of $12 an hour.
• Students receive assistance creating resumes, interview preparation, and finding paid employment.

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Transition

• PSP staff assist student with finding a suitable place to live based on their long-term goals and finances.
• If desired, students receive assistance finding suitable employment based on their skills and experience.
• For students who wish to pursue, college, PSP staff also assist students with applying for college, registering for classes, and learning the routes to their classes.

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Facilities and Supervision

• Students live in one of four fully furnished studio apartments on the TSBVI campus. Each apartment comes with standard household furniture.
• Apartments are equipped with all fundamental kitchen essentials for daily cooking practice. Each apartment comes with a refrigerator, oven/stovetop, microwave, and other appliances.
• PSP staff are present only during normal business hours Monday-Friday. Although students are unsupervised outside business hours, there is 24/7 security present on campus.

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Eligibility and Financial Requirements

Participant Eligibility

• Age & Vision: Legally blind and 18-22 years of age
• Education: High School diploma or equivalent
• CCRC status: Student must be enrolled at CCRC
• Be able to manage personal and health needs independently

Financial Requirements

• Monthly deposit: $50/month maintenance fee (includes all bills)
• Move-in fees: $50 refundable security deposit + $10 key deposit
• Personal expenses: Food, hygiene, and transportation costs
• Income recommendation: SSI benefit eligibility prior to enrollment

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3-Step Application Process

1. Arrange a tour of both the PSP and CCRC facilities. Mandatory requirement for application consideration.
2. Complete CCRC application with TWC counselor.
3. Once accepted into Criss Cole, meet with CCRC counselor and PSP Coordinator to discuss potential move-in date.

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Connect with us

PSP Coordinator

Tyler Thompson

512-206-9497

thompsont@tsbvi.edu

4801 Grover Ave. Austin, TX 78756

STP - Principal

Eden Hagleman

512-206-9196

haglemane@tsbvi.edu

1100 W. 45^th St. Austin, TX 78756

VR Transition Program Specialist

Kevin Markel

817-727-9045

kevin.markel@twc.Texas.gov

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Texas Workforce Commission

Texas Workforce Solutions-Vocational Rehabilitation Services

101 East 15th Street

Austin, Texas 78778-0001

800-628-5115

Equal Opportunity Employer/Program

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

Relay Texas: 800-735-2989 (TTY) and 711 (Voice)

The Texas Workforce Commission accepts calls made through any relay service provider.

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TWC Federal Funding

• These activities are financed under the TWC Federal Vocational Rehabilitation grant. For the Federal fiscal year 2025 (October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025), TWC anticipates expending $350,922,000 in Federal Vocational Rehabilitation funds. Funds appropriated by the State pay a minimum of 21.3% of the total costs ($94,976,348) under the Vocational Rehabilitation program.  Revised June 2025. 

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• For purposes of the Supported Employment program, the Vocational Rehabilitation agency receives 94.7 percent of its funding through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. For the 2025 Federal fiscal year, the total amount of grant funds awarded are $678,556. The remaining 5.3 percent ($37,698) are funded by Texas State Appropriations. Revised June 2025. 

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• For purposes of the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals who are Blind program, the Vocational Rehabilitation agency receives 90 percent of its funding through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. For the 2025 Federal fiscal year, the total amount of grant funds awarded are $2,246,003. The remaining 10 percent ($249,556) are funded by Texas State Appropriations. Revised June 2025. 

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