2024 Unity Conference

TSB invites vision professionals from Tennessee and beyond to attend the 34th annual Unity Conference! This year's conference will take place November 21-22, 2024 on campus at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville, TN and includes two days of community and professional learning (half-day Thursday, full-day Friday). Attendees can expect a variety of sessions focused on best practices for teachers, best practices for student instruction, working with students who have complex learning needs, new AT solutions for low vision and braille, evaluation techniques and strategies, and new information in the field. As always, Registration is FREE for both general attendees and exhibitors.

This year the Unity Conference theme is Collaboration is Key. As the saying goes, it takes a village, and this could not be truer for the success of students who are blind and visually impaired. Whether you are an itinerant TVI working on your own, a general education classroom teacher, a related service provider, special education teacher, or a parent, collaboration among educational team members is the key to a shared vision for comprehensive services and support designed to make a difference for students. Attendees to this year's conference are challenged to consider the ways they are strong collaborators alongside areas of their work where they can continue to strive to improve.

• Unity Conference session proposals are OPEN! Submit a proposal
• Session proposals must be submitted by Friday, November 8.

• Vendors and Organizations seeking to display should register to attend Unity here and ALSO Request Display Space on the separate Microsoft form.

Pre-Conference Opportunities for the 2024 Unity Conference are still being finalized. Attendees can expect for these to take place on Thursday morning, 11/21 before the conference begins. Look out for a separate registration to be updated here and shared out.

EXAMPLES OF PRECONFERENCE ACTIVITIES FROM 2023 CONFERENCE

Parent Connect - Any and all parents of students with VI are invited to attend and learn about all things visual impairments, what VI instruction and services look like, and have their pressing questions answered. A tour of TSB will also take place.

TN AMPS Pr*son Program Tour - The TN Accessible Media Projects program, part of the state's TRICOR Pr*son jobs development/training agency, is an integral partner to the TN Resource Center for the Visually Impaired in the production of both braille and large print books. Attendees are invited to tour the facility to learn how members of the program learn highly specialized skills and see how their books are produced.

TN RCVI Tour - The TN Resource Center for the Visually Impaired is in a brand-new, fully renovated building for 2023-24, and we'd love to show it off! Come learn how we handle all of the accessible instructional materials that are ordered here in Tennessee and plan to offer new training and support opportunities with this space. Hands-on time with a variety of APH products and technology will be available for attendees to learn about products they have not used or seen before.

Host or Publisher Tennessee School for the Blind