The Drury University Children’s Vision Center (DUCVC) was established by Dr. Chris Craig (the current head of the Education and Child Development Department at Drury) and is housed in the Beisner Vision Rehabilitation Center. Blind and visually impaired children from birth to age three are evaluated by a specialist in childhood vision impairment, teaching critical skills to the children and their parents to promote early childhood development. Periodic visits give the parents feedback and guidance as the child matures.
The DUCVC is a truly exceptional program for a city our size. Previously, families would have to travel to Kansas City or St. Louis to get this type of assistance. Several departments at Drury have joined forces to help. The departments of Art and Architecture worked together to design and construct a beautiful and versatile tactile wall mural for the “Kid’s Room” at the Beisner Center.
Possible future programs at the Beisner Vision Rehabilitation Center:
- Driving evaluations
- Vision loss counseling
- Low-vision optometry fellowships
- Job training
- Research projects
