Congratulations to our winners for Certified Low Vision Therapist!
Please read on to learn about their incredible achievements and work.
Kristen L. Shifflett, OTR/L, CLVT, SCLV
Kristen L. Shifflett, OTR/L, CLVT, SCLV is an occupational therapist who specializes in low vision. Kristen has been a part of Johns Hopkins since 2006 when she first started working at Johns Hopkins Bayview at inpatient rehabilitation. Johns Hopkins Bayview is a certified stroke rehabilitation center, so Kristen started focusing on vision rehabilitation with neuro-patients. In 2012, Mrs. Shifflett completed a low vision certificate program from University of Alabama Birmingham. In 2013, Kristen transferred to the Wilmer Lions Low vision Rehabilitation and Research Center to focus on providing vision rehabilitation to patients full time. In 2015, Mrs. Shifflett achieve her certification in low vision from Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and educational Professionals (ACVREP) and 2018 achieved her specialty certification in low vision from American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Over the past 10 years, Mrs. Shifflett has focus on finding ways to educate the community about low vision by presenting at local and national conferences, participating in education of the local Lions Clubs, mentoring therapist and occupational therapy students who are interested in low vision practice and starting a peer-support group, See us network (SUN) with patients from low vision clinic. For research, Mrs. Shifflett is focusing on improving the overall rehabilitation process for patients with vision impairment as a secondary condition. Her current study is focusing on educating and training physical therapists at the outpatient therapy level about visual strategies to apply for functional mobility activities.
To learn more about the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, please visit: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer
Elsa Zavoda, MS, OTR, SCLV, CLVT
Elsa Zavoda joined Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey in 2016 and is the Vice-President of Programs. Elsa is also a practicing Occupational Therapist since 1997 and has dedicated her career to practicing exclusively in the field of low vision since 2006. Elsa received her Graduate Certificate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2007 and then went on to obtain her Specialty Certification in Low Vision (SCLV) from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and her Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT) credential from the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation Education Professionals (ACVREP), both awarded in 2010. Elsa participates with the program team in creating, designing, and implementing new, exciting, and innovative program to serve the needs of those with vision loss and blindness in New Jersey and beyond, through a variety of methods: including center-based, community-based, and virtual program options. Elsa has also established a center-based out-patient Occupational Therapy program under the medical model of low vision rehabilitation, which launched in 2018, and has most recently launched a similar mode in September 2023, the VLANJ @Home Program, providing the convenience of OT services to individuals in the home environment, to ensure safety and independence in completing their daily living tasks.
To learn more about the Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey, please visit: https://www.vlanj.org/