Meet APH Scholar Kirsten Dlugo

APH is proud to recognize Kirsten Dlugo, nominated by EOT Scott McCallum, as one of our 2025-2026 APH Scholars.   

With over eleven years of experience as a teacher of blind or low vision students, Kirsten has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to advancing accessibility and equitable education. Working as an itinerant teacher with the Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) Outreach Department, she has supported educators of blind or low vision learners by providing resources and promoting access to equitable services in Washington. A part of the WSSB Outreach Access Services Team for the past two years, her leadership extends beyond the classroom, reaching families, caregivers, and the broader community through outreach activities that further APH’s and WSSB’s mission.  

Utilizing APH Products 

While serving as an itinerant teacher in local school districts, Kirsten has been an avid user of APH products, seamlessly integrating them into her daily instruction to enhance student learning. “APH products play a vital role in my work,” says Kirsten Dlugo. “Whether I am providing services for a learner or collaborating with a colleague, APH products are a part of the conversation.”  

A staple in her practice, the All-In-One Board allows students optimal ergonomic positioning for both tactile and visual engagement. “I have used the All-In-One Board with other APH products such as the Tactile Connections Kit to sequence tactile schedule symbols and the All Aboard! The Sight Word Activity Express kit to make functional braille sentences for reading practice,” says Dlugo. “Recently I used an anti-slip gel pad to hold an Expanded Beginner’s Abacus on the board so a student could use the abacus to complete math problems at eye level. It even topped our Outreach Access Services mentor team’s ‘APH Favorite Things’ list we shared with new teachers during trainings last school year.”  

Kirsten mentor’s educators, leads statewide training initiatives, and shares invaluable APH resources, such as the Carousel of Textures and Feel ‘n Peel Stickers, to promote inclusive learning strategies. Her advocacy extends to students with additional disabilities, where she customizes tools like the tactile-enhanced QWERTY keyboards and adapted Perkins Braillers using APH products to support diverse learning needs. “The adapted QWERTY keyboard featured textured pieces on certain keys to assist a student with her finger placement and reaches when touch typing,” says Dlugo. “The adapted Perkins Brailler allowed a student to learn the Brailler key layout by talking about the keys in terms of their added textures, ‘sticky dot 1’, ‘bumpy dot 2’, and so on. The Feel ‘n’ Peel stickers are also a critical tool for when I need to adapt worksheets, books, or art projects.” Quick and easy to use, the stickers support the need for efficiency that is vital to the role of an itinerant teacher.  

“The Abacus: A Million Manipulatives in Your Pocket course gave me an opportunity to sharpen my abacus skills and provided me with valuable proactive problems to use with my students. The APH Tactile Graphic Image Library has also been a game-changer, allowing me to quickly find relevant graphics tied to my students’ general education curriculum and get them under their fingers in no time at all,” says Dlugo. “As a mentor, I introduce new teachers to the Hive, recommending courses that contain essential knowledge.” Kirsten continues to share these tips, tricks, and learning opportunities with teachers throughout Washington state through her leadership role on the Outreach Access Services team.  

Praise for Kirsten  

Kirsten has actively contributed to programmatic development at the district and state level and has a history of leadership in local, state, and national professional organizations related to vision education. With a well-established professional network, Kirsten consistently shares critical information, training, and guidance with fellow educators and stakeholders in the field. She has not only provided direct services to students but has mentored educators and expanded access to APH resources statewide.  

Looking Toward the Future 

“Attending the annual meeting would offer invaluable insight into APH’s products and services, both current and emerging, which I would share through my role as a mentor teacher and in statewide training opportunities. I am confident that connecting with colleagues and expanding my knowledge of APH products will benefit both my learners and professionals throughout Washington,” says Dlugo. 

“As an APH Scholar, Kirsten will have the opportunity to deepen her expertise of APH products, services, and resources, and connect with national leaders. Kirsten will undoubtedly continue her incredible efforts of disseminating valuable knowledge to her colleagues and the greater blind and low vision education community in Washington and throughout the region,” says Scott McCallum, Superintendent, Washington State School for the Blind. 

More About the Program 

Each year, EOTs are asked to nominate someone they feel provides outstanding service in their region. Through a scholarship, awardees attend the APH Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY as a guest of APH. APH pays for all expenses in attending the conference, including transportation to the meeting, conference registration, and hotel accommodations.  

APH invites these scholars to share their experiences with the rest of the users of APH products and services via webinars and course reviews. During the spring Trustee Advisory Committee Meeting, scholars will be asked to participate in a panel discussion about their service to individuals who are blind or have a visual impairment as well as participate in the review of APH products and services with the committee.  

We look forward to meeting all our APH 2025-2026 Scholars at this year’s Annual Meeting.