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The Milepost: VISION Student Inspires Change

Posted Date: 4/16/25 (11:00 PM)
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Milepost

A Student Inspiring Change

VISIONS Student Prompts Change in Local Bus System

April 16, 2025

The Power of Not Yet

In the Chehalis School District, we're all about growth mindset. If a student says "I can't do that," any one of our educators is likely to add "yet" to the end of the phrase. Growth mindset means believing in the power of "not yet" - knowing that our students are capable of learning and doing great things with time and effort.
Millie waits at a bus stop

Finding a Community Ally

For VISIONS student Mileiri "Millie" Ortiz, the power of not yet means that her quest for independence has prompted a change that will positively effect her entire community. VISIONS is a program for 18-22-year-olds that assists them in building post-secondary education, employment, and independent living skills.

For Millie, who has a visual impairment, using the local bus system to get around town was a skill she felt she needed in order to live independently. She reached out to Lewis County Transit last year to ask about a braille copy of their bus schedule.

"They said 'we don't have one but how would we go about making one?'" said Teacher of Blind and Low Vision Learners as well as a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist Jill Peterson.

Through the power of not yet, Millie became the recipient of Lewis County Transit's very first bus schedule in braille.
Millie uses a tactile map to show she knows how to get from her final bus stop to her home.
Millie demonstrates the use of a tactile map Jill Peterson created to help her learn the landmarks between her home and the nearest bus stop.
Millie shows a truncated dome strip that helps her navigate where the end of the street is
Millie points out an ADA safety feature, truncated domes. These yellow bumps can help her tell when she is approaching a street or parking lot.

Learning Through Practice

Once Millie received a bus schedule in braille, she and Peterson began working together to come up with a learning plan. They decided she should start by learning how to take the bus from VISIONS to her home.

Together, Millie and Peterson mapped out a route that Millie would walk from VISIONS to the nearest bus stop. Using her cane, Millie learned to feel features in the route to know exactly where she is. One example are yellow truncated domes on the sidewalk, an ADA feature that allows Millie to know where she is approaching the street or a parking lot.
 
Jill Peterson watches Millie board the bus
Self advocacy is a big part of independent skills learning. Peterson has been present for every one of Millie's trial runs on the bus and each time, she has stepped back more to give Millie the chance to learn to be on her own.
A bus driver helps Millie to her connecting bus
For example, at the transfer station, Millie advocated for herself to the bus driver, asking him if she was at the transfer station, whether her connecting bus was there or not and asking if he would guide her to her connecting bus.

Independence for the Journey Ahead

Millie is still practicing her bus skills. Right now, she can navigate from VISIONS to her home. The next step will be practicing a round-trip between the two. And the next stop will be learning to use her braille bus schedule to navigate to other places she would like to go, such as Walmart or Starbucks.

And Millie's educational process is going to benefit more than just herself. Early in the 2024-2025 school year, Peterson contacted Lewis County transit about the the lack of visual and audible information being provided on local buses.

"If the bus provided an audible announcement of each stop on the bus, she would know for herself if she was getting off the bus at the correct stop," Peterson explained.

Peterson received an email at the end of February that all Lewis County Transit buses are now in the process of getting the visual display and annunciator installed. The process is expected to be completed by the end of this summer.