Member, Citizen Who is Blind
Allison Steven, originally from England, has lived in the United States with her husband since 1998. She worked as a music teacher at Riverstone International School in Boise, Idaho, for 12 years, developing the K-12 music curriculum during that time. Losing her vision due to Retinitis Pigmentosa, a progressive degenerative disease of the retina, she became a student at the Assessment and Training Center of the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually-Impaired. In November 2017 Alison graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching the Visually-Impaired from Louisiana Tech. While completing her Masters she was hired on as the Transition Coordinator at the Commission for the Blind working with blind and visually-impaired students aged 14 through 21, developing and implementing programming aimed at improving student independence and preparedness for college and employment. She volunteers with the National Federation of the Blind, running camps and activities for blind children and youth, including the annual summer NFB BELL and Beyond program. She received the Distinguished Blind Educator of the Year Award from the National Federation of the Blind in July 2019.
In her spare time Alison enjoys playing piano and guitar, singing, hiking, biking, reading and spending time with her husband, four grown children and brand new baby granddaughter.