Shelly worked in the classroom as a Special Education teacher and reading specialist for eight years. She has also worked as a Medicaid Waiver Support Coordinator serving individuals and families affected by developmental and multiple disabilities. Shelly and her husband William are the directors of Noah’s Endeavor, Inc: Inclusive Community Recreation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that celebrates the life of their late son, Noah Adam Voelker, who was affected by deafblindness and other disabilities. Shelly and Will are currently raising three beautiful children, including a son with multiple disabilities that include deafblindness and cerebral palsy.
Shelly received her doctoral degree in Special Education from the University of Florida in December 2013. She has taught courses in the UF College of Education for the Disabilities In Society minor, TeachWell online advanced degree, and Early Childhood certification programs. Shelly currently collaborates with the Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired (FIMC-VI) by teaching Impact of DeafBlindness on Learning and Development; Early Intervention for Children Who Are DeafBlind; and Communicating with Children Who Are DeafBlind online courses. She also collaborates with the Mississippi Hearing-Vision Project by facilitating online courses in the 26-module Open Hands, Open Access (OHOA): DeafBlind Intervener learning series.
Shelly’s areas of interest include literacy, assistive and educational technologies, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and transition. She draws on her experiences as a parent, special educator, adult educator, support coordinator, and community organizer as she advocates for children and families affected by disabilities. Shelly contributes 30+ years of experience and resources to the FAVI DeafBlind Collaborative. Please contact Shelly at shellyv@ufl.edu to talk about your family’s or team’s information and training needs.