Orientation and mobility

The implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Australia requires professionals working with young children who are blind or have low vision to have an understanding of best practice in early childhood intervention. This paper describes how Orientation and Mobility (O&M) specialists can make use of the Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), a document that provides a nationally consistent approach to early childhood education for children aged birth to five years and extending into the transition to school. It provides some practical examples of how this framework can be used to develop a strength-based and capacity building approach with families and early educators that are appropriate to early childhood practice and which foster early independence.

This article will present a case study of an Australian child with emphasis on the early use of the long cane. ''T,'' who has no light perception, began orientation and mobility training, including the introduction of the long cane, when she was 14 months of age. The article will discuss the philosophy of introducing the long cane at such a young age and will demonstrate the importance of collaboration between the orientation and mobility specialist and other professionals, such as early childhood teachers. For very young children, a long cane becomes more than just a means of moving around safely. It becomes a tool for exploration, play, and independence. The value of peer support also is discussed, using the example of a weekly group that T attended with other young long cane users.

In Western Australia, children who are blind or have a severe vision impairment are starting Orientation & Mobility (O&M) training as soon as they begin to walk.  This means learning how to use sighted guide, basic body protection skills, and beginning to use a long cane from around 14 – 18 months of age

orientation scolaire sous le prisme de la Cyber psychologie. « Il nous faut considérer l'idée, sans doute pas la plus réjouissante, qu'une part importante de nos enfants et de nos adolescents apprennent plus, sur eux-mêmes, de leurs usages des jeux vidéo [et de leur immersions multiples dans le cyberespace] que de ce que nous essayons de leur transmettre par la parole ou l'incitation à la lecture » (Virole, 2020).

Background: This study examined how students enrolled in a university orientation and mobility personnel preparation program in the Southwestern part of the United States perceived their competency levels regarding their knowledge of orientation and mobility principles and applications. This graduate master's degree or certification program includes students with various backgrounds (e.g., special education teachers, social workers, general education teachers). Method: To enter this Orientation and Mobility program perspective students must hold an undergraduate degree with a Grade Point Average of 3.0 on a 1-4 scale, and submittal of a resume, a personal statement, and transcripts from previous college/university coursework. These materials are then reviewed, and perspective students are accepted or rejected into the university's Orientation and Mobility Program. The Orientation and Mobility Program consists of nine 3-hour semester courses. The internship course is the last course in their program of study for a certificate. To pursue a master's degree students, complete an additional nine credit hours in special education. Most of the students maintain fulltime employment while completing their coursework. Using a selfevaluation form that included competency criteria provided by the Academy for the Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals, 74 orientation and mobility interns at the university evaluated their capabilities and proficiencies before they began and after they completed their internship. Results: Before beginning the internship, the participants, on average, considered themselves to be moderately or somewhat proficient in all 13 orientation and mobility competencies (M = 3.25-3.53, SD = 0.62-0.94). After completing the internship, the participants, on average, reported feeling significantly more proficient (p < .001) in each of these 13 orientation and mobility competencies (M = 4.13-4.49, SD = 0.49-0.66). Significance: This study represents an initial attempt to examine interns' perceptions of their proficiency levels vis-à-vis orientation and mobility competencies before beginning and after completion of the internship. Future research could examine the relationship between the interns perceived mastery of competencies and the actual mastery of these competencies.

For children with vision impairment, the development of orientation and mobility (O&M) skills is essential so that they play an active role in sociery,and reach their potential in life.The role of the O&M Specialist has changed significantly since rhe firstAustralians Were trained in the 1960's. In particular, ideas and attitudes about working with children have been evolving,and it is increasingly accepted that young children with vision impairment should be receiving O&M training as early as possible.The role of theVisitingTeacher and the O&M Specialist within the Australian education system is discussed, together with a number of issues and concerns about the delivery of O&M skills.

Blind students in or approaching higher education often consider taking a gap year from higher education to receive comprehensive adjustment-to-blindness training at a residential center. This article seams together existing bodies of literature and explains how and why such training can be a helpful and productive option for a gap-year experience for blind students, especially when that training is provided under the Structured Discovery model. Many of the features of Structured Discovery training in a residential environment have already been designed in ways that preempt the common fears about gap years. Training at a Structured Discovery center fosters personal development, which pays dividends in career development. This article also discusses factors influencing the decision to go to training and the benefits of seeking training as early as possible in the career process.

Assessment techniques in special education provide information on how teachers can evaluate learners with special educational needs to ease educational placement and instructional decisions. This paper aimed at investigating assessment techniques used by teachers in assessing learners with special educational needs in inclusive schools in the Volta Region of Ghana. The descriptive survey design was employed for the study. The study involved 80 teachers in all selected pilot inclusive schools in the region, which was the study&#39;s target population. A questionnaire with closed-ended items was developed for data collection. Percentages and frequencies were used as statistical tools to analyse the research data generated from the questionnaire. The findings revealed that most teachers have insufficient knowledge and did not use appropriate assessment techniques in assessing learners with special educational needs in the schools. Based on the results, some recommendations were made fo...

Assessment techniques in special education provide information on how teachers can evaluate learners with special educational needs to ease educational placement and instructional decisions. This paper aimed at investigating assessment techniques used by teachers in assessing learners with special educational needs in inclusive schools in the Volta Region of Ghana. The descriptive survey design was employed for the study. The study involved 80 teachers in all selected pilot inclusive schools in the region, which was the study&#39;s target population. A questionnaire with closed-ended items was developed for data collection. Percentages and frequencies were used as statistical tools to analyse the research data generated from the questionnaire. The findings revealed that most teachers have insufficient knowledge and did not use appropriate assessment techniques in assessing learners with special educational needs in the schools. Based on the results, some recommendations were made fo...

Assessment techniques in special education provide information on how teachers can evaluate learners with special educational needs to ease educational placement and instructional decisions. This paper aimed at investigating assessment techniques used by teachers in assessing learners with special educational needs in inclusive schools in the Volta Region of Ghana. The descriptive survey design was employed for the study. The study involved 80 teachers in all selected pilot inclusive schools in the region, which was the study's target population. A questionnaire with closed-ended items was developed for data collection. Percentages and frequencies were used as statistical tools to analyse the research data generated from the questionnaire. The findings revealed that most teachers have insufficient knowledge and did not use appropriate assessment techniques in assessing learners with special educational needs in the schools. Based on the results, some recommendations were made for the Ghana Education Service through the Ministry of Education to organise in-service training and seminars for trained and untrained teachers on assessment techniques in special education.

Assessment techniques in special education provide information on how teachers can evaluate learners with special educational needs to ease educational placement and instructional decisions. This paper aimed at investigating assessment techniques used by teachers in assessing learners with special educational needs in inclusive schools in the Volta Region of Ghana. The descriptive survey design was employed for the study. The study involved 80 teachers in all selected pilot inclusive schools in the region, which was the study's target population. A questionnaire with closed-ended items was developed for data collection. Percentages and frequencies were used as statistical tools to analyse the research data generated from the questionnaire. The findings revealed that most teachers have insufficient knowledge and did not use appropriate assessment techniques in assessing learners with special educational needs in the schools. Based on the results, some recommendations were made for the Ghana Education Service through the Ministry of Education to organise in-service training and seminars for trained and untrained teachers on assessment techniques in special education.

Introduction: This study investigated the user requirements of individuals with visual impairments regarding the information to be included in orientation and mobility (O&M) aids in order for optimally useful audio-tactile maps of campuses to be developed. In addition, this study aimed at investigating the importance (usefulness) that individuals with visual impairments attribute to environmental information of campuses. Methods: The researchers listed 213 pieces of environmental information concerning campuses and address them in survey by conducting a respective questionnaire. Participants were asked to evaluate the information, regarding the importance or usefulness of the information in regard to safety, location of services, and orientation and wayfinding during movement. Through convenience sampling 115 adults (aged from 18 to 64 years) with visual impairments from four countries (Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, and Germany) took part in the research. Results: Pieces of environmental ...

The paper sought to determine the perceptions Colleges of Education tutors hold on how the current curriculum helps pre-service teachers to collaborate with other professionals and parents to manage children with special educational needs and disabilities for effective inclusive education in Ghana. A descriptive survey design was adopted using a sample of 235 tutors from 13 public Colleges of Education in Ghana. The lottery method was used to select four out of the sixteen regions in Ghana and the purposive sampling technique was used to select all the Colleges within the four regions, while convenience sampling technique was used to select the actual respondents for the study. Questionnaire was used to gather the research data. Percentages and frequencies were used as statistical tools to analyse the data. The findings revealed that pre-service teachers had difficulties collaborating with other professionals and parents in managing children with special educational needs and disabilities in the inclusive classroom. It was therefore, recommended that measures that could help pre-service teachers to effectively and efficiently collaborate with parents and other professionals should be put in place.

This study explored experiences with functional vision changes resulting from adult-onset vision conditions. The impact of glare, lightto-dark adaptation, depth perception, night blindness, and contrast sensitivity are examined for the way participants perceive their effects on willingness to engage in independent travel. Two interviews were conducted with 13 participants. These consisted of structured and semi-structured, open-ended questions to determine the impact of functional vision changes on mobility and pedestrian travel. Qualitative, open and a priori coding was used to derive themes and categories for the most significant functional vision considerations among participants. This study revealed changes in functional vision impact participants' perceived safety and were of concern when considering independent travel. Orientation and mobility (O&M) services were denied to some participants who had surrendered driving privileges and were considered vision impaired, but not legally blind, even though issues with functional vision impacted safer travel. The impact of functional vision changes on individuals with adult-onset vision impairment was found to affect participant mobility. Agencies serving this population can provide clients with safer travel options when all functional vision changes are considered beyond acuity and field of vision loss.

The paper sought to determine the perceptions Colleges of Education tutors hold on how the current curriculum helps pre-service teachers to collaborate with other professionals and parents to manage children with special educational needs and disabilities for effective inclusive education in Ghana. A descriptive survey design was adopted using a sample of 235 tutors from 13 public Colleges of Education in Ghana. The lottery method was used to select four out of the sixteen regions in Ghana and the purposive sampling technique was used to select all the Colleges within the four regions, while convenience sampling technique was used to select the actual respondents for the study. Questionnaire was used to gather the research data. Percentages and frequencies were used as statistical tools to analyse the data. The findings revealed that pre-service teachers had difficulties collaborating with other professionals and parents in managing children with special educational needs and disabilities in the inclusive classroom. It was therefore, recommended that measures that could help pre-service teachers to effectively and efficiently collaborate with parents and other professionals should be put in place.

Background: This study examined how students enrolled in a university orientation and mobility personnel preparation program in the Southwestern part of the United States perceived their competency levels regarding their knowledge of orientation and mobility principles and applications. This graduate master's degree or certification program includes students with various backgrounds (e.g., special education teachers, social workers, general education teachers). Method: To enter this Orientation and Mobility program perspective students must hold an undergraduate degree with a Grade Point Average of 3.0 on a 1-4 scale, and submittal of a resume, a personal statement, and transcripts from previous college/university coursework. These materials are then reviewed, and perspective students are accepted or rejected into the university's Orientation and Mobility Program. The Orientation and Mobility Program consists of nine 3-hour semester courses. The internship course is the last course in their program of study for a certificate. To pursue a master's degree students, complete an additional nine credit hours in special education. Most of the students maintain fulltime employment while completing their coursework. Using a selfevaluation form that included competency criteria provided by the Academy for the Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals, 74 orientation and mobility interns at the university evaluated their capabilities and proficiencies before they began and after they completed their internship. Results: Before beginning the internship, the participants, on average, considered themselves to be moderately or somewhat proficient in all 13 orientation and mobility competencies (M = 3.25-3.53, SD = 0.62-0.94). After completing the internship, the participants, on average, reported feeling significantly more proficient (p < .001) in each of these 13 orientation and mobility competencies (M = 4.13-4.49, SD = 0.49-0.66). Significance: This study represents an initial attempt to examine interns' perceptions of their proficiency levels vis-à-vis orientation and mobility competencies before beginning and after completion of the internship. Future research could examine the relationship between the interns perceived mastery of competencies and the actual mastery of these competencies.

This study examined which olfactory cues individuals with visual
impairments use most often and determined which of these cues these individuals
deemed to be the most important for wayfinding in urban environments. It
also investigated the ways in which the individuals use these olfactory cues.

The study presented here examined which auditory cues individuals
with visual impairments use more frequently and consider to be the most
important for wayfinding in urban environments. It also investigated the ways in
which these individuals use the most significant auditory cues.

Many orientation and mobility (O&M) professionals working to meet the needs of children and adults with vision impairment may do so as part of multi-agency rehabilitation teams. However, from a study of current literature in the fields of vision impairment, multiple-...