Dona Sauerburger,
COMS® offers orientation and mobility (O&M) services to all people with
a visual impairment, including those with remaining functional vision and those
with additional disabilities.
Contracting O&M Specialists:
The Metropolitan Washington Orientation and
Mobility Association has a list of O&M specialists willing to contract
to provide orientation and mobility services in the metropolitan DC /
TRAINING
PROGRAMS:
People with vision loss can learn the orientation and mobility skills and concepts necessary for safe, independent travel in order to get to work, shop and take care of their needs (click here for a list of skills and concepts).
Not just for “cane travelers”! Clients with low vision who don’t use a cane often benefit from learning to cross streets safely, use public transportation, and plan routes to unfamiliar destinations.
The following illustrate some of the various stages of orientation and mobility
training:
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Basic skills include (among other things): o
orientation
skills and strategies; o
using sensory
information (kinesthetic, auditory, tactual and visual); o
problem-solving
and confidence-building; o walking with a guide. Photo: Learning to use a cane
means more than just learning to move it correctly -- it takes practice to
notice and use non-visual information without concentrating, especially when
distracted with functional vision (see article). |
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Outdoor travel: orientation and
problem-solving strategies are further developed. |
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Skills for
crossing streets are developed for signalized intersections
and stop sign or uncontrolled
crossings, in residential and urban settings. The advanced traveler has learned to
analyze and cross unfamiliar intersections.
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Metro, bus and urban travel complete the program. |
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People starting a new job,
going to school at a new campus, or moving to a new community may benefit
from an orientation to help them become familiar with the environment and
analyze complex intersections and routes.
Please note that: ·
Orientation services are provided to people who already have the skills and concepts needed to travel
independently. People who don’t have
these skills and concepts need a TRAINING PROGRAM (see above) before an
orientation service can prepare them to travel safely and independently to a
new area. ·
Standard
orientation and mobility training programs can and should prepare learners
how to:
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