A critical literature analysis of the Orientation and Mobility paradigm

2020 ◽  
pp. 026461962092090
Author(s):  
Katrina Blake
Keyword(s):  
Visual Impairment ◽  
World View ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
Professional Field ◽  
Environmental Concepts ◽  
Shared Commitment ◽  
Specialist Field ◽  
Critical Literature

Orientation and Mobility is a specialist field of knowledge, skills, and understandings specific to people with visual impairment. Blending traditional and developmental disability-specific eruditions, Orientation and Mobility focuses on the sensory, spatial, perceptual, and environmental concepts and skills for people with visual impairment. Linked to well-being, social participation, employment, and self-determination, Orientation and Mobility, therefore, is the cornerstone of equity and access for people with visual impairment. Despite this, there is little explicit discussion about the dominant discourses prevalent within the professional field of Orientation and Mobility. Drawing on theories of paradigms and grand narratives, a critical review of the dominant discourse on Orientation and Mobility learning and teaching was undertaken. The aim of this critical literature review was to identify ‘if and how’ the privileging of important intellectual traditions guides the professional field of Orientation and Mobility. Results confirmed that there is a consistent philosophical world view underlying much of the activity in Orientation and Mobility research. This paradigm of Orientation and Mobility professional attitudes, perspectives, and interests impedes a shared commitment to studying and improving the fundamentals of Orientation and Mobility learning and teaching. An important finding of this review was the effect that gaps in research and literature have on the future profession and perception of Orientation and Mobility. Alternative discourses to the traditional Orientation and Mobility learning and teaching are considered and discussed in terms of the longevity and growth of the Orientation and Mobility professional field.

‘Orientation and Mobility . . . What is that again?’

2020 ◽  
pp. 026461962091526
Author(s):  
Katrina Blake
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
World War ◽  
School Students ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
Independent Travel ◽  
Shared Commitment ◽  
Authentic Learning Experiences ◽  
The Impact

Orientation and Mobility (O&M) is historically understood as the technical skills required for a person with visual impairment to move independently and safely through their environment. O&M instruction was originally positioned as a way to progress the rehabilitation of US veterans blinded in World War II. Since then, the long white cane has been synonymous with visual impairment, blindness, and the discipline of O&M. To this day, the attainment of long-cane skills and route travel persists as a major component of O&M practice and research. This pervasive quantitative conception of O&M instruction promotes attitudes, perspectives, and interests that impede a shared commitment to studying and improving the fundamentals of O&M. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with three Queensland primary school students with visual impairment, a parent, teacher, and a panel of Australian O&M specialists the sub-culture of O&M is illuminated. Results indicate a lack of general awareness of the impact of Visual Impairment and of O&M, and shed light on the authentic learning experiences of the three students with visual impairment. To better understand the influence of visual impairment on independent travel and subsequently the tenets of O&M learning and teaching, it is necessary to challenge the conventional way of telling the story of O&M. The importance of changing preconceived ideas and values of O&M is discussed.

Działanowo-zadaniowe nauczanie języków obcych w ujęciu neuropedagogicznym: Zaangażowanie uczących się a efektywność kształcenia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sławomira Kołsut
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Knowledge Society ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Modern Approach ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Modern School ◽  
Constructivist Model

The action-task approach is a modern approach to language learning and teaching, offering more opportunities for active participation in the class and greater engagement in the learning process than traditional approaches, which include for example the communicative approach. The aim of this publication is to show the action-task approach from multiple perspectives: pedagogical, glottodidactic and neurobiological. In the pedagogical dimension, it refers to the issues of the new culture of learning and teaching and to the constructivist model of learning. In practice, this means that learners acquire knowledge and skills actively through their own actions. This method implies that classes are oriented towards shaping learners‘ independence and their gradual acquisition of autonomy. In the modern school, the learner acquires, apart from knowledge, which is no longer the priority of teaching, the competences needed for future work. In the modern knowledge society, these competences are becoming increasingly important, as they are more difficult to acquire than generally available knowledge. Therefore, during the modern learning process the student is provided with conditions for the development of social, methodological as well as personal competences, which play a very important role in achieving individual well-being. The action-task approach is not only a constructivist way of learning and teaching languages, but also a philosophy, referring to considerations of learning, teaching, perception of reality, communication and interaction with fellow learners, and formation of attitudes and values needed in human life.

scholarly journals Systematic Theology – An experiential approach: Core assumptions of my ‘Invitation to Systematic Theology’

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Nürnberger
Keyword(s):  
World View ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Systematic Theology ◽  
Natural Evil ◽  
Word Of God ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Modern Physics ◽  
In Christ ◽  
Intellectual Integrity

Nürnberger’s ‘Faith in Christ Today: Invitation to Systematic Theology’ is meant to serve the proclamation of the Word of God in modern times. Based on ‘experiential realism’, as used by science, it restricts itself to immanent reality, avoids the reification of idealised abstractions and biblical metaphors and follows an emergent-evolutionary hermeneutic. God’s self-disclosure manifests itself as (1) creative power in the cosmic process as explored by science, (2) benevolent intentionality as proclaimed on the basis of the Christ-event and (3) a motivating and transforming vision in the community of believers. Classical doctrines are reconceptualised in action terms, rather than ontological terms. Christology: The ministry, death and elevation of Jesus of Nazareth as God’s messianic representative manifest God’s redemptive intentionality. Trinity: The God manifest in Christ is identical with the God of Israel and the Creator of the universe and the divine Spirit transforming and empowering the community of believers. Eschatology: The thrust of God’s vision of comprehensive optimal well-being moves through time like a horizon opening up ever new vistas, challenges and opportunities.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The task of Systematic Theology is to offer as comprehensive and consistent a presentation of the Christian faith as possible under current circumstances. This involves the retrieval of the biblical message from its ancient conceptualisations and to repackage it in current world view assumptions. To reach a readership informed by modern science, technology, commerce and the consumer culture, Nürnberger’s Systematic Theology applies the approach of experiential realism as practised by the positive sciences: restricting its analyses to immanent reality and avoiding metaphysical constructs. It follows a consistent emergent-evolutionary hermeneutic and works on an interdisciplinary basis, using insights from modern physics, biology, neurology and sociology. God is conceptualised as the transcendent Source and Destiny of experienced reality. The core of the Christian message is God’s suffering, transforming acceptance of the unacceptable, which involves us in its dynamics. It is geared to transformation rather than perfection. It is applied to all aspects of reality, including, for example, entropy, death and natural evil and so on. In this way, the author hopes to help Christians to regain their intellectual integrity and the credibility of their message.

Visual Impairment and Rehabilitation Needs of Nursing Home Residents

1995 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Horowitz ◽  
E. Balistreri ◽  
C. Stuen ◽  
R. Fangmeier
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Staten Island ◽  
Rehabilitation Training ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
Rehabilitation Needs

This article reports on the prevalence and rehabilitation needs of visually impaired residents of nursing homes, based on optometric examinations of 136 residents of a nursing home in Staten Island, NY. The results indicate that about half the residents were at least moderately visually impaired and almost one-third were potential candidates for low vision assessments, or rehabilitation training, or orientation and mobility services.

Religion and Health Care in East Africa

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Lloyd ◽  
Melissa Haussman ◽  
Patrick James
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Religious Belief ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
World View ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Religion And Health ◽  
Faith Based ◽  
The Impact

What is the impact of religious and non-religious beliefs on health care? Health care, an essential aspect of an individual’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being, is an important way to assess this question. This book studies the relationship of the physical and spiritual domains by investigating how religious belief affects the provision and consumption of public health in three Africa countries: Uganda, Mozambique, and Ethiopia. Results all confirm the impact of religious beliefs on health perceptions, procurement, and provision. Securing good health is a key and universal aspiration. Furthermore, modern medicine is commonly understood as a means to that end. No matter the religious belief, all showed awareness of the importance and efficacy of medical treatment. On the health care provision side, faith-based entities are important, even essential, in health care for the three countries studied. A review of health outcomes, centered around the Millennium Development Goals, reveals general progress across the board. The progress towards the MDG’s has also been made by international ngo’s, including those focused specifically on women’s health. Health seeking behaviour is affected by a holistic mindset in which physical and mental health are intertwined. This world view, observed among adherents of Christianity, Islam, and African Traditional Religion, shapes Africans’ understanding of the world of sickness and health and how best to respond to its complexity. Africans thus pursue health care in a rational way, given their world view, with an openness to, and even preference, for faith-based provision where government efforts may fall short of basic needs.

scholarly journals An eHealth Application of Self-Reported Sports-Related Injuries and Illnesses in Paralympic Sport: Pilot Feasibility and Usability Study (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Fagher ◽  
Jenny Jacobsson ◽  
Örjan Dahlström ◽  
Toomas Timpka ◽  
Jan Lexell
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Prospective Studies ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Missing Responses ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Paralympic Sport

BACKGROUND Sport participation is associated with a risk of sports-related injuries and illnesses, and Paralympic athletes’ additional medical issues can be a challenge to health care providers and medical staff. However, few prospective studies have assessed sports-related injuries and illnesses in Paralympic sport (SRIIPS) over time. Advances in mobile phone technology and networking systems offer novel opportunities to develop innovative eHealth applications for collection of athletes’ self-reports. Using eHealth applications for collection of self-reported SRIIPS is an unexplored area, and before initiation of full-scale research of SRIIPS, the feasibility and usability of such an approach needs to be ascertained. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to perform a 4-week pilot study and (1) evaluate the monitoring feasibility and system usability of a novel eHealth application for self-reported SRIIPS and (2) report preliminary data on SRIIPS. METHODS An eHealth application for routine collection of data from athletes was developed and adapted to Paralympic athletes. A 4-week pilot study was performed where Paralympic athletes (n=28) were asked to weekly self-report sport exposure, training load, general well-being, pain, sleep, anxiety, and possible SRIIPS. The data collection was followed by a poststudy use assessment survey. Quantitative data related to the system use (eg, completed self-reports, missing responses, and errors) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The qualitative feasibility and usability data provided by the athletes were condensed and categorized using thematic analysis methods. RESULTS The weekly response rate was 95%. The athletes were of the opinion that the eHealth application was usable and feasible but stated that it was not fully adapted to Paralympic athletes and their impairments. For example, it was difficult to understand how a new injury or illness should be identified when the impairment was involved. More survey items related to the impairments were requested, as the athletes perceived that injuries and illnesses often occurred because of the impairment. Options for description of multifactorial incidents including an injury, an illness, and the impairment were also insufficient. Few technical issues were encountered, but athletes with visual impairment reported usability difficulties with the speech synthesizer. An incidence rate of 1.8 injuries and 1.7 illnesses per 100 hours of athlete exposure were recorded. The weekly pain prevalence was 56% and the impairment contributed to 20% of the reported incidents. CONCLUSIONS The novel eHealth-based application for self-reported SRIIPS developed and tested in this pilot study was generally feasible and usable. With some adaptation to accommodate Paralympic athletes’ prerequisites and improved technical support for athletes with visual impairment, this application can be recommended for use in prospective studies of SRIIPS. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02788500; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02788500 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6v56OqTeP)

scholarly journals The Long-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Loneliness in People Living With Disability and Visual Impairment

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikki Heinze ◽  
Syeda F. Hussain ◽  
Claire L. Castle ◽  
Lauren R. Godier-McBard ◽  
Theofilos Kempapidis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Impairment ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Anxiety State ◽  
Longitudinal Impact ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Individuals With Disabilities ◽  
The Impact

Background: There has been growing concern about the impact of restrictions put in place to contain the coronavirus pandemic on loneliness, particularly in individuals with disabilities. This study explored the longitudinal impact of the pandemic on loneliness in these individuals, with a focus on those living with visual impairment (VI).Methods: An online survey was conducted in April-2020 and repeated in March 2021 to explore current life circumstances, health-related behaviours, sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and social well-being, including state anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Index) and loneliness (UCLA Loneliness scale). A convenience sample of 602 participants completed the first survey. Participants who agreed to be re-contacted were invited to take part in the follow-up survey.Results: Data is presented for the 160 participants who completed both timepoints. At both timepoints, median loneliness was significantly higher in participants with disabilities and those with VI than in participants with no disabilities. While there was no significant change in loneliness in any of the three subgroups, participants with VI experienced the largest increase in median loneliness. Loneliness was associated with having a mental health condition and higher levels of state anxiety at both timepoints.Conclusions: Individuals with disabilities such as VI experienced consistently higher levels of loneliness than those with no disabilities throughout the pandemic. While loneliness remained relatively stable in individuals with no disabilities, it increased, albeit to a non-significant level, in those with disabilities and particularly those with VI. Interventions designed to alleviate loneliness may benefit from addressing state anxiety.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document