scholarly journals Positioning Practices of Orientation and Mobility Specialists When Teaching Street Crossings: Is There a Standard Approach?

2021 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-94
Author(s):  
Kim T. Zebehazy ◽  
Rebecca L. Renshaw ◽  
George J. Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Personnel Preparation ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Variable Position ◽  
University Personnel ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
Intersection Types ◽  
Standard Strategy ◽  
Question Survey

Introduction: An important skill for orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists to have is to monitor clients appropriately when they are learning to cross intersections. Techniques books provide some suggestions for positioning during street crossings, but no research has been conducted about consensus or priorities for making appropriate decisions on positioning. The purpose of this study was to investigate general positioning decisions using visual monitoring techniques. Method: A total of 234 participants (practicing O&M specialists, preservice O&M students, and O&M university personnel) completed a 40-question survey. The survey included demographic questions, diagrams of intersections that participants used to select positioning locations, questions about lanes of threat, and questions about important factors to consider when positioning to monitor safety. Commonality of selections were analyzed and compared with demographic information. Results: The greatest consensus was found for all intersection types when the client is positioned on the corner waiting to cross and for identification of the first lane of threat. More variable position selections were made for monitoring during the crossings, and the second and third lane of threat selections were also more variable. Factors respondents indicated as most important to consider when positioning aligned with their positioning choices overall. Discussion: Personnel preparation programs may want to consider to what extent they teach considerations for positioning before and during crossings, and whether the predominant tendency to put oneself between the client and traffic warrants additional conversation. Future research should look at more complex intersections and the additional nuances used to make positioning choices. Implications for practitioners: Practitioners should reflect on whether they actively change their positioning decisions based on the situation and type of intersection versus tending to use a standard strategy.

A Survey of Blind Orientation and Mobility Specialists about the Accommodations and Teaching Strategies They Use when Providing Orientation and Mobility Services

2021 ◽  
pp. 0145482X2110180
Author(s):  
Nora Griffin-Shirley ◽  
Laura Bozeman ◽  
The Nguyen ◽  
Vitalis Othuon ◽  
Anita Page ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Teaching Techniques ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Self Advocacy ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
Immersion Training

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to survey orientation and mobility (O&M) instructors who are blind concerning the identification of accommodations, teaching techniques, and resources to teach students with visual impairments (i.e., blindness or low vision). Methods: The study utilized an online survey via Qualtrics (2019) with 27 closed- and open-ended items to identify accommodations, teaching techniques, and resources needed. The survey was e-mailed to membership and certification organizations requesting O&M instructors who are blind to participate for 12 weeks. The participants were 15 O&M specialists, mostly male and Caucasian. Survey data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Forty percentage of the participants reported that there were minimal standards that they had to demonstrate prior to their admittance into an O&M program. About one-fourth of the participants mentioned their program was modified because of their visual impairment. Eleven participants (73%) reported that their nonvisual instructional strategies and techniques were predominantly gained through their university programs or other visually impaired instructors (27%, n = 4). Discussion: Aspects of this study that are similar to the current literature are smaller faculty-to-student ratios for blindfold or simulation cane courses, accommodations used by participants, and suggestions for monitoring the safety of students. The results revealed the participants’ strong belief in the importance of immersion training, the use of the Structured Discovery Cane Travel (SDCT), nonvisual skills during O&M instruction, sleep shades, and students’ problem-solving abilities. Implication for practitioners: Although the participants had received SDCT immersion training, most personnel preparation programs approved by the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of Blind and Visually Impaired do not use this method. For this reason, it is important for faculty to identify best teaching practices from among all programs and to integrate these practices into their curricula. Sharing best practices could strengthen all programs. Moreover, students with visual impairments should be taught early about self-advocacy and the ability to have helpful knowledge about one’s skills at a university and in the workplace.

scholarly journals Self-reported use of technology by orientation and mobility clients in Australia and Malaysia before the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 026461962110190
Author(s):  
Lil Deverell ◽  
Jahar Bhowmik ◽  
Abdullah Al Mahmud ◽  
Bee Theng Lau ◽  
Fakir M Amirul Islam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Vision ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
Independent Travel ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
In Transit ◽  
Real Time Information ◽  
Time Information

Since the 1960s, many electronic travel aids have been developed for people with low vision or blindness to improve their independent travel skills, but uptake of these specialist devices has been limited. This study investigated what technologies orientation and mobility (O&M) clients in Australia and Malaysia have, use, like, and want to support their travel, to inform technology research and development. This two-phase mixed-methods study surveyed O&M clients face-to-face in Malaysia ( n = 9), and online in Australia ( n = 50). Participants managed safe walking using a human guide, long cane, or guide dog when their vision was insufficient to see hazards, but a smartphone is now a standard travel aid in both Australia and Malaysia. Participants relied on smartphone accessibility features and identified 108 apps they used for travel: for planning (e.g., public transport timetables), sourcing information in transit (e.g., GPS location and directions, finding a taxi), sensory conversion (e.g., camera-to-voice, voice-to-text, video-to-live description), social connections (e.g., phone, email, Facebook), food (e.g., finding eateries, ordering online), and entertainment (e.g., music, games). They wanted to ‘carry less junk’, and sought better accessibility features, consistency across platforms, and fast, reliable, real-time information that supports confident, non-visual travel, especially into unfamiliar places.

Touch, Talk, and Travel

1978 ◽  
Vol 72 (7) ◽  
pp. 284-286
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Cangelosi
Keyword(s):  
Rehabilitation Training ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
Blind Persons

Describes the special problems and needs of deaf-blind persons in rehabilitation training, particularly in orientation and mobility. The importance of communication is stressed.

Preview: A Neglected Variable in Orientation and Mobility

1979 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-48
Author(s):  
John L. Barth ◽  
Emerson Foulke
Keyword(s):  
Training Programs ◽  
Primary Interest ◽  
Controlled Conditions ◽  
Mobility Aids ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
Mobility Training

The contribution of preview to the performance of open tasks is pointed out, and sensory anticipation and perceptual anticipation are discussed as components of preview. A case is then made for regarding the blind pedestrian's task as a typical example of an open task. Next, there is a review of research in which the contribution of preview to the performance of open tasks has been observed under controlled conditions. Preview has not been the variable of primary interest in the studies of the performance of blind pedestrians reported so far. However, some experiments have provided indications of the importance of preview, and these experiments are reviewed. The article concludes by urging the necessity of understanding preview, so that its contribution to the performance of blind pedestrians can be taken into account in the formulation of mobility training programs and the design of mobility aids.

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