Factors Affecting Uptake of Orientation and Mobility Rehabilitation Training among Blind Older People in Nigeria

he study investigated the factors affecting the low uptake of Orientation and Mobility Rehabilitation Training (O&M RT) among 350 legally blind (VA ≤ LogMAR -1.00 and/or visual field loss to less than 10°) older adults aged ≥ 60 years who had never gone for O&M RT.

SENSORY DESIGN STUDY OF MUSEUM BANK INDONESIA IN ACCOMMODATING VISUALLY IMPAIRED VISITORS

Abstract- Museum as an architectural object with its function as an educational and recreational facility is open to public and must be able to be used by all people. Therefore, the design of museums must be accessible for all people, including those with special needs. One of the museums in Indonesia which is considered to be a good work of architecture is the Museum of Bank Indonesia. It receives many visitors from various circles, including people with visual impairments. To accommodate visitors with visual impairments, the Museum of Bank Indonesia must have design features that help them to do activities, despite their limited sense of sight. Through this study, the research aims to find out how physical elements in the Museum of Bank Indonesia accommodates the orientation and mobility of visitors with visual impairments. This is a qualitative research, with a descriptive discussion. The collected data are the data on physical elements in the Museum of Bank Indonesia and the data on the behavior of visually impaired visitors while doing orientation and mobility in the Museum of Bank Indonesia exhibition area. The data are collected through observation and interview, then analyzed by using a table which elaborates physical elements from technical requirements aspect and sensory design aspect, and how they accommodate visually impaired visitors. Research shows that some physical elements in the Museum of Bank Indonesia are already adequate in accommodating visually impaired visitors. They able to provide assistance for visually impaired visitors while doing orientation and mobility, as well as gathering information on the museum objects. On the other hand, there are also some physical elements that hinder visually impaired visitors because they don’t technically meet the user’s needs. Therefore, improvement in the physical elements design is needed, so it can accommodate visitors with visual impairments better. Key Words: museum, visual impairment, Bank Indonesia, universal design, sensory design

The Value of Orientation and Mobility in the Preparation, Response, and Recovery of the 2017 Hurricane Season in Puerto Rico

Introduction: The 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria significantly affected all people in Puerto Rico, including people with visual impairments. This population has historically been underserved; therefore, access to disaster-related services and the overall availability of training in independence skills are inadequate. This study focuses on independence as related to orientation and mobility (O&M) and was part of a larger case study that sought to determine what unique factors affected people with visual impairments during the aforementioned hurricanes and how challenges could potentially improve. Methods: Qualitative exploratory single-case study of the 2017 hurricane season in Puerto Rico. Interviews used language interpreters and were conducted in-person and by telephone between November 2 and December 17, 2018. Referred sampling included 29 people with visual impairments, four relief agencies, an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) technical specialist, and seven organizations serving people with visual impairments. Results: The post-Maria travel environment presented many challenges through altered infrastructure. Impact was also felt due to insufficient disaster-related institutional supports and a lack of empowerment for people with visual impairments. Post-disaster life presented mental health challenges; however, the usage of O&M training helped to curb its effects. For study participants, the greater the acquisition and practice of O&M, the greater their well-being. Discussion: Paternalism minimized the acquisition and practice of O&M. Knowledge and practice of O&M were salient in post-disaster life. The use of O&M aided in mental health before, during, and after the hurricanes. Implications for practitioners: Expressions of the importance of O&M skills among participants can be used to encourage future recipients of O&M training. These testimonials can also be used to advocate for more social support and financial assistance for organizations which provide such training.

Early Intervention Orientation and Mobility: A Delphi Study of the Content of the Birth to 6 Orientation and Mobility Skills Inventory (B6OMSI)

Introduction: The objective of this research was to identify the appropriate content for an orientation and mobility (O&M) assessment for young children. It is necessary to have a reliable and valid assessment tool to evaluate whether young children are making adequate gains in response to early intervention efforts in O&M. Very little literature exists on the O&M needs of children aged birth to 6 years because of the roots in adult rehabilitation of the field of O&M. Methods: A group of expert-level professionals in the field of early intervention O&M engaged in a consensus process to establish face validity and content validity of the assessment items, which was accomplished using a Delphi study to identify relevant topics for assessment as a first step in developing a research-based assessment tool. Cutoffs for agreement were established prior to analysis, with 90% consensus for face and content validity of a high-stakes assessment that allows the score on the assessment to serve as a snapshot of a child’s progress. Results: All skills and concepts on the assessment were validated, and seven new items were added. Discussion: The resultant assessment tool is comprehensive in measuring the areas of O&M for young children that specialists found useful for determining the need for services and monitoring progress, does not contain extraneous test questions, and can stand alone as a snapshot of student progress. One item was added to the background information portion of the assessment tool because of its usefulness to some practitioners despite a consensus level below 90%. Future research should seek to establish construct validity and reliability measures. Implications for practitioners: Orientation and mobility specialists can begin using the updated item tool with improved content validity available from the New Mexico School for the Blind website.

ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN IN RELATION TO CHRONOLOGICAL AGE AND GENDER

The aim of this study was to examine the orientation and mobility in children with visual impairment in relation to gender and chronological age. The study included a sample of 35 respondents with visual impairment, aged between 7 and 15. The research was conducted in Sarajevo at the “Centre for Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth - Nedžarići” (Bosnian: Centar za slijepu i slabovidnu djecu i omladinu Nedžarići). The results of the research showed that there were statistically significant differences in relation to chronological age obtained on the variables “orientation indoors and in buildings” and “orientation in the yard”, and that there is a relation between orientation and mobility and chronological age on the variables “orientation indoors and in buildings” and “orientation in the yard”. Gender has no significant effect on the orientation and mobility abilities of visually impaired students.

Early Intervention Program Through Bibliotherapy Approach For Reducing Fear In Orientation And Mobility Of Children With Visual Impairment

Orientation and mobility skills are special skills that must be mastered by children with visual impairment, thus an orientation and mobility intervention program is important to develop. Fear or anxiety in children with visual impairment related to orientation and mobility can be caused by fear from within the children or from the environment. Personality, motivation, psychosocial factor, and family and community attitudes all contribute to one's reaction to mobility activities independently. This research aims to reduce the fear of children with visual impairment in performing orientation and mobility activities by implementing an intervention program through bibliotherapy technique. This research is a case study research with a qualitative approach. Bibliotherapy was carried out on two young children with visual impairment. The results of the program implementation show that children's fear or anxiety could be reduced in both cases in this research as seen by autonomous moves of the two children from the mother and caregiver and began to learn to trace the walls of the room.

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

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.

The effectiveness of orientation and mobility Training on the quality of life for students who are blind in Iran

Orientation and mobility (O&M) training is a practical and helpful method to prepare people who are blind for independent living. Hence, this study aimed to survey the effect of O&M training on the quality of life in students who are blind in Iran. This research was a quasi-randomized controlled trial design. Participants were 24 third-grade to sixth-grade students from two schools for blind in Isfahan, Iran. Using cluster sampling method, one school was assigned to the experimental group ( n = 12) and the other to the control group ( n = 12). The experimental group participated in the 8-session O&M training program. Both groups completed a World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) at pre-intervention and post-intervention. The obtained data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) test. The results showed significant increases in quality of life and all subscales (physical health, mental health, social relationships, and environmental health) in the experimental group than in the control group. The findings suggest that O&M training can promote quality of life among students who are blind in Iran. Moreover, these findings increase the interest of children and adolescents who are blind in O&M training.