What Is Orientation & Mobility (O&M)?
Orientation
Orientation means knowing where you are in space, in relation to the things around you. It means you can answer the following questions:
-Where am I now?
-Where am I going?
-How am I going to get there?
Mobility
Mobility refers to how a person is moving through their environment. This can involve the use of a mobility aid such as a long cane, learning strategies to use functional vision safely and effectively, or a combination of the two.
An Orientation & Mobility Specialist is a professional trained to teach people who are blind or have low vision how to move through the environment safely, efficiently and as independently as possible. This is done through the development of both orientation and mobility skills.
Within the education sector, orientation and mobility is a component of the “expanded core curriculum” – those concepts, skills and learning areas that sighted children learn incidentally and through vision. Children who are blind or have low vision need to be specifically taught some or all of these skills.
You can find out more about the expanded core curriculum on our website:
Orientation Skills
The following concepts are important for the development of good orientation skills:
Body Image/Body Concepts: This means understanding the parts of the body, how they relate to each other and how they move through space. A person should be able to name all body parts, understand body planes (up, down, top bottom) and how their body relates to the spatial world around them.
Left/Right Concepts: Understanding of the terms ‘left’ and ‘right’, and understanding that these terms are relative to body position. In other words, they are not fixed in the environment but change according to which way the body is facing. This also becomes important when learning independent road-crossing skills.
Directionality: Understanding other forms of directionality, such as compass directions, which remain fixed in the environment. These concepts are important when learning mapping skills.
Spatial Concepts: Understanding the concept of space in the environment. Does someone know the meaning of words such as ‘front’, ‘back’, ‘side’, ‘across’? What is a square room? Does someone understand that they can cross the middle of the room rather than trailing along the walls to reach a certain point?
Time/Space Concepts: This refers to being able to relate time to movement. A person should be able to estimate how long it will take them to travel to a certain point.
Environmental Concepts: Understanding terms used to describe our environment – for example: road, kerb, hill, roof, car, railway line, bus stop, or beach. These concepts can only be developed through experience, and it should never be assumed that a person who is blind or has low vision understands these concepts in the same way that a sighted person does.
Sensory Development: People who are blind or have low vision are also taught how to use their other senses (hearing, touch, smell) effectively to identify landmarks and clues in their environment that will help them to remain oriented. This includes skills in mapping, road crossings and travelling through complex and busy environments.
Mobility Skills
Mobility skills include the following areas:
Guiding: Using another person as a guide. If a person has low vision, there may be times (such as different lighting conditions, or busy unfamiliar environments) where being guided is an unobtrusive and safe option for them.
Independent Travel Skills: Moving through the environment independently, usually without the use of a mobility aid. There are a number of skills taught here, including body protection, trailing, and crossing open spaces.
Using A Mobility Aid: Some, but not all, people who are blind or have low vision use a mobility aid to move safely and independently through space. The most common mobility aid is the long cane. Use of the cane can start very early, as soon as a child is walking with good balance. If a mobility aid is not required, the Orientation & Mobility Specialist will teach individuals to effectively use their residual vision to travel safely. For people with low vision, they may need to use a long cane only in unfamiliar areas, or in particular lighting conditions (night time, for example). It is important to understand a long cane is an effective tool for enhancing independence. Although traditionally white, long canes are now available in a range of colours, including pink, green and black.
The other primary mobility aid is the guide dog. This is not usually an option until the child reaches the age of 16, or has left school. However, development of good orientation and mobility skills at a young age will enhance a person’s ability to successfully use a guide dog at a later stage, should they wish to do so.
It is never too early or too late to request O&M intervention. O&M training is always individual, and the O&M Specialist will support people in identifying appropriate goals that take into account their family situation and needs. We then develop a program together so parents, family members or caregivers, educators and others can reinforce O&M skills and techniques across the course of a person’s daily routines.
We are always happy to answer any questions you might have, so please contact us if you would like more information about O&M.
Bronwen Scott, Ed.D.Dean Johnson
0405 411 2630426 215 547
Independent Options for Mobility
Dean Johnson 0426 215 547 Dr Bronwen Scott 0405 411 263
FAX 9885 3667 ABN 69 891 817 193