Taking Action on the Issues

On November 1-3, 2012 Orientation and Mobility Specialists attending the 2013 Southwest Orientation and Mobility Conference held at the Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired in Austin, TX had an opportunity to discuss some of the issues facing the profession. Divided into small groups they provided feedback (the information that follows) to be shared with others in the field of orientation and mobility and with other agencies and organizations.

If you are receiving this information it is because you or your agency or organization have been mentioned in this document. Please feel free to share this document with others or use it as seems appropriate.

Sincerely,

The SWOMA Planning Committee

Group 1: Travel training for non-visually impaired individuals

  • Scott Meyer – Facilitator
  • Alison Behringer
  • Esteban Zuniga
  • Vonecia Hines
  • Molly Birrell
  • Joe Vaughn

Discussion Points

  • This could include those who have vision but no system to understand how to safely travel ie; numbering/address systems, rural people traveling in an urban setting, understanding and applying cardinal directions to name a few.
  • Population that comes in contact with visually impaired people. Population that comes in contact with others with visual impairments
  • Establish a group or committee to determine other disabled populations that would benefit from us.
  • Everyone in a single panel , OT, PT, O&M, Teacher, SWOMA committee to contact other professionals for multidisciplinary panel
  • Brining awareness presentation speaking schools public transportation, someone that is not a parent someone that does not have an obvious disabilities.
  • Awareness presentation to different populations schools, public entities
  • Travel training for administrators (principals)
  • Travel training to families of the blind
  • Are they going to be teaching routes, different
  • Teaching this curriculum in a school system need to be in an IEP for the student, where services would be given
  • In-service with the student in the school system.
  • The school wants a specific person trained in that area. Who is going to oversee the implementation and the progress?
  • Establish 1-5 day trainings or the amount of time that is given to you. What is it that you are going for? Try giving them a cane experience what blind people do what they are capable of, be more of an advocate.
  • Barrier, who is going to train, would have to create the curriculum; more people cross training the panel would be beneficial for that. When it comes to training an association of people coming together.
  • Is there funding? Would they do the training and be willing to pay of it. Would we have to do it on our own time?
  • Are there any other state agencies that provide travel training besides DARS/DBS?

Possible Solutions

  • Someone to lobby to the legislature
  • Getting support from O&M
  • It would be someone like an O&M, PT, OT that goes into travel training; it would have to be someone open to the idea.
  • Working with people on movement; we are capable of providing the services.
  • How to you justify working with a person that is not visually impaired. It all goes back to working with someone with a visual impairment.
  • Identifying that there is a need. Who is going to provide the information?
  • Establishing a justification.

Who should receive this information?

(AER, SLSBVI, DARS-DBS, Parent Organizations, etc.)

Group 2: Working with visually impaired veterans

  • Bob Chessy – Facilitator
  • Ronita Jones
  • Gail Brown
  • Charlotte Tompkins
  • Lynn Hooks
  • James Bintliff
  • Mary Coello
  • Ruby Coronado

Discussion Points:

  • How can we get involved with working with the veteran populations? What is the best source for finding information on training and jobs with veterans other than USAJOBS.gov?
  • How can we be better trained to serve veterans returning from war currently, including those with multiple disabilities?
  • Is there a continuum of services available for all veterans: what services are available and for how long?

Possible Solutions:

  • Go to the internet and do a web search on working with visually impaired veterans and/or go to usajobs.gov and search for opportunities available within the VA system.
  • As a group, lobby AER or universities for specialized training for COMS who are already in the field. We know there are internship opportunities for students still going through the program…..but what about us that are already working out there????? We need specialized training on working with this population – maybe by workshops at conferences or there may even be a need to create a 2-3 training specific to this purpose. Have the VA present at conferences to inform us what their needs are as well as on where and how to receive training. The VA could also provide training on how to more efficiently use the usajobs.gov website. This is a serious need for those of us already certified.
  • Have VA representatives at the administrative/outreach level – because those are the folks who are able to make these decisions – present at conferences and provide information on services available to veterans and what the processes are to receive services.
  • Ask the VA to provide CEU training for COMS in preparation to work with visually impaired/blind veterans or create contract positions to work with the VA in order to learn the VA processes; could even be a mini-internship.
  • Work with the VA to find out the need for COMS to follow-up after veterans return to their respective homes in the community. Could there be a need for COMS to go into the home to provide a continuum of services as needed.

Who should receive this information?

The Veteran’s Administration (local, state, national), DARS-DBS, SWOMA, AER, TxAER, FOCUS, National Guard, VFW groups, and any other group that is associated with visually impaired veterans……(for example families of veterans, support groups for veterans, Wounded Warriors etc.)

Group 3: Contracting for adult rehabilitation agencies (DBS/ Lighthouses/ DADS)

  • Marian Small – Facilitator
  • Janiel Hayes
  • Ashley Fleetwood
  • Vicki Herrin
  • Rhonda Miller
  • Kelley Rosser
  • Toby Penington

Discussion Points—Solutions listed within, and who should receive is in parentheses

  • Willing to work, set up to work, but consumers are no shows because of the weather or other reasons. (Provide these suggestions in contractor training course)

-Shopping malls? What are goals? Cane skills, parking lots, escalators, grocery stores.

-Early classes in morning, late in afternoon/early evening.

-If need to miss because of appt., etc., make traveling to the appt the lesson

-Night travel.

-Doing group lessons….peer pressure is great. Does require special paperwork for P.O.

  • Encryption!! Must be on a computer to get a P.O. or any other kind of information.

-Could contractors get a hard copy P.O. snail mail? (DARS-DBS offices)

-DBS needs an app for encryption.

  • Finding sidewalks, lights, etc. in rural areas. It was recommended that I not transport consumers in my own car. Transporting.

-Check manual to see if there is actually a prohibition.

-Increase liability and car insurance.

-Training in contractor training regarding legal issues (liability concerns)

-Check ACVREP for insurance.

-Meet you in another town. Plan a lesson when they say they’re going shopping or to doctor appointment in another town…pick up medication, etc. Have relative drop them off 3 blocks away from the CVS. (DARS-DBS provide in the contractor training course)

  • How does a person get trained to be a contractor with DBS now that the Statewide O&M Consultant position is empty? The confidence builders class was fabulous….how does it get done for new people now. What is the process to become a contractor?

-Waiting to hear from DBS (DARS-DBS)

  • The Lighthouse in Fort Worth provides “free” O&M. We understand that counselors are to provide two consumers per month until a full caseload of 25.
  • College students are not being provided O&M to a college campus, more than once if at all. The DBS office is not providing this service.

Group 4: Contracting with school districts for O&M services

  • Fred Martinez – Facilitator
  • Tim Gerhardt
  • Amy Marino
  • Steffani Leuteneker
  • Mary Trammell
  • Paul Hull
  • Josie Salumunek

Discussion Points

Issues that come up in private contracting

  • Feel like the outsider as the non-district employee in teamwork
  • Caseload- analysis
  • Report writing:
  • O&M Assessments- access to other people like OT/PT
  • Determining type and amount of service
  • Legal Issues: Liability-
  • transporting kids
  • on the job injuries
  • safety issues
  • Compensation
  • TRS benefits with regards to contracting after retirement- how is your retirement affected
  • District policies vs TRS policies
  • Negotiated fees
  • Relation between the caseload/compensation
  • Are they hiring for hourly or full day (flat rate non-individualized service)
  • Direct contact, reports
  • Integrity
  • Accountability of the contractor to not only the school district (communication of delivery of services)

Possible Solutions

Exceptions

Develop packet for contractor to give the school district:

Promoting ourselves, ways to communicate our role in the student life, as well as the professional assistance

  • Code of ethics
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Continued training
  • Laws regarding O&M/ Pedestrian safety
  • How the contractor is going to communicate with the student, family, administration
  • Question and answers
  • Liability issues
  • Fees and what is included
  • How much access to the kids information do I have, collaboration with others, access to computer portals
  • Promote integrity, professionalism
  • Resumes
  • Knowing when a contractor is not enough to service the district- sell yourself out of job to a full-time person because of the caseload being too high
  • Fastpass
  • Certification
  • Insurance Certificate (personal vehicle and general liability)
  • Badges – photos with each district, and somewhere to sign in with administration
  • Who provides low-vision devices, assessment tools, tools for kids that they need to be in compliance as well as for their safety
  • Stay within safety distances, make sure that the parents understand the abilities of their students and let them determine if they feel safe or not

Who should receive this information? (AER, SLSBVI, DARS-DBS, Parent Organizations, etc.)

Parents, school districts, who we are contracting with, AER division 9

Group 5: Legal issues: Hours of service

•Ruth Ann Marsh – facilitator

•Patti Clement

•Debra Fournier-Pursel

•Carol Tippelt

Discussion Points

Time recommended: system is much different between education and rehabilitation. Education has a way to review and change recommendations, but this is not true for rehab. There is no standardization tool for rehabilitation but there is for education. There is also no forum for communication between rehab providers.

Possible Solutions

For Education:

Michigan Severity Rating Scale has two levels of evaluation. Ruth Ann offers training in using this tool.

Rehabilitation:

There is no known tool available – need to find out if there is one. COMS need to organize and standardize recommendation, also identifying extenuating circumstances. Perhaps there could be a range of time/amount of services for different categories.

Who should receive this information? (AER, SLSBVI, DARS-DBS, Parent Organizations, etc.)

  • DARS/DBS for Rehab providers
  • ESC/TSBVI Outreach

Group 6: Legal Issues: Using Canes on Campus

Group: JULIE and Winfred, from Chris Cole center; Frank, working in public schools; Terrie from APH, notetaker.

The Problem

In general, our group found three reasons why students don't use canes on campus: administration/teachers do not want canes to be used; student does not want to use cane; parents don't want student to use cane.

Administration/Teacher Concerns

  • Concerns about cane use usually happen on campuses where they had never had a student using a cane before. Teachers are overwhelmed with testing and increasing amounts of paperwork. They may be afraid that they will have to keep up with the cane, making sure students don't lose it, leave it behind. They may worry that they are responsible for making sure that student keeps cane out of the way and for making sure that student doesn't use cane as a weapon.
  • The administration and teachers may be afraid the student might:
  • Play with it too much
  • Use it as a sword
  • Injure other students with it
  • Lose it and other students use it as a weapon
  • Lose it and the teacher has to try to keep up with it
  • Keep it in the aisle where others can fall over it

Student Not Wanting to Use Cane in School

Teenagers with low vision who want to pass as sighted may want to use canes. When puberty arrives, students may feel more self-conscious or want to be socially appropriate. This is true of adults also. Some students who are totally blind want to pass and don't use canes either; this was true when one group member attended a school for the blind.

For example, one student with RP did not want to think about blindness being possible in the future and wanted nothing to do with a cane.

Parents Don't Want Student to Use Cane in School or Elsewhere

Parent hopes for a cure, does not see value of cane, does not want stigma, does not deal with student's visual impairment. Example: Parents relying on foreign stem cell research for a cure to child's vision problem. A family with a child with RP might have a taboo against discussing blindness because they don't want to face this. Family may not let child use cane at home.

OFTEN parents who do not allow independent travel do not support daily living skills.

Solutions

Administration/Teacher Concerns

Administration, teachers, and aids/interveners need information and support; student needs instruction in appropriate ways to use, store, and not lose a cane.

Educate school personnel as follows:

  • and M instructors job is to gently inform about cane use, talk to teachers and administration and other students about why it is important for the student to use a cane. Explain why we are doing cane training, what the benefits are for the student. The instructor must educate teacher and administration.
  • Ask the teacher how the O&M instructor can support the teacher, the administration, and the student; this brings about cooperation.
  • Help teacher and other students understand that the cane is not a toy, is a tool.
  • Do a presentation for teacher and for other students; if student is old enough or able to do so, have student explain demonstrate the cane in such a presentation. Instructor would do a presentation for a 3-year-old student, but would let a 21-year-old do it himself/herself.
  • Let teacher and perhaps other students use a cane in the presentation. This gives them a better understanding of what the cane does.
  • Show teacher that student, not teacher, will be responsible for using cane appropriately and storing it when not in use.
  • A picture is worth a thousand words: if asked to talk to a college class about O&M, bring a consumer who uses a cane along to learn to talk and advocate.
  • Support teacher and use of cane at team meetings.
  • In rehab center setting, coordinate with teachers of other classes so that that parallel material can be covered in other classes: when learning how to go to the supermarket, other class might deal with storing groceries.
  • If you are not the O&M instructor and you are approached with a teacher's or administrator's concerns, help them get in touch with the student's O&M instructor to discuss these issues.
  • Make sure student knows how to use cane correctly, how to store it safely, how to maintain control of it. Student must use cane in an age-appropriate manner. Student must know etiquette of cane use, not use it as a weapon. Help student have a consistent place to keep and store cane when not using it.
  • Remember that the instructor is only with the student perhaps 30-60 minutes per week; if parents and teachers do not get on board, there will be no follow through. They encourage when the instructor is not there.

Group 7: Legal issues: Liability for transporting

  • Kellee Costello – Facilitator
  • Denise Emily Brown
  • Terry Kubena
  • Cynthia Hart
  • Julie Glover

Discussion Points

  • Legal Issues: Liability for transporting: ramifications of transporting students in your personal vehicle.
  • The cost of insurance through personal automobile insurance.
  • Making sure that instruction is IEP driven.
  • What happens if the parent is driving you and student and there is an accident, how are you compensated?
  • Having parents drive the student to the area of training during the school day and then taking the student back to school.
  • Would having the parent sign a release, does that decrease the liability?
  • If you do a lesson on a public bus at the end of the day, then when you get back to school and the student has missed his bus, how does he get home?
  • Liability issue for student’s safety off campus when accessing public transportation.

Possible Solutions