Orientation and mobility is an exciting discipline in low vision and blind rehabilitation that teaches people to travel safely, efficiently and independently in their environment. Orientation is the process of mentally organizing the environment and determining one's location within that environment. Mobility is the act of moving through the environment in a safe and graceful manner. An orientation and mobility specialist teaches people who are blind or visually impaired to travel by:
Orientation and mobility specialists work with people across the lifespan: from infants to senior citizens. The majority of clients on an orientation and mobility instructor's caseload tend to have some remaining vision. It is also common to have clients with additional disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, hearing impairments, physical impairments, or cognitive impairments.
There has been a national shortage of orientation and mobility specialists for several years. Individuals willing to relocate generally have little difficulty in finding employment. Orientation and mobility specialists may work in schools, at agencies for the blind or visually impaired, at Veteran Administration Medical Centers, and at universities and colleges. Many orientation and mobility specialists, after gaining experience in the field, contract to schools and agencies as part of their own private practice.
Orientation and mobility is a profession of highly trained, caring individuals who are committed to providing the best service to each client and who are committed to a professional code of ethics. Many professionals in the field are members of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired and are certified by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals which are professional organizations that govern the field.
If you are interested in being involved in this dynamic field, please visit the apply page.
For more information about the orientation and mobility program, please contact Dr. Dae Kim at dae.kim@wmich.edu or at (269) 387-3446.
For information about the Orientation and Mobility Program for Children, please contact Dr. Robert Wall Emerson at robert.wall@wmich.edu or at (269) 387-3072.
If you live outside the United States and are interested in our program, please apply through The Diether H. Haenicke Institute for Global Education.
Application fee: $40.00
Records Initiation fee: $300
Liability Insurance for BLS 6950 and 7120: $8.00 per course per semester
BLS 7120: $300 fee for agency visit
Graduation Fee: $45.00
Books are estimated at $600.
