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.
Program costs - Find information about tuition and fees here.
The Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies at Western Michigan University has won two Rehabilitation Services Administration grants totaling nearly $1.5 million to strengthen recruiting efforts and increase the number of highly qualified vision rehabilitation therapists and orientation and mobility specialists over the next five years.
For more information about Western Michigan University's orientation and mobility program, contact Dr. Dae Kim at dae.kim@wmich.edu or (269) 387-3447.
For information about WMU's orientation and mobility program for children, contact Dr. Dawn Anderson at dawn.l.anderson@wmich.edu or (269) 387-5944, or Dr. Robert Wall Emerson at robert.wall@wmich.edu or (269) 387-3072.
If you are interested in being involved in this dynamic field, apply to WMU's program now. If you live outside the United States and are interested in our program, apply through the Haenicke Institute for Global Education.
If you attend full-time on campus, you may complete the program in one calendar year (fall, spring, summer I and II). We also offer a distance education program if you have significant experience in the field of blindness and low vision. Our admissions committee will review your application to see if your experience qualifies you for the distance education program.
Graduates will earn a Master of Arts degree and will meet all of the education requirements for certification by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals in orientation and mobility. You will also be prepared for the successful completion of the national certification examination.
The orientation and mobility program requires 37 credit hours. This includes a practicum and internship that offer professional field experience with mentors. Courses are listed below. Check the graduate course catalog for course descriptions.