Orientation and Mobility
Vision allows us to access our surroundings. It enables us to gather information about where we are and where we are going.
Orientation is the process of using this information to establish and maintain our position in an environment. Mobility is the process of moving ourselves from one place to another.
Working with Invision’s Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist (COMS) people with vision loss learn to use all their senses to access the information in their environments and stay oriented within those places. The COMS provides opportunities for people to learn the techniques and skills that enable them to safely traverse their environments and get where they need to go.
Orientation & Mobility Specialists provide:
- Functional travel evaluations
- Positional, spatial, environmental concept development
- Orientation and self-protection techniques
- Sighted guide and cane instruction for safe walking
- Safe street-crossings techniques, route planning, GPS and public transportation skills within the community
- Assertiveness and self-advocacy instruction
- Practice accessing community places for independent shopping
- Consultation/in-service training for parents, teachers, school personnel and sighted peers
- Referrals to dog guide schools
The goal of O&M instruction is for the person with vision loss to travel in their environments as safely, confidently, efficiently and independently as possible.
Working one-on-one, Invision’s O&M specialists provide instruction and environmental experiences to teach the concepts, skills and techniques that enable students in public/private schools and adults in their home settings to reach their goals and destinations community wide.
