Orientation and Mobility
Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training prepares an individual to travel safely and independently in his/her surroundings, as appropriate to their age and abilities. Training may include use of the white cane and/or low vision devices, travel on campus, residential travel and commercial/downtown area travel.
For students in self-contained classrooms, some skills are addressed by the student’s classroom teacher(s). These include sighted guide skills, protective techniques, and routes on campus as well as related skills (spatial-motor, sensory skills, problem-solving, etc.), with consultation and direct teaching from Orientation and Mobility staff as needed. Instructional and residential staff reinforce skills taught by classroom teachers and O&M instructors. Orientation and Mobility training by O&M instructors focuses more on cane skills and off-campus training on a one-to-one basis. New students are evaluated soon after arrival to determine their immediate on-campus needs.