IN THIS TOPIC
Introduction
A brief understanding of orientation and mobility training
Skills included within the orientation & mobility training
Eligibility to teach orientation & mobility
Organisations providing orientation and mobility training in India
Introduction
The formal training provided to individuals with vision impairment for travelling independently and safely is known as orientation and mobility training. This training is provided to individuals depending on their individual capability, so it doesn’t have a single formula of training that serves all. Instead, it involves several types of training that can meet needs of all individuals with visual impairment, be it partial or complete. The main focus of this type of training is to use the sensory information that is available in the surroundings, and interpreting them for one’s own use to travel. This type of training is also often known as mobility training for the blind or visually impaired.
A brief understanding of orientation and mobility training
O&M training is focused on development and enhancement of mobility skills. People generally have a brief idea of using a cane for such training, but the orientation and mobility training involves a variety of skills. The three main key points for this training involves teaching individuals the method to detect where they are, where they would like to go and the process to find a way to get there. Instructors focus on these key parts for developing orientation and mobility skills. Mental imagery is a crucial part of this training. Instructors teach individuals to focus on environmental clues instead of visual clues to travel; this in turn enhances their orientation and mobility skills.
Skills included within the orientation & mobility training
The key skills for o&m training involving mobility skills is to make people independent and help them travel safely from one place to another. Hence it involves the following practices which form an integral part of the entire training:
Protecting oneself
A crucial part of orientation and mobility skills and their development is keeping oneself protected during movement. People going through this training learn how to move around while indoors and outdoors with or without mobility devices and surely without hurting themselves.
Using a white cane, also known as the human guide
In this skill development practice individuals learn how to use verbal or non-verbal cues when they are travelling with a human guide. This training is also provided keeping in mind both indoor and outdoor environments. This is a very basic part of development of efficient mobility skills for visually impaired people.
Non-visual cues, cane and others
Detecting information from surroundings is a key skill for efficiently learning safe travel. The use of mobility devices, especially canes come in at that point. People learn how to detect texture change, obstacles of the surroundings to detect where they are and how to overcome such obstacles. Sound, timing, orientation and texture are some of the key elements that help a person locate their surroundings without visual cues. This is essential for safe travel too, which is why instructors focus on development of mental imagery at this point of the o&m training.
Mental imagery development and route planning
Travelling to familiar and unfamiliar places without visual cues has different forms of challenges. An orientation and mobility skill training addresses this by focusing on teaching how to build mental imagery for safe travel.
Eligibility to teach orientation & mobility
Trained individuals with Bachelors, Masters or Diploma degree in orientation and mobility training are capable of teaching such skills to individuals. This type of degree based courses offer them a perspective in assessing individual needs and the level of impairment in vision, depending on which each individual’s training course may also vary and start at different levels.
Organisations providing orientation and mobility training in India
Here’s a list of a few organizations that teach orientation & mobility training in India
- Vocational training at the Blind Relief Association in India
- Orientation and mobility training at National Association for the Blind
- Orientation & mobility training at the Institute for Blind in Chandigarh
- Blind Welfare Society of India