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Orientation and Mobility Specialist |
Career OverviewThe Orientation and Mobility Specialist helps people who are visually impaired move around safely and easily. This specialist works with visually impaired adults and children to teach them new or adaptive skills they need for daily living. The Orientation and Mobility Specialist works with the visually to help them learn to function in a wide variety of environments, such as home, the park, the mall, the airport, or even an office building. The specialist uses a variety of techniques to accomplish this responsibility.
The Orientation and Mobility specialist will help impaired patients create mental maps of the spaces they inhabit to find landmarks to help them orient themselves. The specialist teaches the impaired patients to learn to use noises and sounds to help them sort out where they are. While many of the patients are blind, the Orientation and Mobility Specialist also works with people who have low vision or who are deaf or have neurological damage. In a case of low visions, for example, the specialist teaches the patient to use lighting techniques at home to highlight and enhance vision.
The Orientation and Mobility Specialist may teach basic skills to the newly vision impaired, such as grooming, reading, writing, cooking, cleaning, finding lost objects, and educational and work related skills. Some specialists now work with new sophisticated navigational tools that use sonar and laser light. In the future, many more specialists will be required to work with these and other emerging technologies.
The Orientation and Mobility Specialist may be employed by a school district to work with visually impaired students, since mobility affects their ability to do class work. These students must learn to get to and from school, bus stops, classrooms, bathrooms, and lockers.
The Orientation and Mobility Specialist may work with children, teenagers, adults, or the elderly. The specialist may work with patients who have recently become visually impaired or individuals who have been blind many years but never had professional assistance. The specialist must be able to motivate as well as teach. Devising effective motivational strategies are important to help the patient reach goals and perform desired tasks.
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Career RequirementsMost orientation and mobility specialists will require a Bachelors or Masters degree from an accredited Orientation and Mobility program in the United States. Some programs, especially those in facilities such as hospitals and schools will also require certification through the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals. This certification requires both an educational background as well as the successful completion of an examination.
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Job OutlookThe job outlook for Orientation and Mobility Specialists is good, especially if the candidate is willing to relocate, because this is a relatively small field both in the number of trained specialists and job openings. Since employers sometimes have difficulties filling these openings, it is not unusual for a job search to be regional or even national. Cities or areas that have specialized training facilities for the visually impaired are often the best possible locations for finding employment.
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Career TrackSince this is a relatively small field, advancement is somewhat difficult. The Orientation and Mobility specialist can, however, take a similar position in a higher demand location and increase salary potential. An Orientation and Mobility specialist may also work in a consultant position or work with specialized programs in colleges or other training facilities.
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CompensationThe median income is around $42,000. Entry level is around $24,400. Experienced specialists may earn over $90,000. These numbers vary somewhat depending on location and demand with higher salaries for more experienced and trained individuals.
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