SARA ZACHARIAH, COMS®, LLC Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist

SARA ZACHARIAH, COMS^®, LLC

Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist

Orientation & Mobility (O&M) instruction is a set of sequential skills in which people with blindness are taught to determine their position in space & safely navigate their environment.

Individualized instruction may include:

Concept development, e.g. body awareness directional/positional awareness for orientation purposes
Sighted Guide techniques
Self-protective travel techniques
Functional use of remaining vision & use of other senses
Training in the use of prescribed low vision devices
Environmental awareness
Utilizing landmarks/clues to aid in orientation
Techniques for using the white cane
Adaptive Mobility Devices

Non-visual techniques for safely crossing streets, including analysis of intersections & traffic patterns
Techniques for traveling independently within indoor environments, residential areas, small & large business districts, mall travel, & rural areas
Tactile mapping skills
Accessible GPS
Skills to solicit/decline assistance
Problem solving along a route
Route planning & use of public transportation

My Orientation & Mobility assessments & instructional programs are individualized to meet the current & future independent travel needs of each student based on their functional, cognitive, and physical abilities. I have a strong interest in assessing individual student needs for O&M instruction. I’m happy to complete O&M assessments/evaluations for your district. I also provide O&M night evaluations/instruction to students with low vision as a part of individual transition plans when age-appropriate.

Orientation & Mobility Resources

Orientation & Mobility Training: The Way to Go!

Benefits of Orientation & Mobility

21 Uses of the Long Cane

Article: “Dad, Where’s the Plunger?”

The Role of the O&M Instructor in the Public Schools

Orientation & Mobility for Babies

Adaptive Mobility Devices for Young Children

Helping Your Child Develop Orientation & Mobility Skills

Basic Orientation & Mobility for Children with Multiple Disabilities: A Starting Point

Famous People with Blindness or Visual Impairment

…And Just For Fun…

In celebration of White Cane Safety Day, observed each year on October 15th, here’s a fun video by Precious, a student with blindness, from Massachusetts.

“I Will Never Live Without My Cane”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N08vvHTseWQ