开云体育

Hi Everyone I'm Kymberly, a first time year student at Salus University. I have enjoyed reading the feedback you have given my classmates for this assignment. There are two question I have about orientation and mobility. 1. Are there other skills being taught to students such as money-handling skills or being responsible for personal belongings when traveling? 2. What are strategies are being used to help students ask for assistance from others as they travel?

O&M professionals--and students and adults with visual impairments--we invite you to participate in an essential comprehensive O&M Needs survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FocusOnOM24. Your insights will directly influence APH’s Focus on O&M Roadmap for the development of innovative O&M solutions aimed at enhancing independence and mobility for individuals with visual impairments. Please take some time to complete the Focus On O&M Needs Survey and share your thoughts and ideas on this important topic. Thanks, Denise Snow UX Research Strategist APH

Hello! Another Master’s student from Salus with a question. First of all, thank you to all of the people who have been responding to my class assignment. I have enjoyed reading all of your responses. It’s good to know I am entering into a field where people are welcoming and willing to problem solve with each other. My question is… has anyone ever combined using music with O&M? Here is where I’m coming from… I currently work with students who have multiple differences, including vision loss and so many of the students are very motivated by music. I’m not talking about music while out in the community, that doesn’t sound safe, but with the students who are learning to navigate the hallways, like to motivate them to keep going, or trail the wall. Just curious. Thanks!!!

COMS Position Available in Rockville, Maryland Please see flyer attachment Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, MD is seeking a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) to provide orientation and mobility assessment and instruction to students who are blind or visually impaired to develop the ability to travel independently and safely in school and community environments. Montgomery County has a well-structured public transportation system with bus/metro trains reaching out to Maryland, DC and Virginia to support critical post-secondary skill development. Join a strong, established Vision Program at MCPS serving students ages 3-21 with a large team of TVIs and O&M Specialists, braillists and paraeducators working with students, families, and school teams in a collaborative and supportive environment. Full-time position with amazing benefits; Salaries are one of the highest in the state! Applications at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/careers/ For more information & how to apply, please contact Dr. Susan Russell, Supervisor, Susan_Russell@... or Dr. Liz Nehrbass, Instructional Specialist, Elizabeth_A_Nehrbass@... We have a TVI opening available as well Gina Schmid

Any Bills Fans out there?? Please share widely! Employment Opportunity Orientation & Mobility Specialist Job Description: Provide Orientation and Mobility (O&M) instruction to referred individuals of all ages, who are blind/legally blind and reside, work or are enrolled in an education program within the eight counties of WNY to increase independence in accordance with the service plan. Essential Functions: · Provide Orientation and Mobility Instruction to individuals of all ages as referred to VIA · Maximize the safety, functionality and independence of clients · Assess the needs of the client, establish goals and lesson plans for achievement · Document progress/outcomes and complete all reporting within established VIA and NYSCB contractual guidelines · Maintain all electronic documentation in accordance with established guidelines for all assigned individuals · Review all client information provided in NYSCB database and/or in client file · Complete PAL applications · Provide continuous and regular visits to meet identified goals and achieve successful outcomes · Complete all reporting and data entry to both internal and external databases including case closure, in timely manner · Order adaptive equipment in accordance with internal guidelines and seeking appropriate authorization from Assistant Director when applicable, dispense and train · Communicate regularly and effectively with clients, teachers, parents, VIA and NYSCB staff to ensure successful outcomes · Stay current on trends, adaptive equipment and assistive technology in the field · Develop and implement curriculum for summer youth programs · Attend conferences, seminars and trainings related to the provision of O&M and/or job development · Conduct trainings as determined by Vice President or Assistant Director · Maintain a basic knowledge of current Assistive Technology and stay current on knowledge and use of new adaptive equipment directly related to the provision of O&M · Acquire appropriate CEUs in order to maintain certification · Lead and/or participate in the development of special programs or projects at the direction of the Vice President or Assistant Director of Rehabilitation Services · Attend and be prepared for all NYSCB, departmental and VIA agency meetings · Act as Mandatory Reporter if necessary and complete annual on-line training certification · Provide instruction to students attending Statler, Transitions, Onsite, YES or any VIA program as directed · Sit on agency or external collaborating agency committees acting as a liaison to inform staff on external organizations/policies as well as keeping other agencies informed on VIA · Participate and provide supervision to O&M student interns Competencies: Proficient in MS Office: Word, Excel, Outlook and Internet along with general applications Demonstrate flexibility, patience and detail-orientation in completion of duties Demonstrate excellent internal and external customer service Caring and counseling skills with an ability to balance agency policy with the individual perceptions and sensitivity of clients Effectively work with individuals of diverse backgrounds Maintain confidentiality and professionalism in a fast paced environment Effectively communicate with colleagues, customers, vendors and/or outside agencies NYS driver’s license and reliable transportation OR the ability to travel effectively within assigned geographic area required, including the ability to transport equipment Qualifications: Master’s Degree in Orientation and Mobility or equivalent certificate program completion required ACVREP certification or eligibility to sit for the certification exam required Regularly lift and carry equipment of 15 pounds or more Regularly stoop and kneel Regularly sit for a minimum of 2 hours at a time Regularly stand for a minimum of 2 hours at a time Regularly walk outdoors for a minimum of 1 hour at a time Regularly perform repetitive motion of the wrists, hands and/or fingers Routinely crawl Salary Range: $52,750.00 To $60,000.00 Annually TO APPLY: For Internal Employees: Login in t

Hello O&M group, You are invited to attend our virtual Mobility Matters summit which will be hosted on February 29th, 2024. We have a fabulous line-up of presenters and panelists- covering topics on AI, tactile art, tech communities of practice, inclusive library programs, and transportation. The event will be captioned and ASL interpreting will be provided. WA Clock hours and ACVREP credits are available. Check out our Mobility Matters 2024 website and register today! Registration will close on February 27th at 5 PM PST. Walk down memory lane? ?As we eagerly anticipate the conference, we wanted to provide you with access to previous summit's websites. These resources contain a wealth of information, including speaker bios, presentation videos, presentation slides, and more! Mobility Matters 2023 Mobility Matters 2022 Mobility Matters 2021 Mobility Matters 2020 Feel free to explore these materials at your convenience to get a sense of the scope and vision of Mobility Matters. Hope you can join us! Amy T. Parker, EdD & COMS Associate Professor Coordinator, Orientation and Mobility Program Portland State University, College of Education Vanport Building-VB 423-K8610 SW 5th Avenue Portland, OR 97201, US 503-725-4695 tel Mailing Address: 630 SW Mill St. Portland, OR 97201 PSU's Orientation and Mobility Program Project LIBROS Project O&M FLIP O&M textbooks and resources O&M Podcast: On the Go Amy T. Parker in PDX Scholar pronouns: she/her/hers

Can anyone give me an “official” resource where it is specifically stated that a TVI doesn’t teach higher level O&M skills? This has become an issue in several districts that currently do not have a COMS. We stress that the TVI can teach basic concepts and limited pre-cane skills such as trailing and protective techniques and can support the COMS by reinforcing skills, however, we have been asked where it is specifically stated that a TVI cannot teach cane skills. We’ve all heard it and its common knowledge for most in our field, but we cannot find any source that specifically states this. We have found numerous “roles and responsibilities” and other articles and sources that say what each does, but none specifically states that the TVI cannot teach higher-level O&M skills. Thanks in advance for your help! -- Joanna Credeur, M.Ed., M.A., COMS Orientation & Mobility Specialist Tennessee School for the Blind 115 Stewarts Ferry Pike ? Nashville, TN 37214 O: (615) 231-7443 ? F: (615) 871-9312 C: (337) 842-8977 Joanna.Credeur@... Facebook Twitter “Creating Contributing, Participating Members of Society”

Dear everyone, John here: I am pleased to announce a new three-week email-group seminar, “Before Helen Keller: Hidden DeafBlind Histories, 1850-1903.” It has been argued that most communities’ historical periods—during which enduring discourses and habits are set into cyclical motion—tend to be brief. The DeafBlind community’s period of formation is no exception. It unfolded with astonishing speed, and a literature emerged immediately. The course brings us into contact with key primary sources that tell us this remarkable story. Everyone is welcome to consider joining us on this adventure! Continuing Education Units are available for members of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Dates: April 1-19, 2024 RID CEUs: 3.0 Reigstration fee: $250 Registration deadline: March 20, or when full Description: This discussion-intensive seminar is an introduction to early DeafBlind community history, primarily through writings left behind by DeafBlind people. When and how did the community begin to form? How did early DeafBlind historical figures articulate their identities? What affordances did they seize on to launch networks? Several concepts will help us attempt to listen to the understories that have long eluded hearing and sighted historians. These include distantism, deaf-blind associations, retroactive reading, Emerson’s “perspiration,” Whitehead’s “attack,” and Manning’s “bodying worlds, worlding bodies.” Instructor: John Lee Clark is a DeafBlind poet, essayist, historian, translator, and Protactile educator. His collection of poems “How to Communicate” won the Minnesota Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award. His latest book, “Touch the Future: A Manifesto in Essays,” is the first book coming out of the Protactile movement to be published. He makes a home in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his partner, the ASL Deaf artist Adrean Clark, their three kids, and two cats. To apply: Contact me at jlc@... Interpretek is an approved RID Sponsor for Continuing Education Activities. The seminar is offered for 3.0 CEUs in Professional Studies. No prior knowledge is required. Feel free to spread the word. Thank you! Looking forward to digging together— John

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Freda Tepfer receive an "Advocate Extraordinaire" Award from Penn Future at their 2024 Environmental Advocacy Celebration for her persistent advocacy for environmental accessibility -- congratulations, Freda! It's so fitting that you are acknowledged for your tireless work, especially by such a respected environmental and social justice organization as Penn Future -- the Conservation Voters of PA! Someone in the audience chimed in to note that you have made a huge difference in their community in Erie, PA. Way to go! -- Dona ------------------------------- Dona Sauerburger, COMS Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist for the blind awww.sauerburger.org

Hi folks, I have a question for my fellow independent contractors out there. I work for myself, not an agency. I’ve always had professional liability insurance, and that’s been enough for all of the school districts I’ve ever worked for. I was approached about doing a contract with a new school district, and they are requiring comprehensive liability insurance, sexual abuse and molestation insurance, as well as Professional liability insurance. Which I’m happy to get, but for the life of me, I can’t find an insurance agency that offers the levels that they are requiring that aren't prohibitively expensive. Has anyone found an insurance company that will provide sexual abuse and molestation insurance for an individual education contractor for the following levels? Sexual Abuse and Molestation Insurance limits of $1,000,000 Per Occurrence / $2,000,000 Aggregate. As well as Comprehensive or Commercial General Liability Insurance with limits of at least $1,000,000 Per Occurrence / $2,000,000 Aggregate. (note, I’ve easily found comprehensive, the challenge is the sexual abuse Insurance at that high level.) I have found a stand alone sexual abuse and molestation insurance policy that is $5500 year, which is prohibitively high. There has got to be something more affordable out there. Any suggestions? I have tried FTJ, hiscox, hub, next insurance, and countless others, to no avail. I live in California. Thanks in advance for your help. Sincerely, Maya

Hello all I understand this may be a little off topic but I have a toddler who is delayed in visual motor activities e.g. using markers, identifying pictures, etc. She also has severe depth perception problems. She has vision in one eye only. She also has a very short attention span. I would greatly appreciate any sources for appropriate activities to develop visual motor skills and depth perception for this little one. thank you so much Rosemary Gribbin

Registration is now open for Bravo Summer Camps! We have two camps available this summer: our Bravo Asheville Day Camp (July 15-19) and our Bravo Nantahala Adventure Camp (July 21-25). You can find out more at www.blueridgebravo.org. Details about our celebrated Adventure Camp are also posted below. Bravo Nantahala Adventure Camp Where: Nantahala Gorge, near Bryson City, North Carolina When: Sunday, July 21 through Thursday, July 25, 2024 What: An overnight outdoor adventure camp for kids who are blind or have a significant visual impairment, and who are ready to stretch their legs and hit the trail. We plan to hike, raft, climb, swim, and zip in and around the Nantahala Gorge in Western North Carolina. We’ll stay in the Group Lodge at Wildwater Nantahala, and spend some time at the Nantahala Outdoor Center too. There are 12 spaces available for the 2024 camp. Who: Campers are rising 9-12 graders with blindness or low vision. Instructors include certified Teachers for the Visually Impaired and Orientation & Mobility Specialists, along with a few other adventurous souls, both blind and sighted. 2024 is our ninth year hosting an outdoor adventure camp for the blind. You can learn more about our eligibility guidelines and registration process at https://www.blueridgebravo.org/bravo-adventure-camp Contact: For more information, contact Jay Hardwig at jay@... (preferred) or by calling or texting or 828-335-1136. -- Jay Hardwig, MA, COMS, NBCT Executive Director BRAVO: Blue Ridge Adventures ~ Vision Optional

Hi everyone! Registration for the webinar I told you about last week (described below) is ready. If you are an AER member, you can click here to register. If you're not an AER member, you can register by contacting Tiffany McCoy at tiffany@... and set up an account. As I understand it, there is no cost, but if you want ACVREP credit you'll need to pay unless you are an AER member. Here is the description: ---------------------------------------------------- Join us on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 7:00 PM ET. Title: Understanding Modern Signals Description: Through an interactive presentation, learners will gain an understanding of modern traffic signals and the practical skills and concepts our students need to effectively navigate intersections that use them. Earn 1.5 continuing education credits, available through ACVREP! Presenters: Dona Sauerburger, Jack Mitchell, and JoAnne Chalom Learning Objectives: 1. Learners will be able to understand how signal traffic patterns are implemented and their significance for pedestrians' rights of way. 2. Learners will be able to understand concepts of actuation and the importance for pedestrians to use the pushbutton and WALK signal. 3. Learners will be able to understand how a blind person without access to the pedestrian signal can press the pedestrian button to predict the probable onset of the WALK signal.

Hi everyone! JoAnne Chalom, Jack Mitchell and I are very excited about doing a webinar for O&Ms on crossing at modern signalized intersections! It’s sponsored by the Environmental Access Committee of AER’s O&M Division, and it’s free and open to everyone, offering ACVREP credit. We plan to have FUN while learning, and ask each of you to go back in history to when O&M began and our street-crossing strategies were developed, and put yourselves in the shoes of the traffic engineers who created the complex signals we have today so you can understand them. After learning all about the traffic patterns and timing and how pedestrians and blind folks can navigate them, we’ll talk about what you can ask engineers to do when there are problems with the signal that make it difficult to cross. We'll send registration information as soon as its available. Enjoy! — Dona ————————— Dona Sauerburger, COMS Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist for the blind www.sauerburger.org

Dear everyone, John here: The OandM may not be the place to discuss this in depth, but it is an important development in the professional landscape we share. It may leave you with helpful insights. Today five of us Protactile educators informed Western Oregon University that we were not going to take part in our upcoming Protactile Language Interpreting National Education Program training. You will find the letter below. We have already contacted our students to let them know we are here and are all personally committed to supporting them in their Protactile journey. We want to stress that everyone involved in this challenging situation needs support, including A. It wasn’t his fault that he was hired. It would have been so much better if he had the opportunity to wander into the DeafBlind community when he was ready. Thank you for extending any support you can. I and some others here may be able to field some questions, and anyone can feel free to email me directly at jlc@... Letter pasted here: January 16, 2024 Desiree Noah Executive Director of Human Resources Dominique Vargas Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Venu Nair, Esq. General Counsel Copied to: CM Hall and Heather Holmes, Co-Directors, Protactile Language Interpreting National Education Program Dear Ms. Noah, Ms. Vargas, and Mr. Nair: We, five Protactile educators, wish to give notice of our respectful withdrawal from the upcoming training hosted by Protactile Language Interpreting National Education Program. Despite our hope for a resolution by January 11 to facilitate our work, the date has passed, and it is now January 15. For your reference, the enclosed letter articulates concerns raised by four of us, with names hidden to respect individuals' privacy. Our decision is driven by our commitment to DeafBlind space, integral to Protactile space, which relies on these imperatives. As a young language and emerging world, Protactile deserves protection and encouragement. We will contact all students intending to attend the upcoming training to assure them that our action does not imply abandonment. We deeply appreciate their investment thus far and will exert every effort to support their Protactile education. Sincerely, Five Protactile Educators Enclosed Letter: January 8, 2024 Dear Ms. Noah, Ms. Vargas, and Mr. Nair: Ms. Hall recently informed the Protactile Language Interpreting National Education Program team that she and Ms. Holmes have passed along written concerns about personnel to you three. Thank you for your careful attention to matters those communications raise. We would like to communicate a decision we have made and to supply some context for our decision. We are four members of the team. For our upcoming training from January 17 to 31, we have decided that we cannot work with A., another member of the team. His behavior makes it impossible for us to do our job. We will gladly carry out the training, but without his presence, for it creates an unsafe, hostile work environment. Our concerns about A. began soon after he was hired as one of our two new Protactile educators. Late last summer, those concerns came to a head, and we four drafted a letter to request that A. no longer continue on the team. However, our intense discussions about what to do led us to put the letter aside and instead to, in the words of one team member, “give him a serious warning and a second chance.” B. and C. courageously led that process, going through Zoom meetings with A. to share feedback and to seek a resolution. This was, we felt, the right thing to do, in the DeafBlind way. We are disappointed that the process did not produce the result we hoped for, though it was, we believe, through no fault of the process itself. So we return here to a letter. It is a different letter, for we are in a different place after months of conversations among ourselves and B. and D. We are now certain that we have given A. every opportunity to play a productive, sustainable, and culturally appropriate role in our work. Appended below you will find various notes that

We have 495 O&M Specialists already registered for the O&M Symposium! I am constantly in awe of how much this community steps up for their learners -- and themselves. Regular Registration closes on Thursday night and I don't want you to miss being in the room to be a part of these life-changing conversations! If you don't know (or need a refresher), the International O&M Online Symposium is a 3 day transformational experience that brings you the most innovative O&M strategies from thought leaders around the world. We have 12 live presentations + a ton of epic (and free!) bonuses for you! ? The “Transform Your Teaching” Bundle ($582 Value) – 5 Bonus presentations from thought leaders in the field! 21+ CEUs for your recertification needs! ? The “Supported O&M” Bundle ($114 Value) – A private online forum where you can chat with your fellow O&Ms before, during, and after the Symposium! Networking parties for you to build new, supportive relationships that can last your entire career! ? The “Easy Professional Development” Bundle ($234 Value) – 3 extra weeks to watch the presentation replays! A digital notebook for all your notetaking needs! That’s a more than $1,000 Value – that you can get for less than a quarter of that! Go here to grab your spot before Thursday! Have another question? Feel free to Direct Message me. I'm happy to help! Best, Kassy P.S., FAQ: Can't make it live? Yes, you can still receive your CEU's if you watch the replay videos. No worries! Paying with P.O.? You don't have to have your P.O. ready when you register with a P.O. You can just send the invoice to your admin. Money tight? We do have Split Pay options, as well as discounts for University students, and Pay What You Can if you're in a developing country. Register today to save your spot and $48 on Late Registration! -- Kassandra Maloney, M.S., COMS CEO, Allied Independence, LLC. AlliedIndependenceOnline.com