Orientation and Mobility Add-On Certificate for Teachers of the Visually Impaired

The Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Certificate provides learners with the knowledge and skill competencies recognized by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) and the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI) to promote the safe and efficient travel skills of individuals who are blind, visually impaired or deafblind. O&M Specialists provide individualized assessment, and instruction to individuals with visual impairment based upon an individual’s needs, strengths, preferences and goals within settings that are important to the individual with visual impairment. The O&M Add-On Certificate is an abbreviated program of study that builds upon the foundational knowledge of Teachers of the Visually Impaired and expands the learner’s knowledge and skills to provide O&M services to students with visual impairments.

All students complete 12 credits of Orientation and Mobility (O&M) practicum which is equal to 400 hours of clinical O&M experience that align with ACVREP requirements. O&M practicum credits are variable and may be taken in 3-12 credit increments across multiple terms depending upon the student’s work schedule, the available practicum placement hours and the availability of a supervising Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS). The O&M Program Coordinator works with students to arrange practicum placements based on geography, student interests, and availability of clinical partners within educational, rehabilitation and community settings. Students are eligible to sit for the national certifying exam for Orientation and Mobility Specialists within 6 months of completing coursework. A person may be certified after passing the national exam, submitting documentation of coursework completion, and with a signed documentation from the Program Coordinator.