<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Background: This study examined how students enrolled in a university orientation and mobility personnel preparation program in the Southwestern part of the United States perceived their competency levels regarding their knowledge of orientation and mobility principles and applications. This graduate master’s degree or certification program includes students with various backgrounds (e.g., special education teachers, social workers, general education teachers).</p>
<p>Method: To enter this Orientation and Mobility program perspective students must hold an undergraduate degree with a Grade Point Average of 3.0 on a 1-4 scale, and submittal of a resume, a personal statement, and transcripts from previous college/university coursework. These materials are then reviewed, and perspective students are accepted or rejected into the university’s Orientation and Mobility Program. The Orientation and Mobility Program consists of nine 3-hour semester courses. The internship course is the last course in their program of study for a certificate. To pursue a master’s degree students, complete an additional nine credit hours in special education. Most of the students maintain fulltime employment while completing their coursework. Using a self-evaluation form that included competency criteria provided by the Academy for the Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals, 74 orientation and mobility interns at the university evaluated their capabilities and proficiencies before they began and after they completed their internship.</p>
<p>Results: Before beginning the internship, the participants, on average, considered themselves to be moderately or somewhat proficient in all 13 orientation and mobility competencies (M = 3.25– 3.53, SD = 0.62–0.94). After completing the internship, the participants, on average, reported feeling significantly more proficient (p &lt; .001) in each of these 13 orientation and mobility competencies (M = 4.13–4.49, SD = 0.49–0.66).</p>
<p>Significance: This study represents an initial attempt to examine interns’ perceptions of their proficiency levels vis-à-vis orientation and mobility competencies before beginning and after completion of the internship. Future research could examine the relationship between the interns perceived mastery of competencies and the actual mastery of these competencies.</p>
</abstract>

Survey-Based Learning of Interns in Orientation and Mobility Program

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<p>Purpose: To test the usability of eye tracking and virtual reality during vision rehabilitation training of hemianopia patients.</p>
<p>Methods: Individuals with hemianopia (n = 13) and normal-sighted controls (n = 4) performed various exercises that are commonly used in vision rehabilitation for mobility, while wearing a head-mounted eye tracker or a head-mounted virtual reality (VR) display. Occupational therapists (n = 4) guided them through the exercises. All participants (including therapists) filled out a questionnaire, assessing their experience with the used device. Individuals with hemianopia were split into three groups according to their stage in vision rehabilitation therapy and performed 1 (beginner), 2 (intermediate) or 3 (advanced) different exercises.</p>
<p>Results: Individuals with hemianopia rated the mobile eye tracker with a score of 3.97 ± 0.5 points (beginner), 3.8 ± 0.5 points (intermediate) and 4 ± 0 points (advanced) the corresponding occupational therapists with a score of 3.6 ± 0.6, 3.4 ± 0.9 and 3.87 ± 0.6 points (out of a maximum of 4 points). The VR headset was rated with 3.9 ± 0.5 points by individuals with hemianopia, 3.8 ± 0.5 points by normal-sighted controls and 2.5 ± 1.4 points by the occupational therapist in a virtual hallway scenario. In a street-crossing scenario, it was rated with 3.7 ± 0.5 points by individuals with hemianopia, 3.7 ± 0.8 points by controls and 2.8 ± 1.2 by occupational therapists. In a walking along a pavement scenario the individual with hemianopia gave 4 ± 0 points and the controls 3.8 ± 0.4 points on average.</p>
<p>Conclusions: Both devices were seen as useful additions to vision rehabilitation therapy, as they enable better feedback to patients and the opportunity to do different exercises at different levels of difficulty.</p>
</abstract>

Eye tracking and virtual reality in the rehabilitation of mobility of hemianopia patients: a user experience study

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<p>This article presents a narrative review of research revealing a need for professionals trained to serve students with DeafBlindness. The synthesis was conducted to glean evidence from the literature and to answer questions regarding the need for professionals to serve children with DeafBlindness. Twelve articles provided the needed evidence under the following identified themes: the need for resources and services for students with low-incidence disabilities including DeafBlindness, the need for training opportunities for professionals in DeafBlindness, the role of personnel preparation programs, the use of specific models and intervention strategies, and the recommended practices and competencies for professionals in DeafBlindness. Four of the articles addressed more than one of these themes, while the remaining eight articles addressed one theme each. This review supports the findings of previous studies that have identified the need for professionals in DeafBlindness and recommended that these professionals be prepared to possess specific competencies that enable them to implement evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes.</p>
</abstract>

A Need for Interdisciplinary Personnel to Serve Students with DeafBlindness: A Literature Review

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<p>Detection of vehicles is a critical skill for students learning to cross streets. Some people with visual impairments who can see approaching vehicles well while attending for them may have difficulty doing so when looking from side to side to check for sufficient clearance to cross. People with severely restricted visual fields may miss seeing vehicles that are very close to them unless they scan sufficiently slowly, and people with severe visual acuity loss may miss seeing vehicles that are approaching from a distance unless they hold their gaze long enough to detect movement.</p>
<p>This article describes in an orderly presentation a training procedure previously presented only in workshops and on websites, and expounds on the possible vision science to describe the problems. The authors put forward a method for horizontal lateral scanning for vehicles at uncontrolled crossings that will increase accessibility of the method to instructors worldwide. The training involves having students face a street and practice turning to look for approaching vehicles, then employing an instructor-led feedback loop, correcting themselves and improving performance. The instructional goal is for students to consistently successfully scan for vehicles that are most challenging for them to detect.</p>
</abstract>

Learning to scan for approaching vehicles efficiently with a visual impairment

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<sec>
<h3>Background:</h3>
<p>MP-1 microperimeter (NIDEK Technologies) is equipped with a visual rehabilitation tool used until now to rehabilitate patients with low visual acuity. Because the patterned stimulation might activate surviving neurons in areas of residual vision, in our work we want to verify the possibility to rehabilitate patients with visual field defects and foveal sparing, to obtain vision restoration and visual field enlargement.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Methods:</h3>
<p>Ten consecutive patients (7 females, 3 males; median age of 42.3 ± 11.63 years) with homonymous visual field defect resulting from lesions of the central visual pathways and foveal sparing were enrolled for visual rehabilitation with MP-1 microperimeter (NIDEK Technologies). Subjects underwent an ophthalmic evaluation at baseline, after rehabilitative pathway performed by flickering pattern and at 3 months of follow-up. Outcomes measured included visual field exams and microperimetries.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Results:</h3>
<p>Compared with the baseline time point, all patients showed a statistically significant reduction of the scotoma points and visual field Mean Deviation and a statistically significant increasing of the mean retinal sensitivity. All results showed a major statistical significance after 3 months since the end of the visual stimulation.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Conclusions:</h3>
<p>The MP1 pattern stimulation is a valid method to perform a behavioral training and rehabilitate patients with visual field defects following lesions of the central visual pathways.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Rehabilitative effect of the patterned stimulation with MP1 microperimeter in homonymous hemianopia

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This study addressed the question of whether participation in orientation and mobility was associated with performance of mobility activities. The methods involved a secondary data analysis of the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study dataset. Analyses were conducted to identify associations of key demographic variables with whether a student participated in orientation and mobility. Significant associations were found between receipt of orientation and mobility and blindness, visual impairment, ethnicity, and urbanicity. Correlational analyses were conducted to determine if participation in orientation and mobility training, or if the time when orientation instruction was received, was associated with performance of mobility activities. The independent variable, participation in orientation and mobility, was obtained from the parent survey, and the dependent variable of performance on 10 orientation and mobility related activities was obtained from the school program survey. For each of the orientation and mobility activities, student performance on a scale with three levels of performance (not well, pretty well, very well) was noted. Results suggested there was no association between the time orientation and mobility was received (i.e., during wave 1 or wave 3) with skill performance, but findings did reveal that not participating in orientation and mobility instruction was associated with higher performance on several outcome indicators. This is posited to be a reflection of students who are already performing so well that they are judged not to require orientation and mobility instruction.</p>
</abstract>

Orientation and mobility instruction and its association with performance of mobility activities for elementary age children

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 14 (2023): Issue 1 (December 2023)

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Volume 12 (2021): Issue 1 (January 2021)

Volume 11 (2020): Issue 1 (January 2020)

Volume 10 (2019): Issue 1 (January 2019)

Volume 9 (2020): Issue 1 (January 2020)

Volume 8 (2017): Issue 1 (January 2017)

Volume 7 (2017): Issue 1 (January 2017)

Volume 6 (2013): Issue 1 (January 2013)

Volume 5 (2012): Issue 1 (January 2012)

Volume 4 (2011): Issue 1 (January 2011)

Volume 3 (2010): Issue 1 (January 2010)

Volume 2 (2009): Issue 1 (January 2009)

Volume 1 (2008): Issue 1 (January 2008)

Vision Rehabilitation International

Vision Re/habilitation International is a journal intended to provide a forum for scholarly exchange among people dedicated to and involved any work relating to vision habilitation and rehabilitation of people who are blind or vision impaired. Articles considered for publication include:   original research, with practical relevance to the O&amp;M of people who are blind or vision impaired,  critical reviews of substantive areas,  theoretical position papers,  descriptions, reviews, or evaluations of innovative instructional approaches,  conceptual papers, comprehensive reviews, case studies, and policy analyses.  The editors also aim at providing a forum for discourse, debate, and critical analyses on any aspect of O&amp;M, for example, existing philosophies, policy, or practice.  Open Access Policy  This journal provides immediate open access to its content under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license users are free to share the work (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format), if the contribution is properly attributed and used for non-commercial purposes. The material published in the journal may not be altered or build upon.  ABOUT SOCIETY  Vision Re/habilitation International is supported by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.  Guide Dogs NSW/ACT is the leading provider of Guide Dogs and orientation and mobility services that enable people with vision impairment to travel safely and independently. Each year university trained Orientation and Mobility specialists work with around 4,000 people of all ages to help them achieve their mobility goals.  Guide Dogs NSW/ACT is a Registered Provider under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).  Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process.