Principles for Providing Orientation and Mobility to People with Vision Impairment and Multiple Disabilities

Providing orientation and mobility (O&M) services to people who have disabilities in addition to vision impairment presents an exciting challenge. It is especially rewarding when it enables students to achieve a meaningful life which they and their families might not have thought possible. The O&M specialist may feel overwhelmed when beginning to work with these students because he or she may be unfamiliar with factors such as assessment techniques which will lead to appropriate strategies and equipment needed to achieve success and a great level of independence. Through the authors’ experiences working with people with multiple disabilities, they have learned basic principles for success, which are explained in this practice report. These principles are as follows: Understand that multiple disabilities have • more impact than the simple addition of each disability. Have high expectations for success. • Be functional in the assessment and • instruction. Be creative and fl exible, and design the • program for the individual. Encourage participation in the community, • even if it cannot be done independently. Find resources and information related to • each of the disabilities. Work with a team or in consultation with • others who have expertise in the additional disabilities.