Orientation and Mobility for Students with Severe Visual and Multiple Impairments: A New Perspective

An innovative program for teaching orientation and mobility (O&M) to students with severe sensory and cognitive impairments in the New York City public schools was developed on the premise that these students do not have to master prerequisite concepts and techniques to learn O&M. It incorporated tactile and tangible communication systems to teach O&M and was structured so mobility education was embedded in the students’ daily activities in school and at home. This article examines the traditional model of O&M and the assumptions about how such students learn to be mobile, describes the evolution of this innovative program, and presents guidelines for planning and implementing similar programs in other educational and rehabilitation settings.