Low Vision Therapists, Orientation & Mobility Specialists, & Vision Rehabilitation Therapists

patient social interests mobility device orientation train client visual impairment physical assessment rehabilitation

Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS), Orientation and Mobility Specialist (O and M Specialist), Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT), Visually Impaired Teacher (TVI)

What they do:
Provide therapy to patients with visual impairments to improve their functioning in daily life activities. May train patients in activities such as computer use, communication skills, or home management skills.
On the job, you would:
  • Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.
  • Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
  • Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).

Knowledge

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Education and Training

  • teaching and course design

Math and Science

  • psychology
  • sociology and anthropology

Transportation

  • movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Social

  • looking for ways to help people
  • teaching people how to do something

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • notice when problems happen
  • use rules to solve problems

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Concern for Others
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Independence
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Self Control

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

  • Oracle PeopleSoft Hot Technology
  • Workday software Hot Technology

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology

Device drivers or system software

  • Ai Squared ZoomText
  • ZoomWare Screen Magnifier

Education

Education: (rated 5 of 5)
master's degree or
certificate after college
usually needed

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Job Outlook

Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists.