Domain 1 Module: Professional Information (5 test questions) Flashcards
a. Financially funded
b. Offer services to veterans with vision loss
c. Can communicate about clients you share
d. Center based rehab training
e. Outpatient services
f. Home based follow-up
VA Blind Centers
a. Can network with other service providers (VRT, Burses, etc.)
b. Can collaborate and develop treatment plan
c. Center and community based training
d. Students from 0-99
Private agencies
a. Provides educational curriculum along with blindness specific instruction
b. Expanded core curriculum
c. Comprehensive assessment services
d. Technology training
e. Professional development activities
State schools for the blind and visually impaired
a. assists persons who are blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind in the development, acquisition or updating of skills that will enable them to secure or maintain employment
b. can collaborate and set goals with VR counsellor
c. new techniques, materials, and equipment
d. transportation and training
e. scholarship information
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
a. Standardized assessment information
b. Accommodations
c. Certification of professionals and their responsibilities
Department of Education:
Founded 1999 Private, not-for-profit organization Primary certifying body in the US who work with B/VI Required for certification Can apply for revert every 5 years Can find and post jobs CEU opportunities
Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Educational Professionals
(ACVREP)
Founded 1984
Membership organization for professionals working with B/VI
Support services: professional development, publications, info about field,
advocacy, conferences and workshops
AER report – keeps members informed about news and policies
AER journal – research and practice in Blindness/Visual impairments
Trending topics of blindness and professional opportunities
Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually Impaired
(AER)
Founded 1921
National organization
Information source for people who are visually impaired, their families, the public,
professionals, schools, organizations and corporations
Provides wide ranging web-based published resources
Professional development and training opportunities
Told-free hotline
Consultative services
Research
Promotes accessibility and inclusion in employment and society
Advocates for services, legislations, and access to information and products
Advocacy
Job education support
American Foundation for the Blind
AFB
Founded 1922
Information regarding a wide range of disabilities
Strategies for teaching a variety of disabilities
Emphasizes right of families to decide what assistance they wish to receive and how they wish to receive it
Professionals can make suggestions, provide rationale, explain processes (but families ultimately decide)
Council for Exceptional Children
CEC
1978
held every 2-3 years
Purpose: to enhance level of expertise of Mobility instructors through an international exchange of ideas and information and to promote level of mobility series in general and specifically in countries where the conference is being held
International Mobility Conference
IMC
1921 Articles on professional research in relevant topics Continuing education services Essential professional resource Most up to date in the field
The Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
JVIB
Networking
Local guidelines for eligibility
Regional O&M professional associations
What are three consumer organizations?
- American Council for the Blind (ACB)
- National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
- National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI)
a. strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people.
b. accept all people who are blind or visually impaired, regardless of their skills or abilities.
c. believe that people who are blind or visually impaired should strive to be the best they can be, and we believe that each blind or visually impaired person has the right and responsibility to define success on his or her own terms.
d. do not believe that there is a single “right” way to be blind.
e. it is a fundamental responsibility of government at every level to provide a framework of laws, policies, infrastructure, tools and training that permits people who are blind or visually impaired to participate equally in all aspects of society, including education, employment, civic and spiritual life.
f. ACB national organization exists to meet the needs of our individual members, local chapters, and state and special interest affiliates.
American Council for the Blind (ACB)
a. oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940 and currently headquartered in Baltimore, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in all fifty states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico
b. Through network of blind members, coordinate many programs, services, and resources to defend the rights of blind Americans, provide information and support to blind children and adults, and build a community that creates a future full of opportunities.
c. the only organization that believes in the full capacity of blind people and has the power to transform our dreams into reality. We believe in blind people because we are blind people—from our democratically elected leaders to our diverse nationwide membership.
National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
a. voluntary, non-profit organization dedicated to providing support to the parents of children with visual impairments
b. enables parents to find information and resources for their blind or visually impaired child; helps parents to address the unique needs of visually impaired children who have additional disabilities; and provides parents with leadership, support, and training that enables them to help their children reach their fullest potential.
c. Promotes outreach and networking programs; advocates the educational needs and welfare of affected children; and provides referrals to needed services.
d. promotes the development of state and local organizations by and for parents of visually impaired children, and fosters communication and coordination of services among federal, state, and local agencies.
National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI)
In 1972, O&M interest group appointed a committee to investigate the concern in need for a code of ethics and to pull together some principles that may be a part of that code. This code would outline what would be considered standard practice among all professionals in the field. The committee surveyed O&M specialists for their ideas to better represent the wide range of members of the profession. The committee presented a draft of the _________ at the 1973 AAWB convention where it was edited and finalized.
The Code of Ethics for Orientation and Mobility Specialist.
ACVREP Code of Ethics for Orientation and Mobility Specialist
- Commitment to the Learner
- Commitment to the Community
- Commitment to the Profession
- Commitment to Colleagues and Other Professionals
- Commitment to Professional Employment Practices
The ACVREP Enforcement Policy
The enforcement of the code includes removal of license and censure
a. Influx of blinded veterans
b. forced the field to look at how O&M programs were organized nationally
c. “care training for persons becoming blind as a result of the United States defense program and possible participation in the present world war”
d. plan that authorized VA to provide rehab for disabled veterans.
e. Existing organizations felt that development of rehab programs for blinded veterans should have been their prerogative
f. The successful growth of an innovative approach to O&M resulted from the status of the new program within the office of the Surgeon General and later, the Veteran’s Administration
WWII
a. Blinded soldiers returning from Battle of the Bulge
b. Hoover and others develop long-cane mobility techniques while under blindfold
i. The first thing people need to know is how to get around
ii. Believed blind people did a hell of a poor job getting around
c. 1944
d. “foot travel”
e. clients taught under blindfold to be able to teach others
Valley Forge Army Hospital
a. Started by Colonel Derrick Vail
b. 18-week program
c. Purpose – social adjustment of the war-blinded prior to discharge from the service
1. “mental adjustments as may be necessary to develop a proper attitude and a will to overcome the handicap”
d. Cane was “unnecessary;” had veterans discard cane on arrival
e. Focused on “facial vision” (now known as obstacle perception)
1. Echolocation, surface changes, memorizing layout of buildings and campus)
Avon Program
a. First program led by a blind veteran
b. Combined social and travel training aspects of the profession’s programs
c. Blindfolded instructors
d. First 6 orientation and mobility instructors
e. Developed a program that introduced cane techniques from Valley Forge and orientation techniques from Avon
Hines Hospital
a. Organized be Father Carroll
b. Helped establish O&M as a profession
c. Minimum prep of 1 year of graduate study with set of requirements
Gloucester Conference (1953)
a. 1960
b. established first O&M graduate program for instructor preparation
Boston College
a. First certification committee was established in 1966 at the AAWB convention
b. Before the 1967 convention, this committee formulated standards based heavily on recommendations from thru COMSTAC report
c. Qualifications:
I. Graduation from an accredited university
2. Member in good standing of at least 1 professional organization
3. Provisional/permanent certification depended on experience
4. Must have 20/20 vision
d. Presented and accepted in 1967
I. Officially marked the beginning of COMS
e. Interest group IX appoints an accreditation committee (certification standards committee)
f. Certification evolved from a lifetime credential to a renewable process that requires continuing education to maintain knowledge and skills.
g. An appeals process was established to contest decisions of the certification committee.
h. In 2000, an official independent certifying body (ACVREP) was established
I. Established accountability and standardization of the profession
Development of the O&M certification program
a. Conclusion of a study conducted to project the method, scope, and structure necessary to carry out an accreditation program in the field of work for the blind
b. Recommended the formulation of standards for agency administration and service programs, and an organization to administer a nationwide system of voluntary accreditation based on these standards.
c. Initiated the process that eventually led to the development of standards and a process for certifying O&M specialists
COMSTAC Report
a. Father of O&M in cane use
b. Cane use
I. developed a successful cane technique, replacing the traditional short wooden cane with a lightweight long cane cut to a prescription length and using the technique of arcing the cane from side to side with the tip touching the ground in front of the trailing foot
c. 1948 – began training in cane techniques
I. in step
d. set up O&M program ay Valley Forge Army General Hospital
e. emphasized importance in the role of the student as a full collaborator in the training
f. formed the basis of the interpersonal relationship that has been central to the success of O&M instruction
Richard Hoover
a. Mother of the dog guide movement
b. Established the Seeing Eye in 1929
Dorothy Eustis
a. played an important role in setting up the program for blinded military personnel at Valley Forge
b. Trained by Hoover at Valley Forge
c. Taught other veterans the cane touch technique
d. Advocate for/established systematic instruction of O&M in various hospital settings
e. Established blind center at Hines
f. Because of his determination and development of a training curriculum, the long cane method of travel which was developed by Dr. Richard Hoover was implemented to prepare blinded veterans for return to civilian life
C. Warren Bledsoe
a. Blind WW2 veteran
b. Rehabbed at both Valley Forge and Avon
c. initiated the Blind Rehabilitation Center at the V.A. Hospital, Hines
d. First chief at Hines VA blind center
e. Educated on principles which gave insight into the internal attitude of blind people and their capabilities
f. THE WILLIAMS PRINCIPLES
1.“blind” is not an ugly word; people who think so have little faith in the ability of blind people to meet the conditions of life with
all resources at their disposal
2. a program for the blind depends on its staff
A. staff should be someone who gets a sincere pleasure out of the growth of someone else and has good standards;
someone who will have respect for others
Russell William
a. Director of Perkins in 1860s
b. Structured teaching f mobility
c. System of physical training at high perfection
d. Without his influence, instruction would falter
e. Knighted in 1090 for work as an educator of blind children and youth at Royal National College and Academy of Music for the Blind in the UK (both schools he founded)
f. Blind mobility instructor
g. Experimented with mobility techniques when he worked at Perkins
h. the original pioneer and advocate for the expanded core curriculum
France Campbell
a. Entered work for the blind at the command of the church
b. Assigned to the catholic Guide for the Blind
c. Appointed to Surgeon General’s advisory committee
d. Avon’s chaplain
e. Against pitying the blind
f. Introduced idea for safe cane skills
g. Organized the Gloucester conference
h. 1952 he brought the idea of safe cane travel skills to the Center in the form of the first mobility program
i. conducted the first National Mobility Institute to link the war blind and civilian programs of orientation and mobility.
j. St. Paul’s Rehabilitation Center for the Blind, which Fr. Carroll established in 1954, was the first civilian facility offering comprehensive rehabilitation for the newly blinded. This was renamed the Carroll Center in 1972
Father Thomas Carroll
a. Director of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
b. Initiated the Vocational Rehabilitation Act that supported O&M specialists
I. In 1954, she shaped the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, referred to as the Magna Carta in the work for the handicapped.
Amendments to this act would put vitality into the State-Federal program for the blind
c. Public Law 565 with its research and demonstration features, its concern for rehabilitation education, its mandate to construct necessary rehabilitation facilities, it’s totally new characteristic of international efforts and cooperation regarding rehabilitation, and perhaps, above all, in its expanded funding base for more personnel and programs for those in need of rehabilitation services
Mary E. Switzer
- John Malamazian
- Stanley Suterko
- Alfred Dee Corbett
- Edward Thuis
- Lawrence Blaha
- Edward Mees
The first six mobility specialists
