Orientation & Mobility Specialist
Teach children and adults of all ages how to move through their school, home, and community safely
Work collaboratively with students, parents, teachers, and other specialists in understanding the impact of visual impairment on movement and on understanding the layout of the environment
An Orientation & Mobility Specialist (O&M Specialist, or O&M)--is a special education teacher who has completed specialized graduate-level education at an accredited university and has been certificated to teach individuals who are blind or have visual impairments how to travel using their existing vision more efficiently and using their other senses to compensate for their visual impairment. O&Ms may work with students from infancy through age 21. Specific qualifications may vary from state to state. In California O&Ms are required to have a Clinical or Rehabilitative Services Credential in Orientation & Mobility from the California Commission for Teacher Credentialing.
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Teach Braille and technology to children and young adults
Teach classroom teachers how to accommodate students with visual impairments in their classrooms
Help students, parents and educational staff understand the impact of visual impairment on learning
A Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI)--sometimes called a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments, VI Teacher, or Vision Itinerant Teacher--is a special education teacher who has completed specialized graduate-level education at an accredited university and has been certificated to address the educational needs of students who are blind or have visual impairments. TVIs may work with students from infancy through age 21. Specific qualifications may vary from state to state. In California TVIs are required to have an Education Specialist Credential in Visual Impairment from the California Commission for Teacher Credentialing.
TVI and O&M training in California