Orientation and Mobility Professional Division
Statement of Purpose
The creation of an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Professional Division within AER is essential to ensure the sustained integrity, growth, and advancement of our field. The O&M Division will address the professional needs, educational advancements, and policy issues faced by Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS). This Division would serve as a space to support, collaborate and promote the interests of COMS.
Statement of Goals and Objectives
Goal1: Complete the initiatives of the current strategic plan through 2027 and develop the 2027-2032 strategic plan.
Goal 2: Build a productive board and committees within the structure of the new professional division. Providing clarity and empowerment for each board member in their roles. For example, members at large who will be actively contributing to the work of the division outlined by the Policy and Procedures Manual and strategic plans, and will have active roles in committees.
Goal 3: Utilize the new AER Board representative position to advocate for the needs of O&M Professional Division at the AER board level.
Goal 4: Support other allied professionals as they explore beginning an interest group or professional division.
Membership Criteria and Acceptable Documentation
To become a Fellow of the AER Orientation and Mobility Professional Division, ACVREP Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) credentials are required.
ACVREP states that a “Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist (COMS) is a highly trained expert who specializes in working with individuals who are blind, low vision or who have functional visual limitations, and empowers them to achieve their life goals for education, employment, avocation and independence. A COMS may be blind, partially sighted, or sighted. COMS are engaged in a comprehensive approach to orientation & mobility addressing nonvisual, visual, physical, cognitive, and psycho-social aspects related to mobility training for individuals of all ages, as well as diverse needs and abilities.
“They are educated in a range of instructional techniques and how to recognize which approach is best suited to a particular learner. These techniques include, but are not limited to, inquiry-based learning, expeditionary learning, differentiated instruction, and direct instruction. COMS recognize that there is no single instructional strategy that would be best for everyone. COMS teach skills to meet the current and future orientation and mobility needs of their clients, accounting for each client’s goals, travel environments, and visual prognoses. They use a guided exploration and problem-solving approach that is customized to the goals and skills of each learner. Methods and strategies include the use of non-visual techniques (auditory and tactual) and visual techniques including the optimization of reliable remaining vision . Strategies and problem-solving skills are taught with the goal to develop independent travelers with a high level of self-confidence.
“The COMS has completed an extensive educational program and successfully completed a 350+ hour internship under the supervision of an experienced COMS. Furthermore, the COMS has met a rigorous standard by meeting the educational requirements, supervised fieldwork experiences in their internship and passing the certification exam. The exam was developed in collaboration with PhD level psychometricians following scientific, best practices standards for certification exams.
Members may participate in this Professional Division as either a Fellow or an Associate Member.
- Fellow: Fellows are voting members of the Professional Division. To be considered for Fellow status, members must submit acceptable documentation showing that they meet the approved membership criteria for this division.
- Associate Member: Associate Members are non-voting members of the Professional Division. Documentation is not required. Associate Members will receive division-specific communications and may be invited to division webinars, meetings, and events.
To join the Orientation and Mobility Professional Division, please email [email protected] and clearly indicate whether you are requesting to participate as a Fellow or as an Associate Member.
If requesting Fellow status, please attach acceptable documentation for review. Notification of review status will be provided within one week of email receipt.