This article proposes a solution to the unemployment rate of individuals with visual impairments: training Spanish speakers who are visually impaired to become Spanish interpreters. Interpreting was selected as a viable pathway to employment because it requires the professional to work with the spoken word. It presents fewer accessibility barriers…

Introduction: Proficient use of technology requires many intersecting skills including literacy, citizenship, advocacy, self-determination, and digital competence. In this study, the authors engaged experts in the field of visual impairment in focus groups with the purpose of defining digital competence, discussing issues related to visual…

Introduction: The roles and responsibilities outlined in a white paper by Mazel et al., outline a scope of practice for vision professionals when learners are diagnosed with cerebral visual impairment (CVI). The goal of the current study was to identify teachers' knowledge and skills to apply these roles and responsibilities in practice. Methods:…

Introduction: Few academic discussions are more contentious in the field of orientation and mobility than the notion of whether or not O&M specialists need to know braille. To help answer this question, we developed a survey. Methods: An online survey instrument was distributed through O&M electronic discussion groups. The survey included…

Introduction: This survey sought to establish a baseline for the remote delivery of services (telepractice) by orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists nationwide, which became pervasive in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: An online survey was distributed using professional email lists and then used snowball sampling to…

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to measure blindness professionals' implicit attitudes about the competence of people who are blind, compare implicit attitudes of blindness professionals with those of employers in hiring positions, and examine blindness professionals' implicit attitudes by type of profession and work tenure. Methods:…

The ability for students with visual impairments to perform independent living skills is essential for the successful transition from youth to adulthood. Although independent living skills are required to be taught by the teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) in the expanded core curriculum (ECC), many of these skills are introduced as…

In February of 2009, the "Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness" ("JVIB") published the first articles under the heading of Practice Perspectives. These articles featured work by three professionals who described how they taught reading to children or adults. The feature reflects the commitment of the American Foundation…

Introduction: The foundational concepts of early intervention are: family-centered and relationship-based practices, natural environments, child learning, adult learning, and quality team practices (Pletcher & Younggren, 2013). In this literature review, the authors consider the application of these concepts to services provided to families of…

For many years, increasing caseloads for vision professionals have caused concerns about the impact on educational services. Average caseload sizes in the literature have remained fairly consistent across decades, with 19.5 students per professional in the 1980s (Pelton, 1986), 18 students in the 1990s (Griffin-Shirley, McGregor, and Jacobson,…

Orientation and mobility (O&M) practice is important because the population of persons with visual impairments is large enough to warrant planned action on measures to help them acquire independence and sustain their livelihoods. Most O&M practitioners in South Africa are full-time employees in non-governmental organizations. The few who…

Introduction: The study presented here examined rehabilitation providers' beliefs about services and service delivery strategies that are successful in facilitating the transition from school to competitive employment for youths who are blind or have low vision. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted, two with rehabilitation state agency…

Braille-reading mathematicians, scientists, and computer scientists were asked to examine the usability of the Unified English Braille Code (UEB) for technical materials. They had little knowledge of the code prior to the study. The research included two reading tasks, a short tutorial about UEB, and a focus group. The results indicated that the…

This article discusses the potential negligence-based liability risks that orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists often face when assisting students with visual impairments with independent travel in uncontrolled environments. It also presents strategies that may minimize the risks of O&M training for both students and specialists. (Contains…

This national survey sought to determine which service providers work with young children with visual impairments, characteristics of the children served, provider roles and responsibilities, and the professional competencies they consider important. Findings emphasized the need for knowledge about and competence in cultural and linguistic…