Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness

Orientation and Mobility Course Descriptions

Course Name: Immersion in Blindness Practicum
Course Number: EPSY 580
Instructor: Edward Bell, PhD

Catalog Description
Enrollment by Application Only. Personal experience with blindness; nonvisual techniques, expectations and attitudes at the Louisiana Center for the Blind.

Objectives:

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of, and mastery in, nonvisual techniques used by blind persons for independent living (i.e., Orientation and Mobility, Braille, home economics, access technology, industrial arts, and confidence building activities.)
2. Students will demonstrate increased understanding about the myths and misconceptions surrounding blindness, and how they affect independent living and employment for the blind.
3. Students will demonstrate increased understanding of personal attitudes about blindness, and how these internalized perceptions affect rehabilitation and the education of blind people.
4. Students will gain an understanding about the role of consumer organizations of the blind as a key component in rehabilitation and education.

Course Name: Introduction to Orientation and Mobility
Course Number: EPSY 582
Instructor: Edward Bell, PhD

Catalog Description
Provides an examination and application of the fundamental principles and theories of orientation & mobility. Students will progress through a graduated travel curriculum.

Objectives:

1. The student will understand the theory of the structured discovery learning method of cane travel instruction.
2. The student will understand and compare the theory of the guided discovery method of cane travel instruction to the structured discovery learning method.
3. The student will demonstrate practical application of orientation & mobility techniques, including those used by visually impaired instructors.
4. The student will demonstrate travel techniques using sleepshades to emphasize the use of residual senses for perception, integration and reaction to the environment.
5. The student will demonstrate knowledge of techniques for teaching cane travel to deaf-blind and multiply disabled individuals.

Course Name: Advanced Orientation and Mobility
Course Number: EPSY 583
Instructor: Edward Bell, PhD

Catalog Description
Advanced Orientation & Mobility provides instruction for teaching techniques of independent mobility to individuals who are blind/visually impaired. Curriculum includes strategies and techniques for rural environments, special travel situations, use of public transportation and applications to daily living vocational environments. Special techniques used by O&M instructors who are blind/visually impaired are emphasized.

Objectives:

1. The student will understand the difference between and the roles of extrinsic and intrinsic feedback in structured discovery learning method of teaching orientation and mobility.
2. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the impact of low vision as well as strategies and philosophy for teaching independent travel to individuals with low vision.
3. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the structured discovery learning method of teaching travel skills to blind adults and children.
4. The student will demonstrate knowledge of rural travel, travel within vocational, daily living and special environments.
5. The student will demonstrate an understanding of alternative techniques used by blind orientation & mobility instructors.

Course Name:  Orientation and Mobility Internship
Course Number: EPSY 584
Instructor: Edward Bell, PhD

Catalog Description
Orientation and Mobility Internships an intensive experience in teaching Orientation and Mobility skills to visually impaired students. Field experience at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, Ruston, LA. (Pass/Fail)

Course Name: Blindness Rehabilitation Systems and Issues
Course Number: EPSY 581
Instructor: Edward Bell, PhD

Catalog Description
Rehabilitation Systems and Issues presents an overview of rehabilitation history, concepts, programs and services; professional responsibilities and ethics with field experience utilizing techniques for working with rehabilitation agencies, school systems, organizations and public or private programs serving blind and visually impaired individuals.

Objectives:

1. The student will understand the organization, history and issues facing the rehabilitation system of the blind at the national level.
2. The student will demonstrate knowledge of legislation, programs and current issues affecting state and private blind rehabilitation agencies.
3. The student will develop an awareness of issues surrounding supported and competitive employment for blind clients through job development, job placement readiness, job retention and accommodation.
4. The student will demonstrate an understanding of medical and emotional aspects of blindness and visual impairments and their impact on client rehabilitation.
5. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the professional rehabilitation team and its associated responsibilities and ethics.

Course Name: Social and Psychological Aspects of Blindness
Course Number: PSYC 490
Instructor: Edward Bell, PhD

Catalog Description
This course explores the psychological implications of blindness and provides students with a current and historical overview of practices/trends in the rehabilitation/education of individuals with visual impairments.

Objectives:

1. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the history of habilitation/rehabilitation, present practices and future trends in the field of blindness.
2. The student will demonstrate an understanding of historical and current attitudes regarding blindness and their effect on the rehabilitation process and self-esteem of blind children and adults.
3. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the organized blind movement and legislation affecting blind individuals.
4. The student will demonstrate the ability to relate well to blind individuals and an understanding for specific training in the skills of blindness.
5. The student will demonstrate an understanding of future directions in the field of education/rehabilitation of the blind and the role of research.

Course Name: Developmental Psychology of Blindness
Course Number: PSYC 580
Instructor: Edward Bell, PhD

Catalog Description
Developmental Aspects of Blindness emphasizes knowledge of physical, social, and emotional development of blind children including acquisition of motor, language and cognitive skills birth through adulthood.

Objectives:

1. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the developmental role of vision in sighted infants and strategies to promote age-appropriate development in blind infants.
2. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the social and emotional development of typically developing children and the needs of blind children in these areas.
3. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the development of self image in typically developing sighted children and youth and the impact of blindness on self image.
4. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the typical development of gross and fine motor and language skills in typically developing sighted children and in blind children.
5. The student will gain knowledge of theories of cognitive development of typically developing sighted children and implications for typically developing blind children.
6. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the implications of blindness on education and rehabilitation during adolescence.