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Career Exploration

Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists

Also called: Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS), Orientation and Mobility Specialist (O and M Specialist), Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT), Visually Impaired Teacher (TVI)

What they do:

Provide therapy to patients with visual impairments to improve their functioning in daily life activities. May train patients in activities such as computer use, communication skills, or home management skills.

On the job, you would:
  • Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.
  • Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
  • Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
On the job, you'll need:

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Education and Training

  • teaching and course design

Math and Science

  • psychology
  • sociology and anthropology

Transportation

  • movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Social

  • looking for ways to help people
  • teaching people how to do something

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • notice when problems happen
  • use rules to solve problems

Social

People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.

  • Concern for Others
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Independence
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Self Control

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

  • Oracle PeopleSoft
  • Workday software

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Device drivers or system software

  • Ai Squared ZoomText
  • ZoomWare Screen Magnifier

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Bright.

New job opportunities are very likely in the future. This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Median Annual Salary: $93,180

Education

Master's degree or certificate after college is usually needed.