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VIDBE-Q Volume 64 Issue 2
student reaches 15. We chose to ask attendees what comprises their
typical instruction for 15-year-olds with visual impairments because it is
parallel to sighted adolescents learning to drive. In the following, we
address pros and cons for each programming option.
O&M stand alone programming. When working with young adults
with a visual impairment on safe and independent travel there can be more
skills to cover than time available. O&M specialists provide students with
focused and individualized instruction that is aimed to meet their short and
long-term goals for life. For some students this may include extensive
training on complex intersections, public transportation options, technology
for travel, and community-based instruction. While we are trained to
provide O&M instruction in these areas, we are not trained to instruct
students on things like driver's habits and cognitive load. These skills are
typically the purview of the school's driver's education instructor.
O&M with participation in traditional driver's education. Some
O&M specialists, students, and families decide a student with a visual
impairment will participate in the classroom portion of driver's education as
a means to acquire a different perspective and information about driver and
passenger safety. Students learn the organization and layout of roads,
meaning of road signs, and for those with vision on the borderline of
