VIDBE-Q Volume 65 Issue 1
Amy T. Parker, Ed.D. & COMS, Program Coordinator,
Assistant Professor Orientation and Mobility Program,
atp5@pdx.edu
Mobility Matters began somewhat serendipitously. In 2017, with the
birth of Portland State University's Orientation and Mobility (O&M) program
through an Office of Special Education Program grant, I had the good
fortune of connecting with Dr. Robert Wall-Emerson as PSU's external
evaluator on Project COMET: Certified Orientation and Mobility Educators
in Training. As a gifted researcher and leader in the field of O&M, it was
logical to maximize Wall-Emerson's time in advising our newly hatched
program by inviting others to learn from him during his time in Portland.
PSU has other affordances that make it a great university to nurture an
O&M program. Not only does PSU host TREC, U.S. Department of
Transportation research and dissemination center, Portland enjoys a
connected transportation infrastructure. So with those assets in pocket,
Mobility Matters launched on March 8, 2018 with Dr. Wall-Emerson serving
as keynote and guests from the Oregon Department of Transportation and
Mobility Matters: Interdisciplinary Partnerships to Create More
Accessible Cities
