VIDBE-Q Volume 69 Issue 4
it would be a good idea to find devices to practice with. There may be a lending
library, organizations, and/or individuals that can loan devices in your geographic
area.
In your COMS university preparation program, you have surely had some
lessons in learning at least grade one braille. Although not ideal, I rarely used it in
my practice of teaching O&M. As many people know, with braille if you do not
use it, you lose it. In teaching AT, the instructor should have a working
understanding of contracted and uncontracted braille as many devices can only be
navigated by use of braille. If your knowledge of braille is not strong, learning it at
least visually will be a good way to prepare for becoming a competent CATIS.
Free practitioner resources such as Braille Brain (2024) and UEB Online (2024)
can be used to build skills in this area.
Renewal and Versatility
Because I had been a COMS for so long, entering the CATIS world renewed
a sense of "I do not know what I am doing." This notion could be considered
encouraging for some who feel they have attained a high level of proficiency in
their job and want to reenergize their career. Additionally, as a CATIS, I find
myself in a profession that was formalized as recently as 2016 (ACVREP, n.d.).
This means that if you become a CATIS, you have a unique opportunity to mold a
profession in its younger years.
