In the 1960s, schools were attempting to meet the needs of the great
number of students with visual impairments that resulted from the
Retinopathy of Prematurity epidemic. At this same time, instruction in O&M
began to gain credibility as well. However, university O&M programs had just
opened their doors, so the number of O&M graduates each year could
practically be counted on two hands (Weiner, 1980).
Lord and Blaha (1968) were the first to study a proposed model for
broadening access to O&M services in schools using TVIs. TVIs would be
provided with a course on O&M and then include teaching pre-cane skills and
concept development as part of their caseload duties.
Lord and Blaha's study (1968) found that TVIs lacked "time for
systematic [O&M] instruction, as responsibilities in the resource room
A Study of Personnel Preparation of
Teachers of Learners with Visual Impairments in O&M
Services
Grace Ambrose-Zaken, Ed.D.,
Grant Associate Professor, Hunters College of The City
University of New York
gambrose@hunter.cuny.edu
48
