Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Becoming an O&M Specialist (self.Blind)
submitted by fairlyfairies
I recently graduated with a bachelors degree in political science and I'm currently working for a trade association that represents people with developmental disabilities. However I'm not completely happy with the career field I've started. After being diagnosed with a vision threatening eye disease 2 years ago, I became very interested in eye disorders and learned alot about the blind community. I think that I want to become an orientation and mobility specialist and it's field that I'm very passionate about. However im not sure how to go about the career change since I already have an unrelated degree. Should I go through a 2 year university program then get the ACVREP certification? I am in central PA and I would want to go to a school that is in pa, va, or md since from my research you often have to do some weeks of in person training. Also, have any of the O&M specialists on here switched careers to this after getting an unrelated degree? Did you take classes while working full time in your previous field? If you have any advice please let me know!
changeneverhappens 6 points 3y ago
Yes you'll need to attend a grad certificate Program (or masters program if you'd like) and then complete an internship.
I was a special ed teacher and started working on my teacher for the visually impaired certificate and then started my COMS certificate once I was finished with my TVI cert. They overlap quote a bit so the program was just an extra 2 semesters and a summer came class.
I do part time classes, as most programs are built around the understanding that most participants are working. You might be able to do full time but its not necessary and often not advised (at least in my program).
If you have experienced vision loss or if you begin to experience vision loss, your personal O&M skills need to be top notch because you'll be responsible for two people's O&M skills during sessions with clients.
I absolutely love being a CTVI and I hope to use my COMS cert. to provide after hours O&M training to adults who can't access training through voc rehab programs for whatever reasons. Its a wonderful (and SMALL) field.
I was a special ed teacher and started working on my teacher for the visually impaired certificate and then started my COMS certificate once I was finished with my TVI cert. They overlap quote a bit so the program was just an extra 2 semesters and a summer came class.
I do part time classes, as most programs are built around the understanding that most participants are working. You might be able to do full time but its not necessary and often not advised (at least in my program).
If you have experienced vision loss or if you begin to experience vision loss, your personal O&M skills need to be top notch because you'll be responsible for two people's O&M skills during sessions with clients.
I absolutely love being a CTVI and I hope to use my COMS cert. to provide after hours O&M training to adults who can't access training through voc rehab programs for whatever reasons. Its a wonderful (and SMALL) field.
fairlyfairies [OP] 2 points 3y ago
Thank you! Do you know of any good resources for finding schools that offer the degree?
stupidpoopoohead 1 points 3y ago
I know it’s not your desired area but Louisiana Tech offers full scholarships to get your masters NOMC.
changeneverhappens 1 points 3y ago
https://www.education.pitt.edu/academics/vision-studies-programs/certification-orientation-and-mobility-specialist-coms
Looks like Pittsburgh has one. I just googled it though
Looks like Pittsburgh has one. I just googled it though
80percentaccurate 2 points 3y ago
Hey there! I’m a TVI/COMS in PA! Pitt has a program that is almost completely online. Kutztown and Salus have programs as well. Don’t try to avoid the in person portion as the on campus training is super duper important in this field. I wouldn’t even consider a program that didn’t have an on campus requirement. I did all my training at FSU primarily because they were one of the few programs with lots of face to face classes. Pitt’s program is made up almost entirely of people working in the profession while trying to obtain their certifications. With your undergrad you can get emergency certified to start working as a TVI while you are in school if that’s something that interests you. You’ll have to wait to practice O&M until you have your certification.
If you want to get your O&M, I highly suggest becoming duel certified as a TVI as well. You won’t have a hard time finding a job at all if you have both. With just O&M and no vision cert, you won’t be able to work with children in PA, which will severely limit the jobs you will be able to get.
If you want to get your O&M, I highly suggest becoming duel certified as a TVI as well. You won’t have a hard time finding a job at all if you have both. With just O&M and no vision cert, you won’t be able to work with children in PA, which will severely limit the jobs you will be able to get.
changeneverhappens 1 points 3y ago
Huh. PA requires dual cert to work in schools? Do you have to work as both or just hold both certs?
80percentaccurate 1 points 3y ago
You have to have at least TVI to work in the schools. They don’t require you to get COMS, but if you have it they will use you for both. I get a fair number of O&M kids because we are getting less and less teachers who are COMS certified. The schools pay the same salary even if you are duel certified so it isn’t worth it to get your COMS unless you love the job.
changeneverhappens 1 points 3y ago
That seems so counterintuitive for such a high need area. Both of my COMS are dual certified but its not required in major cities. More rural, less funded and populated districts often require it.
Huh, TIL don't move to PA 😂
Huh, TIL don't move to PA 😂
80percentaccurate 1 points 3y ago
Hey now. PA is very good for public education. TVI is a teaching certification. COMS is not. That’s why TVI is required to teach in the schools. Anything else would be like someone getting to teach eighth grade math because they had a physics degree. It is different for private schools. Making sure that teachers are highly qualified hardly seems like a reason to avoid an entire state.
fairlyfairies [OP] 1 points 3y ago
This is very helpful, thank you so much!
80percentaccurate 1 points 3y ago
Hit me up when you need observation hours. It’s a wonderful field!
fairlyfairies [OP] 2 points 3y ago
Aw thanks! I will think about applying next year!
Do you think it would be difficult entering the field when I'm currently working in the gov relations/policy side of helping people with disabilities? Also I definitely want a program with in-person portion, just most has to be online since no program is close enough to where I live and I need to still work full time as long as I can.
Also do most people quit their full time jobs to do the in-person weeks? I'm worried that if the in-person portion is in the middle of the curriculum, I would have to quit my job and then have no job left to return to while I'm doing the rest of the online classes.
Do you think it would be difficult entering the field when I'm currently working in the gov relations/policy side of helping people with disabilities? Also I definitely want a program with in-person portion, just most has to be online since no program is close enough to where I live and I need to still work full time as long as I can.
Also do most people quit their full time jobs to do the in-person weeks? I'm worried that if the in-person portion is in the middle of the curriculum, I would have to quit my job and then have no job left to return to while I'm doing the rest of the online classes.
80percentaccurate 2 points 3y ago
From what I hear, many people work the whole way through and get a leave from their job to do the in person portion and their internship. Once you are ready to make the switch though it won’t be hard to find a job, esp if you get TVI too. The Western Pa School for Blind Children will pay for your schooling and guarantee you a job directly afterward they need teachers so bad right now.
changeneverhappens 1 points 3y ago
My in person sessions were on the weekends and the summers.
If you start working as a CTVI first, you'll have the summers for in person classes
If you start working as a CTVI first, you'll have the summers for in person classes
[deleted] 1 points 3y ago
When I was in grad school, almost everyone had an unrelated degree (myself included). The classes were structured for people with no background in visual impairments, as I am sure is common with most O&M programs. I worked the night shift while going through my courses, and found the balance not terribly bad—but almost all of my classes were face-to-face, not online. It is a great field to get into with so many jobs available and career paths! I am fairly new to the field, so let me know if you have additional questions. Also, if you are worried about eventually losing your vision, I would recommend getting a dual certificate in O&M and VRT (Vision Rehabilitation Therapy). Not saying a COMS cannot have a significant visual impairment, but many positions require you being able to drive. You can also always get your VRT certificate in the future (this is what I am planning to do, personally, as I could potentially lose my driver’s license in the future if my vision worsens—currently at 20/40 in my good eye, which is like right on the line).
[deleted] 1 points 3y ago
[deleted]
BlakeBlues -1 points 3y ago
Do your best to to get through the COMS program and avoid NOMC (National Orientation and Mobility Certification). COMS has more weight, gets you a master's typically, and has a more rigorous test; but do your best to learn about all O&M techniques
stupidpoopoohead 1 points 3y ago
Where’d yo get your information because it’s wrong. The NOMC is much more difficult to get, you have to be able to work under sleep shades, the NOMC exam is 100% more rigorous than the COMS exam, and you receive a masters through Louisiana State who is handing out scholarships like crazy. You can get a COMS certification in a semester where it takes 2 years to get certified as an NOMC. Not to mention NOMC’ Structured discovery method is a much safer and effective means of travel than route training. NOMC’s also don’t teach blind people to use their least reliable sense to cross roads by telling blind people they are “maximizing there vision”. You know how many blind people I’ve met that were hit by cars because a COMS taught them to cross when the didn’t “see” a car? My daughters COMS instructed her to wait and ask a stranger to guide her across the street before crossing. Great advice to give a 15 year old girl. You go ahead and believe the junk AER pushes about NOMC and TBS degrees being “subpar” to TVI’s and COMS degrees but I’ve sued a district to get my daughter appropriate training with an NOMC instead of getting shitty route training and a judge ruled that structured discovery was a more appropriate teaching method than the COMS our district hired had offered. Maybe pick up a copy of the Professional Development and Research Institutes on Blindness’ peer reviewed journal and open your mind up to something you’ve never considered because it’s not the program you came through.
BlakeBlues 1 points 3y ago
From my understanding and discussion with several blind professionals affiliated with NFB, low vision professionals associated with ACB, and university professors across the US who are bias to teaching COMS, as do any body not in partnership with NFB.
I love structured exploration, and I think it'sa greatly valuable tool in every kit, just as the lesson structure is in COMS. I also regularly check JBIR along with JVIB, but the consistency of the research, the retestability, and the standards at which articles are accepted seem to vary from the standards of JVIB. I'm not coming from a completely uninformed position. I know there are downsides and upsides to both entities. Every professional needs to utilize both entities' methodologies i believe.
I love structured exploration, and I think it'sa greatly valuable tool in every kit, just as the lesson structure is in COMS. I also regularly check JBIR along with JVIB, but the consistency of the research, the retestability, and the standards at which articles are accepted seem to vary from the standards of JVIB. I'm not coming from a completely uninformed position. I know there are downsides and upsides to both entities. Every professional needs to utilize both entities' methodologies i believe.
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