Orientation and Mobility in Australia and New Zealand: Situational Analysis and Census

Deverell, Lil; Scott, Bronwen

doi:10.1177/0145482x1410800109

Cited by 6 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 1 publication

(1 reference statement)

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“…These agencies employ around 224 O&M specialists, including at least 55 dog guide instructors. 2 The number of O&M clients across Australia is unclear but Guide Dogs Victoria alone worked with 1380 clients in a 12-month period, delivering 2390 programmes. 47 However, it is not feasible to validate the VROOM and OMO measures in one location.…”

Section: Methodology and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The agencies are perpetually under-resourced and can have long waiting lists. 2 The roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme ( www.ndis.gov.au ) is changing referral pathways, service profiles and reporting procedures, resulting in agency turmoil and substantial new learning for staff. Spreading the workload across agencies will give O&M specialists more choice to opt in when they are able and maximise diversity and collaboration in critiquing the VROOM and OMO tools.…”

Section: Methodology and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Globally, there are 285 million people with low vision or blindness, including 20 million Asians with visual acuity less than 3/60. 1 In Australia and New Zealand, an estimated 605 300 people have visual acuity less than 6/12, 2 3 making them ineligible to drive. 4 Unfortunately, clinical vision measures (eg, acuity, fields, contrast sensitivity) do not predict a person’s everyday functional capability in the real world.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Optimising technology to measure functional vision, mobility and service outcomes for people with low vision or blindness: protocol for a prospective cohort study in Australia and Malaysia

Deverell¹,

Meyer

Mahmud

et al. 2017

BMJ Open

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IntroductionOrientation and mobility (O&M) specialists assess the functional vision and O&M skills of people with mobility problems, usually relating to low vision or blindness. There are numerous O&M assessment checklists but no measures that reduce qualitative assessment data to a single comparable score suitable for assessing any O&M client, of any age or ability, in any location. Functional measures are needed internationally to align O&M assessment practices, guide referrals, profile O&M clients, plan appropriate services and evaluate outcomes from O&M programmes (eg, long cane training), assistive technology (eg, hazard sensors) and medical interventions (eg, retinal implants). This study aims to validate two new measures of functional performance vision-related outcomes in orientation and mobility (VROOM) and orientation and mobility outcomes (OMO) in the context of ordinary O&M assessments in Australia, with cultural comparisons in Malaysia, also developing phone apps and online training to streamline professional assessment practices.Methods and analysisThis multiphase observational study will employ embedded mixed methods with a qualitative/quantitative priority: corating functional vision and O&M during social inquiry. Australian O&M agencies (n=15) provide the sampling frame. O&M specialists will use quota sampling to generate cross-sectional assessment data (n=400) before investigating selected cohorts in outcome studies. Cultural relevance of the VROOM and OMO tools will be investigated in Malaysia, where the tools will inform the design of assistive devices and evaluate prototypes. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Rasch modelling, cluster analysis and analysis of variance will be undertaken along with descriptive analysis of measurement data. Qualitative findings will be used to interpret VROOM and OMO scores, filter statistically significant results, warrant their generalisability and identify additional relevant constructs that could also be measured.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Swinburne University (SHR Project 2016/316). Dissemination of results will be via agency reports, journal articles and conference presentations.

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Section: Methodology and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodology and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Optimising technology to measure functional vision, mobility and service outcomes for people with low vision or blindness: protocol for a prospective cohort study in Australia and Malaysia

Deverell¹,

Meyer

Mahmud

et al. 2017

BMJ Open

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“…As a result of the feedback received, the decision was made to divide the draft document. The description of the O&M profession evolved into a journal article, accepted for peer-reviewed publication (Deverell & Scott, 2014). The committee fi nalised the code of ethics and standards of practice as separate documents, locating them on the OMAA website as part of a broader quality framework (http://www.…”

Section: Reference Documentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Today, the O&M profession in Australasia numbers over 250 members, including dog guide mobility instructors, O&M teachers, and O&M assistants (Deverell & Scott, 2014). Ninety per cent of these people are employed in Australia and 10% in New Zealand, mostly by charitable organisations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing O&M Standards for Australasia

Deverell

Scott²,

Battista

et al. 2013

International Journal of Orientation &Amp; Mobility

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In 2013, members of the Orientation and Mobility Association of Australasia ratifi ed a Quality Framework for the O&M profession, including an OMAA Code of Ethics and OMAA Standards of Practice. The OMAA Quality Framework took a six member committee four years to develop and involved extensive collaboration across Australia and New Zealand. During the process, the Committee discussed such themes as best practice, exemplary performance, minimum standards, independence, and selfdetermination. A community model of O&M practice was devised, demonstrating the way that power is shared in relationships between the client, the O&M specialist and other stakeholders. The OMAA Quality Framework represents exemplary O&M practice in the Australasian region and is available on the OMAA website (http:// www.omaaustralasia.com/qualityframework).

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Use of technology by orientation and mobility professionals in Australia and Malaysia before COVID-19

Deverell

Bhowmik

Mahmud

et al. 2020

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology

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Purpose: Orientation and Mobility (O&M) professionals teach people with low vision or blindness to use specialist assistive technologies to support confident travel, but many O&M clients now prefer a smartphone. This study aimed to investigate what technology O&M professionals in Australia and Malaysia have, use, like, and want to support their client work, to inform the development of O&M technologies and build capacity in the international O&M profession. Materials and Methods: A technology survey was completed by professionals (n ¼ 36) attending O&M workshops in Malaysia. A revised survey was completed online by O&M specialists (n ¼ 31) primarily in Australia. Qualitative data about technology use came from conferences, workshops and interviews with O&M professionals. Descriptive statistics were analysed together with free-text data. Results: Limited awareness of apps used by clients, unaffordability of devices, and inadequate technology training discouraged many O&M professionals from employing existing technologies in client programmes or for broader professional purposes. Professionals needed to learn smartphone accessibility features and travel-related apps, and ways to use technology during O&M client programmes, initial professional training, ongoing professional development and research. Conclusions: Smartphones are now integral to travel with low vision or blindness and early-adopter O&M clients are the travel tech-experts. O&M professionals need better initial training and then regular upskilling in mainstream O&M technologies to expand clients' travel choices. COVID-19 has created an imperative for technology laggards to upskill for O&M tele-practice. O&M technology could support comprehensive O&M specialist training and practice in Malaysia, to better serve O&M clients with complex needs. ä IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONMost orientation and mobility (O&M) clients are travelling with a smartphone, so O&M specialists need to be abreast of mainstream technologies, accessibility features and apps used by clients for orientation, mobility, visual efficiency and social engagement. O&M specialists who are technology laggards need human-guided support to develop confidence in using travel technologies, and O&M clients are the experts. COVID-19 has created an imperative to learn skills for O&M tele-practice. Affordability is a significant barrier to O&M professionals and clients accessing specialist travel technologies in Malaysia, and to O&M professionals upgrading technology in Australia.Comprehensive training for O&M specialists is needed in Malaysia to meet the travel needs of clients with low vision or blindness who also have physical, cognitive, sensory or mental health complications.

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Orientation and Mobility in Australia and New Zealand: Situational Analysis and Census

Cited by 6 publications

References 1 publication

Optimising technology to measure functional vision, mobility and service outcomes for people with low vision or blindness: protocol for a prospective cohort study in Australia and Malaysia

Optimising technology to measure functional vision, mobility and service outcomes for people with low vision or blindness: protocol for a prospective cohort study in Australia and Malaysia

Developing O&M Standards for Australasia

Use of technology by orientation and mobility professionals in Australia and Malaysia before COVID-19

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