This study evaluated the ability of 40 blind adults to spatially organize large outdoor places using a verbal response survey and a near space lapboard task. The study found a high correlation between performances on the large outdoor environment with and without sighted guide tasks. The lapboard task also predicted performance in the outdoor…

Five adult students of various ethnic backgrounds, each deaf or hard-of hearing and blind or visually impaired, participated in testing a newly designed assistance card for soliciting help crossing the street. Results indicated that with the new card 101 pedestrians out of 183 offered assistance. (Contains references.) (CR)

A survey of 217 AER-certified orientation and mobility specialists (COMSs) found the median annual income for full-time employed COMSs was $39,000. Of the respondents, 63.7 were women, 91.5 percent were white, and the median age was 43 years. The majority entering into the field had master's degrees. (Contains references.) (CR)

A survey of orientation and mobility specialists (N=26) was conducted to determine the mobility devices currently being used with visually impaired and elderly clients. These results were then used to design and develop an effective, commercially manufacturable adaptive-mobility device prototype which was tested with elderly individuals, multiply…

This article describes orientation and mobility skills and strategies used by a woman with deaf-blindness, especially methods for crossing the street safely, using the following main strategies: locating key travel areas; developing communication strategies and systems; and identifying community resources for assistance. (CR)