South Jersey Orientation and Mobility

07/24/2024

Well, this is fun!!

02/23/2024

“I’ve done lots of small things, I’ve tapped people’s ankles and slipped my cane between their feet. A cane by its very nature has to impinge on people’s space because you use it to scope out the ground around you and if it’s full of people then your cane will be exploring the ground they’re trying to stand on.”

-Amie Slavin, interviewed by BBC, on handling the encounters that occasionally happen during white cane use. A great, no-nonsense perspective.

02/21/2024

I came upon this Reddit thread today titled, “VI folks who use a cane, how did you get over the feeling you weren’t blind enough to use it?” And it rang so true to my experience as an instructor, counseling clients through their learning process for the cane.

The cane is an identifier, but it is not a validator. It is a tool for you to use, and out of all the clients I have ever worked with, the clear majority of them had some level of vision. Many of them can read signs and see traffic lights, as well! The visually impaired population is as diverse as any other, and any tools that will help you achieve your goals are fair game.

Explore this post and more from the Blind community

02/11/2024

Blind people play sports, too! Get active, get involved! Serving the Greater Philadelphia Area.

Blind Sports Organization provides, promotes, and advocates sports and recreation for blind and visually impaired youth and adults.

02/10/2024

We now take a break from your regularly scheduled intersections and traffic lights for something a little more…relaxing.

Familiarizing with a portion of trail along the Wissahickon that I’ll be working on with a client, soon! Even on this gray winter day, the water is so peaceful.

02/09/2024

Another great installment from Hadley Presents, this time on managing get togethers when visually impaired.

Join us as we chat with author Hannah Fairbairn about the tips and tricks she has learned to take some of the stress out of holiday get-togethers, no matter ...

02/09/2024

Cats for the dogs!

02/05/2024

Curious about orientation and mobility training? This is by no means an exhaustible resource, but start with the FAQ page on my website! I have begun a resource list, as well. Those in the know, send me resources you think would fit the list!

FAQs What is orientation and mobility?Orientation and mobility is a set of skills and knowledge that a person who is blind or visually impaired can use to answer the questions, “Where am I?” (orientation) and “How do I get where I need to go safely and effectively?” (mobility). What is an or...

01/30/2024

A friend shared this article with me. I’ve seen this type of interaction go down a bunch of times, so no surprises there, but it’s a great example of why the term “sighted guide” was changed to “human guide” in the past decade.!

Co-writer of "We Are the World" Lionel Richie tells "The View" what he remembers most about recording the Grammy award-winning song.

01/28/2024

Hadley offers a fabulous podcast where they highlight the life experiences of so many different people living with visual impairment.

This one was recommended to me a long time ago, and it’s the one I share when a student is struggling with their decision to train with a white cane.

Listen in as Dorrie Rush of OE Magazine shares how she resisted using a white cane for years, the stigma she feared, and the confidence and security she foun...

01/27/2024

Here’s your friendly reminder to take an extra minute to save and re-post the meme using the “three dots” button to edit the “Alt Text.

Now it is screen reader accessible!

01/25/2024

I sat in on a lecture about the state of the clinical trials for Nacuity, a drug intended for treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa secondary to Usher’s Syndrome. It’s actually an intensely concentrated form of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine, which any of us can get OTC.
So far, things are going well. 😊🙏

Hope for life-changing outcomes in the future,
Work for life-changing outcomes now!

Advancing a promising treatment for retinitis pigmentosa

01/25/2024

Yes, there are multiple types of tips for the long cane. Yes, they all handle differently.
So which is the best? The answer to that is completely up to you.

What is the best cane tip for an individual who is blind or low vision? Read our list of cane tips and learn about them.

01/24/2024

Sam gets it right. This app is one for which I can put aside my leery feelings about AI. We (myself, my interns, my clients) have been having the best time playing with it. Truly a game changer!

Be My Eyes, one of the most popular apps in the blind community has added a new AI tool. Be My AI Adds the power of ChatGPT and introduces amazing possibilit...

01/23/2024

I’ve been fortunate enough to pilot test this seemingly simple piece of tech at the University. We need this thing on the market!!!