Indoor & Outdoor Travel Skills for Adults with Vision Loss

Dona Sauerburger, M.A., COMS

If you are an adult who is blind or has low vision, you may have experienced several – or all – of the following Orientation and Mobility (O&M) problems and concerns:

• Bumping into furniture, such as a corner of your coffee table
• Falling or tripping on an obstacle or step that you cannot see
• Feeling unsafe when crossing streets
• Becoming lost or disoriented, either inside your home or out in the community.

Losing your vision, however, does not mean that you'll have to give up your ability to travel safely and independently. Orientation and Mobility instruction can provide you with instruction and techniques that can help you perform maintain your independence in these areas.

Author Dona Sauerburger is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, and provides itinerant orientation and mobility services to blind and visually impaired adults and teenagers in Maryland and suburban Washington, DC. She earned a Master's degree specializing in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) from Western Michigan University and has a special interest in working with people who are deaf-blind.

Her book, Independence Without Sight or Sound: Suggestions for Practitioners Working with Deaf-Blind Adults, published by the American Foundation for the Blind, received the C. Warren Bledsoe Publication Award. You can learn more about her book, including ordering information, at the VisionAWARE Bookstore [1]. Dona is also the recipient of the prestigious Lawrence Blaha Award for outstanding contributions to the field of Orientation and Mobility.