Orientation and Mobility Specialist

• Position:
  Orientation And Mobility Specialist
• Reports To:
  
  Director, Orientation And Mobility
• Status:
  Full Time, Exempt
• Job Classification:
  Specialist IIli>
• Work Arrangement:
  Hybrid, 3 Days/Week In-Person, Servicing The Greater Bay Area
• Location:
  
  California
• Salary Range: $69,000-$90,711

* Blind/visually impaired strongly encouraged to apply.

Founded in San Francisco in 1902, the Light House’s vision is a world where blind and low vision people flourish, and its mission is to promote independence, community, and equity created by and with blind and low vision people.

• Blindness Positivity: We take pride in our ability to navigate our lives as blind and low vision people.
• Disability Justice: We recognize the inherent worth of every person and commit to advancing equity and interdependency.
• Inclusion: We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to belong and live to their full potential, encompassing their identities, backgrounds, and abilities.
• Excellence: We provide the highest-quality services and products, and we continuously learn, improve, and innovate.
• Empowerment: We encourage self-determination, independence, and autonomy.
• Compassion: We make efforts to understand one another, and we treat every person with dignity and respect.

Light House for the Blind and Visually Impaired, headquartered in downtown San Francisco, is looking for a full time Orientation and Mobility Specialist (O&M Specialist). The Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS or NOMC) provides in-person and virtual orientation and mobility instruction to blind, low-vision, or deaf-blind youth, adults and seniors from diverse backgrounds. The Orientation and Mobility Specialist (OMS) will conduct assessments and provide training that reflects recent and progressive travel and orientation techniques and trends, focusing on the student’s travel needs in the home, work, academic sites and community.

The OMS must have the ability to assess and teach to differing skill levels, as well as to train on varied mobility devices and options such as: monocular telescope, tints, GPS Apps and use (ie Blind Square, Google Maps), Audible Pedestrian Signals and tactile maps (public streets, transit hubs, and public spaces and buildings). The OMS must provide instruction that takes into consideration understanding of student’s abilities and potential concomitant health conditions.

Knowledge and understanding of primary eye conditions, including Cortical Visual Impairment, is imperative. Knowledge of health associated with aging, head injury, diabetes and mental health and developmental disabilities is very helpful. Together, the OMS and the student develop and revise goals to achieve the student’s intended mobility outcomes.

Flexibility and ‘thinking outside of the box’ are attributes essential to this position. The philosophy of our trainers is to facilitate skills for independent (as defined with each student) travel. The OMS also provides training with the student using a training shade where best applied for learning and instruction. The OMS must be able to work with and provide information and training to family and friends, community members, volunteers and service providers as well as effectively communicate and collaborate with referral agencies in providing services to shared students.

As the cross-cultural community of the Light House is increasing, a second language ability is preferred. Cultural sensitivity to disability is integral to this position. The duties of the OMS may include (but are not limited to): conducting assessments, writing individual training plans with the student, and facilitating individual and group instruction as needed. Additionally, the OMS may be requested to coordinate specific training projects with colleagues or represent the Light House in the community, which may be ongoing or short term.

Orientation and mobility instruction may occur virtually (via Zoom), on-site at Light House facilities, in the home, workplace, academic sites or the student’s community, including travel on all forms of local and regional public transportation and Paratransit.

While most…