Vision Rehabilitation Therapists and Mobility Specialists

Key Responsibilities

• Administer tests and interpret test results to develop rehabilitation plans for clients.
• Write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes.
• Teach independent living skills or techniques, such as adaptive eating, medication management, diabetes management, and personal management.
• Refer clients to services, such as eye care, health care, rehabilitation, and counseling, to enhance visual and life functioning or when condition exceeds scope of practice.
• Monitor clients' progress to determine whether changes in rehabilitation plans are needed.
• Assess clients' functioning in areas such as vision, orientation and mobility skills, social and emotional issues, cognition, physical abilities, and personal goals.
• Design instructional programs to improve communication, using devices such as slates and styluses, braillers, keyboards, adaptive handwriting devices, talking book machines, digital books, and optical character readers (OCRs).
• Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.
• Train clients to use tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information.
• Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
• Provide consultation, support, or education to groups such as parents and teachers.
• Collaborate with specialists, such as rehabilitation counselors, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists, to provide client solutions.
• Obtain, distribute, or maintain low vision devices.
• Participate in professional development activities, such as reading literature, continuing education, attending conferences, and collaborating with colleagues.
• Identify visual impairments related to basic life skills in areas such as self care, literacy, communication, health management, home management, and meal preparation.
• Train clients to use adaptive equipment, such as large print, reading stands, lamps, writing implements, software, and electronic devices.
• Train clients to read or write Braille.
• Develop rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients, based on results of assessments, needs, and goals.
• Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
• Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises.
• Teach self-advocacy skills to clients.