A career planning and employment resource for people who are blind or partially sighted

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Orientation and Mobility Skills Checklist

This orientation and mobility checklist is a tool designed for you to consider or complete by yourself. Its aim is to help you figure out your strengths and weaknesses in this area.

Once you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can determine what you need to work on to prepare for your career and successfully search for a job. You can use this checklist to help you decide what goals you’d like to establish in the orientation and mobility areas. Remember as you review the Checklist that there are no right or wrong answers - only what is true for you. 

You can print off the checklist and complete it off-line or simply read through the items and consider whether you have the skills to perform the tasks or will require training or assistance to be able to accomplish them.

I use the following orientation and mobility skills or techniques routinely:

  • Mental maps of my home, neighborhood, and community
  • Landmarks (furniture, doorways, driveways etc.) to find my way
  • Trail safely (following a wall or other stationary object with your hand) to move through an environment
  • Protect my head and body from bumping into open doors or other obstacles
  • Locate dropped objects
  • Locate or detect doorways, driveways, streets and curbs, using touch
  • Locate doorways, driveways, streets, curbs, etc., using auditory (sound) cues
  • Locate doorways, driveways, streets, curbs, and such, using visual cues
  • Locate doorways, driveways, streets, curbs, and such, using olfactory (smell) cues
  • Walk comfortably with a human guide (also known as a sighted guide)
  • Walk comfortably using a long cane
  • Walk comfortably using optical devices to read signage and see obstacles
  • Walk comfortably using a dog guide
  • Use echolocation to gather information about my environment
  • Travel safely and efficiently in my home
  • Travel safely and efficiently in my neighborhood
  • Travel safely and efficiently in my community
  • Travel safely and efficiently outside of my community (train or plane trips, for example)
  • Travel safely and efficiently to and from work
  • Use maps (paper, tactual, and virtual, such as, Google Maps, MapQuest, GPS)
  • Capture information related to my travel needs (bus, train, or plane schedules; contact information for ride services, carpools, or paratransit services)
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