Presenter and Session Lineup

Thursday, November 2nd

AccDomes, Bars and Trapezoids: What Are the Streets Trying to Tell You? – Alan C. Scott, Ph.D. & Linda Myers, COMS

It’s a “Sensory Thing” – What does that even MEAN? – Kate Beals, Retired Occupational Therapist

Navigating the Changing Urban Landscape (floating bus stops, leading pedestrian intervals, APS beaconing) and the Need for Advocacy – Alan C. Scott, Ph.D. & Linda Myers, COMS

Hand-UNDER-Hand Facilitation for Improved Intervention Outcomes: How neurology research supports the use of Hand-UNDER-Hand Facilitation, and what it means for writing goals and objectives – Kate Beals, Retired Occupational Therapist

Friday, November 3rd

Leader Dogs for the Blind: DeafBlind Program – Kathryn Roberts, GDMI, Adaptive Services Team Supervisor; Sarah Duyck, GDMI, COMS, BEI 1; Mara Turner, GDMI Apprentice

Goalball and the ECC – Beverly Jackson, M.Ed., COMS, Clinical Instructor, SFASU & Jake Czechowski, MA SpEd., Head Coach USABA Women’s Paralympic Goalball Team

Laying the Foundation Through Collaboration: Teaching Basic O&M Concepts and Skills in the Early Years – Mary Shore, COMS, Early Childhood O&M Consultant & Kathi Garza, M.Ed., TVI, VI Educational Consultant – Infants & Early Childhood

The Ins and Outs of Creating a Mobility Mural and how to Make one in your Community – Shelby Glass, COMS, VRT

Findings Wheels: A Tool to Promote Travel Knowledge of Teens and Those in Their Early 20s – L. Penny Rosenblum, Ph.D.

Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC), Raising the Bar with High Expectations, Rubrics, and More – Robbin Clark, MA

Efficiency and Success Strategies of a Blind COMS – Bradley M. Blair, COMS, CATIS, CVRT

Creating Safe and Effective Environments for People with Vision Loss – Darick Wright, O&M Coordinator, Vision Studies Program, University of Massachusetts-Boston

Unique Orientation and Mobility in Australia – Kerri Weaver, BTeach Special Ed-Vision Impairment; Graduate Diploma Early Childhood; Masters of Human Services O&M

What’s in Your Assessment Toolbox? The Latest and Greatest for ECC (including O&M!) Evaluation – Stephanie Herlich, MA, TSVI/COMS & Shelby Zimmerman, MA, TSVI/OMS

Saturday, November 4th

Let’s Talk About Babies! – Mari Hubig, M.Ed

Let’s Explore Together….the Now Famous Multi Sensory Impaired Children Curriculum from the Victoria School, Birmingham, England – Naomi Feller Vaughan, M.Ed., TVI, COMS

OKO: Every Traffic Signal Accessible – Willem Van de Mierop, Founder

Fraudulent Service Dogs: Who Let the Dogs Out? – Rabih Dow, Guide Dogs for the Blind & Pat Pound, Past Director of Criss Cole

COMS and the FVE – DJ Dean, M.Ed., COMS/TSVI

Determining Instructional Minutes and Effectiveness of Various Instructional Arrangements for O&M: A Research-based Range That Aligns with O&M Career, College, and Community Readiness Standards 2.0 – William Koehler, M.Ed. COMS, TVI

Football vs.Eyeball: How to Explain Vision Loss – Toby Anne Penington, M.Ed., COMS, CLVT & Charlotte Simpson, MA, COMS, CLVT

Risk Assessment, Safety Supervision and Liability in Orientation and Mobility Instruction – Post-COVID Edition – William Koehler, M.Ed. COMS, TVI

O&M Strategies and Communication Techniques When Working With Students Who are Deafblind – Carolina Gonzalez, COMS & Heather Withrow, COMS