Presenters, SOMA 2018
- Anderson, Dawn
- Arbeiter, Pam
- Baguhn, Sarahelizabeth
- Barlow, Janet
- Bell, Edward
Edward Bell, Ph.D. is the director of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University. He is also the Secretary/Treasurer of the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB), which oversees the NOMC credential. Dr. Bell has earned degrees in Rehabilitation Education and Research, Educational Psychology, and Human Development.
Have you heard about the exciting new Orientation and Mobility Specialists Association?
- Bieder, Joy
- Bischof, Eileen
- Botsford, Kathryn
Kathryn Botsford, PhD. is a COMS and NBPTS Certified TVI and Executive Director of Vision Education Research. She also teaches in the visually impaired learner programs at San Francisco State University and Dominican College. She currently serves on the ACVREP Subject Matter Expert (SME) Committee.
O&M Career, College and Community Readiness Standards
- Brown-Ogilvie, Tara
Tara Brown-Ogilvie, M.S.Ed., COMS has enjoyed over 7 years of working with youth and adults with deafblindness.
She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at University of Northern Colorado in Special Education with an emphasis in deafblindness and focuses her studies on adaptive orientation and mobility strategies, transition services, and communication access.
The FUNdamentals of Teaching Students with Deafblindness
- Bushland, Sara
- Cawley, Ben
Ben Cawley is a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor with 20 years of experience in the industry.
He started his career at Guide Dogs for the Blind’s San Rafael campus where he worked for 14 years specializing in Apprentice GDMI Development.
In 2012 Ben moved to New York to work for Guiding Eyes for the Blind as a Class Supervisor.
Currently, Ben serves as Director of Admissions and Manages the Running Guides Program for Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
Training Guide Dog Teams to go on Exercise Runs and the Benefits of Empowering Consumers to Exercise More
- Chadwick, Kelly
Kelly Chadwick is a GDMI and COMS, and has worked at Guide Dogs for the Blind in California for the past 24 years. She is currently the Apprentice Program Guide Dog Orientation and Mobility Instructor, teaching O&M academic courses, as well as providing client support during the guide dog training program.
Technology for Training Apprentice Guide Dog Mobility Instructors
- Chalom, JoAnne
JoAnne Chalom is Orientation and Mobility Specialist with more than 25 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities including those with visual impairments. JoAnne has been active in AER as a member of the Environmental Access Committee and as Chair-Elect for Division 9. She has presented on a wide variety of topics impacting O&M.
Beyond Your Expertise: What’s Your Superpower?
- Cummins, Ann
- Damelio, Mickey
- Donahue, Shelley
- Franck, Lukas
- Gillard, Marc
Marc Gillard COMS, GDMI. Worked in the fields of O&M and guide dog instruction for over 26 years in the USA and Australia. Currently the O&M Services Manager at Guide Dogs for the Blind tasked with developing and directing educational programs to assist clients to achieve O&M readiness for guide dog mobility.
O&M Immersion Program with The Guide Dogs for the Blind
- Glaser, Sue
Sue Glaser is a TVI/O&M instructor in Tampa, FL. She has been Transition Program Coordinator for Tampa Lighthouse for the Blind since 2002, Satellite Program Coordinator since 2003 for Florida State University’s Satellite Program in Visual Disabilities at St. Petersburg College, and part time for Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired since 2008.
Climbing to Success
Reinventing the Goalball
- Gunn, Amy
- Haneline, Rod
- Hardwig, Jay
Jay Hardwig (TVI/COMS) is the director of the SEE Adventure Camp, a wilderness camp for teens with blindness and visual impairment in North Carolina's Nantahala Gorge. He currently manages enrichment and educational programs for IFB Solutions in Asheville.
Off-Road O&M
- Ihrke, Erica
Erica Ihrke is the Manager of Extended Services at Leader Dogs for the Blind and a Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist. She has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Central Michigan University and Master of Arts in Orientation & Mobility from Western Michigan University.
An Alternative Model in Orientation & Mobility
- Jeffcoat, Jennifer
Jennifer Jeffcoat holds a Master’s degree from Lenoir-Rhyne University - Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and a Graduate Certificate in Orientation and Mobility from South Carolina State University. She will complete her Masters of Arts in Teaching Visual Impairment from the University of South Carolina Upstate in May, 2019. Jennifer is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist and works for the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Little Locomotives - Ten years later
- Kaplan, Howard
Howard Kaplan is an Advanced Technologies Manager at the University of South Florida (USF).
He developed and runs the Advanced Visualization Center at USF.
He has been working with various technologies and device development for 15 years. His current research is with tactile and haptic devices for assisting low vision individuals.
Development of Tactile Encodings for Interior Maps
- Leal, Sara
Sara Leal is the Manager of the O&M Department at Miami Lighthouse in Florida. She completed her Bachelor's Degree in Sports Science at Oporto University, Portugal in 2013 and her Masters in Orientation and Mobility at Northern Illinois in 2016. She obtained her postgraduate certificate in Adapted Physical Education in the same university in 2014.
Orientation through Technology
- Langendonk, Susan
Susan Langendonk received her B.S. in Special Education for the Visually Impaired and M.A. in Orientation and Mobility from Western Michigan University. She has taught Orientation and Mobility to children and adults for almost 40 years in Michigan. She Served as Chair of the Orientation and Mobility Division of AER from 2014-2016. She served on the committee that developed the Michigan Orientation and Mobility Severity Rating Scales.
Have you heard about the exciting new Orientation and Mobility Specialists Association?
- Lind, Lisa
Master of Science in Early Childhood Special Education from The University of Kansas.
Master of Social Work from The University of Maryland. ACVREP certified for Orientation and Mobility. Teacher of the Visually Impaired. Director of Children and Family Services CCVI. She has 25 years of experience working with children and families.
Launching the Ship: Early Orientation and Mobility and Parent Centered Education
- Long, Lacey
Lacey Long is a TVI/COMS/CATIS for the Morton-Sioux Special Education Unit in Mandan, ND. She earned a Master’s degree as a Special Education Strategist (UND) with graduate certificates in Visually Impaired (UND), Rehabilitation of the Blind/Orientation & Mobility (UALR), Deaf/Hard of Hearing Education (Minot State), and Assistive Technology/CATIS (NIU). She enjoys incorporating new technology into her O&M lessons.
Designing Fun and Purposeful O&M Lessons Using the Geocaching App
- Moore, Lindsey
- Parker, Amy
- Picciano, Sam
Sam Picciano, COMS, TVI; FSU graduate. Currently serving K-12 students with visual impairments for Hillsborough County Schools, as well as working as a transition teacher and O&M instructor for the adult population at the Tampa Lighthouse for the Blind. She's involved with Camp Abilities and incorporating self-defense into her instruction at the Lighthouse.
Blindfold experience
- Porro, Judy
Judy Porro is a COMS with the Miami Lighthouse in Florida. She completed her Masters in O&M in 2017 from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She obtained her Ed.S. from NOVA Southeastern in Educational Leadership and her Master's from VA Tech in Vocational Special Needs She has over 20 years' experience as a teacher of students with disabilities.
Orientation through Technology
- Pugh, Alicia
Alicia Pugh holds a Master’s degree from the University of Louisville in Special Education and Orientation and Mobility and a Masters of Arts in Teaching Visual Impairment from the University of South Carolina Upstate. Alicia is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist and works for the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind. She has completed a CVI mentorship with Dr. Christine Roman and is currently pursuing an endorsement in cortical visual impairments.
Little Locomotives - Ten years later
- Sauerburger, Dona
- Sauerburger, Stephan
- Siffermann, Eileen
- Snulligan, Danita
Danita Snulligan has a BA in Psychology-UMKC, TVI certification-Texas Tech, COMS-UT Austin, MA in Rehabilitation Teaching-UALR, Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction. She was a "TOTY" in GCPS district and facilitated their first "Career Day for Students with Visual Impairments". She received an AER Publication Award for The ABCs of O&M.
"Tapping" into Success
- Stanway, Lee
Almost 30 years’ experience working for a Guide Dog School in the UK. Current role involves managing services for people with more complex needs and working with other organisations in order to work together more effectively. This includes other assistance dog charities in the UK
Wheelchair Mobility for Guide Dog Users
- Stewart, Matthew
- Tellefson, Mary
- Trotter, Nicholas
Nicholas Trotter is a doctoral student and NLCSD scholar at Florida State University in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on teaching students with visual impairments. He has taught in the residential school and itinerant service delivery models, as well as an orientation and mobility specialist in an itinerant setting.
Barriers and Facilitators to ECC Instruction Reported by O&M Specialists
- Wallace, Andrea
Andrea Wallace is a statewide resource teacher and certified orientation and mobility instructor for the Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired (FIMC-VI). Ms. Wallace's experience ranges from working in the agency setting with transition students and O&M clients of all ages, to teaching students with visual impairments as an itinerant TVI.
Reinventing the Goalball
- Wiener, William
William Wiener, Ph.D. is the endowed chair at North Carolina Central University. He is serving as the Chair of the Higher Education Accreditation Commission which is responsible for accreditation of college and university programs in visual impairment.
AER Accreditation Council (AERAC) and the Accreditation Program
- William, Imani
- Yarbrough, Susan
- Zierer, Laura