Occupation · SOC 29-1122.01
Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists
Provide therapy to patients with visual impairments to improve their functioning in daily life activities. May train patients in activities such as computer use, communication skills, or home management skills.
Median wage
$98,340
$67,090–$129,830
Projected growth
+13.8%
Faster than average
Annual openings
2,210
per year
Employed (US)
152,280
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
110 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningSpeakingLearning StrategiesSocial PerceptivenessInstructingService OrientationReading ComprehensionActive Learning
Knowledge areas
English LanguageEducation and TrainingPsychologyTransportationCustomer and Personal Service
Technology & tools
Device drivers or system softwareData base user interface and query softwareComputer based training softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareInternet browser software
Representative tasks
Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, eleTrain clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Client functional assessments — conduct under clinical supervision using structured protocols to evaluate vision, orientation skills, and physical abilities in a supervised rehabilitation setting.Long cane techniques — demonstrate foundational diagonal and two-point touch methods under direct supervisor observation during simulated indoor travel exercises.Rehabilitation plans — assist in drafting individualized plans collaboratively with clients under supervisor guidance, incorporating assessment results and stated personal goals.Sensory information training — introduce clients to tactile and auditory cue recognition under clinical direction in a structured low-vision therapy environment.Assessment documentation — complete standardized forms and draft progress notes under review by a supervising therapist following each client evaluation session.Mobility device options — identify and describe the functional characteristics of long canes, human guides, and electronic travel aids during supervised client education sessions.Independent travel exercises — support simulated indoor travel scenarios under direct supervision to orient clients to basic route concepts in a clinical or campus setting.Active listening and rapport — apply structured interviewing techniques under mentorship to gather client history and mobility-related concerns during intake appointments.Assistive technology tools — utilize database and office suite software under guidance to record client data and retrieve relevant clinical resources in a rehabilitation agency.Professional knowledge integration — apply graduate-level coursework in psychology, counseling, and orientation and mobility theory to interpret client needs under supervisory debrief.
developing
Cane skills instruction — teach the full sequence of diagonal, two-point touch, and cane-with-guide techniques to clients with varying degrees of visual impairment across indoor and outdoor environments.Mobility device recommendation — evaluate and recommend appropriate devices, including dog guides, electronic travel aids, and adaptive mobility devices, with reduced oversight based on individual client assessment findings.Individualized rehabilitation planning — develop and adjust client-centered instructional plans collaboratively in response to reassessment data and evolving client goals within an outpatient or community rehabilitation program.Multi-sensory cue training — train clients to integrate tactile, auditory, olfactory, kinesthetic, and proprioceptive information into effective travel strategies across familiar community routes.Independent travel instruction — facilitate structured real-world travel exercises in urban and suburban environments, progressively reducing support as clients demonstrate route-learning competence.Clinical documentation — write thorough assessment summaries, progress reports, and follow-up outcome forms with minimal editorial revision, using agency-approved formats and electronic records systems.Adaptive mobility device training — provide systematic instruction in the use of electronic travel aids and other AMDs, modifying teaching strategies based on client learning pace and sensory profile.Problem-solving with clients — apply deductive reasoning to identify barriers to independent mobility and adjust intervention strategies within familiar clinical and community contexts.Collaborative team communication — coordinate with ophthalmologists, occupational therapists, and social workers, conveying client progress clearly through written reports and team meetings.Time and caseload management — prioritize and schedule assessment and training sessions efficiently across a caseload of clients with diverse visual and functional profiles in a community rehabilitation setting.
proficient
Comprehensive functional assessment — conduct autonomous, multi-domain evaluations of vision, cognition, social-emotional status, physical ability, and orientation skills for clients with complex or co-occurring conditions in diverse service environments.Complex cane and travel skill instruction — teach advanced cane techniques, route planning, and self-protective strategies to clients navigating non-familiar, high-traffic, and environmentally challenging travel situations.Technology-integrated mobility solutions — evaluate, recommend, and train clients in the full spectrum of adaptive mobility devices and electronic travel aids, including emerging systems, tailoring selection to individual functional profiles.Non-routine rehabilitation planning — design individualized, evidence-based rehabilitation programs for clients with atypical presentations, adjusting goals and modalities dynamically as clinical evidence and client feedback evolve.Advanced sensory training — develop and implement specialized curricula to maximize proprioceptive, kinesthetic, and remaining visual function for clients with progressive or complex visual conditions in community and independent living settings.Outcome-oriented documentation — produce high-quality clinical reports, funding justification letters, and follow-up outcome analyses that meet regulatory and third-party payer standards without supervisory review.Psychosocial support integration — apply counseling principles and social perceptiveness to address emotional adaptation, self-efficacy, and social participation barriers within a holistic vision rehabilitation framework.Systems-level problem analysis — analyze environmental, organizational, and systemic factors affecting client access to rehabilitation services, and design solutions that address root causes across a service area.Mentorship of emerging practitioners — supervise, coach, and formally evaluate practicum students and new staff in clinical settings, providing structured feedback grounded in occupational competency standards.Interdisciplinary program leadership — lead cross-disciplinary case conferences, contribute to care pathway development, and represent vision rehabilitation expertise in hospital, school, or community agency planning processes.
advanced
Program design and strategic direction — architect organizational vision rehabilitation service models aligned with evidence-based practice, regulatory requirements, and community needs across regional or national program portfolios.Workforce development — design and implement competency-based training curricula for orientation and mobility specialists and vision rehabilitation therapists, elevating professional standards across an agency or academic program.Policy and advocacy leadership — represent the profession before legislative bodies, accreditation organizations, and funding agencies to advance access, reimbursement, and standards for vision rehabilitation services.Research translation and knowledge generation — lead applied research or systematic program evaluations that produce publishable findings and directly inform clinical practice guidelines for the field.Advanced outcomes measurement — develop and institutionalize data-driven quality assurance frameworks using analytical and process-mapping software to monitor client outcomes and drive continuous improvement at an organizational scale.Executive-level interprofessional collaboration — build and sustain strategic partnerships with healthcare systems, educational institutions, and community organizations to integrate vision rehabilitation into broader continua of care.Technology innovation and adoption — evaluate and champion the integration of emerging assistive technologies, electronic travel aids, and digital rehabilitation platforms into clinical service delivery at an enterprise level.Organizational culture and ethics — establish and model professional, ethical, and empathic standards of practice, setting institutional norms that foster client-centered, equitable, and trauma-informed rehabilitation environments.Complex resource allocation — oversee budget planning, grant acquisition, and staff deployment for multidisciplinary vision rehabilitation programs serving large, diverse populations with varied funding mechanisms.Field-level thought leadership — deliver keynote scholarship, publish professional guidance, and chair national committees that shape the theoretical and practical direction of orientation, mobility, and vision rehabilitation practice.
Also known as
20 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT)Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS)Global Mobility SpecialistVision TherapistOrientation SpecialistBlind Orientation and Mobility Therapist (Blind O and M Therapist)Rehabilitation TeacherVision SpecialistCertified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT)Orientation and Mobility Specialist (O and M Specialist)Low Vision TherapistStudents with Visual Impairments Teacher (TVI)Rehabilitation SpecialistRehabilitation TherapistOrientation and Mobility Instructor (O and M Instructor)Visually Impaired Teacher (TVI)Mobility SpecialistVision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT)Mobility ProfessionalOrientation And Mobility Therapist For The Blind