Acoustic Virtual Training for the Blind

Abstract

Individuals who are blind or visually impaired learn to rely on their sense of hearing to compensate for their lack of vision.Learn- ing to“see” using the ears is difficult, and requires considerable time and experience. Fortunately, training programs for the blind, referred to as Orientation and Mobility (OM), have been widely implemented at educational institutions all over the world.In the USA, and many other countries, OM training is provided over the entire course of a student’s public school education. Profes- sionals who provide OM training are known as Orientation and Mobility Training Specialists. OM skill training is defined as “the process of instructing individuals who are visually impaired to maximize the use of their remaining senses to move about freely within their environment” (Blash, Weiner, Welsh, 1997; LaGrow & Weessies, 1994)...