COMS: Please support the O&M profession by taking the beta COMS exam
Please read this important message from the ACVREP President on how you can shape the future of the COMS exam and how participating in the beta exam can contribute to your COMS recertification.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Some great CPD courses to keep you up-to-date:
- Blind and Low Vision Masterclass Series 2022
- Topic 5 – Adjusting the AT instructive method to suit the individual (1 point) – starts 14 October 2022
- CVI Scotland online video series (7 points)
- Charge Syndrome Australasia online course (reapproved for 12 points from 4 Jan 2022).
If you’re looking for other CPD opportunities, remember to check the OMAA website for suggestions where you’ll find many great course and conference options listed for your convenience.
Are you hosting or attending an upcoming CPD event? Would you like to be able to earn points towards ACVREP recertification at the same time? Click here to find out how you can register your event.
Upcoming Conferences
- CVI: Collaboration for Change Conference, 26-28 June 2022, Boston USA. This conference aims for the community of educators, families and medical professionals to work together toward a better understanding of Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairment. Virtual tickets are available for a lower cost, which will provide participants access to the recorded sessions after the event. Read more and register here.
- 11th National Deafblind Conference, 30 June – 1 July 2022. The first national Australian deafblind conference in six years! For more information, click here.
- The American Conference on Pediatric Brain-based Visual Impairment (PCVI), 23-24 July 2022. This conference advances knowledge of PCVI through the multidisciplinary sharing of research, education, and information. Presenters include Dr Nicola McDowell and Jessica Marquardt who is a parent advocate for children with CVI and creator of the Kaleidoscope podcast. More information and registration details here.
- OMAA Online Symposium, 30 September 2022. SAVE THE DATE for the OMAA online symposium on 30 September 2022 from 10am – 6pm (AEDT). The OMAA Symposium will be hosted by NextSense Institute, via Zoom. This year’s symposium theme is Future Proof – addressing future client needs. The OMAA Professional Development team is thrilled to announce that Dr Amanda Lueck has been secured as keynote speaker. Dr Lueck is an expert on visual impairment, particularly the effects of early brain injury on vision in children and its educational consequences. She is a Professor Emeritus of Special Education, San Francisco State University and co-author of ‘Vision and the Brain: Understanding Cerebral Visual Impairment in Children’. We are very excited to have her engage with our O&M community in Australasia! Registration and presentation or exhibiting submission is now open. To register please visit the OMAA or NextSense website.
Community of Practice Meeting
Save the date! The next Community of Practice Meeting will be held on Tuesday 19 July 2022, 1-2.30pm AEST. The topic will be Formulating abstracts and presenting at conferences. We will have the privilege of hearing from Dr Bronwen Scott, and her extensive experience in this area. Check out the Community of Practice Meetings page for more details.
Job Vacancies
Have you looked at the Job Vacancies page on the OMAA website recently? Would you like to be involved in O&M training? The University of New South Wales are seeking expressions of interest from O&M specialists keen to provide blindfold training to current and future student cohorts of the O&M Graduate Diploma. Further information can be found on the Job Vacancies page.
Technology
- Ara product launch: According to the company that developed it, Ara is a wearable, hands-free device with an innovative array of sensors that work by sending real-time information that detect obstacles at the head, chest and below — including oncoming bumps, holes, overhanging objects and steps. The device provides haptic feedback. The company claims “it is an intuitive device to use and easy to learn in less than two minutes. It is designed for all ages and abilities, and offers obstacle detection, stair detection, advanced haptic feedback, straight line navigation and orientation. It can also distinguish between physical objects and people.” Ara currently retails at $620 USD and is available for pre-order. Read more at this website.
- Another new technology for hazard avoidance currently at trial stage is discussed at the Cool Blind Tech website.
Other news
- You might like to read a new novel about vision impairment.
- Or you might find this new Australian book interesting. According to the publisher: “Parents who identify as Deaf, disabled or chronically ill share the highs and lows of their parenting journeys, and reveal that the greatest obstacles lie in other people’s attitudes.”
- Did you know that a blind man has broken the driving speed record?
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