Working Together To Serve riders with
Disabilities and Older Adults
 Travel
Trainers
 Certified
Orientation &
Mobility
Specialists
(COMS®)

Travel trainers provide individuals with disabilities and older
adults with the necessary tools and techniques to independently
use public transit including but not limited to:
Planning Trips
Way Finding Techniques
Safe Traveling
Utilizing accessible equipment on buses
Communicating with operators transit staff and other
passengers
Properly advocating for ones self if issues arise on transit
Provide sequential instruction to individuals
with a visual impairment in the use of their
remaining senses to determine their position
within the environment and in techniques
for safe movement from one place to
another.
ATI considers travel instruction to be the professional activity
of teaching individuals with disabilities and older adults how to
access their environment and community and use public
transportation independently. The practice of travel instruction
as provided by a professional travel trainer requires knowledge
of human development and behavior, travel-related concepts
and skills, public transportation services, the natural and built
environment, paths of travel, and the interaction of these
dynamics.
Source: http://www.travelinstruction.org
…is a profession specific to blindness and low vision that teaches
safe, efficient, and effective travel skills to people of all ages:
"Orientation" refers to the ability to know where you are and
where you want to go, whether you're moving from one room to
another or walking downtown for a shopping trip.
"Mobility" refers to the ability to move safely, efficiently, and
effectively from one place to another, such as being able to walk
without tripping or falling, cross streets, and use public
transportation.
Source: www.visionaware.org
The combination of Orientation and
Mobility is a “fundamental and enabling
life skill”
Huebner & Wierner, 2005, p. 579
Orientation
The mental process by which we know where
we are in space in relationship to a significant
object in the environment and knowing how to
get there.

Mobility
The physical process by which we know how to
move safely efficiently, effectively, confidently
and independently as possible. (graceful
movements)

Confident &
Independent
Cane Traveler!
Orientation & Mobility (O&M) Specialists recognize the
significant role that independent movement plays in the overall
growth and functioning of the individual and are dedicated to
helping each individual attain the level of independence
necessary to reach his or her full potential.
O&M Specialists are committed to protect the rights of
individuals who must avail themselves to this particular service.
To assure the public of our awareness of this obligation, O&M
Specialists adhere to standards of acceptable behavior as
specified in the Code of Ethics included in the certification
handbook.



Concept Development,which includes body image,
spatial, temporal, positional, directional and
environmental concepts.
Motor Development, including motor skills needed
for balance, posture, and gait, as well as the use of
adaptive devices and techniques to assist those
with multiple disabilities.
Sensory Development, which includes visual,
auditory, vestibular, kinesthetic, tactile, olfactory,
and proprioceptive senses, and the
interrelationships of these systems.

Ability to provide high quality instruction to
riders.

An expanded wealth of information between
the two professions.

The opportunity to
learn from each other.




Providing personalized instruction to individuals in
natural environments.
Goal is for riders to be independent travelers through
teaching travel skills and reinforcing functional life
skills.
Assess functional skills.
Develop instructional strategies tailored
to the consumer’s strengths and needs.
COMS® may work with a consumer from the
time they are children to the time they are
adults. Any child born with a visual or hearing
impairment is served from birth to 22 years in
the education system.

Travel Trainers teach riders on a temporary basis.

Travel trainers teach riders about their environment
through the use of sight.

COMS® teaches a consumer/student about their
environment through the use of non-visual and
sensory information.
So you want to cross
a street safely?
 Travel
Trainers teach
emergency/contingency planning.
 COMS®
teach problem solving strategies.
 riders
with Visual Impairments
 riders
with Disabilities
 COMS®
and Travel Trainers

Proper assessment of skills and needs.
◦ Proper assessment of skills and needs.
◦ COMS® can assist travel trainer when assessing individuals with visual impairments to make sure
O&M skills are appropriate for traveling on public transportation independently.
◦ COMS® teams up with travel trainer to create individualized training plan for customer.
◦ If O&M instruction is needed, the customer may be referred for O&M instruction promptly.
◦ COMS® can assist travel trainer when assessing individuals with visual impairments to make sure
O&M skills are appropriate for traveling on public transportation independently.
◦ COMS® teams up with travel trainer to create individualized training plan for customer.
◦ If O&M instruction is needed, the customer may be referred for O&M instruction promptly.

Travel Trainers can teach O&M Specialist’s
about transit accessibility & ADA

COMS can teach Travel Trainers how to work
with riders with visual impairments through
non-visual techniques

Consider COMS® that you have had positive
working relationships with in the past.

Consider your network of colleagues (they may
have had positive working relationships with
COMS® in the past).

Consider outreach & networking.

“The professions of occupational therapy (OT),
physical therapy (physiotherapy) (PT), orientation and
mobility instruction (O&M), and travel instruction (TI),
have many opportunities for intersections to occur
when professionals from these fields are working with
individual clients. Most often, however, clients receive
treatment or service in discrete and unconnected
fashion, even if an individual client is receiving services
from professionals in each of these fields. We believe
that collaboration among these professionals inform
and edify one another’s practice and thereby, enhance
the overall service delivery for clients.”
Source: CEATI Website
(http://www.ceati-travelinstruction.org/education.html)
Marshall C. Burns, Mobility Coordinator, CCRTA
Direct: 361.903.3454
Email: mburns@ccrta.org
Larry Haile, Program Coordinator, MBTA
Direct: 617-222-4258
Email: lhaile@mbta.com