Our students have completed their practical training, all blindfolded!

Our student Orientation and Mobility Practitioners have completed their practical and theory exams for this semester. This semester was three months long and included over 40 hours of blindfold training in a variety of situations. They learn how to navigate different situations as a ‘blind’ white cane user, such as busy areas, shopping centres, escalators, traffic light crossings, suburban blocks, different cane techniques for different situations etc. They also learn how to teach this to someone who is blind, so they have opportunities to teach each other.

Their final exam made them combine all these skills to show that they can navigate and use the white cane techniques as a blind person would. They had to walk a route in the busy Norwood streets using a white cane and wearing a blind fold. They had to combine and use the correct techniques and skills they had been taught during their training. They were accompanied by their assessor and the moderator at all times.