This supplemental program is offered to students that are diagnosed as Low Vision or blind ages 12 through college graduation. We will be providing an initial O&M night evaluation with additional lessons available to attain night travel skills commensurate with daylight travel experience.

A Supplemental Program Providing O&M Evaluation and Instruction after Dark.

• This program is NOT intended to take the place of a current O&M instructor but to SUPPLEMENT by teaching skills for nighttime travel.
• Night O&M  Services will be provided free of charge to students residing in the state of Missouri (excluding the Kansas City Metro Area ) and the Illinois counties of Madison, Jersey, Monroe, St. Clair and Calhoun.
• To participate in this program a student must have a current IEP stating that Orientation and Mobility is provided (exceptions may apply) as well as the most current medical report from the student’s eye doctor.
• Lessons will take place outdoors in different locations depending on the location that the student is residing in. The student must find their own transportation to and from each lesson.
• Student’s will receive a written report after the evaluation as well as a report after the lessons are completed.

Paul Ehresman will be the instructor for this program. Paul has been a certified O&M Specialist since 1981. He taught O&M full time at the Missouri School for the Blind for 20 years and has worked for them as a substitute O&M, PE teacher, driver, chaperone, or coach in every sport as needed in the 10 years since his retirement. He  has worked as an independent contractor and has been one of the O&M Intern Supervisors in our STEP/SOAR program for the last 7 years. One of the components of SOAR is to provide night travel evaluations and possible lessons after dark for every student who has even a minimum of vision. Paul has written journal articles about aspects of O&M for professional publications and has presented at various local, national and international conferences to professionals working with people that are blind or visually impaired.                                 

• Please Note: This program is addressing extracurricular and non-academic setting and skills commensurate with “non-disabled peers”.
• The O&M specialist will not knowingly offer professional services to a person receiving O&M instruction from another O&M specialist, except by agreement with the other specialist or after the other specialist has ended instruction with the learner.
•  The O&M specialist will not assume responsibilities outside the Scope of Practice that are better provided by other professionals who are available to the learner.
•  The O&M specialist who is responsible for education and professional preparation programs will take reasonable steps to ensure that the programs are designed to provide the appropriate knowledge and proper experiences for students enrolled in such programs, and to meet the requirements for licensure, certification, or other goals for which claims are made by the program

To Apply:
Applications must be complete to be considered. The application, IEP and medical eye report is needed to complete the application. Please send your completed application along with all required documents to Lighthouse for the Blind, Attn: A Yorke, 10440 Trenton Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132 or email all paperwork to ayorke@lhbindustries.com

Click the link to print and complete the Night O&M Services Application