POSITION TITLE (Oracle title)

TEACHER

WORKING TITLE

Orientation and Mobility Specialist

SCHOOL/DEPARTMENT

Special Education Services – Visually Impaired

LOCATION

Crossroads II, Cary, NC

PAY GRADE

Classroom Teacher Scale

FLSA STATUS

Exempt

ELIGIBILITY FOR EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT

Yes

WORK WEEK SCHEDULE

Monday-Friday (occasional evenings and weekends)

POSITION PURPOSE:

Provides itinerant orientation and mobility services for students with visual impairments to ensure safe and independent travel throughout school and community settings. Provides students with classroom adaptations and instruction to enable them to function socially and academically with their peers; collaborates with school staff, parents, students, agencies, and community members.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (KSAs)

• Extensive knowledge of current orientation and mobility methods and techniques;
• Extensive knowledge of state and federal regulations and school laws and policies related to special education services and related services;
• Considerable knowledge and understanding of braille, including Unified English Braille (UEB);
• Considerable knowledge of accessible software applications commonly used by students with visual impairments;

• Considerable knowledge of Microsoft Office, specifically Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point; Google Apps;

• Effective time management skills;
• Ability to work independently and complete tasks in the absence of clear direction;
• Ability to assess students with visual impairments to determine orientation and mobility needs to establish appropriate goals and objectives for orientation and mobility instruction;
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both in oral and written form using a variety of communication techniques and tools to ensure the appropriate flow of information, collaborative efforts, and feedback;
• Ability to work in a team environment;
• Ability to maintain accurate records;
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with school system staff, students, parents, external agencies, and the public.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in Special Education or related field.

CERTIFICATION AND LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

• Hold or be qualified to hold a North Carolina Professional Educator’s License in Visually Impaired (VI);
• Must hold and maintain a valid motor vehicle operator’s license according to the State of NC requirements.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in Special Education;
• Certification from Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP);
• Experience teaching students with visual impairments in the area of orientation and mobility;
• Two years of teaching experience.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides itinerant orientation and mobility services for students with visual impairments to ensure safe and independent travel throughout school and community settings.
2. Provides students with classroom adaptations and instruction to enable them to function socially and academically with their peers; collaborates with school staff, parents, students, and the community.
3. Performs assessments of students to determine appropriate visually impaired and orientation and mobility needs and develops appropriate VI goals to address student’s needs.
4. Provides students with the skills needed to establish and maintain orientation within an environment and move through it safely and efficiently.
5. Provides instructional resources, equipment, and materials related to student’s VI/orientation and mobility needs.
6. Provides teaching and instruction to students that enable them to effectively carry out daily activities in their school, home, and community environments.
7. Keeps accurate data on student progress and uses that data to develop appropriate Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) goals and orientation and mobility goals and objectives.
8. Compiles and submit reports in a timely manner based on observational data.
9. Collaborates with classroom teachers and other professionals to ensure students with visual impairments have access to all aspects of the curriculum; establishes a regular meeting schedule with students in collaboration with classroom teachers.
10. Communicates and works closely with parents and caregivers of students with VI to keep them informed of student progress and goals.
11. Attends required professional development and meetings as required including IEP meetings.
12. Perform other related duties, as assigned.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This job operates in a classroom environment and requires sitting and standing throughout the day. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, scanners, and copiers. The position, at times, must be able to come into direct contact with school system staff, staff members of external funding agencies, and the community. Work is considered medium physical work, requiring the exertion of up to 25 pounds. Travel within Wake County required.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  3/2024

DISCLAIMER:  The above statements are intended to describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this position.  They are not intended to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required by the employees assigned to this position.  This description may be revised by HR and approved at any time.