SOMA Program 2022

SATURDAY, December 10, 2022

9 AM - 5 PM - By reservation only - must have passed online segment
• Assessing and addressing proprioceptive deficiencies to improve O&M skills - Dr. Sandra Rosen
  Facilitators: Dr. Amy Parker, Dr. Tessa McCarthy, Dr. Dawn Anderson, Dona Sauerburger
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2
  Sometimes our students are unable to develop good cane skills or perform other O&M techniques simply because of proprioceptive deficiencies. This can be a problem affecting children as well as adults, especially if they have low muscle tone. This groundbreaking workshop will present Dr. Sandra Rosen's Proprioceptive Facilitation (PF) procedures for assessing proprioceptive function and intervening to address any proprioceptive deficiencies quickly and efficiently. The facilitators will monitor and provide feedback to the participants as they practice the procedures.
  
  

SUNDAY, December 11, 2022

8:30-10:15 - General session - ROOM Gasparilla 1,2
• Creative O&M lessons - Tommy Strasz, Kristy Plesscher & Garret Waldie
  Whether it is dealing with virtual instruction, inclement weather, or unique learning styles, we are challenged to maintain engagement while meeting learning objectives. This session will cover the collaborative process used to develop an escape room, cane obstacle course, and more.
• Exhibitor Highlights
  Our exhibitors will share what innovations or treasures we can find at the exhibit tables this year! You can take a peek by scrolling down on the SOMA Exhibitor webpage
  
  
10:15-10:45 BREAK - snacks in exhibit area!

10:45-12:00 Concurrent Session A (part 1)
• O&M for students with Cortical Visual Impairment - Dawn Anderson and Rob Wall Emerson
  ROOM: Gasparilla 3,4 {Presented once!)
  This session will review primary characteristics of cortical visual impairment (CVI) and how these characteristics intersect with O&M instruction. Reference will also be made to a current national project providing training in teaching children with CVI.
• Uncontrolled crossings -- let's keep it simple! - Jolene Troisi and Dona Sauerburger
  ROOM: Bayshore 3,4,5 (repeated after lunch)
  We're excited to introduce and let you practice using a streamlined process to help students learn to deal with crossings without traffic control. This process took 20 years to simplify (no more TMAD!), and includes a flowchart to help students determine if they can be confident that it's clear to cross when quiet.
• O&M Tech Smackdown - Andrea Wallace
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 (repeated after lunch)
  O&M instructors will participate in an interactive session that will involve discussion and demonstration of various technology that can be used to deliver and enhance O&M instruction. Participants are expected to share their innovative and motivating ideas with the group.
• Orienting dog guide users to new environments - Lukas Franck
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 (repeated after lunch)
  Landmarks and clues described by O&M specialists often do not "translate" well into the guide dog "dialect". This presentation combines a review of basics with video-based analyses of landmarks and clues available to dog guide travelers in both simple and more complex environments. We end with a Kahoot! Quiz that ties everything together.
  
  
  
12:00-1:30 LUNCH (on your own)

1:30-2:45 Concurrent Session A (part 2)
• Psychosocial effects and safety in O&M during and after Covid-19 - Justin Kaiser, Danene Fast, Stephanie Welch-Grenier
  ROOM: Gasparilla 3,4 {Presented once!)
  This presentation focuses on the psychological and social effects of COVID-19 on O&M services regarding students, families, and professionals. Individual's health, well-being, and ability to complete aspects of O&M lessons were all affected. Presenters will discuss how professionals can manage and address these needs within O&M instruction after COVID restrictions have ended.
• Uncontrolled crossings -- let's keep it simple! - Jolene Troisi and Dona Sauerburger
  ROOM: Bayshore 3,4,5 (same as before lunch)
• O&M Tech Smackdown - Andrea Wallace
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 (same as before lunch)
• Orienting dog guide users to new environments - Lukas Franck
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 (same as before lunch)
  
  
  
2:45-3:15 BREAK - snacks in exhibit area!

3:15-4:15 Concurrent Session B (part 1)
• Audible beaconing APS aid wayfinding at complex street crossings - Beezy Bentzen
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 {Presented once!)
  Do your students sometimes need to cross streets where there are no good cues for alignment, and no or inconsistent traffic on a parallel street? Do they have trouble veering when crossing wide streets? Learn about an effective solution, validated by research, that you can request at signalized intersections.
• 3D Printing for O&Ms - Amanda Thompson
  ROOM: Gasparilla 3,4 (repeated at 4:30)
  Using 3D printing to make exterior and interior maps with (or without) readable and lasting Braille and high contrast for those with low vision. You don't have to be a programmer or computer whiz to create functional prints for O&M!
• Considerations for keeping ALL itinerant staff safe in today's world - Tiffany Conrad, Samantha Kelly and Sidnaya Ginzburg Schweitzer
  ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6 (repeated at 4:30)
  Discussion of unique challenges itinerants face on a daily basis. Safety considerations for itinerant staff in all environments: homes, schools, community. Many employers do not address how to work safely. Time to think differently and take steps to protect itinerants. How to evaluate and improve work conditions based on specific needs.
• Arizona O&M: Adventure and discovery in the heart of the Grand Canyon - Alex Fabrega
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 (repeated at 4:30)
  You think street-crossings are tough? Wait till you hear about navigating in the Grand Canyon with 13 visually imapired kids! Come hear stories and try out some of the strategies, including backpack guiding and leading students along a cliff face.
  
  
4:30-5:30 Concurrent Session B (part 2)
• The upcoming Foundations of O&M Book: What's new and different - William Wiener and Rob Wall Emerson
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 {Presented once!)
  The fourth edition of Foundations of Orientation and Mobility will be available in 2023 and has been updated to include the latest research. We will provide information on what is new Fifferent in the the various chapters.
• 3D Printing for O&Ms - Amanda Thompson
  ROOM: Gasparilla 3,4 (same as presented at 3:15)
• Considerations for keeping ALL itinerant staff safe in today's world - Tiffany Conrad, Samantha Kelly and Sidnaya Ginzburg Schweitzer
  ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6 (same as presented at 3:15)
• Arizona O&M: Adventure and discovery in the heart of the Grand Canyon - Alex Fabrega
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 (same as presented at 3:15)
  
  
  
5:30- 7:00 RECEPTION in Exhibitors' area

MONDAY, December 12, 2022

8:30-9:45 Concurrent Session C (part 1)
• O&M Referral process: Policy and practice - Justin Kaiser and Tina Herzberg
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 {Presented once!)
  O&M specialists can work effectively together with teachers of students with visual impairments to ensure appropriate referrals and in-depth O&M assessments. The presentation will focus on implications from research and practical strategies for practitioners to collaborate.
• O&M Distance consultation in action: What are we learning? - Amy T. Parker, Katie Ericson,
  ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6 (presented again at 10:15)
  The exploration of distance consultation and practice for delivering O&M services began years ago, and intensified during the pandemic. Participants will consider the research, practice, innovations, and AERBVI position paper on using distance O&M consultation and service; experience an O&M distance lesson with their partner, and discuss the challenges and benefits.
• Beyond hand’s reach: O&M tools to achieve static balance for toddlers with visual impairment- Grace Ambrose-Zaken
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 (presented again at 10:15)
  Interactional presentation discusses achieving independent walking in blind toddlers. I offer a new theory of why blind children continue to cruise furniture and need a hand for walking after it is age appropriate. My many studies support "theory of haptic feedback for static standing" the key to age-appropriate independent walking.
• Move with purpose - Sue Glaser
  ROOM: Gasparilla 3,4 (presented again at 10:15)
  Increasing exposure to a variety of movement activities can reinforce O&M skills, and more movement can lead to more exploration, more self-confidence, more experiences, more life! This session will provide a variety of ways to incorporate O&M skills into fun activities, both face-to-face and virtual, with opportunities for attendees to practice and brainstorm.
  
  
9:45-10:15 BREAK - snacks in exhibit area!

10:15-11:30 Concurrent Session C (part 2)
• A decade of long cane research: What have we learned? - Rob Wall Emerson
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 {Presented once!)
  This session will focus on the general findings of more than 10 years of research by Dr. Wall Emerson and Dr. Kim at WMU to study the effect of factors such as cane length, tips, shaft material as well as user's age, training, walking speed and cane technique on the ability to detect drop-offs and obstacles.
• O&M Distance consultation in action: What are we learning? - Amy T. Parker, Katie Ericson,
  ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6 (same as presented at 8:30)
• Beyond hand’s reach: O&M tools to achieve static balance for toddlers with visual impairment- Grace Ambrose-Zaken
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 (same as presented at 8:30)
  
• Move with purpose - Sue Glaser
  ROOM: Gasparilla 3,4 (same as presented at 8:30)
  
  
1:00-2:00 Concurrent Session D (part 1)

• Tactile Walking Surface Indicators: What, Where, Why and How - Beezy Bentzen and Jennifer Graham
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 {Presented once!) Three kinds of Tactile Walking Surface Indicators - truncated dome detectable warnings; raised bar tactile direction indicators; and raised trapezoidal tactile warning delineators. Learn what research tells us about when each is appropriate and helpful. Advocate for installation where they are needed.
• Roadmap to an O&M Professional Learning Community - Anne Zanger and Rikilynn Layher
  ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6 (presented again at 2:15)
  Are you feeling isolated as an O&M, struggling to address big city needs in small-town environments, needing to get re-energized? We’ve been there, and found a solution – an O&M Professional Learning Community. In this session, we’ll share what worked for us and help you start addressing the needs in your area!
• Map Creator applications - Howard Kaplan
  ROOM: Gasparilla 3,4 (presented again at 2:15)
  Presentation will be on the development, user-testing / feedback, and interactive session for individuals wanting to find out more about the applications.
• NFC Tags: Old Tech with Renewed Purposes - Amanda Thompson
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 (presented again at 2:15)
  Not sure what NFC (near field communication) tags are? Think Apple Pay! Today, almost every smart phone and tablet has an NFC reader built in. Come learn how NFC tags work in an interactive scavenger hunt, program your own NFC tag, and brainstorm ways to use the tags for O&M purposes.
  
  
2:15-3:15 Concurrent Session D (part 2)

• What Juno about Juno? - Garret Waldie, Tommy Strasz, Kristy Plesscher
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 {Presented once!)
  This session will cover the skills needed to assess guide dog readiness with a Juno walk (simulated guide dog travel), how to conduct a Juno walk, and an opportunity for COMS to put what they have learned during the session into practice.
• Roadmap to an O&M Professional Learning Community - Anne Zanger and Rikilynn Layher
  ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6 (same as presented at 1:00)
• Map Creator applications - Howard Kaplan
  ROOM: Gasparilla 3,4 (same as presented at 1:00)
• NFC Tags: Old Tech with Renewed Purposes - Amanda Thompson
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 (same as presented at 1:00)
  
  
3:15-3:45 BREAK - snacks in exhibit area!

3:45-4:30 Concurrent Session E (part 1)

• Bicycles and vision disabled pedestrians—a dangerous mix - Linda Myers and Jennifer Graham
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 {Presented once!)
  At separated bike lanes it's hard to find crossings and to determine when it's safe to cross. What cues can we expect to be able to use, and what environmental modifications can help?
• Accessible indoor wayfinding technology - Michael May
  ROOM: Gasparilla 3,4 {Presented again 4:45)
  The latest indoor navigation and mapping technologies are finally becoming commercialized in airports, malls, universities and other large buildings. This session provides an overview of the technologies and components of indoor navigation: Positioning, Mapping, and the User Interface. These will be compared to outdoor navigation, including the strengths and weaknesses of both.
• Tips and Take-Aways for Effective Distance Consultation: What Worked and Didn't Work for Families - Matt Bullen, Faith Yeung, Angelica Inman, Kelsey Ostrander
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 {Presented again 4:45)
  The purpose of our qualitative study was to explore what distance-based consultation practices have been supportive to students with visual impairments and their families. Using purposive sampling, interviews, and qualitative analysis, we found that supportive approaches for distance consultation included parental involvement and participation, as well as tailored instructional approaches and accommodations for the student. In some instances, distance consultation (DC) was identified as being more supportive for immune-compromised children. Negative facets of the practice included diminished richness in socializing, and the lack of certain strengths of in-person education and therapy. Families’ experiences ranged from finding DC helpful to considering the practice as unfit for their child’s education as well as a poor fit for family life
• Become invulnerable to defeat - Dona Sauerburger
  ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6 {Presented again 4:45)
  Defeat is not an event, it is a feeling. This workshop, based on Dr. Jean-Robert Bayard's book (free copy for all conference attendees), is designed to help you in your efforts, be they to provide O&M or advocate for better services or change our world, and gain, as a previous participant said, "a renewed spark of hope and energy."
  
  
4:45-5:30 Concurrent Session E (part 2)
• Florida Cane Quest! Motivating students for O&M - Sue Glaser and Andrea Wallace
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 {Presented once!)
  A Regional Cane Quest competition is a great way to motivate students in grades 3-12 to learn and practice basic orientation and mobility skills, ultimately promoting self-determination. Students are expected to demonstrate proper technique, use assertive communication, and take initiative to earn prizes. Practice some of these skills with us!
• Accessible indoor wayfinding technology - Michael May
  ROOM: Gasparilla 3,4 {same as presented at 3:45)
• Tips and Take-Aways for Effective Distance Consultation: What Worked and Didn't Work for Families - Matt Bullen, Faith Yeung, Angelica Inman, Kelsey Ostrander
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 {same as presented at 3:45)
• Become invulnerable to defeat - Dona Sauerburger
  ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6 {same as presented at 3:45)

TUESDAY, December 13, 2022

8:00/8:30-9:45 Concurrent Session Group F (Part 1)
NOTE DIFFERENT STARTNG TIMES!
• Traffic engineering and O&M: Cultivating collaboration - John Hibbard
  8:00-9:45
  ROOM: Gasparilla 1,2 {Presented once!)
  discuss how traffic signals and timing/actuation work. This introductory session for the Janet Barlow Collaborative Initiative is open to all participants (note early starting time!)
• Teaching basic O&M skills in schools as a cane user - Erika Fundelius and Elaine Mara
  8:30-9:45
  ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6 {presented again at 10:00)
  How do you teach basic O&M skill (e.g., human guide, protective techniques) or guide a peer when you are blind or have low vision? This session will share strategies for cane user guides and future low vision TVIs we found that can help retaining one's independence while retaining safety.
  
  
10:00-4:00
• Janet Barlow Collaborative Initiative
  Room: Gasparilla 1,2 (BY RESERVATIONS ONLY}
  
  
10:00-11:15 Concurrent Session F (part 2)
• Teaching cane skills systematically while enhancing motivation - Dona Sauerburger
  ROOM: Bayshore 1,2,3 {Presented once!)
  Together we'll discuss what we can expect of students in various stages of learning to use a cane; what they need in order to advance to the next stage; and how we can enhance their motivation to learn it (hint: Giving prizes and tokens can inadvertently suppress intrinsic motivation!).
• Teaching basic O&M skills in schools as a cane user - Erika Fundelius and Elaine Mara
  ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6 {same as presented at 8:30)
  
  
11:30-12:30 O&M Cracker-barrel discussions - Anne (Nan) McMillan, Facilitator
ROOM: Bayshore 4,5,6
By now, our minds are blown with all that we've learned and shared at SOMA this year! So let's get together for a lively discussion on O&M topics that YOU choose. The first few minutes we'll collect ideas for topics and then vote on what to talk about, and away we'll go!