The Voices of Orientation and Mobility Specialists Who Instruct Individuals with Deafblindness

Abstract Deafblindness is a combined loss of vision and hearing that significantly impacts individuals access to environmental and communication information. Despite the complexity of Deafblindness, limited research exists about how orientation and mobility specialists use instruction for their learners. This qualitative study explored instructional strategies, assistive technology, and supports orientation and mobility specialists use when teaching individuals with Deafblindness. Six certified orientation and mobility specialists with one to 40 years of experience participated in semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom. Interview data were transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed using a phenomenological approach. Four major themes: teaching strategies, communication, supports, and assistive technology/equipment emerged. Participants emphasized individualized instruction integrating tactile and kinesthetic methods, Protactile communication (a socio-political movement grounded in constant physical contact, co-presence, and a continuous stream of tactile information), and consent-based touch (Lu et al., 2025). Protactile was developed by people with DB, and is a combination of American Sign Language and touch (Morrison & Voight-Campbell, 2017). Communication strategies included tactile and visual sign language, communication cards, interpreters, and technology-facilitated methods such as relay software and braille displays. Supports included intervenors, co-navigators, interpreters trained in instructional techniques, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Assistive technology ranged from traditional canes and tactile maps to smartphone-based GPS and relay apps, with an emphasis on individualized, flexible applications. Findings underscore the need for orientation and mobility curricula to be modified for learners with Deafblindness, prioritizing multimodal communication, collaborative support, and adaptive use of technology. Implications include the importance of training orientation and mobility specialists in specific strategies and conducting future research involving direct observation and input from individuals who are Deafblind.