Orientation & Mobility Seminar

Current and future guide dog applicants are invited along with their Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) to stay 3 days at our campus. Exercises to prepare for the transition from cane to guide dog will be emphasized, including, but not limited to straight line of travel, auditory skills, spatial awareness, time-distance, and Juno walks (simulated dog walks). During the seminar, the COMS will be coached by a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) and learn how to use Juno walks to prepare their students for a guide dog. Both the student and COMS will have the opportunity to walk with a guide dog and observe what it is like to teach both a familiar and unfamiliar route. Participants will be invited to groom, feed, water, park, and engage in structured playtime with a dog to expose them to some of the everyday responsibilities of caring for a guide dog.

By the end of the program, both the applicant and instructor will have a better understanding of what it is like to transition from cane to guide dog as a primary mobility aid and will be well equipped to continue to practice and prepare for the transition once they return home. COMS will be eligible to receive 13 CEUs.