Workshops

During the registration process you may select a maximum of 2 workshops. Final confirmation of workshops will be given to participants 1 month prior to the Conference.

See PDF for full Workshop descriptions

Workshop 1 – Full

Mastering the environment through audition, kinesthesia and cognition: An O&M approach to guide dog travel

by Hélène Guérette (Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille) and Carole Zabihaylo (COMS, Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille)

DAY/TIME: Pre-conference, Monday July 6^th; 08:30 AM to 12:00 PM
DURATION: 3.5 hours (2.5-hour session & travel to/from simulation site)
Maximum 12 participants

Workshop 2

What’s the big idea? Preparing your work for publication in a professional journal

by Duane Geruschat (PhD, Former Editor in chief, JVIB) and Rebecca Burrichter (AFB Senior Editor)

DAY/TIME: Pre-conference, Monday July 6^th; 10:00 to 11:30 AM
DURATION: 90 minutes (including 30-minute hands-on activity)
No limit of participants

Workshop 3 – Full

Overview and field practice using a GPS to create routes and establish a position in space

by Craig Phillips (COMS, Craig Phillips Vision Services, LLC, Lenexa, KS)

DAY/TIME – Two (2) half-day sessions during the conference for the same group:

Part 3a: Pre-conference, Monday July 6^th; 9:30 to 12:00 PM
Part 3b: Wednesday, July 8^th; 1:30 to 5:00 PM

DURATION: Seven (7) hours needed for six (6) hours of instruction and a working lunch and breaks. Content divided between lecture and hands-on instruction on the street.
Maximum 10 participants

Workshop 4 – Full

Moving with the body in space: The use of yoga and dance to enhance the sensorimotor development of children with severe visual impairments

by Marie-Claude Lavoie (Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille) and Audrey Jolin (Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille)

DAY/TIME: Wednesday, July 8^th; 7:45 to 8:45 AM
DURATION: 1 hour
Maximum 25 participants

Workshop 5 – Full

Orientation and mobility practice with manual and motorized mobility aids

by Scott Crawford (COMS, CLVT, Affiliated Blind of Louisiana), with the collaboration of François Thibault (OT, Centre de réadaptation Lucie-Bruneau, Montréal)

DAY/TIME: Wednesday, July 8^th; 1:15 to 5:15 PM
DURATION: 2.5-3 hour-session, plus travel time to/from simulation site
Maximum 15 participants

Workshop 6 – Full

Improving mobility techniques through proprioceptive facilitation

by Sandra Rosen (PhD, San Francisco University), assisted by two (2) O&M specialists from Montréal (Marie-Claude Lavoie & Yolanta Niklewick)

DAY/TIME: Wednesday, July 8^th; 1:30 to 4:30 PM  
DURATION: 3 hours (1.5 hrs theory, 1.5 hrs hands-on session)
Maximum 30 participants

Workshop 7

Preparing students for uncontrolled crossings – Simulation and group lessons

by Dona Sauerburger (COMS), Denise Guitar (Blind Foundation, New Zealand), and Josée Martin (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, New Brunswick, Canada)

DAY/TIME: Wednesday, July 8^th; 1:30 to 4:30 PM
DURATION: 3 hours
No limit of participants

Workshop 8 – Full

Geocaching-Lessons for O&M: A practical, hands-on introduction to using Geocaching tools and lesson planning for O&M for students with visual impairment and blindness

by Margaret Robertson (Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, Boston, MA) and Michelle Antinarelli (Antinarelli Consulting, Upton, MA)

DAY/TIME: Wednesday, July 8^th; 1:30 to 4:30/5:00 PM
DURATION: 3-3.5 hours (may include travel to outdoor simulation site)
Maximum 15 participants

Workshop 9 – Full

Exploring the urban environment of Old Montréal

by Carole Zabihaylo (COMS, Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille), Agathe Ratelle (COMS, Université de Montréal), and Stéphane Larouche (MAB-McKay Rehabilitation Center, Montréal)

DAY/TIME: Thursday, July 9^th; 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
DURATION: 1.5 hours
Maximum 20 participants