Bill > SR5

This Resolution urges the Department of Education to create and put into action a program to actively seek out and hire qualified blind individuals for roles such as Orientation and Mobility (O&M) instructors and other teaching positions for visually impaired students. The resolution highlights the effectiveness of the "Structured Discovery Cane Travel" method, which is taught by professionals holding the National Orientation and Mobility Certification (NOMC) and is based on the experiences of blind individuals. It notes that historically, the Department of Education has favored certifications like the Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS), which focuses on a vision-centered approach and often leads to the employment of non-blind instructors, thus limiting job opportunities for qualified blind professionals. While acknowledging recent progress in accepting NOMC credentials, the resolution calls for a more significant increase in the employment of blind instructors and requests a report from the Superintendent of Education detailing actions taken, progress made, and any legislative proposals to achieve this goal.