Department of Statistics, Data Science and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia.
Department of Computing, Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Kuching, Malaysia.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2022 Apr;17(3):260-267. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1785565. Epub 2020 Jul 9.
Orientation and Mobility (O&M) professionals teach people with low vision or blindness to use specialist assistive technologies to support confident travel, but many O&M clients now prefer a smartphone. This study aimed to investigate what technology O&M professionals in Australia and Malaysia have, use, like, and want to support their client work, to inform the development of O&M technologies and build capacity in the international O&M profession.
A technology survey was completed by professionals ( = 36) attending O&M workshops in Malaysia. A revised survey was completed online by O&M specialists ( = 31) primarily in Australia. Qualitative data about technology use came from conferences, workshops and interviews with O&M professionals. Descriptive statistics were analysed together with free-text data.
Limited awareness of apps used by clients, unaffordability of devices, and inadequate technology training discouraged many O&M professionals from employing existing technologies in client programmes or for broader professional purposes. Professionals needed to learn smartphone accessibility features and travel-related apps, and ways to use technology during O&M client programmes, initial professional training, ongoing professional development and research.
Smartphones are now integral to travel with low vision or blindness and early-adopter O&M clients are the travel tech-experts. O&M professionals need better initial training and then regular upskilling in mainstream O&M technologies to expand clients' travel choices. COVID-19 has created an imperative for technology laggards to upskill for O&M tele-practice. O&M technology could support comprehensive O&M specialist training and practice in Malaysia, to better serve O&M clients with complex needs.Implications for rehabilitationMost orientation and mobility (O&M) clients are travelling with a smartphone, so O&M specialists need to be abreast of mainstream technologies, accessibility features and apps used by clients for orientation, mobility, visual efficiency and social engagement.O&M specialists who are technology laggards need human-guided support to develop confidence in using travel technologies, and O&M clients are the experts. COVID-19 has created an imperative to learn skills for O&M tele-practice.Affordability is a significant barrier to O&M professionals and clients accessing specialist travel technologies in Malaysia, and to O&M professionals upgrading technology in Australia.Comprehensive training for O&M specialists is needed in Malaysia to meet the travel needs of clients with low vision or blindness who also have physical, cognitive, sensory or mental health complications.
定向与移动（O&M）专业人员教导低视力或失明人士使用专业助视技术以支持其自信出行，但现在许多 O&M 客户更喜欢使用智能手机。本研究旨在调查澳大利亚和马来西亚的 O&M 专业人员拥有、使用、喜欢哪些技术，以及他们希望用哪些技术来支持其客户工作，以为 O&M 技术的发展提供信息，并在国际 O&M 专业领域建立能力。
对参加马来西亚 O&M 研讨会的专业人员（ = 36）进行了一项技术调查。澳大利亚的 O&M 专家（ = 31）主要通过在线方式完成了修订后的调查。关于技术使用的定性数据来自 O&M 专业人员的会议、研讨会和访谈。对描述性统计数据和自由文本数据进行了分析。
许多 O&M 专业人员对客户使用的应用程序了解有限，设备购置费用高昂，技术培训不足，这使得他们不愿在客户项目或更广泛的专业领域中使用现有技术。专业人员需要学习智能手机的辅助功能和与旅行相关的应用程序，以及在 O&M 客户项目、初始专业培训、持续专业发展和研究中使用技术的方法。
现在，智能手机已成为低视力或失明人士出行不可或缺的工具，而早期采用者则是旅行技术专家。O&M 专业人员需要在初始培训中获得更好的技术培训，然后定期提高主流 O&M 技术方面的技能，以扩大客户的旅行选择。COVID-19 已经迫使技术落后者为 O&M 远程实践做好技能提升的准备。O&M 技术可以支持马来西亚全面的 O&M 专业人员培训和实践，以更好地满足具有复杂需求的 O&M 客户的需求。
大多数定向与移动（O&M）客户都在使用智能手机出行，因此 O&M 专家需要了解客户用于定向、移动、视觉效率和社交参与的主流技术、辅助功能和应用程序。技术落后的 O&M 专家需要在使用旅行技术方面得到人类引导的支持，而客户则是这方面的专家。COVID-19 已经迫使人们学习 O&M 远程实践技能。在马来西亚，O&M 专业人员和客户获取专业旅行技术以及 O&M 专业人员在澳大利亚升级技术的能力受到了成本因素的严重限制。马来西亚需要为 O&M 专家提供全面培训，以满足低视力或失明且伴有身体、认知、感官或心理健康并发症的客户的出行需求。
