Healthcare Practitioners
Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists
Also called: Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT), Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS), Mobility Specialist, Orientation and Mobility Instructor (O and M Instructor)
US median pay
$100,330
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+14.8%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
10,000
169,600 employed
Typical entry education
Master's degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Provide therapy to patients with visual impairments to improve their functioning in daily life activities. May train patients in activities such as computer use, communication skills, or home management skills.
What they do day to day
- Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.
- Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
- Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
- Develop rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients, based on results of assessments, needs, and goals.
- Write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes.
- Train clients to use tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information.
- Assess clients' functioning in areas such as vision, orientation and mobility skills, social and emotional issues, cognition, physical abilities, and personal goals.
- Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises.
- Teach self-advocacy skills to clients.
- Provide consultation, support, or education to groups such as parents and teachers.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.9/5
- Service Orientation3.9/5
- Instructing3.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.5/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4/5
- Persuasion3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Systems Evaluation3.0/5
Knowledge
- English Language4.3/5
- Education and Training4.2/5
- Psychology3.8/5
- Transportation3.7/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.6/5
- Therapy and Counseling3.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Master's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Master's degree57%
- Post-baccalaureate certificate22%
- Bachelor's degree17%
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.