People with Visual Impairment and Additional Disabilities and Orientation and Mobility

Općepoznato je kako sve veći broj osoba oštećena vida ima još neku dodatnu utjecajnu teškoću. To mogu biti intelektualne teškoće, poremećaji iz autističnog spektra, cerebralna paraliza, oštećenja CNS-a, emocionalne teškoće, oštećenja sluha i različiti sindromi i bolesti. Teškoće prisutne kod jedne osobe ne predstavljaju samo jednostavan zbroj istih, nego utječu jedna na drugu i kao takve utječu na sva područja života osobe pa tako i na područje orijentacije i kretanja. Cilj ovog rada je, kroz pregled dostupne literature u Hrvatskoj i svijetu, vidjeti koje su specifičnosti ove populacije, kako se te specifičnosti odražavaju na područje orijentacije i kretnja te koje su tehnike i strategije prikladne za rad s ovom populacijom. U istraživanjima se poseban naglasak stavlja na heterogenost ove populacije pa time i na individualnost u poučavanju. Stoga je na samom početku važno provesti kvalitetnu i sveobuhvatnu procjenu, a predložen je tijek i instrumenti za izvođenje iste. Kako govorimo o populaciji koja često ima teškoće s izražavanjem vlastitih želja i potreba, ali i u komunikaciji s osobama u svojoj okolini, odabir prikladnog načina komunikacije trebao bi biti prvi korak u treningu orijentacije i kretanja. Odabir prikladnih strategija orijentacije i kretanja ovisit će o kognitivnim sposobnostima osobe, o njezinoj pokretljivosti (kreće li se osoba samostalno ili korištenjem nekog pomagala), motivaciji, podršci i dobi. Svaki od tih faktora uzet je u obzir i opisne su neke od strategija koje predlažu istraživanja. Ono što je zajedničko svim osobama oštećena vida s dodatnim utjecajnim teškoćama je duže trajanje treninga, kraći satovi treninga, rastavljanje zadataka na manje korake, češća ponavljanja, rad na podizanju motivacije i odabir asistivne tehnologije koja će osigurati što veću razinu samostalnosti osobe.It is a well-known fact that an increasing number of visually impaired persons have some additional disabilities. These can include intellectual disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, central nervous system disorders, emotional disabilities, hearing impairments, as well as various syndromes ad diseases. A person’s disabilities are not simply a sum of those disabilities, but they mutually affect one another, and as such they affect all areas of the person’s life, which includes orientation and mobility. The purpose of this paper is to acquaint the readers with the specificities of this population and how those specificities affect the population’s orientation and mobility, as well as with techniques and strategies which are appropriate when working with this population. This is done through an overview of Croatian and worldwide literature. In research available throughout the literature, special emphasis is put on the heterogeneity of this population, as well as on an individual instructional approach. That is why it is of extreme importance to carry out a quality and comprehensive assessment, and the course and instruments for carrying one out are provided in the paper. Due to the fact that this population often has difficulties when it comes to expressing their own desires and needs, as well as when communicating with people in their surroundings, the choice of an appropriate way of communications should be the first step in orientation and mobility training. The choice of appropriate orientation and mobility strategies will depend on the person’s cognitive abilities, mobility (whether a person moves on his or her own or with the help of an aid), motivation, support and age. Each of these factors is taken into consideration, and some of the instructional strategies suggested in some of the researches are described. What all visually impaired with additional disabilities have in common is longer training, shorter training periods, separating tasks into smaller steps, often repetitions, boosting motivation and choosing assistive technology which will allow a person greater independence