Orientation and Mobility Specialist (immediate hiring for Part Time or Full Time)

Company Description

Who we are: KIPP St. Louis is a part of a national network of free, open-enrollment, public charter schools offering a choice to families and children in St. Louis city. As the largest charter school system in the city, we are driven and committed to our mission, vision, and equity statement.

Mission: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Vision: Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities.

Equity Statement: KIPP St. Louis is committed to becoming an anti-racist and anti-sexist organization by confronting inequities, barriers, and oppressive policies and systems.

KIPP St. Louis currently educates over 2,000 students and at full growth, we will educate nearly 3,600 students and hundreds of alumni. Today, our St. Louis network consists of two middle schools, three elementary schools, and a high school. 

Job Description

Provides itinerant orientation and mobility services to visually impaired students in order to improve mobility and independent functioning. Assesses visually impaired students to determine eligibility for service. Provides consultative service to school staff and parents within the region of KIPP St. Louis Public Schools. Participates in the multi-disciplinary team process and individual educational programming activities for students where relevant.

• Demonstrated knowledge of:

• federal, state and local mandates governing the implementation of special education programs.
• laws and regulations that affect orientation and mobility services.
• principles, techniques, equipment, and literature used in providing orientation and mobility services.
• major theories and intervention strategies with educational implications for students with visual impairments.
• effective behavior management skills and training techniques.
• how to prepare and use equipment and materials, such as tactile maps, models, optical devices, pre-canes, global positioning system (GPS) devices, and long canes for the development of orientation and mobility skills.
• braille, basic orientation, mobility, and adaptive technology skills.
• professional resources pertinent to the orientation and mobility profession.
• basic principles of learning theories and their implications for orientation and mobility training.
• how to plan and conduct orientation and mobility assessments and programs.

• Demonstrated ability to:

• provide effective orientation and mobility training.
• develop effective treatment plans and service.
• provide for student safety during orientation and mobility instruction and in other environments while fostering maximum independence during orientation and mobility training.
• provide orientation of new buildings and class schedules to students with visual impairments as needed.
• document progress and relate it to students’ goals and objectives.
• use assistive technology with students with visual impairments.
• appropriately and correctly model orientation and mobility techniques for students, parents, teachers, and other school staff.
• maintain accurate records.
• assess the effectiveness of activities.
• use a personal computer.
• understand and follow oral or written directions.
• communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Possession of a valid Orientation and Mobility Specialist certificate issued by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP).

• Possession of a valid National Orientation Mobility certificate (NOMC) issued by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board.

• Two years of full-time, paid, professional experience as a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist working in schools with school-age students, which has included working with students with blindness/visual impairment and multiple disabilities, and writing IEP goals.

Additional Information

What we bring to the table:

We are a fast paced, energetic team and family with passionate people who are leading a movement and to cultivate the their best working environment we provide the following:

• $0 deduct