About Us
MISE is a group of professionals who work with Children & Young People (C&YP) who have a visual impairment. We have many different titles such as Rehabilitation Workers, Mobility Officers and O&M Teachers, depending on the context in which we work. See FAQsWe are all Mobility & Independence Specialists with one aim which is to maximise every child’s potential for independence.
Our work focuses on teaching Mobility and Independence skills and this is an essential component of The Specialist Curriculum for C&YP with a visual impairment. Our students are usually in the age range of birth to 19 years old although many Specialists also work with adults who have a visual impairment. A considerable proportion of the C&YP that we work with have additional disabilities such as physical and learning disabilities.
Mobility & Independence Curriculum - See Case Studies
‘Every child deserves to reach their potential for Independence and M&I Educators work towards this goal’ TAPS Curriculum, Texas School for the Blind & VIOrientation & Mobility is the Art of safe travel whatever the potential of the learners. It may be indoors or outdoors, walking or travelling in a wheelchair, making choices, taking responsibility and control.
The aim of this curriculum is to ensure that C&YP with a VI have safe access to their environment, at school, in their home and community. This promotes inclusion and provides skills that can be used throughout a person’s life.
After initial and ongoing assessment by a suitably qualified and experienced specialist, the programme followed will depend on the age and stage of the child, taking into account any other disabilities that a child may have.
All of the curriculum areas focus on functional activities that will increase independence and choice as well as an awareness of their environment. Although there are regional differences, the curriculum will broadly focus on the following areas:
Safe movement skills
This can range from reaching out and exploring the environment to skills which help a child to move safely outdoors, basic skills to move around indoors, spatial concepts, orientation strategies for increasingly complex environments and using an appropriate mobility device such as a long cane. Our C&YP also need strategies and practise regarding road and personal safety. This includes dealing with people appropriately when they offer help.Daily Living Skills
This can include personal care skills such as dressing, keeping clean and healthy and eating. It may also involve advising on basic food preparation and organisational skills.Social and Leisure Activities
Visual impairment has a huge affect on communication skills as non verbal communication such as gestures and facial expressions so often give meaning to our speech. It is essential that we help our C&YP to develop appropriate social skills. We can often help to encourage inclusion into community activities so that the C&YP develop a network of support and most importantly a way of having fun.Many people have a part to play in developing M&I skills and we work with families, school staff and other professionals to provide a source of advice and training in this specialist area. There are many resources which can help make independence possible in many areas. A growing area of work for us has been Environmental Audits, assessing accessibility of an area and advising on adaptations which will facilitate inclusion. The main driver for this has been the Disability Discrimination Act which requires accessibility compliance.
Mobility & Independence Specialists in Education (MISE)
MISE was set up as by a group of O&M specialists working in Special schools for V.I. around the UK. The original meeting took place at Dorton House School in November 1988. The group had been brought together to discuss the concept of a national O&M curriculum. Although we did not achieve our aim at the end of day two, we did decide that coming together and sharing ideas had been a very valuable experience. We all felt strongly that the group’s key role was to be independent, run by O&M specialists for O&M specialists working with children and young adults. As the group grew organisations such as the RNIB curriculum group asked for us for O&M input into their group and this led to affiliations with both the RNIB and VIEW. Is has grown and is now a national group, servicing all of the regions, consisting of over 100 members. All the members teach mobility and independence skills to children and young people in a variety of settings.As a group (join us) we meet twice yearly for a conference, inviting speakers from a variety of specialisms, covering recent developments in the field and related areas. The conference gives people the opportunity to share expertise and support each other in our practice.
Members are provided with an up to date database of the MISE membership.
All the regions have a representative and there are some groups who also meet to discuss regional developments.
The MISE group provides a focus for developments in the wider community and enables us to contribute to key policy areas. Most recently we are involved through the Chair with the Rehabilitation Projects Group which is undertaking a national review of Rehabilitation services. See News
If you are a professional involved in the field or would just like more information about the work that we do please Contact us and join us!
Mobility Education
MISE (Mobility & Independence Specialists in Education) is a national support and development group for all mobility officers, education rehab officers, teachers and others who specialise in mobility education for visually impaired children.Every visually impaired child should be provided with the necessary help to become as independent as possible. Such help is often provided informally, but increasingly, independence needs are being met systematically by mobility specialists. Their field of work, which is an essential component of the special curriculum for VI children, is concerned with all aspects of independence which may be adversely affected by impaired vision. It includes the understanding of indoor and outdoor environments and the art of safe travel on foot or using public transport as well as travel in a wheelchair.
Their field also includes independent life skills ranging from self help such as dressing, meal table, etc, to cookery, self presentation, social skills and recreation. It can also include curriculum support where visually impaired children are helped to play a full part in school activities such as PE, drama, and sports, alongside their sighted peers. Independent mobility is integral to a multitude of different activities at home, in school or in the community. Any one of these may require and receive specialist help.
Many people have a part to play in developing a child’s independent mobility. These include the class teacher, classroom assistants, and specialist teachers as well as parents, other family members, and other professionals. All can support the child and share in mobility teaching. The key role, however, is played by the mobility specialist who carries responsibility for developing resources and opportunities for learning, assessing the child’s mobility and independence needs and capabilities, draws up appropriate teaching programmes and who offers most if not all of the teaching. It is the specialist who supports and guides others in school and at home to share in the task.
Mobility for children has its roots in and shares the ultimate goals of traditional rehabilitation services for adults, but the needs of primary and pre-school children and of those who are multi-disabled visually impaired (MDVI), require a distinct approach to assessment and teaching, which responds appropriately to each child’s developmental needs. It is increasingly acknowledged that teaching should follow a mobility curriculum which enables them progressively to make sense of themselves, to learn to understand the layout of space, to recognise and understand the objects in it and to perfect the movements required for any activity. This approach which is relevant to VI children of all ages is known as mobility education.
The role of MISE
Mobility education is only now becoming widely available and it is still at a comparitively early stage of development. While much excellent work is already to be found throughout the country, there is still much to do. More work is needed to define the field, to establish an agreed mobility and independence curriculum, and to formulate an agreed system of assessment. There is a need to gather and disseminate information on innovations and well-established practice particularly with young visually impaired and MDVI children. There is also a need to review training opportunities for “old hands” as well as new entrants to the field. Above all, there is a need to support the growing numbers of mobility specialists as they tackle the many challenges arising from this new exciting field of work.The work of MISE covers the following:
(a) Ideas and SupportMISE provides ideas and support through an informal practitioner network, through formal learning opportunities and through an information exchange.
The informal practitioner network
MISE maintains a register of specialists in mobility education which is updated twice a year and is generally available, as are registration forms, from the secretary. The register carries sufficient information to permit direct contact between members by letter, phone or e-mail.
MISE has divided the country into geographical areas each of which is looked after by an area representative. Each “rep” keeps an ear to the ground and will make informal contact with newly appointed specialists offering the opportunity to link into MISE. Reps are available to offer or facilitate support to anyone in their area. Usually such contact is made by telephone although one-to-one or group meetings can be arranged.
Formal learning opportunities
MISE holds two formal meetings a year. The greater part of these meetings is given over to plenary sessions, “poster sessions” (short presentations usually on practice) and small group forums devoted to such topics as: organising a mobility education service, assessment, teaching strategies, curriculum development, specific needs groups such as wheelchair users or pre-school children, innovations and resources, and staff training. Topics are selected by the members.
Information exchange
Formal meetings are the main opportunity for exchanging information, but for those who can’t attend, full minutes are circulated together with any appropriate supplementary information.
(b) Developing Practice
MISE is concerned to promote best practice through curriculum development, publications, modest research initiatives and through contributions to training courses.Curriculum development
MISE is one of the 16 curriculum groups which are represented on EACAP, the Examinations, Assessment and Curriculum Advisory Panel of the RNIB/VIEW Curriculum Structure, but where the work of most of the other groups is tied closely to the National Curriculum there is at present no National Mobility Curriculum. The formulation of a suitable curriculum is a priority task for MISE.
Publications
MISE encourages and supports those members who are interested to write about practice either for established journals such as Visability or for occasional practice papers produced by MISE.
Research
MISE aims to encourage, assist in and publicise research which provides a greater understanding of children’s mobility and independence needs and ways to meet them.
Training initiatives
MISE wishes to promote in-depth training for those who specialise in mobility education by lobbying national bodies and training institutions, by supporting individual initiatives and by developing quality practice placements. MISE also wishes to publicise mobility education through contributions to training events and professional training courses.
For more information please contact:
MISE Chairperson/Secretary
Fiona Broadley/Jillian Underwood
Mobility Service
Priestley Smith School
Perry Beeches Campus
Beeches Road
Birmingham B42 2PY
Tel No 0121 325 3904
Email mobility@priestley.bham.sch.uk
MISE Treasurer
Janice Fuller-Klein
Foresight Training Service
Rickyard Cottage
Stratton on Fosse
Moreton on Marsh
GL56 9SA
e-mail: janice.klein@ic24.net
for your nearest Area Representative, please see the contact section