They must be comfortable working with a cross section of the community including people of all ages and backgrounds. Orientation and Mobility programs can take place anywhere a person needs to travel on a regular basis such as orientation to a new shopping centre, catching public transport, travelling to their favorite recreational activities, to work or school. Each program is designed to meet the needs of the individual. A mature approach and excellent communication skills are essential. Above all, applicants must be sensitive and responsive to the needs and preferences of the service user.
Physical fitness is important, as the job entails various amounts of walking.
Tertiary qualifications in Psychology or Education are preferred and a post-graduate course specialising in Orientation and Mobility is a requirement. There are a few universities that run courses specialising in Orientation and Mobility. These include the University of Newcastle , through Renwick College at North Rocks, the University of Sydney , Massey University in New Zealand, La Trobe University in Melbourne, and the University of Queensland . These courses do not run every year and you would need to contact the university to ascertain availability of places. The courses are usually run either through the health sciences, vision sciences or education departments of the universities.