Which of the following is a basic strategy for developing O&M skills?

Study for the Visual Impairment Education Certification Test. Explore multiple choice questions, with hints and explanations for each. Prepare thoroughly!

The fundamental skill for developing orientation and mobility is sensory awareness. This means being attuned to environmental cues through what you hear, feel, and see, and understanding how your body is positioned in space. By paying attention to sounds like traffic, echoes, or pedestrian signals, and by using touch to feel textures, curbs, steps, and obstacle edges, a person learns where they are and what barriers might lie ahead. The long cane or a light touch on surfaces helps gather this information safely, while ongoing scanning and noticing landmarks support orientation and route planning. With consistent practice, this sensory awareness becomes the basis for safe navigation, allowing you to decide when to turn, when to stop, and how to adjust for changes in terrain.

Reading printed text isn’t a tool used for moving through space, and verbal memory or scheduling tests don’t directly teach the real-time information gathering and environmental interpretation needed for travel. Sensory awareness is what makes the other O&M skills possible.