VisionServe Alliance

Hosted by Dr. Ambrose-Zaken, this webinar will demonstrate the observable difference between achievement and non-achievement of Year One (12-24 months) essential motor milestone performance measures in learners born blind or mobility visually impaired. I will define the new term mobility visual impairment and explain the ages at which each of the four methods of achieving balance for independent walking develop and how they correlate to current delayed motor milestones described in numerous research reports of learners born blind or mobility visually impaired. This webinar will introduce novel research that demonstrate the necessity of vision in one-year-olds to achieve balance to develop independent walking by 18 months. Lack of vision for balance helps to explain why children born blind or mobility visually impaired demonstrate prolonged reliance on haptic feedback (e.g., prolonged cruising) which is indicative of early walking delays. She will show videos of 15- to 21-month-old children who were born blind or mobility visually impaired harnessing haptic feedback for balance by wearing their PBC to walk away from furniture and helping hands, in short to achieve independent walking with safety. Safe Toddles pediatric belt canes enable toddlers who are blind or mobility visually impaired to walk independently. Her research invented the PBC, shows its efficacy, and explains why it works. The onset of independent mobility is at the core of system-wide changes across all developing domains. The Safe Toddles pediatric belt cane eliminates needless developmental delay in toddlers who are congenitally blind or mobility visually impaired.  Click here to register!  Please contact Helen Chapman with any questions!