Jill Brown’s Advice on Orientation and Mobility Skills
Jill received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Deficient Vision in 1979 from Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA. After having been a classroom resource teacher for children who were blind or visually impaired and those with cognitive impairments, she became an itinerant teacher once or twice a week in the afternoons, with a caseload of 53 children over 10 different school districts. It was then she realized the need for a teacher who specialized in children with visual impairments and began work full-time as a consultant to teachers in the classroom.
In 1994, a new program opened up that allowed the instructor from University of Texas at Austin to travel across Texas training new people to be certified as Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Jill was in one of the first classes. She was certified in 1996 and received her master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in visual impairments in 2004 from Stephen F. Austin State College through distance learning.
She enjoys working with all age groups and especially with infants and children with multiple disabilities. She never stops reading and attending workshops/presentations as research reveals better ways of presenting materials and teaching children. In 2000, Jill worked with YMCA of Ft. Worth to set up a week-long day camp for elementary-age children who are blind or visually impaired. It was a success and continues today. Jill is active with the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, serving as newsletter editor for the itinerant personnel division and past president for the Texas chapter (2007-2009).