How to become a Low Vision Therapist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist or Vision Rehabilitation Therapist

Official title: Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists

Also called: Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT), Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS), Mobility Specialist, Orientation and Mobility Instructor (O and M Instructor), Orientation and Mobility Specialist (O and M Specialist), Rehabilitation Teacher, Rehabilitation Therapist, Students with Visual Impairments Teacher (TVI), Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT), Visually Impaired Teacher (TVI)

Provide therapy to patients with visual impairments to improve their functioning in daily life activities. May train patients in activities such as computer use, communication skills, or home management skills.

Main tasks

• Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.
• Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
• Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
• Develop rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients, based on results of assessments, needs, and goals.
• Write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes.
• Train clients to use tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information.
• Assess clients' functioning in areas such as vision, orientation and mobility skills, social and emotional issues, cognition, physical abilities, and personal goals.
• Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises.

How to become one

To enter the occupation, occupational therapists typically need a master's degree in occupational therapy. All states require occupational therapists to be licensed.

Typical education to start: Master's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• College: Allied Health degrees, Offered by 15 universities in the US
• Licence: A licence is required in 38 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $100,330 a year The middle half earn $82,510 to $116,670.
• About 169,600 people work in this job now, and about 194,800 are projected by 2035. (+14.8%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Occupational Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• Radiation Therapists
• Recreational Therapists
• Respiratory Therapists
• Speech-Language Pathologists

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Low Vision Therapist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist or Vision Rehabilitation Therapist?

To enter the occupation, occupational therapists typically need a master's degree in occupational therapy. All states require occupational therapists to be licensed.

How much does a Low Vision Therapist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist or Vision Rehabilitation Therapist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $100,330 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $82,510 to $116,670.

Is a Low Vision Therapist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist or Vision Rehabilitation Therapist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 15% by 2035, from about 169,600 to about 194,800 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Low Vision Therapist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist or Vision Rehabilitation Therapist?

Usually. 95% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Low Vision Therapist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist or Vision Rehabilitation Therapist?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.