Chapter 13 – Originators of Orientation and Mobility

Training

Images from as early as the 13th century exist, proving that people who were blind/visually impaired have been traveling with dogs and canes for a long, long time.

Jacob Birrer (Germany) 1840

People

Germans pre-dated everyone in the dog guide business (WW I).

Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe (1800’s) - Founder of Perkins School f/t Blind

Sir Francis Campbell (1800’s)- Teacher @ Perkins who was blind. Informally taught O&M. Emigrated to England and founded the Royal Normal College and Academy of Music for the Blind.

W. Hanks Levy (1800’s)- Originator of Touch Technique, but was “out of step”

The Seeing Eye

First formal mobility training in the U.S. 1929 (Dorothy Harrison Eustis, Morris Frank)

More people Dr. Richard Hoover – Former teacher @ Maryland School for the Blind,

part of initial War Blind Program @ Valley Forge Army Hospital, originator of the in-step Touch Technique @ Valley Forge Army Hospital (Battle of the Bulge, Dec. 1944 - Jan. 1945. 17 blind soldiers arrived in one day.) “People say blind people in this country do a good job of getting around. I don’t think they do a good job. I think they do a hell of a poor job.”

Warren Bledsoe – Son of John Bledsoe ( John studied under Michael Anagnos, who taught Anne Sullivan, & was superintendent of Maryland School for the Blind), also part of initial War Blind Program @ Valley Forge, perfected Hoover’s techniques, used the blindfold to train trainers.

Russ Williams – Lost his vision after the Normandy invasion, student @ Valley Forge and Avon, instructor at Valley Forge, chief of the program @ the Hines V.A., and “father” to several techniques we use today, including: Guide Technique, Hines Break, Protective Techniques, use of sound clues, projecting a line of direction, use of Touch Technique all the time (was previously prohibited indoors), diagonal to Touch Technique in the stairwell.

Places

Valley Forge Army Hospital – site of original War Blind Program. Housed veterans of the European Theatre of war (Hoover, Bledsoe, Williams were all instructors here.)

Dibble Army Hospital - same as Valley Forge, served veterans from the Pacific Theatre.

Avon Army Hospital - abandoned the cane and taught use of “facial vision.”

Hines V.A. - 1st V. A. Program. Started when Army “let go” of the War Blind Program.