[Blindtlk] OM vs. Mobility: A Sort of Off-the-Wall Question

[Szostak, Christine]

Hi All,
  I have sort of an odd ball question.

  Whenever I hear about OM (e.g., NFB's website, specialists, people on most list serves for the blind...), it is always being referred to either by the full title of orientation and mobility or OM. However, and if anyone on this list grew up in Stark County Ohio, you probably experienced this as well, throughout my entire childhood (from my earliest memories of OM), and all the way into college, everyone I knew (my OM instructor, my family, the VI teachers (sorry if not the proper title), friends that were blind...) all called it mobility. For example,  you would hear  statements like: "go get your coat on as the mobility instructor will be here in a few minutes", "how did your mobility lesson go today", "ok, it is your turn for mobility"...

  Thus, my question is this, is the term "mobility" without "and orientation" included at all acceptable, especially in professional settings or is this looked down upon?

  Hopefully that makes some sense:).
Have a wonderful week all and thanks for indulging an odd question:)!
Chris

Dr. Christine M. Szostak
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Department of Social Sciences
Shorter University
Rome, Georgia
szostak.1 at osu.edu<mailto:szostak.1 at osu.edu>
cszostak at shorter.edu