What is a Habilitation Specialist?

Habilitation and Rehabilitation Officers of the Visually Impaired (ROVIs) are trained mobility and independent living specialists. A Qualified Habilitation Specialist works with children and young people (0-25 years) with a visual impairment, to develop a broad range of skills.

Habilitation is the one-to-one training of a young person that starts with their existing skills to develop their mobility, navigation and independent living skills. They can provide support from birth through to adulthood. Support offered will often span over a variety of settings including, home, nursery, school, college and in the local community. They will often work closely with QTVIs to support key transitions into and through education.

How They Can Support

Their support can be particularly important during a time of transition (moving into or on from secondary school) or when undertaking a work placement. They can help young blind and partially sighted students to become confident and familiar with new settings. They may be able to provide some basic awareness training for staff in those settings. Their support can include:

• Mobility, such as road safety training, sighted guide training or long cane training.  

• Orientation, such as learning routes around school, college or their local area.  

• Independent living skills, like making a drink, using public transport, preparing food or identifying coins.  

• Transition support when moving to a new school or home setting.

Where They are Based

They are often part of or work closely with the same sensory service team where a Qualified Teacher of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (QTVI) are based.

How to Access Their Support

Their support can be identified as part of an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) or Special Educational Need plan.

A QTVI, Specialist Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) or member of staff at school can help to make a referral into this support.