Recruitment

Create a strategy to fill current openings and plan for continued recruitment of staff.

Start the process by reviewing existing job descriptions to ensure that any new position descriptions will meet the needs of the team. You might find that longtime employees’ job duties have changed significantly over time and will need to be updated to accurately reflect the work that they do.

Create a job description for posting to job boards and recruitment sites.

Compare duties to professional scopes of practice, even if you are not requiring certification, to ensure certification is not disincentivized.
As much as possible, use industry standard titles such as “Orientation & Mobility Specialist” rather than “mobility teacher” to help professionals engaged in job searches find the position once posted.

Post to job boards commonly frequented by blindness professionals:

Post to job search sites that are well known:

Connect with organizations comprised of vision rehabilitation professions. They communicate with their members through listservs and newsletters and may assist in sharing the job posting.

Association of Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (AVRT) www.avrt.org
Orientation and Mobility Specialists Association (OMSA) www.usomsa.org

Learn how some programs are creatively addressing recruitment

There is a national shortage of qualified professionals for services for the blind. Recruiting efforts are essential to fill this need now and in the future. Think long term and strive to interest new people in working in the field of blind rehabilitation rather than for one specific position.

Encourage interaction and connection through offering

Volunteer opportunities
Internship observation hours or internships as is feasible for other professions

Consider connecting with local colleges and universities to interest students in continuing their education and joining the field.

There are many related fields such as social work, education/teaching, counseling and other human services who may wish to volunteer with the OIB program or do some observational hours for as part of their undergraduate program. These individuals may consider changing their career paths to become blindness rehabilitation professionals. Help them connect with personnel preparation programs to explore their options.