Thank you, Supervisors and Techniques Tutors
The Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Team at UNSW School of Optometry and Vision Sciences would like to thank the following O&M Specialists for their commitment and service to our profession. These specialists have supported the Graduate Diploma in O&M in 2025 by supervising students during Work Integrated Learning placements and/or by working as Techniques Tutors during the on-campus student Intensives.
Our NSW colleagues Jacqueline Amos, Susan Bucinskas, Karen Carrigan, Jennifer Churchill, Rebecca Dunkley, Alli Fagan, Carole Grayson, Paul Hartley, Jesse Jiang, Nicole Johnson, Nicola Riley, Kylie Swainson and Karen Warwick.
Our QLD colleagues: Karen Drew and Jessica McCleod
Our colleagues from Victoria: Simon McDonald-Kerr, Kirstie Henderson and Eamon Quinn
Our SA/NT colleagues: Michael Gleeson, Rhiegan Halliday, Karyn Honsch-Wilson, Prue Kalisch and Tiana Nelson
Our colleagues from Tasmania: Errol Ingram and Courtney McMahon
And finally, our only international colleague from the USA, Daniel Kish.
A heartfelt thank you to you all. Your valuable knowledge and input is a key ingredient in the UNSW O&M program and has a major impact on the quality of future O&M service provision in Australasia.
Felicity Gates ROMSA and Matthew Walker ROMSA
School of Optometry & Vision Science
Faculty of Medicine & Health
UNSW SYDNEY NSW 2052
AUSTRALIA
Latest issue of Vision Re/habilitation International is now available!
The Vision Rehabilitation International Journal (VRIJ) 16th volume (2025) is now published. This edition features six open-access articles, including important work on Orientation & Mobility (O&M) for people who are Deafblind. GDN O&M Specialists contributed an article on the v‑LiFE intervention program, “Blending v‑LiFE and O&M training to build self-confidence and self-determination for independence.” This is a fantastic accomplishment and a testament to our local O&M Specialists expertise and dedication.
Community of Practice Meetings for 2026
The Membership Engagement Committee have set the dates for Community of Practice Meetings for 2026, with the first being held on Tuesday 17 March 2026. Click here for future dates and keep an eye on your inbox for further communications about these wonderful events.
Updates re COMS/ROMSA
There have been several updates regarding COMS/ROMSA in recent months. Please see the three most recent updates below:
23 December 2025: Establishing ROMSA Status
Following the recent changes by the NDIA, as specified in the NDIS Practice Standards Qualification and Professional Associations Required Documentation Guide (previously the Verification Module), Orientation and Mobility Specialists are required to be a Registered Orientation and Mobility Specialist of Australasia (ROMSA) in order to claim NDIS Therapy Rate for “Other Professional”.
ROMSA is a registered member of the Orientation and Mobility Association of Australasia (OMAA).
It has come to the attention of OMAA that some employers are asking staff to prove their ROMSA status by supplying their ROMSA certificates.
Please click here to download and read the complete letter from the OMAA Registrar.
This document should be made available to employers, plan managers and any other relevant stakeholders as and when required.
28 November 2025: Preparation for COMS Exam and Registration as ROMSA
As the academic year comes to an end the Orientation and Mobility Association of Australasia (OMAA) would like to wish our recent graduates all the best for their upcoming careers in our close and collegiate profession.
In March 2025, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission recognised OMAA as the registration body for our profession. To be able to claim fee for services under the NDIA, you now need to be a Registered Orientation and Mobility Specialist of Australasia (ROMSA) which means you must be a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) with the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) by successfully completing and passing the COMS exam. Please continue reading.
21 November 2025: Open letter to the membership of OMAA
Re: Response from NDIS
Some questions answered 21.11.2015
If you have any questions regarding the recent NDIS announcement, please feel free to send your queries to ndis.romsa@omaaustralasia.com
Upcoming Conferences
- 2026 Round Table Conference, Adelaide, 24 – 26 May 2026.
- 2026 CVI Conference: The Collective Power of US: Boston, United States, 19-21 July 2026
- 2026 AER International Conference: Louisville, Kentucky, United States, 29 July – 2 August 2026.
Recordings of the 2025 SPEVI Conference are now available for public viewing at no cost. You can access the recordings here.
You can find other PD opportunities at the OMAA website.
Are you hosting or attending an upcoming CPD event? Would you like to be able to earn points towards ACVREP recertification at the same time? Click here to find out how you can register your event.
Scam/Spam Email alert
The OMAA has heard from several members that they’ve received a scam/spam email in relation to the OMAA distribution/members list. This email was sent from an non-OMAA email address (kate.smiith10@gmail.com). Please remain vigilant of suspicious looking emails/senders and carefully check your emails before responding or clicking on any embedded links.
The OMAA will only ever send emails to OMAA members from an address ending in @omaaustralasia.com or from Omaa@wildapricot.org. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to info@omaaustralasia.com
Job Vacancies
Have you looked at the Job Vacancies page on the OMAA website recently? You’ll find position vacancies listed for various agencies and locations across Australasia so remember to check it out.
Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems for electric vehicles now mandatory
As of November 1 2025, all new electric vehicles are required to be fitted with an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) which emits an acoustic sound when the vehicle travels at or under 25 kilometres per hour. Read more here.