Will AI replace Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists?

Some of your tasks will be automated. People who use AI will have the edge.

Task exposure to today's AI

30/100

Moderate exposure

This is the occupation's typical task mix. Your own score can be up to 30 points higher or lower depending on how you work: routine share, people contact, judgment and how much you already use AI.

Get your personal score

Will AI replace Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 30% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes. The parts that stay human include: Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises.; Teach independent living skills or techniques, such as adaptive eating, medication management, diabetes management, and personal management.; Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches..

People who learn to use AI for the automatable parts keep the edge. The 3-phase plan below shows where to start.

Which tasks AI can take on

The largest tasks in this occupation, their share of the working week, and how much of each today's AI tools can do.

TaskAutomatable

Write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes. 78%

Assess clients' functioning in areas such as vision, orientation and mobility skills, social and emotional issues, cognition, physical abilities, and personal goals. 17%

Train clients to use adaptive equipment, such as large print, reading stands, lamps, writing implements, software, and electronic devices. 15%

Teach independent living skills or techniques, such as adaptive eating, medication management, diabetes management, and personal management. 12%

Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises. 10%

Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches. 10%

+ 15 more tasks (51% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises.
Teach independent living skills or techniques, such as adaptive eating, medication management, diabetes management, and personal management.
Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.

AI tools to try

Clinical documentation and transcription assistantsChatGPT / Claude for patient information (no patient data)Clinical decision support in your systems

Related roles

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

Less documentation time

AI transcription and note drafting where your organisation allows it.
Patient information leaflets in plain language.
Never put identifiable patient data into public tools.

Project

Use AI to draft de-identified templates for your 10 most common O&M assessment and progress reports, plus 3 plain-language client leaflets on cane care, and time the saving per report.

Phase 2

Evidence and decision support

Guideline and literature summaries with AI, checked in the source.
Understand how decision-support tools reach their output.
Know the limits and liability.

Project

Have AI summarise current evidence on cane technique or magnifier prescription for low vision, verify every claim in the original source, and log which AI statements were wrong.

Phase 3

AI in care processes

Coordination, scheduling and handover with AI help.
Take part in your organisation's AI projects.
Teach colleagues safe use.

Project

Build an AI-assisted route-planning and session-scheduling workflow for your travel-training caseload, then run a 60-minute training for colleagues on safe, de-identified AI use.

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