4215 – Instructors of persons with disabilities

Instructors of persons with disabilities teach children and adults using a variety of techniques to facilitate communication, rehabilitation, social skills and increased independence. They are employed in rehabilitation centres, specialized educational institutes and throughout the school system.

Profile

Index of titles

Example titles

• Braille instructor
• Braille teacher
• Finger-spelling teacher
• Instructor of persons with a mobility impairment
• Instructor of persons who are blind
• Instructor of persons who are deaf
• Instructor of persons who are hard of hearing
• Instructor of persons with a learning disability
• Instructor of persons with a visual impairment
• Instructor of persons with developmental disabilities
• Instructor of persons with disabilities
• Instructor of persons with intellectual disabilities
• Instructor of persons with special needs
• Job coach for persons with disabilities
• Lip-reading instructor
• Lip-reading teacher
• Orientation and mobility instructor
• Orientation and mobility instructor for persons with a visual impairment
• Orientation and mobility teacher for persons who are blind
• Orientation and mobility teacher of persons with a visual impairment
• Rehabilitation instructor for persons who are blind
• Rehabilitation instructor of persons with a visual impairment
• Rehabilitation teacher
• Rehabilitation teacher for persons who are blind
• Rehabilitation teacher of persons with a visual impairment
• Sign language instructor
• Sign language teacher
• Special education technician – persons with disabilities
• Special programs instructor for persons with disabilities
• Teacher for persons with autism
• Teacher for persons with intellectual disabilities
• Teacher of braille
• Teacher of persons who are blind
• Teacher of persons who are deaf
• Teacher of persons who are hard of hearing
• Teacher of persons who are hearing impaired
• Teacher of persons with a mobility impairment
• Teacher of persons with a visual impairment
• Teacher of persons with developmental disabilities

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Develop individualized education and intervention plans based on special needs of client to facilitate their readaptation and independence objectives
• Assess individuals in areas such as physical limitations, orientation and mobility skills, and cognitive, social and emotional barriers to establish client rehabilitation or adaptation goals
• Assist individuals with physical, intellectual, visual and hearing disabilities or multiple disorders to develop life skills and provide job training
• Instruct individuals with disabilities and their families in the use of rehabilitative techniques, prosthetic devices, wheelchairs and other equipment designed to maximize clients’ independence and potential
• Instruct persons with a visual impairment in reading and writing braille and in the use of special equipment or supports such as human or animal guides, long canes and other adaptive mobility devices
• Instruct persons who are hard of hearing or deaf in lip-reading, finger spelling and sign language according to individual communication needs
• Instruct persons who are hard of hearing or deaf in the formation and development of sounds for speech using hearing aids, and other devices and techniques
• Collaborate with specialists, such as rehabilitation counsellors, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, to develop programs for clients’ special needs

Employment requirements

• Completion of a college program in special education, rehabilitation, orientation and mobility, visual impairment, hearing impairment or intellectual disability is required.
• A bachelor’s degree in special education or a related field such as social work or psychology may be required.

Exclusions

• Occupational therapy rehabilitation consultants (in 3143 Occupational therapists)
• Special education technicians – social and community services (in 4212 Social and community service workers)
• Special needs educational assistants (in 4413 Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants)
• Special needs teachers – elementary school (in 4032 Elementary school and kindergarten teachers)
• Special needs teachers – secondary school (in 4031 Secondary school teachers)
• Speech and hearing therapists (in 3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists)