Orientation & Mobility Training

Melody Deng, Senior Orientation & Mobility Specialist

Melody Deng from Taiwan joined Guide Dogs Singapore in 2022. With over 20 years of experience in teaching Orientation and Mobility (O&M) skills, she will helm the expansion of our Client Services Team and mentor the younger O&M specialists.

After graduating from University, Melody began her journey as an educator, teaching English and Chinese Braille to people with vision impairment in Taiwan. Over the course of 20 years, she transitioned her expertise to O&M skills, becoming highly proficient in this field. With her vast experience, Melody holds the qualification to mentor and train aspiring O&M instructors in Taiwan.

Melody Deng, Senior Orientation & Mobility Specialist, posing with a black guide dog.

Simone Oh, Orientation & Mobility Specialist

Simone Oh has been teaching Orientation and Mobility (O&M) at Guide Dogs Singapore since 2015. She started her O&M profession under the mentorship of O&M Specialists, Amy Mckibbins and Chace Richardson from Guide Dogs New South Wales; and O&M Specialist Lily Weng from Taiwan Foundation For the Blind. In 2018, Simone obtained her bachelor’s degree in Childhood Studies and Disability Studies in University of Northumbria, UK. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Rehabilitation of the Blind (Orientation and Mobility) in University of Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.

Simone Oh, Orientation & Mobility Specialist, posing with a black guide dog.

Cheryl Yeo, Orientation & Mobility Specialist

Cheryl Yeo has been teaching Orientation and Mobility (O&M) at Guide Dogs Singapore since 2018. She obtained a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) from the University of Wollongong, NSW, in 2015. Following that, she completed her Masters in Special Education (Sensory Disability) at the University of Newcastle, NSW. Cheryl is also a member of the Orientation and Mobility Association of Australasia.

Cheryl Yeo, Orientation & Mobility Specialist, posing with a black guide dog.

Guide Dog Programme

Christina Teng, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI)

Christina Teng was trained and qualified as a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) in Guide Dogs Victoria, an International Guide Dogs Federation (IGDF) certified organisation in Melbourne, Australia. During the two and half years of cadetship, she has trained and matched her dogs with vision-impaired clients in Australia, successfully graduating several teams. She has a Diploma in “Canine Behaviour with International School of Canine Psychology and Behaviour”. Before joining GDS as a GDMI, she was working with youths in the social work sector for eight years.

Christina Teng, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor, posing with a black guide dog.

Accessibility & Technology

Chia Hong Sen, Trainer and Consultant

Chia Hong Sen has experience in conducting IT training for vision-impaired people since 2016. He also has experience in software development and accessibility design for web and mobile applications. He obtained his Bachelors of Science (Honours) in Management and Digital Innovation from the University of London, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK, in 2019. He also holds a Diploma in Information Technology from Temasek Polytechnic.

Chia Hong Sen, IT Trainer and Consultant, with his guide dog Clare

Dallon Au, Freelance IT Trainer

Dallon Au has a diploma in Infocomm & Security at Nanyang Polytechnic and is currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science at Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), jointly offered with University of Glasgow.

He is a low-vision user who is familiar with accessibility services like screen reading and vision enhancement tools on Windows, Mac OS and mobile platforms. He is experienced in the use of assistive technology that assists low-vision users. He aims to provide clients with relevant skills to improve their quality of life.

Dallon Au, Freelance IT Trainer, posing for a photo with guide dog clare.

Videos

Orientation and Mobility Training

Ever wondered what it takes to be an Orientation & Mobility Specialist at Guide Dogs Singapore? To be qualified, our specialists have to be accredited with a Masters degree in Orientation and Mobility (or related field). Before they start teaching clients, they have to undergo a series of blindfolded activities and clock in a certain number of hours in doing so. To establish a greater sense of understanding on the challenges, O&M specialists aim to internalise and empathise by being blindfolded and executing the exercises themselves. This helps them to be more comprehensive when planning for lessons. Here’s a throwback to a crash course our O&M specialists Simone and Cheryl undergo in 2018 with our mentor Lily.

Posted by Guide Dogs Singapore Ltd on Tuesday, 23 February 2021

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Testimonials

Christina Teng

Christina Teng
Seeing our clients become more independent with the help of guide dogs

Cheryl Yeo

Cheryl Yeo
I’m able to encourage clients and push them to their fullest potential

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