- Could you briefly introduce yourself?
I am the first orientation and mobility specialist in Turkey. I serve as the Head of the Department of Education for the Visually Impaired at Gazi University’s Faculty of Special Education. Alongside teaching numerous courses on disability and education, I have authored many national and international papers, articles, and book chapters.
- In your view, what importance does independent mobility have in the lives of people with visual impairments?
Sighted babies can observe objects and people’s movements around them, which provides motivation for movement. Visual impairment, however, brings certain limitations. Fear of being unable to ensure one’s safety while moving, environmental hazards, and overprotective family attitudes can negatively impact a person’s ability to move within their surroundings. These factors can also hinder developmental areas—such as psychomotor, language, and social skills—limiting a visually impaired person’s freedom of movement.
They face serious challenges when navigating unfamiliar or new environments, and overcoming these challenges is essential. To fulfill social roles such as participating in social and physical activities, shopping, or going to work, they need freedom of movement. Mobility enables individuals with visual impairments to become confident and independent.
For safe and independent travel, individuals must use orientation and mobility (O&M) skills. These skills help them move safely and efficiently toward their destination using cues and landmarks. O&M skills are built around principles of safety, efficiency, and appearance: avoiding collisions (safety), ensuring every movement has a purpose (efficiency), and maintaining posture and gait similar to sighted individuals (appearance). As life demands increase, mastering complex skills—such as using public transportation, navigating traffic, shopping, or traveling between cities and countries—becomes essential for independence. In short, full social participation requires independent mobility.
- What are the main challenges faced by orientation and mobility instructors, and how can these be overcome?
O&M training is typically conducted one-on-one. Lessons are often taught in structured environments like schools, which may not reflect real-world conditions. Since instructors cannot always monitor how students apply these skills in daily life, problems in mobility often arise. Traditional cane skills alone may not be sufficient to detect obstacles. Even when proper techniques are used, accidents are common in unpredictable environments.
Adults we interviewed described concerns such as: “I worry about cars parked on sidewalks or low-hanging poles; I hit my head; if there’s no audio system on buses, I need assistance.” Such difficulties make navigation challenging. Therefore, technological tools play a crucial role in ensuring safe travel and independence. Training programs that integrate technology with O&M techniques are now essential.
- How do you evaluate WeWALK’s role and contribution to learning independent mobility and cane skills?
Studies show that people with visual impairments often experience frequent accidents, sometimes with severe consequences. WeWALK helps users travel safely, effectively, and independently. Its sensors prevent collisions and its navigation features simplify reaching destinations. It’s an extraordinary tool that supports full social participation—using public transport, shopping, commuting to school, work, or home—something I’ve dreamed of for years.
WeWALK also helps society see visually impaired individuals as confident and capable travelers, fostering positive attitudes. Families even report that sighted children admire the device. As parents see their children move independently with WeWALK, they become less overprotective.
WeWALK complements essential O&M skills. The white cane is the core mobility tool, and enhancing it with advanced features is a significant advancement. The ability to use high arm protection techniques, wall-trailing, and safe street crossing through WeWALK makes a major difference. WeWALK boosts confidence and happiness by enabling independence. It also supports social, psychomotor, and cognitive development. In short, WeWALK is the key to independent living for people with visual impairments.
- In what ways do you think WeWALK’s AI Mobility (AIM) technology can contribute to mobility training?
Even when teachers provide O&M instruction at schools, they rarely have the opportunity to observe how students apply their skills in different environments. Generalization of learned skills and retention over time are crucial but difficult to monitor.
WeWALK AIM technology allows teachers to track students’ movements and provide feedback. Because teachers cannot always accompany their students, AIM enables them to remotely observe which challenges they face, how they overcome them, and what improvements are needed for safer travel.
Through WeWALK Smart Cane 2, instructors can access data such as step count, walking time, distance, route, cane position, and sweep angle, making O&M and white cane training more efficient and interactive.
About Prof. Dr. Banu Altunay
Prof. Dr. Banu Altunay completed her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies in Education for the Visually Impaired. She has contributed to workshops organized by public institutions such as the General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly, and NGOs including the Turkish Foundation for the Blind, Blind Federation, and Altınokta Foundation for Services to the Blind.
She has conducted numerous in-service training programs with the Turkish Ministry of National Education and led Turkey’s first TÜBİTAK 1001 project on developing an Orientation and Mobility Skills Assessment Tool for Students with Visual Impairments (YÖBDA).
She coordinated the development of games, physical activities, physical education, sports, and mobility programs for students with visual impairments. She edited and co-developed the FESK(GE) and BESK(GE) activity cards and independently created Turkey’s first comprehensive O&M activity cards.
She also played an active role in defining and revising national standards for O&M instructors in cooperation with the EU and Vocational Qualifications Authority (MYK). Prof. Altunay has served as a project leader and expert in initiatives supported by the World Bank, Development Agencies, UNICEF, and the EU, and coordinated nationwide digital assessment and school collaboration projects.
With MEB support, she led a team of academics and teachers in creating family education book sets and 100 video resources supporting visually impaired individuals from infancy to adulthood. Additionally, she coordinated the development of vocational training programs for blind and low-vision students, which are still used across Turkey today.
