The U.S. Department of Education's Federal Register (March 12, 1999) and the Michigan Department of Education's Revised Administrative Rules for Special Education (November 2002) define “orientation and mobility services” as services provided by qualified personnel to students who are blind or who have a visual impairment. These services enable such students to attain systematic orientation to and safe movement within their environments in school, home, and community.

A professional discipline that incorporates tools and techniques used by persons who are blind or visually impaired to systematically orient themselves to their environments and to move about independently.

Orientation is knowing where you are and being able to plan how to go where you want to go. Mobility is the actual movement from place to place.