Lori Cassels

"Our students can't drive, so using public transportation is a huge part of our curriculum," Lori Cassels, an orientation and mobility teacher for the school.

Guide Dogs for the Blind is pleased to introduce Lori Cassels, our newest Orientation & Mobility Instructor to join the Training team.Lori began working at Guide Dogs for the Blind in early October and is responsible for training apprentices who are studying to become Guide Dog Mobility Instructors.Lori first visited Guide Dogs for the Blind while attending a seminar and tour with San Francisco State University's Orientation and Mobility class.Her experiences span 27 years and include working in New York and California as a teacher of the visually impaired, and as an O&M Specialist in both rehabilitation and education settings.In 2001 she began teaching courses at San Francisco State University, which included "Daily Living Skills for People with Vision Loss" and "Infants and Special Populations."Lori is excited about the upcoming release of a new book entitled Itinerant Teachers' Tricks of the Trade in which she wrote a chapter covering the training for paraprofessionals.At Guide Dogs for the Blind, Lori is enjoying the opportunity to work with her great coworkers and the dogs!

Guide Dogs Creates New Position for Dually Certified Instructors
...
The position was created to work in conjunction with Lori Cassels (O&M Specialist) to provide comprehensive support within the Training Department in the areas of client services, staff education and outreach.Currently, the position will be filled by one of the four of us on a rotating basis, with a new person taking the position approximately every six months.

I filled the position full time at the beginning of January and am enjoying the work.Some of the responsibilities include providing staff and volunteer education, participating in an O&M seminar, participating in a Continued Assessment Class (custom classes to pre-screen potential applicants), applicant assessments, providing O&M instruction to students in class, and transitional training in the home area on an as-needed basis.

In an effort to educate new applicants to Guide Dogs for the Blind, Lori Cassels, Apprentice Program Manager Kathy Kelly, Orientation and Mobility Instructor Keith Tomlinson and Outreach Manager Theresa Duncan have developed an "Introduction to the Guide Dog Lifestyle Workshop."
...
By Lori Cassels, Guide Dogs for the Blind Orientation and Mobility Instructor

Lori Cassels, COMS, Conference Chairperson Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. 350 Los Ranchitos Road San Rafael, California 94903-3606 LCassels@guidedogs.com

Questions?Call Lori at (415) 492-4118.