SOMA/SWOMA International O&M Conference 2026
A conference for orientation and mobility professionals, with sessions and presenters focused on the field.
Astor Crowne Plaza, New Orleans
- Dates
- December 5–8, 2026
- Venue
- Astor Crowne Plaza, New Orleans
- Presenters
- More than 80
- Sessions
- 60
TL;DR
- The conference is scheduled for December 5–8, 2026, at Astor Crowne Plaza in New Orleans.
- Pricing information is not included in the available facts.
- The program includes 60 sessions, with most sessions offered twice, and 21 hours of ACVREP credit.
- The organizer reports more than 300 registrations and more than 80 presenters.
Who you'll find in the room
Guide Dog Mobility Instructors
The program identifies a track intended for Guide Dog Mobility Instructors, while welcoming other attendees as well.
Orientation and Mobility Specialists
Orientation and Mobility Specialists are among the named professional audiences.
Featured speakers
45 listedKristen Oplinger
Lukas Franck
Bill Lang
Kristen Oplinger
Bill Lang
Lauren Christie
Katelyn Grun
The HELP Program: Enhancing Guide Dog Outcomes Through Foster Placements
Guiding Eyes
Thinking Outside the Box When a Client has Additional Needs
Lee Stanway
From Kennels to Leadership: 30 Years of Lessons in the Guide Dog Profession
Lauren Christie
Brian O'Neal
Michal Anna Padilla
AI-powered Guide Dog Trainers’ Decision Support Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind
Amy Parker
Kirsten Hille
L. Dianne Luce
Joey Gan
Valery Kircher
Unlocking Independence- SMART Technology Solutions for Wheelchair Users with Visual Impairments
Lindsey Sharpe
Angela Regier
Lynn Gautreaux
Quick and Easy Cane Repairs and Modifications
Dae Kim
The Art of AMDs
Ellen Blaydes
Growing Up with Confidence: How the Belt Cane Allows Incidental and Active Learning to Occur Naturally
Geri Darko
Marjie Wood
Amy Fletcher
Rita Garcia
Susie Drake
Ready! Set! Go! - A Summer Program for South Carolina Youth to Fill Their Transportation Toolboxes
Tina Herzberg
Building Core O&M Skills Through Thematic Units
Susan Lee
Alecia Davidson
Amanda Perez
Patrick Rich
Jennifer Pelletier
Essential Tools of the Trade for the Orientation and Mobility Specialist
Mary Shore
Scott Turner
Beverly Jackson
Shay Utley
Justin Kaiser
Tessa McCarthy
Stephanie Hardwick
Tara Bowie
Audra Bishop
Kelley Nicholson
Lisa Hanson
Kassandra Maloney
Amy Hayslette
Stacey Colley
Laura Bozeman
Nora Griffin-Shirley
Toni I. Walls
Mary Beth Kelty
Courtney Forman
Edgenie Bellah
Hex Lightfoot
Yolanda Shaw
Sarah Duyck
Chelsea Nohan
Jenna Rydl
Taylor McCaffrey
Debbie Fiderer
Rosanna Babore
Hayley Broadway
Elysia Benton
Rachal Havens
Alyssa Ottis
Meredith Bryde
Sarah Duyck
Belinda Fayard
Megan Fayard
Nicol Medina
Grace Medina
Hannah Jones
Garret Waldie
Nikki Wentz
Danielle Cuenoud
Chelsea White
Ruthanne Dewey
Alicia Wolfe
Maddie Goswick
Venue & travel
Venue
Astor Crowne PlazaQuestions people ask
6 answeredThe conference begins December 5, 2026, and runs through December 8, 2026.
The organizer reports that more than 300 people had registered for the 2026 conference.
The 2026 conference is at Astor Crowne Plaza in New Orleans.
Named audiences include Guide Dog Mobility Instructors and Orientation and Mobility Specialists.
It is most useful for orientation and mobility specialists and guide dog mobility instructors, since the program has about sixty sessions, most offered twice, a dedicated GDMI track, and 21 hours of ACVREP credit toward certification. Sessions cover practical topics such as cane repairs, belt canes, and youth transportation programs, and more than 80 presenters are listed, which favours working practitioners; people outside blindness and low vision services would find little here.
Attendees at orientation and mobility professional conferences usually wear comfortable business casual, and sessions may include hands-on demonstrations, so comfortable shoes are practical; New Orleans in early December is typically mild, so a light jacket is enough.
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