Defining Straight Ahead: Envision’s Study Confirms Why Mobility Training Matters

For people who are blind or have low vision, the simple act of knowing where “straight ahead” is can mean the difference between a confident step and an uncertain one. It’s what helps someone cross a busy street without veering into traffic, line up to board a bus or navigate a crowded hallway. 

At Envision, researchers have long recognized that spatial orientation—particularly for those navigating both vision and hearing loss—is not just a scientific concept but a lifeline to safe, independent mobility. Now, thanks to a breakthrough study, there’s scientific proof to back it up. 

Recently published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS), the study is gaining national recognition for its contribution to understanding spatial orientation in people who are blind or visually impaired. Led by researchers Diamond Brunt, Gordon E. Legge, Donald C. Fletcher and Yingzi Xiong, the project reflects the kind of mission-driven science that powers Envision’s real-world impact. While the findings now live in a prestigious scientific journal, the true impact is measured in lives, helping people gain the confidence to cross a street, board a bus or simply move through the world with greater safety and independence. 

The study began years earlier when Dr. Xiong joined Envision as a postdoctoral fellow. She was already exploring spatial perception among people with low vision and hearing loss and saw the need for a more practical way to measure it. Working closely with Dr. Don Fletcher, Senior Medical Director, she translated a complex lab-based system into something clinicians could use:  a portable tool—an array of small speakers and LED lights—that clinicians could actually use with patients in real-world settings. This simplified version made it possible to test how individuals with vision or hearing loss, and often both, perceive direction using sound, light and their body’s internal compass. 

“We believed this was the most important thing to measure,” said Xiong. “If someone can’t accurately perceive straight ahead, it impacts how they move through the world. We wanted to understand that and ultimately improve it.” 

The research confirmed what many clinicians have observed: people with vision loss show greater variability in perceiving “straight ahead,” and the challenge becomes even more pronounced when combined with hearing loss. 

For Dr. Fletcher and the rest of the research team, the findings reinforce what they’ve observed firsthand. 

“People often assume that if someone has a full visual field, they don’t need mobility training,” Fletcher explained. “But that’s just not true. Even with full fields, if acuity or contrast sensitivity is reduced, people can struggle with spatial awareness. This research gives us a clearer picture and more justification for the services we provide.” 

Orientation and mobility (O&M) training is a core part of Envision’s rehabilitation services. Specialists use tactile and auditory cues to help people walk straighter, align at intersections and move more confidently in the world around them. 

“Having scientific evidence for what O&M instructors are teaching strengthens the case for expanding these services,” Fletcher said. “It’s not just anecdotal anymore. It’s measurable.” 

The PSA study is now gaining national recognition thanks to its publication in IOVS, one of the most prestigious journals in the field of vision science. The paper was peer-reviewed over a period of several months and now stands as a landmark contribution to research around spatial orientation, sensory integration and mobility for the BVI community. 

Envision’s research doesn’t end in the lab, it begins there. Its real home is in people’s lives, shaping how they navigate their environments with independence, safety and confidence.