Ben Atchison, PhD, OTRL, FAOTA Chairperson, Department of Occupational Therapy
Anne Riddering, MS, OTRL Certificate Program Coordinator
College of Health and Human Services
Advising: Sarah Anderson, MA
Phone: (269) 387-2656

Since 1922, WMU occupational therapy program has been a leader and innovator in the field, and our graduates have made significant contributions throughout the nation and the world. In 2012 we celebrated our 90th Anniversary, commemorating a tradition of excellence and committing to a bold future.

The department offers a Graduate Certificate in Low Vision Rehabilitation for board certified occupational therapists. The aim of this program is to acquire competencies in assessment and intervention principles for clients with low vision while incorporating occupational therapy theory and evidence based research from the vision rehabilitation field. The certificate program builds a foundation and provides in-depth, hands-on training to serve the unique needs of the individual with vision loss, the impact on occupational performance, and in interventions and compensatory techniques for daily occupations to help a person adapt to their vision loss. Assignments throughout the program will assist students with networking in an interprofessional environment within their professional community. In addition to acquiring the graduate certificate, graduates will be eligible to apply for advanced certification in vision rehabilitation from the American Occupational Therapy Association.

This 16 credit hour graduate level program consists of a combination of online and onsite clinical training courses as follows: