Blindness and Low Vision

Blindness and Low Vision

a.Description of Blindness and Low Vision

Low vision sighted learners. Learners who are partially sighted have a limited ability to see (even with correction), to the extent that modifications must be made in educational programming, equipment, materials, and/ or facilities if these students are to succeed. In addition, some of these learners may have difficulty seeing clearly and telling the difference between colors. Many are very sensitive to light, and may have a narrow field of vision.

Blind learners- Students with blindness differ from partially sighted learners in the blind learners rely to a great extent on their senses of touch, hearing, and smell. Those learners who have been blind since birth (congenitally blind) can have great difficulty understanding depth perception, space, and the relationship of one object to another. A student who becomes blind later in life can have problems coping with and adapting to blindness. However, their memory of visual experiences will help in adjusting too many educational experiences.

Interesting fact: There are 17 million children in the world with low vision or blurred eye sight. Children with inadequate vision often drop out of school when they cannot see the blackboard or letters in a book, and suffer the lifelong consequences of low education. The majority of these children experience refractive errors that can be corrected with glasses. This year, USAID supported programs in 10 countries that have distributed over 11,000 pairs of eyeglasses to children.

b.Implications of teaching in each area of disability and modifications of teaching approaches-

As an elementary regular education teacher I will Reading aloud materials from overheads, blackboards or handouts. I will give a verbal description of class activity, such as when a show of hands is requested, stating how many hands were raised. I will let my students in my regular education class who may have disability use tape recorders, laptop computers or slates and styluses for note taking. I can read lists and syllabi in advance to permit time for transfer to alternate formats. The use of black print on white or pale yellow paper will allow for those students with low vision to have maximum contrast when reading something. The use of advanced notice of class schedule and or room changes will enable the student to get familiar with surroundings and room location. As a regular elementary educator I will have an adapted computer with features such as, large print, speech synthesizer and Braille printer output in my classroom. Alternative test formats will also be used like taped, large print or Braille: use of readers, scribes, tape recorded responses, extended time, adapted computer or closed circuit TV. I will allow extra time to complete tests when adaptive technology or a reader/scribe is required. I will make class assignments available in electronic format, such as computer disc, to allow access by computers equipped with voice synthesizers or Braille output devices. As a regular education elementary teacher I will use assistive lab equipment (e.g., talking thermometers and calculators, light probes, and tactile timers) for my students. I will use raised line drawings and tactile models of graphic materials. Last I will incorporate videos with audio description to accommodate my students in my regular elementary education class.

I feel that as a regular elementary education teacher if I use these strategies in my classroom my students will feel intergraded. Our job as teachers is to make all students feel welcome no matter what the disability might be. Education is for all who want and are willing to put forth the energy to learn.

c. Technology used to aid Blindness and Low Vision

Audio Description may be requested by someone who is blind or has low vision in order to better understand picture or visual materials. Assistive Listening Devices may be requested by someone who is blind or has low vision in order to concentrate on the instructor’s lecture without distraction from background noise. Braille Embossers and Printers may be purchased by some schools for use in-house if the Office of Disability Services does a lot of Braille for students who are blind or have low vision Braille Notetakers may be used by someone who is blind or have low vision in the classroom to take notes as an alternative to a human notetaker. CCTV or Video Magnifier may be requested by a student with low vision to examine textbooks, worksheets and documents. Computer Accessibility options can be altered so that sounds are displayed includes Keyboard Modifications and Mouse for Computers.

Document Conversion may be requested by someone who is blind or has low vision in order to gain information from textbooks. Types like books on tape, book loan information, braille, electronic text, and scribes.

DeafBlind Interpreter may be requested if a student is DeafBlind. Extended Exam Time may be requested if a student who is blind or has low vision uses a scribes or readers for exams or quizzes. Large Print may be requested by someone who has low vision in lieu of regular sized print. Notetaker may be requested by some students who are blind or have low vision. Readers Some students who are blind or have low vision may request a reader for in-class assignments, exams or quizzes. A reader would read the material aloud to the student. Refreshable Braille Display may be requested by someone who is blind or has low vision for classroom use with handouts or materials. Scan and Read may be requested by someone who is blind or has low vision. A textbook, worksheet or handout can be scanned into a computer and then read aloud. Screen Magnification of the computer to enlarge text and graphics may be requested by someone who low vision. Screen Readers capabilities of a computer may be requested by someone who is blind or has low vision in order to hear what is on the screen.

Verbal Instructions and Written Materials such as assignments, due dates, class discussion and blackboard materials may need to be written out for students who are blind or have low vision. Tape Recorder may be requested by someone who is blind or has low vision for the use of notetaking in class.TeleBraille or Braillephone students who are DeafBlind may request the use of a TeleBraille/Braillephone in order to use the telephone.Relay Service

Text to Speech may be requested by students who are blind or have low vision in order to use their computer to read text, graphics or scanned materials on the computer screen. Voice may be requested by students who are blind or have low vision in order to talk into a microphone, and in turn, what the students says appears on the computer screen.

d. References-

All Children have different Eyes- Resources for children with low vision. The first picture book in a series to help ... Freedom Scientific podcasts on accessibility technology news. ... service organization best known for its support of blind and low-vision issues. www.lowvisionkids.com


Blindness and Low Vision- teachers of vision impaired children, who help to meet the academic needs of ... Long, professor of blindness and low vision studies and associate dean in ... At WMU, one emphasis is on how people with low vision and blindness cross ...www.wmich.edu/magazine/features/blv


Deaf Blind information- American Association of Deaf Blind American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) ... who are deaf-blind; and to increase the numbers of children, young adults, their families, ... The Internet Low VisionSociety.www.lowvision.org/deaf_blind_information.htm

Educational Interventions for Students with Low Vision - Unique educational interventions are essential for students with low vision in order to ensure successful outcomes in the school setting. ... www.afb.org

Including All Students by Ben Clay- gave information on the description of blindness and low vision in children.

Specific Disability - Blind/Low Vision

Information for Families of Children and Youth with Blindness/Low Vision ... Specific to Blindness/Visual Impairment. Assistive Technology Guidelines (PDF) ...
www.cde.state.co.us

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-USAID is the government agency providing US economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
www.usaid.gov/