Blindness/Low Vision

Terminology:

The following terms are used in an educational context to describe students with visual disabilities: 

• "Totally blind" students learn via Braille or other nonvisual media.
• "Legally blind" indicates that a student has less than 20/200 vision in the more functional eye or a very limited field of vision (20 degrees at its widest point).
• "Low vision" refers to a severe vision loss in distance and near vision.  Students use a combination of vision and other senses to learn, and they may require adaptations in lighting or the print size, and, in some cases, Braille.

Considerations and Instructional Strategies:

• If needed, introduce yourself at the beginning of a conversation and notify the student when you are exiting the room.
• Nonverbal cues depend on good visual acuity. Verbally acknowledging key points in the conversation facilitates the communication process.
• A student may use a guide dog or white cane for mobility assistance. A guide dog is a working animal and should not be petted.
• When giving directions, be clear: say "left" or "right," "step up," or "step down." Let the student know where obstacles are; for example, "the chair is to your left" or "the stairs start in about three steps."
• When guiding or walking with a student, verbally offer your elbow instead of grabbing his or hers.
• Allow the student to determine the most ideal seating location so he or she can see, hear and, if possible, touch as much of the presented material as possible.
• Discuss special needs for field trips or other out-of-class activities well in advance.
• Assist the student in labeling lab materials so that they are easily identifiable.
• Familiarize the student with the layout of the classroom or laboratory, noting the closest exits, and locating emergency equipment.
• Ask the student if he or she will need assistance during an emergency evacuation and assist in making a plan if necessary.

 Accommodations (may include):

• Reading aloud materials from overheads, blackboards or handouts
• Verbal description of class activity, such as when a show of hands is requested, stating how many hands were raised
• Tape recorders, laptop computers or slates and styluses for note taking
• A lab assistant
• Develop reading lists and syllabi in advance to permit time for transfer to alternate formats
• Use of black print on white or pale yellow paper to allow for maximum contrast
• Advanced notice of class schedule and/or room changes
• Adapted computer with features such as, large print, speech synthesizer and Braille printer output
• Alternative test formats such as taped, large print or Braille; use of readers, scribes, tape recorded responses, extended time, adapted computer or closed circuit TV
• Extra time to complete tests when adaptive technology or a reader/scribe is required
• Class assignments available in electronic format, such as computer disk, to allow access by computers equipped with voice synthesizers or Braille output devices
• Assistive lab equipment (e.g., talking thermometers and calculators, light probes, and tactile timers)
• Raised line drawings and tactile models of graphic materials
• Videos with audio description
• Accessible websites