Ed.

225 Exceptional Child

Collection of Experiences: Blind Encounters
Maia Johnson

Typically, when asked to think about someone with a disability, minds
jump to people who require a great amount of assistance to proceed with normal
daily tasks, such as a mother tying her son with autisms shoe, or opening a door
for someone in a wheelchair. While many of these images do depict the ways
that people can be affected by disabilities, often disabilities are not obvious. But
what does it feel like to live on the other side of that image? We got to experience
this a bit for ourselves in class, through an activity called Blind Encounters. The
goal of this exercise was to experience the challenge of completing ordinary
tasks without being able to see. To begin, we learned what defines a visual
impairment, completed the activity, reflected on our experience, and discussed
possible ways that this experience could be an insightful perspective on how best
to aid students with visual impairments in a classroom.
According to the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education
(2012), a visual impairment can be defined as:
(1) A visual impairment shall be determined through the manifestation of
both of the following:
(a) A visual impairment which, even with correction, interferes with
development or which adversely affects educational
performance. Visual impairment includes both partial sight and
blindness.
(b) One or more of the following:
(i) A central visual acuity for near or far point vision of 20/70 or
less in the better eye after routine refractive correction.
(ii) A peripheral field of vision restricted to not more than 20
degrees.
(iii) A diagnosed progressively deteriorating eye condition.
(2) A determination of impairment shall be based upon a full and individual
evaluation by a multidisciplinary evaluation team, which shall include
an ophthalmologist or optometrist (Michigan Rules and Regulations).
To introduce the activity, our class had a guest speaker. Louise
Shumaker, the director of Disability Services at Hope, spoke about her
experience with a visual impairment. I had
the opportunity to meet Louise Shumaker
last year, when she stopped by my friends
room to discuss testing accommodations.
We had exchanged friendly greetings, and
held a brief conversation. When she left the
room, my friend turned to me and said, Ill
bet you didnt even know she was blind. I was shocked. I had no idea that she
couldnt see me while I was talking to her.
In order to gain a personal understanding of the difficulty of completing
seemingly simple tasks with limited sight, we were partnered up and took turns
leading the partner wearing a blindfold. My partner, Lindsey, and I decided that I
would go first, so I took off my glasses and put on the eye mask. The first step
Figure 1. Louise sharing her experience
with a visual impairment with our class.
was to purchase a donut using change in a
pan. We were expected to feel the size of
the coins to determine their worth, and count
out 68 cents. The next step was to sign our
names on the easel.
After we both finished these activities
in the classroom, we were sent out to walk
around campus. To make things tricky, we tried going up and down different sets
of stairs in the library, and took the long way around buildings. I was very grateful
for railings. We went into buildings and walked through the pine grove. One thing
that was especially difficult was getting a drink
from the drinking fountain. Lindsey tried it and first
struggled to find the button on the side of the
fountain. Then she kept misjudging the height of
the water. I had not anticipated that this would be
one of the more difficult tasks. We returned to the
classroom, still heavily relying on verbal cues and
the physical assistance of an extended arm.
Although I got more comfortable as time had
passed, I was not any more coordinated.
Getting to hear from Louise about the
struggles she has faced with a disability, and
how she has used her insight to provide a
Figure 2. Lindsey assisting me as I
tried finding the correct change.
Figure 3. The easel where we
each tried to sign our name
while blindfolded.
Figure 4. Lindsey and I before heading
out to explore campus!
wonderful learning environment and community at hope was truly inspiring. She
is married, has raised children, graduated from college, and holds a steady job.
She has overcome countless obstacles to get to where she is. It made me realize
how much I take for granted!
I always joke about how little I can see when I take off my glasses, but this
was not even comparable. The second I put on the blindfold, I felt helpless. I
could not remember which part of the room I was in, if there were tables or chairs
right next to me, if there were people nearby.
I learned that it was necessary to rely on my other senses. I was more
aware of the sound of cars passing, or the smell of lunch as we walked towards
Phelps. I was even more aware of how I was holding my body. Due to my
timidity, my body was more tense than usual, but I was careful to pick up my feet
for each step, and keep my gravity centered so as not to lose balance. I can see
how, by losing one sense, the others would be heightened.
I had to completely trust Lindsey. Getting comfortable with her leading
greatly increased my mobility. At first, I was just lightly holding her arm, as I did
not know her. But by the end of the exercise, I was holding on with a tighter grip
because I realized how much I needed her support. I was constantly asking her
questions: where we were, how many steps left, who had just greeted us, and so
on. It was definitely a good trust exercise.
During the exercise, I completely relied on my mental map of campus.
Each time we would turn, I would recalculate my mental map and be able to
picture approximately where we were. I wonder then, if you were never to have
sight, if you would make your own mental maps based solely on muscle
memory? Another tool I used was by trying to recall major obstacles and
landmarks that could potentially be dangerous. I struggled to recall bumps or
cracks in the sidewalk, or the number of stairs going up to the second floor of the
library. Is there a way to memorize the topography of the land, and not just the
relative location of things? That is, by travelling the same sidewalk each day, do
you learn all of the uneven surfaces or the potholes? I would be interested in
hearing how the memory plays into mobility for those with limited or no sight.
Although I am not an education major, there is a very high chance that I
will have the opportunity to work with students or other people with disabilities,
specifically those who are visually impaired. One way that I can begin to apply
what I learned is by focusing on the challenges these students face when
approaching routine daily tasks. To simplify things for these students, it would be
best to create consistency. This can mean setting up a classroom in a simple and
nonhazardous manner, by creating a set location for things, and by maintaining
order and neatness.
Lesson plans should include exercises that appeal to all senses. So often
it is easy to describe things only based on physical attributes. Learning to
describe things other than how we see them could greatly benefit a student with
a visual impairment.
I am a counselor at a summer camp, and I know from experience that a
program, classroom, or event is most successful when everyone is involved.
Whether it is a game or a discussion, making sure that the student with a visual
impairment is not physically excluded from the circle even if they are not
participating in the activity fosters a more positive environment and encouraging
learning community.
Many classroom activities and homework assignments require reading.
Many of these resources are not easily accessible in braille or online. An app
available on iTunes called Prizmo is easily downloaded onto an iPhone or iPad
("Prizmo - Scanning, OCR, and Speech"). Prizmo is a software that uses a
photo-based scanner app to recognize text documents, and exports them into
PDF files. Prizmo provides vocal guidance to help position the device for the best
picture, and will find the text orientation automatically. The app also has a text-to
speech feature that will read the uploaded PDF aloud. This could be useful for
documents used in class, homework readings, or any other situation where a
paper text is used.
One assistive technology that Louise Shumaker mentioned during her visit
was her watch. She said that she could check the time on her own without using
her phone. One such watch that could aid those with visual impairments is the
Reizen Atomic Talking Watch, which has the capability to announce the time,
date, day of the week and alarm status, and aids in navigation through settings
and other functions ("Talking Watch by Reizen"). The watch sets itself, including
self-adjustment for daylight savings. This technology would allow someone with a
visual impairment to be completely independent with knowing the time and date.
In place of a calendar, the Braille + Mobile
Manager (model 1-07450-00) is a personal digital
Figure 5. The Braille +
Mobile Manager.
("AbleData: Products").
assistant (PDA) specifically designed for those who are blind or have low vision.
The electronic organizer has a voice output and a braille keyboard. The device
includes word processing, an MP3 player, a book player, voice recording, an
address book, clock, stopwatch, and calendar. A machine like this would greatly
increase independence and combine many useful devices into one simple,
device ("AbleData: Products").
I very much enjoyed the Blind Encounters activity. I had no idea how
difficult even the most mundane daily tasks become when you can no longer see.
I am now aware of assistive technologies and devices that can aid in daily routine
and activities. I have a new appreciation for the needs of students with visual
impairments in and out of class, and have brainstormed ways to make these
students feel comfortable so that they can thrive in a mainstreamed classroom.

REFERENCES

"AbleData: Products." AbleData: Products. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.abledata.com/abledata.cfm?pageid=19327&top=15693&ks
ectionid=19327&productid=188842&trail=0&discontinued=0>.
Michigan Department of Education. Michigan Administrative Rules for Special
Education. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0%2C4615%2C7-140-
6530_6598_7376---%2C00.html>.
"Prizmo - Scanning, OCR, and Speech." App Store. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
<https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/prizmo/id366791896?mt=8>.
"Talking Watch-Digital-Atomic with Black-Grey Band by Reizen." Talking Watch-
Digital-Atomic with Black-Grey Band. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.maxiaids.com/products/11966/Talking-Watch-Digital-
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