Visually

Impaired

Tommy Edison XP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_P8
kQg1Qq8

THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA)

DEFINES VISUAL IMPAIRMENT INCLUDING BLINDNESS AS

means an impairment in vision

that, even with correction, adversely
affects a childs educational
performance (NICHCY,2012,p7).

Types of Visual
Impairments

Coloboma-some eye structure is missing

Strabismus-the eyes do not focus on the
same spot at the same tim and look in
different
directions
Retinitis pigmentosa-a disease that is
rare and inherited that destroys the
retina slowly.
There are many more visual impairments

Teachers and the parents of visually impaired

students pioneered special education since
1900. According to the American Foundation
for the Blind;

Students who are visually impaired are

most likely to succeed in educational
systems where appropriate instruction
and services provided in a full array of
program options by qualified staff to
address each student's unique
educational needs, as required by Public
Law 101-476, The Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (2014,
p.1) .

Do Not Underestimate

Educators must remember this law and

that the goals of students with visual
impairment without any other coexisting
severe disabilities, in education which
are; employability, independence
personally, effective communication, and
social competence are the same as any
other student at their same cognitive
level. Do not underestimate the students
because of visual impairment.

In order to meet visually impaired students unique needs,

students must have specialized services.

These services include diming or brightening lights,

Braille books, Braille has been affective in the classroom,
changing the color of print on a paper or the color of the
background on a paper ,
instructional materials in appropriate media ,
enlarged materials,
magnifying equipment,
telescopes, tactile maps,
technologies, such as talking computers,
Braille translation software,
Braille embosser that prints Braille from text,
tactile graphics maker that makes images that can be read by
the fingers,
and cane travel

For students with the

greatest visual impairment
and other disabilities there
is a need for an
individualized curriculum
that usually focuses on
development more than
academic skills (Castellano,
2004).

Educators should understand that

students that are lawfully visually
impaired or blind
may have some vision, only about ten
percent of students have complete
loss of vision. With understanding the
word blindness a teacher must
understand a child can be determined
legally blind but may still have the
ability to see shapes, colors and light
which is extremely helpful and an
advantage for education and
learning.

The primary issue when educating students

with visual impairments is access to the visual
environment and opportunities to learn. Quite
simply, students with visual impairments
learn differently (Spugin & Ferrell,2007,
p.1) .

The curriculum areas that

require specialized adaptations
or strategies for students who
have visual impairments are;
concept development,
orientation and mobility,
academic functioning, physical
skills, communication skills,
social/emotional skills, daily

living skills, career skills,

vocational skills, how to
adjust to low vision, discussed
previously- specialized
instruction of motor skills,
and sensory skills. Visually
impaired students require
specialized instruction and
Individualized Education Plans
(IEP) because the information
given to a group may not
have any meaning to a
student that cannot see.

Teachers must remember without

necessary intervention a students
goals discussed previously in this paper
will be affected. Educators must
provide special instructions because
visually impaired students may not pick
up on subtle activities in their learning
environment (because of impaired
vision).

It is important for a student who has

impairment with vision to sensory
learn. Hands are very important for
students because a student can learn
a lot about an object through touch. If
a visually impaired student is
struggling looking at a school book or
paper, encourage the student to use
tactile sensory.

Using hands

Enlarged Writing On Computers

Magnifiers

A monocular is a low vision device used

for distance viewing, this student is
looking for the bus, in the classroom
and outside the classroom

Some braille books designed for visually

impaired students contained raised graphs
(math books), and raised pictures for the
student to feel. If a visual impaired student
is having difficulty grasping a concept,
place something relatable into the
students hands to help interpret,
represent, or explain the subject.

Teaching a visually impaired

student to use Braille is
important for the students
success. Eighty-Five percent
of blind people who are
employed know how to read
Braille (Castellano, 2004).

Great Ideas

For great ideas of hands on approaches,

a great example of an accommodation
may be placing a coin in a student with
visual impairments hands if a coin is
discussed in a book or in a lesson plan.
Teachers should be clear with class
instructions, for example a teacher may
say, pass your papers to the right,
instead of over there. Another idea is,
put the paper on the left side of your
desk, I will pick them up.

Other accomadations

Another accommodation to use is to say

out loud everything being written, for
example, on a white board, power point
or on an overhead projector. It is a great
idea to say everything out loud. When
calling on a student say the students
name, also say I can see Mary, Karl, Betty
also have their hands up. This will include
the visually impaired student into the
classroom discussions.

It is important to remember students with

visual impairment have the potential to
develop physically and motor skills the same
as their sighted peers (Lieberman & Wilson,
1999).

Incorporate physical
activities in the curriculum
that can be completed
independently such as;
jogging, weight training and
martial arts.

Social Interactions

Social interactions are not always comfortable to

a student who is visually impaired because of
the sight barrier; educators must create a
respectable and friendly atmosphere.

Materials necessary for an activity must be

assessable before an activity so a visually
impaired student can participate without
hesitation. Instructors should have equipment
for inclusion in physical activities such as a ball
that beeps so the student can participate in the
social activity of physical play.

TVI

The teacher of students with vision

impairments (TVI), is a major player in a
students educational success. The TVI
will understand the vision impairment of
the student and any mobility needs will
be learned from the orientation and
mobility instructor (O&M) (AFB,2014).

References

American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). (2014). Educating students with visual impairments
for Inclusion in society. Retrieved from http://www.afb.org/info/programs-andservices/professional-development/teachers/inclusive-education/1235

American Foundation for the Blind(AFB). (2014). Accommodations and Modifications at a

Glance: Educational Accommodations for Students Who Are Blind or Visually
Impaired.RetrivdFromhttp://www.afb.org/section.aspx?SectionID=72&TopicID=347&D
ocumentID=3820#instruction

Castellano, C.(2004). A Brief look at the education of blind children. Retrieved from
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr13/fr04ss07.htm

Liberman, L.J. & Wilson, C.H. (1999). Overcoming the barriers to including students with visual
Impairments and deaf-blindness in physical education. Retrieved from the American

Printing House for the Blind, Inc. website: http://www.aph.org/pe/art_l_hw.html

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities(NICHCY). (2012, November).

Visual Impairment, including blindness. Retrieved from

http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/visualimpairment#def

Sprungin, S.J. & Ferrell K. A. (2007). The role and function of a the teacher of students with
visual impairments. A position paper of the division on visual impairments council of
exceptional children. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.