BECKY HARPER Visual Impairment

Visual impairment including blindness… … means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

“ Thomas says yellow tastes like mustard, but is as soft as a baby chick’s feathers.” IT IS VERY HARD FOR A SIGHTED PERSON TO IMAGINE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE BLIND. THIS BOOK CONVEYS THE EXPERIENCE OF A PERSON WHO CAN ONLY SEE THROUGH HIS OR HER SENSE OF TOUCH, TASTE, SMELL OR HEARING. RAISED BLACK LINE DRAWINGS ON BLACK PAPER, WHICH CAN BE DECIPHERED BY TOUCH, COMPLEMENT A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN TEXT DESCRIBING COLORS THROUGH IMAGERY. BRAILLE LETTERS ACCOMPANY THE TEXT SO THAT THE SIGHTED READER CAN BEGIN TO IMAGINE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO USE BRAILLE TO READ. A FULL BRAILLE ALPHABET AT THE END OF THE BOOK CAN BE USED TO LEARN MORE.

Characteristics CROSSED EYES UNFOCUSED EYES EYES THAT TURN OUT CLUMSY FALLING DOWN RUNNING INTO THINGS UNABLE TO JUDGE DISTANCE SQUINTING Frequent blinking FREQUENT BLINKING HOLD OBJECTS CLOSE TO THEIR FACE POOR EYE-HAND COORDINATION DIFFICULTIES READING DIFFICULTIES REMEMBERING WHAT THEY READ DIFFICULTIES WRITING IQ IN NORMAL RANGE old objects close to their face Poor

Classroom Modifications and Accommodations SEATING CLOSE TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM LARGE PRINT FLEXIBILITY TO MOVE WITHIN THE ROOM APPROPRIATE LIGHTING EXTENDED TIME FOR READING OR WRITING EXTENDED TIME FOR COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS ACCESS TO MANIPULATIVES SHOW STUDENT WHERE HIS OR HER DESK IS, WHERE MATERIALS ARE LOCATED, AND WHERE PAPERS SHOULD BE TURNED IN ALLOW STUDENT TO EXPLORE YOUR ROOM AND BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH THE SURROUNDINGS RECORDED LECTURES READERS FOR EXAM MAGNIFICATION DEVICES

Evidence-Based Instructional Strategies 1. TEACHERS MUST USE DESCRIPTIVE WORDS RATHER THAN SPEAKING GENERALLY WHEN WORKING WITH STUDENTS WHO ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED. 2. USING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING MAGNIFICATION DEVISES AND LARGE PRINT. 3. ALLOW TIME FOR CLARIFICATION OF DIRECTIONS AND ESSENTIAL INFORMATION. 4. BREAK INFORMATION INTO SMALL STEPS WHILE INSTRUCTING A NEW TASKS. 5. USE MORE THAN ONE WAY TO DEMONSTRATE OR EXPLAIN INFORMATION. 6. GIVE VERBAL DESCRIPTION OF VISUAL AIDS OR WRITING ON WHITEBOARD OR SLIDES. 7. PRINT NOTES IN BRAILLE, IF APPLICABLE. 8. WHEN APPROPRIATE, ASK FOR A SIGHTED VOLUNTEER TO TEAM UP WITH A VISION- IMPAIRED STUDENT FOR IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS. 9. KEEP INSTRUCTIONS BRIEF AND UNCOMPLICATED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. WHEN REPEATING INSTRUCTIONS, REPEAT EXACTLY WITHOUT PARAPHRASING.

Leonard Nicholson