+ Working with the VISUALLY IMPAIRED CARLY ANDREW JULY 28, 2012

+ Who is visually impaired? Visual Impairment: any visual condition that impacts an individual’s ability to successfully complete the activities of everyday life.

+ Categorization Low vision – student us their vision as their primary sensory channel Functionally blind – students can use limited vision or functional tasks but need their tactile and auditory channels for learning Totally blind – students use tactile and auditory channels for learning and functional tasks

+ Physical Signs Crossed eyes Eyes that flutter Frequent blinking or squinting

+ Behaviors Clumsiness Short attention span Sensitive to bright lights Poor hand-eye coordination

+ Impact on Learning Limited ability to learn incidentally from their environment Low motivation to: Explore the environment Initiate social communication Manipulate objects

+ Expanded Core Curriculum Communication skills Social interaction skills Orientation and mobility

+ Impact on Learning VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN LEARN AT ROUGHLY THE SAME RATE AS OTHER CHILDREN Just need direct interventions to develop understandings of relationships between people and objects in their environment

+ Teaching Strategies Encourage independence to avoid “learned helplessness” Encourage student to move independently around the room Materials, desks and other objects in the classroom should be maintained in consistent locations Things should be kept neat and tidy Part of this is learning when to ask for assistance

+ Designing Instruction Design instruction so that student has the most opportunity to act independently Low vision – make sure front of the classroom Control lighting variables for students Use verbal cues with students who cannot see body movements or physical cues

+ During Class Discussions Call on student by name to have participate in discussion Make sure everything that is visually displayed is verbally described Provide the student with a printed outline so the discussion can be more easily followed

+ Notetaking Any notes written on the board should be said aloud Use high contrast writing tools when using the overhead

+ Projects & Reports Verify student understands assignment instructions Allow additional time for completion of projects Give the student and parent a checklist about what is due and when it is due Provide enlarged samples for preview Allow alternate methods of project presentation Provide and review grading rubric so student knows Encyclopedia articles can be ordered in Braille for free from ROSE project (

+ Etiquette Identify yourself and other group members before beginning a conversation Allow for direct manipulation of materials when appropriate Allow additional time for all assignments Verify student understands assignment instructions Use both oral and written instructions Access to textbooks and instructional materials in appropriate media AT THE SAME TIME as their peers

+ Lesson Plan Modifications and Explanations: Everything that is written, should be read aloud As students speak (or are grouped) name them, so that the visually impaired student may identify the speaker as well Try to reduce the amount of student traffic going on in the room at any given time Create activities in which a visually impaired student may still have an active, unaltered role Such as the note-taker or speaker in the group This helps to foster independence, avoiding “learned helplessness” Make all hand-outs, notes, or written materials available in a format that is accessible to the visually impaired student Braille, voice-recorded, through a read-a-loud program on their computer or assistive device NOTE: IMPERATIVE that these be available to the visually impaired student at the same time that the other students also receive the same materials

+ Organizations American Council of the Blind ( American Foundation of the Blind ( American Printing House for the Blind ( Blind Children’s Center ( Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired ( Center for Disability and Development (cdd.tamu.edu) Council for Exceptional Children – Division of Visual Impairment (

+ In the News South Korean archer Im Dong-hyun (who is legally blind) broke the world-record in archery on Friday Legally blind = what the normal eye sees at 200 feet in distance — needs to be within 20 feet to see the same detail

+ Works Cited Amber Keefer, “Characteristics of a Visually Impaired Child,” (March 12, 2011) Carol Castellano, “Blindness Awareness for the Class,” (winter/spring 2006), Jim Rodrigues and Kathy Decker, compl., “Making Modifications, Accommodations and Variations for Student Success,” (September 11, 2007), 20impaired.pdf 20impaired.pdf Partnership for Accessible Reading Assessment, University of Minnesota, “Reading and Students with Visual Impairments or Blindness,” (2011), ProjectIDEAL: Informing and Designing Education for All Learners, “Visual Impairments,” Sharon Z. Sacks and Rosanne K. Silberman, “Teaching Strategies for Students with Visual Impairments and Other Disabilities,” (February 2002),