1. Blindness Information Staff Development Presentation August 2005

2. Blindness is a general term covering many different types of eye problems.

3. Blindness doesn’t always affect intelligence!

4. BRAILLE Blind people read with their fingertips. BRAILLE is a special alphabet made by a system of dots that are punched into thick paper.

5. Expectations are the same for blind and sighted students. This is the same for discipline. They require structure that is well defined with consequences for misbehavior. This is crucial for success.

6. Ask a blind person if they need help. Don’t assume it is needed.

7. Identify yourself by name if you see her. If she needs directions, please be as specific as possible. Tell her when you are leaving her.

8. Don’t be afraid to use the words look or see.

9. Some blind people’s eyes may look “different.”

10. If you are coming down the hall with your class, say, “Hi, it is _____ and my class is behind me.”

11. Please don’t leave doors half open or half closed. Tell the blind person when you are handing them something – and what it is!!!

12. Tell a blind person what is going on. ….like if the principal is close by. She can’t see expressions on people’s faces.

13. Foster an attitude in your classroom which embraces and celebrates differences among students. Together we CAN!!!

14. How do blind people travel? sighted guide white cane seeing eye dogs hand trailing protective techniques

15. Guidelines for interacting with and/or assisting a blind person. Encourage the person to travel independently as much as possible. Never push or guide the student from behind. When walking with a student who has a cane, it is important to prevent injury… but not bumps. Do not overprotect… sometimes the student needs to contact obstacles to identify his/her location.

16. What do I do if a student with a cane is approaching me? Quickly move to the side OR Alert the cane traveler of your presence by speaking Stand still and allow the person to negotiate around you Please don’t jump over the cane, this can cause trips and falls!!!

17. Please do not ask the person to guess your name. Many people have excellent voice recognition, but just as sighted people may remember a face, but not a name, the same can happen with voices. Always introduce yourself by name. Please speak when you enter or exit a room, and introduce others around you.

18. How can I help? Always ask the person who is blind if he/she needs help or would like sighted guide before touching the student. When traveling in a line with the student, the cane may contact the person in the front. This is OK as the student uses the person in front to maintain a straight line of travel and know when the line is moving.

19. During emergencies, such as a fire drill, the student should request sighted guide, from either a student or adult, to exit the building.