Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

By Dawn Kuna

In America there are approximately 10 million people that are

visually impaired.
Out of these 10 million, approximately 93,600 people are
students.
About two-thirds of children with vision impairments also have one or
more other disabilities. Children with severe vision impairments are more
likely to have additional disabilities.
When a child is born with a visual impairment it is called congenital
blindness. This may be inherited or may be from an infection passed on
from mother to child.
It is very rare that people lose their sight during their teen years. When
they do, it is usually some sort of accident that results in some sort of
head trauma.

The degrees of vision difficulties are measured with an eye

chart and as a ratio (eg. 20/20 vision)

Top number = distance in feet of how close a person must

be to see an object compared to
Bottom number = the distance in feet a regular sighted
person can see that object

Examples:
A person with 20/400 vision must stand 20 feet away from an
object that a sighted person can see from 400 feet away
A person with 20/70 vision must stand 20 feet away from an
object that a sighted person can see from 70 feet away
A person with 20/20 vision must stand 20 feet away from an
object that a sighted person can see from 20 feet away,
therefore, that person has what we consider perfect vision

Visual Impairment is a generic term

It covers a broad range including

Blind = 20/400 down to complete sightlessness

with the best possible

correction. Most people with a visual impairment have at least some sight like
lights and shadows.

Legally Blind = 20/200 down to complete sightlessness with the best

possible correction.

Partially-sighted = when a person cannot, after eye correction, read,

travel and see normally. People who are partially sighted often need vision
aids and special education.

Low Vision

= visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/400 after all

corrective possibilities. People with low vision cannot read the newspaper at a
normal viewing distance, even with glasses.

Students with visual impairments live normal lives. They go to

school, have after-school jobs, date, play sports, and socialize.

How well they function with the vision that they do have is called
their functional vision. The same as people dont think every day
about their eye color, people with a visual impairment dont think
about their condition every day either. Blindness just becomes part
of who they are.

Since a child with a visual impairment may not be able to see

his/her parents or peers, imitating social norms may be difficult.
Some problems may include:
Looking at with whom they are speaking or listening
Allowing for proper personal space to the other students

Teachers Tips
Whatever the degree of impairment, students who are visually impaired
should be expected to participate fully in classroom activities. Although they
may confront limitations, with proper planning and adaptive equipment their
participation can be maximized. Students should not be exempt from test
taking or expected to master less or perform at a lower scholastic level
because of a visual impairment. Here are some tips from the University of
Rochester Disability Resource website that may give teachers some good
ideas when they have a student with a vision impairment in their class.
www.rochester.edu/ada/st_visual.html
The Classroom
Reserve a seat in the front row
Have room for seeing eye dog
Keep isles clear and drawers and cabinets closed
The Teacher
Face the class while speaking
Permit lectures to be taped
Provide large print versions of classroom materials
Be flexible with assignment deadlines
Consider alternative assignments
Consider alternative measures of assessing achievements
Translate material to Braille and adaptive electronic media
Be specific with directions
Provide hands on learning experiences
Use real objects so the student can experience them by touch
Supply students with tactile diagrams and graphs ( by outlining them
with liquid glue)
Use appropriate scale when possible

 Ask the student if they have any suggestions

Keep communications open
The Rest of the Class
Instruct others to yield the right of way
Instruct students to help when asked
Instruct students to ask if help is needed
Instruct students not to harass seeing eye dog

Resources
1. American Foundation for the Blind
www.afb.org/section.asp?Documentid=1374
2. Science Instruction for Students with Visual Impairments ERIC Digest
Authors; Kumar, Ramasamy, Stefanich Publish Date : 2001
www.ericdigests.org/2003-1/visual2.htm
3. Special Education Services
www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/ppandg/planning_10.htm
4. National Center in Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/ddvi.htm
5. Teens Health
www.kidshealth.org
6. National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities Jan. 2004
www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs13txt.htm
7. Including Students with Special Needs
Friend & Bursuck (2002)