Learners with

Blindness or Low VisionStephanie KortanJordan Majewski

Definition• Legal Definition:

– Legally Blind: a person who has visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye even with correction (eye-glasses)

– Low Vision: persons who have visual acuity falling between 20/70 and 20/200 in the better eye with correction

• Educational Definition: Individuals who are blind are so severely impaired they must learn to read Braille

Prevalence• Blindness is

primarily an adult disability

• Fewer than .05% of students from age 6-17 are identified as visually impaired

Causes• Some conditions affect both adults

and children– Glaucoma– Cataracts– Diabetic retinopathy

• Some conditions affect primarily children– Cortical visual impairment– Retinopathy– Optic nerve hypoplasia– Retinis pigmentosa

Psychological and Behavioral

Characteristics• Language Development• Motor Delays• Orientation and Mobility

(O & M)– People with visual impairment

can process spatial information either sequentially or as a cognitive map; the latter is more efficient

– Two myths are that people who are blind have an extra sense and that they automatically develop better acuity in their other senses

• Phonological Awareness• Stereotypic (repetitive)

Behaviors• Social Adjustment

Dos and Don’ts for Teachers

DO• Feel comfortable using

vision words, such as “look,” “see,” and “watch”

• Use the students’ name when calling on them

• Read out loud what you are writing on the board

• Encourage independence• Include visually impaired

students in as many class activities as possible

• Give explicit directions

DON’T• Be afraid to touch visually

impaired students• Overprotect• Be afraid to require a

student’s best work• Be afraid to require the

same requirements• Hesitate to ask students

what something looks like to them

Educational Considerations

• The ability to read braille is a crucial skill

• The use of remaining sight is an important skill

• Listening skills are important

• O & M skills are of critical importance

• Guide Dogs• Tactile Maps• Human Guides• Technological aids are

available for communication

Assessment and Accommodations

• Teachers can monitor progress in Braille skills involved in reading and mathematics using curriculum-based measurement (CBM)

• O and M instructions can monitor travel skills using GPS devices

• Professionals can assess academic outcomes using Braille versions of standardized academic tests

Important Considerations for Early

Intervention• Intensive intervention should begin

as early as possible• Inclusive settings can be beneficial,

but it is important that the teacher facilitate interactions between students with visual impairments and sighted students

• Try to involve parents• Many authorities now recommend

that preschoolers be taught cane techniques

Transition to Adulthood

• Lead very independent lives• Emphasis on inclusion?• Sighted society needs to be careful

not to treat those with visual impairments as helpless

• Explicit teaching of independent living skills is essential– Transition programming should be intensive

and extensive• Job accommodations are essential

Resources• Council for Exceptional Children. (2003). What every

special educator must know: Ethics, standards and guidelines for special educators (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.

• Erin, J. N. (2006). Teaching social skills to elementary and middle school students with visual impairments. New York: American Foundation for the Blind.

• Hatlen, P. (1998). A report to the nation: The national agenda for the education of children and youths with visual impairments, including those with multiple disabilities. New York: AFP Press.

Picture Resources• Brailleduino. (14, July 2009). Retrieved from http://www.epokh.org/blog/?p=235• DeRoo, K. (n.d.). Low vision awareness. Retrieved from http://ktderoo.com/lowvision/pages/cataracts.html • kluciole. (18, February 2011). Angry mother says people unkind to her blind toddler, assuming his white cane is a toy. Retrieved

from http://blog.luciolepress.com/2011/02/18/angry-mother-says-people-unkind-to-her-blind-toddler-assuming-his-white- cane-is-a-toy.aspx

• Li, M. (n.d.). Dr. mike li optometry-photo gallery. Retrieved from http://www.drmikeli.com/photo_gallery • Texas school a key partner in developing resources for blind & visually impaired students. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.readnaturally.com/company/news_brailletx.htm • The right to sight. (28, November 2009). Retrieved from http://www.vision2020.org/main.cfm?type=WSD08AR