Special Education Resource Library
Visual Impairments
What is it?
A visual impairment is considered to be any visual condition in which an individual's ability to complete everyday life activities is impacted. A specially trained teacher is needed to determine the visual impairment's impact on the child's ability to learn. To determine the necessary accommodations for a student with visual impairments, a student must be classified based on their level of functional vision. Their are three classifications to consider:
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1. Low vision in which students primary sensory channel is their vision.
2. Functionally blind in which students use limited vision for functional tasks but use their tactile and auditory channels for learning.
3. Totally blind in which students use their tactile and auditory channels for learning.
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Although these three categories exist, no two students visual impairment is the same. With this being said, the onset, severity, and type of visual loss alongside coexisting disabilities will be used in determining the accommodations, modifications, and teaching strategies used.
What does this look like in the classroom?
To best support learners with visual impairments, there are many accommodations that can be made. When teachers are providing different accommodations, it is necessary for learners practice independence whenever possible. To support independence in the classroom, it is important that the classroom is consistent in regards to desks, materials, and other objects. This allows learners to move around the classroom freely and independently. Other accommodations include seating close to the front of the room, controlling lighting to prevent glare, or large print text. For learners that are blind, braille, assistive technologies such as screen readers or talking calculators can be used to support the success of visually impaired learners in the general education classroom.