Information on Visual Impairment/Blindness for Schools
Visual Impairment/Blindness
Visual Impairment/Blindness Definition: an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.
A child displays a visual impairment when:
- a visual impairment or a progressive vision loss has been diagnosed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist:
- a visual acuity has been determined to be:
- for visual impairment, of 20/70 to 20/200 in the better eye with best correction by glasses;
- for blindness, of 20/200 or less in the better eye after best correction by glasses or a visual field measuring 20 degrees or less.
- the visual impairment adversely affects the child’s educational performance.
Deaf/Blindness
Deaf/Blindness Definition: concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness.
A child is deafblind when:
- both visual and hearing impairments are present:
- the impairments together cause severe communication, development, and educational needs.
(From: MISSOURI STATE PLAN FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION: REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING PART B OF THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT 2001: REGULATION III – IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION)
REGULATION IV – FAPE/IEP/LRE
Braille Instruction
- As appropriate, the IEP must include (for children who are blind or visually impaired):
- the specific goals and objectives which specify the competencies in reading and writing Braille to be taught during the school year;
- means by which Braille will be implemented through integration with normal classroom activities;
- the date on which Braille instruction will commence;
the level of competency in Braille reading and writing expected to be achieved by the end of the period covered in the IEP; - the duration of each session;
if the IEP team determines that Braille instruction is not appropriate for a child with blindness or visual impairments, the basis for that determination shall be documented on the IEP, and, - that a referral to Rehabilitation Services for the Blind has been discussed and the decision of the parent regarding that referral.
There are approximately ten million people with visual impairments in the United States. Approximately 3,000 of these are students in Missouri. As noted above, the term “visual impairment” includes a wide range and variety of vision, from blindness and lack of usable vision to some level of usable vision, which cannot be corrected to normal vision with eyeglasses or contact lenses. Most persons who are considered visually impaired have some usable vision. There are many conditions that can cause people to lose their sight. A visual impairment may be present at birth or it may develop during infancy and childhood. There are three general reasons for impairment of vision. There may be damage to one or more parts of the eye that is responsible for vision and the damage interferes with the way the eye receives or processes information. The eyeball may be sized in a way that makes it harder to focus on objects. Or, the part of the brain that processes visual information may not work correctly. Persons with unimpaired vision sometimes wonder what the person with a visual impairment sees and while it is impossible to actually experience the visual impairment, there are ways to simulate the vision loss created by some eye conditions. Go to www.my-vision-simulator.com to trial a simulation experience.
Visual impairments change the way children obtain information about the world and may limit opportunities to learn by observing what goes on around them in their families and at school. This means that, in addition, to their general classroom studies, these students must also learn specialized skills from teachers and others who are specially trained to teach these skills, such as teachers certificated in the education of students with visual impairments and certified orientation and mobility specialists. The specialized skills students with visual impairments might need to learn include computer proficiency using adapted hardware and software. Literacy needs might relate to reading and writing Braille, using optical devices, such as magnifiers, and instruction in the efficient use of vision. Instruction in social skills relates to understanding body language and other visual concepts. Independent living skills include learning specialized techniques for personal grooming, food preparation, money management, and other tasks. Safety and independence in travel may depend on learning specific orientation and mobility techniques. Some persons with visual impairments receive instruction to navigate their environment on their own; others use long canes to get around. Adults may also use dog guides.
Children with visual impairments attend schools in a variety of settings. Based upon individual needs, the student may attend the neighborhood school with support from specialized personnel, they may participate in special classes, or they may attend a special school designed to provide services to students with visual impairments and multiple disabilities. It is less important where the students attend school than that they gain the essential knowledge for further education, gainful employment, and independent living.
Sources:
· American Foundation for the Blind website, www.afb.org
· Children with Visual Impairments: A Parents’ Guide, M. Cay Holbrook, Woodbine House, 1996.
How to Interact with A Person Who is Visually Impaired
The following points of etiquette shared by the American Foundation for the Blind (www.afb.org) are helpful to keep in mind when interacting with a person who is visually impaired:
- Introduce yourself using your name and/or position, especially if you are wearing a name badge containing this information.
- Speak directly to the person not through a companion, guide, or other individual.
- Speak to the person using a natural conversational tone and speed. Do not speak loudly and slowly unless the person also has a hearing impairment.
- Address the person by name when possible. This is especially important in crowded areas.
- Immediately greet the person when they enter a room or a service area. This allows you to let them know you are present and ready to assist. And, it eliminates uncomfortable silences.
- Indicate the end of a conversation to avoid the embarrassment of leaving a person speaking when no one is actually there.
- Feel free to use words that refer to vision during the course of conversations. Vision-oriented words such as look, see and watching TV are a part of everyday verbal communication. The words blind and visually impaired are also acceptable in conversation.
- Be precise and thorough when you describe people, places or things. Don't leave things out or change a description because you think it is unimportant or unpleasant.
- Feel free to use visually descriptive language. Making reference to colors, patterns, designs, and shapes is perfectly acceptable.
- Speak about a person with a disability by first referring to the person and then to the disability. You should, therefore, refer to "persons who are blind" rather than to "blind persons."
- Offer to guide a person who is blind or visually impaired by asking if they would like assistance. Offer them your arm. It is not always necessary to provide guided assistance; in some instances it can be disorienting and disruptive. Respect the desires of the person you are with.
- Guide persons who request assistance by allowing them to take your arm just above the elbow when your arm is bent. Walk ahead of the person you are guiding. Never grab a person who is blind or visually impaired by the arm and push him/her forward.
- Guide dogs are working mobility tools. Do not pet them, feed them or distract them while they are working.
- Do not leave a person who is blind or visually impaired standing in "free space" when you serve as a guide. Always be sure that the person you guide has a firm grasp on your arm, or is leaning against a chair or a wall if you have to be separated momentarily.
- Be calm and clear about what to do if you see a person who is blind or visually impaired about to encounter a dangerous situation. For example, if a person who is blind is about to bump into a pole in a hotel lobby, calmly and firmly call out, "Wait there for a moment; there is a pole in front of you."