Visually Impaired Visually Impaired

ED 300 Introduction to Education

Professor LordRoger Cifuentes

July 31, 2011

Blindness

“Having less than 1⁄10 of normal vision in the more efficient eye

when refractive defects are fully corrected by lenses”

•Sometimes if the optic nerve does not form properly, it will not send information to the brain, which can lead to blindness. •Blindness can also be genetic or carried through the genes. •Accidents can also be to blame. •Illnesses/diseases: diabetes, cataracts etc…but this usually occurs in older people.

retinoblastoma-rare cancer that occurs in children

Optical Nerve

Normally Normally sighted: sighted:

visual field of visual field of 180 180

degrees.degrees.

Legally Blind:Legally Blind:visual field of visual field of

less than less than 20 degrees. 20 degrees.

• Legal blindness = vision of 20/200 or less. This means that Legal blindness = vision of 20/200 or less. This means that this person sees at 20 feet that a normally sighted person this person sees at 20 feet that a normally sighted person can see at 200 feet. Most people can fix this with glasses. can see at 200 feet. Most people can fix this with glasses. Total "visual field". This means that a person cannot see Total "visual field". This means that a person cannot see the whole object as a normally sighted person can. the whole object as a normally sighted person can.

Visual Field This picture shows the normal visual field This picture shows the normal visual field with the line through the middle. The small with the line through the middle. The small circle closest to the fish demonstrates the circle closest to the fish demonstrates the

visual field for a legally blind person. visual field for a legally blind person. The normal visual field would be able to see The normal visual field would be able to see

more of the fish.more of the fish.

More CharacteristicsMore Characteristics

• Color blind= Some of the colors they see are Color blind= Some of the colors they see are different than what most people do. different than what most people do.

• Color blind students are not considered Color blind students are not considered legally blind. legally blind.

“Our beliefs are important because what we believe

affects the way we behave. Our beliefs about blindness will affect how we act

toward the blind children with which we work,

our expectations for them, the way we teach them,

the messages we give them.”- Carol Castellano

Strategies for teaching Strategies for teaching

Blind StudentsBlind Students

80% of learning is through sight.80% of learning is through sight.

In the San Diego Unified School District Visually Impaired students are taught by being introduced to a

Braille letter recognition program.

Following mastery of the letters, students begin with the Braille reading program that starts at level 10 through level 38. Teachers then accommodate for their students by giving

them worksheets and homework in Braille. The parents of the these students are given text copies of all of

the work given so that they can help their children.

• Understand the background of the studentHow much vision does the student have? How did they become blind? How long has the student been blind?

• Technology is a good tool. There is downloadable computer software that transcribes information into Braille dots. There is also software such as text to speech and voice recognition to facilitate use of computers by blind students.

• Teaching English to blind students

Strategies

Use specific descriptive words:

• always relating it to the student's body orientation, not "over there", "here", "this", etc. • Introduce yourself, offer your arm. Tell them if they have to step up

or step down, let them know if the door is to their left or right, and warn them of possible hazards.

• Orally, let the student know if you need to move or leave or need to end a conversation. • It is not necessary to speak loudly to people with visual impairments. • Do not speak of them in third person. Even if they can’t see you it

doesn’t mean they can’t hear you. They are right there.

to your to your

RIGHTRIGHTto your to your

LEFTLEFT

SCREEN READERS for the Blind

• Verbally spell out new words.• Use an enlarged picture/directions on a chart or projector.• When describing something use lots of detail, especially

when using visual media or other objects that are mainly visual.

• Have hands on 3D models, raised lines on drawings especially when doing math or art.

More Strategies

• Modify instructions for auditory/tactile lessons. • Allow student to use a tape recorder for recording

classroom information or the text. • Make all handouts and assignments available for VI

students. i.e., regular print, large print, Braille, or on a cassette

• Label material, supplies, and equipment with regular print, large print, and/or Braille.

Instructional Strategies That Work (Explicit Teaching)

• Self-monitoring• Reinforcement• Self-questioning• Drill & Practice• Strategy instruction• Feedback• Direct instruction• Repeated reading

• Error correction• Formative evaluation• Peer mediation• Peer tutoring • Increased time• Teaching with Music

Accomodations• Notetakers-people can write for the student• Readers-either parents or other students• Make sure the classroom has enough lighting. • The classroom should be accessible for a guide dog

and/or interpreter to be in the room with the student. • Keep expectations high.• Understand and respect the special skills the child will be

learning, i.e. the Braille, cane, sound, touch, memory, various special tools and machines.

Optacon-converts text into raised dots

Braille Slate-used for writing Braille.

Braille Writer-uses combination of keys to create dots on paper

Teacher Resources

• Any visually impaired child who is living in the United States or Canada and is between the ages of 3 and 18 is eligible for the Braille Special Collection Program through the Braille Institute that gives blind students braille books.

• Online Resources for Teaching Blind Students http://www.uni.edu/walsh/blindresources.html

• Access It-The National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education

• http://www.washington.edu/accessit/

ResourcesBBC http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/teaching-english-blind-studentsSubmitted by TE Editor on 21 June, 2004 - 13:00

Hardy, Wendy –Bay Park Elementary (SDUSD)http://www.sandi.net/693420101811310963/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=76305

Kavale (2005), Learning Disabilities, 13 (4) American Foundation for the Blind

http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=44&TopicID=189&DocumentID=3152

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blindness

Monroe county women’s disability network Monroe county women’s disability network http://www.mcwdn.org/Blind/WhatIsBlindness.htmlhttp://www.mcwdn.org/Blind/WhatIsBlindness.html

The Blind Child In The Regular Elementary Classroomby Carol Castellanohttp://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr15/Issue3/f150302.html