Visual Impairments

By: Ericka Schmidt

Visual Impairments• : A term that describes people who

cannot see well even with correction.

• Legal Blindness: visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the BETTER eye after correction or a visual field that is no greater than 20 degrees.

A Brief History • 1784: Valentin Hauy established the Institut National

des Jeunes Aveugles in Paris.

• His student, Louis Braille, developed an embossed communication system ... BRAILLE

• First Schools in the United States: the Perkins School for Blind in Boston (1829), the New York Institution for the Blind (1831), & the Overbrook School for the Blind in Philadelphia (1833)

History Continued...• Residential Programs designed to prepare these

students for daily living skills, menial jobs, & to become active members in the community.

• 1970: New theory, vision should be stimulated and children should be taught to use their remaining vision more efficiently. (VISUAL EFFICIENCY).

• PL 94-142: required school districts to identify and serve children with visual impairments. Many were placed in the general classroom provided with specialists

Common Definitions• Photophobic: sensitive to light.

• Low vision: the visual impairments interfere with the ability to perform daily activities

• Snellen Chart: an eye chart of clinical measurement of the true amount of distance vision an individual has under certain conditions.

• Myopia: nearsightedness (can see objects close)

• Hyperopia: farsightedness (can see objects far)

Braille

• Consists of 6 possible patterns of dots arranged in two columns of three

• Grade 1 Braille: each letter is spelled out using Braille letters corresponding to print letters

• Grade 2 Braille: made up of contractions representing types of words or whole words similar to print short hand( most commonly used)

Eye Diseases

• Glaucoma: disease caused by increased pressure inside the aqueous portion of the eye with loss in field vision. ( Clear in the middle, dark around the edges).

• Cataract: lenses that are opaque or cloudy due to trauma or age. (Very Blurry)

• Age-Related Macular Degeneration: a deterioration or breakdown of the eye's macula. This part is responsible for your CENTRAL VISION.

• Diabetic Retinopathy: the most common diabetic eye disease, occurs when blood vessels in the retina change. (Random black spots)

Eye Diagram

Glaucoma

Diabetic Retinopathy

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Cataract

VIDEO 1• Vision simulation • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVQvqmz

e5SU

• Does anyone have any questions or comments?

Suggestions for Classroom Do...... Don’t.....

Read while writing on the board Be afraid of touching an individual with a visual impairment

Give explicit instructions Discipline someone with a non vision impairment differently. Equality

Use the individual's name while calling him or her

Overprotect. Allow them to attempt as many things as they want

Encourage supplementary devices Worry about personal feelings of awkwardness

Provide extra space for equipment Be afraid of having high expectations

Include the individual in as many class activities as possible

Tolerate unacceptable behavior

Tips for Safety Measures • Eliminate unnecessary obstacles • Allow children to move about freely so

they can get to know the room• Inform the student if there is a new

arrangement• Encourage use of a sighted guide in case

of emergency

Assistive Technology

• Screen Enlargements • Speech Synthesizers• Electronic Note-Taker • Screen Readers• Video Magnifier• Braille Translator • Seeing Eye Dog

Illinois School for the Visually Impaired

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2bsTOZ71Mw

Guide Dog• The Guide Dog Foundation breeds its own dogs including Labrador

Retrievers and Golden Retrievers

• Guide Dogs are allowed to go everywhere that the public is allowed to go. (restaurants, taxicabs, hotels, planes)

• It costs them more than $25,000 to complete the training for only one guide dog.

• It usually takes at least 24 months to train a group of guide dogs.ThinkQuest 2005

Characteristics with Vision Conditions

• Holding reading material close to face• Excessive rubbing of the eye• Eye fatigue• Frequent headaches• Difficulty copying down class notes from

board• Difficulty with color identification • Clumsy movement in certain environments• Constantly squinting

Modifications for the Classroom

• Large print material and tests• Oral presentation of the materials • Assistive technology• Extended time limit • Small or individual group assessment • Preferred seating• Braille transcription

Environmental Adaptations

• Lighting: variety of lighting situations, lighting at different times of the day, light sensitivity( shades), low light (lamp), room obstructions (furniture), and glare ( non glare surface).

• Size & Distance: placement and size of objects at near and at far, electronic devices, magnification, and additional storage space

Final Facts about Visual Impairments

• Number of students age 6 to 21 with visual impairments: 0.43%• 90% of the worlds visual impaired

lives in developing countries • Cataract is the leading cause of

blindness in middle and low income countries

World Health Organization

Court Case • Hallie Kirkinburgh vs. Albertson’s Inc. (1998) • A truck driver filed an ADA claim against his employer because

they discriminated against his visual ability. • He has a lazy eye in his left, however, perfect vision in the right

eye. • He was in an accident and he has to get re certified, however, they

were not going to let him because of his impairment. • He filed a wavier through the Federal Highway Administration but

Albertson Inc. declined this and offered him a non-driving position. • Plaintiff rejected the non-driving position. • Plaintiff lost in the District Court but he appealed to the United

States Court of Appeals. • They ruled that he did in fact have a disability BUT that he is

qualified for the job in spite of this impairment.

Court Case• Do you think that the ruling was fair?

Why or Why not.

• Should some one with a visual impairment be able to drive a commercial truck? (If the impairment does not affect their day to day life).

Questions ???

• 1. Myopia? Is it farsightedness or nearsightedness?

• What are two safety measures to keep in mind if you have a student with visual impairments?

Questions ???

• Define cataract disease?

• What are two characteristics of students with visual impairments?

• What is the percentage of students with visual impairments from the ages of 6-21?