Visual

Impairments
Lindsay Buckel
LAI 574
Legal Definition
Visual impairment - A reduction in vision that can't be corrected
with standard glasses or contact lenses and it reduces a person's
ability to function at certain or all tasks. It includes:
(1) inability to see images clearly and distinctly
(2) loss of visual field
(3) inability to detect small changes in brightness
(4) color blindness
(5) sensitivity to light.

Laymans Definition
Visual impairment - means an impairment in vision that, even
with correction, adversely affects a child's educational
performance.
Legal blindness - Vision of 20/200 or worse in the better eye or
a visual acuity of better than 20/200 but with a visual field no
greater than 20

Warning Signs

Instructional Strategies
1. Arrange your room with free and obvious traffic paths

1.) When owner and the dog arrive, do not rush up to them.

Holding reading material extremely close

2.) Give the owner and dog a chance to adjust to new surroundings.

Excessive rubbing of the eye

3.) Let the dog greet you first. Encourage other students to do the same.
Staring at the dog is unnerving.

Watery eyes

4.) Never follow the dog when it is working. The dog will recognize you and
look at you rather than paying attention to its work. This is a serious
distraction and will prevent the team from doing what they need to do.

Eye fatigue
Frequent headaches
Squints or shades the eye to view objects
Using markers such as pencils and fingers when reading

Confusion in writing letters and numbers appropriately

1. Individualized instruction Students with visual impairments

can be quickly left behind in a large group setting. A more
individualized instruction can keep them with the group but
provide the extra attention they need to their disability.

2. Specialized Materials Items including text books in braille,

braille portable note takers, video magnifier (CCTV), audio
books, and multiple apps on phones and tablets.

Clumsy movement from one environment to another

The amount of students who received special education and related services in
school under IDEA in 2010:
- 3,447 children (ages 3-5) with visual impairment
- 25,670 children (ages 6-21) with visual impairment

Reluctance to participate in social and physical activities

6.) A Seeing Eye dog is not a pet, but other students dont need to ignore it.
The important thing to remember is that the greatest amount of affection and
care must come from its owner.

References
10 Facts About Blindness and Visual Impairment. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28,
2016, from
http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/c_17_pubblicazioni_1656_ulterioriallegati_ulter
ioreallegato_0_alleg.pdf

Apps for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired. (2016, March 26).
Retrieved March 29, 2016, from
http://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/apps.html

Difficulty with color identification or color coordination

Requires additional time to complete task

Educating Students With Visual Impairments for Inclusion in Society. (2016).

Retrieved March 20, 2016, from http://www.afb.org/info/programs-andservices/professional-development/teachers/inclusive-education/1235

Fails to make eye contact when talking to people

Behavior problems

5.) The owner has been taught to correct the dog using a leash. A leash
correction does not hurt the dog. Combined with affection, it results in
efficient guide work and good behavior.

Acrobat LCD desktop video magnifier [Photograph found in Enhanced

Vision]. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2016, from
https://www.enhancedvision.co.uk/low-vision-product-line/acrobat-lcddesktop-video-magnifier.html

Poor posture in both standing and sitting

- Approximately 200,000 people develop neovascular age-related macular

degeneration each year in the U.S.
- 490,420 children have vision difficulty (the term vision difficulty refers
only to children who have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing
glasses and those who are blind.)
- 42,000 children with a severe vision impairment (unable to see words and
letters in ordinary newsprint)
- 59,341 children are legally blind
- Among children, the major causes of avoidable blindness include cataract,
retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and Vitamin A deficiency.
- Around 1.4 million children under age 15 are blind. Yet approximately half
of all childhood blindness can be avoided by treating diseases early and by
correcting abnormalities at birth such as cataract and glaucoma.

Tips for working with a guide dog in your classroom:

Unusual turning of the head, body or eye

Difficulty copying from the board or transparencies

Prevalence

Additional Information

4. Make use of all the senses Allow students to experience things

by feel, smell or by listening.

5. Determine the students visual field and materials they are using
to decide on seating arrangements. Do they need an outlet? Do
they have a video magnifier that can obstruct the view of someone
behind them? Are they more successful seeing things from far
away?

Expanded Core Curriculum Advocacy [Photograph found in American

Foundation for the Blind]. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2016, from
http://www.eccadvocacy.org/default.asp(Originally photographed 2012)
Gargiulo, R. M. (2014). Special education in contemporary society: An
introduction to exceptionality. S.l.: Sage Publications.
Students in Class - Disability Support Services. (2016). Retrieved March 22,
2016, from https://differingabilities.pages.tcnj.edu/faculty-staff/students-inclass/
Visual Impairment, Including Blindness | Center for Parent Information and
Resources. (2016). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/visualimpairment
Visual Impairment Law & Legal Definition. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2016,
from http://definitions.uslegal.com/v/visual-impairment/
Warning Icon [Photograph found in Wikimedia Commons]. (2008, March 23).
Retrieved March 29, 2016, from
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Warning_icon.svg

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