Visual Impairments Links Terminology Assignments Notes

Objectives: Recognize the definition of Visual Impairments. List the characteristics of Visual Impairments. List some major accommodations for students with Visual Impairments. Identify some problems with the definition of Visual Impairments.  Describe problems caused by the definition of Visual Impairments as they relate to placement, service, and funding. Assignments: Read history, characteristics, terminology, and notes in this section.

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Terminology

Visual Impairments - Definition     Visual impairment, including blindness: An impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

Characteristics

• The majority of children who are considered to be blind usually have some useful vision, but much less than those who are considered to be partially sighted.
• The majority of children born with visual impairments (about 60%) have multiple impairments.

Vision problems affect one in 20 preschoolers and one in four school-age children.  The characteristics of blind and partially sighted students may seem obvious, but there are many subtle characteristics that can be overlooked.  While most students can hear lectures and discussions and participate in them, course materials, texts, overheads, videos, and other materials are not easily incorporated in the understandings.

Some students with partial sight have more trouble than those who are blind, mainly because they tend to feign normal vision.  They may pretend to understand when they do not.  Some student can see large objects, others can see objects if magnified, and some cannot see, even with residual vision.

Classroom Accommodations

• The student may need preferential seating.
• The student should be seated near the front of the class to hear and use residual vision.
• Orient the student to the physical layout of the building and classroom clearly pointing out the location of all exits, furniture, barriers, obstructing objects.
• It is better to name specific items and use appropriate terms rather than make vague comments such as "this" and "that" and "over hear."
• As in the case of others, such as students with learning disabilities, note takers and tape recorders can be useful.
• Students may use a variety of aids---tapes, braille materials, readers, notetakers, large print books.  These should be cared for by students, but like other kids they may not always keep them under constant control and may misplace them.
• Electronic devices are now very helpful for students, including speech-to-text computers, synthesized voice, print enlargers, talking calculators, and many software programs.

Snellen Chart

20/20 vision is expressed as a fraction or ratio based on an accepted standard of ability to see objects at a distance of 20 feet.  The numerator is the distance (feet) and the demoninator is the standard line that can be seen clearly at that distance.  The denominator or bottom number of the fraction indicates the size of the letter. A 20/200 letter is ten times the size of a letter of 20/20.  Normal vision means that a person can see clearly the objects on the 20/20 line, placed 20 feet away from the chart.  A person who cannot see the large E at 20 feet away can walk forward until the letter is clear.  If the person can see the letter at three feet away, this would be 3/200, meaning the person can see at 3 feet what the normal person can see at 200 feet.

Pediatric Examination

The visiual examination for children usually includes:

• Visual acuity
• Eye tracking ability
• Focusing skills
• Ability to use both eyes together
• Need for glasses or contacts
• Specific eye health problems, using eye drops
• Near and far focusing flexibility
• Sustained focusing ability
• Double vision
• Equality of both eyes (amblyopic, lazy eye)
• For more detailed information on an examination see "Examination of the Eye"