#  >> K-12 >> K-12 For Educators

Teaching Techniques for Students with Visual Disabilities

The educational needs of visually impaired students vary depending on when the vision loss began, the extent of the vision loss and the way the students lost their sight. Students with a visual disability generally fall into two categories requiring different teaching techniques: those who are blind and those who have low vision. Visually disabled students require teaching techniques to accommodate their vision loss; for example, you can use handouts in Braille or large print.
  1. Accessible Classroom

    • Reserve front row seats in your classroom for visually disabled students, and ensure that aisles are clear and have room for guide dogs trained to lead the blind. Negative factors in the classroom can interfere with a visually impaired student such as light glare, inappropriate lighting and student fatigue.

    Verbal Communication

    • Face the class and speak to students when entering or leaving the classroom, introduce other people in the environment and call students by name if you want their attention. Verbally announce assignments, room changes and meetings. Tell students when you must change your body position, end the conversation or leave the room. Your specific, descriptive words help students orient their body to activities, such as forward, left or straight, or explain what is happening during a visual representation.

    Tactical Information

    • Describe the learning environment and help students to tactically explore the classroom, laboratory equipment, materials to be used and supplies. Keep materials for laboratory activities in the same places. Students can do a trial run of an experiment beforehand. Laboratory activities will take longer than in a usual classroom.

    Assistive Technology

    • Students with low vision may benefit from magnifying devices for reading or dealing with objects requiring examination. Some students benefit from systems that read and convert text to spoken language. Computer screens can be enhanced with a low-vision projection screen, a screen reader or special software to help students to read. Special equipment can help students interpret laboratory results such as talking thermometers and audible readout voltmeters.

Learnify Hub © www.0685.com All Rights Reserved