Tips for Teachers and Teachers Aides

The Nature and Degree of Vision Impairment
What is Visual Acuity?
Strategies for the Classroom
Environmental Considerations
Aids, Equipment and Technology
Curriculum Access
Color Blindness
Stepping Back 
VCE and Transition to Tertiary Studies  

The Nature and Degree of Vision Impairment
You will be better able to assist your student’s learning if you understand the nature and degree of the vision loss and the educational implications of the impairment. Vision impairment, or low vision, refers to a significant loss of vision in both eyes which cannot be corrected with glasses. One way of measuring the degree of vision loss is in terms of  ‘visual acuity’.

What is Visual Acuity?
Visual Acuity refers to the measure of ‘the eye's ability to see at both short and long distances and to distinguish detail and shape. Each eye has its own level of visual acuity and this can vary considerably. The standard or normal visual acuity is 6 over 6 or 6/6 in each eye’.
(Royal Blind Society of New South Wales: ‘A Vision to Share - A Resource for Secondary Teachers’ 1990)

Distance Visual Acuity
The capacity of the eye to resolve fine detail is measured by determining the smallest size print, picture or symbol that the student is able to discriminate. The student’s visual acuity is recorded as a ‘Snellen Fraction’, the numerator (first number) representing the testing distance and the denominator (second number) indicating the smallest letter, picture or symbol size the student is able to discriminate. A student who has a visual acuity of 6/24 sees at 6 metres what the ‘normal’ (i.e. 6/6 vision) eye can see at 24 metres.

Near Visual Acuity
Determining near visual acuity involves assessing the capacity of the eye to resolve fine detail. Near visual acuity is recorded as a ‘N point’ size. The N point refers to a measure of print size used by printers. The Department of Education Visiting Teachers assess near vision acuity using Gayle Lamb’s ‘Near Vision Test for Children (NVTC)’.

The N point size indicated on the Vision Assessment Clinic reports (and other ophthalmologist’s reports) refers to the minimum size print a student can resolve. A student with low vision often requires a different size print for sustained reading.

For information about some common eye conditions including albinism, cataract, glaucoma etc, see Common Eye Conditions.
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Strategies for the Classroom
Please note the following is a guide only and not all of these recommendations will apply to all students.

Teaching Strategies

• use white or yellow chalk on a clean chalkboard
• use black felt pens on whiteboards
• avoid glare on whiteboards
• read out loud as you write
• reduce visual clutter ie. leave out unnecessary detail on worksheets and on the chalkboard
• each student will have his/her own distance for reading. Don't be concerned if this distance is very short. Young students are able to focus at short distances
• using reading stands may help avoid back and neck pain for the student
• watch for signs of vision fatigue such as red or watering eyes, rubbing eyes and/or headaches. Allow for rest breaks and use non visual activities such as listening to taped materials from time to time
• alleviate visual fatigue by modifying the number of exercises a student has to complete e.g. in mathematics the student could do every second question
• verbalise activities using directional language e.g. today's math is on the second section of the blackboard nearest to the door.
• allow time for the student to explore materials at a close distance. e.g. Ask the student if they would like to help demonstrate an activity or have a model available so the student can examine close at hand.
• allow the student to hand out materials, this will help them to know where the other students in the class are
• avoid standing with the window behind you
• provide verbal cues e.g. say the student’s name and verbalise what is about to happen
• use verbal rewards and praise as the student cannot see a smile or nod of the head
• ensure all relevant staff are aware of the student’s vision impairment and the related implications
• leave an information sheet in the work program so replacement teachers are aware of the student's requirements

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Environmental Considerations

Contrast

• contrast work areas by using contrasting colored cloth, a colored tray or a place mat to defined work areas
•  make objects more visible e.g. by putting stripes on a drinking cup with electrical tape
• consider areas in the school environment which need to be made more visible e.g. edge of steps, outlining a light switch, defining doorways. A painted strip (usually yellow or white) can be used to provide greater contrast in these areas.
• consider the clothes you wear e.g. don’t ask a student to look at a red object you are holding in front of your red jumper
• a class teacher wearing bright clothes is easy to find, particularly when on excursions
• when producing materials for a student, consider contrast. Does the student require bold lines around picture symbols such as compics? Is color appropriate to use to highlight compics?
• bold line paper and black felt tipped pens increase contrast for a student when writing
• allow the student to use texta colors when drawing/coloring

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• ensure lighting conditions are appropriate to the student’s vision impairment i.e. does the student require high or low levels of illumination?
• additional lighting may be required e.g. use of a desk lamp to increase the contrast on the work surface
• a torch or battery operated light can be useful for a student experiencing difficulties in areas of low illumination e.g. school locker, school bag and dark corners of a room
• consider lighting conditions in all areas of the school environment (inside and outside) in which the student will be operating e.g. stairs, covered walkways, locker areas and toilets

• is the student sensitive to glare  e.g. photophobia?
• never position a student facing a light source (natural or artificial)
• teach from a position without a light source coming from behind you
• consider sunglasses and a hat for the student, even when working inside but particularly when outside in the playground
• reduce glare in the classroom e.g. use blinds, curtains, posters to cover windows producing glare
• avoid glare on tasks, work surfaces etc. e.g. avoid using glossy paper
• some students find white paper gives off too much glare, try pale colored paper
• place computer screens to minimize glare. Try using a black background on the screen. A three sided shield around the monitor may reduce glare.
• allow time for the student to adjust to different lighting levels when moving from outside to inside or vice versa

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• discuss seating with the Visiting Teacher, Physiotherapist and/or Occupational Therapist
• consider vision impairment - where is the student’s best field of view for presenting work? (including null position for students with nystagmus)
• consider low vision aids. If the student is using a telescopic aid, they may need to sit towards the back of the room

• keep classroom environment static, this helps the student with orientation to the classroom
• alert student to any changes in the room layout
• a student may need extra storage room for equipment

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• a student with a vision impairment may require additional time to investigate a visual stimulus
• a student may require additional time to complete set work
• allow the student additional organisational time e.g. when asked to pack up and collect school bag, coat and homework

• for a student with additional disabilities the responses to a visual stimulus may be subtle e.g. turning head to avoid stimulus, turning head to look, body startling, widening of eyes, blinking, increase or decrease of body activity, a change in breathing patterns and/or smiling
• record the responses the student uses (including the stimulus responded to) for future reference
• make use of checklists
• share the information with others involved in the student’s program
• work with a partner when observing visual responses
• learning may be subtle and occur slowly over time. ‘Effective’ evaluation requires careful programming and assessment

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• consider the size of stimulus used e.g. toys, compic - do diagrams need enlarging or reducing?
• record student responses to different sizes
• consider the size of print the student requires to access information

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Aids, Equipment and Technology

Low Vision Aids

Low Vision Aids may assist the student to work independently in the classroom and include:

• magnifiers for reading print, studying maps, viewing diagrams in mathematics books
• a monocular for reading the chalkboard, wall charts and for taking on excursions
• closed circuit televisions can be used to enlarge print, maps or diagrams from a book
• the following article will provide more information about magnifiers

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• A paper with bold lines and enlarged spaces for students who are having difficulty writing with regular paper. A range of different bold lined paper is available e.g. graph paper for mathematics, staves for music notation
• This paper can be ordered from the Statewide Vision Resource Centre at replacement costs for the paper used and the cost of postage

• Text books can be provided as large print, braille, audio or electronic texts. Your Visiting Teacher can provide advice on the student’s preferred format
• Your Visiting Teacher will have a current catalogue of large print, audio and braille books held by the Statewide Vision Resource Centre

• Can be brailled or ‘enhanced’ (e.g. enlarged and/or darkened) if you give the Statewide Vision Resource Centre 1-2 weeks notice

• Many texts and novels are available as audio books. Schools may like to purchase some audio books from commercial suppliers for their libraries or ask you Visiting Teacher if they are available through the Statewide Vision Resource Centre

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• Bring work closer to the eyes for optimum reading angles and lighting. Reduces neck and back pain from bending down to the desk to read.
• If a reading stand is suitable then it is recommended that one be purchased for long term use.
• There are a variety of reading stands available. Here is an example of some of the reading stands on display at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre
• Link to Reading Stands on display

• Many books now studied in schools are availble in audio format, ask you Visiting Teacher if you think your student would benefit from audio books.
• Recording devices such as mp3 players can be used to record worksheets or assignments, to make comments on assignments or tests and give extended directions as required

• The Perkins and Mountbatten braillers are two types of  braillers used by students. Both  machines are used for producing braille and may be used by the student or the assistant for reading and writing activities.
• The slate and stylus is a small pocket sized device for producing braille in limited quantities and is a useful device in situations where the student does not have access to a brailler

• Many students produce their work using computers. Some software packages have accessibility options, however some students may need specialised software for large print, speech or braille access. For more information ask your Visiting Teacher.
  Improving Screen Access in the Windows Environment
  Demonstration Software
• For information about specialised technology go to the SVRC technology web site http://www.visiontech.svrc.vic.edu.au/list.htm
• Keyboarding often replaces handwriting for the student with a vision impairment. There are a wide range of keyboarding programs available from educational software providers. Using the key commands as an alternative to the mouse can assist the student to navigate around the screen.
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Curriculum Access

• Many students have difficulty accessing the print in standard dictionaries, atlases and street directories, there are alternatives which may be suitable such as:
• Large print dictionaries, atlases and street directories.
• Atlases and dictionaries on CD where maps can be enlarged on the screen and printed out.
• Dictionaries on the internet
• Street Directories, some dictionaries and encyclopedias are available on the internet.
• A talking dictionary/thesaurus (The Language Master) is used by some students with great success.
• There are many ways to adapt the curriculum for blind and low vision students. For fun ideas in Mathematics, Science, English, Physical Education etc. go to our page on
  curriculum access.

Color Blindness

Some, but not all students with vision impairments, will have difficulty distinguishing certain colors. Other students in the class who do not have a vision impairment may also have a color vision deficiency. The following links have more information:
Ishihara Test for Color Blindness
What is Color Blindness and the Different Types

Stepping Back

It is also important for us all to remember that from time to time we need to step back.
The following link has 19 ways to do just that by Laurel J Hudson (Ph.D), Perkins School for the Blind.
19 Ways To Step Back

VCE and Transition to Tertiary Studies

See the VCE page for information about Special Provision for students with vision impairments, resources for senior students, transition to further study etc.

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