Blind and Low Vision
Facts for Educators
Blind and Low Vision
Summary of Three Teaching Strategies from Teachers’ Gateway to Special Education: Blind and Low Vision
Instructional, Environmental, Assessment
- Graphic organizers;
- Speech to text;
- Text to speech;
- Word prediction programs.
Blindness
Instructional
Provide written texts in large print or Braille;
Concrete materials.
Other media sources (audio cassette, voice file);
Implement strategies received from a teacher of the blind;
Use appropriate assistive technology;
Environmental
- Keep items in predictable places;
- Give warning for classroom set-up changes;
- Seat student close to the teacher;
- Reduce noise in classroom;
- Easy access to Braille equipment;
- Develop emergency plan.
Assessment
- Use assistive technology and Braille materials;
- Provide extra time;
- Use oral tests/scribe;
- Provide choices for projects/assignments.
Low Vision:
Instructional
- Implement strategies suggested by a teacher of the blind;
- Provide copies of notes;
- Use white chalk on a blackboard or black marker on a whiteboard;
- Provide oral instructions with visual;
- Use an auditory cue to get the attention of the class.
Environmental
- Seat student near front of the class;
- Dim or brighten the lighting according to the needs of the student;
- Use a slant board to reduce glare;
- Develop a plan for safely moving through the school and for evacuation.
Assessment
- Use assistive technology/computers for enlargement;
- Provide enlarged copies of tests;
- Allow extra time;
- Allow oral tests and/or scribing;
- Allow breaks to refocus/rest eyes (TGSE, 2015).
Augmentative Processing:
Text-to-Speech Software (TTS): Reads written text out loud to student.
Word Prediction Software: Assists students with text entry. Reduces the number of keystrokes, by predicting the words that are typed and the next word based on context (SNOW, 2013).
Tips:
Directly instruct students on how to use available TTS programs and word prediction software;
Consider doing a trial testing of students’ comprehension of a text without TTS and then with TTS and students’ writing without word prediction programs and then with word prediction programs;
Inform parents of TTS and word prediction programs and their benefits;
Provide students with free download information for home use of TTS and word prediction programs.
- Access school and board supports for additional resources and training on TTS andon word prediction programs (TGSE, 2015).
Resources:
Ministry of Education. Retrieved from: https://learn.etfo-aq.ca/d2l/le/content/45101/viewContent/736636/View.
SNOW. 2013. Augmentative Processing. Retrieved from: http://www.snow.idrc.ocad.ca/content/augmentative-processing.
TGSE. 2015. Teachers’ Gateway to Special Education: Blind and Low Vision. Retrieved from: http://www.teachspeced.ca/teaching-strategies-students-special-needs?q=node/700.