the only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." what does that mean to you?

Do you want to know the latest inventions for the bullheaded and visually impaired people?

"MIT develops a vibrating wearable to assist people with visual impairments navigate"

"World'due south Kickoff Braille Smartwatch Lets Bullheaded People Experience Messages on Screen"

"BlindPAD's tablet makes visual information tactile for the vision-impaired"

" Brand Your Own Tactile Vest "

Were any of those headlines reached your newsfeed? Probably yep.  In fact, they garnered the most liked and shared topics about "blind and visually impaired" in the earth of social media.

From the simple to the most complex ane, fourth dimension and again several innovations and inventions were made and discovered. Why? Is it because of need, love, business concern, passion, frustrations, or money? For whatever reasons, they geared towards i goal, to at least make the lives of the bullheaded and visually impaired people a piddling better!

In that location were 27743 blind and visually impaired students (age 3-21) who received special education and services under Thought for the school year 2015-2016.

(Reference: Children ages three through 5; students ages 6 through 21)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Human action (Thought) officially defines the category as "an impairment in vision that, fifty-fifty with correction, adversely affects a child'southward educational performance. The term includes both fractional sight and incomprehension."

SIGNS OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

• Eyes that don't move together when following an object or a face
• Crossed eyes, eyes that turn out or in, eyes that flutter from side to side or up and downward, or optics that do non seem to focus
• Optics that bulge, trip the light fantastic toe, or bounce in rapid rhythmic movements
• Pupils that are diff in size or that appear white instead of black
• Repeated shutting or covering of ane eye (as noticed with Julian)
• Unusual degree of clumsiness, such as frequent bumping into things or knocking things over
• Frequent squinting, blinking, eye-rubbing, or face crunching, especially when there'southward no brilliant lite nowadays
• Sitting as well shut to the TV or holding toys and books too close to the face
• Avoiding tasks and activities that crave good vision

Assistance AVAILABLE Nether Thought

• Early intervention – A system of services to support infants and toddlers with disabilities (before their 3rd altogether) and their families.

(More info here: http://world wide web.parentcenterhub.org/repository/babies/)

• Special education and related services – Services available through the public schoolhouse system for school-anile children, including preschoolers (ages 3-21).

(More info here: http://world wide web.parentcenterhub.org/repository/schoolage/)

UNDERSTANDING HOW CHILDREN WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS LEARN

Children with visual impairments can certainly larn and practice acquire well, but they lack the piece of cake access to visual learning that sighted children have. The enormous corporeality of learning that takes place via vision must now be achieved using other senses and methods.

Hands are a primary information-gathering tool for children with visual impairments. So are the senses of olfactory property, touch on, gustation, and hearing. Until the child holds the "affair" to be learned and explores its dimensions—let us say, a stuffed animal, a dog, a salt shaker, or a CD player —he or she cannot grasp its details. That is why sensory learning is then powerful for children with visual impairment and why they need to have as many opportunities as possible to experience objects directly and sensorially.

Families, friends, and others can support sensorial learning in many means.

"Mmmm. Do you smell dinner?" appeals to the child's sense of smell.

"Listen to that bird singing outside" calls to the child's hearing. Yous might likewise say, "That's a robin," which gives the child a name for the bird that sings the song he or she is hearing.

"Your clothes are then soft today" speaks to the child'due south sense of affect and helps the child build a moving picture of the "whole" from the many details.

Being able to see enables us to capture the "whole" of an object immediately. This isn't so for children with a visual impairment. They cannot encounter the "whole," they have to work from the details up to build an understanding of the whole.

EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Children with visual impairments demand to learn the aforementioned subjects and academic skills every bit their sighted peers, although they will probably practise so in adapted means. They must also learn an expanded set of skills that are distinctly vision-related, including learning how to:

• move nearly safely and independently, which is known as orientation and mobility (O&M);
• use assistive technologies designed for children with visual impairments;
• employ what residual vision they have effectively and efficiently; and
• read and write in Braille, if determined advisable by the IEP squad of the kid after a thorough evaluation.

These are but some of the skills that need to be discussed past the educatee'south IEP team and included in the IEP, if the team decides that's appropriate. Each of the above skill areas—and more than—tin can be addressed under the umbrella of special instruction and related services for a child with a visual impairment.

(Extract from parentcenterhub.org : Visual Damage, Including Blindness)

SAMPLE IEP

Instructional Accommodations	Environmental Accommodations	Assessment Accommodations
Electronic or enlarged newspaper re-create of teacher notes Utilise of photographic camera to re-create notes from lath Boosted fourth dimension for: visual activities, reading, writing Verbal directions to back-trail visual demonstrations Large print cloth/ e-text Use word processor for written piece of work Uses engineering science (laptop, smart phone) to assist in organization and presentation of data Scans worksheets or requests electronic files	Sit nearly the front of class Utilize white chalk on make clean blackboards Employ dark markers on charts/ whiteboards to maximize contrast	Allow extra time for tests, exams or summative tasks Large print version of the test (size fourteen or 16) Electronic version of test to be completed on computer if requested past pupil Use of computer based graphing software for math Allow typed responses for all written summative piece of work

(Source: https://teachvisimpstudents.wordpress.com/visually-impaired-students/sample-iep/)

POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS ON THE Evolution OF LITERACY SKILLS

• Incomplete and/or distorted visual data interferes with concept evolution crucial to growth in literacy skills. Foundation skills, such as oral language and vocabulary usage, may exist affected by lack of incidental learning opportunities.
• Visual impairments may negatively bear upon the child'south ability to embrace spoken and written words and may increase the length of time required for the mechanics of literacy (following written material, locating key information, organizing information to exist referenced at a after fourth dimension).

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

• Involve the student in the brainstorming process. Enquire the student to make suggestions almost environmental and instructional strategies that are helpful.
• Provide directions and instructions using the pupil'south preferred and strongest mode of advice. Many students will do good from a multi-sensory approach that includes spoken language and tactile information.
• Provide information to the educatee to point that a new task is beginning, the expectations for the lesson, and prepare the educatee for transitions to new activities. Consistency beyond routines will facilitate learning.
• Allow opportunities for repetition and practice of previously introduced material.
• Work with team members, student, and family to identify appropriate homework options and requirements.
• Provide access to visuals presented at an advisable altitude and in the child'south visual field and allow plenty of time for descriptions and exploration of materials and activeness.
• Use mutual exploration and modeling strategies (paw-under-hand and manus-over-hand) as appropriate to encourage exploration of materials and activities. Team members need to be aware of tactile sensitivity issues.
• Consider environmental adaptations such equally lighting weather condition, contrast between materials, and the use of tactile cues in the room to promote independence and mobility.
• Consider close proximity to the action and teacher during instruction. Positioning of the student and the materials must be based on agreement the child's acuity and whatsoever field loss concerns. For example, a kid who has a field loss on the left side will need materials presented on the right side. Accurate data almost the child'southward vision and how that loss affects admission to information are critical.
• Carefully consider the arrangement of the classroom so that mobility is encouraged and comfy for the kid. Experiencing a simulation of a vision impairment may assist the child's team in identifying features of the environs that need to be adjusted.
• Consult with assistive technology specialists to discuss possibilities of low to loftier tech devices for increasing independence and participation. Some students with visual impairments will benefit from light boxes to increase contrast between objects and groundwork and/or other devices to enlarge or magnify print and materials. Other options include Braillewriters, closed-circuit televisions, and screen enlargers.

(Admission more of the Strategies hither: ttaconline.org)

FOR REGULAR EDUCATION TEACHERS

• It's okay to say "look" and "see." Even fully sighted people use their other senses in the context of looking at something. Visually impaired people might look at things in a different fashion, but "seeing" is in the perception (rather than the eye) of the beholder.
• Audiovisual presentations and demonstrations are made accessible to severely visually dumb students by providing verbal explanations. Read what is existence written on the board and/or draw what is pictured in the presentation. Allow the student time to handle tactually adapted materials.
• Saying "over there" and pointing to something the student can't come across are not useful with a blind pupil. Instead, spatial directions must exist given from the Student'South perspective. Call up that the educatee's left and right are opposite yours when you are facing the pupil.
• Seat or encourage the visually dumb student to come to the front of the classroom or presentation area in lodge to be sure that s/he hears all instruction/caption correctly.
• Braille materials accept an exceptionally long time to order and/or ready. Textbook commission members should be enlightened of this and be certain that braille textbooks tin be ordered in Jan for the following fall and so that they can be transcribed in fourth dimension. Extra time may be required for math and technical books, equally Braille mathematical notation requires a unique certification that many literary braille transcribers practise not possess.
• Classroom handouts, especially those with pictures or diagrams, also require a great deal of fourth dimension to transcribe into braille and tactile formats or exact descriptions. Classroom teachers are wise to provide materials to be transcribed at least ii weeks ahead of time, preferably on deejay, every bit some text tin be transcribed using computer translation software.
• Expect the visually impaired pupil to complete the same assignments as the residuum of the class. Due to culling media, assignments may accept a visually dumb student longer to consummate. An boilerplate of double time for Braille or tape is a proficient rule of thumb. Due to time constraints it may occasionally be necessary to reduce the number of examples to be completed for classwork or homework (such as in math bug), as long as the pupil is able to demonstrate that south/he understands the concepts and/or skills exhibited within each example.
• Independence is of main importance! Exist patient. Observe the student, silently encouraging independent problem-solving skills. Await until the student asks for help and provide minimal aid only every bit needed to build self-confidence and independence.
• Avoid leaving doors and drawers ajar or chairs out from under tables and desks. Either keep furniture consequent or inform and/or involve the student in rearranging.
• Address all students past proper noun so that the visually impaired pupil tin can learn to acquaintance names with voices of classmates. Address the visually impaired educatee by name as well, so he or she knows when he or she is being spoken to.
• Encourage the student's utilise of proper posture, eye contact as much as possible and proper social etiquette. Discourage any inappropriate mannerisms to maximize the student's physical and emotional wellness, as well south the student's social, educational and career potential.
• Ever treat the visually impaired student as with other students. This includes discipline and special privileges as well as involvement in extracurricular and leadership opportunities.
• Give the visually dumb student every bit many opportunities to assist others as to exist helped by others.
• Please don't presume that just because the student can't meet and is using other learning mediums that the student is incapable. Try to allow the student to use their strengths in the areas they have to learn.
• All students, including those with visual impairments, larn at individual rates.
• Summary: As much equally possible, treat the student the aforementioned as any other student and your example will encourage classmates to practise the same.

(Reference: Classroom Strategies for Regular Education Teachers who have Visually Impaired Students)

STRATEGIES FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING

• Encourage the student to use visual aids/resource that have been prescribed (east.g. glasses, magnifiers, big-print books, etc).
• Seat the student accordingly in the classroom (eastward.g. in the middle towards the front).
• Brand sure lighting is suitable.
• Photo of young boy against blue sky, being lifted in the air by ii handsMake efforts to eliminate the risk of glare from the desk-bound and whiteboard.
• If possible ensure lights are coming from behind or to the side of the pupil.
• Give clear instructions as the student may misinterpret gestures and facial expressions.
• Consider the utilise of enlarged print/magnified worksheets.
• The less configurations on a page the ameliorate (worksheets tin can be cut in strips and stapled together to present less work at a time).
• Print materials need to be clear and dark.
• Take lined paper for assignments (the darker the lines the better).
• Nearpoint work should be limited to fifteen minutes or less. The pupil should be encouraged to expect away from his/her piece of work, sharpen a pencil or participate in another activity as this will let the student to refocus his/her eyes and then that the student is less likely to get fatigued.
• Have students measure from their elbow to their fingers and tell them they demand never get closer to their work than that distance.
• Slanted desks may be of benefit to private students.
• Provide contrast on whatever visual materials used: blackness and white is best.
• Avoid italic or ornate script. Recall that lower-case messages are easier to read than upper-case letter letters considering they accept a greater number of ascenders and descenders, making them more than visually distinctive.
• Supplement visual cloth with clear verbal explanation.
• Require less copying from the board or elsewhere.
• Increase oral activities.
• Employ concrete material and hands-on feel whenever possible.
• Permit more time to complete tasks and provide breaks to combat fatigue.
• Do not lower expectations because the educatee has a visual harm.
• Provide mobility and orientation training as students with visual impairment feel bully difficulty in acquiring skills in management, mobility and travel. This is particularly of import at post-master level where the educatee may have to move for individual subjects.
• Arrange for other students to act equally buddies and employ peer tutoring. Peer-groups should be encouraged to include and support the student.
• Utilise the student'due south name when seeking his/her attention.

(Source: Special Instruction Support Service : sess.ie)

OTHER USEFUL LINKS TO STRATEGIES FOR Education HEARING IMPAIRED OR BLIND STUDENTS

• Educational Interventions for Students with Depression Vision by American Foundation for the Blind
• For Teachers: Basic Tips For When You Take a Visually Impaired Student in your Form past American Foundation for the Blind
• Educating Students With Visual Impairments for Inclusion in Society by American Foundation for the Blind
• Visual Impairments by projectidealonline.org
• Suggested Pedagogy Strategies: blind and visually impaired students by ncl.air-conditioning.uk
• Teach a Blind or Visually Impaired Students by wikihow.com

STRATEGIES FOR HELPING CHILDREN WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS TO DEVELOP LISTENING SKILL

• Provide aplenty time for children to inspect any objects presented for exploration. This may be fourth dimension spent in addition to circumvolve time, either earlier or after, describing the salient features of the object as the pupil manually explores it.
• Before students participate in circle fourth dimension, provide orientation to instructional materials that are regularly used, such as calendars, name charts, counting objects, and pointers. Children also benefit from opportunities to practice with the materials so that when information technology is their turn to put the new number on the calendar, for example, they have a greater level of comfort and familiarity.
• Provide opportunities to practice the movements that accompany the songs that are regularly sung, explaining, when necessary, why they accompany the words in the song. For example, when singing "I'm a Little Teapot," one hand is held up like a teapot spout, while the other is manus is placed on the hip, as if forming a handle. A existent teapot should be shown to the kid equally a model during description and practice.
• Encourage youngsters with visual impairments to mind for the voice of their instructor or the person who is speaking during activities. Teach them to plough their bodies and so that they face the speaker while seated. This will take exercise until it becomes natural.
• Teach children how to raise their hands in response to and when asking questions during circumvolve-time instruction. This, too, will take practice.

 Strategies for Classroom Teachers

• Cull a circle-time seating arrangement that places the student with visual harm in close proximity to instructional materials and deportment. In this way the child will experience the activity more than fully, and instructor support will be nearby when necessary.
• Use the names of children consistently then that the pupil with visual impairment will know who is called on or involved in an activity.
• Use precise positional terminology during instruction. For example, when directing students to indicate to or place an object, use specific linguistic communication, for example, "Put the counting bear in the ones loving cup on the right."
• Encourage the kid with visual damage to participate during circle-time activities by calling on him or her regularly, with the expectation that the kid can participate fully. In the beginning it will support the kid if he or she knows in advance that he or she will be asked to tell the proper noun of the day, for example. Set the child for what to expect.
• When presenting new ideas and concepts, link them to the child'due south prior experiences and knowledge.

(An Excerpt from pathstoliteracy.org)

TEACHING MATH TO STUDENTS WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Chapters:

1. Introduction
2. The Importance of the Nemeth Lawmaking
3. Producing Accessible Math Materials
4. Applying a Multi-Sensory Approach and Universal Design to Math Instruction
5. Technology Tools for Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired
6. Helpful Teaching Aids for Students and Teachers
7. Issues and Challenges with Standardized Testing
8. Final Thoughts

(Total Article Hither: perkinselearning.org)

Attainable EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

• Big Impress
• Braille
• Sound
• Digital Text
• Boosted AME Resources

(Discover More nearly AEM here: teachingvisuallyimpaired.com)

Bullheaded ETIQUETTE: Vi Ways To Be Gracious Around People with Visual Impairments

1. If you lot think someone who is blind may demand help navigating, inquire first.
2. If your assist is accepted, permit him or her to grasp your arm just above the elbow.
3. If you see someone who is blind or visually impaired about to encounter danger, be calm and articulate when yous warn the person.
4. Identify yourself when budgeted someone who is blind, or when entering a room with them.
5. Don't pet or distract a working guide domestic dog.
6. Employ "people first" language.

(Read the Article here: perkins.org)

"The merely thing worse than being blind is having sight just no vision." – Helen Keller

We are non affiliated with any bloggers or organizations in this article.  But nosotros do adore their advocacy and passion in helping educators, also as parents, teach students with visual impairments and blindness.  Nosotros thought that by sharing their articles will aid, forth with the newest inventions and innovations, lift visually impaired or blind people'due south everyday lives.

"Solitary we can exercise so piffling; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller

See Special Educational activity Teacher Jobs from TherapyTravelers

robisonwome1936.blogspot.com

Source: https://therapytravelers.com/help-students-visual-impairments-blindness/