Deaf/Blind - Accommodations
Classroom Accommodations for People with a Visual Impairment
Lighting is always a primary, never a secondary, consideration
Benefits of good lighting:
Factors to consider when making decisions about lighting:
Environmental:
Materials:
Techniques
Be aware that vision can fluctuate from minute to minute, hour to hour and day to day based upon a variety of factors, including:
Some of the above information is from the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Classroom Accommodations for People with a Visual Impairment
1400 West 22nd Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57015
(605) 357-1439 or 1-800-658-3080
www.usd.edu/cd
Vision Impaired Website Links http://www.perkins.org/http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/prkpd/?utm_source=teachersdomain_redirect/special/prkpd/utm_medium=teachersdomain/special/prkpd/utm_campaign=td_redirects
http://www.usd.edu/medical-school/center-for-disabilities/upload/VI-Class-Accommodations.pdf
http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.aspx?FolderID=23&TopicID=347&DocumentID=3820#instruction
The following guide provides examples of accommodations and modifications that may be helpful for students in each of these areas. It is intended to provide you with a tool for working with your child's educational team to plan accommodations and modifications that will assist her. The ideas listed are only representative examples offered to stimulate your ideas, and may not be appropriate for your particular child. It is also important to keep in mind that your child may need different solutions in different situations—no one device or technique will be the answer to everything.
Lighting is always a primary, never a secondary, consideration
Benefits of good lighting:
- More effective use of vision
- Better concentration
- Better posture and comfort
- Less eye fatigue
- Greater neatness, accuracy and achievement
- Good lighting is not always bright lighting
- Good lighting is not always more lighting
Factors to consider when making decisions about lighting:
- Amount
- Location
- Ability to control
- Glare reduction
- Different eye diseases require different levels of light
- Position the student according to their visual condition and lighting needs
- Desk should not face the window
- Teacher should not stand in front of a window
- Position the television, closed captioned television or computer so it does not receive glare from the window or other lighting source
- Cover glass doors on cabinets and metal surfaces
- Remove glass from pictures
- Pull shades or window covering
- Use lampshades to control glare
- Provide colored filters/acetates over light bulbs
- Minimize glare from shinny surfaces, such as glossy paper, table tops, desk, floors, etc. by covering surfaces with dark, non-glossy cloth or construction paper.
- Arrange desks and working areas so the light falls on the desk and working area without shadows
- Position lamps directly above the task
- Allow student to change their seat to obtain the best lighting
- Plan for periodic adjustment of desk and working area to provide the best available light
- Provide reading stands/slant board to maintain good posture and optimum use of lighting for near tasks
- Replace light/lamp bulbs when dim or defective
Environmental:
- Allow for flexible seating to accommodate for:
- Lighting needs (time of day, sunny vs. cloudy day, amount of light coming in the window)
- Being able to see (includes access to the chalkboard/white board)
- Clean chalkboards/whiteboards frequently
- Provide extra storage and/or working space to accommodate supplies
- Tape player/recorder
- Brailler
- Large print books
- Reading stands/slant boards
- Desktop lamps (gooseneck, adjustable arm, clip-on
- Without other students present, allow the student with a visual impairment to explore the room in order to become familiar with the layout
Materials:
- Provide reading stand/slant board to relieve neck and back fatigue
- Provide typoscope/straight edge ruler to isolate lines or sections in texts or on paper to maintain the student’s place in the text
- Allow and provide for a combination of devices and materials
- Large print
- Regular print
- Magnifiers
- Monocular/binocular telescopes
- Closed captioned television
- Reading with print close to eyes
- Provide Appropriate writing material
- Bold lined paper
- Raised line paper
- Black felt tip pens
- Non-glossy paper
Techniques
- Know the functional visual needs of each student
- Alternate the student’s day between near tasks and less demanding tasks
- Verbalize all writing on the board as well as other information (the student may miss seeing a smile of encouragement)
- Minimize coping
- Make all writing on the board large and clear and place in the line of vision of the student
Be aware that vision can fluctuate from minute to minute, hour to hour and day to day based upon a variety of factors, including:
- Environmental conditions
- Lighting
- Visual condition or disease
- Fatigue
- Amount of contrast
- Medications
- Provide rest periods
- Minimize clutter on pictures and materials
- Provide list of assignments in advance
- Provide copies of overheads in advance
- Be aware of benefits of color and contrast in materials
- Use concrete rather than abstract objects as much as possible
- Allow students to tacitly handle materials being shown or demonstrated
- Allow extra time to complete assignments
Some of the above information is from the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Classroom Accommodations for People with a Visual Impairment
1400 West 22nd Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57015
(605) 357-1439 or 1-800-658-3080
www.usd.edu/cd
Vision Impaired Website Links http://www.perkins.org/http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/prkpd/?utm_source=teachersdomain_redirect/special/prkpd/utm_medium=teachersdomain/special/prkpd/utm_campaign=td_redirects
http://www.usd.edu/medical-school/center-for-disabilities/upload/VI-Class-Accommodations.pdf
http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.aspx?FolderID=23&TopicID=347&DocumentID=3820#instruction
The following guide provides examples of accommodations and modifications that may be helpful for students in each of these areas. It is intended to provide you with a tool for working with your child's educational team to plan accommodations and modifications that will assist her. The ideas listed are only representative examples offered to stimulate your ideas, and may not be appropriate for your particular child. It is also important to keep in mind that your child may need different solutions in different situations—no one device or technique will be the answer to everything.
