Effective Classroom Adaptations for Students with Visual ...

1 68 THECOUNCIL FOREXCEPTIONALCHILDRENTEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 68-74. Copyright 2001 Classroom Adaptations for Students with Visual ImpairmentsPenny R. CoxMary K. Dykes Basic traffic safety Playground boundaries Cafeteria use Computer use in library or media cen-ter Readable maps and charts Verbal (auditory) alternatives Emergency proceduresHow does your school or classroommeasure up in these categories when itcomes to making Adaptations for youngpeople with Visual impairments? Youneed to answer many questions: Caneverybody exit the building quickly inthe event of an emergency? Can all stu-dents locate and use water fountains?How about items on bookshelves in theclassroom or library? Or special learningcenters in the Classroom ?We can appropriately teach studentswith Visual impairments in general edu-cation settings.

2 But we must be surethat we are informed about Students Visual abilities and their affect on learn-ing and integration in the general class-room article discusses strategies forincluding Students with Visual impair-ments into general education article provides a starting pointfrom which general educators can beginto learn about Visual impairments andbuild skills that will benefit all their stu-dents (see box, Commonly UsedTerms ).Categories of VisualImpairmentsCategories of Visual impairments reflectmore than just Visual acuity. Students ability to use vision, as well as howmuch they use other senses for learn-ing, are aspects of each category(Bishop, 1996; Turnbull, Turnbull,Shank, Smith, & Leal, 2002). The termslow vision, functionally blind, and blindare often used to describe and catego-rize levels of vision.

3 Each category isconsidered in terms of the degree ofacuity and its implications for Students learning. Low , Students withlow vision are able to learn usingtheir Visual sense; however, they mayneed to have print magnified, con-trast enhanced, or type font or sizechanged (Turnbull et al., 2002). Students in this category characteris-tically work more slowly and experi-ence difficulty working with details(Colenbrander in Barraga & Erin,1992). Functional withfunctional blindness typically use acombination of modalities to functionwithin their surroundings (Turnbullet al., 2002). Students in this categorygenerally read and write using functionally blind individualshave sufficient vision to allow themto move around the Classroom , however, may require consid-erable accommodations to do so.

4 Blindness and totalblindness are included in this catego-ry. Near blindness occurs when visu-al acuity is reduced so greatly thatlearning takes place using data fromother senses most of the time(Colenbrander in Barraga & Erin,1992). Students with total blindnessreceive no stimuli from their visualchannel. They depend entirely oninput from other senses. Incidental LearningStudents with Visual impairments lackopportunities for incidental learningthat occur for their sighted peers almostconstantly (Hatlen & Curry, 1987).Without such opportunities, associatingwords with elements of the environ-ment is difficult. Thus, it is importantthat such associations be supplementedwith input from other senses andthrough alternative limited nature of Visual associa-tions for Students with Visual impair-ments has Classroom of or reduced Visual cues, suchas a schedule written on the chalkboardor seeing the clock, can prevent thesestudents from following Classroom pro-cedures or anticipating coming need opportunities to becomeacquainted with their Students with Visual impair-ments may not readily associate namesand faces through incidental classroomexperiences, teachers need to designappropriate experiences to help buildrelationships among all Students in aclass.

5 Physical orientation of Students toclassroom routines or other events thattake place during the day is importantand must occur as soon as possibleonce the student is assigned to and MovementStudents with Visual impairmentsshould move around the Classroom orother areas of the school just as theirsighted peers do. Free movementaround school is an essential part ofsuccessful school experiences. Orien-tation and mobility training helps stu-TEACHING EXCEPTIONALCHILDREN JULY/AUGUST2001 69dents accomplish this goal. Koenig(1996) stated that such training pro-motes safe, efficient, graceful, and inde-pendent movement through any envi-ronment, indoor and outdoor, familiarand unfamiliar (p. 260). Orientationand mobility skills help people knowwhere they are in relation to their sur-roundings and how to safely navigatewithin their environment (Turnbull etal.)

6 , 2002). Relevant skills for the school settinginclude knowing where landmarks arethroughout the school setting; beingfamiliar with the layout of classroomsand common areas such as the library,gym, and cafeteria; and knowing whereexits, restrooms, the main office, andother relevant areas are. Students needtraining in the school s emergency pro-cedures, such as fire, tornado, or earth-quake drills. Orientation and mobilityskills are also important in outdoorareas such as playgrounds and bus load-ing zones (see Figure 1 on page 70 for achecklist of skills for Classroom teach-ers).Different types of mobility systemsare available, including sighted guides,canes, guide dogs, and electronicdevices (Hill & Snook-Hill, 1996).Orientation and mobility specialists canhelp determine the best system to usefor individual Students ; as well, the spe-cialists can provide information aboutthe preferred system and any traininggeneral education teachers may Effective LearningEnvironments ThroughCollaboration with VisionSpecialistsStudents with Visual impairmentsplaced in general education classes usu-ally get support services from a visionspecialist (Heward, 2000).

7 Such topicsas learning through other senses,instructional and curricular Adaptations ,and appropriate resources and materialsare the domain of vision educators will find these col-leagues a valuable source of informa-tion and assistance that will help themcapitalize on Students abilities (seeFigure 2 on page 71 for a checklist ofclassroom materials and strategies forteachers).General education teachers servingstudents with Visual impairments mustwork in collaboration with vision spe-cialists. Vision specialists should be apart of the team of professionals work-Most Students with Visual impair-ments have some usable NEED TO DESIGNAPPROPRIATE EXPERIENCES TOHELP BUILD RELATIONSHIPSAMONG ALL Students IN A CLASS. Commonly Used TermsThe following terms are frequently used by professionals who work with stu-dents who have Visual impairments.

8 Understanding these terms will allow gen-eral education teachers to communicate with other support personnel moreeffectively. Visual acuity is a term used to refer to how well a person seesfrom specified distances. For example, a measurement of 20/20 denotes normalvision objects seen from a distance of 20 feet can be seen with accuracyexpected for that distance. If Visual acuity is measured at 20/100, objects seenby the individual with typical vision at 100 feet must be viewed at 20 feet bythe person with impaired of the eye or Visual system that result in lessthan normal vision are Visual impairments (Barraga & Erin, 1992). Such impair-ments can include reduced Visual acuity, obstructed or narrowed field of vision,or failure of Visual stimuli to be sent to or processed by the brain. The condi-tion may or may not be perception is the ability to gain meaning from stim-uli received visually (Barraga & Erin, 1992).

9 Students with Visual impairmentscan have Visual perception even if their Visual acuity is low. Visual perceptioncan be enhanced through extent to which vision is used is called Visual func-tioning. Visual functioning skills allow people with Visual impairments to gath-er information from their experiences, which they use to interpret their imme-diate surroundings and to apply in other circumstances. According to Corn(1989), Visual functioning skills help Students gain information from directed,as well as incidental, experiences and aid them in planning and carrying outtasks. Students whose Visual acuity is poor can learn to use their vision efficient-ly to meaningfully interpret Visual images (Heward, 2000). Many Students withimpaired acuity can still use their vision for learning. In fact, people with loweracuity who have learned to use their vision may actually function better thanpeople with higher acuity who have not developed skills for using their functioning can depend on Students experiences using their vision, training to use their vision, and their motivation to function THECOUNCIL FOREXCEPTIONALCHILDRENF igure 1.

10 Checklist for Outdoor and Indoor Orientation and Mobility AdaptationsOutdoor Orientation and MobilityYes N/A More InformationAt bus loading zones: Student knowsBasic traffic safetyLocation of zone in relation to building entranceProcedure for getting on and off the busOn the playground: Student knowsConfiguration of playgroundLocation of boundaries of the playground in relation to the Classroom , building, streets, etc. Location and nature of playground equipmentSafety rules of using playground equipmentLocation and use of adapted equipmentIn the community: Student knowsProcedures for riding the bus to and from schoolIndoor Orientation and MobilityYes N/A More InformationIn the building: Student knows locations ofMain officeRestroomsClinicExits and entrances (in relation to where the student is at different times including emergency procedures)ClassroomsMedia CenterCafeteriaPotential hazardsIn the Classroom : Arrangement is easy to navigate Pathways are unobstructedBooks, bookbags, and other personal items are properly storedAreas often used by Students ( , centers, places to turn in work, exits) are readily accessibleFamiliarize Students with configuration of desks.