Jhonalyn B.

Mata
Maed-Sped
IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS WITH
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

▪ Early identification is extremely important because early

intervention will be most effective. Sometimes it is unclear
whether a child has a vision problem or not. Physical signs
of vision problems include eyelids drooping over one or
both eyes, or eyelids that do not completely cover the eyes
when the child closes them. If a child has a clear squint,
has jerky eye movements, or has eyes that do not move
together, parents should see a pediatric ophthalmologist.
Other signs include:

•Not looking at others in the eyes

•Reaching in front of or beyond an object
•Holding objects very close or very far to see them
•Turning or tilting his head when he uses his eyes
•Continuously pushing or poking his eyes
•Looking above, below or off to one side of an object,
rather than directly at it
•Bumping into objects and having a lot or trouble seeing at night
•Feeling for objects on the ground instead of looking with her eyes
After the identification of visually impaired students under
three, parents should begin working with an early childhood
interventionist. Young children who are visually impaired are
eligible for early intervention services, which can help a family
through the child’s first few years of life. Early intervention for
students with visual impairment is vital in enhancing social,
physical, and intellectual development.
When a child who is over three, he will qualify for special education
services if the visual impairment impacts his education. Parents should
contact their school district’s special education office to locate services for
their child. A child with visual impairment may qualify for services from
teachers of students with visual impairment, an orientation and mobility
specialist, a physical therapist, a speech therapist, or a psychologist,
depending on individual needs. Children with visual impairment should
also be provided with modifications and accommodations in an inclusive
classroom.
▪ President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has signed a law mandating all schools nationwide to ensure inclusive
education for learners with disabilities.

▪ Republic Act (RA) 11650, inked by Duterte on March 11, provides that no learner shall be denied
admission based on their disability.

▪ The new law provides that all schools, whether public or private, shall ensure equitable access to
quality education to every learner with disability.

▪ “The policy of inclusion is hereby instituted in all early and basic education schools, both public and
private,” the law read.

▪ The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RA 11560 must be included in the admission systems
and policies of all schools.

▪ The IRR, according to the law, shall include the provision of assistive devices, facilities and
infrastructure in the admission process, and other forms of reasonable accommodation.

▪ Under RA 11560, all learners with disabilities, whether enrolled in public or private schools, shall be
accorded services and reasonable accommodation based on the Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
and shall have the right to avail of the appropriate support and related services.
Teaching Strategies

• Prepare as much information as possible in electronic format - this makes it much easier to
provide materials in accessible formats and allows users with disabilities to adapt the information
to a format which is suitable for them.
• Make required book lists and course materials available early so there is sufficient time for them
to be reproduced in audio or Braille, if required.
• Indicate compulsory texts in your reading list, noting important chapters if possible. Specifying the
order of reading within a text is helpful, as it can take many weeks to have a book reproduced into
audio or Braille.
• For students with vision impairment your teaching style will need to be ‘verbal’. Think about how
to communicate information to students who cannot see what you are doing.
• Verbalise what is written on the blackboard and on PowerPoints. Talk through any calculations as
they are made or procedures as they are carried out. Read any printed information and describe
any charts or graphs being used.
• Academic activities which take place off-campus (such as industry visits, interviews or field work)
may pose problems and on-campus alternatives may need to be considered.
• Provide an individual orientation to laboratory equipment or computers in order to minimise the
anxiety likely in an unfamiliar environment.
• Consider supplementing laboratory practicals, experiments or field trips, for example by audio
taping commentaries.
• Inform the student if you plan to use videos, slides or PowerPoints, and discuss alternative
ways of presenting the necessary information.
• students with vision impairment are generally slower than other students in completing
reading tasks (reading is slower; considerable time is involved in getting material taped or
Brailled), provide reading lists well before the start of a course so that reading can begin
early. Consider tailoring reading lists and provide guidance to key texts.
• Providing the student with a vision impairment with prior notice that you plan to use a film or
video in class allows him/her the option to request to see it beforehand. This will enable
him/her to sit very close to the screen or have someone explain the film or video. It would be
helpful to 'pause' on important points when the student is viewing the resource in class with
others.
• A student may have difficulty finding his/her essay or assignment in a pigeonhole or amongst
a pile of other students' work.
• Students may not be able to read your hand-written comments. It would be helpful if you
could negotiate alternative feedback mechanisms with the student.
• Students are usually able to access online learning materials with the use of assistive
technologies if websites follow accessible web design guidelines.
• The vision of some students may be affected by the glare from fluorescent lights or sunlight
so you may need to attend to some aspects of your teaching environment. This should be
done unobtrusively.
• Use tactile graphics where necessary
• Assessment Strategies

• Students with a vision impairment may need particular adjustments to assessment tasks.
Once you have a clear picture of how the disability impacts on learning you can consider
alternative assessment strategies.
• Provide extensions to assignment deadlines if extensive reading has been set. Consider
setting alternative assignments in which students have the opportunity to work intensively
on a few selected texts rather than having to read widely.
• Examination papers may need to be enlarged or Brailled, with tactile diagrams, maps etc. It
may be necessary to provide heavy line paper, a scribe or special writing implements.
• Some students may undertake examinations using a personal computer with assistive
software. Some may need other assessment adjustments such as a reader/scribe, an oral
examination, audio taped questions or large print papers. It may be necessary to provide
extra space for equipment and specific personnel or a separate examination venue if the
noise from equipment being used is likely to be distracting for other students.
• Provide extra time in examinations. Some students with vision impairment will require double
time for examinations so time for rest breaks will be essential. Take-home examinations or
split papers are a preferred option under such circumstances.
• Tactile graphics

▪ Tactile graphics are useful when:

• the user is print-impaired but has some tactual ability
• a concept not easily described in words
• a real object is unavailable for touching
• the shape, form or pattern is significant
• it is necessary to illustrate scale and explain maps, technology or biological relationships
• a one-time reference or reminder is needed
• the educational experience can be enhanced

▪ Tactile graphics are not, however, exact replicas of the original, nor are they good for fine
detail and representing very large graphics. They should not be used without training and
support materials.
• Visual impairment from KidsHealth.org.
• https://www.adcet.edu.au/inclusive-teaching/specific-disabilities/blind-vision-
impaired