What Teachers Should Know
Visual impairment is a term used to describe any kind of noncorrectable vision loss, whether it's complete blindness or partial vision loss.
Common refractive errors such as near-sightedness and far-sightedness can be corrected with glasses or contacts. But when one or more parts of the eye or brain that are needed to process images become diseased or damaged, severe or total loss of vision can occur. In these cases, vision can't be fully restored with medical treatment, surgery, or corrective lenses.
Causes of visual impairments among kids and teens include:
- amblyopia or "lazy eye"
- strabismus (misaligned or crossed eyes)
- birth defects
- eye or brain injuries
Students with visual impairments may:
- need seating accommodations to help them see you or whiteboards, blackboards, overhead displays, etc.
- need to wear glasses, use magnifiers, or use extra lighting for class work
- require large printed handout materials or audio books for reading
- need voice-activated computers or other assistive technology
- need someone to assist in taking notes
- need extra time to get to classes or complete assigned work
- need to go to the school nurse for medication or assistance with visual concerns
- miss class time to see doctors
Signs of a possible vision problem in a student who hasn't been diagnosed with a visual impairment include:
- constant eye rubbing or chronic eye redness
- extreme light sensitivity
- squinting, closing one eye, or misaligned eyes
- poor focusing or trouble following objects
- inability to see objects at a distance
- inability to read a whiteboard or blackboard, etc., or trouble reading
What Teachers Can Do
Students with visual impairments should be encouraged to participate in all classroom activities, physical education, and extracurricular activities. Make sure your classroom is easy to move around in and free of obstacles.
Students with visual impairments may feel self-conscious about their condition. They also might be a target for bullying.
Visual impairments can be wide ranging, so consider each student's needs individually.