Make a Difference: Tips for Teaching Students Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision Excerpts from Video Script Video Production Executive Producers: Susan Queller, & Bobbie Boyd Production Assistants: John Dodd, Jay Sheehan, Olivia Zhou, & Joe Hunt Producer/Director: David Weekley Script Writers: David Weekley, & Melanie Thornton Transcript: Michelle Murphy Editor: Dan Hartwick Captioning: Computer Prompting & Captioning Make a Difference: Tips for Teaching Students Who are Blind or Have Low Vision [Music opener] John (Narrator): Hi, I'm John Lee. A teacher's major concern is providing the best possible education for all who desire to learn. There are many types of individuals... and teachers must have the information and flexibility to handle a variety of needs. This includes students with disabilities. We want to accommodate their need giving them equal opportunity without compromising standards. This presentation will specifically be handling students who are blind or have low vision. These pointers will teach you how to handle these situations with comfort and ease. Paul - Programmer/Analyst: They were tough and they expected me to perform just as anyone else and that is fine, that's fair but they did what was necessary to make sure I had the material. John: Understanding the different variables involved in vision loss will enable you to understand your students better. Some students have no usable vision while others have varying degrees of vision loss. Those who have no usable vision make up a small percentage of those visually impaired. 20/20 is the standard for perfect vision. If a person's corrected vision is no better than 20/70 they are considered to have "low vision." If a person's corrected vision is no better that 20/200, that person is considered legally blind. Reduction in the field of vision is another type of loss of vision where the person may only be able to see certain, but not all, areas in view. One example is reduction in peripheral vision, which is similar to looking through a tube or a straw. Marcy Martin - Instructor: Each student comes with their own particular needs depending on their background...did they ever have good vision and has it deteriorated over time or have they never had good vision. Billy - Student: You intimidate a lot of people and a lot of faculty. You know, and I've had instructors before that were literally shocked because they've never had a visually impaired student in there and it really intimidates them, it really scares them and that can be an interesting experience because they, they don't know what to do but there's not special treatment for us. I mean, there's going to have to be certain accommodations made but the one thing is just to treat us normal. John: One must also consider the age of the individual when the vision loss occurs; this variable may determine the impact that the disability is having on the person. Understanding these factors will greatly enhance your ability to accommodate the student. Dr. Martin - Instructor: I sort of categorize, two ways, one is students who have had no vision at all, who were either born blind or went blind at a very, very young age, and then students who did have some vision, early on, and then later lost their vision. And the students who have had some vision, particularly when you're doing graphing things, then you can refer to things that they have actually seen in the past so you have some point of reference. John: Here are some tips that will help you prepare. Make yourself available. Announce to the whole class from the start that you are willing to discuss any necessary accommodations for a disability. By making an open invitation you avoid singling out students in class. They can now feel comfortable about approaching you. Dr. Miller-Lewis - Associate Professor: Actually, absolutely crucial is making sure you have a comfort level with the students so that if they are not getting what they need from you in the classroom situation, that they don't have a problem coming to you after class and saying let's have some time together to go over some of these things. Judy - Teacher at Arkansas School for the Blind: Don't let it bother you working with people with disabilities, just use common sense, just think how you would like to be treated, or what would help you if you were in that situation. Tanya - Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor: One thing that I think is important is to discuss accommodations in private and not in the classroom because it is embarrassing for a blind or visually impaired individual when their teacher says, "Do you need your test in Braille?" or "Can you see the board from here?" John: When greeting a student who is blind or who has low vision, identify yourself by name. Don't assume they recognize your voice unless they tell you so. Also, let the person know if you are leaving the area or the room. If the student has a guide dog, do not pet, speak to, or interact in any way with the dog while it is in the harness. This can distract the dog from its work, undermine specialized training, and potentially create a dangerous situation. Dr. Jacobsen - Professor: If the person chooses to use the dog guide then you can simply walk with your class and the person will follow but it's not the dog's responsibility to follow. The person has to follow so you have to keep track of the person with the dog guide because they may not know how to get to the library for instance. If the person that you come across happens to be visually impaired, and seems not to be sure of where they are or where they are going, you can either describe to the person how to get there or if you happen to be going in the same direction then go sighted guide with the person take them to a point were they might know where they are at that point. John: Communicate directly to the student. Maintain eye contact while you are talking. Avoid using third person, such as a sighted guide or note taker, to communicate. Speak at a normal pace or volume. Don't be overly concerned about phrases that you normally use such as "see" or "look." People with visual impairments use these terms exactly the same way you do. Rita - Graduate: Having a disability sometimes puts you in a position where you don't want to be looked at as an outsider. You want everyone to treat you just like a regular college student and mainly your peers; you know you want to hang out with the crowd. John: Be ready to provide written material in advance. The student will need time to have the materials Brailled, scanned onto a disk for use with an adaptive computer, read on tape, or printed in large print. Equal access means the student with the visual impairment receives the information in a usable format at the same time as the other students. Information about the physical layout of the classroom may be necessary. This is especially important when changes are made from one class to the next. Obstacles such as low hanging objects may also present a problem. Seating arrangements may need changing to improve the students' ability to see you or others. A seat in the front of the class can greatly improve a student with low vision's ability to participate effectively in class. Lighting can impact a student's ability to see. Standing in front of a light source may cause a glare and make seeing more difficult. Too much light or too little light may also have an effect. If you think through these basic preparations you can make the teaching environment more conducive for learning. [Music break] John: Now that we have gone through these basic preparations there are other tips that will help you throughout the semester. Allow students to record lectures on tape. Equal access laws for students with disabilities entitle them to record lectures. Donna Hartzell - Field Services Supervisor: He told me that I couldn't take the recorder to class because he was afraid of being tape recorded so I guess my innovative solution was I carried a Perkins's Brailler in class the next day and it didn't take but one class period to solve that problem. Because a Perkins's on a wood desk is pretty loud. John: For concerns about copyrighted material or materials you plan to publish, you can have the student sign an agreement not to release the recording or to erase it at the end of the semester. Some students may choose to use note-taking devices that make some noise. These devices may include a Braillewriter, an electronic note-taking device, a laptop computer, or a slate and stylus. Seating arrangements can be discussed to minimize the impact on other students due to these sounds. Since listening to a full lecture over again takes a lot of time, some students may choose to speak softly into an audio recorder so that they review only the highlights. They may need to recruit a note-taker. By the way, note-takers should tape or type their own notes because it is easier for them to interpret their own work. Make sure copies of handouts are in an accessible format. Black print on white paper provides a good contrast but optimal color combinations can depend on the individual condition. Be prepared to make large print copies or provide handouts on a computer diskette if requested. When using a blackboard or other visual aids, describe verbally what you are showing. Be specific in your descriptions. Dr. Connelly - Department Chair, Earth Sciences: With lecture and lab part of our courses, we developed some tactile graphics; primarily Disability Support Services developed those. They would use various types of materials, puff paint and things like that; to actually make these graphics, these relatively simple graphics, and students commented quite favorably about those. John: Ideally, the information from visual aids or overheads could be provided before the class in an accessible form. Paul - Programmer/Analyst: It is so easy for someone standing at a board in front of the room or an overhead projector to say 'this' and 'that' and that 'this' and 'that' is absolutely of no use to someone who is blind. Dr. Boyd - Former Director of Project PACE: One of the things I had to learn to do was not just walk up to the board and point but to read out what I was pointing to. John: For students with low vision, place the object in a location where there is good lighting and contrast. For students who are blind, make the objects available to explore before and after class. When reading from a textbook, the page numbers may not correspond to large print or Braille versions. In addition to page number, give descriptive information about the section you are reading, such as "the fourth paragraph in chapter 6." For field trips or lab activities, students may need to make arrangements for a sighted guide through the disability services office or become familiar with the new setting in advance. Inform the students well in advance of such activities. Dr. Jacobson - Professor: If they happen to have a student with a visual disability in their class it is very simple to either, for them, for the professor themselves, or to ask another student or whomever to guide a person from one place to another and it's a very simple task of just simply asking the person with a visual disability to grasp the person or the guide's arm just slightly above the elbow and to follow with almost shoulder touching distance between the two and as they walk through open spaces the person with the visual disability will be a half a step behind the guide. Now when they come to a doorway, then the guide will open the door, and the person being guided will then grasp the door and keep it open while the two of them proceed through the door. If they are going through an open space but it becomes narrow, for whatever reasons, then the guide will put his arm behind his back and the person with the visual disability will set directly behind the guide, at arms length, and they slowly will then proceed single file through the space. Once they get through the narrow passage then they will come back into, what I term, basic sighted guide position (one half step behind the guide). If the person needs to be seated at a table, or chair, desk area then they will simply walk sighted guide up to the chair and have the person being guided actually make body contact with the chair and then that person will check for anything on the chair and then will sit down by him or her self. John: Your academic standards or course content should not be modified. You may need to modify the presentation and the form of evaluation, but hold all students to the same standards. This ensures that all students receive the same quality education. Karen Russ - Reference Librarian: I just want people to remember that students with visual disabilities are still able to do research. There is no reason their visual impairment should interfere with their research. They can do it just as well as anyone else can. Ms. Russ - Reference Librarian: I just want people to remember that students with visual disabilities are still able to do research. There is no reason their visual impairment should interfere with their research. They can do it just as well as anyone else can. John: Here are some guidelines that will help when in testing situations. Discuss plans for modifying testing procedures prior to the first exam. Consider factors such as extended time, the availability of adaptive equipment, and a distraction-free location. The use of adaptive equipment takes extra time. Be prepared to provide a minimum of double the time that it would take for testing a sighted student. Dr. Boyd - Former Director of Project PACE: I had to get very good at anticipating when my test days were going to be because then I had to begin to prepare the test so that then I could prepare the review in enough time to get all that to Disability Support Services to be translated into Braille. John: Determine which format will work best for your student. The student may choose to take the exam in regular print with use of a magnification device or large print or a computer diskette. The test may need to be read onto audiotape or by a live reader. Consider how students will record their answers to the exam. They may write them on an answer sheet or directly on the test. They may prefer to answer them on audiotape or print them from a computer. Donna - Field Services Supervisor: The instructor gave me the test on computer disk or when he was out of town once he e-mailed it to me. That worked out really well and then I just took the test and opened it into a word processor and just filled in the answers. John: Braille may be their preferred method, which will have to be transferred to print or audiotape. These electronic devices can also be used to type answers to exams, enabling the student to be more independent. Printouts can be translated from Braille to regular type with appropriate hardware. It may take time to get the information transferred into a format that you can grade. [Music break] Eddie - Student: As a visually impaired person we all got to work harder and you know I try to meet those requirements and I don't know, you know, too much about computers but I'm, you know, I'm learning and I'm wanting to learn. It's all about wanting to learn the craft and, you know, make the best of it. John: As an instructor it is good to understand the technology that is available. Many doors have been opened for people with disabilities increasing their opportunities to access information. There is a great need for people who are blind or have low vision to make use of these technologies. Lannie - Legislative Public Affairs Aid: I find that the more technology is integrated into the workplace and the more the office becomes a paperless office the easier it is to make accommodations, you know, the computer really levels the playing field, I think, for people with visual impairments. Mike - Public Affairs Consultant: Lannie knows what he needs and knows what is out there that he can get and to use those resources; so if he needs something he tells me and we get it for him. John: Large print is easily produced by way of a copier or a simple change of a font size on a computer. Make sure you ask the student what fonts and sizes they prefer. Computer diskettes allow the student to take information and print it in the format they need - large print or Braille. They can also listen to the information on a computer with synthesized speech. Sound of synthesized speech: "National Federation for the Blind web page link." Lannie: and how I access it is with JAWS, which is a software package called "Job Access With Speech," which really gives me keys into really using all sorts of modern applications with computers. John: Braille technology has greatly improved. Information can be taken and printed from a diskette on a computer connected to Braille printers. Braille 'N Speak, Type 'N Speak, or other notetakeing devices allows students to type notes in Braille or regular type and listen to their notes later through synthesized speech. Lannie: When I am on the road, and don't want to use my laptop, I also have a little keyboard here and this is very handy for taking notes. John: Refreshable Braille display devices work with screen reader software similar to that used with voice synthesizers. Some small, portable, notetaking devices, such as Braille Lite, utilize a Braille display. Larger versions are available for PCs and laptop computers. As the student reads the Braille cells change. For some students Braille is a preferred format for reading. Although auditory skills can be improved over time, not all people with impaired vision are auditory learners. For students who are deaf-blind, Braille is the only option. Dictation applications allow speech to be converted into data on a computer. Lectures taped in class could be taken home and converted by a computer to large print or Braille. An electronic reader scans printed material and transforms it into synthesized voice output. There are Closed Circuit TV magnification devices that enlarge printed material onto a monitor. The tactile image enhancer takes a graphic image and produces a tactile version with raised lines by way of a tactile graphics printer. Paul: I can't say enough about adaptive technology; it is not the total answer but it is a significant part of a person, who is blind, being able to compete and be independent in the world. John: As you can see (see, don't be afraid to use that word) there are many factors to consider in the educational process for those who are blind or have low vision. Thoughtful planning will give these students an equal opportunity to grow and develop. There is no sense in feeling uncomfortable or inadequate when teaching these individuals. With proper instruction we can make the student/teacher relationship a rich and rewarding experience. When in doubt get advice: contact your disability support services or administrators office at your college or university for information on other helpful resources. We thank you for your time and concern in this matter. [Closing music] The end. Paul: ...but I had one teacher who continually kept handing me material and I'd ask him and ask him and ask him and I, you know, and he kept giving it to me in print. We had a paper to turn in and I, I think it was 32 pages single-spaced, type written. So, I took it over to the computer laboratory at college and loaded it up and ran it through the Braille printer. The professor asked for the...you know, when everyone turned the assignment in, I walked up the class and handed him about 120 pages of Braille. He finally came and he said, "Do you have a print copy?" I said, "Yes, I do," and handed him my print copy. And after that point, I got my...began to get material in alternative format. References UALR Faculty Handbook: Accommodating Students with Disabilities, Disability Support Services. HEATH Resource Center Website: Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired in Postsecondary Education. Project PACE is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, #CFDA 84.333. Project PACE offers training and resources to assist postsecondary level faculty in providing a quality education to students with disabilities. This handbook and the video it accompanies are two of the many activities funded through this grant. For more information about Project PACE and other resources available, contact us at: