DEPARTMENTof EDUCATION
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Vision Impairment Service

The Vision Impairment Service works collaboratively with all participants in the support of children with a vision impairment and their families in home, school and community settings.

What V.I.S offers teachers

Amongst a range of management tasks, VIS resource teachers visit schools offering assistance for students in accessing the curriculum.

They also support staffs with PDs on information sharing about the strategies that will assist in the most effective and safest delivery of educational programmes.

They liaise with eye care clinicians to provide updated information which may impact on the student’s abilities to manage the school setting.

In a general sense VIS offers a staff ways focusing on the VI student’s strengths and assistance in helping to maximize their functional vision.

Until referrals, clinical information and assessments have been collated, the VIS can only then establish the necessary support plans.

The following however provides an outline of the major concerns for a school enrolling a child with a vision impairment.

They relate to key safety issues that represent a risk of physical harm as well as general strategies for the classroom teacher.

Not included here are matters that specifically address the impact of a vision impairment on a student’s social involvement within school life. Nor does the following present strategies to deal with a range of other issues that may arise with any VI individual. Areas such as establishing explicit peer support networks, psychological support for, say, a student coming to terms with recent onset of or rapidly deteriorating VI, recommendations for various adaptive technologies and so forth. These will be addressed as the student settles into their class and school community.

There are two areas of awareness for principals and classroom teachers when a blind or VI student arrives at school.

1. Safety Issues

There are safety issues in the classroom and playground/school environs which will pose physical risks to children who are blind or vision impaired;

  • Steps or stairwells
  • Low branches
  • Gutters or drains
  • Swinging or moving play equipment
  • Uneven ground
  • Broken pathways
  • Structural support poles
  • Corners of buildings
  • Areas of dense shade or open intense sunlight and movement between the two.
  • Temporary fencing, star pickets or garden stakes
  • Sharp edges on cupboards and tables
  • Displays that encroach onto the usual walking pathways.
  • Floor clutter, ie. bags lying about

Often simple modifications are all that is required to assist the child with a vision impairment. For example,

  • white paint on step tread edges,
  • a yellow band of paint around a strategic pole or building edge at the child’s head height,
  • covers over drains and gutters.
  • obvious flagging of any temporary fencing and capping stakes and star pickets.
  • trimming low branches

Peripheral or central vision loss and compromised spatial awareness may present risks in handling workshop tools, and involvement with balance activities and small ball sports.

Extreme light sensitivity is a significant issue for many students across a range of vision impairments. Teachers should ensure that V.I. students always wear their sunglasses and a hat when outside if recommended as part of the management of their condition.

2. General classroom management

  • A VI student should not sit at a desk facing an outside window. Glare presents a consistent problem for VI students. Usually the most appropriate position for the student is front and center of the classroom, within the closest range to the whiteboard.
  • Modified raised desktops or tilt boards may be required to assist posture and reduce fatigue.
  • Blind students will need a position in the class that gives access to power-points for their technology and easy storage for braille books.
  • Always consider the extra time required by the student who is blind or vision impaired in accessing information, handling the text, even if enlarged, and presenting a written or braille response.
  • Text and research material may have to be prepared by an outside agency in a braille, enlarged or audio format. Therefore considerable extra time should be allocated when setting assignments.
  • Vision fatigue is usually a significant problem for these students.
  • If information is presented in a visual form, ie whiteboard work, it is important to provide corresponding aural information describing or reinforcing the visual.
  • Avoid the use of green and red whiteboard markers
  • Until such time as the student establishes a relationship with peers and the class teacher, it is recommended to understate the disability and be respectful of the VI student’s wish to avoid discussion that would in any way single them out. Clearly this may change with time and may also be affected by maturity levels.

Any further enquiries contact the Vision impairment Service

South:

c/- Mt Nelson Primary School
388 Nelson Rd
Mt Nelson TAS 7007
Telephone: (03) 6224 2294
Fax: (03) 6224 3481

North:

c/- Northern Support School - St George's
40A Ravenswood Road
Launceston TAS 7250
Telephone: (03) 6339 4320
Fax: (03) 6339 1993

North West:

c/- Reece High School
Middle Road
Devonport TAS 7310
Telephone: (03) 6420 8106
Fax: (03) 6420 8199