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Color Blindness

Introduction

There are two main categories of visual impairments: Low Vision and Blind. Low vision students usually are print users , but may require special equipment and materials. The definition of legal blindness covers a broad spectrum of visual impairments. The extent of visual disability depends upon the physical sensory impairment of the student's eyes, the age of the student at the onset of vision impairment, and the way in which that impairment occurred. Vision also may fluctuate or may be influenced by factors such as inappropriate lighting, light glare, or fatigue. Hence, there is no "typical" vision impaired student. The major challenge facing visually impaired students in the educational environment is the overwhelming mass of visual material to which they are continually exposed in textbooks, class outlines, class schedules, chalkboards writing, etc. In addition, the increase in the use of films, videotapes, computers, laser disks, and television adds to the volume of visual material to which they have only limited access. Overcoming a students' visual limitation requires unique and individual strategies based on that student's particular visual impairment and his/her skill of communication ( e.g., Braille, speed listening, etc.). (After: "The Mainstream Teaching of Science: A Source Book", Keller et al.)

General Courtesy

• Speak to the class upon entering and leaving the room or site.
• Call the student by name if you want his/her attention.

• Use descriptive words such as straight, forward, left, etc. in relation to the student's body orientation. Be specific in directions and avoid the use of vague terms with unusable information, such as "over there", "here", "this", etc.

• Describe, in detail, pertinent visual occurrences of the learning activities.

• Describe and tactually familiarize the student to the classroom, laboratory, equipment, supplies, materials, field sites, etc.

• Give verbal notice of room changes, special meetings, or assignments.

• Offer to read written information for a person with a visual impairment, when appropriate.

• Identify yourself by name, don't assume that the student who is visually impaired will recognize you by your voice even though you have met before.

• If you are asked to guide a student with a visual impairment, identify yourself, offer your services and, if accepted, offer your arm to the student's hand. Tell them if they have to step up or step down, let them know if the door is to their left or right, and warn them of possible hazards.

• Orally, let the student know if you need to move or need to end a conversation.

• If a visually impaired student is in class, routinely check the instructional environment to be sure it is adequate and ready for use.

• When communicating with a student who has a vision impairment, always identify yourself and others who are present.

• Do not pet or touch a guide dog. Guide dogs are working animals. It can be hazardous for the visually impaired person if the dog is distracted.

• Be understanding of the slight noise made by a portable brailler.

• Also use an auditory or tactile signal where a visual signal is normally used.

• It is not necessary to speak loudly to people with visual impairments.

General Strategies

The degree of impairment and the student's background and training (like the degree of proficiency in Braille) will affect the usefulness of the various strategies and suggestions. The student with a vision impairment will most likely need assistance in all aspects of science programs. The various strategies given below will work for most vision impaired students--some may not. Accessible description will be necessary for pictures, graphics, displays, or field sites, etc.; the student's identification queries; and differentiation of items where touch will not discriminate; and in orientation and mobility aspects in unfamiliar situations.

• Bring to the student's attention science role models with disabilities with a similar disability to that of the student. Point out that this individual achieved by a combination of effort and by asking for help when needed.

• A wide selection of magnifying devices are available that can be used by visually impaired students to assist in reading or working with objects that need to be observed.

• A screen reader or an item like outSPOKEN or a similar system can be used to read a computer screens.

• A screen magnifier may be used to enlarge print on a computer screen.

• Pose problems situations orally. This is very helpful for children who have difficulty in reading.

• Make sure you understand student’s thinking before commenting on the work or marking an answer as wrong. They might not think what you saw.

• Spatial Problems:
  
  Working on squared paper can help a great deal if children are taught to use one square for each digit. So,learn the importance of spacing and how to work in columns.

• ‘Dyspraxic’ pupils may need even more help and guidance with ‘rolling’ rulers, using card not paper and using larger squared graph paper.

• Some dyslexic pupils are good at mental arithmetic but are reluctant/ do not know to record their workings on paper. This may be a problem due to poor sequencing/ the result of poor five motor skills/ even a general lack of confidence, and fear of failure.

• Mistakes should be recognized as part of the natural learning process so that risk taking is encouraged, but eventual success must be recognized and reinforced.

• For young children or those with visual perceptual problem, use a calculator with large keys, a large display, and large print on the keys.

• General Information Access for Persons with Vision Loss
  1. Visual material needs to be accompanied by a verbal description. If you are demonstrating how to use a piece of equipment, be sure to describe the equipment and what you are doing to operate it. Read overheads aloud and describe the content of slides (see note below about large print). In a conference presentation setting, you will probably want to provide all descriptions yourself. If you are showing a videotape, describe the action. If you distribute videotapes as handouts, any action or an explanatory text that is crucial to understanding the text of the presentation should be narrated.
  2. If there are multiple speakers (such as a panel), have each speaker introduce himself or herself to the audience so that the speakers' voices are keyed for the audience as to their identity.
  3. Be certain that your presentation can be clearly heard by everyone in the room and repeat all questions from the audience, prior to answering.
  4. Handouts should be available in large print, audiotape, computer disk, and/or Braille formats. If this is not possible prior to your presentation, note the various individuals' preferred formats and then make your materials available to them within a short time after your presentation.
  5. Large Print * - People who have some functional vision may be able to see print if it is large enough. Prepare print information on white paper with sharp, black ink. Standard print is generally 10-12 point type. Large print is 16-18 point and up, generally an enlargement setting of 160-175% on a copy machine. In the case of documents that already exist in print form, use a copy machine to enlarge each page onto 11 x 17 paper. Try darker settings on the copy machine to increase contrast without producing streaks. Many computer programs offer a variety of font types and sizes.

Teacher Presentation

• By verbally spelling out a new or technical word, you will be helping the visually impaired student, as well as for other students.

• An enlarged activity script, directions, or readings of a detailed lesson can be used for a low vision person and for use in describing tactile 3D models .

• Use an overhead projector to show step-by-step instructions. Mask all the instructions except the one(s) that you want followed.

• Use an opaque projector whenever possible to enlarge a text or manual.

• All colored objects used for identification related to a lesson, experiment, or other directions should be labeled with a braille label maker or otherwise coded.

• Describe, in detail, visual occurrences, visual media, and directions including all pertinent aspects that involve sight.

• Use a sighted narrator or descriptive video to describe aspects of videos or laser disks.

• Describe, in detail, all pertinent visual occurrences or chalkboard writing.

• Where needed, have lesson or direction materials Brailled, or use an enlarged activity script ahead of time, for class handouts.

• Have tactile 3D models , raised line drawings, or thermoforms available to supplement drawings or graphics in a tactile format when needed.

• Whenever possible, use actual objects for three dimensional representations.

• Modify instructions for auditory/tactile presentation.

• Use raised line drawings for temporary tactile presentations.

• Use an overhead projector, chalkboard, graphs, or slides as you would normally, but provide more detailed oral descriptions, supplemented with thermoforms where appropriate.

• Allow student to use a tape recorder for recording class presentations.

• Make all handouts and assignments available in an appropriate form: e.g., regular print, large print, Braille, or cassette, depending on the students optimal mode of communication.

• Use a monocular or a private eye (electronic miniature television) for long range observations of chalk board or demonstration table presentations.

• Students with visual discrimination difficulties who often misread numbers on a written or typed page are more likely to have similar problems when utilizing a computer. It is sometimes difficult for these students to read or see the decimal point. The arrow keys can be confusing at times as these students try to figure out which way the direction of the arrows.

• Preview the programs that will be used in class by locating any oddly shaped words or letters. Make copies so students can become familiar with them before using the program.

• If smaller print has to be used, provide students with a tachistoscopic card. It is better to use the card with a program that always places the numbers in the same location. This allows the card to be attached to the monitor.

• Have children act out problems.

Recitation

• Describe and tactually/spatially familiarize the student with the lab and all equipment to be used.

• Consider alternate activities/exercises that can be utilized with less difficulty for the student, but has the same or similar learning objectives.

• Use an enlarged activity script, directions, or readings for a low vision student (or taped script for a student who is blind) for use with tactile 3D models.

• Make all handouts and assignments available in the appropriate form for the student: e.g., regular print, large print, Braille, or tape depending on the students optimal mode of communication.

• Assistance from a special education teacher may be needed for converting laboratory materials from a visual to a tactile format.

• Have the student with a vision impairment do a trial run on the equipment before the activity.
• Allow more time for the laboratory activities.

• Always try to keep materials, supplies, and equipment in the same places.

• Use a microprojector to help the visually impaired student to examine images from a microscope.

• Place the student and/or tape recorder an appropriate distance from the activity to permit hearing and/or the recording of results or observations.

• Use an overhead projector or opaque projector to show step-by-step instructions. Mask all the instructions except the one(s) that you want followed for students with vision impairments.

• Use Descriptive Video for videos or laser disks. If Descriptive Video is not available, use a sighted narrator to describe movies, videos, laser disks, or slides.

• Provide means for the acquisition and/or recording of data in an appropriate and familiar mode to the student.

• Use tag shapes for showing relationships (such as distance comparisons) buttons, or other markers on a "layout" board.

• A braille label maker will be useful for identifying materials and containers in the laboratory for the vision impaired student who reads Braille.

• Make equipment available that the vision impaired student can access in interpreting and understanding the results of laboratory exercises (e.g. audible readout voltmeters , calculators, talking thermometers , talking compass , magnifiers, etc.

• Use a hot plate for heating instead of bunsen burner.

• Label material, supplies, and equipment with regular print, large print, and/or Braille, as appropriate for the vision impaired student.

• Pair the vision impaired student with a sighted student. Then have the non-impaired student describe the activities and outcomes as they are observed.

• A low vision projection screen can be use to magnify images up to 720X.

• Use a portable communication board to provides auditory scanning of laboratory materials such as: pictographic symbols, letters, and/or words.

• When using a computer, the student with a vision disability can use a voice input device or a remote voice system to verbally enter commands.

• Prior to enrollment of a visually impaired student in class, obtain laboratory equipment that have adaptive outputs such as: a large screen, print materials, or various audio output devices.

• Various braille devices can be used to assists vision impaired students when reading.

• For "reading" the outputs of balances and other instruments, one can use a Braille N' Speak device (Blazie Engineering).

Group Interaction and Discussion

• Describe and tactually/spatially familiarize the student to the classroom.

• Place the student and/or recorder an appropriate distance from the activity to permit recording of material.

• Use a tape recorder.

• If the student is partially sighted, be sure he/she is seated where lighting is appropriate.

• Use a note taker who takes notes in the appropriate mode.

Text Reading System

• Paid or volunteer readers or writers can assist a visually impaired student with texts, materials, and library readings .

• Offer to read, or arrange to have read, written information for a person with a visual impairment, when appropriate.

• Arrange, ahead of time, for audio book acquisition of the text or other reading materials through the Talking Book Service, Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic , text reading systems , or audio output devices.

• Various braille devices can be used to assists vision impaired students when reading.

Testing

• Make arrangements for tactile examinations, if touch is not normally permitted (e.g., with a museum curator for access to a museum display item or for access to a plant/animal species collection).

• Place the student being tested close to the activity if tactile examination is necessary.

• Present examinations in a form that will be unbiased to visually impaired students. Ask the student for the approach he/she finds to be most accessible.

• One possible accessible method is to record test questions on tape and have the students record their answers on tape.

• Use an enlarged activity script, directions, or readings to go along with the testing material.

• Allow more time.

• Various and appropriate calculators can be used during the test.

Last updated:
September 23, 2002

Web Master
Ed Keller