Skip navigation

About Visual Impairment

Blindness or visual impairment results when the eye does not function normally and sight is compromised. According to the American Foundation for the Blind there are 10 million blind or visually impaired people living in the U.S. Of those, 1.3 million are legally blind. The World Health Organization estimates that only about 7% of visually impaired people in the Americas are totally blind.

 

Blindness and visual impairment can be the result of normal aging, accident, illness, or inheritable diseases. These causes can be congenital or develop at any time during a lifetime. Visual impairments can be either progressive or non-progressive and present to others as an obvious or a hidden disability. The type and scope of an individual’s visual impairment will determine the strategies needed to be successful at college.

 

Some Causes of Blindness/Visual Impairment

  • Aging 
  • Ocular Albinism 
  • Cataracts 
  • Cornea Disease (Keratoconus)
  • Detached Retina 
  • Diabetic Retinopathy 
  • Glaucoma 
  • Macular Degeneration 
  • Multiple Sclerosis 
  • Retinitis Pigmentosa 

 

Helpful Strategies for Students with Visual Impairments

 

Preparing for an Academic Program:

  • Planning ahead is the key to academic success when a person has a disability or other special needs.
  • Try to gather as much information as you can.
  • It is important to communicate with people who can help you prepare for your college experience, especially the Academic & Disabilities Support Coordinator.
  • Blind or visually impaired students may need to develop additional skills before attending college. It can help to talk with a similarly blind or visually impaired student who is currently attending or has attended college to get an idea of important skills to work on.

 

Know your Learning Style:

  • Are you a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner?
  • Which of the multiple intelligences are your strongest intelligences? Musical intelligence? Linguistic intelligence? Logical/mathematical?
  • What is your process for reading, writing, time management, and organization?
  • Knowing your personal learning style will help you decide what adaptations and strategies will be best for you.

 

Consider Vocational Counseling:

  • Contact your State Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Vocational Rehabilitation Services may assist with the cost of adaptive equipment and other needs.
  • Speak to a rehabilitation counselor. A rehabilitation counselor can help you determine goals, barriers, strategies, and adaptations for learning. A rehabilitation counselor can connect you with services like orientation and mobility, low vision aides, technology, and support groups.

 

Develop Your Communication Skills:

  • Improve reading, writing and note taking skills: consider learning Braille.
  • Learn to use adaptive computer software like JAWS, Zoomtext, or Kurzweil.
  • Learn how to use adaptive technology like a CCTV or Magnifiers.
  • Find resources for audio recordings.

 

Consider Visiting a Low Vision Specialist:

  • A low vision specialist, such as an ophthalmologist or optometrist, can conduct a detailed exam of your vision needs.
  • A low vision specialist can recommend low vision aides like adaptive glasses, magnifiers, and technology to assist you in making the most of your usable vision.

 

Consider Your Orientation and Mobility Needs:

  • An orientation and mobility specialist can help you to travel safely in your environment. Typically services from a private agency or school will teach you how to make a mental map of your environment and use signals in the environment such as sounds and counting streets to orient yourself to your surroundings.
  • Will you use a long white cane, a service dog, or sighted guide to travel? Or are you able to travel without assistance?
  • Will you need orientation and mobility training to become comfortable with the campus?

 

Request Accommodations:

  • Contact the Academic & Disabilities Support Coordinator to find out information about obtaining accommodations while attending Goddard. The ADS Coordinator can help facilitate communication with faculty and campus services regarding your needs.

 

Academics at Home:

  • Develop a support system of other Goddard students, family & friends.
  • Find local resources to help you optimize your Goddard experience such as local libraries or service organizations like Lions Clubs.

 

Considerations When Working With Students with Visual Impairments

  • Access is the primary issue for the student. Consider safety, mobility, and communication needs when working with any disabled student. Remember, each person with a visual impairment is unique:
  • Two blind or visually impaired students with the same diagnosis may have completely different usable vision and may have different strategies for adapting to college life.
  • The student may have different visional ability in different settings, at different times of day, and during different seasons.
  • The student may have a progressive condition in which their vision changes over time.
  • The student may have a non-progressive condition and have stable vision over a long period of time.
  • Ask the student what is helpful.

 

At Residency:

  • The student will be learning in a new, unfamiliar environment. Allow time for the student to adjust to their surroundings and the Goddard system for learning.
  • During residency ask what type of lighting is best for the student.
  • Consider the location of seating, windows and artificial lights.
  • If you ask your students to take a fieldtrip, help arrange transportation if needed.
  • The student may need assistance to sign up with mentors.
  • It may help the student to have the same location for any or all meetings. Some students will benefit from having all their meetings in a controlled environment where lighting, furniture, space, and technology remain consistent.
  • The student may need some assignments and projects adapted. The student may need additional time to complete assignments. The student may learn from a variety of sources in addition to traditional textbooks such as audiotapes, interviewing or shadowing experts, and other creative learning exercises.

 

Travel and Mobility:

  • The student may use a long white cane, a service dog, or sighted guide to travel, or may get around independently without tools or assistance.
  • Don’t rush in to help; wait to be asked or gently offer assistance.
  • If the student has a service dog remember that the dog is working at all times and trying to pet the dog or interact with it in any way compromises the blind or visually impaired person’s safety.
  • Remember this is new to both you and the student.
  • Do your best to be flexible, adaptable and compassionate.

 

Selected Resources on Blindness and Visual Impairment

 

American Council of the Blind 

 

American Foundation for the Blind

 

The National Eye Institute

 

National Federation of the Blind

 

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped