Vision+Impairment

**Visual impairment** is defined by IDEA as "an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness."



**__//Visual impairment// __** refers to the functional loss of vision as a result of an eye disorder.

The visual impairment of students can be defined as follows:
 * __partially sighted__ - some types of visual problems
 * __low vision__ - severe visual impairment such that it inhibits one's ability to read a newspaper even with the aid of glasses or contact lenses
 * __legally blind__ - less than 20/200 vision in the better eye or a very limited field of vision
 * __totally blind__ - the use of braille or other non-visual media is required

**Types of Assistive Technology:**
 * __bright incandescent light __
 * __alternative print formats__ - written material in varying formats for easier reading, such as large print




 * __magnification devices__ - devices that enlarge objects come in various forms such as handheld, stand-alone, desk or floor lamp




 * __Braille__ - form of written language which uses patterns of raised dots which can be interpreted through touch




 * __MP3__ - audio-only portable device




 * __Braille note taker__ - small, lightweight, portable device with a speech synthesizer to hear what has been typed and a Braille display to read what has been typed


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">__adaptive computer equipment__ - programs that allow verbal commands to navigate a computer and create documents, such as Windows speech recognition capabilities


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">__text to speech (TTS) or speech synthesizers__ - programs that verbalize what is typed


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__screen readers__ - software that verbalize what is on the computer screen, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">such as JAWS for Windows



**<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Classroom Strategies: **
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">provide personal readers/assistants
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">use tactile and auditory teaching methods
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">create a safe environment (clutter-free classroom, doors/windows are fully opened or fully closed)
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">tape lectures



<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">For more information: <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">American Foundation for the Blind <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">American Printing House for the Blind <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Lighthouse.org <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Types of Assistive Technology

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Pictures: http://www.enablemart.com/Catalog/Braille-Paper_2/Continuous-Feed-Braille-Paper http://www.freedomscientific.com/products/fs/jaws-product-page.asp http://www.gatfl.org/AssistiveTechnology.aspx http://watap.org/tryout/products.php?cat=7 http://www.recovercamcorder.com/recover-deleted-files-from-mp3-music-player.html http://www.sfsu.edu/~dprc/adaptive/hardware/braille.html http://www.techhail.org/windows/windows-speech-recognition-profile-tool-for-windows-7-vista/281