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a ready-to-run workshopVisual Impairment & Blindness
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Supporting Students With Visual Impairment or Blindness (Workshop)

Students who are blind or have low vision can learn everything their peers do, with materials and methods that give them access through other senses. Understanding accessible materials, assistive technology, and inclusive practices ensures these students have full access to learning.

Key takeaway

Students who are blind or have low vision can learn everything their peers do with the right access; understanding accessible materials, assistive technology, and inclusive practices ensures full access to learning.

Format
PLC / team meeting
Length
45 minutes
Group size
Any (works 4-40)
Who can run it
Any teacher-leader
You will need
Slides (5)Printed handoutA student in mindA timer
Aligned to
Learning Forward: Transformational ProcessesInTASC 2: Learning DifferencesResearch on students with visual impairment
Share / assign

Why it works

Students with visual impairment or blindness (a distinct population ranging from low vision to total blindness) can access the full curriculum with the right supports, but visually-presented material (text, boards, images, demonstrations) is inaccessible without adaptation. Supporting them means providing accessible materials (braille, large print, audio, tactile, digital and accessible formats), assistive technology (screen readers, magnification), describing visual information aloud, ensuring orientation and mobility and physical access, and collaborating with specialists (teachers of the visually impaired). Many also need the expanded core curriculum (skills like braille, orientation and mobility, and assistive technology). Access through other senses is the key, and it must be planned.

The research: Research on educating students with visual impairment.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

    The core activity: ensure access through other senses

    Teachers leave with accessible materials and practices for a blind or low-vision student.

    Access through other senses, planned aheadBlind and low-vision students can learn it all with accessible materials, assistive technology, and described visuals. Plan access through other senses deliberately, with specialists.

    Facilitator notes

    Visual-only material shuts out blind and low-vision studentsText, boards, and images with no accessible form leave these students without access. Provide accessible materials, assistive tech, and described visuals, with specialists.

    Adapt it

    Participant handout

    One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

    K12 Academics · Professional Learning

    Visual Impairment & Blindness: access through other senses

    <b>Learn it all:</b> accessible materials, assistive technology, described visuals, and specialist collaboration.

    1. The visual material a student cannot access:
    2. The accessible materials I provide (braille, large print, audio, tactile, digital):
    3. The assistive technology and described visuals:
    4. My collaboration with specialists:
    5. A physical-access or mobility consideration:

    Make it stick

    Access through other senses:

    Common questions

    Can blind students really access everything?
    Yes, with the right access: accessible materials (braille, large print, audio, tactile, digital), assistive technology (screen readers, magnification), described visual information, and specialist support. Access through other senses is the key.
    What do I need to adapt?
    Any visually-presented material, text, boards, images, demonstrations, needs an accessible form, and you should describe visual information aloud. Collaborate with the teacher of the visually impaired on materials and technology.
    What else do these students need?
    Many need the expanded core curriculum, skills like braille, orientation and mobility, and assistive technology, usually taught by specialists. Support that alongside the general curriculum.

    Go deeper

    Build it into a bigger day

    Workshop
    Sensory & Physical Disabilities
    Workshop
    Assistive & Accessibility Technology
    Workshop
    Creating Accessible Digital Content