Navigating Visual Impairment: A Guide for Educators PDF

Navigating the Challenges of Visual Impairment: A Journey to Clarity DIFFICULTY SEEING By the end of the lesson, students will be able to: Define visual impairments, classify the levels of vision loss and identify the possible causes. Analyze how visual impairments...

Navigating the Challenges of Visual Impairment: A Journey to Clarity DIFFICULTY SEEING By the end of the lesson, students will be able to: Define visual impairments, classify the levels of vision loss and identify the possible causes. Analyze how visual impairments impact learning and describe strategies to create an inclusive learning environment. Apply inclusive teaching approaches.  There is no “typical” vision- impaired student: the impairment may be the result of a range of conditions and its impact will depend on the type, extent and timing of vision loss  ICE BREAKER What is VISUAL IMPAIRMENT? Any visual condition that impacts an individual’s ability to successfully complete the activities of everyday life. Students with visual impairments are infants, toddlers, children and youths who experience impairments of the visual system that impact their ability to learn.  There are three classification systems for individuals with visual impairment that are used by education professionals. To be declared legally blind An individual must have visual acuity of 20/200 or less, Have a field of vision restricted to 20 degrees or less at the widest point. However, this federal classification system is used primarily to determine eligibility for adult agency services.  Classification according to the level of functional vision  Students can use Students use their limited vision for vision as their functional tasks but primary sensory need their tactile and channel auditory channels for learning LOW VISION FUNCTIONALLY TOTALLY BLIND BLIND Students can use limited vision for functional tasks but need their tactile and auditory channels for learning According to the World Health Organization (WHO), low vision is the most common type of visual impairment in Filipino children and adolescents. PREVALENCE According to the 2018 Philippine Eye Disease Study, showed that 9% of kindergarten kids are affected with visual impairments. This doubles when they reach adolescence; as 16% of high school students are found to have a visual impairment and 90% of these cases are myopia. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), low vision is the most common type of visual impairment in Filipino children and adolescents. Impact Low vision can impact a child's ability to read, watch TV, and cook. It can also affect their cognitive, emotional, neurological, and physical development. Vision impairment can affect people in many different ways, and there is no "typical" vision-impaired student. Some students may be born without vision, while others may lose it gradually. Some students may have some vision, while others may have no vision at all.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), low vision is the most common type of visual impairment in Filipino children and adolescents. Treatment According to the WHO, treatment for vision impairment varies based on the specific condition affecting the individual. Common interventions include corrective lenses for refractive errors, surgical procedures such as cataract surgery, and medications for conditions like glaucoma. Additionally, vision rehabilitation services can significantly aid those with irreversible vision loss by providing assistive technologies and strategies to enhance daily functioning and quality of life. A third classification system exists is based on the advent of the visual impairment itself  Occurs during fetal development, at birth or immediately following birth; visual impairment is present before visual memory has been established congenital Adventitious Occurs after having normal vision either through a hereditary condition or trauma; visual memory may remain. “INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IS EVERY STUDENT’S RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE.” - United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities  IDENTIFICATION Many students who have mild to moderate vision impairments are not identified as such, so teachers have an important role in detecting vision impairment. When vision impairment is not addressed at school, it can lead to learning difficulties and even  levels of severity 1. Mild Vision Impairment Characteristics: Slight difficulty seeing fine details (e.g., reading small print or distant objects). Visual acuity typically 20/30 to 20/60 with correction. Symptoms: Eye strain, especially during tasks requiring focus. Improved with glasses, contact lenses, or increased  levels of severity 2. Moderate Vision Impairment Characteristics: Difficulty performing tasks such as reading or recognizing faces without assistance. Visual acuity typically 20/70 to 20/160 with correction. Symptoms: Requires aids like stronger glasses, magnifiers, or large-print materials. May have trouble adapting to dim lighting.  levels of severity 3. Severe Vision Impairment Characteristics: Major difficulty in daily activities even with aids. Visual acuity typically 20/200 to 20/400, or a restricted field of vision (less than 20 degrees, known as tunnel vision). Symptoms: Inability to drive or perform visually demanding tasks.  levels of severity 4. Profound Vision Impairment Characteristics: Limited functional vision, requiring alternative methods for most tasks. Visual acuity typically 20/500 to 20/1000 or significant visual field loss (e.g., less than 10 degrees). Symptoms: Dependence on others or assistive technologies for navigation and reading.  levels of severity 5. Near-Total Blindness Characteristics: Little to no usable vision. May perceive light but not shapes or details. Symptoms: Total reliance on non-visual methods like Braille, screen readers, or guide dogs.  levels of severity 6. Total Blindness Characteristics: Complete absence of light perception (no light perception or NLP).  cAUSES/PROBABLE CAUSES Color blindness (or color deficiency) is typically a genetic condition, although it can also be the result of injury, disease or ageing. (Although not actually called color blindness, age- related color deficiency is a result of the yellowing of the corneas, which severely 1. Refractive Errors Eye shape abnormalities that prevent light from focusing properly on the retina. Nearsightedness (Myopia) Farsightedness (Hyperopia) Astigmatism: Blurred vision due to irregular curvature of the cornea or lens. Presbyopia: Age-related loss of near vision, typically after age 40. 2. Developmental or Genetic Conditions Amblyopia (Lazy Eye): Reduced vision in one eye due to poor development in childhood. Congenital Cataracts: Present at birth, can lead to permanent vision impairment if untreated. Retinitis Pigmentosa: A genetic condition causing progressive vision loss.  3. Environmental or Lifestyle Factors Excessive Screen Time: Can cause digital eye strain and blurred vision. Prolonged UV Exposure: Increases the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. 4. Eye Injuries Trauma to the eye, such as scratches on the cornea, foreign bodies, or chemical exposure, can cause temporary or permanent vision difficulties. 5. Eye Diseases Cataracts: Clouding of the lens, often due to aging or trauma. Glaucoma: Damage to the optic nerve, often caused by high eye pressure. Macular Degeneration: Degeneration of the central retina (macula), leading to loss of central vision. Diabetic Retinopathy: Damage to the blood vessels in the retina due to diabetes. Retinal Detachment: Separation of the retina from the underlying tissue. Learning Characteristics The impact of the impairment on learning will vary significantly according to the nature and extent of vision loss: some students will have been born without vision, others will have lost it gradually; some will have no vision at all, others will have some vision, be light-sensitive, or have limited peripheral vision. It is also possible that vision and lightsensitivity will fluctuate day-to-day. Students may require adjustment and assistive devices to facilitate access to education. An adjustment may be as simple as a seat near the front of the class, but most students use assistive technology (such as closed- circuit TV, screen-magnification or screen-reading software) to enable them to read and access the internet.  Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Describes different ways individuals learn, such as linguistic, logical- mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic intelligences. Example: A student with high spatial intelligence may excel in visualizing concepts and diagrams.  Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory Focuses on four stages of learning: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Supports the idea that people have preferred learning styles: converging, diverging, assimilating, or accommodating. EDUCATIONAL APPROACH  Prepare as much information as possible in electronic format. this makes it much easier to provide materials in accessible formats and allows users with disabilities to adapt.  Make required book lists and course materials available early so there is sufficient time for them to be reproduced in audio or Braille, if required.  Indicate compulsory texts in your reading list. Specifying the order of reading within a text is helpful, as it can take many weeks to have a book reproduced into audio or Braille. Verbalize what is written on the blackboard and on PowerPoints. Talk through any calculations as they are made or procedures as they are carried out.  Provide an individual orientation to laboratory equipment or computers in order to minimize the anxiety likely in an unfamiliar environment. Providing the student with vision impairment with prior notice that you plan to use a film or video in class allows him/her the option to request to see it beforehand. This will enable him/her to sit very close to the screen or have someone explain the film or video.  Students are usually able to access online learning materials with the use of assistive technologies if websites follow accessible web design guidelines. The vision of some students may be affected by the glare from fluorescent lights or sunlight so you may need to attend to some aspects of your teaching environment.