“Individuals with visual impairments, including blindness, make up one of the smallest disability areas,” but teachers must know how to adjust a classroom in order to be able to teach students with visual impairments and disabilities (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2004, p. 132). Working with students with a visual impairment can be easy if a teacher focuses on guidelines, the physical environment, and materials when teaching students with these disabilities.

When teaching visually impaired students it is important for teachers to provide these students with a basic guideline. Teachers must make these students aware that they expect progress and encourage independent action. Students with visual impairment should also be accommodated with physical cues to alert the teacher when help is needed and not draw attention away from instruction (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2004) . It is also important for a teacher to encourage visually impaired students to focus on individual talents and skills where necessary. Setting these standards for students with visual impairments will help increase their ability to learn.

The physical environment must also be accommodated for students with visual impairment. It is necessary for a teacher to keep “aisles clear, wide, and open” and “familiarize students with the physical arrangement of the room and notify students if any changes are made” (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2004, p. 134). Placement of information in a classroom should be visible for students with this disability, and large print should be used for posters and diagrams presented in activities. The physical environment of a classroom plays a part in the success of a student with visual impairment.

Materials are important in any classroom, but it is necessary for a teacher to provide a visually impaired student with materials that are easy to use. “Enlarge and enhance printed materials” should always be used with students with visual impairment, and it may also be necessary to “convert print to Braille format” for severe cases (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2004, p. 136). Descriptive videos and audios are also very helpful to students with this disability, and they should be employed in the classroom. Visual impairment is a disability that does not have to have a negative impact on a student’s ability to learn if materials that are tailored to the student are provided.

Students with visual impairment may need extra attention in the classroom in order to learn affectively, but a teacher can accommodate students with these disabilities by focusing on expectations, environment, and materials.

These areas of the classroom can be adjusted to help increase the learning ability of students with visual impairments.

Reference:

Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. (2004). The Inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective instruction. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader.aspx?assetMetaId=abb2b0ee-f9bb-49aa-84ba-1bf331dc8f20&assetDataId=5cb77d48-fd90-4359-a4fa-cd9588f5977f&assetpdfdataid=07c2e042-521d-4bd1-88d1-67f24c0f41c6.

Renowned theoretical physicist Professor Stephen Hawking contributed a foreword to the World Report on Disability, and sent a video message of support for efforts to improve the lives of the billion people with disabilities in the world. For more information on the report, please visit: www.who.int