Vision Challenged

Right Now

  1. Make note of the student's behaviors or other circumstances in relation to your class that you believe are impacting/may impact the student's learning. THESE are the focus of your interactions with the student, NOT any disability. Examples – challenges accessing or understanding visual aids during lectures; difficulty accessing computers and/or equipment during lab time; incomplete/inaccurate note-taking; challenges with homework load because reading text takes longer; challenges participating in classroom activities/moving around classroom.
  2. Speak with the student in a confidential environment.
  3. Ask the student what challenges s/he is experiencing in the class and what strategies s/he has used successfully in the past, and use these to inform your instructional practice.
  4. If relevant, ask the student about his/her screen reader, service dog, or other adaptive equipment to help you determine if simple changes like a designated seat, having small groups come to and form around the student (who would not change seats), pairing with a classmate for part of all of each class session, or other quick adjustments can improve learning for the student.
  5. Also discuss any concerns you have that the student has not already raised, based on your observations and your knowledge of your upcoming assignments and curriculum. Then strategize with the student how to address these. You may wish to refer to the Teaching Strategies page for ideas.
  6. If the student has an accommodation plan from DSPS, review and discuss the plan with the student.
  7. If the student does not have an accommodation plan: While you can't directly refer a student to the DSPS office or inquire whether the student currently works with DSPS, you CAN recommend a RANGE of campus services to the student. Discuss student support services on campus including tutoring at CAS, workshops at CAS, the DSPS office, Counseling, and other services as appropriate, and offer to refer the student as s/he wishes, using Early Alert.

Next Steps

  1. URGENT: If needed, contact DSPS immediately for assistance obtaining tactile representations of graphics. Maps, drawings, etc. can take weeks or even months to have converted to alternative formats, so start the process as soon as possible.
  2. URGENT: Check all your online documents, linked websites, and other electronically housed materials for accessibility. See the Accessible Documents page, and the Online Materials section of the Checklist, to complete the basic steps. Depending on your student's challenges, you will need to prioritize either making sure content is tagged for screen readers, or material is formatted with large print and high contrast, and/or information is not conveyed solely by color such as by colored text or highlighting. Next, contact TMI (Technology Mediated Instruction) and DSPS staff for help with any remaining issues.
  3. Check your classroom layout to make sure that there are clear paths of travel. Confirm with the student whether s/he has become familiar with the classroom layout, and if not, offer to arrange time outside of class time for the student to learn the layout by navigating it for practice (contact your area secretary or appropriate administrator for assistance if needed).
  4. If your student has partial sight, examine light levels in your classroom to determine if additional lighting could improve the student's access to content in the classroom. Consult with the DSPS office and/or Facilities as appropriate.
  5. Train yourself to provide concise, clear descriptions of visual materials or steps in a demonstration, and to speak all of the content presented with overhead projections and other visuals. Note that this practice will also support other students' learning.
  6. Check the functionality of the podium microphone if your classroom has one, and use it if you and the student agree that this would be helpful (remember that your student may be learning primarily through his/her hearing while in your classroom). If you are unfamiliar with how to operate the microphone, ask for assistance from a colleague or view the instructions for your building's smart classroom systems at Information Technology Support Services' Classroom Technology Operating Instructions page to learn. If the microphone seems to be functioning poorly, place a work order with Facilities for repair using the Online Work Order link on their webpage.
  7. Check the clarity and volume of your speaking voice in the classroom by making a recording yourself or asking a colleague to sit in on your class and provide feedback. Be sure to place the recording device/colleague at several points around the room.
  8. Ask colleagues for strategies they have used successfully when dealing with similar challenges, but be careful to maintain the student's confidentiality.
  9. Contact the DSPS office to request any resources they may have available to support your working with a student with the challenges you are observing. They may have media or print materials specific to your concerns, or they may be able to refer you to a campus colleague who has had success working with similar students.
  10. If you develop concerns regarding the safety of your student, your class, and/or yourself, contact your department chair, your dean or director, or the Vice President for Student Services for guidance.

For Future

To expand your knowledge base for working with students with disabilities:

  1. Review the Teaching Strategies page for specific strategies.
  2. Explore the Further Resources for Teachers page for links to additional guides, information, and materials to build your skills.
  3. Mine the Disability Awareness page for books, films, online video clips, and other materials to provide context to work effectively with these students.

 

Material provided for information purposes only. For legal advice, consult a legal professional.