When teaching kids about disabilities such as vision loss, it is important to have some of the basic information at your fingertips. So here it is!
More than 20 million people in America report having a significant vision loss (Source American Foundation for the Blind website)
There are around 57 000 children attending school in America who are legally blind (Source 2007 Annual Report from the American Printing House for the Blind quoted in American Foundation for the Blind website)
Some of the causes of vision loss include glaucoma, cataracts, diabetica retinopathy, cortical vision impairment, retinitis pigmentosa (a degenerative condition), Usher syndrome and retinopathy of prematurity (vision damage related to prematurity).
Some people have a vision impairment but are not classed as 'legally blind'. This means they have some functional use of their vision, as compared to a person who has very limited vision and is therefore legally blind.
People who have a vision impairment may use a range of methods for mobility. They could use a guide dog (seeing eye dog), a cane, sight guiding (where they hold the elbow of a person walking next to them) or eye glasses. They may use different methods depending on the situation.
People who have a vision impairment may attend a mainstream school or they may attend a special education setting, depending on their needs and the options available in their area.
Ultimately, the purpose of teaching kids about disabilities such as vision loss is to encourage understanding, awareness, empathy and skillful interactions and communications with the person who has the disability. Many difficulties in the classroom can arise simply because other children are not educated about disabilities and are not sure what is expected of them. Encourage students to:
- be aware of how a visually impaired person may wish to be helped in the classroom (if at all)
- think before they move an object such as a chair or table in the classroom (a person with a vision impairment may not realise the chair is in a new position)
- be interested in technology related to communication such as text reading and writing programs on the computer (Dragon Naturally Speaking is an example of a program where the user can speak to the computer and text is created on the screen)
- be able to sight guide a visually impaired person when needed
- be proactive in warning a person about a danger they cannot see
- be proactive and assertive in countering instances of bullying which they observe in the playground
For more information, try sources such as the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, or organisations in your area.