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Blindness/Visual Impairment Information There are varying degrees of visual impairments. The spectrum includes having difficulty reading regular print, to tunnel vision, to total blindness. A student with a visual impairment is faced with many challenges. The majority of students with visual impairments has partial sight loss and does not use canes and guide dogs. This does not eliminate the need for academic accommodation. One challenge is the overwhelming mass of printed text encountered – textbooks, class schedules, campus newspapers, tests, etc. There is also an increased use of visual material in the classroom (films, videotapes, PowerPoint, and overhead projectors) that adds to the difficulties many students with visual impairments experience. The instructor must be prepared to provide any written materials (i.e. syllabus, handouts), in advance or on disk. Most students will use a combination of methods to assist such as large print, audio taped recorded books and lectures, readers, or Brailled books. Modern technology has made other aids available for persons with visual impairments such as talking calculators, paperless Braille machines, Braille computer terminals and reading machines. Visual impairments include disorders in the sense of vision that affect the central vision acuity, the field of vision, color perception, or binocular visual function. The American Medical Association defined legal blindness as visual acuity not exceeding 20/200 in the better eye with correction, or a limit in the field of vision that is less than a 20 degree angle (tunnel vision). Tumors, infections, injuries, retrolental fibroplasis, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, vasular impairments, or myopia may cause legal blindness. Visual disabilities vary widely. Some students may use a guide dog, or a white cane, while others may not require any mobility assistance.
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