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, Power Point, 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.