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THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENT IN
THE CLASSROOM

1.

By the time blind students reach
college, they have probably dev-
eloped various methods for deal-
ing with the volume of visual mat-
erials. Most visually impaired
students use a combination of
methods including books and lec-
tures.

Modern technology has made aids
available for blind people in-
cluding talking calculators,
talking typewriters, speech-
time compressors, and a magqnify-
ing closed-circuit T.V. screen.

Most blind students who use
braille prefer to take their ow
notes in class using a slate and
stylus or a Perkins brailler.
Some students have a classmate
make a copy of his/her notes
which a reader later reads into a
tape for further use. A few stu-
dents audio record lectures and
later transcribe notes from them
into braille.

The instructor should try to re-
frain from using meaningless
phrases such as "the sum of this
plus that equals this" or "the
lungs are located here’. Try to
be as specific as possible when
using descriptions.

Adaptation will probably be nec-
essary in testing. The visually
impaired student can take exam-
inations orally through the use
of a reader or the examination
can be read onto a tape. The stir
dent answers orally on another
tape recorder or types the an-
swers.

6. It is possible to get class-
room handouts and exams brailled
or taped through the CNIB and
the Provincial Resource Centre,
but it takes two to four months
for transcription. (It depends
on the time of year.)

7. When a guide dog is used, there
is no need to worry that the
dog will disturb the class.
Guide dogs are very highly
trained and disciplined. Most of
the time, the dog will lie quiet-
ly under or beside the table or
desk.

8. There are two basic difficulties
that the partially sighted stu-
dent ‘faces that the blind student
does not encounter. First, people
have difficulty believing that the
student needs adaptive methods
when utilizing printed materials
since the visual impairment is not
ebvious. The student is often
viewed as "faking" it. Secondly,
a subtle issue is the psychologi-
cal response evoked by the large
print of the typewriter or hand-
writing. Such handwritten com-
munications tend to give the reader
the impression that "a child has
written this" or that the writer
is less sophisticated.

9. It is advisable for the student
and the instructor to meet early
in the semester to discuss what
methods, techniques, or devices
may be used to maximum advantage
in assisting the student to in-
tegrate into the class.

For more information or assistance,
contact Gladys Klassen at Local 285,
McBride Site.