Students Who Are Blind or
Have Low Vision

Implications of Blindness and Vision Loss in the
Postsecondary Education Setting

The impact that vision loss has on learning and the accommodation process will vary. Some of the factors that influence those variations are:

• Age of onset of the vision loss
• Severity of loss
• Type of loss
• Educational setting
• Opportunities for training and exposure to assistive technologies

Vision loss may be described in various ways. Here are the most common terms used to refer to a person with vision loss.

• "Blindness" - the term "blind" is usually used to describe a person who is more likely to rely on auditory or tactile means of accessing information such as audio tapes or braille.

• "Low vision" - the term "low vision" is usually used to describe a level of vision loss in which the person can use residual sight to benefit from large print and closer proximity.

• "Legally blind" - A person is said to be "legally blind" if his or her corrected vision is no better than 20/200.

Of primary concern to students with vision loss is access to information. A delay in gaining access to syllabi, handouts, and textbooks can have a major impact on a student's ability to perform in a class. It is therefore critical that these students have access to information in a timely manner. The methods that students use to access written materials will vary depending on their type of vision loss, personal preferences, and educational background. Students with low vision will likely prefer large print and magnification devices. Among students who are blind, some prefer to access information through auditory means and others prefer to use braille. Because of these differences, it is important to work with the student to determine the course of action needed to ensure accessibility of the materials you use in your course.