Tips and facts
Mainstream school as a legally blind student: 5 things I wish my teachers knew
Tom, a legally blind student, attended mainstream schools from K to 12 - here, he shares five things he wishes his teachers had known
As a legally blind student who attended mainstream school for most of his K-12 education, and now attends college, I was always the only such student in my grade, and sometimes in my entire school. While I was well-accommodated in elementary school with help of a TVI (Teacher of the Vision Impaired) and paraprofessionals, switching to private schools in 7th grade meant that I needed to step up and independently advocate for more of my needs.
This experience helped me seamlessly transition to college and deal with Accessibility Services. It also gave me insight into some of the bigger issues that I would be dealing with when advocating for my needs for the rest of my life. Now, three years into college, I would like to share some of my thoughts on how the education system can be more accommodating to blind and low vision students at all levels.
1. Use high contrast
I can’t stress this one enough. I can’t count the number of times that my teachers used light-colored markers on a whiteboard. While pointing it out to them in the moment often resulted in them writing over what they had already written with a darker-colored marker, they would sometimes revert back to their old ways as soon as the following class. This same issue sometimes occurred in other classes like PE, where objects that blended into the things near them were pointed out in classes, and I had no idea what was being talked about.
Always use the highest-contrast colors whenever possible.
2. Verbally identify yourself to blind students
It’s imperative that teachers identify themselves to blind or low vision students, especially when a teacher is new or unfamiliar to a student. There have been numerous times (not just in the classroom) where an unfamiliar person has greeted me without identifying themselves, and I leave the interaction thinking, “who are they?”
After the first few weeks, this likely won’t be an issue for teachers that interact with students daily. But if a teacher knows a student from seeing them occasionally, they should absolutely be greeting them and identifying themselves. If a student with low vision eventually recognizes a teacher visually (or by their voice) and greets and addresses them, then that may be an indication you won’t have to identify yourself any longer. Until then, it’s best to identify. Teachers can also encourage their students to do the same, as this helps to foster inclusion and connection to the broader school community.
3. Deliver assignments digitally, and in accessible formats
While some blind students prefer braille, and some low vision students prefer their assignments in enlarged print, digital delivery is (in general) the most accessible way of delivering assignments and information to blind or low vision students.
This can take on many different forms, including scanning homework into accessible-formatted documents (such as Microsoft Word) so they can be accessed using screen readers and magnified to whatever font size one desires. Many textbooks are made accessible using platforms such as Bookshare, which can be read aloud using text to speech and/or made into an enlarged font. That may also be helpful for dyslexic or otherwise print-disabled students.
Regardless of whether books, assignments or other documents are concerned, the digital method is generally much more effective than brailling an entire textbook or wasting excessive amounts of paper on enlarged assignments, and benefits both the teacher and student.
4. Encourage curiosity, but identify inappropriate questions
A common misconception is that it is rude to ask blind or low vision students questions about their sight (or lack thereof). While this is not true, as these questions are often asked in good faith and can be used as learning experiences in their own right, it’s important to draw a line between appropriate and inappropriate questions and jokes.
Questions like “how many fingers am I holding up?” or jokes about, for instance, using carrots to cure one’s blindness, are often viewed as rude, inappropriate or unhelpful in understanding vision loss, and don’t add anything toward teaching students about blindness.
These questions can be used as teaching moments as well, especially since some students may ask out of true curiosity without realizing it’s inappropriate.
You should also note that, if you’re teaching older students, a blind or low vision student in your class may be fine with this kind of joke and respond with good humor. (I was one of these students, and blindness jokes became a regular occurrence in some of my high school classes). It is important to read the room for that as well.
5. Think about seating arrangements
When I was an elementary school student, my TVI made sure to request seating as close to the whiteboard as possible in all my classes. In middle school, I began to advocate for this myself, seeing the benefits that it had for me in my prior classes.
For most low vision students in K-12, it’s preferable to be as close to the front of the room as possible, as in my experience, that’s where most of the instruction is happening. For teachers who use more than one whiteboard or teach on the side of the room, be cognizant of that when placing a low vision student in your classroom, and potentially consider adjusting your approach to be more accommodating of your student.
There are also additional needs that need to be considered. For instance, if a student is using a CCTV (or other video magnifier) during class, as I was for most of elementary school, place your student in an area close to a plug, but also close to where other students are sitting so they can fully participate in class activities. If a student uses a Perkins Brailler in class, be mindful of students who may be distracted by the sound of it, and adjust your seating accordingly.
While all students are different, and it’s especially important to account for different needs when teaching disabled students, using these five tips as general guidelines will help your blind or low vision students feel included in the classroom and empowered to complete their work to the best of their abilities.
About the author
Tom Geraci is a legally blind student attending Merrimack College in Andover, Mass., majoring in Communication with a focus on Marketing and Public Relations. He has interned in the Perkins Marketing Department over the last two summers, and is involved with the National Federation of the Blind and other advocacy groups. Outside of his work, he is passionate about accessible urban planning, and enjoys hiking, traveling and trying new restaurants.
Read more from Tom in his #MyBlindStory post on BlindNewWorld, From High School to College: New Surroundings, New People (Same Old Vision).
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