Guide
Common Classroom Accommodations for Low Vision
The most common approved classroom accommodations for low vision - great for new students or going to college.
A common question I receive from parents of kids with low vision or people who are losing their sight is about the most common classroom accommodations for low vision students. Even as my vision has changed over time, my accommodations have stayed fairly consistent from middle school to high school and then to college. Here are the most common classroom accommodations for low vision students, and how these accommodations can be helpful for Student Assistance Plans (SAPs), 504 Plans, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and college Disability Services files.
LARGE PRINT
Having access to print and digital materials in large print is incredibly important for me, as I am unable to read standard print sizes, and is a very common classroom accommodations for low vision students. Over time, the exact font size I need has increased, though I have always had a preference for Arial font. When I was in middle school, I asked to have assignments in 18 pt font, then changed it a few years later to be 24 pt font. Now that I am in college, I receive paper assignments in 36 point font so I can ensure I don’t miss any details.
RELATED LINKS
- My Eight Favorite Free Fonts For Print Disabilities
- Accommodations For Print Materials
- How I Document Accessibility Preferences With Low Vision
PREFERENTIAL SEATING
While I haven’t taken many large lecture hall classes in college, having preferential seating has been very helpful in ensuring I don’t get stuck in the back of the classroom. I also appreciated having preferential seating in middle and high school so I could find the best place to see the board or the projector, and I didn’t have to worry about moving around when the seating chart changed.
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- Choosing a Seat in Class
- How To Make Things On The Board Easier To See
- Five Common Technology Behaviors That Hurt My Brain
MAGNIFICATION DEVICES
I’ve used both screen magnification and physical magnifying glasses in the classroom to make things easier to read or to magnify smaller text items like exponents. I also use a desktop video magnifier/CCTV for taking tests in the testing center (more on that later) and find it extremely helpful for magnifying printed instructions or math tests. Since I use a mix of different magnifiers, my accommodations just list that I am allowed to use magnification devices and does not list any specific tools.
RELATED LINKS
EXTENDED TIME ON TESTS/ASSIGNMENTS
When I am taking timed tests or doing timed assignments, I receive 1.5x time, or time and a half to complete the tests. This means that for a 60 minute test, I am allowed to have up to 90 minutes to take the test. I don’t have to use my extended time if I don’t need it, but I find it’s helpful for helping to combat eyestrain or surprise technical difficulties with assistive technology. Some of my other friends who receive classroom accommodations for low vision receive double time or triple time on assignments.
RELATED LINKS
- SAT Accommodations for Low Vision
- ACT Accommodations For Low Vision
- Ten Ways to Reduce Eye Strain With Technology
USE OF A SCREEN READER
When I was dealing with severe seasonal allergies that left my eyes almost swollen shut, I used a screen reader in the classroom to follow along with notes on the board, read my textbooks/assignments, and to take tests in various classes. I like to use bone conducting headphones for listening to my screen reader because I can still hear other people around me and follow along in class, though I have other friends who prefer to have one earbud in to listen to their screen readers.
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- How To Use VoiceOver For Beginners
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COPIES OF NOTES
My data science professors are awesome about giving me copies of class notes so that I can ensure I didn’t miss anything when copying down information on the board, or let me have a closer look at diagrams or graphs. I prefer to receive typed or digital copies of notes whenever possible so I can read them clearly, though I also have had teachers that would give me handwritten notes to copy down so I didn’t have to look at the board.
RELATED LINKS
- Dealing With Anxiety About Accommodations
- How To Modify Anatomy Diagrams For The Visually Impaired
- Why I Prefer My Schoolwork Digitally
ALTERNATIVE TESTING ENVIRONMENT
In college, I take tests in the Disability Services Testing Center, which is an approved accommodation for students with a variety of disabilities, and a common classroom accommodation for low vision. The testing center is quiet and close to my dorm, and gives me more space to take tests than a traditional desk. I can also use approved assistive technology devices and receive extended time that would be difficult to have in the traditional classroom environment.
RELATED LINKS
- My College Desk
- What To Bring To The Disability Services Testing Center
- Testing Accommodations For Low Vision Students
OTHER ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY ACCOMMODATIONS
Besides having low vision, I also have a neurological condition that can impact how I access technology or read information. Because of this, I have approval for other assistive technology accommodations such as modified keyboards, adapted calculators, speech-to-text input as needed, audio description for videos, and scanning devices. Whenever I use a new device, I show it to my professors and let them see how it works, and they are fine with me using the different assistive technology tools in the classroom.
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- ScanMarker Air for Print Disabilities
- How To Create Audio Description For YouTube With YouDescribe
- How To Make Keyboards Easier To See
ACCESSIBLE FILE FORMATS FOR COURSE MATERIALS AND STANDARDIZED TESTS
I receive my textbooks in a digital accessible format, and when I was in Virginia Public Schools I took the Standards of Learning tests using a large print paper-and-pencil booklet. Even though I have large print listed as an accommodation for my class materials, an additional accommodation for tests and textbooks had to be listed in my high school IEP.
RELATED LINKS
- Common File Types For Vision Impairment and Print Disabilities
- How To Request Accessible Textbooks In College
- State Standardized Tests/ SOL Accommodations For Low Vision
ADAPTATIONS FOR CERTAIN ASSIGNMENTS OR CLASSES
In high school, I took adapted PE classes to satisfy the gym requirement for graduation, and I’ve also received other adapted assignments for classes where my low vision would put me at an unfair advantage. Some examples of this include being exempted from activities that involved flashing/strobe lights or flying objects, as well as modifying science labs so I wouldn’t set the classroom on fire.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
By knowing the most common classroom accommodations for low vision students, students and families can know what accommodations to ask for when creating educational plans and ensure that they receive fair accommodations that can help them to be successful in the classroom.
By Veroniiiica
