Module 4: Accommodations for Vision Impairments

Communicating with Students and Faculty (Lecturing, One-on-One, Phone)

In the classroom or lab, educators must be able to talk about the material, give instructions, and engage students in discussion. Outside of the classroom, educators must be able to communicate to students and colleagues both face-to-face and from a distance (e.g., email, phone).

For a person with a visual impairment, communicating with others is not a major barrier. The main challenge involves being able to visually tell when a student has a question or may need further instructions.

Accommodation options may include:

General

Ask the other party to face the teacher when speaking.
When discussing printed materials, obtain a copy in advance or have the other party read through or describe the materials.
When younger students are working on assignments in class, this could include having the student describe how they have solved a particular problem or are approaching a question.
Have students speak up when they have a question and not just raise hands.
Use a phone with large and/or tactilely distinct buttons.
Visit assistivetech.net entries for large button phones.
Use a phone with speed dialing or voice dialing for frequently called numbers.
Automated dialing will eliminate the need to look up numbers and may reduce misdialed numbers.

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