Chloe

Werkema
Education 226
Fall 2014
Field Placement

E. Louise Shumaker MA DS
Director

College

of Disability Services at Hope

E. Louise Shumaker MA DS
Director

of Disability Services
Hope College Graduate
Western Michigan University Graduate
Louise has a visual impairment.
She was born legally blind and sees no
color.
Her leader dog is Franklin.
Louise is a normal, fashionable,
intellectual woman!

Louise and her

leader dog,
Franklin

Office of Disability Services

Hope

College Student Development

Accommodations, Support, Awareness
Housing Accommodations
Reserved Parking, Priority Snow Removal
Academic Support (Note takers, tutors)
Counseling
Disability Awareness Week

Initial Reactions
Self-conscious

about interacting with a

person with a visual impairment
What if I offend her? What if I guide her
incorrectly?
I immediately LOVED Louise. She is affable
and wonderful to be around!
We went to JPs for a coffee date! I was
comfortable and glad to spend time with
Louise.

Goals

To establish a meaningful relationship with

Louise
To arrive on time to my placement
To learn more about Louises life with a visual
impairment
To be an effective and professional
communicator
To demonstrate sensitivity to exceptionalities
To be eager to work with Louise and learn
about her profession

Interactions with Louise

Tea

Parties
Coffee Dates
Trip to Target
Secretary of State
Shopping
Decorating the
house for
Christmas!

Tea Parties & Christmas

Decorating with Louise

Responsibilities
Drive

Louise to the Secretary of State to

renew her Voters License.
Guide Louise through Target to purchase
new bath towels.
Help Louise find the perfect pair of pants
at JC Pennys.
Learn valuable life lessons from a
wonderful, brilliant role model!

Technology
Text-to-Speech

Software
Email
Iphone
Telling of Time
Watch
Desk Clock

Text Connections
Students

With

Hearing
Impairment,
Deafness, Visual
Impairment,
Blindness, and
Deaf-Blindness
Chapter 10

Chapter 10.1 Text Connections

Visual Impairment

A decreased ability to see that

interferes with performance of
daily activities.
Students with visual impairment
have some sight, but their sight
difficulties may make it difficult
to walk around, read, drive, or
learn.
Individuals can be born with a
visual impairment, or their
vision can decrease because
of injury, disease, or other
conditions.

Blindness

A complete or almost
complete lack of
vision.
It does not mean that
he or she sees nothing.
Many people who are
blind may be able to
see different colors,
objects, and shapes.

Chapter 10.1 Text Connections

Visual Acuity

The clarity and

sharpness with which a
person sees an
object
People who have
20/100 vision must be
20 feet away to see
what a person with
normal vision can see
at 100 feet away.

Visual Field

An individual's line of
sight above, below, to
the left and right, and
straight in front, when
not moving the head...
A person with normal
vision usually has a
visual field of about 190
degrees.

Supporting People with Visual

Impairment

Supporting people with visual impairment.

(2013). Community Eye Health / International
Centre for Eye Health, 26(81), 7.

Professional Journal Article

Communication Techniques (Visual Impairment)

Introduce yourself and say your name.

Use their name, so they know you are talking to them.
Face the person as you talk to them.
Give specific directions: say left or right rather than
pointing.
If the person moves to a new location, describe the
environment and people present.
Do not leave the person alone in the center of a room.
Make sure they can touch a table, chair, or wall to
maintain orientation to their surroundings.
Read out written information, including rights to
treatment and associated risks. (Page 1)
These tips helped me feel confident in my field placement!

Teens Health Website

http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_condition
s/sight/visual_impairment.html
The American Foundation for the Blind
estimates that 10 million people in the United
States are visually impaired.
People with legal blindness haven't lost their
sight completely but have lost enough vision
that they'd have to stand 20 feet from an
object to see it as well as someone with
perfect vision could from 200 feet away.

Self-Evaluation
Strengths

Listened actively
Turned cell phone off
Communicated
effectively and
professionally
Demonstrated
eagerness to work
with Louise and learn
about her profession

Areas to Improve
Be more confident
Present over
perfect
Savor every
moment
Be fully engaged
Worry less

Thank you, Louise!