CHARACTERISTICS OF VISUAL

IMPAIRMENTS
CAMACHO, INICRIS C.
• Students with non-correctable vision problems have visual impairments.
Depending on the severity of the condition, the following terms may be used
in the special education or regular education school environment. To qualify
as a visual impaired student, certain criteria must be met, like low visual
acuity, visual field limitation, progressive eye disease, or cortical visual
impairment.
 Partially Sighted

• A visual impairment that adversely affects student’s educational performance

even when corrected to the extent possible.
 Low Vision

• If someone’s vision is between 20/70-20/-160 and cannot be corrected, the

student has moderate to low vision.
 Legally Blind

• From 20/200-20/400 is legally blind with severe low vision. From 20/400-
20/1000 is profound visual impairment, and is very close to total blindness.
 Totally Blind

• The lack of light perception is known as total blindness or total visual

impairment.
 Assistive technology
• Technology has removed many barriers to education and employment for
visually impaired individuals. Students with visual impairments can complete
homework, do research, take tests, and read books along with their sighted
classmates, thanks to advances in technology. Adults with visual impairments
can continue to work and pursue a tremendous range of careers because of
the use of computers and other devices.
 Braille Technology
• Blind or visually impaired who read braille can use the following specialized
equipment:
• Braille display technology which provides access to information on a
computer screen in braille.
• Braille printers that provide the hardcopy information from computer
devices.
• Electronic braille note takers that provide a powerful alternative to
mechanical note takers such as Perkins Brailler or slate or stylus.
 Optical Character Recognition Systems
• Technology offers blind and visually impaired persons the capacity to scan
printed text and then speak it back in synthetic speech or save it to a
computer.
• Little technology exists to interpret graphics such as line art, photographs
and graphs into a medium easily accessible to blind and visually impaired
persons.
• It also not yet possible to convert handwriting, whether script or block
printing, into an accessible medium.
 Adjunctive program for people with visual impairments
OBJECTIVE ACTIVITIES BENEFITS TIME FRAME PERSONNEL
INVOLVE
To develop the Join a social group For support and Friday, 10am -3pm Group
independent living socialization March 3 Impaired people
skills of visually
impaired people.
Help them regain Visit some children The laughter and Monday, 7am-10am Nursery school
self-confidence for voices of children April 5 Impaired people
reintegrating into can lift the spirits
the community.
Analyze the visual Cook something Provides the Saturday, 3pm-4pm Client
elements of a task opportunity for May 14 Impaired people
so that the task can wonderful
be modified. conversations
Observe the visual Go for a walk For the sights and Tuesday, 5pm-6pm Partner
environment and sounds of nature June 5 Impaired person
assess under
different
environmental
conditions.