This resource guide offers suggestions and resources to help provide successful school experiences for students who are blind or visually impaired. Individual sections address: (1) the nature of visual impairment, the specific needs and expectations of students with visual impairment, and the educational implications of visual impairment; (2)…

Analysis of 41 questionnaires completed by graduates of either undergraduate or masters degree programs in orientation and mobility training of people with visual impairments found that most respondents were still active as mobility instructors, most were in school programs, and most expressed a need for more knowledge of training students with…

The planning of conferences that are accessible to people with disabilities involves focusing on the accessibility of all aspects of the meeting, including choosing a site, promotion, registration, presentations, and handouts. Any meetings and facilities that are open to the public must comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities…

A mother of an adolescent daughter with blindness and learning disabilities focuses on how she helped her daughter improve reading and writing skills by finding a meaningful purpose for those skills in daily life. This article discusses early signs of learning problems, the learning environment, talking books, books in braille, technology,…

Travelers with dual sensory losses present the rehabilitation professional with additional tasks and responsibilities that expand the instructional curriculum. Effective instruction in rehabilitation and orientation and mobility includes teaching strategies and tools for dealing with unfamiliar people through "communication" (conveying…

This set of six videotapes provides a comprehensive guide to meetings to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for students who are blind. The tapes include reenactments of IEP meetings, conferences with experts, and the views of a variety of participants. Emphasis is on requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act…

This fact sheet about students who are deaf-blind provides information on orientation and mobility (O&M) training. It begins by describing orientation and mobility skills, and emphasizes the need for a team approach in the development and implementation of O&M instruction. Instructional strategies are described, including initial assessment of O&M…

Presents guidelines for orientation and mobility instructors and traffic engineers to assess the need for adaptive devices to make crosswalks at signalized intersections accessible to pedestrians with visual impairments. The discussions of audible and tactile pedestrian devices, along with case examples, distinguish when each device should be…

Links the literature on learned helplessness with best practices in teaching children who are deaf-blind. Defines "learned helplessness" and "mastery motivation;" considers identification of learned helplessness; and offers suggestions such as rewarding independent rather than dependent behaviors and integrating orientation, mobility, and…

Intended for use in Florida training programs for caregivers of infants and toddlers with disabilities, this guide presents an overview of the Model of Interdisciplinary Training for Children with Handicaps (MITCH); offers a user's guide to the series; and provides specific information for presenting Module 12, which focuses on visual impairments.…

The Department issued this Notice of Policy Guidance (notice) to address the requirements of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, as they apply to the education of blind and visually impaired students. This notice updates the Office of…

Research suggests that there is a positive relationship between low socioeconomic status and the occurrence of physical disabilities. Therefore, designing educational buildings that are accessible to the handicapped is one way to promote social equity. This handbook identifies design guidelines for creating equal access to schools and school…

This case study describes the educational history and current program of Mike, a mainstreamed sixth-grader with deaf-blindness. It addresses the boy's successes and the ongoing challenges faced by his family, his educational team, and his peers. Background information notes his diagnosis of total blindness and moderate to severe hearing loss, his…

This text, one of two on the instruction of students with visual impairments, focuses on instructional strategies. The following 21 chapters are included: (1) "Creating and Nurturing Effective Educational Teams" (Irene Topor and others); (2) "Comprehensive Assessment" (Toni Heinze); (3) "Ongoing Assessments: Informal Techniques" (Carol Layton);…

Designed to be used as a companion to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), this guide provides information on how the law applies to individuals with visual impairments. Section 1, "The ADA and Visual Impairment," gives an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act and discusses visual impairment and accessibility. Examples of…