Blindness and Low Vision

This unit helps students understand that the part of the body affected by blindness or low vision is the eye, and that someone who is blind or has low vision can use a variety of useful techniques and assistive technology to be independent and to participate in activities of daily life.

Key themes:

Blindness or low vision are among the many traits that contribute to making a person the individual that he or she is.
Individuals can experience a broad spectrum of visual disabilities, from having some usable vision to extremely limited or no vision.
People with blindness or low vision make individual choices regarding mobility (sighted guide, cane, guide dog).
Technology is playing an increasingly important role in enabling people with blindness or low vision to do everyday tasks and to function more independently.
People with blindness or low vision do lots of things like play sports and participate in other activities, sometimes with adaptations.

Information is presented about the range of strengths and challenges of people with blindness and low vision, and suggestions for how to be inclusive and an ally are covered. Students learn that although blindness and low vision may affect the way someone plays and interacts, they still want to be included and to have friends.

I liked it because it taught me how blind people do all the stuff that other people do."

— 3rd grade student

FLEXIBLE PROGRAMMING

Program implementation is flexible and can be adapted for a remote, hybrid or in-person classroom. A typical 1 ½ to 2-hour session for third graders includes: an informational video, up to three hands-on activities and a talk by a speaker with blindness and low vision, who describes their life experiences and answers students’ questions. Recommended grade level: 3^rd grade.

Sample Questions from Third Graders

What is it like to be blind?
How do you get to different places without a car?
How do you play sports?
Who helps you around the house?
How do you cook?
Did you get frustrated when you were a kid?
What is the coolest thing you have done?