- Visual impairment Advisory Teacher is available for advice. Referrals can be made directly or generated through the ophthalmology service when the child/young person has appointments.
- The Habilitation service supports a child or young person who has a visual impairment with a range of skills which includes mobility, self-care skills, independent living skills. Referral is made through the MASH referral and the Children with Disability Team.
- Positioning in the classroom; a child with a visual impairment should ideally sit at the front of the class.
- Lighting, consider if the sun shines in a window at certain times of the day. If the lighting in the class is causing glare, some lights can have a flicker which a child/young person with a visual impairment might find distracting.
- Adaptions to text – can text be made bigger to make it easier to read?
- Use of technology which can include laptops, iPad. They can be linked to the class whiteboard to allow the young person to access the class learning and digital books. The Advisory teacher for Visual Impairment will be able to advise and support with this.
- Use of coloured paper/overlays
- Audio descriptions and immersive readers (with headphones) can support when there is a high emphasis on reading text.
- Awareness of reflections and glare: Some laminating pouches can add glare to a document therefore using matt pouches will reduce that glare.
Habilitation training programmes and advice including:
- Habilitation provide specific assessment
- Advice for parents and professionals
- Visual impairment specific orientation strategies
- Safe movement and travel including public transport
- Age-appropriate independent living skills
- Equipment recommendations for practical subjects
- Environmental advice for setting
- Staff training
- Peer awareness training
