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THE IMPACT ON A VISUALLY IMPAIRED LEARNER IN HIGHER EDUCATION Elizabeth Johnson Karen Hall

THE IMPACT ON A VISUALLY IMPAIRED LEARNER IN HIGHER EDUCATION Elizabeth Johnson Karen Hall The Royal National College for the Blind. Why are we in a position to comment?.

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THE IMPACT ON A VISUALLY IMPAIRED LEARNER IN HIGHER EDUCATION Elizabeth Johnson Karen Hall

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  1. THE IMPACT ON A VISUALLY IMPAIRED LEARNER IN HIGHER EDUCATION Elizabeth Johnson Karen Hall The Royal National College for the Blind

  2. Why are we in a position to comment? RNC is a Beacon status specialist college for learners who are blind or partially sighted and has many years’ experience of supporting their transition to Higher Education

  3. NNAC RNC is a member of the National Network of Assessment Centres [NNAC] and has many years’ experience of undertaking assessments for the Disabled Students’ Allowance

  4. Beacon status RNC is in the second phase of a Beacon QIA Innovations project focussing on transition

  5. What have we found? • The initial phase of the HE experience may be extremely challenging and not wholly positive for VI students • There does not appear to any single cause for this

  6. Assessment Experience extremely variable – for several reasons

  7. Induction Students with additional needs are often invited onto campus early for familiarisation

  8. Equipment • Appropriate equipment and support is crucial • Equipment may not be in place for the start of the course • Funding for equipment may be inadequate

  9. Training • adequate and appropriate training is essential but • may not be provided in time • may be inappropriate • may not be provided at all…

  10. Support • Non-Medical Helper Allowance provides human support • Students may have the perception that they are a “nuisance” or “burden” • Independent learners may revert to dependence

  11. Support cont… • Skills and experience of support workers varies • Support may be inadequate or inappropriate • Student may not have the resources to direct their support as they need it

  12. Resources • Course personnel may have little experience of responding to the individual needs of a student with a visual impairment • Specific course components may require a wide range of resources or media for study • The student may use different media for different course components

  13. Accessibility… • Moodle is inaccessible although the resources to which it is the portal may well be so • An alternative “route” to the same resources may completely resolve the issue • Similar problems with Facebook

  14. …or Usability • Accessibility does not automatically equate to usability • Tactile representations may be impressive but useless • Alternative strategies essential – “out of the box”

  15. The person • Social isolation significant issue • Initial isolation may never be overcome • Human support may become a barrier • Student may become disempowered, disengage…

  16. Statistics • Visual impairment is a low incidence disability • About 250 significantly VI people in any one age cohort • Often accompanied by additional difficulties or medical issues or is part of a complex and very rare syndrome…

  17. Conditions where VI may be an element • Diabetes • Leber’s Amaurosis • Retinoblastoma • Septo-Optic Dysplasia [SOD] • Retinopathy of Prematurity [ROP]

  18. Summary • Very small numbers of significantly VI students will enter HE each year • They are likely to be scattered • Unrealistic to have expertise in every condition in every HEI • Work in partnership with specialists!

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