Vision

Key Takeaways

What is Assistive Technology for Vision?

• Vision AT is technology that helps people see better, or better comprehend what they cannot see.
• Vision AT includes tools that help individuals maximize the use of any remaining vision and access their environment using other senses, such as hearing and touch.
• Optical and electronic magnifiers and other tools enhance visual perception.
• Screen readers, talking calculators, and other tools provide auditory feedback and are useful for individuals who are blind or have low vision.
• Electronic braille devices, navigation aids, and other tools provide tactile feedback and allow a person to comprehend information through their sense of touch or proprioception.
• A person may use multiple tools depending on the setting and tasks.

Common No-Tech and Low-Tech Vision AT Solutions:

• Adjust lighting
• Adjust seating in relation to windows or other light sources
• Adjust text and background colors in electronic materials
• Braille materials
• Bold-lined paper and rigid writing guides
• Change font size
• Colored overlays
• Increase contrast in printed materials
• Large print materials
• Optical magnifiers
• Reduce visual clutter
• Tactile graphics
• Tactile identifiers such as braille labels, plastic dots, and textured stickers
• Text-to-speech

Who Needs Vision AT?

• Individuals of any age who are blind or have visual impairments which cannot be fully corrected with glasses or surgical interventions
• Those with brain-based disorders, such as cortical visual impairment (CVI) or traumatic brain injury (TBI), which cause differences in visual perception
• Those with temporary conditions which affect visual perception
• Anyone who may lose vision in the future due to a degenerative eye condition

Situations for Vision AT:

Case Studies

Commonly Asked Questions for Vision AT:

• Q – If a student or job seeker is blind, does that mean you will have to provide all reading materials in braille?
  • A – Not necessarily. First, you’ll want to ask the individual what format they prefer. If electronic documents are properly formatted, the student or employee will be able to access them on a computer using text-to-speech, or an electronic braille display.
• Q – If a job seeker has low vision, will the company need to enlarge materials and provide brighter lighting?
  • A – It depends. Bigger and brighter are not always better. Sometimes magnification doesn’t help. For instance, if a person has good acuity, but a narrow field of vision, enlarging materials will only make reading more difficult. Likewise, with lighting. Due to various eye conditions, some individuals will need brighter lighting, while others will need to avoid bright lights and glare. Sometimes a person will benefit from natural light, while another will need to be seated away from windows. Consult with a Teacher of the Visually Impaired or Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist for help determining the best strategies for optimizing remaining vision.
• Q – Will an individual need the most expensive, and most high-tech device?
  • A – High-tech is not always better than low-tech. This depends on the condition, as well as the degree of vision loss, and the situation in which the tool may be needed. You may wonder if there is one tool that will meet all of a person’s needs. This is usually not the case for those who are blind or have visual impairments. Multiple tools may be needed. For instance, a student or employee may have a large desktop magnifier at a desk, and a handheld magnifier to carry around. A person who reads braille may need a large braille display to connect to his or her desktop computer, and a smaller portable device to use in other places. Consult with a Teacher of the Visually Impaired or Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist for help determining which tools to try.
• Q – How can I determine what materials and tools are appropriate for an individual with visual impairments?
  • A – Consult with a professional! Providers such as Low Vision Optometrists, Occupational Therapists, Teachers of the Visually Impaired, and Orientation and Mobility Specialists can help determine what accommodations and AT to consider depending on an individual’s unique needs. Trialing devices of various makes and models will help you determine what works and avoid costly purchases that end up not being beneficial.
• Q – In addition to an AT Assessment, what special types of assessments can help educators determine the needs of students with visual impairments?
  • A – A functional vision assessment (FVA) and a learning media assessment (LMA) will guide educators in determining what formats of educational materials and which tools are appropriate for the individual’s unique needs. 

 AT Solutions at ABLE Tech:

 View ABLE Tech’s Vision AT Inventory

Visit ABLE Tech’s Vision AT/DME Reuse/Exchange Inventory

Helpful Links and PDF Resources:

• AIM Center at the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
  
  Maintains a central depository of braille and large print textbooks and other specialized instructional materials for loan to Oklahoma students who cannot use regular print
• American Foundation for the Blind
  
  Advocates for better policies that promote accessibility, equality, and opportunity for people who are blind or visually impaired
• AppleVis
  
  Empowering users who are blind and have low vision to access Apple products and related applications
• Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI)
  
  Professional membership organization dedicated exclusively to professionals who provide services to persons with vision loss
• Bookshare
  
  Online library of accessible digital reading materials, including textbooks, novels, and other curricular materials
• Braille Authority of North America (BANA)
  
  Facilitates the use, teaching, and production of braille
• Family Connect
  
  Guidance on assessments for students who are blind or visually impaired
• Hadley School
  
  Personalized learning for adults with vision loss or blindness
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
  
  Free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues
• Liberty Braille
  
  Request and receive braille materials, tactile graphics, large print materials, and iPads for students to use with accessible digital text
• Microsoft Accessibility Support
  
  Accessibility features of Microsoft products
• National Center on Accessible Educational Materials
  
  Promoting and supporting creation and use of accessible technologies
• National Federation of the Blind
  
  Network of blind members who coordinate programs, services, and resources to defend the rights of blind Americans; provide information and support to blind children and adults; and build a community that creates a future full of opportunities
• NewView Oklahoma
  
  Empowering individuals facing vision loss to maximize their opportunities to live life without limits; provides comprehensive low vision rehabilitation services, meaningful employment services, and engaging community programs
• Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
  
  Supporting job seekers who have visual impairments and blindness
• Oklahoma School for the Blind (OSB)
  
  Residential and non-residential education in Muskogee, plus statewide outreach services
• Paths to Literacy Learning Media Assessment (LMA)
  
  Framework for selecting appropriate literacy media for student who are visually impaired
• Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative Resources
  
  Information guides for students who are blind or have low vision

Video/Webinar/Podcast Resources:

• AEM/Liberty Braille Webinar
  
  Kimberly Berry, ABLE Tech Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Cristin Lockwood, Liberty Braille Transcriber, discuss Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) and how to obtain large print, braille, and digital materials from Bookshare
• Assistive Technology 101 and Funding for AT
  
  Overview of AT categories including definitions and types of AT students often need
• Assistive Technology for Vision Loss
  
  An in-depth look at AT for individuals with visual impairment or blindness
• Bookshare for All Ages
  
  Certified Academic Language Therapist Tiffany Jenkins provides tips and tricks for using Bookshare to read accessible digital text
• Creating a Bookshare Organizational Account
  
  Step-by-step instructions for setting up an organization account in Bookshare to provide accessible digital text to students who have difficulty accessing standard text
• Dealing with Low Vision by Southwestern Eye Center
  
  Short, easy-to-understand overview of what it means to have low vision
• Free-to-Low Cost AT
  
  Exploring free to low-cost AT solutions
• TEDx Kristin Smedley: How I Learned to See Through the Eyes of My Sons Inspiring testimonial from a parent of children with a genetic mutation that causes blindness
• Therapy for Low Vision: The Role of Optometrists by BrightFocus Foundation
  
  Learn how optometrists can help patients with low vision due to glaucoma and macular degeneration
• Zimmerman Low Vision Simulation Kit
  
  Using the Zimmerman Low Vision Simulation Kit for educating sighted individuals about those who have low vision