It is estimated that there are about 300,000 people who are blind or vision impaired in Australia. Vision impairment may result from a range of conditions and hence, there is no "typical" vision impaired student. The impact of a vision impairment depends on the type, extent and timing of vision loss.
Some students have gradually lost vision over a number of years; others may have been blind since birth. Some may have no vision at all, but most people who are legally blind have some vision and may be light-sensitive, have low or limited vision, or have limited peripheral vision. With some vision impairments, sight fluctuates and students may have some days when vision or light tolerance is much better than others.
Some blind students may use a guide dog or white cane to assist them in mobility but others rely on other techniques to guide them. They may use a range of assistive technology, for example screen magnification software, closed-circuit TV, or screen-reading software.
The resource Teaching Students who have vision impairment contains information on:
- The impact of vision impairment on learning at university
- Communicating with students with vision impairment
- Teaching students with vision impairment
- Assessment strategies