Reasonable Adjustments: Blind and Vision Impaired

As per the Disability Standards for Education 2005 reasonable adjustments refer to a "measure or action taken to assist a student with disability to participate in education and training on the same basis as other students”. They are designed to place students with disability on a more equal footing, and not to give them any kind of advantage.

Reasonable adjustments made for a student with disability must maintain the academic integrity of the qualification and not cause a health or safety risk for other student(s) or negatively impact upon the learning experience of another student(s).

Adjustments are negotiated to meet the needs of the individual student; this is predominantly done through a Disability Practitioner within the institution the student attends. They commonly include the following.

To accommodate individual students

Students who are blind or vision impaired may benefit from a range of inclusive teaching and assessment strategies.  Some adjustments that are frequently used for students who are blind or vision impaired include:

• provision of printed materials, transcripts and reading materials in a format that best suits the student, such as Braille, audio recordings, large print, DAISY, EPUB 3 and so on
• provision of recorded lectures
• transcription of visual resources such as PowerPoint presentations, videos and YouTube resources
• access to a Student Access Study Centre if available on campus
• provision of a Practical Assistant within laboratories or workshops
• negotiation of additional time to complete practical tasks and assessments
• access to Screen Reader Assistive Technology, such as JAWS
• access to Screen Enlarger Assistive technology, such as Zoom Text
• provision of Assistive Technology in examinations
• examination questions in electronic or enlarged format
• extra time provided prior to examinations for computer set up
• extra time provided within examinations
• arrangement for student to meet with faculty prior to starting to identify strategies for accommodating the implications of the disability in relation to the inherent requirements of any required practicums
• support with wayfinding on campus until the student is able to navigate independently
• reformatting or descriptive notes on coloured resources to support students with colour deficiency.