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.