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college students with visual impairments

What is Visual Impairment?

Visual impairments are divided into two general categories: blindness and low vision.

Individuals with blindness have absolutely no sight or have so little that learning must take place through other senses. Only 10-15 percent of the visually impaired population is totally blind.

1. Visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye (even using the best correction glasses) means that the person must stand at a distance of 20 feet to see what most people see from 200 feet away, or

2. Field of vision is restricted to an area of 20 degrees or less from the normal 180-degree field.

What are Common Visual Impairments?

• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)
• Macular Degeneration
• Albinism

Links

General Information

• Disability Support Services
  http://www/uncp.edu/dss/
• AHEAD
  http://ahead.org
• HEATH Resource Center
  http://www.acenet.edu/ programs/HEATH
• Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
  http://www.rfbd.org/
• The Library of Congress
  http://lcweb.loc.gov/
• National Federation of the Blind
  http://www.nfb.org/
• American Council of the Blind
  http://www.acb.org/

Financial Aid and Scholarship Info

• U.S. Department of Education Financial Aid http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
• Financial Aid for Students through the US Department of Education's Office
  http://www.ed.gov/index.jsp

What are the Documentation Guidelines?

Assessment, and any resulting diagnosis, should consist of and be based on a comprehensive assessment battery that does not rely on any one test or subtest. Both aptitude and academic achievement must be evaluated and included in the test report. See DSS office for documentation guidelines.

 

How are Accommodations and Support Services Determined?

Within 30 days of receiving the diagnostic evaluation or report, DSS will review the need for accommodations and support services based on the individual's disability documentation and disability-based need. DSS will notify the student after determining appropriate accommodations in accordance with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and university policy.

 

What are the Typical Accommodations?

• Note takers
• Alternative testing
• Textbooks on tape
• Computer with speech input, Zoomtext, and a scanner with OCR software
• Lecture notes, handouts, and tests on disk or enlarged format
• Tape recorders

These accommodations are not automatic. Each student must qualify for each accommodation.

Assistive Technology at UNCP

• Zoomtext
• Dragon Naturally Speaking
• Premier Assistive Technology
• JAWS
• Kurzweil
• Inspiration

Visual Impairment Resources

National Organizations

• National Alliance of Blind Students
• National Alliance for the Visually Handicapped

Toll-Free Resources

• HEATH Resource Center
  (800) 544-3284
• American Council of the Blind
  (800) 365-2724
• American Federation for the Blind
  (800) 232-5463
• American Printing House for the Blind
  (800) 233-1839
• Job Opportunities for the Blind
  (800) 638-7518

• Register early for classes to have additional time to secure texts and materials into alternative format.
• You may want to work with a partner or academic aide on some assignments.
• The university is responsible for paying for readers or assistants for use in class or testing.
• You are responsible for hiring readers for personal use. Personal use refers to homework assignments, writing papers, or reading of textbooks.

 

 

Updated: Tuesday, February 15, 2005

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