The most recent data on the labor force participation rate of individuals who identify as being blind or having vision loss in the United States indicate it is approximately 44%. In 2014, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs promulgated regulations pertaining to Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to address the continued…

Standardizing accessible test design and development to meet students' individual access needs is a complex task. The following study provides one approach to accessible test design and development using participatory design methods with school community members. Participatory research provides opportunities to empower collaborators by co-creating…

Over the last decade, many local education agencies (LEAs) across California imposed significant restrictions on community-based orientation and mobility (O&M) instruction. Administrators from these LEAs prohibited O&M Specialists from transporting students off-campus for instruction, with one large Southern California district going so…

The role of vision impairment (blindness and low vision) related to the risk of falling has been well documented. Reduced visual acuity, as well as poor contrast sensitivity, field restriction, and loss of depth perception are established contributors to falls (Lamoureux et al., 2010). People with vision impairments fall as much as two to three…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine, through the feedback of experts, the roles and responsibilities, training needs, and supervision needs of paraprofessionals who work with students with visual impairments in public schools (within the itinerant orientation and mobility [O&M] service delivery model). Theoretical Framework:…

Because children with visual impairments tend to be inactive, they are 1.5 times more likely to be considered overweight or obese than are their sighted peers. Although some barriers to physical activity have been identified (for example, lack of opportunity and transportation issues); little has been done to empirically identify predictors of…

Introduction: This study analyzed survey responses from 141 teachers of students with visual impairments who shared their experiences about the implementation of Unified English Braille (UEB). Methods: Teachers of students with visual impairments in the United States completed an online survey during spring 2016. Results: Although most respondents…