This study illustrates how mathematical communication and learning are inherently multimodal and embodied; hence, sight-disabled students are also able to conceptualize visuospatial information and mathematical concepts through tactile and auditory activities. Adapting a perceptuomotor integration approach, the study shows that the lack of access…

This article discusses findings on schooling, pedagogy and notation in the life-experiences of amateur and professional visually-impaired musicians/music teachers, and the professional experiences of sighted music teachers who work with visually-impaired learners. The study formed part of a broader UK Arts and Humanities Research Council funded…

Introduction: This study explored the role of the cultural liaison on educational teams that support families from culturally and linguistically diverse (hereafter, diverse) backgrounds who have a child with visual impairment. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with teachers of students with visual impairments, cultural liaisons, and classroom…

Science is a core curricular area of instruction for all students and the federal mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) and No Child Left Behind (2001) require that students with disabilities are educated in the least restrictive environment and have access to general education science content, based upon rigorous…

Challenges to obtaining quality academic accommodations for students with visual impairments in postsecondary education hinder accessibility and the success of such students. The limitations of current policies and practices intended to address the needs of students in Canada are examined and potential solutions are discussed. Further systemic…

Teachers of students with visual impairments play an integral role in supporting both students with visual impairments and general education teachers so that students can access the curriculum, including science-related topics (Anderson, 2009; Bogner et al., 2011; Wild & Koehler, 2017). Wild and Koehler (2017) identify six responsibilities of…

In 2014, the Geological Society of America sponsored an Accessible Field Trip, designed to demonstrate best practices in accommodating a wide variety of participants with disabilities during a field experience. During the trip, an aide was deployed to assist two student participants with sensory disabilities, one with low vision and the other with…

A three-year, grant-funded program to create an online video clip library for personnel programs preparing teachers of students with visual impairments in the United States and Canada was launched in September 2014. The first author was the developer of the Library of Video Excerpts (L.O.V.E.) and collected over 300 video clips that were 8 to 10…

Introduction: This study analyzed survey responses from 84 teachers of students with visual impairments who had provided literacy instruction to dual-media students who used both print and braille. Methods: These teachers in the United States and Canada completed an online survey during spring 2015. Results: The teachers reported that they…

Introduction: In addition to optical devices, closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) and eccentric viewing training are both recognized interventions to improve reading performance in individuals with vision loss secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Both are relatively expensive, however, either in the cost of the device or in the amount of…

This fact sheet reports on inclusive education and students with special needs in British Columbia, including changes to the composition of students with special needs in public schools, cuts to specialist teaching positions, and graduation rates for students with special needs.

Although qualitative research on the learning experiences of disabled students at university is burgeoning, either/or, medical or social approaches are most often used to study disablement. In this study, I adopted an interpretive phenomenological analysis--which considers the fundamental imbrication of bodies, identities, and environments--to…

Introduction: This study investigated the perceptions and practices of teachers of students with visual impairments in Canada and the United States regarding graphics (both tactile and print) that are used by students with visual impairments. Questions focused on quality, importance, and instruction in the use of graphics. Methods: An electronic…

Early visual deprivation impairs some, but not all, aspects of face perception. We investigated the possible developmental roots of later abnormalities by using a face detection task to test infants treated for bilateral congenital cataract within 1 hour of their first focused visual input. The seven patients were between 5 and 12 weeks old…

It is often assumed that persons who develop ocular disease have some form of visual experience that makes them aware of their deficits. However, in the case of peripheral field loss or decreasing vision in dim lighting, as in retinitis pigmentosa, for example, symptoms are more obscure and may not be as easily identified by the persons who have…