Potentially, computers can balance some of the effects of visual impairment and provide equality of opportunity (Gerber, 2003). Students' individual needs entail that they and their teachers have access to a range of assistive technologies that may vary according to the task as well as to the learner. A dual output graphics card with a twin…

The paper describes rehabilitation services provided by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (United Kingdom), focusing specifically on its Employment Rehabilitation Centers. Current vocational rehabilitation policy of the Institute is described, and a study in progress to determine the Institute's role in future programs is discussed.…

Electronic travel devices are used to transform information about the environment that would normally be perceived through the visual sense into a form that can be perceived by people who are blind or have low vision through another sense (Blasch, Long, & Griffin-Shirley, 1989). They are divided into two broad categories: primary devices and…

Reviews research on ability testing for adults with visual impairments, especially the tests used for vocational assessment and counseling. The verbal scales of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised were found to be widely accepted. The problems, however, with relying solely on verbal assessment are addressed, and the need for tests for…

A survey of 28 music teachers in schools for the visually impaired and in mainstreamed primary schools in the United Kingdom found that the special schools spent more time on music instruction. Other findings dealt with types of instruments used and types of activities included in the music lessons. (JDD)

This article presents two comparative case studies of young people with visual impairments that illustrate different degrees of success in integration into mainstream education in the United Kingdom. The cases illustrate a successful coordinated early integration versus a poorly coordinated and unsuccessful late integration effort. (Contains eight…

This paper reports on a 1999 study of services to visually impaired users in United Kingdom (U.K.) public libraries. Data were gathered using a mail questionnaire survey of all U.K. public library authorities: 208 in all, of whom 141 responded. Findings are reported in the following areas: (1) information needs; (2) the context of the provision of…

To a visually impaired individual the physical world presents many challenges. For a person with impaired sight, way finding through a complex environment is fraught with dangers, both actual and imagined. The current generation of mobility aids have the possibility of addressing a broad range of physical issues through technological solutions.…

The potential use of Automatic Speech Recognition to assist receptive communication is explored. The opportunities and challenges that this technology presents students and staff to provide captioning of speech online or in classrooms for deaf or hard of hearing students and assist blind, visually impaired or dyslexic learners to read and search…

The GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and A/AS-level examination results for 295 United Kingdom students with blindness/visual impairments were analyzed. GCSE data showed no difference between visually impaired and sighted students, whereas visually impaired students performed better than sighted students on A/AS-level…

Volunteers (n=55) who produce narrated tape recordings of textbooks for use by visually handicapped students were surveyed to determine their recording experience, equipment, guidance, and feedback. Eighty visually handicapped students who used the recordings in higher education were also surveyed concerning waiting time for books, listening…

This article reports the results of an exploratory survey of 32 families of children with septo-optic dysplasia and 32 families of children without visual impairment or any specific health problems (who served as a comparison group). The focus of the research was to explore the children's musical interests and abilities, the musical provision that…

This article describes the work of a group of professionals in the United Kingdom known as the VIEW Braille Literacy Committee, committed to the development of teaching braille. Members meet each school term and have had the support of the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) in realizing numerous projects aimed at improving access to…

This article discusses the need for a computerized information system to assist people with visual impairments in the United Kingdom in the job search process. Factors for consideration in designing such a database are discussed, and a program for development, evaluation, and implementation is proposed. (Author/DB)

Distance education is a well-established medium for training specialist teachers of children with visual impairments at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. This article describes the background and organization of the program, analyzes its outcomes, and considers the challenges the program will face in the future. (Contains four…