School systems, as never before, are attempting to provide for physically handicapped children. Much has been accomplished, but an even larger task is still before us. Thousands of such children are not yet able to take advantage of their birthright--the opportunity for education. There are numerous reasons for this, one of which is lack of…

A sex education program for an adolescent who is mentally retarded or blind must emphasize concrete teaching, visual compensators, resource persons, repetition of content, and opportunities for social learning. Nurses and special educators can serve as consultants to health educators in planning a sex education program. (JN)

Discussion of assistive technologies that help students with multiple impairments focuses on procedures and equipment used by a college student with Usher's Syndrome, involving vision and hearing impairments. Highlights include federal legislation; problems and possible solutions at various educational levels; specific learning problems; and…

Describes the Braille/Large Print Reference Project developed in Illinois to provide visually impaired patrons with information transcribed into either Braille or large print. Topics discussed include equipment needs; staff training; user response; and problems. Examples of publicity and guidelines are included. (LRW)

The Centre for Communicative and Cognitive Disabilities at the University of Western Ontario provides support services for students with hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical impairment, and learning disabilities. Centre activities have included policy development, student organization, interpreter services, technology development, and…

Short-term placements of children with visual impairments in residential schools for the visually impaired are presented as a feasible solution to difficulties experienced by these children in regular classrooms. The article discusses the duration, goals, implementation, evaluation, and administrative considerations of these placements and…

This article reviews the literature on the role of first-hand experiences, language, reading aloud, and scribbling on the preliteracy development of normal and visually impaired children. It describes a specific program developed by the American Printing House for the Blind which includes a handbook and 27 tactile-visual read-aloud story books.…

This review examines evaluation and treatment of adjustment problems in adolescents with visual impairments and describes a behavioral family treatment program. It considers the impact of the child on the family and the family on the child; assessment (psychopathology, social skills competence, family adjustment, and marital functioning); and…

In 1998, the Visually Impaired Personnel Preparation Program was established in Texas to train 100 teachers of students with visual impairments and 50 orientation and mobility specialists. By May 2000, 194 students had enrolled. Course work was delivered at outreach sites and through online courses, interactive television, and on campuses.…

For a country such as Japan where higher education is historically and widely esteemed, the visually-impaired community's incongruous departure from the university route to a vocational one is considered in relation to post-school choices. The predominance of the "riryoka" vocation for the visually-impaired (VI) largely influences…

Recent efforts to develop Spanish-based adaptations for alternate computer input devices are considered, as are their implications for Hispanics with disabilities and for the development of language sensitive devices worldwide. Emphasis is placed on the particular need to develop low-cost high technology devices for Puerto Rico and Latin America…

This staff brief is designed to help policymakers make recommendations for the improvement in educational and related services provided to visually impaired children and adults in the state by public school districts, the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped (WSVH), and other educational agencies. Part 1 provides a brief overview of…

A large urban district [the Houston Independent School District], serving 17,000 handicapped students, initiated a special education achievement testing program to provide measures of student growth and group progress. A standardized test was selected that was both norm- and criterion-referenced and that matched the special education curriculum.…

Based on the assumption that visual and auditory impairments are frequently accompanied by limited communication and social skills which are necessary for vocational success, this document reports a study on the development of prevocational training programs for the deaf and blind. The report first defines the needs of this special population and…

Randolph Technical College (RTC) and the Division of Services for the Blind of the North Carolina Department of Human Resources have cooperated for two years on a program to provide blind students with the opportunity to receive instruction in a traditional classroom setting on a college campus. Problems encountered in the early stages of the…