The National Center for Accessible Media has developed a technology and protocol for inserting extended, enhanced descriptions of visually based concepts into artificially paused digital video. These "eDescriptions" describe material not fully explained by a narrator and provide analogies and explanation specifically designed for…

The final report summarizes beginnings as well as accomplishments of a program designed to develop materials for parents and teachers working with visually impaired children at the birth-24 month developmental level. The focus of the materials was to help parents and teachers prevent and remediate developmental lags associated with visual…

The final report analyzes the achievements of Project SERVE, a training program for teachers of multiply handicapped/visually impaired students. The two basic objectives were (1) to prepare teachers who have demonstrated both generic teaching competencies as well as skills related to the target population; and (2) to produce teachers who have…

The study compared the physical fitness of 283 segregated resident, 64 segregated nonresident, and 137 integrated visually impaired subjects aged 10 to 17 years. Results indicated that educational environment (favoring the segregated environment) was a significant factor on four of the six items in the physical fitness test battery. (Author/DB)

Four subjects, aged six to seven, identified as visually impaired, were given training in making eye contact with a stimulus under both white and black light visual field. All subjects performed better under the black light condition, even overcoming the expected practice effect when white light training followed black light training. (Author/SJL)

Classroom observation and interviews with key people evaluated the participation and learning of 23 children with visual impairments in 17 mainstream primary schools in Britain. Resulting recommendations included: (1) provision of adequate additional support; (2) inclusion in the main learning processes taking place in the classroom; and (3) good…

A faculty member discusses how his own gradual loss of vision had unexpected favorable results in his advising activities. Based on these personal experiences and additional research, practical suggestions for increasing professional effectiveness are offered to other academic advisors. (Author/MSE)

Data from a survey of current existing university programs in 1987-88 that prepare personnel to serve visually handicapped students revealed that the future of these programs is at risk, resulting in a shortage of appropriately prepared teachers. (Author/DB)

This study evaluated the Columbus (Ohio) Children's Hospital vision stimulation program, involving in-home intervention with 15 visually impaired infants. Comparison with controls indicated benefits of appropriate vision stimulation in increasing the neural foundation for vision and visual-motor function in visually impaired infants. (Author/DB)

Comparison by 40 users of 2 technologies--Verbal Landmark and Talking Signs--that provide speech messages to hand-held receivers for blind travelers found that, on all measures, the Talking Signs system proved superior to the Verbal Landmark system. This was attributed to Verbal Landmark's more cognitively demanding technology. (DB)

In a series of experiments, canes of different lengths, weights, and weight distributions were assessed to determine the effect of these characteristics on various performance measures. The results indicate that the overall weight of a cane and the distribution of weight along a cane's shaft do not affect a person's performance, but accuracy does…

For all children with visual impairments to receive services from qualified teachers is important. The roles of teachers of students with visual impairments change, influenced by such factors as the changing demographics of children with visual impairments, the types of services needed by the students on their caseloads, caseload sizes and work…

This study explored multiple aspects of social support and their links to the well-being of working-age adults with visual impairments. Instrumental help from family members was the most frequent type of positive support that was received, and underestimation of the participants' capabilities was the most frequent type of negative support that was…

This article reports on a survey of the opinions of employment networks (ENs) about serving social security beneficiaries who are blind or visually impaired under the Ticket to Work program. Although most of the 267 ENs who participated in the survey expressed concerns about working with those who are blind or visually impaired, they did not seem…

This study investigated the ability of color and motion to elicit and maintain visual attention in a sample of children with cortical visual impairment (CVI). It found that colorful and moving objects may be used to engage children with CVI, increase their motivation to use their residual vision, and promote visual learning.