Visual Impairment Awareness

The students were very excited to learn about how a person with a visual impairment would read, write, draw and move around our school.

Students wore special glasses that simulated different visual impairments. When drawing, they discovered that dark markers were easier to see and that they needed to ask someone to help them find a marker when they lost it on the table.

They tried to read with their simulator glasses on.
The students discovered that large -print books were easier to see.

Students learned to use a Brailler to write their names in Braille code.

They used the Braille code sheets to "interline" (make Braille code into a print message).

Students learned to give a visually impaired person their elbow to guide them down the hallway.

They also tried using a white cane to move past obstacles in the hallway.

What did the students say about this workshop when we were reflecting about it afterwards?

"When I was reading with the glasses on my eyes were hurting because of how blurry it was."

"I feel sad because when I was in the hallway it was just darkness.  When I was drawing it was really hard and writing was really hard because I could not see anything.  I have to say that I'm impressed how [someone] can do Braille so easily.  When I was at the Braille station it was hard to write in Braille because it was confusing."

"What I learned about how to help or support someone who is visually impaired is try not to confuse him or her which direction they're going. Let them hold your elbow and walk slowly to where you're going.  If they ask you for help then help them go or do what they need to do.  You should try your best to make them comfortable."

"What I will do is, if they are walking the wrong way I will go to them and tell them, 'Hello there. Do you need help?  You're walking the wrong way.'  If they say yes, then that means I will [ask them to] hold [my] elbow and take them where they wanna go. I should treat them the way I wanna be treated."

"But before I go help right away I will ask if they want to be guided and if they say so then I would help."