What is Visual Impairment?
- 174,800 people with visual impairment in Hong Kong (2.4% of total population)
(Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics, 2015) - It ranges from partially sighted to totally blind
- Some may suffer from colour blindness or colour deficiency
Features / Challenges
- Difficulty in reading
- Reading at lower speed
- Difficulty in reading for long periods
- Difficulty in seeing words in small font size
- Problems with orientation
- Rely on other sensory functions such as hearing, touching and smelling
Possible support for students with Visual Impairment
Learning support
- Provide study room in library exclusively for students with special needs
- Provide special computer software or equipment: magnifier, reading machine, JAWS, Zoom Text
- Allow extra time and breaks for tests and examinations
- Allow seating priority
- Allow extra time to complete assignments
- Provide materials in accessible format for classes and examinations, e.g.
→Braille
→Electronic format
→Enlarged printing
→Specific font size, word and line spacing
Tips for peers
- Be aware when communicating with them
→Provide different modifications / adaptions, e.g.- Identify yourself by name first in the conversation
- Identify verbally when you are entering or leaving
- Express your feelings and thoughts directly as they cannot read your facial and body language
- Be pro-active and ask their needs
- Try to provide more support to them
→Sharing notes - Try to give them more time to finish the jobs
