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Spirit Lake Consulting, Inc.
Caring for Our People with Disabilities & Chronic Illness

"Making life better!"

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

The terms partially sighted, low vision, legally blind, and totally blind are used in the schools to describe students with visual impairments. They are defined as follows:

  • "Partially sighted" indicates some type of visual problem has resulted in a need for special education;
  • "Low vision" generally refers to a severe visual impairment, not necessarily limited to distance vision. Low vision applies to all individuals with sight who are unable to read the newspaper at a normal viewing distance, even with the aid of eyeglasses or contact lenses. They use a combination of vision and other senses to learn, although they may require adaptations in lighting or the size of print, and, sometimes, braille
  • "Legally blind" means that a person has less than 20/200 vision in the better eye or a very limited field of vision (20 degrees at its widest point); and
  • Totally blind students learn via braille or other non-visual media.
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    Go to the Commons Area to read an article on classroom modifications for students with visual impairments
    book case with books VIRTUAL LIBRARY - Want to read up on visual impairment? Go to the library.
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    The above is the definition used for special education programs. This is copied from the fact sheet from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Yes, their name is a mouthful, but they do produce good stuff. To read the whole fact sheet, click here.
    For a somewhat different definition of blindness, click here to read an article by Kenneth Jerrigan of the National Federation of the Blind.

    NEXT arrowFor services for people with visual impairments, click here.

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    Spirit Lake Consulting, Inc. -- P.O.Box 663, 314 Circle Dr., Fort Totten, ND 58335 Tel: (701) 351-2175 Fax: (800) 905 -2571
    Email us at: Info@SpiritLakeConsulting.com