Supporting and teaching children and young people who are visually impaired or blind requires specialist knowledge and skills. The nature and degree of visual impairment as well as the learner's functional ability and stage of learning determines the strategies and resources needed to support each child or young person effectively. This practical and easy to access guidance is intended to support parents and carers as well as the wide range of professionals who may be involved, including Qualified Teachers of Visual Impairment, teachers of visual impairment in training and Qualified Habilitation Specialists.
This guidance has been developed by Elizabeth McCann, currently Teaching Fellow in Visual Impairment, based in the Scottish Sensory Centre at the University of Edinburgh. Elizabeth has had wide experience in the field of visual impairment. Her specialist knowledge and teaching experience have been essential in developing this highly practical guidance. Elizabeth was assisted by her friend, Lorna Walker, a former member of His Majesty's Inspectorate of Education and adviser to the SSC whose wide experience in the field of additional support needs and in developing previous interactive educational documents have been important.
The starting point for this guidance is the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI) which defines 'the elements of specialist skill development, interventions and best practice support that are considered to be essential for children and young people with visual impairment' in order that they access the curriculum and the environment in the most effective manner.
This practical guidance provides the suggested means by which the specialist skills defined by the CFVI can be delivered to children and young people with visual impairment. The interactive guidance maximises access to the curriculum and the environment for children and young people through the acquisition of specialist skills.
Toolkit 1 provides interactive guidance to support a learner who will access learning and the environment using non-visual methods including braille.
Toolkit 2 provides interactive guidance to support a learner who has low vision and is a large print user.
Toolkit 3 provides interactive guidance to support a learner who has Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) and will require a modified learning environment and learning materials that include simplified drawings and graphs and additional spacing between lines of text.
Toolkit 4 provides interactive guidance to support a learner with complex Additional Support Needs.
The guidance will consider the learner's continuity and progression in 7 key areas:
Toolkits are currently able to be pre-ordered until 30th June 2025. Click the button to complete the preorder form.
© Lorna Walker and Elizabeth McCann, 2025
Photograph by US Navy (Jeff Johnstone): Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Images of children designed by Freepik
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