Analyzing Your Skills

As someone who is new to vision loss, you will need to find alternate ways of accomplishing tasks you used to accomplish with vision. Some of these tasks are basic life skills such as reading and writing, getting around, using a computer, and completing daily living tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Others will be specific to teaching, such as finding alternate ways of keeping track of student behaviour or marking assignments (see Tips and Tricks for suggestions specific to teaching!). This page will cover some basic skills for compensating for vision loss. Skills used by teachers who are blind and visually impaired can be found in the Being a Teacher section.

Questions to Consider

It is important that you find some strategies for handling everyday teaching and daily living tasks. In the short term, this may involve relying on someone else—a reader, scribe, guide, or driver—but in the longer term, you will want to pursue specific training in order to learn new techniques for accomplishing these tasks. The more independent you can be, the greater confidence you will have and confidence is an important trait for a teacher! Remember that everyone's situation is unique. While you may put yourself on a timeline for accessing support and accomplishing your goals, you should realize that the path that someone else has taken through this learning process may not be the best path for you. You can get very valuable support and advice from other people, but the journey of learning how to accomplish personal and professional goals with a visual impairment is very individual. The following sections provide information on skill areas which may be of the strongest concern to you. But, first, ask yourself the following questions to get yourself thinking about the most immediate needs you have regarding teaching. You may want to make a list of the aspects of your teaching and your life before and after your teaching day are your first priority.

What reading and writing tasks in my teaching job are critical? What media (see reading and writing section below) will I use?
What tasks do I currently do on the computer? Can I access the computer in the same way as I did with my current level of vision, or will I need to do so differently (e.g. speech, enlarged text, marking the keyboard or learning to touch type, etc.)?
What parts of my routine before or after teaching will I need to learn adaptive skills to perform?
How will I get to and from my teaching job?
What requirements of my job (e.g. lunch or bus duty) am I still comfortable performing and which ones do I need to brainstorm adaptations?
What supports do I have as I make this transition (e.g. family members, colleagues, equipment, etc.)?
What training will I need? Do I know where to get training (e.g. local rehabilitation agency for individuals with visual impairments)?

Reading and Writing

People who are blind or visually impaired read in a variety of ways. Some of these include large print, braille or recorded or synthetic (computer-generated) speech. Depending on your degree of vision loss, you may find the use of large print effective, and almost anyone is able to use recorded speech and, with practice, synthetic speech. Braille is not as difficult to learn as most people believe, and it can be of huge benefit to those who have difficulty reading regular-sized print, especially during teaching. There are a variety of ways to access each of these three basic media, some low-tech and some high-tech, which will be outlined below:

Large Print

Large print can be generated in a variety of ways:

Regular print can be enlarged on a photocopier
On a computer, settings can be modified to enlarge the font size of print
Materials can be printed in a font size and style that suits you best using a computer's word processor
Magnifiers or reading glasses can be used to make print easier to see (these should be prescribed by a low vision specialist)
A closed-curcuit television (CCTV) is a piece of technology which uses a camera and monitor to enlarge any print or materials placed under the camera; CCTVs are available in desktop, head-mounted, and portable versions
For writing, bold-line paper is available that can be used with a heavy, felt-tipped pen or dark-lead pencil
Screen magnification programs can be used to enlarge text and graphics on the computer screen
large print stickers for keyboard or large print high contrast keyboards are available for computers

Speech

Speech output can be useful for anyone with a visual impairment, and in fact, is used frequently by people without visual impairments to access audiobooks or other materials. Various tools that can be used with either recorded speech or synthetic speech (speech output generated by a computer) are listed below:

Books on tape or CD are available from many national libraries (the exact name of which will vary depending on where you live)
There are many household and everyday items which can talk, including clocks and watches, timers, thermometers, and so forth
Computer programs called screen readers can read out what is happening on the computer screen in programs such as word processors, e-mail, and web browsers; some screen readers work with cell phones and PDAs (personal digital assistants)
Digital recorders can be used to record lectures, meetings, notes, or memos
PDAs, or personal digital assistants, are available with speech output for users who are blind or visually impaired
Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that works in conjunction with either a specialized scanner or a scanner and a computer, to convert printed materials into electronic text which can be read aloud

Braille

Braille is an extremely versatile means of reading and writing which is useful to both people with low vision as well as those with no vision. Braille is not a language, but is a code used to represent English or any other language via tactile instead of visual means. Braille is not as hard to learn as many think, and technology makeas braille more available today than it has ever been in the past. There are many resources for finding out about braille. One interesting site which was developed for school children, has some interesting information about the braille code and use of braille. This site can be found at http://www.afb.org/braillebug/.

Once you know braille, you can use it in several different ways:

Braille labels and notes can be useful throughout your classroom for organization in all the ways that print labels and notes are used
Instructors manuals and textbooks may be available in braille, and if not, could be placed into braille using electronic text files
Computer technology is available which allows a braille user to use a "refreshable braille display" in which the braille dots appear, line by line on a moveable character strip attached to the bottom of the keyboard. Many people use braille displays in combination with screen readers mentioned above
Braille stickers or overlays are available for keyboards

Getting Around

Figuring out transportation after vision loss can be challenging. Depending on the level of vision loss and the laws of the area in which they live, some individuals can still drive by using optical aides designed for the task and receiving training. However, most individuals will need to give up driving and have to find new methods of transportation. Some ideas are listed below:

Learn the local bus system. In many places you can call the transportation authority and a person can assist you in figuring out the best bus route from your house to your job, and the times you would need to catch the bus
Carpool with colleagues. You may consider offering gas money or help them in some other way as an exchange
Investigate the paratransit system in your area
Hire a person to drive your car to and from your job. Community volunteers (e.g. a retired person) may be available for this purpose as well

Completing Daily Living Tasks

Many of the suggestions in the reading and writing section can support you in accomplishing your daily living tasks. Consider getting connected with a rehabilitation agency. A vision rehabilitation therapist may be able to come to your home and help you figure out the best ways to continue doing all your daily living tasks. Here are just a few adaptations that might be useful:

Organize your money into different pockets within your wallet or use a money folding system (e.g. fives folded in half vertically, 10's folded in half horizontally, 20's folded both ways, etc.)
Label your canned goods using magnetic labels with braille, large print or a texture or symbol. Also consider designating different shelves in your cupboards for different items (e.g. a vegetable shelf, a soup shelf, etc.)
Consider ways you can make things as high contrast as possible (e.g. pour milk into a dark coloured cup, cut onions on a dark coloured cutting board)
Buy bottles that are tactually different (e.g. shampoo in a wide flat bottle and conditioner in a tall skinny bottle) or put a rubber band around one of the products
Use a monocular to read signs in stores or a magnifier to read prices
When trying to find items in the store, look for gross features of the item (e.g. the color of the brand that you want, the shape of the logo, the texture of the fruit, etc.)
Ask for a shopping assitant at customer service
Make tactual marks on the dials of your appliances
Clean in a systematic pattern, overlapping your path to be sure to hit all the spots
Use clothes tags to mark your clothes with symbols to indicate which pieces coordinate with each other
Use sock organizers to keep your socks paired when washing


A website for teachers who are blind or visually impaired.
Navigation Home Deciding to Be a Teacher Applying and Preparing to Study Taking Classes in a Teacher Education Program Being a Teacher Continuing to Teach After Vision Loss Analyzing Your Skills Finding Support for Developing Skills Finding a Mentor Developing a Portfolio Mentoring Others Taking Advantage of Resources Site Map	Analyzing Your Skills As someone who is new to vision loss, you will need to find alternate ways of accomplishing tasks you used to accomplish with vision. Some of these tasks are basic life skills such as reading and writing, getting around, using a computer, and completing daily living tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Others will be specific to teaching, such as finding alternate ways of keeping track of student behaviour or marking assignments (see Tips and Tricks for suggestions specific to teaching!). This page will cover some basic skills for compensating for vision loss. Skills used by teachers who are blind and visually impaired can be found in the Being a Teacher section. Questions to Consider It is important that you find some strategies for handling everyday teaching and daily living tasks. In the short term, this may involve relying on someone else—a reader, scribe, guide, or driver—but in the longer term, you will want to pursue specific training in order to learn new techniques for accomplishing these tasks. The more independent you can be, the greater confidence you will have and confidence is an important trait for a teacher! Remember that everyone's situation is unique. While you may put yourself on a timeline for accessing support and accomplishing your goals, you should realize that the path that someone else has taken through this learning process may not be the best path for you. You can get very valuable support and advice from other people, but the journey of learning how to accomplish personal and professional goals with a visual impairment is very individual. The following sections provide information on skill areas which may be of the strongest concern to you. But, first, ask yourself the following questions to get yourself thinking about the most immediate needs you have regarding teaching. You may want to make a list of the aspects of your teaching and your life before and after your teaching day are your first priority. What reading and writing tasks in my teaching job are critical? What media (see reading and writing section below) will I use? What tasks do I currently do on the computer? Can I access the computer in the same way as I did with my current level of vision, or will I need to do so differently (e.g. speech, enlarged text, marking the keyboard or learning to touch type, etc.)? What parts of my routine before or after teaching will I need to learn adaptive skills to perform? How will I get to and from my teaching job? What requirements of my job (e.g. lunch or bus duty) am I still comfortable performing and which ones do I need to brainstorm adaptations? What supports do I have as I make this transition (e.g. family members, colleagues, equipment, etc.)? What training will I need? Do I know where to get training (e.g. local rehabilitation agency for individuals with visual impairments)? Reading and Writing People who are blind or visually impaired read in a variety of ways. Some of these include large print, braille or recorded or synthetic (computer-generated) speech. Depending on your degree of vision loss, you may find the use of large print effective, and almost anyone is able to use recorded speech and, with practice, synthetic speech. Braille is not as difficult to learn as most people believe, and it can be of huge benefit to those who have difficulty reading regular-sized print, especially during teaching. There are a variety of ways to access each of these three basic media, some low-tech and some high-tech, which will be outlined below: Large Print Large print can be generated in a variety of ways: Regular print can be enlarged on a photocopier On a computer, settings can be modified to enlarge the font size of print Materials can be printed in a font size and style that suits you best using a computer's word processor Magnifiers or reading glasses can be used to make print easier to see (these should be prescribed by a low vision specialist) A closed-curcuit television (CCTV) is a piece of technology which uses a camera and monitor to enlarge any print or materials placed under the camera; CCTVs are available in desktop, head-mounted, and portable versions For writing, bold-line paper is available that can be used with a heavy, felt-tipped pen or dark-lead pencil Screen magnification programs can be used to enlarge text and graphics on the computer screen large print stickers for keyboard or large print high contrast keyboards are available for computers Speech Speech output can be useful for anyone with a visual impairment, and in fact, is used frequently by people without visual impairments to access audiobooks or other materials. Various tools that can be used with either recorded speech or synthetic speech (speech output generated by a computer) are listed below: Books on tape or CD are available from many national libraries (the exact name of which will vary depending on where you live) There are many household and everyday items which can talk, including clocks and watches, timers, thermometers, and so forth Computer programs called screen readers can read out what is happening on the computer screen in programs such as word processors, e-mail, and web browsers; some screen readers work with cell phones and PDAs (personal digital assistants) Digital recorders can be used to record lectures, meetings, notes, or memos PDAs, or personal digital assistants, are available with speech output for users who are blind or visually impaired Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology that works in conjunction with either a specialized scanner or a scanner and a computer, to convert printed materials into electronic text which can be read aloud Braille Braille is an extremely versatile means of reading and writing which is useful to both people with low vision as well as those with no vision. Braille is not a language, but is a code used to represent English or any other language via tactile instead of visual means. Braille is not as hard to learn as many think, and technology makeas braille more available today than it has ever been in the past. There are many resources for finding out about braille. One interesting site which was developed for school children, has some interesting information about the braille code and use of braille. This site can be found at http://www.afb.org/braillebug/. Once you know braille, you can use it in several different ways: Braille labels and notes can be useful throughout your classroom for organization in all the ways that print labels and notes are used Instructors manuals and textbooks may be available in braille, and if not, could be placed into braille using electronic text files Computer technology is available which allows a braille user to use a "refreshable braille display" in which the braille dots appear, line by line on a moveable character strip attached to the bottom of the keyboard. Many people use braille displays in combination with screen readers mentioned above Braille stickers or overlays are available for keyboards Getting Around Figuring out transportation after vision loss can be challenging. Depending on the level of vision loss and the laws of the area in which they live, some individuals can still drive by using optical aides designed for the task and receiving training. However, most individuals will need to give up driving and have to find new methods of transportation. Some ideas are listed below: Learn the local bus system. In many places you can call the transportation authority and a person can assist you in figuring out the best bus route from your house to your job, and the times you would need to catch the bus Carpool with colleagues. You may consider offering gas money or help them in some other way as an exchange Investigate the paratransit system in your area Hire a person to drive your car to and from your job. Community volunteers (e.g. a retired person) may be available for this purpose as well Completing Daily Living Tasks Many of the suggestions in the reading and writing section can support you in accomplishing your daily living tasks. Consider getting connected with a rehabilitation agency. A vision rehabilitation therapist may be able to come to your home and help you figure out the best ways to continue doing all your daily living tasks. Here are just a few adaptations that might be useful: Organize your money into different pockets within your wallet or use a money folding system (e.g. fives folded in half vertically, 10's folded in half horizontally, 20's folded both ways, etc.) Label your canned goods using magnetic labels with braille, large print or a texture or symbol. Also consider designating different shelves in your cupboards for different items (e.g. a vegetable shelf, a soup shelf, etc.) Consider ways you can make things as high contrast as possible (e.g. pour milk into a dark coloured cup, cut onions on a dark coloured cutting board) Buy bottles that are tactually different (e.g. shampoo in a wide flat bottle and conditioner in a tall skinny bottle) or put a rubber band around one of the products Use a monocular to read signs in stores or a magnifier to read prices When trying to find items in the store, look for gross features of the item (e.g. the color of the brand that you want, the shape of the logo, the texture of the fruit, etc.) Ask for a shopping assitant at customer service Make tactual marks on the dials of your appliances Clean in a systematic pattern, overlapping your path to be sure to hit all the spots Use clothes tags to mark your clothes with symbols to indicate which pieces coordinate with each other Use sock organizers to keep your socks paired when washing
This website was sponsored by the P. A. Lyon Memorial Fund.

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