Visual+Impairment



This Wiki page describes Visual Impairments and provides many helpful resources for parents and educators. The page is broken down into the following categories. = Click on a link to jump to the information you would like to know more about! =

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Information about Visual Impairments

Funding and Legal Advocacy
= The Basics: What are Visual Impairments? = =_= == ﻿ Visual impairment (or vision impairment) is vision loss (of a person) to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive correction, medication, or surgery. This functional loss of vision is typically defined to manifest with ==
 * 1) ==best corrected visual acuity of less than 20/60, or significant central field defect, ==
 * 2) ==significant peripheral field defect including homonymous or heteronymous bilateral visual, field defect or generalized contraction or constriction of field, or ==
 * 3) ==reduced peak contrast sensitivity with either of the above conditions. ==

= Information about Visual Impairments   =

==    ﻿ ﻿ ﻿ ﻿ 1) The National Association for Parents of children with Visual Impairments provides referral services, collects money, raises awareness of people with visual impairments through publications, and provides workshops and conferences for parents. ==

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== 5) Lighthouse International is dedicated to fighting vision loss through prevention, treatment, and empowerment. This website allows visitors to learn about the causes of low vision and find a local clinic for future treatments. ==

1. Harley, Randall, Henderson, Freda, & Truan, Mila. (1979). The teaching of braille reading. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
This book teaches individuals how to read braille and how to teach people to learn braille.

===2. Halliday, Carol, & Kurzhals, Ina W. (1976). Stimulating environments for children who are visually impaired. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. ===

This book is for parents, caregivers and teachers of individuals who are visually impaired. The authors list and describe the importance of comfortable environments and their effects on social and educational outcomes.

3. Scott, Eileen P., Jan, James E., & Freeman, Roger D. (1977). Can't your child see?. Baltimore, MD: University Park Press.
This is an excellent book for parents of children with visual impairments. This book provides specialized information for parents to use when raising their child and all of their child's educational needs.

===4. Jan, James E., Freeman, Roger D., & Scott, Eileen P. (1977). Visual impairment in children and adolescents. New York, NY: Grune & Stratton, Inc. ===

This book provides abundant information about what parent need to know for their visually impaired child or adolescent. The last chapter gives specific instructions on what the parents role should be, but the entire book itself is a perfect resource for parents who are looking for information about their child's disability.

5. Crawford, Fred L. (1966). Career planning for the blind. New York, NY: Farrar,Straus and Giroux.
This book provides strategies and ideas for career planning for the blind. This would be a really good source for parents who are concerned about their blind or visually impaired child's transition from school to work.

===6. Sacks, Sharon Z., Kekelis, Linda S., & Gaylord-Ross, Robert J. (1992). Peer interaction in childhood: the impact of visual impairment. In S. Sacks (Ed.), The Development of Social Skills By Blind and Visually Impaired Students (pp. 13 - 38). New York, NY: American Foundation for the Blind. ===

This chapter introduces the theories of peer interactions for children who are visually impaired. Therefore it would be a good topic for parents to read if they have concerns about their child's social life.

= Education and Services =  = _

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=== 1) ASHA hearing and Speech Helpline is dedicated to helping families communicate effectively by providing them with the opportunity to receive services, provide numerous resources to support families, provide informational events to the community, advocate through legislation, bring in professionals to enrich the website to advocate, and provide educational and mentoring programs. ===

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=== 2) Better Hearing Institute is devoted educating the public about hearing loss by providing articles and research on hearing loss, helpful suggestions on the process of obtaining hearing aids, numerous resources for parents and the community on supports all over for hearing loss, and provides medical educational programs for professionals working with people with hearing disabilities. ===

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=== 3) Family Services Association is a resource that dedicated to providing families with counseling, education, advocacy, and sponsors FAST: an eight week program that builds the relationship between communities and schools. ===

=== === 4) The Council for Exceptional Children is a group that advocates for all children with special needs to improve the educational success of students through working with legislation, setting professional standards, and providing professional development, along with conferences and newsletters. === []

=== 5) This article called Educating Students with Visual Impairmetns provides families with insight on what curriculum changes or pieces of low and high technology they could ask to be in the classroom to best benefit their child's academic needs. ===

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= MDLC's: Special Education Rights and Wrong: =

==<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Maryland Disability Law Center's mission is to advance the rights of Marylanders with disabilities. This handbook is intended to provide parents, guardians and caregivers of school-age children with basic information regarding how the special education process works so they can advocate effectively for their children. == =<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Maryland Disability Law Center Special Education Rights Handbook for Parents and Professionals =

= Supp﻿ort Groups  =  =_= === 1) American Association of the Deaf-Blind support group donates to the community by providing trained support service providers to the community. They are professional who help individuals access their environment and make informed decisions their child's education. ===

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=== 2) The National Federation of the Blind is holding an Annual Conference that will be held November 9th, 2010 in New Jersey. This conferences talks about the tools and techniques needed to manage financial costs as a person with low or visual impairments. ===

Sponsor: NFB of New Jersey, Garden State Chapter Event: Presentation at the New Jersey Nurses Association Date: November 9, 2010
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=== 3) The Foundation Fighting Blindness, Inc. is a Nation and local group that support their community by raising funds for the research into vision loss, and by creating opportunities to connect to the community through blogs and chat rooms. ===

They will also be holding a conference called Dining in the Dark . Families experience one part of the daily life of a child with visual impairments or blindness (eating) in the pitch dark!
[] When: December 16, 2010 Where: The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, VA Reception: 6:00 - 7:00 P.M. Dinner and Awards: 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. Cocktail Attire

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=== 4) American Council of the Blind will be a convention held on November 5th-7th in Baltimore, MD for the Council Members, people visually impaired, and families affected by visual impairments. The conference will be geared towards learning new skills, trying out new technology and participating in new workshops. ===

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When: November 5-7, 2010 Exhibit Hours: Friday, November 5, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Saturday, November 6, 10:30 am - 4:30 pm Where: BWI Marriott Conference Center 1743 West Nursery Road, Baltimore, MD 21099 Cost: $85 before October 10, 2010 $95 after October 10, 2010

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=== 1. <span style="color: #ff5c00; font-family: Georgia,serif;">The American Blind Bowling Association is a national organization that puts together bowling tournaments for the blind. This association organizes regional and national tournaments for the blind and visually impaired. Their website describes how blind bowling works and has a link to a youtube video, which demonstrates how it is done. === [] =media type="youtube" key="OWUZiQk23WQ" width="425" height="350"=

===<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Georgia,serif;">2. The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association is a large association that provides information about therapeutic horseback riding for handicapped individuals, including the blind and visually impaired. This association provides links to all local participating riding centers in every state, including 19 in Maryland. === <span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI',helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; white-space: pre;">[]



=== 3. Theatre Breaking Through Barriers is an acting studio, which consists of visually impaired, blind and other actors with disabilities who exhibit acting talents. This group can provide an opportunity to your child if they have acting talent or just a passion for theatricals. They perform a lot of famous plays, including A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, and have been given many good reviews by critics. Their location is in New York, so they are not local, but if your child is really into theatre it is worth a shot, if not then it would be a really inspirational event for your child and family to witness. === []

===<span style="color: #cc1d19; font-family: Georgia,serif;">4. The Blind Sports Organization promote, provides and advocates sports for the visually impaired and blind. Their website provides over 30 different sports for the blind including popular games, such as goalball and wrestling. They also include a schedule of events and their locations, which are all in Pennsylvania. ===

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===<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">5. The United States Association of Blind Athletes is an organization that puts together sport events for the blind an visually impaired at the local, regional and national levels. Their website provides information about the many different types of blind sports and where you can find them in your community. ===

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= = Funding and Legal Advocacy: = =

===<span style="color: #141476; font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: 115%;">1. The American Foundation for the Blind provides sufficient information about public policy for the blind and visually impaired. This website includes current policies on areas such as access to information, civil rights, education, employment, rehabilitation, health and social insurance. ===

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===<span style="color: #9c46ce; font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: 115%;">2. The Red Book is a website designed to give people information about social security for the blind. This site provides answers to frequently asked questions about social security for the blind and all of the rules and regulations for applying for social security. ===

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===<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: 115%;">3. The American Association for the Deaf-Blind provides a listserv for the deaf, blind, visually impaired, partially deaf, and deaf-blind community which allows members to communicate with one another about advocacy. ===

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===4.<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: 115%;"> The Blind Welfare Association provides high standard welfare, support and accommodation services to blind or visually impaired people to promote independence, dignity and quality of life. ===

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5. Vision Aware provides a list of all the legal rights and legislation for the blind and visually impaired.
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