Going Back to School During COVID-19 With a Visual Impairment
With schools back in session in the US, many people living with vision loss are facing an uphill battle. Whether they are going back to school physically or virtually, it is no surprise that there are many added challenges faced by the visually impaired and blind community other than just navigating a drastically changing education system.
Blind people have had to be their own advocates for necessary resources to get through their schooldays, often putting them at odds with their own school system in the process. Many students have spoken on their difficulties in receiving the most basic accommodations from their classes, frequently citing misconceptions surrounding legal blindness as a source of confusion when it comes to having learning needs taken seriously. With many schools transitioning to being primarily online, students living with vision loss are now facing a new set of barriers and very little time to prepare for this change. These barriers can look like lecture slides that cannot be read with a screen reader, having to use a hodgepodge of platforms to keep up with schoolwork, and/or having to figure out how to work entirely new programs that is likely not low vision friendly. Far too often these students are having to settle for subpar alternatives due to a lack of viable options, making the act of simply going to class feel inaccessible.
Visually impaired (VI) people are not new to feeling unimportant in the workplace, school system, etc. And with schools barely able to meet their own very basic needs, it’s no wonder why VI students are feeling increased anxiety surrounding this school year.
Where many organizations are doing what they can to provide their services to this community, the fact remains that learning environments have to actively continue striving for accessibility for ALL students. This has remained true, COVID-19 only further highlights this.
If you or someone you know is in need of resources to help them in their education, check out the resources below:
https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/vi_incl_blindness
https://www.afb.org/blog/entry/accessible-education-resources
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