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Integrating Students With Sight Loss at Third Level

Applying for college

Ensure that your college literature and prospectus is available in accessible formats to students who are blind or have impaired vision. These include Braille, audio, large print and on your website, which should be accessible. NCBI’s library [ 1 ] and media conversion service [ 2 ] converts written material and textbooks into Braille and audio. NCBI’s Centre for Inclusive Technology [ 3 ] can offer you advice on making your website accessible.

Preparing for the student’s arrival

Preparation well in advance of the student’s arrival allows time for appropriate adjustments to be made. It is essential that you arrange a meeting between the student and the disability support service or access officer within your college to discuss the student’s needs. After an initial discussion with the student, the disability support service should inform relevant staff about the student’s needs.

The disability support service can also assist you with implementing the following points:

• Arrange for the student to visit your college before starting their course, so that they can become familiar with the routes to and from lectures, the canteen, and the library. Orientation and mobility training can be provided by NCBI.

• The student may require textbooks in Braille, large print, on audiotape or another preferred format. Arrange for book lists and timetables to be available as early as possible to allow time for textbooks and timetables to be produced in the format that the student requires.

• A reading service can arrange for text to be read aloud to the student and / or recorded onto audiotape or disk.

• Make lecture notes, handouts and overheads available to the student well in advance of the lecture. This allows time for them to be recorded, enlarged, scanned into the student’s computer or transcribed into Braille.

• Make lecture notes available via email or on the internet so that the student can access them using screen-reading or magnification software on their computer.

• Students with sight loss may take extra time to access information either written, on audiotape or on computer screen. This is because a student with reduced sight may only see enough to read a few words at a time and may have difficulty with scanning over text. Allow time extensions for assignments and projects.

• In some cases, additional tutorial times to prepare work and review past work may be necessary.

• Make a reading list of essential textbooks and specific chapters of books available as it may take students with sight loss too long to read all textbooks recommended.

• Good college libraries should have Brailling and taping facilities, catalogues in accessible formats, facilities for producing large print and tactile diagrams, and computers with assistive technology.

• There is a wide range of technology available to assist students with sight loss. The disability support service can sometimes provide a technology assessment or information on specific technology required for a particular course. NCBI also offers a technology assessment service [ 4 ] which can support the student in identifying what equipment best suits their particular college needs. If the student already uses a piece of assistive technology, ensure that it is compatible with the technology used by the college. Where appropriate, consider free or subsidised photocopying for students who need to enlarge written material.

• A student with sight loss may require a separate study room in the library if they are using equipment that speaks aloud.

• Students with sight loss may need a slightly longer borrowing period from the library as it may take them longer to read printed text.

• Changing the lighting of the student's workstation and organising adaptive technology can make a great difference.

• Good building design in and around the campus can be of benefit to all students. Contact NCBI’s access advisor on LoCall 1850 33 43 53 for additional advice on how to make the built environment of the campus more accessible to students with sight loss.