Welcome to Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
|
504 Plans
|
By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is also called the "Civil Rights Law for the Disabled." The law states the "No otherwise qualified individual with handicaps in the United States...shall, solely by reason of his or her handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance..." In simple terms, Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of students without disabilities. The school district does not need to have a separate evaluation process for Section 504 than what is conducted for I.D.E.A, but they must follow the requirements for evaluation specified in the Section 504 regulations. There is no eligibility criteria for funding, nor is there an assignment of a classification in Section 504. The team must answer the following questions:
Who is considered to have disability?As defined by federal law, "An individual with a disability means any person who: (i) has a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity, (ii) has a record of such an impairment, or (iii) is regarded as having such an impairment."
According to Section 504, an impairment is any disability, long-term illness, or various disorder that "substantially" reduces or lessens a student's ability to access learning in the educational setting because of a learning, behavior or health related condition. What are "substantial limitations?This term is not defined in the act or the regulations and is left to each agency to define. The Americans with Disabilities Act does suggest that the term "ubstantially limits" should be interpreted to mean that the student is "unable to perform a major life activity that the average student of approximately the same age can perform, or that the student is significantly restricted as to the condition, manner or duration under which a particular major life activity is performed as compared to the average student of approximately the same age."
AccommodationsEach student's needs are determined individually. Appropriate accommodations should be determined based on the nature of the disabling condition and what the student needs in order to have an equal opportunity to compete when compared to a student without disabilities. The goal is to provide students the knowledge and compensating skills they will need to be able to function in life after graduation.
Possible accommodations the student may need include, but are not limited to:
|
History of vi
Visual Impairments
Vi organizations & Agencies
VI book resources
VI Professionals
Professionalism
Instructional Planning
Professional Publications
Educational Programming
Individual Learning Differences
referrals
Medical vision exams
fvlma
additional evaluations
service planning
writing goals
compensatory skills
Guiding Principles Functional Skills Community Based Experiences Concepts to Teach Access to Instruction Organization & Study Skills Time Management Virtual Instruction Movies & Assemblies Lectures & Instruction Board Work (Chalk, White, etc.) Daily Schedule Morning Meeting Weather Check Dramatic Play Blocks Numbers & Counting Cranmer Abacus Instruction Algebra Geometry & Spatial Sense Measurement & Data Early Literacy Experiences Create Tactual Books Reading Instruction Reading Efficiency Science Adaptations Social Studies Adaptations Communication Modes Accessible Educational Materials Individual Schedules & Communication Cards Adjust Lighting Large Print Optical Devices for Near Optical Devices for Distance Optical Device Use Photocopying Font Legibility Increase Contrast Pictures & Worksheets Keyboarding Instruction Word Processing and Shortcuts Navigate Computer w/o a Mouse Braille Code Braille Instruction Braille Instruction Materials Writing Braille Summer Reading (braille) Signature & Handwriting Nemeth Braille Code Tactile Graphics Guidelines Creating Tactile Graphics Tactile Graphics Instruction Teacher Made Materials Labeling System assistive technology
Overview of Assistive Technology VI AT Resources Non-Optical Low Vision Devices Video Magnifiers Video Magnifier Instruction Screen Enlargement & Readers Low/Med. Tech Tactual Devices Notetaker Instruction Braillewriter Repair Tactile Graphics Technology Braille Technology Auditory Access Devices Accessing Audio Books iPads as Instructional Tools Making iOS Device Accessible iOS Accessibility Resources VoiceOver Apps for VI Note Taking apps Apps for Accessing Books Identification Apps Navigation & Location Apps Braille Apps Magnifier Apps Sound Making Apps Cause & Effect Apps Vision Skills Apps Apps for Early Learning Read to Me Story Apps Apps for Communication Android Apps for VI sensory efficiency
Sensory Input Encourage Use of Vision Sensory Area & Rooms Lightbox Use Sensory Activities for Students with Multiple Disabilities Sensory Tables Visual Efficiency Skills Visual Attend and Scan Activities Visual Tracking Activities Visual Discrimination Activities Visual Motor Activities Tactual Readiness Developing Skillful Hands Auditory Readiness Listening Skill Instruction independent living
orientation & Mobility
career education
recreation & Leisure
self determination
|
|
Teaching Students with Visual Impairments LLC
All Rights Reserved 
|