Encourage Use of Vision

By Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated February 16, 2025
​Encouraging students with visual impairments to use their vision effectively involves creating a supportive environment where they feel motivated, engaged, and capable of using their vision in meaningful ways. This requires a thoughtful combination of motivation, communication strategies, appropriate materials, and environmental considerations. 

Strategies To Encourage Use Their Vision

1. Motivation
  • Personalized Activities: To engage students, choose activities that align with their interests and preferences. When students are motivated by what they enjoy, they are more likely to actively engage in visual tasks. For example, if a student loves music, incorporate elements like visual symbols, bright lights, or objects that move in rhythm with sound. These sensory aspects can attract attention and motivate the student to use their vision.
  • Meaningful Learning Experiences: Provide tasks that are relevant to the student’s daily life or learning goals. This increases the student’s desire to use their vision to interact with and understand their environment.
2. Communication
  • Clear Verbal Communication: Even if a student has limited or no functional vision, clear, concise verbal cues can still support their understanding and engagement. By using consistent and simple language, you can explain the task or activity at hand and help the student understand expectations. For example, saying “Look at the red ball!” or “Find the toy car next to the chair” can guide the student to focus their attention in the right direction.
  • Tone and Intonation: Vary your tone of voice to express excitement or encouragement. Your voice provides important cues about the task and can motivate the student to focus and engage.
3. Positioning
  • Optimal Visual Field: Position the student so they can access the best possible visual field for the task. Ensure they are at an appropriate distance from visual materials, such as books or objects, and adjust the angle of their body to support their line of sight. For example, positioning them in front of a bright, colorful display or within a zone of good lighting will make it easier for them to focus.
  • Support for Posture: Ensure that the student’s posture supports comfort and visual engagement. Offering support for the head, neck, and trunk helps prevent fatigue and improves their ability to focus. This might include special seating arrangements or adaptive supports to maintain a steady posture.
4. Material Selection
  • Matching Materials to Vision Abilities: Choose materials that are tailored to the student’s vision level. For example, use objects with high contrast (like black and white toys), reflective surfaces (like shiny objects), or items with lights or movement to capture the student’s attention. Materials should be familiar to the student to increase comfort and engagement, but gradually introduce new textures, shapes, or colors to promote exploration and visual learning.
  • Text and Visual Aids: For students with low vision, consider using large print materials, braille, or tactile cues alongside visual stimuli. High-contrast and well-lit materials can make it easier for students to distinguish features, such as shapes and colors.
5. Gradual Introduction
  • Familiarity First: Begin with objects or materials the student already knows and is comfortable with. For example, if they are familiar with a particular object, encourage them to locate it visually. Gradually introduce new items and provide plenty of verbal and tactile description to help them understand what they’re seeing. Over time, as they gain confidence, introduce more novel materials and increase the level of challenge.
  • Building Confidence: When students are exposed to new stimuli, allow them to engage with the material at their own pace. Encourage exploration through touch first before expecting them to process the visual components.
6. Response Time
  • Allowing Processing Time: Students with visual impairments may need extra time to process visual information. It’s important to be patient and avoid rushing the student. Allow them ample time to respond to visual cues or tasks without distractions. Provide a calm and supportive environment where they can focus entirely on the visual stimuli.
  • Minimizing Distractions: Reduce background noise and visual distractions when the student is engaged in a task that requires concentration. This ensures the student’s attention is focused solely on the visual task at hand.
  • Adjusting for Optimal Lighting: Proper lighting is essential for students to process visual information effectively. Ensure that the lighting is not too bright or too dim, as this can cause discomfort or hinder visibility. Use task lighting to illuminate materials, allowing the student to focus better.
7. Environmental Considerations
  • Supportive Environment Design: Creating an environment that supports visual tasks is key. This includes reducing clutter and ensuring that visual materials are clearly defined and accessible. Use contrasting colors and clear labels to make objects stand out.
  • Lighting and Contrast: Experiment with different types of lighting, such as natural light or task lighting, to create a visually optimal environment. High-contrast visual elements can also help students distinguish between objects, especially those with low vision.
  • Visual Cues and Prompts: To guide the student’s visual focus, use visual cues such as arrows, color-coded labels, or markers to indicate important objects or areas. These cues can help direct attention and reinforce learning goals.
  • Interactive Environments: Create a visually engaging and interactive classroom or home environment where students are encouraged to interact with visual stimuli in a meaningful way. This could include displays of color-coded charts, bright and animated visuals, or tactile-visual combinations.

​Collaborating with Professionals

  • Teamwork for Support: Collaboration with vision specialists, occupational therapists, and other professionals who understand the specific needs of students with visual impairments can help tailor strategies to the student’s abilities. These specialists can offer advice on optimal positioning, material selection, and other environmental modifications to improve visual functioning.
  • Adapting Strategies Based on Student Needs: Regular assessments and communication with specialists will allow for adjustments to teaching strategies based on the student’s progress and needs. For instance, some students may benefit from more tactile support, while others may respond better to visual cues.
​By thoughtfully implementing these strategies and maintaining flexibility, educators and caregivers can support students with visual impairments in using their vision more effectively, promoting both their independence and engagement in the classroom and beyond.

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