Teachers of children and youth who are blind or visually impaired are educators who hold a Master of Education degree specific to the education of these students. The role of this professional is to ensure students have appropriate access to the core curriculum and provide direct instruction in areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum (.pdf), and consultation in support of students on their caseload in the home, community and school. The incumbent works collaboratively with the school-based or early childhood team.
Each day, the majority of information we receive comes through vision. To function in everyday life, all people need to learn essential skills to live as independent confident adults. Individuals use vision to examine the actions of others and to view the world around them, incidentally learning many important concepts of life.
Children who are blind or visually impaired may not learn concepts, the very foundation of meaning and language, because of their inability to observe what is going on around them. All areas of development can be impacted by vision loss and there is a high incidence of additional disabilities present for children with this sensory impairment. Due to these complexities it is important to recognize the unique profile of each child in this group of children with a wider range of developmental needs.
Resources
- Canadian National Standards (.pdf)
- Functional literacy makes print come alive! (.pdf)
- Standards of Practice for Educators of Children and Youth who are Blind or Partially Sighted (.pdf)
- Working with students who are Blind or Visually Impaired (.pdf)
- Working with students who are Blind or Visually Impaired - 8x11 (.pdf)
- Working with students who are Blind or Visually Impaired - 11x17 (.pdf)