Browsing by Subject "visual impairment"

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    Blindness, rehabilitation and identity: a critical investigation of discourses of rehabilitation in South African non-profit organisations for visually impaired persons
    (2021) Botha, Michelle; Watermeyer, Brian
    This study explores the role of rehabilitation in shaping the subjectivity of blind persons. It considers what engaging with rehabilitation services might communicate to people with visual impairments about their status, their value and their place in the world. Rather than being concerned with the practical aspects of rehabilitation, it explores how rehabilitative practices operate at the symbolic level, and interrogates the meanings about blindness which are produced within relationships where help is given and received. Drawing on Foucauldian concepts, this research traces the interplay between discourse, power and knowledge in rehabilitation services. The research design includes two phases. Through analysing the website copy of eight organisations located across South Africa, Phase One identified discourses employed by organisations as they represent themselves in the public realm. In Phase Two, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight service providers and eighteen service users across four organisations operating in the Western Cape province of South Africa. This phase identified the discourses framing rehabilitative activities and relationships. Visually impaired participants described sight loss as a significant trauma – as dislocation from society and self – revealing that service users might be particularly vulnerable to the shaping influence of rehabilitation. Data analysis found, firstly, that the discourses which frame rehabilitation services position visually impaired service users as passive recipients in relation to the work of service providers and the gifts of the public. This positioning objectifies service users and may signal to them that they are neither valued as stakeholders nor recognised as autonomous adults, while also requiring that they demonstrate gratitude towards service providers and the public. Secondly, rehabilitation is constructed as a linear journey with strictly defined outcomes. This ‘journey discourse' relies on polarised fantasies about blindness involving, on the one hand, dependency, dislocation and struggle and, on the other, independence, integration and coping. Visually impaired service users are required to demonstrate evidence of the latter while the former shadowy figure of pre-intervention blindness must be defended against. This discourse prohibits nuance and expressions of ongoing struggle, underpinning an imperative to cope found within organisations. Amid limiting discursive practices in rehabilitation, a key finding is that visually impaired service users are involved in complex negotiations of self and place. Investigating the discourses which frame and support rehabilitative practices sheds light on investments in promoting particular ways of being for visually impaired people, prompting us to consider what service providers, service users and, indeed, society as a whole might be colluding with. This work offers a novel perspective on blindness rehabilitation in South Africa as it explores an interplay between essential practical interventions found in rehabilitation and the influences on identity which those who experience sight loss undergo as they move into a new life with visual impairment.
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    Key informants for peadiatric eye disease case finding in Madagascar
    (2019) Chimeziri, Anderson; Courtright, Paul; Cook, Colin
    As at 2014, 19 million children aged < 16 years were visually impaired, 1.4 million of these children were blind and needed visual rehabilitation interventions. Surveys, mostly utilizing key informants (KI), have suggested that the prevalence of blindness in children in Sub Saharan Africa ranges between 2 -8 per 10,000 children. Childhood eye disease is rare and conditions are difficult to detect; thus, surveys to estimate the prevalence of blindness requires rigorous, costly and difficult methods to obtain reasonable estimates among children. Key informant programs, which engage the community in case finding, have been shown to be a reasonable alternative to large scale surveys and were used in Madagascar in 2014 by four regional eye care programmes. I propose to analyse the data generated from the programmes to quantify the prevalence of eye conditions among children and how the KIs performed. Method: The analysis will use data collected in a cross sectional approach. Statistical analysis will be conducted using Stata (15.0) statistical software. Data from all of the KI registers will be pooled and overall magnitude estimates calculated. KI productivity and sub-group analyses will include assessment of demographic characteristics of the children and the KI by age and sex. Ethical approval will be provided by the UCT Health Research and Ethics Committee and the Madagascar Ministry of Health. Discussion: The results from this study will help child eye health programmes to determine how best to use KI to better serve children with vision loss, and guide in the provision of eye services for children care.
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    TEDI 3 Week 1 - How Visual Impairement Affects Learning
    (2019-06-01) Viljoen, Hestelle
    In this video, Hestelle Viljoen discusses how visual impairment affects learning. She discusses the three ways it effects learning: through differences experiential learning (characterising how objects are similar or different); through the development of different skills to access subject matter and curricula (which are typically designed for sighted learners); which can include the use of text magnifiers, audio supplements, or tactile learning tools; and thirdly, the development of social skills and personal capacity skills such as personal hygiene, completing household tasks, etc.
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    TEDI 3 Week 1 - Including Children with Visual Impairement in the Classroom
    (2019-06-01) Viljoen, Hestelle
    In this video, Hestelle Viljoen, a former principal of a school of children with visual disabilities in South Africa, discusses how visual impairment affects learning in the classroom. She discusses the different kinds of visual impairment learners can experience and how their needs can be accommodated in the classroom allowing them to follow the same curriculum as sighted students. She also discusses the importance of incorporating different stakeholders (such as community members, teachers, specialists, and the students themselves), and then discusses some specific techniques that can be used in the learning environment to support their learning.
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    TEDI 3 Week 1 - Understanding Visual Impairment
    (2019-06-01) van Rensburg, Julia Janse
    In this video, Julia Janse van Rensburg, an ophthalmologist with a special interest in pediatric eye problems, discusses how learners with visual impairment experience the classroom. She discusses some of the common causes of low vision in learning, exploring the physical structure of the eye and the problems that can affect the eye and it's ability to see. She further discusses some diseases and inheritable conditions that an affect vision. She discusses some characteristics teachers can use to identify students who might have visual difficulties, and when a medical specialist should be consulted.
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    TEDI 3 Week 2 - Braille Reading and Writing Skills
    (2019-06-01) Watson, Tammy
    In this video, Tammy Watson, a braille specialist at the secondary school level, discusses teaching braille to both teachers and learners at school. She discusses how learning through braille changes the physical structure of the brain, particularly in regards to the parts of the brain related to nerve sensitivity and muscle control in the fingers. Tammy explains how braille characters are designed, and how children are best taught to both read and write braille. She discusses how to develop the fine motor skills, posture and muscle development required to use braille, through explaining different kinds of activities that can be used in the teaching environment. She also discusses how to represent visual images through braille.
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    TEDI 3 Week 2 - Career Education and Self-determination
    (2019-06-01) Botha, Michelle
    In this video, Michelle Botha discusses the relationship between work, independence and security for people with visual disabilities, who in South Africa experience unemployment levels of approximately 97%. She discusses the anxiety that surrounds the search for work for people with disabilities. She discusses the change in legislation that has opened up possibilities for employment and tertiary studies for people with visual impairment. She discusses the importance of early career guidance and development at school which can support learners in making informed subject and career choices, and how specialist organisations can support their self-development and provide useful guidance and support. She discusses the importance of assessing learner's self-determination, and how many job opportunities that were previously seen as inaccessible to people with visual disabilities can in fact be pursued successfully.
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    TEDI 3 Week 2 - Conversations on Empowering the Visually-Impaired Child
    (2019-06-01) Watermeyer, Brian; Leteane, Benedict; Lourens, Heidi; Botha, Michelle
    In this video, members of the TEDI-VI MOOC panel discuss the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) from a critical and personal point of view. They discuss their experiences of being taught certain skills (such as walking with a cane) and how these educational techniques often did not take into account the emotional needs of the learners. They reflect on the ways in which the teaching of the ECC can appear to be designed to fit people with visual disabilities into the existing societal framework rather than transform society to be more accepting of difference and diversity. Michelle reflects on the ways in which career opportunities are discussed with visually-impaired individuals and how best to have those conversations in a productive way.
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    TEDI 3 Week 2 - Recreation and Leisure
    (2019-06-01) Verhoef, Suna
    In this video, Suna Verhoef discuses the importance of including recreation in the curriculum, particularly for disabled children and teenagers who are at an elevated risk of ill health and obesity. Suna discusses the importance of extra-curricular activities in schooling, and how inclusive educators should make efforts to include visually-impaired learners in sporting and cultural activities. Suna shares examples of traditional sports (such as rock-climbing rowing) and innovative new sports (such as Goalball and Blind Cricket) that visually-impaired learners can participate in. She discusses the ways in which visually-impaired people already compete in national and international events. She closes by discussing how to introduce hesitant or nervous learners to these sports, as well as other extra-curricular activities such as clubs, societies and music bands.
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    TEDI 3 Week 2 - Social Interaction Skills
    (2019-06-01) Watermeyer, Brian; Leteane, Benedict
    In this video, Brian Watermeyer and Benedict Leteane discuss social interaction skills in relation to the visually-impaired child. Brian introduces the concepts of 'incidental learning' and 'social-learning theory' in which children are theorised to learn social skills and conventions through observation as well as through deliberate instruction. Brian explores the segregated ways in which visually-impaired people have been socialised to behave in specific ways that reduce the discomfort experienced by sighted people. Benedict describes his experience and the experience of other visually-impaired individuals, exploring how certain common social situations (such as shaking hands, or using facial expressions) can be difficult to navigate. Brian and Benedict discuss how visually-impaired children are socialised differently and how sighted people can misinterpret the body language or behaviour of visually-impaired people in negative ways. Benedict discusses the particularly difficult dynamics around asking for (and refusing) help.
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    TEDI 3 Week 2 - Visual Efficiency and Compensatory Academic Skills
    (2019-06-01) Viljoen, Hestelle
    In this video, Hestelle Viljoen discusses two topics from the Expanded Core Curriculum for visually-impaired learners, namely visual efficiency and compensatory academic skills. Visual efficiency refers to making full use of the residual sight that low-vision learners have in order to maximise their learning. This can include high-contrast, large print, or other interventions that support their learning. Compensatory academic skills refer to the additional skills a learner with visual impairment needs to develop in order to access the curriculum, which can include various hardware and software such as text-to-speech programmes, text magnifiers, and other assistive technology. Hestelle also discusses how to develop pedagogical techniques that help learners navigate a society developed with sighted people in mind - such as the use of visual signposting, or information conveyed by visual graphs. She discusses how to include multi-modal educational techniques incorporating audio, tactile learning elements, and braille, to help convey information that would otherwise be conveyed visually, and practical ways of modifying visual content in order to support learning.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Approaches to Making Learning and Teaching Material Accessible: Part 1
    (2019-06-01) Viljoen, Hestelle
    In this video, Hestelle Viljoen discusses different approaches to make both learning material and assessment tasks more accessible to learners with visual impairments. She discusses practical ways to adapt learning materials, particularly visual materials (such as images and graphs) to be usable by visually-impaired learners, and discusses how to use braille and tactical elements to modify assessments and practical learning activities to make them more accessible. She discusses the use of supplementary text and physical props to accompany images and diagrams to provide alternative ways to access the desired learning activity.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Approaches to Making Learning and Teaching Material Accessible: Part 2
    (2019-06-01) Viljoen, Hestelle
    In this video, Hestelle Viljoen discusses approaches to making visual teaching and learning materials more accessible for learners with visual impairments. She discusses how to remove unnecessary images and replacing them with equivalent text resources; how to reduce visual information for adaptation for conversion into braille equivalents (such as removing colours, removing unnecessary boundary lines; and replacing inherently visual materials with alternatives that cater to users with low- or no-vision. She closes with discussing how to make alternative kinds of assessments that can be completed effectively for learners with visual impairments.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Assistive Devices for Learners with Low Vision
    (2019-06-01) Webster, Jennifer
    In this video, Jan Webster discusses the use of assistive devices specifically designed for users with low vision. She discusses basic devices (such as tinted glasses and caps) that reduce glare and increase contrast, allowing learners with low vision to see more easily. She also discusses natural and artificial light in the classroom, and how to use devices such as headlamps in the classroom. She discusses the use of colour and contrast in learning materials, from image design to the use of different colours of paper and ink to the size of text and images in learning materials. Lastly, she discusses how to use simple stationery and household items to make DIY assistive devices to support learning in a cost-effective way. She does stress the importance of developing a supportive learning environment through the use of classroom activities and discussion to normalise the use of assistive technologies and devices in the learning environment.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Being Smart About Assistive Technology
    (2019-06-01) Watermeyer, Brian
    In this video, Brian Watermeyer discusses assistive technology (particularly high-tech digital equipment) and its use in the modern classroom. He discusses the different kinds of technology available, including free add-ons to existing ubiquitous technology (such as smartphones), and how a teacher can assess a visually-impaired learner and determine with them what kind of assistive technology might help them in their studies. He stresses that assistive technology can allow visually-impaired people to access cultural artefacts (such as books) in order to participate more fully in society. Lastly, he stresses the importance of teaching appropriate digital literacy skills for visually-impaired learners to allow them to make use of the appropriate assistive technology.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Common High Technology Devices
    (2019-06-01) Webster, Jennifer
    In this video, Jennifer Webster discusses the digital assistive technology she uses as a visually-impaired person. She discusses how to use common accessibility features such as free screen readers available on Apple and Android devices, barcode readers and other specialised software that can provide information about items and identify common items like currency, and more sophisticated devices such as handwriting readers. She discusses several paid-for services that can be used on devices as well and the more advanced features they offer users. She demonstrates how to use cradles and stands in conjunctions with some of these tools that can be used to scan physical texts (books, etc) and convert them into screen-readable text.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Conversations on the Experience of Accessible and Inaccessible Learning Material
    (2019-06-01) Watermeyer, Brian; Leteane, Benedict; Lourens, Heidi; Botha, Michelle
    In this video, members of the TEDI-VI MOOC panel discuss their experience of accessible and inaccessible learning materials. Benedict reflects on his experiences as a learner in the special school system, in which there were not sufficient braille books for the number of visually-impaired learners in the classroom, and insufficient tools (such as Perkins braillers). He explained the difficulties of having to rely on partially-sighted learners in the classroom, who had to take on additional responsibilities in the classroom, and the anxieties this could induce in the classroom. Heidi, who had full access to accessible learning materials, discusses the difficulty of submitting assignments which were scoped in inaccessible ways (such as requiring images and photographs) for visually-impaired learners. Michelle discusses the difficulty of advocating for her needs and negotiating for assistance with different teachers, which she had to do herself, and the experience of feeling singled-out as the only child with visual impairments in the classroom. She discusses the experiences of shame of asking for consideration from her teachers and the sense of imposing on their teaching techniques, and how her school experience and grades were very dependent on the willingness of her teachers to accommodate her learning needs. Heidi discusses the lack of accessible leisure reading material in the school library and the lack in general of recreational activities for learners with visual disabilities. The panel closes by discussing the transformative potential of assistive digital technology while being aware of the pitfalls, particularly with the focus on audio at the exclusion of braille.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Curriculum Differentiation for the Visually Impaired Child: Part 1
    (2019-06-01) Viljoen, Hestelle
    In this video, Hestelle Viljoen discusses how to differentiate the curriculum in order to make it more accessible, focusing on classroom management and learning content. Hestelle explains the definition and purpose of differentiation and how to go about it successfully. She discusses classroom differentiation in terms of the psycho-social and physical environments. She provides examples of differentiation in both environments, from encouraging student participation to organising furniture and lighting in the classroom. She describes how to alternate learning activities to cater for students with different levels of visual impairment. She then explores how to differentiate learning content for visually-impaired learners, which may include reducing abstraction, providing tactile learning experiences, and teaching visually-impaired learners how to interpret visual materials effectively.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Curriculum Differentiation for the Visually Impaired Child: Part 2
    (2019-06-01) Viljoen, Hestelle
    In this video, Hestelle Viljoen discusses how to differentiate the curriculum in order to make it more accessible, specifically with regard to teaching methodologies and assessment methods. She describes how visually-impaired learners may require more time and different kinds of learning materials (such as braille or audio content) in order to engage with the curriculum. She discusses how to adapt visual content (such as graphs or images) to make it more accessible, through a variety of methods, with specific examples. She also discusses the 'reasonable accommodations' during assessment provided by South African law for learners, which can include assistive devices, different physical accommodations or provision of different stationery or tools.
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    TEDI 3 Week 3 - Exclusion from the Curriculum
    (2019-06-01) Watermeyer, Brian
    In this video, Brian Watermeyer talks about how visually-impaired learners experience exclusion from the curriculum. He discusses how students with visual impairments desire to participate in schooling but experience barriers with inaccessible learning materials and teaching techniques. These experiences can be both alienating and prevent the child from experiencing instances of mastering content, which has negative impacts on their confidence, undermines their sense of belonging, and impacts their ability to solve problems and navigate the world. Brian discusses how students experience feelings of isolation or removal from their peers in both mainstream and special education, as well as feelings of failure and loneliness in common learning situations. Brian also discusses how teachers' negative attitudes towards making the curriculum accessible contributed to the isolation experienced by learners with disabilities and exacerbated hopelessness and feelings of inadequacy.