Challenges continued

Today, I'm continuing the challenges for disabled students but I'm thinking about people with a visual impairment.

Common to all post-compulsory education 

• Not being able to see learning materials
• Getting to the campus
• Getting around the campus
• Acceptance of guide dogs

Specific to campus-based modules

• Getting to the campus
• Getting around the campus
• Acceptance of guide dogs

Specific to online learning

• Reading from computers or screens
• Viewing images or figures using a screen reader
• Font style and size
• Colour contrasts

In spite of having had a visual impairment for a while, back in 2003 - 2004, I don't feel like I know as much about this one. When I had limited sight, I was working but not studying. My main challenges were things like physical obstacles (which I would include under 'getting around the campus') but I also struggled with things like writing and teaching Y3 kids things like measuring and using a protractor. I bought special equipment though which made these things easier for me.

For visual impairments, I think it's harder to give a list of specifics because there would be too many to list but the general list looks too small. Many of the challenges are not study-specific but about general life stuff.

Also, when I was visually impaired, my computer was my absolute best friend. It allowed me to do so many things that I couldn't have done before. Now though, over a decade later, the expectation has increased.