Vision-Related Services | InServices to Sighted Classmates or Staff

Table of Contents

1. Ideas for Vision Simulation activities
2. Books with visually impaired characters
3. Dealing with students with low vision

Ideas for Vision Simulation Activities

These ideas for vision simulation activities were compiled by Diane Childers, a school-age consultant in the Outreach Department of the Indiana School for the Blind. They are intended to be used with sighted children (or adults) to help them understand how a visually impaired individual does and learns things.

1. Do You See What I Smell? Use smelly jars and sleepshades with 1-2 participants trying to guess what the smell is.
   
2. Shape Match. Match the shape on the cube to the correct cup with matching shape. For 1 participant using sleepshade.
   
3. Dot Match. Match the correct number of dots on a cup to the correct cup. For 1 participant wearing tunnel vision glasses.
   
4. Write Your Name In Braille. For 1 participant using a braillewriter.
   
5. Optical Illusions. Set this up using an activity center for 1-2 participants.
   
6. Do You See What I Feel? A tactual activity using sleepshades for 2 people.
   
7. Pirate Toss. A ball-tossing activity involving monocular vision for 2 participants, both wearing eye patches.
   
8. Create a Sculpture. A Play-Doh activity using sleepshades for 1-2 participants.
   
9. Bear Hunt. A sorting activity using small, medium and large objects. For 1 participant using sleepshades.
   
10. Check Out This Dot To Dot. An activity to learn braille letters using Styrofoam balls in egg cartons. For 1-6 participants.
    
11. Anatomy Of The Eye. a learning activity exploring the parts of the human eye. For 1-2 participants.
    
12. Getting In Touch. Various tactual worksheets in raised line or braille form, of dot to dot, maze and tactual discrimination. For 1-2 participants using sleepshades.
    
13. Shake And Take Game. Using the braille number line and braille dice. For 2 participants with or without sleepshades.
    
14. How Puzzling Is This Puzzle? Manipulation of non-interlocking and interlocking puzzles. For 1 participant using sleepshades.
    
15. Rope Activity. An activity concerning depth perception and contrast, using distorted simulation glasses. For 2-4 participants.
    
16. We Live In A Colorful World. Coloring activity for 1-2 participants using distorted goggles.
    
17. Read, Read, Read. Reading activity using various print sizes, distorted goggles and low vision aids for 1-2 participants.
    
18. Write Is Right? A writing activity using distorted goggles, various kinds of paper and writing implements for 1-2 participants.
    
19. Check It Out. An awareness activity of products available for visually impaired and blind people.
    
20. Money...$$$...Money. Learning activity concerning coin identification and bill folding techniques used by blind people. For 1-2 participants using sleepshades.
    
21. "Eye" Like Leisure Time. Books about blindness/visual impairments, braille and large print playing cards, braille dice, games adapted for the blind, balls, etc.
    
22. Your Eyes In Stereo. A learning activity for 1 participant on stereoscopic vision, blind spots.
    
23. Mixed Nuts And Bolts. A sorting and assembling activity using sleepshade with nuts and bolts for 1 participant.
    
24. Can You Read With Your Fingers? Tactual discrimination activity for 1-2 participants using sleepshades.
    
25. ABC's of Braille. An activity using magnetic numbers and letters in print and braille for 1-4 participants.
    
26. Roller Dice. Hand-eye coordination activity using distorted goggles for 1-4 participants.
    
27. Sign Here, Please. An activity involving signatures and writing checks for the blind. For 1 participant using sleepshades.
    
28. Color Blind Is Not Blind. An activity concerning color blindness. For 1-2 participants.
    
29. Don't Lose Your Marbles. Hand-eye coordination activity for 2 participants using distorted goggles.
    
30. "Eye" Can Do It Myself! Daily living skills involving buttoning, zipping, shoe tying and snapping. For 1-2 participants using sleepshades.
    
31. Get the Eye-dea. Reading activity concerning information on the following eye conditions: Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma, Cataracts and others. 1-4 participants.
    
32. Shape Sorter Activity. Activity placing shapes into matching holes. For 1 participant using sleepshade.
    
33. Bowling Activity. "Bowl" with beanbag pins and ball using distorted goggles. For 2 participants.
    
34. Number, Please. An activity using round black magnets on metal cookie sheets to familiarize 1-2 participants with braille numbers and Nemeth code. Sleepshades may be used.
    
35. What Time Is It? An activity using a braille clock. For 1 participant with or without sleepshade.
    
36. Tic-Tac-Toe. A tactual version of the familiar game. For 2 participants using sleepshades.
    
37. Let It Pour. An activity using a liquid level indicator to pour liquid from a pitcher to a cup. For 1-2 participants using sleepshades.
    
38. Let's Eat. An activity for 2 participants (1 using sleepshade) using the clock face method to teach the location of food on a plate.
    
39. Open Wide... A reading and demonstration unit concerning methods available to assist individuals who are blind or visually impaired  to distinguish 1 medicine from another and develop a system for dosage regulation. For 1-2 participants.
    
40. Myths And Questions About Blindness. Reading/informative unit concerning "Old Wives Tales" as well as questions regarding blindness. For 1-2 participants.

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Dealing with students with low vision

Here's a another activity illustrating how a student with low vision "views" the teacher's presentations. This activity was given to college professors.

The demonstrator gave the professors a class syllabus that was actually blank paper (which is how it would appear to visually impaired students). She used an overhead and/or the chalk board. She acted like she was writing, but actually left them blank. Then, she asked for responses. They then gave them a handout that was real and wrote on the overhead and chalk board. She said it seemed to have a real impact on these professors. (Perhaps the real handout could be suggestions of what to do in the classroom for students who are visually impaired.)  Then she talked about how students with visual impairments should be dealt with in their classes.

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Books with Visually Impaired Characters

This list of books was circulated on the DVH-S mailing list.

• Adler, D. A. (1990). A picture book of Helen Keller. Holiday House.
• Alexander, S. H. (1992). Mom’s best friend. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Brown, M. (1979). Arthur’s eyes. Chicago. Little Brown & Co.
• Butler, B. (1973). Gift of gold. New York: Simon and Schuster.
• Butler, B. (1970). Light a single candle. New York: Simon and Schuster.
• Condra, E. (1994). See the ocean. Nashville, TN: Ideals Children’s Books.
• Garfield, J. B. (1957). Follow my leader. Scholastic.
• Keats, E. J. (1971). Apt. 3. New York: Aladin Books of Macmillan Publishing.
• Kudlinski, K. V. (1989). Women of our time: Helen Keller, a light for the blind. New York: Penguin Books.
• Litchfield, A. B. (1977). A cane in her hand. Chicago: Albert Whitman and Company.
• Little J. (1972). From Anna. New York: Harper Trophy of Harper Collins Publishing.
• Little, J. (1977). Listen for the singing. New York: Harper Trophy of
  Harper Collins Publishing.
• MacLacblan, P. (1980). Through grandpa’s eyes. Harper Trophy of Harper Collins Publishing.
• Martin, B. & Archambault, J. (1987). Knots on a counting rope. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
• Radin, R. (1990). Carver. Macmillian.
• Smith, L. (1991). Glasses Who Needs 'em. Puffin Books.
• Wright, C. (1990). My sister Katie: How she sees God’s world. Minneapolis: Augsburg.
• Yolen, J. (1977). The seeing stick. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell.

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