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REMYCIA PAHICNADON BEED-11

Guide Questions:
Topic 1: Learners with Difficulty Seeing
1. Define "visual impairment," "legally blind," and "low vision."

The definition of visual impairment is “a decrease in the ability to see to a certain degree that
causes problems not fixable by usual means, such as glasses.” Blindness is “the state of being unable to
see due to injury, disease or genetic condition.” Low vision refers to a severe visual impairment in which
visual acuity is 20/70 or poorer in the better-seeing eye and cannot improve with glasses or contacts.
Legally blind means a person has a corrected vision of 20/200 in their best-seeing eye. If visual aids such
as glasses can correct a person’s vision to 20/20, they are not considered legally blind. Totally blind refers
to a complete loss of sight. While the phrase “visual acuity” may seem new to you, Katie explained that it
is something most of us are familiar with. It is a measurement determined by the letter chart tests we take
when we get our eyes checked; the number represents your eyes’ clarity or sharpness. For example, a
person with a visual acuity measurement of 20/70who is 20 feet away from an eye chart sees what a
person with 20/20 vision can see from 70 feet away.
https://ibvi.org/blog/blind-vs-visually-impaired-whats-the-difference/#:~:text=Low%20vision
%20refers%20to%20a,in%20their%20best%2Dseeing%20eye .

2. Study and provide a copy of the anatomy and physiology of the eye. (You may refer online sources
or to page 388 in Hallahan's e-book.)

The eye is made up of three coats, which enclose the optically clear aqueous humour, lens, and vitreous
body. The outermost coat consists of the cornea and the sclera; the middle coat contains the main blood
supply to the eye and consists, from the back forward, of the choroid, the ciliary body, and the iris.
https://www.britannica.com/science/human-eye

5. What are the causes of visual impairment affecting children and adults? (You may refer to pages
391-392 in Hallahan's e-book.)
Common causes that lead to vision loss or visual impairment include injury to the eye, inherited
conditions, infections and so forth. (1-4)
Injury to the eyes
Injury to the eyes while playing or at work or due to accidents may result in vision loss and impairment.
Inherited conditions of blindness and vision impairment
Retinitis pigmentosa is the most common cause of inherited blindness.
Infections of the eyes
Sometimes if the mother has had a viral infection like German measles that is transmitted from the mother
to the developing fetus during pregnancy the baby may be born with blindness or visual impairment.
Amblyopia
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This is basically impaired vision in one eye due to lack of its use in early childhood.
This is seen in squint or “lazy eye” since both the eyes project differently and send in different messages
to the brain the brain may then turn off or suppress images from the weaker eye.
Cataract
Clouding of part or the entire lens of the eye.
Normally, the lens is clear to let in the light that focuses on the retina. Cataracts prevent light from easily
passing through the lens, and this causes loss of vision.
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes affects the small blood vessels in the retina. When damaged this leads to impairment of vision.
Glaucoma
This condition results due to raised pressure within the eyes. The increased pressure impairs vision by
damaging the optic nerve.
Age related Macular degeneration
Age related Macular degeneration or AMD that is a progressive loss of the visual acuity due to damage to
the macula that is the most sensitive part of the retina.
AIDS related visual impairment
This is usually caused by viral infections of the eyes called Cytomegalovirus or CMV retinitis.
Cancer of the eyes
Retinoblastoma is the most common eye cancer of children. There are between 300 and 400 new cases
diagnosed annually.
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Causes-of-visual-impairment.aspx
4. How are learners with visual impairment identified?
There is a wide range of cause and type of vision impairment. Although each student is unique,
in general terms, a student is identified as having vision impairment when his or her vision disorder
affects the ability to function in life to such a degree that the eyes cannot be corrected with glasses,
contact lenses, medications or surgery. In such cases special instructional techniques, materials or
assistive devices are needed for optimum learning to take place (Miller & Levack, 1997).
https://www.trinity.edu/sites/students-vision-hearing-loss/vi-definitions#:~:text=Although%20each
%20student%20is%20unique,contact%20lenses%2C%20medications%20or%20surgery.
5. List down the psychological, behavioral, and learning characteristics of students who have visual
impairment.

6. Look for technological accommodations that can be used by learners with visual impairment. You
may include pictures to help you visualize the gadget/software.
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7. Search for teaching strategies and general education adaptations that cater to the needs of learners
with visual impairment.
To reduce the visual clutter in the classroom, educators should
 remove useless objects in general
 reduce the number of objects in the immediate working area
 use masking tape to improve the color/contrast on doorframes, tabletops, etc.
 spot lights to highlight a particular area
 maintain the place and all the school supplies well organized so the student can easily identify
them
To provide greater physical comfort and encourage appropriate posture, educators can provide
their students with: a reading/writing stand, a clip board, a standing lamp and a proper chair/table. 
Children with low vision may also benefit from an efficient use of time. Educators can: encourage the
child to wear his prescribed glasses (if appropriate) to reduce visual fatigue, propose pre-arranged
breaks, allow the student to be visually focused for shorter periods of time, offer more time when
visually exploring a material and when concreting a visually challenged task (for example working
with a material that hasn’t been adapted to the student’s visual needs). 
https://www.pathstoliteracy.org/classroom-adaptations-students-low-vision/#:~:text=Educators
%20can%3A%20encourage%20the%20child,visually%20challenged%20task%20(for%20example
8. List down notable people in history (or at the present) who have blindness or visual impairment.

 Tilly Aston – Founder of the Victorian Association of Braille Writers.[1]

 Louis Braille – Known for Braille.[2]
 Tiffany Brar – Social activist, who founded the Jyothirgamaya Foundation, which empowers
the blind in all spheres of life
 Francis Joseph Campbell – Anti-slavery campaigner and co-founder of the Royal National
College for the Blind[3]
 Haben Girma – Disability rights advocate, first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School
 Kenneth Jernigan – Long-time leader of the National Federation of the Blind.[4]
 Helen Keller – American deaf-blind writer, lecturer, and communist activist.[5]
 Juan Carlos González Leiva – Cuban lawyer, who founded the Fraternity of the Independent
Blind of Cuba and the Cuban Foundation of Human Rights.[6] He has been harassed,
imprisoned and tortured by the communist regime.
 Judy Castle Scott - Blind advocate and activist in the field of vision loss[7]
 Sabriye Tenberken – Braille Without Borders co-founder.[8]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_blind_people#:~:text=John%20Milton
%20%E2%80%93%20Poet%20who%20was,a%20Soviet%20socialist%20realist%20writer.

Topic 2: Learners with Difficulty Hearing

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1. Define "hearing impairment," "hearing loss," "deaf", and "hard of hearing."

Functional hearing loss ranges from mild to profound. Often, people who have very little or no
functional hearing refer to themselves as "deaf." Those with milder hearing loss may label themselves as
"hard of hearing." When these two groups are combined, they are often referred to as individuals with
"hearing impairments,” with "hearing loss,” or who are "hearing impaired.” When referring to the Deaf
culture, "Deaf" is capitalized.
Accommodations for students who are deaf or hard of hearing can be classified as "visual" and "aural."
Visual accommodations rely on a person's sight; aural accommodations rely on a person's hearing
abilities. Visual accommodations include sign language interpreters, lip reading, and captioning. Aural
accommodations include amplification devices such as FM systems.
https://www.washington.edu/doit/deaf-or-hard-hearing#:~:text=Often%2C%20people%20who
%20have%20very,or%20who%20are%20%22hearing%20impaired

2. Study and provide a copy of the anatomy and physiology of the ear. (You may also refer to page
349 in Hallahan's e-book.)
The ear is the organ of hearing and balance. The parts of the ear
include:
 External or outer ear, consisting of:
o Pinna or auricle. This is the outside part of the ear.
o External auditory canal or tube. This is the tube that
connects the outer ear to the inside or middle ear.
 Tympanic membrane (eardrum). The tympanic membrane
divides the external ear from the middle ear.
 Middle ear (tympanic cavity), consisting of:
o Ossicles. Three small bones that are connected and transmit the sound waves to the inner
ear. The bones are called:
 Malleus
 Incus
 Stapes
o Eustachian tube. A canal that links the middle ear with the back of the nose. The
eustachian tube helps to equalize the pressure in the middle ear. Equalized pressure is
needed for the proper transfer of sound waves. The eustachian tube is lined with mucous,
just like the inside of the nose and throat.
 Inner ear, consisting of:
o Cochlea. This contains the nerves for hearing.
o Vestibule. This contains receptors for balance.
o Semicircular canals. This contains receptors for balance.

https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=anatomy-and-physiology-of-the-ear-90-P02025

3. What are the causes of hearing impairment? Explain conducive, sensorial, and mixed hearing
impairment.
Hearing loss affects people of all ages and can be caused by many different factors. The three basic
 ADVANCED READING-6

categories of hearing loss are sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss and mixed hearing
loss. Here is what patients should know about each type.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss-This type of hearing loss occurs when the inner ear or the actual hearing
nerve itself becomes damaged. This loss generally occurs when some of the hair cells within the
cochlea are damaged.

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss- Sudden sensorineural hearing loss may occur very suddenly or
over the course of a few days. It is imperative to see an otologist (a doctor specializing in diseases of
the ear) immediately. A delay in treating this condition (two or more weeks after the symptoms first
begin) will decrease the chance that medications might help improve the problem.

Conductive Hearing Loss- This type of hearing loss occurs in the outer or middle ear where sound
waves are not able to carry all the way through to the inner ear. Sound may be blocked by earwax or a
foreign object located in the ear canal; the middle ear space may be impacted with fluid, infection or a
bone abnormality; or the eardrum may have been injured.

Mixed Hearing Loss- Sometimes people can have a combination of both sensorineural and
conductive hearing loss. They may have a sensorineural hearing loss and then develop a conductive
component in addition.

Hearing Loss in Adults- People over age 50 may experience gradual hearing loss over the years due
to age-related changes in the ear or auditory nerve. The medical term for age-related hearing loss is
presbycusis. Having presbycusis may make it hard for a person to tolerate loud sounds or to hear what
others are saying.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/hearing-loss/types-of-hearing-
loss#:~:text=Sensorineural%20Hearing%20Loss,-This%20type%20of&text=This%20loss
%20generally%20occurs%20when,drugs%20or%20an%20inherited%20condition.
4. How are learners with hearing impairment identified?
After reviewing the child's information and test results, the audiologist will be able to describe a
hearing loss as unilateral (affecting one ear) or bilateral (affecting both ears), the degree of hearing
impairment (mild, moderate, severe or profound), and the type of loss (conductive, sensorineural or
mixed).

https://www.trinity.edu/sites/students-vision-hearing-loss/hl-definitions#:~:text=After%20reviewing
%20the%20child's%20information,conductive%2C%20sensorineural%20or%20mixed ).

5. List down the psychological, behavioral, and learning characteristics of students who have hearing
impairment.

One personality trait often associated with hearing loss is introversion—the terms shy, quiet, and
sensitive often refer to this. The general theory is that the child with hearing loss is more inner-
focused as a result of reduced stimulation from the outside world.
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https://leader.pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/leader.FTR1.07052002.4#:~:text=One%20personality
%20trait%20often%20associated,stimulation%20from%20the%20outside%20world.

6. Look for technological and manual accommodations that can be used by learners with hearing
impairment. You may include pictures to help you visualize the said accommodations.
Teachers who have students who are deaf or hearing impaired may be required to make
accommodations in order to help the student reach potential.  This chapter lists some specific
accommodations that teachers may wish to incorporate into their classroom and teaching.   By
implementing a few of the accommodations, the teacher can help the child with a hearing impairment
or deafness feel comfortable, confident, and successful in the general education setting.

Allowing a student who is deaf or hard of hearing to explain his/her disability to the other
students in the classroom can help create a sense of community.  This will allow the curiosity of other
students to be appeased, as well as allow the student to be the center of attention in a positive way. 
Not every student will be comfortable talking about the disability; therefore, it is important to check
ahead of time rather than forcing a class discussion.  If the student is uncomfortable with the
disability, the teacher needs to create a warm and inviting environment within the classroom.  This
type of environment will help the student to feel safe and secure when at school and therefore more
comfortable about learning.  If the teacher does choose to have the discussion with the class, it is
important to stress the similarities between all the students rather than the differences.  Many students
will notice the differences and have questions about them, but the similarities still need to be stressed. 
Allowing the student who is hard of hearing or deaf a few minutes to talk about his/her disability and
the other students a chance to ask their questions, enables learning to take place with fewer
distractions (Sanders, 1988; Tacchi, 2005). 

https://www.trinity.edu/sites/students-vision-hearing-loss/hl-teaching

7. Study the different teaching approaches for Deaf education: oralism, manualism, total
communication / simultaneous communication, and bilingual-bicultural approach.

Multisensory learning involves the use of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways
simultaneously to enhance memory and learning (Learning Abilities, 2012). Hence a Multisensory
teaching approach involves three main teaching strategies: visual, auditory and kinesthetic.
Multisensory teaching respects that all children learn differently and from a variety of teaching
methods (Ledford, 2014). The theoretical foundations that supports this idea are the multiple
intelligence theory and the sensory integration theory.

https://www.cram.com/essay/Three-Major-Educational-Approaches-To-Teaching-Deaf/
P3DJF7SY7MWW#:~:text=Hence%20a%20Multisensory%20teaching%20approach,%3A%20visual
%2C%20auditory%20and%20kinesthetic.

8. Give examples of general education adaptations that you can provide in your class to your learner
with difficulty hearing.
Teaching Strategies
There is a range of inclusive teaching strategies that can assist all students to learn but there are some
specific strategies that are useful in teaching a group that includes students with a hearing impairment:
 Encourage students with a hearing loss to seat themselves toward the front of the lecture
theatre where they will have an unobstructed line of vision. This is particularly important if
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the student is using an interpreter, lip-reading, relying on visual clues or using a hearing aid
which has a limited range. Be aware that some students may not be comfortable with this
suggestion or have alternate strategies. Respect their choices.
 Use assistive listening devices such as induction loops if these are available in the lecture
theatre. Hearing aids may include transmitter/receiver systems with a clip-on microphone for
the lecturer. If using such a microphone, it is not necessary to change your speaking or
teaching style.
 Ensure that any background noise is minimised.
 Repeat clearly any questions asked by students in the lecture or class before giving a response.
 Do not speak when facing the blackboard. Be aware that moustaches, beards, hands, books or
microphones in front of your face can add to the difficulties of lip-readers. Students who lip-
read cannot function in darkened rooms. You may need to adjust the lighting in your teaching
environment. If a sign interpreter is employed, follow the hints for working with a sign
interpreter.
 It is difficult for a student watching an interpreter to also take notes from an overhead or
blackboard. An interpreter is unable to translate concurrently both your words and any
information given on an overhead. It is important therefore that all information should also be
available as handouts.
 Provide written materials to supplement all lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions.
Announcements made regarding class times, activities, field work, industry visits etc, should
be given in writing as well as verbally.
 Allow students to record lectures or, preferably, make available copies of your lecture notes.
Flexible delivery of teaching materials via electronic media is also particularly helpful for
students who have difficulty accessing information in the usual ways. For students with a
hearing loss, new technology - and the internet in particular - can be used to bridge many gaps.
 Ensure that lists of the subject-specific jargon and technical terms which students will need to
acquire are made available early in the course. If interpreters or captioning are being used as
an adjustment, make this list available to the professionals providing the service as early as
possible.
 Any videos or films used should, where possible, be captioned. When this is not possible, you
will need to consider alternative ways for students with hearing impairment to access the
information.
 In tutorials, assist students who lip-read by having the student sit directly opposite you and
ensure, if possible, that they can see all other participants. Control the discussion so that only
one person is speaking at a time.
 Students with hearing loss, especially those with associated speech issues, may prefer to have
another student present their tutorial papers.
 Language abilities are often affected by hearing loss, depending on the age of onset. Students
who acquired their hearing loss early in life may have literacy issues. In some cases, providing
reading lists well before the start of a course for students with a hearing loss can be beneficial.
Consider tailoring these reading lists when necessary, and provide guidance to key texts.
 Allow assignments or reviews to be completed on an in-depth study of a few texts rather than
a broad study of many.
 Using Auslan interpreters and live remote captioning may require some adjustments in
teaching styles, particularly the pace of the learning. Consult with the providers of the service
early to identify any potential changes.
 Where live remote captioning is provided, a transcript of the session can usually be assessed
within 24 hours. It is recommended that these be emailed directly to the student as an accurate
record of reference.
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9. List notable people in history (or at the present) who are Deaf or have hearing impairment.
REMINDERS:

Millie Bobby Brown - Star of Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown is deaf in one
ear. Born with hearing loss in one of her ears, the condition has become more profound over time,
leaving her deaf in her right ear. Brown continues to wow audiences in her role as the lethal and
mysterious Eleven in Stranger Things.
In May 2020, Brown was featured on the Time  100 list of the world’s most influential people, and to
date is the youngest person to appear on the list. In November 2018, she was the youngest person to be
appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Jane Lynch- American actress, voice actress, singer, author, and comedian well known for her role
as Sue Sylvester in the TV series Glee, Jane Lynch is completely deaf in her right ear. She says her
deafness was a result of a suffering a high fever which left her with nerve deafness when she was just
a baby. However, Lynch did not discover this until she was seven years old when she was playing
with her brother and a transistor radio.
CJ Jones- Amazingly, actor, comedian, writer, and director CJ Jones was one of seven hearing
children who were born to deaf parents. His parents communicated in ASL. Jones lost his hearing at
the age of seven when he fell ill with spinal meningitis. 

https://www.ai-media.tv/ai-media-blog/famous-deaf-people-17-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-actors/
#:~:text=Jane%20Lynch,she%20was%20just%20a%20baby.