Teaching Art to Students

with Visual Impairments

Current Thoughts

You are told you will have a student with

a visual impairment in your art class.

What is your initial reaction? What are

some potential benefits? What challenges

do you anticipate?

DefinitionsVisual Acuity – number that indicates sharpness/clarity of vision

Visual Field – area you see when looking straight ahead

Low Vision – visual impairment that cannot be corrected by surgery or lenses

Legally Blind – 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction

- Visual Field of 20 degrees or less in the better eye

Light Perception – can see light and darkness, can differentiate between day and night

Total Blindness – no light perceptionfrom www.visionaware.org

Eye Anatomy

Glaucoma

Cataracts

Diabetic Retinopathy

Retinitis Pigmentosa

Macular Degeneration

Congenitally or Adventitious

Congenitally blind – since birth

Adventitiously blind – vision lost in course of one’s life

(early, mid, or late)

School Team Members

Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) Direct instruction to student

Collaborates with team

Materials adaptation

Orientation & Mobility (O&M) Specialist Teaches skills that are needed to move safely and confidently

throughout one’s environment

Paraprofessional May not have formal training, but is with the student

throughout the school day

Why arts education?

Creative expression Builds self-esteem Part of the human experience Deepens understanding of the world Learn about other cultures Builds fine motor skills Following directions Focus/attention Collaboration Perseverance

Activity #1Learning Through Touch

Pick one paper bag and open it. Do NOT look inside. Use your hands to “see” what it is.

Draw a picture of your object. You may use your hands to exam the object

as often as you want, but you may NOT look at it.

You may work alone or with a partner.

Instructional Strategies Preteach how to use materials safely

Preteach how to organize a work space

Allow tactile exploration of materials as appropriate before/during/after the lesson

Allow student to stand close to a demonstration

Involve student in the process from start to finish

Explicit instruction – students with visual impairments do not learn incidentally

Physical Guidance – hand-over-hand, hand-under-hand

Describe/explore part-to-whole

Promote independence, fade assistance when able

What is the objective of the lesson? How can student meet this objective?

Multisensory Materials

Auditory• Add bells to paintbrushes• Verbal descriptions of process and final

projectTactile• Add sand to paint• Sprinkle sand or glitter on wet paint• Use texture papers• Color on bump boardOlfactory• Scented markers• Add scent to paint• Draw attention to natural scents of

materials

*Use trays to define space

Environment

• Sit student in groups with peers

• Ends are easier to find

• Keep clear pathways

• Keep furniture and supplies neat and organized in a consistent fashion

• Label materials, spots on shelves

• Alert student to any changes

• Push in chairs! Close cabinet doors!

Activity #2Back-to-Back Drawing

Partner A is the teacher and Partner B is the drawer. Partners sit back-to-back with Partner A holding the card.

Rules

1. Partner B cannot look at the card.

2. Partner A must describe the picture using words only. No gestures.

3. Partner A cannot draw or use physical guidance.

4. Partner B cannot ask questions or ask for clarification.

Communication

Call the student by name during group instruction

Verbalize visual elements of a lesson (illustrations, posters, movies, demonstrations, modeling, writing on board)

Use descriptive words and be specific.  Avoid saying general phrases such as, "over there," or "like this”

Speak naturally. Do not avoid the words “look,” “see” or “watch”

Speak directly to the student. Do not speak through the Teaching Assistant.

Describe the environment: Name the students sitting at his table, describe what the other students are doing

Pair student with partners who are able to provide verbal descriptions

May need to prompt friends as well

A Basic Color Wheel

Primary Colors: red, yellow, blue Secondary Colors: orange, green, purple

Red and yellow make orange Yellow and blue make green Blue and red make purple

A Cautionary Tale…

Read the article, “This Was No Art Lesson” by Merry-Noel Chamberlain

What were some good aspects of the lesson? What could the instructor have done better?

Resources

APH InSights art competition Art Beyond the Eyes: A Handbook For Visual Art

Teachers Working with Students with Visual Impairments by Daryl Lussen Wilkinson (2014)

www.artbeyondsight.org Art Beyond Sight YouTube channel

http://mag.rochester.edu/education/ Information on touch tours and audio descriptions

Perkins School for the Blind http://www.perkins.org/stories/magazine/touch-explore-create

Resources

www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/art.html Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

http://www.tsbvi.edu/instructional-resources

http://www.tsbvi.edu/instructional-resources/56-art-ideas

TommyEdisonXP YouTube Channel www.wikkistix.com/sightimpaired