BLIND CITIZENS
EDUCATION FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR VISION IMPAIRED
3.1....... ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
3.2....... CHOICE
IN EDUCATION
3.3....... RESOURCING
OF BLINDNESS SPECIFIC SERVICES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
3.4....... ADMISSION
AND ENROLMENT
3.6....... EXPANDED
CORE CURRICULUM
3.7....... ASSESSMENT
AND EXAMINATIONS
3.11.... PHYSICAL ACCESS AND PERSONAL SAFETY
1.1 Blind Citizens Australia is the united voice of blind and vision impaired Australians. Our mission is to achieve equity and equality by our empowerment, by promoting positive community attitudes, and by striving for high quality and accessible services which meet our needs.
1.2 This Policy Statement presents the considered and representative views of people who are blind or vision impaired with respect to their educational needs and draws on their experience as students, parents, educators, and academics
1.3 This Policy Statement consists of core principles applying to each sector of education in the provision of education to people who are blind or vision impaired.
1.4 This Policy Statement is founded on the recognition of the educational rights of people who are blind or vision impaired as expressed in relevant international instruments, and Commonwealth, State and Territory Disability Discrimination Laws.
2.1 Except where otherwise stated, the term 'blind' includes both people who are totally blind and people who are vision impaired.
2.2 Except where otherwise stated the term 'parent' includes both parents and guardians.
2.3 'Educational setting' includes early intervention, primary, secondary and, tertiary education, also vocational and community education, delivered either on or off campus.
2.4 'Educational institution' includes a government or non-government institution that provides courses of study.
2.5 'Education authority' includes: A government or private body involved in curricula development or other aspects of education; Boards of Study and University Admission Centers.
2.6 'Accessible format' includes large print, braille, audio and e-text formats.
2.7 'Preferred format' refers to the provision of material in an accessible format of the student's choice.
2.1 'Assistive technology' includes equipment which provides voice, large print, braille or tactile output from a computer.
2.2 'Expanded Core curriculum' means the curriculum of instruction in blindness specific skills which a student who is blind requires in order to participate successfully in education.
2.3 'Core curriculum' means the required components completed by all students undertaking a course of study.
2.4 'Support services' include: instruction in the Expanded Core curriculum, provision of accessible format material, itinerant/special needs teachers and assistance from disability support staff.
2.5 'Blindness specific skills' means skills in effective vision use, braille literacy, use of tactile graphics, orientation and mobility, assistive technology, daily living skills, self-advocacy, interpersonal skills and study skills.
3.1.1 Each student who is blind is entitled to a comprehensive and ongoing assessment of his/her general and blindness specific educational needs. Such an assessment should be conducted as soon as possible after diagnosis of or change in vision impairment.
Any reports or documentation produced following assessment should be available to the student and/or parents.
3.1.2 In the case of children, an educational needs assessment must be conducted at least annually during early intervention, primary and secondary education.
3.1.3 In the case of students in post-secondary education, an educational needs assessment should be offered at the commencement of each year of the course, or for specific units of a course (if required).
3.1.4 An educational needs assessment should be available to children entering and participating in early intervention programs.
3.1.5 All educational needs assessments must be conducted by persons with appropriate qualifications and/or experience in the field of blindness and vision impairment.
Persons are regarded as having appropriate qualifications to conduct educational assessments if:
· They have recognised qualifications in education or rehabilitation studies which have included specific blindness and vision impairment units;
OR
· They have substantial experience in the field of education or rehabilitation of people who are blind or vision impaired.
3.2.1 People who are blind should have the right to exercise educational choices on a non-discriminatory basis.
3.2.2 The educational choices of people who are blind should not be limited by discriminatory assumptions or restrictions on available blindness support services. Such choice should not be limited by geographic location, choice of educational institution or course delivery mode, for example government or non-government setting, specialist or mainstream facility.
3.2.3 The educational opportunities available to people who are blind should not be restricted by: discriminatory assumptions, stereotypes about blindness and its implications for a person's academic success and personal safety or well-being. People who are blind have the same rights as others to attempt courses of study. They have the right to experience the full range of learning opportunities and extra-curricular activities and to succeed or fail according to their personal ability.
3.2.4 The option of education in a specialist blindness school should be available to those students for whom this option is considered appropriate and where such special schools exist. The appropriateness of education in a special school setting should be determined by an informed decision made by the student and/or parents.
3.3.1 Blindness specific services and support services should be resourced at a sufficient level to enable people who are blind to achieve their educational goals and to exercise educational choices on a non-discriminatory basis.
3.3.2 Procedures for the allocation of funds and services to students should enable a student/parent to know their entitlements prior to the start of an academic year. Criteria and assessment measures should be framed and administered in a way which enables submissions for the allocation of funds and services to be made on the basis of a student's individual needs.
3.3.3 Where an application for funding is successful, funds should be provided in a suitable time period which enables the purchase of necessary services and equipment at the commencement of the funding period.
3.4.1 People who are blind who meet the criteria for admission or enrolment in a course of study should be admitted and enrolled on the same basis as other students. Re-admission and re-enrolment and review of admission and enrolment should be on the same basis as for other students.
3.4.2 Information about the educational institution including its facilities, courses of study, enrolment procedures, administrative rules and student assistance services, should be available in accessible formats at the same time that it is available to other students/parents.
3.4.3 Educational institutions should ensure that students who are blind can independently complete practical tasks associated with the enrolment process, for example filling out the required forms.
3.4.4 Where an entrance examination is required for a course, examination methods and assessment procedures should enable a person who is blind to sit for the exam and be assessed under conditions which take account of his/her disability and are non-discriminatory.
3.4.5 Interviews for admission to an educational institution or to a course of study conducted in accordance with selection criteria that are non-discriminatory. Interviews should focus on a person's ability to satisfy the selection criteria and not on a person's disability so as to preserve the dignity of the interviewee.
3.5.1 Students who are blind should have non-discriminatory access to core curriculum, extra-curricular activities, support services, work experience, sport and recreation and should not be excluded from these activities by reason of their blindness.
3.5.2 Where modifications or adaptations to the core curriculum or extra-curricular activities are required by reason of a person's blindness, these should be made in consultation with the student/parent and/or an advocate and/or a professional with appropriate qualifications in the field of vision impairment.
3.5.3 Core curriculum instruction, assessment material and material for extra-curricular activities should be available to students who are blind, in their preferred format, at the same time that it is available to other students.
3.5.4 Material in accessible format includes prescribed textbooks, class notes, handouts, PowerPoint Presentations, on line course material and required reference material. This material should be available at the same time that it is available to other students.
3.5.5 All prescribed textbooks should be available in braille or in e-text form, suitable for braille production.
3.5.6 Information placed on web sites should be presented in compliance with accepted guidelines for web access for people who are blind (W3C Web Accessibility Guidelines). However, the placement of material on a web site should not be regarded as a substitute for providing that information to a student who is blind in his/her preferred format.
3.6.1 In addition to the core curriculum, students who are blind should have access to instruction in the blindness specific skills they require to participate in education.
3.6.2 Instruction in blindness specific skills should be provided by staff with appropriate training and professional qualifications in these skills. People who are blind should not have to make do with instruction in these vital skills by unqualified staff.
3.7.1 Assessment and examination materials, including material relating to administrative aspects of the assessment process, should be available to students who are blind in their preferred format at the same time that it is made available to other students.
3.7.2 Assessment procedures should include provision for reasonable accommodation, taking into account a person's specific needs and the preservation of academic standards.
3.8.1 Students should have access to sufficient hours of support services from qualified persons enabling them to complete the core curriculum, participate in extra-curricular activities and acquire the necessary blindness specific skills.
3.9.1 Educators should:
· Recognise braille as the key to literacy for students who are blind;
· Give braille instruction a high priority; and
· Encourage its use by students who are blind.
3.9.2 Instruction in braille should be provided by teachers who possess qualifications in braille instruction, which are recognised by the Australian Braille Authority.
3.9.3 Access to course materials and information relating to the education of students who are blind should be available in braille.
3.9.4 Instruction in braille should be available to students who are vision impaired who wish to learn braille or whose parents request this.
3.9.5 Educators should take care to identify and encourage the use of braille for students with deteriorating or expected to deteriorate eye conditions.
3.9.6 Educators should not regard e-text and audio as viable alternatives for a braille user when instructing a student in key literacy skills.
3.10.1 The Expanded Core curriculum for a student should include instruction in the appropriate use of assistive technology. This instruction should be carried out by a suitably qualified instructor.
3.10.2 Students should have access to funding to acquire and upgrade assistive technology.
3.10.3 Any assistive technology used by students who are blind must be compatible with technology used in the educational institution.
3.10.4 Information and support services including choice of appropriate equipment, compatibility, repairs and maintenance for assistive technology should be available to the student and staff within the educational institution.
3.10.5 An educational institution must make reasonable investigations as to the compatibility of adaptive technology when considering upgrading or purchasing new computer systems.
3.11.1 Educational institutions should maintain an accessible environment enabling a student who is blind to move around the campus with dignity and safety. In implementing this policy, educational institutions should have regard to documents such as the Advisory Notes on Access to Premises published by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
3.11.2 An accessible environment includes:
Signage which is easily read by people who are vision impaired and which also contains:
· tactile or Braille characters;
· adequate lighting;
· use of colour or luminance contrasting;
· tactile ground surface indicators;
· clearly defined accessible pathways;
· tactile or 3 dimensional models to assist with orientation.
3.11.3 Educational institutions should implement procedures to ensure the safety of students, staff and visitors who are blind in the event of renovations or the requirement for an emergency evacuation.
3.12.1 Opportunities should be provided for students to gain peer support, role modeling and mentoring from other people including people who are blind. Children in primary and secondary education should be encouraged to participate in activities with students of their own age and to develop peer support networks with other people including people who are blind.