Media Minute – Low Vision Awareness
February is Low Vision Awareness Month! TSBVI empowers students with low vision who are served on our campus in Comprehensive and Short Term Programs, around the state through Outreach Programs, and in Curriculum publications. This Media Minute will feature how TSBVI supports students, professionals, and family members in instruction about the visual system, use of low vision tools and devices, and development of self-determination and advocacy skills. Haley and Makayla, two students in the EXIT program, share their thoughts on the low vision instruction they receive:
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Using the telescope to look at the art installation designed by Ellsworth Kelly in the Blanton Museum -
Studying rocks and minerals with low vision devices during Summer Programs -
Using the magnifier with illumination to read about a jar of supplements at the grocery store during Low Vision on the Road -
Using household items to learn about anatomy of the eye during Masterful Makers -
On a lesson using low vision devices in a community garden -
A High School mentor returns to lead elementary students in making candy edible eyes, an activity he learned when he was a student in STP!
“From Eye Anatomy to Empowerment” is the title of a TSBVI Coffee Hour from 2021 presented by Dr. Cindy Bachofer and Kathi Garza, two Outreach Consultants and professionals with low vision. They emphasize that learning about eye anatomy and understanding their visual impairment leads to self-identity and can help students answer questions from peers and adults. TSBVI teaches about eye anatomy in many meaningful activities designed to provide hands-on opportunities for students to grow in their understanding of the visual system and their unique visual access. Students explore tactile models of the eye, play matching games with eye vocabulary, collaboratively create a life-size model of the eye using household objects, conduct online research, and even have the opportunity to dissect a cow eye.
A favorite eye anatomy activity for Rosie, a High School student who says “I love sugar!” was creating an edible eyeball out of candy pieces! (check for allergies first!)
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Smiling at the candy edible eyeball she made! -
A student dissects a cow eye magnified under a CCTV and illuminated during STP High School Access to Academics. -
Hand sewing an eye pillow during STP Junior Access to Academic Skills -
Exploring parts of the eye (cornea, iris, and lens) made out of household objects -
Students build a model of the eye using household objects during STP High School Access to Academics. -
Exploring a plastic model of the eye
Once they have a solid understanding of their visual impairment, students learn about the unique access strategies that will help them in the classroom and how to express those needs to their educators. The students create “Access Books” where they categorize visual tasks based on how they access them: with regular print, with large print, with a magnification device, or by asking for help. To practice their self-advocacy skills, the students compose letters to their future teachers explaining their eye condition and visual needs and advocating for the devices and accommodations that help them be successful in the classroom. The students print out and sign numerous copies of their accommodation letters to give to their teachers. A Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and classroom teacher shares, “My students have really increased in their ability to describe their vision loss with these lessons!”
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Using a magnifier with illumination in the classroom -
The "How I Handle This" activity, where students respond to how they handle different visual access scenarios -
Using a lighted magnifier to explore a turtle shell during Low Vision on the Road -
A High School student leading a presentation on the anatomy of the eye in STP. -
Passing the inflatable eye and sharing about their eye conditions during Low Vision on the Road
It is important for young people who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision to be able to visualize themselves as successful and capable teenagers and adults with a wide variety of potential hobbies and careers available in their future. TSBVI students have many opportunities to connect with peer and adult mentors and role models with low vision. Short Term Programs elementary classes invite high school mentors to lead fun, hands-on activities. Elementary students ask the high school mentors about their hobbies, pets, siblings, sports, and what they wanted to be when they grow up, as well as about their eye conditions and low vision tools. The older students demonstrate tools like VoiceOver, and other screen readers. A TSBVI Short Term Programs instructor says, “The elementary students are excited to share about the tools they use, especially when the high schoolers use the same ones!“
Several times a school year, Comprehensive Programs Career Education runs a “Career Café,” which introduces students to professionals who are passionate about their careers and have valuable insights to share about the world of work. Many of the Career Café guests are blind or have low vision. Past guests include a social research psychologist who works for Google, a stand-up comedian, a Mission Control Center Operations Manager for NASA. and two brothers who run a small charitable clothing company that donates 100% of its profits to research on blind and low vision conditions.
TSBVI also participates in the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) CAREER Mentoring Program. In this program, mentors from NFB meet with students monthly throughout the school year to help youth who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision build relationships with adults with similar conditions.
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Cole Johnson, TSBVI alum and Texas Parks and Wildlife employee with low vision visits during White Cane Day 2024 and shows samples of animal pelts and bone at an exhibit table. -
Elementary students make slime with a High School mentor during STP Elementary Access to Academics. -
Career Café guest Comedian Leon Purley talks with students about his experience living with an eye condition and gives a Q&A about how he started his comedy career. -
Elementary students play UNO with a High School mentor during STP Elementary Access to Academics -
Volunteers from Dell Medical Ophthalmology School and the TSBVI Wildcats Mascot build a jumbo model of an eye during Family Day.
We regularly engage in community-based instruction at TSBVI. Students have the opportunity to use their magnification tools in the community on trips to the grocery store to buy ingredients for meals they prepare, at local museums to get a closer look at the fine details in art pieces, and even in the Texas State Capitol to find the room number of their local elected officials!
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Reading about the American Black Bear using monoculars during Low Vision on the Road -
Standing on a balcony in downtown Austin and using a telescope to look at the buildings and cityscape below -
Using the monocular at the playground -
Using a low vision device to look at details of a piece of art on the wall at the San Antonio Museum of Art -
Using telescopes to look for the approaching city bus on a community outing
TSBVI Outreach offers support for low vision instruction around the state. We organize a Low Vision Conference every spring, with the next one coming up on May 16, 2025. We run “Low Vision on the Road” workshops, where we take the “eye anatomy to empowerment” training to local communities around Texas. We have a free online course on Bioptic Driving and Teaching Telescope Skills to students with low vision. You can view recordings of Coffee Hours and Webinars in the Professional Development Library on our website and listen to the Sense of Texas podcast episode with Dr. Cindy Bachofer on low vision. Our online magazine, TX SenseAbilities, also has many articles written by professionals and family members on low vision. Outreach and Short Term Programs also collaborate on “In the Driver’s Seat,” a weekend workshop in which students and families explore the topic of driving with low vision.
In the Second Edition of Essential Tools of the Trade, published by the TSBVI Curriculum Department, the authors discuss the learning needs of students with low vision and conducting assessments to gather additional information on how the student uses all of their senses to learn. For more on the learning needs of dual language learners (students who are taught using both print and braille simultaneously as modes for reading and writing), our Curriculum teachers recommend Paths to Literacy Dual Media.
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Ron Lucy, Director of Governor's Office of Disabilities with the 2023 Capitol Experience STP class -
Exploring bioptics with Chuck Huss, Rehabilitation Specialist, during the Outreach and STP class "In the Driver's Seat" -
Nan Bulla and Dr. Laura Miller pose in the low vision clinic 25 years ago! -
"In the Driver’s Seat" students participate in an outdoor activity wearing bioptics.
Tomás and the Case of the Mysterious Missing Dog, by TSBVI Outreach Consultants Chrissy Cowan and Scott Baltisberger, is a book for encouraging and empowering students with low vision. Inspired by the book Monocular Mac, created by Dr. Anne Corn in the 1970’s, this book is an illustrated story intended to inspire students with low vision to explore the many possibilities in which their equipment and strategies can be helpful, not only in the classroom, but in real-life situations as well. Intended for elementary readers, the tale relates the adventures of Tomás and his friends as they search for his beloved dog. The book is available for free download in the TSBVI Store in English, Spanish, and German digital format. This webinar presents the book in its entirety, showing all illustrations. Below is a video of a dramatic reading with transcript.