Accessibility: Unlocking Our Potential

[John Locke]

This month, our Electronic Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility
Committee would like to call attention to the issue of *visual impairments*,
and share with you important information on the leading causes, assistive
tools, and specific tools SUNY Plattsburgh has to offer.

*T**eachers, take note*: the National Federation of the Blind
<https://nfb.org/resources/blindness-statistics> reports that *7,675,600
people of all ages in the US are visually impaired. *Some of the visual
impairments
<https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/common-visual-impairments.html> that
you or someone you know may be living with include astigmatism, color
blindness, and total blindness.

*Astigmatism* is characterized by the inability of an eye to focus sharply
at any distance. The condition usually results from a spoon-like shape of
the normally spherical corneal surface. Symptoms include distorted
vision, blurred
vision, eyestrain, headaches, fatigue, and squinting. Slight uncorrected
astigmatism may not cause any symptoms.

   - *Good news*: The problem is correctable by a cylindrical (toric)
   eyeglass or contact lens, or by refractive surgery.

*Color blindness* makes tasks involving color discrimination difficult. The
person may not be able to discriminate colors and may need to learn
alternative techniques for identifying colors: for example, the position of
red and green lights in a traffic signal or using color identification tags
on clothing. Imagine the difficulty a color-blind student has if their
instructor uses color to differentiate assignments, quizzes, and forums on
their Moodle course page.

   - *Key takeaway:* While we don't discourage instructors from using
   color, we stress the need to provide alternative methods of differentiation.

*Hyperopia* (Farsightedness) is a focusing defect created by an
underpowered eye, one that is too short for its optical power. Farsighted pe
rsons can see clearly in the distance, but only if they use more focusing
effort (accommodation) than those who have normally powered eyes. Close-up
vision may be blurred because it requires even more focusing effort.

   - *Good news:* This condition is correctable with additional optical
   power, supplied by a plus lens (spectacle or contact) or refractive surgery.

*Simple myopia* (Nearsightedness) is a focusing defect created by an
overpowered eye, one that has too much optical power for its length.
Nearsighted persons see close-up objects clearly but distance vision is
blurry. They may also get headaches.

   - *Classroom note:* Students with myopia will frequently hold their
   reading material very close to the eyes, which tends to increase the
   visual size of the print. That coping mechanism will not hurt their eyes.
    The severe myopic student may develop an interest in activities
   requiring close visual work as opposed to those activities requiring
   distance vision such as sports. Restrictions may be placed on physical
   activities due to the possibility of retinal detachment.


   - *Good news:* For students with simple myopia, corrective lenses
   usually will correct the visual disorder. Further, corrective lenses are
   able to mechanically restore distance vision such that images are not
   blurred.

*Degenerative myopia* is different in that it usually can not be corrected
with corrective lenses.  The high refraction required will mechanically
reduce the peripheral fields. There is no cure for degenerative myopia, but
this vision impairment can be treated in the same fashion as mild myopia:
namely, with eyeglasses and contact lenses.

*Glaucoma* is a pathologic condition characterized by increased intraocular
pressure resulting in damage to the optic nerve and retinal nerve fibers. It
may be treated by prescription drugs or surgery.

   - *Classroom note:* Generally, high levels of illumination are needed
   with control of glare, even though the student may be sensitive to
light. The
   student might have difficulty in adapting to various changes of
light. Physical
   activities may be curtailed. Peripheral field loss may restrict mobility
   and sports activities. Large-print materials are generally *not* recommended
   due to peripheral field loss. If there is *only* a reduction of vision,
   large print may be used, but the number of words seen will be reduced.

*Macular Degeneration* is a pathologic condition characterized by
deterioration of the macula, resulting in loss of sharp central vision.
Loss of central vision affects acuity, color vision, and may also cause
light sensitivity. There are two types: juvenile or senile. The most common
form of inherited macular degeneration is Stargardt's Disease.

   - *Classroom note:* The student may need average or dim lighting. They
   may also need high-contrast line markers for reading

*Low Vision: *Most surveys and studies indicate that the majority of persons in
the United States with vision loss are adults who are not totally blind;
instead, they have what is referred to as low vision
<https://www.afb.org/blindness-and-low-vision/eye-conditions/low-vision-and-legal-blindness-terms-and-descriptions>.
You may have heard the terms "partial sight" or "partial blindness" or even
"poor vision," which are sometimes used to describe low vision. Those
descriptions are no longer in general use, however.

   - *Here is a good definition of low vision, related to visual acuity:* Low
   vision is a condition caused by eye disease, in which visual acuity is
   20/70 or poorer in the better-seeing eye and cannot be corrected or
   improved with regular eyeglasses. (Scheiman, Scheiman, and Whittaker)

*Total blindness* is the complete lack of light perception and form
perception. It is recorded as "NLP," an abbreviation for "no light
perception." According to Perkins School for the Blind,
<https://www.perkins.org/10-little-known-facts-about-blindness/> only
10-15% of blind individuals can see nothing at all.

Other Causes of Visual Impairments

   - *Infections. *An infection is a pathologic condition. Invasion of
   disease-producing microorganisms, resulting in localized cell injury, toxin
   secretion, or antigen-antibody reaction. Several infections may affect the
   visual system. There are several infections that may be contracted in utero
   or during birth.  They are often known by the acronym TORCH, for
   toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes.
   - *Trauma**. *May be incurred by amniocentesis (rarely) or by forceps
   delivery. Globe perforation can occur from amniocentesis, leading to
   corneal scarring, possible cataract, retinal detachment, and retinal or
   vitreous hemorrhage. Maternal drug abuse is another cause of trauma.

Help for vision impairments

   - *Assistive technology. *Tools that can help those with
   visual impairments.
   - *Screen readers* help students to read electronic text. For example,
   JAWS stands for Job Access With Speech, and is one of many screen readers.
   JAWS works with Windows operating systems and provides text-to-speech and
   braille output. Another example is Kurzweil Education. This text-to-speech
   software can help those who are blind or visually impaired use computers
   and also can read scanned printed material. Kurzweil offers various
   versions for individuals, schools, and institutions. Most computers have a
   free built-in screen reader if you research your computer and model.
   - *To help your peers who are colorblind,* there are a few simple tricks
   you can use. One is focusing on Color Schemes
   <https://knightlab.northwestern.edu/2016/07/18/three-tools-to-help-you-make-colorblind-friendly-graphics/>
during
   presentations. Sites like Colorbrewer
   <https://colorbrewer2.org/#type=sequential&scheme=PuBu&n=3> can help you
   find color-blind friendly color schemes. This site provides various
   color pallets that are color blind friendly.
   - *Electronic mobility aids* are devices that use ultrasonic waves to
   reflect off of obstacles in front of the individual to tell them what is
   coming in front of them. The usefulness of these devices is debated and
   they often need to be used in conjunction with a long cane or a service dog.

Key Campus Service

   - Student Accessibility Services
   <https://www.plattsburgh.edu/plattslife/student-support/accessibility-services.html>
(SAS)
   advocates for students with accommodative needs, ensuring that all students
   receive the appropriate accommodations and full access to the college
   experience.
   - The Adirondack Regional Technology Center
   <https://www.plattsburgh.edu/about/centers/cnbh/artc/index.html> (ARTC) at
   SUNY Plattsburgh operates a Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals
   with Disabilities, or *TRAID Program.* Grants are provided by the New
   York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs
   in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health’s Early
   Intervention Program, and New York State’s Department of Health “Money
   Follows the Person” Program. Located in Sibley Hall, the ATRC is one of
   twelve Regional TRAID Centers operating within the State of New York. The
   goal of the program is to improve access to, and acquisition of, assistive
   technology devices and services for persons with disabilities of all ages
   and all disabilities within Clinton, Essex, Franklin, and St. Lawrence
   Counties.

Trivia Question

   - What is the generic term for software used by people who are blind to
   access a computer or tablet?
      - a. Screen reader 
      - b. braille
      - c. Text
      - d. Voiceover

*Watch for our next "Accessibility: Unlocking Our Potential" post,* including
the answer to this week’s  trivia question in the Friday, March 24 Student
Digest.

Regards,

Bailey Dell'Erba
TEL/EIT  Intern
Majors in TV Video Production and Digital Media
Minor in Public Relations

John Locke, Ph.D.
EIT Accessibility Officermas
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