Publications Archive

Visability, Summer 1999, 26

Summary: For parents and professionals concerned with the education of children with impaired vision

• Focus on: RNIB Vision '99 exhibition
• Viewpoint
• Focus on: Vision 99
• An advocate's notebook
• Parents
• Arts
• New Publications
• Technology

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For parents and professionals concerned with the education of children with impaired vision

Editor: Karen Porter

Visability is published termly by RNIB Education Information Service.

The views expressed by contributors may not be those of RNIB.

Focus on: RNIB Vision '99 exhibition

Front cover photo by Bob Kauders:

Editorial

This issue of Visability gives a taster of what's on at this year's RNIB Vision exhibition.

Vision 99 is the major annual exhibition for blind and partially sighted children and adults in education and employment. It will take place at New Century House in Manchester on Wednesday 7 July.

As well as the opportunity to try out new equipment and technology, there will be a chance to attend seminars and workshops on a variety of subjects including resources for literacy hour, visually impaired children in the numeracy hour and an introduction to access technology. Workshops range from an early years focus to tips on applying to college.

Kidzone will be an area especially for children to try out fun and stimulating toys and for parents to get some good ideas on play.

Also in this. issue, John Lodge questions whether changing teaching styles are successful when working with blind children in the literacy hour. Neil Todd and Marianna Buultjens look at children's technology needs for transition from primary to secondary school.

Next term Visability will focus on leisure opportunities for visually impaired children and young people. Please contact me if you would like to contribute.
Karen Porter, Editor

Viewpoint

Where you have your say

Numeracy now!

The DfEE has said that from Autumn 1999 teachers of primary age children in maintained and special schools should teach a daily mathematics lesson to all pupils. At Key Stage 1 they are to spend 45 minutes on numeracy, rising to 60 minutes at Key Stage 2. In this article I will simply refer to the 'numeracy hour'. Teachers are expected to teach the whole class together for a high proportion of the lesson, and oral and mental work should feature strongly.

The National Numeracy Strategy Framework makes 3 specific statements about the numeracy hour:

• it will be appropriate for virtually all pupils
• mathematics has a strong visual element which should be exploited
• children with visual impairment may need tactile materials.

The government's national target is that by the year 2002, 75% of 11 year olds reach Level 4 or better in the National Curriculum mathematics tests (and by 2007 virtually all 11 year olds should reach this target). The recommendations are intended to benefit the 20% -25% of children who may not reach this standard in 2002, as well as those who will.

Issues: At RNIB we take the view that it is necessary to identify the implications of the numeracy hour for visually impaired children and also to explore how visual impairment impacts on numeracy in both conceptual and practical terms. In addition, what are the implications of the numeracy hour for teaching children who also have multiple disabilities?

Training for classroom teachers in both special and mainstream schools, learning support assistants, SENCOs and LEA advisory teachers will help to focus on the major issues affecting numeracy and visually impaired children. They will wish to review and to develop teaching strategies, identify resources and see how numeracy can be used across the curriculum. It is important that a wide consultation process takes place to achieve a balanced approach.

How can ICT be used as an access tool? Are there any utility programmes or packages that you have found useful for teaching maths? Have you any ideas which could be developed? What is the best way to promote early years input? How can parents be encouraged to be involved in developing their children's numeracy?

What is RNIB doing?

I recently canvassed views on numeracy by means of a brief flyer and the response has been encouraging. Teachers are keen to look at the National Numeracy Strategy Framework and see how accessible it is for use with visually impaired children and also to identify resources that could be used. There is concern about the numeracy hour, possibly because of the great shortage of maths trained primary and advisory teachers.

Although a number of pilot schools have been trialling the numeracy hour, regrettably it appeared that none were special schools. However, I would be interested in hearing from any teachers who were involved in trialling numeracy hour with visually impaired pupils in an inclusive setting. What experiences can you share?

A mathematical vocabulary booklet which accompanies the ‘Numeracy Framework’ lists the vocabulary used in the teaching of numeracy and refers to a mathematics dictionary, either bought or made. Have you compiled your own dictionary? Should RNIB provide a large print and/or braille version of this for use by visually impaired children?

What can you do?

1. Contact the DfEE on 0845-6022260 to order your own free copy of the National Numeracy Strategy Framework for teaching mathematics: Reception to Year 6.

2. Find out who your leading mathematics teacher (LMT) is in the school or within the LEA and keep in touch with them.

3. If you are an advisory teacher, find out about numeracy training in your area and ask to be included in any training sessions organised by the LMT.

4. Tell me about the resources that you will find helpful for using in the numeracy hour and also about resources that could be developed.

5. Share good experiences and ideas as well as concerns by contacting Debbie Taylor at RNIB, 224 Great Portland Street, London W1N 6AA, Tel: 0171-391 2348 or fax 0171-383 7613, e-mail dtaylor@rnib.org.uk

6. Come to the numeracy workshop at RNIB Vision 99 in Manchester on 7July 1999.
Debbie Taylor, RNIB Children's Policy Officer

Focus on: Vision 99

Early years: interference or intervention?

"Three quarters of what is good for all children is good for visually impaired children" said Professor Tina Bruce, setting the tone for the early years conference held in Cardiff on 30 March, 'Interference or intervention?' The day was targeted at professionals involved with groups which included visually impaired children within early years settings. The delegate list showed that participants had been drawn from Social Services, Health, Education, independent playgroups, nurseries and voluntary organisations. Practitioners who were wholly involved in mainstream early years settings mixed with specialists who worked solely with visually impaired children.

Pat Davies, Head of the Early Childhood Unit, Children in Wales,s outlined the government policy which would influence our early years practice. The National Childcare Strategy has 3 important elements:

• Raising the quality of early years education
• Making childcare affordable
• Making childcare more accessible by increasing the number of places available.

All this is to be achieved by working in partnership. Pat explained that the Government is making more money available for early years education on the premise that many women really do want to work. However, early years plans have been produced without any real consultation concerning children with special needs and there is no funding for parents who have disabilities. 'Sure Start' is one initiative which is intended to support families in areas of poverty and deprivation, and where there are very young children 0 - 4 years.

Professor Tina Bruce, early years specialist and author, suggested how to 'create an environment which is conducive to play'. Indoor and outdoor play are equally important and the child must always be at the centre of our thinking and planning.

Drawing on recent evidence from neuroscience, she said that "babies are born to relate", and that "relationships and feelings make the brain grow much more in early years settings than reading and writing". We must be sensitive to children's feelings.

Professor Tina Bruce outlined the 12 features of play which Professor Mike Tobin later called '12 commandments' for recognising and enabling play to take place. Professionals at the conference found these features 'inspirational'. Tina's main points were:

1. Children need first-hand experiences which need not always be fun. Tina said, "children cannot play if they are sitting at tables". Apparently 80% of play is based around the preparation of food.

2. Children make up their own rules while they play. Being in control is an important part of play.

3. Sometimes something a child has made earlier becomes a 'play prop'

4. A child must want to play and must be in the mood.

5. Children role play and pretend to be other people.

6. Children 'pretend play' which is not necessarily rehearsing for later life.

7. Sometimes children play alone.

8. Children play in pairs/parallel or in groups.

9. Children sometimes make play agendas or scripts. If adults want to join in they must follow the child's script and not impose their own.

10. Children 'wallow' in their feelings. A scale of involvement, developed in Belgium by Professor Ferre Laevers, enables us to decide how immersed in the situation they are. This is important as in Tina's words "concentration is the greater predictor of academic success".

11. When children play, they show their skills and competencies.

12. Finally, play helps to co-ordinate and integrate what the child learns, and brings together all the different aspects of a child's development.

Margie Whalley, Director of the Pen Green Research, Development and Training Centre in Corby made it clear that she feels passionate about children and families. Margie spoke about a young blind boy who came to Pen Green. The attitude of the staff was to consider what he could do rather than focus on tick lists about what he couldn't do. Staff were concerned at first, but they consulted widely and the video she showed us demonstrated his undoubted progress. Margie went on to talk about how he was able later to integrate into a mainstream school with confidence and success.

Margie then outlined the way she and the staff at Pen Green support parents who regularly visit the Centre at all hours (as many work unsociable hours). Support and training for parents is a critical part of supporting the child. Although Corby isn't the most deprived area in the UK:

• 13 of the children in the nursery came from single parent homes
• during the year 10 or more were in homes where marriages had broken down
• a number of parents had lost their jobs
• a number moved house
• and 7 were in homes where hard drugs were in regular use.

Parents support one another at the Centre, and work with staff in developing an understanding of child development.

Professor Mike Tobin outlined the 'specialist' provision which was developed almost 20 years ago at the School of Education, Birmingham University. He described how this 'playgroup' (not nursery) was established primarily to support children under 3 years to prepare them for their eventual full integration into their local nursery or playgroup. The playgroup staff liaise closely with teachers of visually impaired children within the Birmingham region.

Professor Tobin explained that all children have poor vision at birth but that sighted children gradually learn about visual constancy and spatial concepts of far and near. Children monitor their parents’ line of gaze long before audible communication takes place and they reinforce one another's behaviour. Vision is the master sense and integrates all other modalities. It is for these reasons that he felt it necessary to have a specialist provision for those early formative years.

The afternoon workshops included additional professionals from RNIB; Julie Jennings, Nicola Crews and Roger Willis, who work closely with families and children, and Jennie Rea, who is Senior Specialist Teacher with Cambridgeshire Visual Impairment Service and part of the RNIB/View Curriculum Group concerned with Early Years.

Following the day the evaluation forms made it apparent that all speakers were warmly received. Delegates from different backgrounds, with different beliefs, listened to all views and came together in one room. In the long run this can only be of benefit to visually impaired children.

If 75% of what is good for all children is good for visually impaired children, it will be important in these next months to identify what the other 25% of specialist input should be, and how to include the best of early years practice. It is clear that we need more research, while at the same time always treating findings with caution, as often research has been carried out with very small numbers of children. Furthermore, visually impaired children with a number of additional disabilities do not form a homogeneous group. The conference gave us strong messages about training and empowering parents, and inspirational guidance relating to features of play and the needs of young visually impaired children.

In summary we need:

a) Better training for playgroup/nursery staff about the needs of young visually impaired children

b) Visual impairment specialists with early years knowledge and experience

c) Empowerment of parents, so that they can be informed about their child's development.

It is only by asking questions, and querying what is established, that we make progress. Let us open up the debate. If the early years environment is conducive for 75% of visually impaired children, do we leave them alone, hoping that they will develop and play, or do we intervene, and ensure that we provide the quality of provision which is needed?
Joyce Chatterton , RNIB Education Officer, Wales

• Joyce will be leading a workshop at Vision 99 to further discuss the issues above. Join her to find out more and contribute to the debate. Telephone 0171-391 2369 to reserve your place at just £2, payable on entry.

RNIB products win millennium status

Two products developed by RNIB's Product Development Department have recently been granted Millennium Products status by the Design Council. RNIB's talking scientific calculator and tactile globe have also been shortlisted for inclusion in the Millennium Dome for their innovation and creativity. This could mean both products either being part of the main Dome exhibition or a general display representing Millennium Products in a special section of the Dome. The talking scientific calculator was produced by RNIB in order to meet the needs of blind and partially sighted students up to and beyond A-level standard. It has a custom-made 40 key tactile keypad and both visual and tactile markings are used to help locate and group similar keys. It has a high-quality natural speech output and a set of headphones is provided for quiet operation. The tactile globe is designed to be a versatile teaching tool for children from seven years upwards for use at home or in school. Bold markings, braille and large print labels help children to become familiar with the locations of different countries, the position of the equator and the lines of latitude and longitude. Children can also remove different continents to gain a concept of their size in relation to the UK, and the globe can be added to with additional pull-off kits featuring the physical and political climates of different countries. Stephen King, Director of RNIB's Technical Consumer Services said, 'Being awarded this status shows how innovative and creative RNIB's Product Development team are and how pioneering our products are in this field'. The scientific calculator and tactile globe are available from RNIB Customer Services on 0345-023153. Both products can be viewed and tried out at Vision 99.

‘Shaping the future’ - children and young people's needs and aspirations study

RNIB's 'Shaping the future' project, set up in spring 1998, is exploring the views and experiences of visually impaired children and young people on a range of issues. Wherever possible, the project asks children and young people themselves for their views. Where this is not possible the views of the primary carers are sought.

The children and young people have been identified through education authority specialist teaching services, special schools, special needs co-ordinators in colleges and universities and via the Family Fund database.

Teaching support services have given us basic information on about 1,400 children and young people. Of these pupils and students:

• 517 are 5 to 16 year olds with complex disabilities,
• 627 are 5 to 16 year olds of around average learning ability,
• 355 are 16 to 25 year olds in education.

During the summer of 1998, 25 focus groups were held involving over 130 people from all over the UK. There were groups of 16 to 25 year old students, secondary school students, parents of primary school children and parents of children and young people with complex, multiple disabilities. The issues below were those raised in relation to children and young people who access the curriculum within the expected range for their age.

Public attitudes

Almost every group of parents and young people identified negative public attitudes towards blind and partially sighted children and young people as a problem for them. This was felt to be, in part, due to a general lack of awareness and understanding.

Public attitudes have a marked impact on the self-image and self-confidence of blind and partially sighted young people. Amongst the young people there was a strong desire to be perceived as 'normal' and to be judged in terms of their ability to achieve rather than what they could do 'in spite of being visually impaired'. Generally, the feeling was that, deep down; they had the same fears and worries as their sighted peers. However, sometimes these were compounded by their sight problems.

Self image

Older students felt that personality and determination to succeed were perceived as important factors in the way they reacted to the attitudes of others to their sight problem. If they were assertive and determined to succeed, it was easier to cope with what others thought about them.

Secondary school students were less positive in describing their experiences. They felt that they were sometimes perceived by others in terms of their disability, instead of as young people. They also felt that because of their disability, they were a target for bullying and that others saw them as easy victims.

Social life

For many, opportunities for an active social life and leisure activities were restricted. Even those who felt satisfied with the activities they were involved in had difficulty finding out about local activities. This was a particular problem for those who went to school in another area, who also found it difficult to meet people during the holidays.

"I hated coming home for the school holidays. I lost touch with all of my friends from back home. All I used to do was sit at home with nothing to do. All of my friends now are at this school"

The younger students tended to be less satisfied with their leisure opportunities. They wanted more activities specifically for them as disabled young people and also for all young people to take part in together.

Educational placements

Among the key education issues to emerge from the 16 to 25 year olds were the relative merits of mainstream and specialist education. The general conclusion was that specialist schools are better academically, have better support and smaller class sizes, but mainstream education has the advantages of more freedom, better social opportunities and a more realistic preparation for adult life.

"I think inclusion's great but it's still a long way to go" (postgraduate student)

Experiences of school

Of greatest interest to both students and parents was the level of support the pupil received. The adequacy of extra classroom assistance and individual attention from specially trained staff were also of particular concern.

"My child attends mainstream school where the staff are willing to help any way they can but the lack of information, facilities and training for children with sight problems limits this help." (Mother of child aged 8)

Both students and parents were concerned that mainstream teachers frequently did not listen to them and did not have a realistic understanding of the students' visual difficulties. One example of this was the use of black and white boards. Students frequently felt they were not getting all the information they required for their lessons.

"We have trouble at mainstream school - getting the teachers to understand just how poor his sight is. Because he runs around with the rest of the children they tend to forget there is a problem. When he gets tired in class through concentrating - he's lazy or not listening." (Mother of child aged 10)

Equipment and materials were also a concern. The lack of provision of enlarged books, handouts and exam papers presented an area of difficulty, along with inadequate provision of computers, accessible technology, and low vision aids.

"I feel the attitude towards young people with visual problems is wrong in schools. Teachers put up OHP images on the white board and when I ask for a copy of the writing they tell me to move to the front and I don't see how this would help me." (Young person aged 14)

Social life and school

Most young people spoke of bullying and felt that this was not dealt with quickly enough or sufficiently at school. Bullying could take many forms including physical and verbal abuse, stealing things and deliberately being left out of activities. One student who had recently left university said:

"I strongly believe that bullying at school has had a profound effect on my life. It was not until I went to university that I regained my self-confidence."

Preparation for employment

The variable quantity and quality of careers advice young people received was constantly highlighted. Even amongst those who had already obtained good qualifications, many felt they were being "pushed" into certain types of employment. Most commonly, this would be a stereotypical job for a visually impaired person or a job that was far below the capabilities of the person, given his or her qualifications.

13. "I have a good degree but all the careers advisor could recommend was a secretarial job. I do not feel he had made any attempt to understand my sight problems." (Postgraduate student who had recently lost her sight)

Out and about

For all the students, transport was a crucial issue and came up more than almost any other topic during the discussion groups. Many blind and partially sighted young people feel they are hindered in pursuing independent travel by, for example, poor visibility or signs and timetables. Bus drivers in particular were condemned for their lack of understanding and rudeness. Many students felt that transport providers could do considerably more to tackle these problems.

Information and advice

In a number of areas poor access to information caused problems for the students and their parents. This was particularly important in relation to social events, both at school or college and in the local area. For parents, more general advice about benefits, the statementing process and registration was felt to be completely inadequate.

Conclusion

Whilst there seemed to be a consensus amongst the groups, it is not possible to say that the views above necessarily prevail amongst blind and partially sighted young people and parents. To establish the real extent of these issues, the 'Shaping the future' questionnaire survey, currently in progress, is based on issues and points raised in the focus groups. Preliminary results indicate the issues are indeed common concerns for large numbers of blind and partially sighted children, young people and their families.
Anita Franklin, Kate Masters, Lee Smith, Issy Cole-Hamilton, RNIB ‘Shaping the future’ project

• The full results of the project will be published in February 2000. Find out more about the survey findings by coming to the ‘Shaping the future’ workshop at RNIB's Vision 99 exhibition on 7 July. Just £2 payable on entry.

An advocate's notebook

Making a Statement?

A current policy trend

In its recent policy document on Special Needs Provision the Government indicated that it was desirable to make provision for more children without their having a Statement of Special Educational Needs. The thinking behind this is to save money now spent on making and maintaining Statements and make more available for making the provision itself. It is emphasised that this can only be achieved if parents are fully involved, and where parents have confidence in the quality of provision that will be available without a Statement.

Would this require a culture change in your LEA?

If fewer Statements are to be achieved many LEAs will have to change their relationship to parents. Currently in many cases parents are still not properly involved in the education process, feel marginalised, belittled, unable to influence what happens to their child. Because money is almost always tight in local authority budgets, and special education provision costs have been escalating in recent years, pressure from senior management often results in a lack of proper information to parents, or appropriate response to their concerns, in order to avoid expenditure.

This is not true for all LEAs or all parents of course, and there are other elements in current government policy which in time should help to change the culture where it is needed, such as the requirement on LEAs to provide independent advice and support to parents who are negotiating provision, for which additional central government funding is being provided.

How can parents help to create a positive climate?

It is often difficult for LEA staff, such as your Sensory Impairment or Visual Impairment team, to argue for progress as councillors may not take kindly to arguments put forward by their own employees. Parent support groups, whether for children with special needs generally, or for visual impairment specifically, such as Look groups, are therefore an important means of securing development. Linking with parent support groups for other specific difficulties such as dyslexia or autism may be useful within your LEA, firstly because you will have much common ground in problems and perceived solutions, and secondly because united you can have more impact.

Should I accept LEA assurances about provision, or should my child have a Statement of Special Educational Needs?

I cannot, of course, offer a specific and personal answer, but will list some questions whose answers may help you to decide. Your local RNIB Family Support Officer will be happy to discuss your own situation with you - contact the Education and Employment Information Service on 0171-388 1266 if you don't know who that is.

• Does my child need expertise or equipment which is not available from within the school's own resources ? If not, then a Statement should not be necessary, unless the school is provided with special resources for visually impaired children, and your child will move to another school before long.
• Are we likely to move to live in another LEA in the next two years? If yes, then a Statement wilI be valuable as the new LEA would have to make the provision it required until a new one was produced there: without it there would be no guarantees as to what would be provided.
• Has our LEA been thorough in assessing our child's needs so far?
• Has our LEA readily made provision to meet those needs so far?
• Is the present or prospective school confident about meeting our child's needs ?
• Has it been made clear to me what provision will be made by the school, and what supplied by LEA central resources, for both staffing support and equipment (eg VI teacher support/computer)
• Is the school happy with that division of responsibility?
• Have other parents of visually impaired children been content with provision made without a Statement? (Ask your teacher of the visually impaired to arrange contacts if there is no local parent support group.)
• Has my child got a good Individual Education Plan (IEP), and am I fully involved in reviewing progress and setting new targets ? (See Visability Autumn 1998 if you want more information about this)
• (If your child needs speech, physio, or any other therapy) Am I, and the school, satisfied that there is no problem in getting therapy for my child? Almost certainly such therapy will be meeting an educational need: if your LEA suggest that it is not, or that this is not their concern because it is provided by the Health Authority, then your child probably needs a Statement to secure the provision.
• If you have just had a statutory assessment of your child's special educational needs, and the LEA has said a Statement is not required, have you been given a satisfactory Note in Lieu which describes your child's needs and what provision will be made to meet them ?
• If you have not had a statutory assessment, has the LEA put in writing to you what are agreed to be your child's needs and the provision required to meet them, or is it also detailed in your child's IEP and are you content with what it says ?
• Do I have confidence that LEA employees are able to be open and honest with me, and that my views, and my child's views, are given serious attention ? It is general confidence that matters here: you may feel confident in a particular LEA officer or teacher, but any one person may move elsewhere before long, so it is the overall climate within the LEA that matters.

Decision time!

If you can answer these questions positively, then you may reasonably decide to accept provision made without a Statement. If you do so it is because you have trust in the LEA, both now and the future (eg that policy will not change for some time.) If you feel uncertain about the situation, then you should probably seek a Statement because, if successful, your child will have a legal right to any provision it specifies.
Neil Anderson, RNIB SEN Tribunals Officer

Parents

Asian Parent Telephone Link

"My child has a rare syndrome", is what I am told by some Asian parents that I have met. As part of the RNIB Asian Families Project, I work directly with Asian parents and families who have a child with a serious sight problem living in the West Midlands.

Through my research, I have found that most Asian parents of a child with a serious sight problem and in particular those with a 'rare condition' feel isolated. Some of these Asian parents also feel that there may not be any other children with the same or similar condition as their child within their local community. They are usually surprised to find out that I know of at least one other Asian child with the same or similar condition.

I feel that parents find comfort in knowing that there are other children with a similar condition to their child and therefore are not on their own. It can be invaluable for parents to know of other parents, as well as obtain news and information about relevant national and local support groups which they can draw upon.

However, I am aware that there are some Asian parents who are unable to attend a local support group meeting, but may wish to talk to other parents who have a child with a similar condition to their child. To support these parents we have set up an Asian Parent Telephone Link, in order to offer them an opportunity to reduce their possible isolation and to share their experiences with other Asian parents by telephone.

This new initiative is intended to work in the following way:

• Asian parent (A) wanting to talk to other Asian parents contacts the RNIB Asian Families Project;
• The project will contact an existing Asian parent link volunteer (B) and pass him/her the telephone number of parent (A);
• Asian parent link volunteer (B) will then telephone Asian parent (A).

All telephone link volunteers have completed a training programme, which allows them to share their experiences and offer support in a sensitive and confidential way. We have also produced guidelines and a summary of the guidelines for the use of the telephone link service, which are available upon request. Please contact the project team on 01203-369 559.

If you would like further information or know someone who may find this service useful, please contact Pratima Patel, Family Support Groups Liaison Officer on 01203-369 557,e-mail: prpatel@rnib.org.uk

The literacy hour and changing teaching styles - Making the initiative succeed fro visually impaired pupils

John Lodge describes one school's experience of implementing the literacy hour.

Over a period of six weeks, support staff at Sythwood School carried out observations of the visually impaired pupils' learning experiences during the literacy hour. Based on these findings, staff found they needed to modify their approach to inclusion. Sythwood School is a large primary school in the south east of England with 20 visually impaired pupils. A unit for visually impaired pupils attached to the school supports the pupils' learning.

Beginning the literacy hour

Sythwood School is committed to the inclusion of all its pupils, so when the literacy hour started last September it was decided that visually impaired pupils should remain in class alongside their sighted peers. The support team attended weekly curriculum planning meetings to offer specialist advice, where required, and to receive details about the texts to be used in the following week. This helped the completion of text modification on time - although the wide range of texts being used by different classes kept the support team busy.

Difficulties

Despite this, support staff began to have misgivings about the impact of the new initiative on the learning of the visually impaired pupils. Consequently, they decided to monitor the pupils' progress during the first half term. In the event, these misgivings proved to be well-founded and a number of difficulties kept re-appearing on the Iogsheets maintained by staff.

Here is a list of the more persistent of them:

• Pupils were frequently unable to keep up with the reading in class.
• Working with 'Big Books' and the white board proved problematic for many pupils. The difficulties arose because the pupils couldn't see the text properly - or at all.
• Activities based on a book's illustrations were common in class. Many visually impaired pupils couldn't see the pictures clearly and so couldn't take part.
• Lots of whole-class activities at the word/sentence/whole text levels require pupils to locate a word or some text on a page. Since visually impaired pupils scan more text slowly, they couldn't keep up with these exercises.
• Sometimes teachers set tasks which required good distance vision to complete - these activities proved inappropriate for most visually impaired pupils.
• The noise generated by whole class teaching and group work proved distracting for one pupil with an additional hearing impairment.
• Pupils were frequently unable to finish the set tasks in time.
• Because there were lots of things they couldn't do, a significant number of lessons proved de-motivating for visually impaired pupils.
• There was little time to teach braille during the literacy hour.

Changing the arrangements for inclusion

The monitoring exercise revealed that some visually impaired pupils were experiencing serious difficulties - especially braillists. As a result, it was decided to modify the initial inclusion arrangements and withdraw the braillists three times each week during literacy hour and teach them separately. During withdrawal, their work was based on the same texts and activities as the rest of the class, but part of the hour was allocated for learning braille. They joined their peers for two of the hours each week on days when the group/ independent work suited them.

This has proved to be a successful strategy and pupils have regained their motivation and are now making satisfactory progress. Good collaboration with class teachers has ensured that braillists study the same texts and undertake (mostly) the same activities as their peers. A recent OFSTED inspection of the school looked closely at the visually impaired pupils' participation in the literacy hour and concurred with the decision taken by the school. A flexible approach to inclusion - informed by careful monitoring - was the key to success here. Flexibility is recommended by several agencies, eg

Whilst safeguarding principles of inclusion, flexibility is essential if visually impaired children are to make the best use of dedicated literacy time in schools. (RNIB, 1999)

Changes in teaching methods

So what is it about the literacy hour that made it particularly difficult for braillists to integrate with their classmates? One answer, I feel, lies in the different teaching methods that teachers are now adopting, namely whole class teaching styles. Early surveys of teachers' views of the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) seem to support this, eg

Teachers may be changing how they teach more than what they teach. (TES, 1999).

If in fact styles are changing, there could be negative consequences in the short term for the education of visually impaired pupils. This is because certain teaching styles - unless adapted appropriately - are not well suited for visually impaired children.

Why might these changes be happening? Possibly as a direct result of the National Literacy Strategy itself. The recommendations of the National Literacy Framework document (DfEE, 1998) are quite prescriptive and a 'tightly constrained' lesson structure is laid down - in four parts - of how learning should be managed by the teacher (see Frater, 1999, for the rationale for this).

Part	Type of work	Class management	Time
Part 1	Shared text work	Whole class	15 min
Part 2	Focused word or sentence work	Whole class	15 min
Part 3	Independent reading/writing or word/sentence work - teacher works with two ability groups	Group and independent work	20 min
Part 4	Lesson review session	Whole class	10 min

Structure of the literacy hour

A glance at the table above shows that only in Part 3 is there scope for any individual or small group work. Parts 1, 2 and 4 are usually teacher-led and take place as a whole class session. This official recommendation of whole class teaching for such an important subject as literacy represents a significant new direction in teaching style for many teachers. Early signs are that many educators are indeed changing their methods to embrace the whole class approach. This is certainly the case in the school where I work as a support teacher.

Whole class teaching is currently enjoying favour with government ministers and teachers are receiving encouragement from that quarter. Besides this, the NLS is placing extra work on an already over-burdened primary teaching profession. So it is not a difficult scenario to imagine primary teachers being persuaded to adopt this method of teaching, since it is also 'workload-friendly' (Gunn, 1998). Whilst whole class methods can be effective if used with discrimination, some aspects of this teaching style are poorly suited to visually impaired users. In particular, those techniques which require the pupil to have distance vision. Here's why:

Teachers use various techniques to teach whole classes. One popular way is to use a 'big book'. This is an enlarged book placed in front of the class. It allows sighted pupils to follow the text as it is read. The book can be used for whole class text/sentence/ word follow-up activities. Big books are an attractive option for teachers since they come complete with text and attractive illustrations. This makes them interesting for sighted pupils.

But, these books are expensive and teachers have to use cheaper alternatives. Writing on the white board is an obvious option; flip charts are popular and I've also seen teachers produce giant photocopies of a text and tack them up in front of the class. Some partially sighted pupils can participate quite well on their own with this large text approach, provided they are seated nearby and the lighting conditions are appropriate. But most will require the help of a support assistant. Blind pupils, on the other hand, are quite another matter.

Some competent braillists may be able to follow as the teacher reads the book. But once the class starts to use the 'big book' for practical activities, then braillists cannot keep up. This is because most activities involve some page turning and text scanning. Both of these may be performed easily by sighted pupils, but they are very slow operations when working with a braille text. Even with individual support and a modified text in their hands, we found braillists could not keep up. Strategic withdrawal became inevitable if they were not to lose out.

In spite of the problems, there are some simple steps that can be taken to begin to minimise the unhelpful aspects of whole class teaching. Here are two suggestions:

1. Provide training for class teachers to introduce them to make use of techniques which do not require distance vision, eg auditory approaches. Training need not be expensive or taken out of school. The support teacher for the visually impaired could take several model lessons to demonstrate appropriate methods.

2. Modify texts in such a way that they reflect the original text, page for page. Make sure the braille text has the print text page numbers on it. So if the teacher says, "Let's take a look at page 9," then braillists can turn easily to page 9 in their book too.

Conclusions

The National Literacy Strategy, whilst welcomed by some agencies, has brought less than favourable consequences for blind pupils' inclusion in the literacy hour. In the experience of one school, whole class teaching has emerged as the dominant teaching style for the hour. Whilst partially sighted pupils have been able - with support - to cope reasonably with this, blind pupils have fared less well. These pupils need to be withdrawn for significant amounts of time to ensure that they have appropriate access to literacy.

The NLS is in its infancy and it would be unfair to pass judgement on it yet. But I have a feeling that the 'eagle' of whole class teaching 'has landed' and is here to stay - for the foreseeable future at least. With the numeracy hour about to arrive, will we see further encouragement to whole class teaching? I suspect we might. So given a possible major shift in teaching styles of this scale, support staff will need to work hard to ensure the education that visually impaired pupils receive is both enriching and inclusive - a challenge for the millennium indeed!
John Lodge, Support teacher for visually impaired children and access technologist

References

• DfEE (1998) ‘The National Literacy Strategy. Framework for Teaching’ London: DfEE
• Frater, G (1999) 'National initiatives for literacy. Two cheers.’ ‘Education’ 3-13, 27,1:3-11
• Gunn, O (1998) 'Literacy and workload'. ‘Teaching Today’ Autumn.
• RNIB (1999) ‘Literacy for all?’ RNIB Children's Policy and Research Unit
• TES (1999) ‘Strategy alters teaching style’. ‘TES’ Jan 29th.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all colleagues at school who helped me in many practical ways with this article - especially Hilary.

• Note: John Lodge is currently working on a book about using IT to help produce documents for young braillists. It will be available free of charge on the internet. The publication date is September 1999. Watch this space for further details,

Easter revision course

Over Easter, RNIB New College organised its first Easter GCSE revision course. The 17 visually impaired students came from a wide range of mainstream schools. The aims of the four day course were to focus on some key areas in each subject, give students a chance to discuss issues on an individual basis with staff and boost their motivation for the forthcoming exams. The students studied a different subject each day, working in small groups with a specialist teacher. They found the sessions very useful and demanding. As well as revision they took part in a wide range of activities in the evenings such as swimming, diving, cycling and a visit to Worcester.

RNIB New College was awarded status as a Beacon School last year. This revision course was held to enable staff to share their expertise in the teaching of visually impaired children with a wider range of students. There were no course fees for the students.

The students evaluated the course highly and commented on how helpful it had been to focus on a few subjects in depth, and to be able to work with some specialist equipment they had not used before.

Dr Chris Stonehouse, the course director said "The students worked very hard and played hard. It was great to see how well they quickly got to know each other and really worked as a team. Many were sad to leave and wished it could have been longer! It was a challenge for our teaching staff to put together work for such a diverse group of students, with a wide range of demands, but cooperation was the name of the day."

• The College plans to run similar courses in the future for both GCSE and A level students. If you wish to be put on a mailing list please contact Dr Chris Stonehouse, RNIB New College Worcester, Whittington Road, Worcester WR5 2JX. Tel: 01905-763933.

Learning through play

Jenefer Roberts has worked as a teacher with blind and partially sighted children for a number of years. She became frustrated at the lack of good published material for this group of children. Teachers often spend hours of their time adapting or making games, books and activities for blind children and, however nicely made, these tend to have an air of 'home-madeness' about them. Jenefer wanted the children to also have some pieces of equipment that, as well as being functional, were good to look at and well-designed, so she set about developing the following products:

The BeActive Box:

This is a piece of equipment designed for blind babies or infants with visual impairment and severe learning difficulties. It is placed over the child, who will find, inside the box, lots of objects that feel and sound interesting and will encourage him or her to move, play and explore. The BeActive Box was originally designed because of difficulties with the original Lilli Nielson 'Little Room' design which was both bulky and difficult to put together. I approached a toy maker and asked him to make me a flat fold box which would look colourful and attractive. Together we came up with the BeActive Box, which has now been on the market for 3 years. RNIB has recently included it in their product guide.

The BeActive Box

Research:

In 1996 questionnaires were sent to the first 60 purchasers of the BeActive Box asking for information about how the activity box was used and its benefits. This research elicited many interesting comments from teachers and parents who had used the box with children who had complex learning difficulties with visual impairment. This research suggests that its main benefit is the freedom and independence it brings these children.

One teacher wrote, 'Objects are accessible; always return when knocked; and can be grasped, swiped, observed and explored'. A parent wrote, 'for my child, she knows that when she moves her hand, the toy makes a noise'. The results of this questionnaire can be found in the ‘Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness’, April 1999 (published by the American Foundation for the Blind) Volume 93, No.4.

Jody Pegs Game Set:

This began as a simple pegboard designed for a young physically disabled blind child who needed some simple games or activities which she could do independently, without adult help. This little girl was unable to play any conventional games, even straightforward ones such as adapted snakes and ladders, because she could not track along a line with her finger and because her physical difficulties resulted in the playing pieces being continually knocked to the floor.

Having produced a pegboard for her, we quickly realised that, if the pegs were adapted into two distinctive sets that she could identify by touch, then lots of different games could be played. Consequently the tops were sawn off some pegs so that they became 'flatheads' or 'roundheads'. They were also painted in contrasting colours to make them visually distinctive. We added a simplified dice and made a double-sided board with an alternative layout of holes. Some of the games that can be played with this set are very easy and can be played by any child able to take a peg out of the board. Other games are quite complex ones of position and strategy. The little girl used the original game set extensively at school and other children would often ask if they could play with, 'Jody's pegs'. The ‘Jody Pegs’ game set, with instructions for 18 developmentally sequenced games, is now made commercially and is available from RNIB Customer Services on 0345-023153.

Tactile nursery rhyme book; Jody Pegs Game Set

Tactile nursery rhyme book:

'I want both my sons to enjoy books, but in Adam's case, it seems that suitable books are extremely rare...When the time comes for Adam to learn braille I don't think he will realise the enjoyment to be gained from reading simply because he hasn't had the opportunity to develop any pre-reading skills.'

These are the words of a parent searching for material for her 3 year old visually impaired son, taken from the Autumn 1995 edition of Visability. It explains the reasons why we developed the tactile nursery rhyme book. The initial idea and book illustrations were in place by 1997, followed by numerous design difficulties and problems with production. However, in February 1999 a book was eventually produced with brightly coloured pictures from 5 nursery rhymes and Grade I braille embossed onto plastic pages. Each picture also includes a fabric cut out. This is a book which is designed to be enjoyed by both sighted and non-sighted children. It is accompanied by an interactive audio tape. Further details are available from Touch and Tell books on 01728-603 772.
Jenefer Roberts, Advisory Teacher for Visual Impairment with Suffolk Education Authority

Toys with 'child appeal'

Judy Denziloe from Planet makes some suggestions for rewarding toys on the general market.

There is an enormous range of general market toys (ie those toys designed for non-disabled children) available at any one time - some are good, some are a waste of money and some are, frankly, rather tacky!

Many general market toys are suitable for disabled children. The toys detailed on the following pages are just a selection of items which offer rewarding and stimulating play opportunities to many children who have physical or learning disabilities or sensory impairments.

Octopus and Springumy Bobs Octupus

There are certain advantages in looking at general market toys before reaching for special needs catalogues. The toys are relatively cheap, because they are mass produced in large quantities and there is strong competition between toy manufacturers. The toys are also attractive to children - good toy designers have a lot of experience in giving toys 'child appeal' and they are designed by research into child development, vision, hearing, and so on.

The other good reason for using general market toys is that they encourage inclusive play (disabled and non-disabled children playing together). The toys are attractive, ordinary toys which people have seen in toyshops, not pieces of equipment which look somehow 'special' and 'therapeutic',

The problem with general market toys can be finding them! The toys described on the following pages should be in toyshops, but they are often squeezed out by all the latest crazes and character merchandising. Some of the items are available in mail order catalogues and we have given details where applicable. The prices will be higher than in toyshops, but it may be simpler than a lengthy search in the shops!

If you work with older children or adults with severe or profound disabilities, look at the following suggestions with an open mind. Some of the toys are very childish, but some of them are simply exciting pieces of equipment which could appeal to a very wide age range.
Judy Denziloe, Planet

Visit Planet's stand in the Kidzone at Vision 99 for information and advice on toys and play.

• Kugel and Woggle (Formative Fun), £6.99 each: beautiful coloured wooden beads on elastic, to fiddle with.
• Peep-Po Ball (Lego Primo, from toyshops) £5.00: brightly coloured heads pop up from the red ball as it is turned.
• Glitter Rattles (Fisher-Price, from Acorn Educational) £8.17 the pair: excellent visual stimulation, with shiny mirror surfaces and bright colours.
• Octopus (Boots) £10: lots of textures and sounds to explore
• Springumy Bobs Octopus (ELC) £7.00: one of a series of creatures which make crazy noises as they bounce up and down on the elastic.
• Tinkle Crinkle (Formative Fun) £9.99: good visual stimulation with strong black and white patterns, plus interesting textures and sounds.
• Skwish (Acorn Educational) £14.04: attractive, lightweight toy which can be pulled, rattled and squashed.
• Glitter Loop (Formative Fun) £8.99: coloured wooden beads and rings move along plastic tubes full of glitter.
• Happy Sounds Ball (Tomy, from ELC) £9.99: soft, brightly coloured ball which makes one of 17 noises every time it is bounced, squeezed or dropped.
• Bell with Bells (Toy shops) £2.99: transparent, bright pink, inflated ball containing five bells which roll and bounce around when the ball is moved.
• Rainmaker £10.00 and Baby Rainmaker £5.00 (both from ELC): Watch the multi-coloured beads cascade down the tube with a gentle pattering sound.
• Rattle and Roll Ball (Playskool, from toy shops) £8.00: Similar noise to the rainmakers, as the ball rolls around.
• Magnetic Blocks (Acorn Educational) £14.69: Colourful plastic blocks with metal plates and inset magnets. A good low-effort construction set.
• Wiggly Giggly Ball (Toy shops) £10.00: bright green ball which makes a crazy giggling noise as it rolls (no batteries required).
• Frog in a Box (Gait, from Formative Fun) £14.99: Liftthe lid and the soft frog jumps right out of the box.

• 

Vanimals and Frog in a Box

• Vanimals (Tomy, from Acorn Educational) £11.69: Simple remote controlled toys with two chunky buttons. Press one to make the toy walk, the other produces a noise and movement (eg the dog squeaks and his nose and ears move).
• Clic (NES Arnold) £57.28 plus Base £9.99: More challenging construction set. Wooden blocks link together by means of sturdy press-studs.
• Magnetico (NES Arnold) £35.19: Brightly coloured plastic bricks and base plates have small magnets securely embedded in them.

Contact details:

• Acorn Educational Limited, 32 Queen Eleanor Road, Geddington, Kettering NN14 1AY Tel: 01536-400212/746480 Fax: 01536-400962
• ELC - Early Learning Centre, Customer Services, South Marston Park, Swindon SN3 4TJ Tel: 01793-443322
• Formative Fun Ltd, The Old School, Gundry Lane, Bridport DT6 3RL, Tel: 01297-489880, Fax: 01297-489017
• NES Arnold, Ludlow Hill Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 6HD Tel: 0115-971 7700, Fax: 0500-410420

For further information or advice, please contact: PLANET Information Service, Cambridge House, Cambridge Grove, London W6 0LE, Tel: 0181-741 4119, Fax: 0181-741 4505.

PLANET is managed by Action for Leisure (Reg. Charity No. 1063662) Promoting play and leisure for disabled children and adults.

Arts

Arts Fun Day at Stoke Damerel Community College, Plymouth

Tuesday 16 February

Nothing to do during the holidays? Children in the south west of England came together for a day during February half-term to have fun with the arts in a collaborative venture jointly hosted by RNIB Education Centre: West and the Plymouth Advisory Team for Sensory Impairment.

RNIB was able to sponsor the Arts Fun Day as a result of the money raised by their area fundraising team, so that families could participate at no extra cost. The day was organised by Alan Jones, Head of Visual Impairment in Plymouth, with the help of staff from RNIB Education Centre: West and Stoke Damerel Community College which hosts a resource centre for pupils with a visual impairment.

The day was open to all children and young people in the South West region who have a visual impairment together with their brothers and sisters. Over 50 children took part from areas as wide as St Austell, Yeovil, Torbay, Exeter and Launceston. Some parents stayed to join in the fun; others decided to make the most of a day of freedom!

Local arts professionals and RNIB staff, including the Music Education Adviser, provided a wide programme of events: there was an opportunity to try circus skills such as stilt-walking, juggling, plate-spinning and clowning, and there were sessions of country dancing, story telling and writing, puppet-making, fabric-printing, drama, computer art, and music on a variety of instruments.

The Plymouth Play Development Unit provided a play trailer and bouncy castle and face painting for all!

The day closed with a communal gathering for parachute games to send the children home in high spirits with their puppets and painted fabrics - and faces!

The Plymouth Advisory Team for Sensory Impairment plan to hold an Arts Fun Day 2000 on Tuesday 22 February next year. If you would like more information about this event, contact Alan Jones on 01752-603214.

See you there!
Julie Jennings, RNIB Family Officer

New Publications

New special supplement

The TES has launched a new supplement, ‘TES Special Needs’. It comes free with the TES once a term. Aimed at teachers, it takes a 'wide-angled' view, recognising that every teacher has to provide for children with special needs. The first issue tackles inclusion and looks at success stories around the country. It also includes a round-up of news, exhibitions and new books or resources.

A vision shared

An important new video identifying aspects of good practice and strategies for the successful inclusion of visually impaired pupils in mainstream education. Inclusion is a realistic and effective option for visually impaired pupils. Focusing on pupils, parents and professionals, the video provides an insight into the practicalities of everyday school life. This video is intended for anyone who has an interest in the education of visually impaired children and young people. It also complements the RNIB 'Facilitating independence' course for learning support assistants working in mainstream education. It is also available with audio-description. A vision shared costs £17.95 from RNIB Book Sales Service on 0181-968 8600.

Your benefit: 0-19 years:

Your benefit: 0-19 years: a guide to social security and other benefits for visually impaired children and young people up to age 19

This exciting guide from RNIB Welfare Rights Service, covers benefits for visually impaired children. The first section is about benefits which can be claimed by parents or carers on behalf of a blind or partially sighted child for example, Disability Living Allowance, worth from £14.05 to £89.95 a week. This benefit is intended to help with some of the extra costs of bringing up a visually impaired child. Each year hundreds of thousands of pounds remain unclaimed simply because people are unaware of their rights. With helpful tips and tactics, this guide aims to help blind and partially sighted children and young people, their parents and carers to get what they are entitled to. Your benefit 0-19 years is priced £2.00 and is published in large print, braille and on tape. To order a copy of ‘Your benefit 0-19 years’, please telephone RNIB Customer Services on 0345 -023153.

Children with visual impairment in mainstream settings

Christine After, Heather Mason, Steve McCall, Mike McLinden and Juliet Stone

David Fulton Publishers £9.50

ISBN 1-85346 583-6

This new book is written for teachers in mainstream settings who are about to teach pupils with a visual impairment for the first time. It describes the impact a visual impairment can have upon a pupil's access to the curriculum and suggests many practical ways in which these difficulties can be overcome. The authors, who all have first-hand experience of teaching children with a visual impairment, share advice on assessment, differentiation and how low and high technological aids can support the pupil's work. It is aimed at student and newly qualified teachers and those who are taking in-service or professional development training. It will also be of interest to LEA advisers, parents and governors of mainstream schools with pupils with a visual impairment. For further information phone David Fulton Publishers on 0171-405 5606.

Videos and films on blindness

A directory of videos, films and other audio-visual materials on the subject of serious sight problems. It includes materials on: the causes of sight loss; how blind and partially sighted people lead their lives; equipment, products and services; the work done by organisations for people with sight loss and what sighted people can do to help.

Price £5 from RNIB Customer Services on 0345-023 153.

The large print handbook

A directory of large print materials and suppliers. Most of the items listed can be obtained from suppliers within the United Kingdom. Also includes a brief guide to producing large print and copyright issues. Price £4 from RNIB Customer Services on 0345-023 153.

RNIB Post-16 Education and Employment Support Services

If you or your colleagues work with blind and partially people in further, higher and adult education, training or employment, then this new brochure outlining the range of support services available from RNIB will prove invaluable. This brochure is aimed at organisations such as colleges, universities, careers companies, training providers and employers. It discusses the services available relating to:

• Increasing access to further, higher and adult education
• Technology and Vocational Assessments that help identify suitable technology for study and work, individual training and development needs and career options/issues relating to job alterations
• Retention of existing, valued employees who develop a visual impairment
• Training of staff that goes beyond basic awareness raising
• For your free copy of the new brochure contact RNIB Customer Services on 0345-023153 quoting the code PR10740.

Technology

Technology for transition

Marianna Buultjens and Nell Todd explore how technology can smooth the path of transition from primary to secondary school. Following a look at recent developments in technology, case studies are taken from the work of students training to become specialist teachers in Scotland.

The last twenty years

Over the last twenty years the majority of those involved in the education of children and young people with visual impairment have always been open to the potential of technology to support transition milestones and improve the educational aspirations and life chances of their students. The Optacon in the 70s represented a breakthrough in technology which only became redundant with the introduction of scanners in the 80s and 90s. The Vincent Workstation enabled visually impaired pupils to benefit from the government initiative which put BBC computers in every UK school in the early 80s. Since these early days the range and complexity of technology for visually impaired users has expanded dramatically.

In its recent publication, "Implementing the National Grid For Learning in Scotland" (1998) the Scottish Office has raised the issue of technology in its ambitious plans to provide internet access for all schools and pupils. It is likely that many specialist teachers of the visually impaired will be ahead of their colleagues in terms of their expertise and understanding of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) matters.

Since as early as 1984 the Diploma for Teachers of the Visually Impaired at Moray House in Edinburgh has included a technology component. In 1993 RNIB established a Certificate Course in technology for visual impairment in association with the Advanced Diploma at the University of London's Institute of Education and in the same year a similar collaboration was established between RNIB and Moray House. Since then the Specialist Technology Module in Edinburgh has run many times and provided training for over fifty teachers, lecturers and others working with visually impaired pupils and students. This means the majority of specialist teachers in Scotland have had the advantage of advanced technology training. The range of topics covered by each group never fails to astonish. The following case studies are taken from the work of the latest successful group of participants for the module.

Transition through early primary

Susan is six years old and has bilateral microphthalmia and is registered blind. She is in a class of 33 pupils in the first year at her local primary school and is making good progress with her braille reading and writing. The Braille 'n Print Slimline was attached to the standard Perkins Brailler. It can produce rapid translation and print out from braille to print. Its basic operations are easy to use and this gives Susan independence in communicating with her class teacher and her classmates. Previously her assistant or specialist teacher had to translate from braille for her.

It was also considered important that Susan access the AppleMac computer used regularly by the class teacher to develop literacy and numeracy. With the use of Maclntalk (inbuilt speech output) and specially adapted tactile overlays, Susan was able to use the Apple. The adapted overlays allowed Susan to investigate a series of pictures before using them to activate the concept keyboard. Susan quickly adapted to the synthetic speech output and could soon happily make up a story for her teacher to read.

Technology skills for transition

Touch typing is a very important basic skill for visually impaired learners. Touch typing skills can be developed with the assistance of child friendly programmes with speech output for those who require it. Leila, Anne and Allan are partially sighted pupils in P5 and P6. Leila has hemianopia and myopia, and dyspraxia has also been diagnosed. Anne has nystagmus and photophobia. Allan has albinism and photophobia. KidKeys and Mavis Beacon software were chosen to help develop their keyboard skills over a 12 month period.

Kid Keys is colourful, talkative, and has a structured approach. It is very child-friendly and graphics can be changed to maintain variety and interest. There is a musical level for the alphabet and successful keystrokes produce exciting words and pictures. All the pupils loved it and it was an excellent motivator.

Mavis Beacon is a more advanced programme and can be set individually to specify speed, difficulty and lesson duration. Mavis Beacon was introduced to the pupils halfway through the year. For partially sighted children the text has good contrast and the size has proved suitable for pupils with quite low levels of visual functioning. For pupils to load the programme independently, it has been necessary to use Close View, a screen magnification programme. Close View comes with the AppleMac at no extra cost. Close View can be installed on the classroom AppleMac and left switched off for general use and then easily switched on by the pupils who need the enlargement facility.

Leila, Anne and Allan have become adept at switching Close View on in order to find the keyboard lesson icon and read file and special menus and then to switch Close View off once the programme is loaded. This selective use of screen magnification is really quite sophisticated in such young users. All three pupils have made very good progress and will be confident and skilled keyboard users as they move into the transition period between primary and secondary school.

Transition through later primary

John is in P6 and has severe loss of central vision, nystagmus and photophobia. He uses a range of technology to help access the curriculum including a CCTV magnifier, tape recorders and large display calculator. John has good keyboard skills and has used an Archimedes with Full Phase word processing with enlarged text. He is unable to read the desktop or pull down menus as the font size is too small although word-processing poses few problems once the font has been changed to 36 point.

It was necessary for John to move to PC computing in preparation for secondary school. ZoomText Extra was chosen as the most appropriate access software to use on the PC. It provides both screen magnification and speech output for users. It is not intended for blind users but uses speech to provide reinforcement and speed to access the print.

John quickly became familiar with the new software. He has quickly learned the hotkeys for activating and deactivating Zoom Text, for increasing and decreasing magnification and for finding his way around the screen. As he moves very quickly he sometimes clicks the wrong command when using the pull down menus and has been encouraged to learn shortcut keys. As John became familiar with the speech feature he has begun to use speech for reading menus and message boxes. John is very enthusiastic about the PC. He is very positive about all aspects of ZoomText Extra and is anxious to have it installed on his home computer. He is already competent at scrolling through text with magnification at 4 to 5 times. He finds that the Doc Reader gives him much quicker access to information and with less effort.

John is an intelligent boy who appreciates the benefits of new technology. He is very curious about all aspects of the technology and likes to explore for himself. Unrestrained curiosity can cause problems with computers however, and John has begun to be more careful.

Technology for primary/secondary transition

Alex is in P7. He has congenital nystagmus. Alex has good keyboard skills. Jenny is also in P7 and her visual impairment is caused by the partial absence of the iris and retina. Jenny has followed a keyboard skills programme but she is not very confident in her typing ability. The Apple eMate was provided for both pupils. It was intended to assist them as they could not read handwriting or print efficiently because of their visual impairment.

The eMate provides a portable technology which fulfils a basic communication function and equips them to work effectively in the secondary school. It can be opened flat making it easy to adjust to minimise glare and also to draw or write on the screen with the eMate pen. Work can be rotated from portrait to landscape orientation. The auto-save feature keeps work intact. Although there is no facility to enlarge icons, dialogue boxes or buttons with menus along the status bar, text can be enlarged to a suitable level.

Jenny enjoyed using the eMate and commented, "I like this little computer. It sounds like a frog when you press a button". Alex said, "I think this is a brilliant machine. I like the idea of using a pen instead of a mouse and the laser to beam things to the printer." The portability and ease of use of the eMate makes it an important tool for accessing the curriculum in secondary school, and Jenny and Alex are now looking forward to using their machines there in the future.

Technology for secondary and beyond

Where would you start if, as a new support teacher for pupils with visual impairment, you discover that there are five pupils with visual impairment in one of the schools to which you have been allocated, and no access software available for them? This happened to one teacher, luckily just before she was due to start on the Specialist Technology module. As with most problems, there is not usually one neat solution, so this teacher adopted a variety of strategies. First and foremost, she did not panic but, using her existing knowledge and resources, consulted colleagues at work, asked the pupils themselves about difficulties in using the computers and programmes and found out from subject teachers if they were aware of any problems. Some of the problems were: not being able to see the cursor, icons and menus; the speed of the mouse; difficulty seeing music notation on the computer.

As this happened in the middle of the school year there was no spare money available in the visual impairment service to buy new software. However, after starting her studies, she decided to take this issue as the topic for exploration, development and evaluation for her assignment. After discussion with course members and staff on the module she obtained the following free-ware from staff on the module and her own authority - Fat Cursor, Cursor Beacon, Hear It and CloseView. The responses to the large print questionnaire which she had given to the pupils indicated which packages might be suitable for each pupil.

Given timing and logistics, it was decided, with the co-operation of the subject teachers, to bring all the pupils together at the one time for a training session. This provided the opportunity to deal with other unforeseen problems such as how to change inappropriate screen background which made menus and dialogue boxes illegible.

As a result of this session, the subject area computers which needed the free-ware were identified and the software installed. After a few weeks the teacher for the visually impaired reviewed the situation. As a result, some additional non-freebie software, licensed to the authority, was installed. All this could not have been accomplished without negotiating the agreement and collaboration of the school technician and teaching staff.

More technology for secondary and beyond

Michael and Soraya are in S4 and use braille in their mainstream school. Michael was provided with a Braille n' Speak machine and Soraya was given a Braille Lite. These small braille computer/notetakers are very similar in size and operation. The main difference between them is that the Braille Lite has a braille display built into the machine as well as speech output and the Braille n' Speak uses just speech. The machines enable Michael and Soraya to communicate efficiently in their preferred medium of braille. On-board translation to print provides class teachers with the print copy they need and with a few key strokes a braille copy can be embossed.

It is easy to edit work with the word-processing software. Information can be saved to disc and transferred to PC. Other features such as the scientific calculator provide extremely useful options. The machines can be silent in operation in the classroom, can be taken anywhere in a pocket and do not take up much desk space in use.

Both Michael and Soraya were excited about these pocket braille computers. They liked the silent running, the portability, the large storage. Both found the machines easy to use after an initial introduction. Soraya and Michael tried out both machines and agreed that the Braille Lite had real advantages. The integral braille display and tactile cursor made editing much quicker. It was also much more useable in speech-off mode.

Into the future

‘Implementing the National Grid for Learning in Scotland’ (1998) confirmed targets for technology competence in Scottish schools. These included:

• By 2002 serving teachers should generally feel confident, and be competent to teach, using ICT within the curriculum.
• By 2002 all schools, colleges, universities public libraries and as many community centres as possible should be connected to the Grid allowing all teachers, lecturers, pupils and students to have their own e-mail addresses.

These targets clearly apply to pupils with visual impairment in Scotland and the specialist teachers working with them. ‘Implementing the National Grid for Learning in Scotland’ makes a strong plea for equality of access and states that the "Government's aim is that no learner should be denied access to the NGfL". It goes on to state quite clearly that NGfL will provide for "pupils of all abilities" and that the Government "will explore means by which pupils with SEN can use the NGfL, building on existing Scottish experience of the benefits of ICT". (Implementing the National Grid for Learning in Scotland, 1998). It seems to us that pupils with visual impairment and their specialist teachers will be well placed to take full advantage of the NGfL into the future.
Marianna Buultjens, Moray House, Edinburgh
Nail Todd, RNIB Education Centre: Scotland

Note P1 = first year primary S1 = first year secondary References ‘Implementing the National Grid For Learning in Scotland’ (1998), the Scottish Office IT for Visually Impaired Learners (1995) University of Birmingham For further information on any of the software or hardware mentioned in this article, please contact Jo Fullerton, RNIB Technology Officer, RNIB Education Centre: Scotland on 0131- 311 8521.

Content author: joanna.shaw@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 08/04/2008 18:38