Orientation and Social Inclusion: Supporting Students With Visual Impairments In Active Learning Classrooms

Abstract

The percentage of undergraduate students in the U.S. who report a visual disability is over 3.5%, and worldwide over a billion people claim a significant visual impairment.  As more higher learning institutions build Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs), it’s critical to understand how these students experience such a different style of learning environment.  Although many students do not register their visual impairments at the college level, this report examines students who sought disability accommodations in their ALC classes to help them succeed.  This paper identifies two dimensions, divided into 10 factors, of the learning experience in these classrooms and how students faced the challenge of these environments.  To improve the future learning experience for these low-vision students, a list of pedagogical recommendations is included.