Students with vision impairment participate in all areas of Aspley State High School's curriculum and are involved in many extracurricular areas of school life.

Students attend classes in an inclusive setting and have access to the Special Education Program classroom area for tutorial programs, subjects within the Expanded Core Curriculum and for the storage of lesson resources.

Adaptive equipment and specialised resources are available for teaching and learning programs. Alternative Braille/tactile, large print, digital and audio materials are customized for individual student needs by Special Education Program staff to remove barriers to access.

The student

Students with Vision Impairment are identified through the Education Adjustment Program (EAP) process including a verification of their diagnosis and the completion of an educational Profile. Student needs and educational goals are identified in an Individual Support Plan (IEP/ISP).

The program aims to develop student independence and to ensure visually impaired students are given every opportunity to access, participate and succeed in the curriculum and to make a successful transition to post school pathways.

The staff

Support teachers are trained in the education of students with vision impairments. They are skilled in the use of braille and other alternative print formats and the provision of the expanded core curriculum for vision impairment and can advise on the educational implications of specific vision impairments.

Support teachers and ancillary staff assist the students to access the school curriculum, while providing opportunities for them to acquire the specialised skills required by a person with vision impairment. Support staff work collaboratively with the classroom teacher, providing advice and assistance to ensure that materials and teaching practices are modified appropriately to accommodate each student's vision and learning needs.

The program for vision impaired students has been in practice since 1997. The long-term nature of the program and the access to continuing training and development mean that many staff, both teachers and ancillary, have extensive experience with the special teaching and learning adaptations required for students who have vision impairments.

Student outcomes are enhanced by:

• increased opportunities for learning through visual, digital, tactual and/or auditory means
• increased access to curriculum
• increased staff awareness and understanding of vision difficulties and appropriate teaching methodologies

Specialised resources

To access the curriculum, students will require the use of a range of special materials and equipment. Teachers and ancillary staff of the Special Education Program provide:

• large print and audio materials
• low vision devices
• special lighting equipment
• adaptive computer equipment - speech, magnification and Braille
• print access in Digital format.
• specialised Braille technologies
• talking and large display calculators
• mobility devices (eg long canes, ID canes)
• braille materials - literary and technical
• access to National Library database and research support

Braille

Braille teaching and learning is part of the program and includes on-site Braille resource production. Braille text requirements are provided by the Braille production and library service of Disability Support Services Unit for Vision Impaired Students.

Expanded Core Curriculum

As part of their Individual Education Program, students with vision impairment increase their skills in the Expanded Core Curriculum which encompasses the specific skills and knowledge that a person with vision impairment will need, to be as independent as possible in school and post school life.

The curriculum may include aspects of the following:

• the use of low vision aids and functional vision skills
• the use of adaptive technology - personal laptops, BrailleNote, Zoomtext screen enlargement, text reading programs - Co-writer & Talk Out Loud, JAWS screen reader, closed circuit televisions (CCTV), talking dictionaries/thesaurus, talking scientific calculators, talking colour detectors, talking tape measure, talking compass , Victor Reader Stream for MP3/Audio files access, Victor Classic Daisy Readers, SARA document readers/Daisy readers etc.
• keyboarding and computer skills
• orientation and mobility skills for independent travel using public transport
• independent living skills - home mangement, meal management skills
• study skills and concept development
• braille literacy and tactile skills
• career education - transition to post school options
• social skills
• self-advocacy

Orientation & mobility

Students have specialised teaching in this area from orientation and mobility teachers from Education Queensland or through Instructors from the Queensland Guide Dogs service. The program includes:

• independence in the school environment
• travel in the student’s local residential area
• route and travel planning and execution
• travel using all forms of public transport: bus, rail, ferry
• travel for transition to post-school setting

Transport assistance

Following evaluation by a trained assessor, some students with severe vision impairment may be eligible to receive transport assistance to enable attendance at Aspley State High School and access to the Expanded Core Curriculum for Visually Impaired Students.