If you have been working at Glendale Community College for many years or even if you are a new instructor, you have probably seen students with either a white-tipped cane or a dog navigating around the campus. And, of course, you would be right in assuming that these students have a disability related to vision.

For most of us, vision is the primary sense that we use to interpret information and perceive our surroundings.

If a student has a disability related to vision, they can be at a great disadvantage academically.

Though they can hear lectures and discussions, students with visual disabilities are often frustrated by:

• class syllabi,

• textbooks,

• chalkboard diagrams,

• overhead projections,

• films,

• maps,

• videos,

• printed exams,

• Scantron answer sheets,

• laboratory demonstrations,

• Internet websites designed to be navigated by clicking on images.

That’s a huge set of extra challenges for a student on the road to academic success.