Empowering Students with Visual Impairments: A Collaborative Approach to Access and the Expanded Core Curriculum

The world is highly occulocentric, in which vision in terms of access is placed above all other senses. Visual materials such as worksheets, maps, graphics, illustrations, videos, and written texts are the standard tools for learning, making access challenging for students with visual impairments (VI). Students with VI contend daily with a system that is not inherently designed for them. Teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVI) are specialized, credentialed, and highly qualified educators who provide avenues for the access needs of a student with VI. Beyond ensuring equitable access to academics, their next area of focus is the expanded core curriculum (ECC), which is a disability-specific curriculum consisting of nine essential skill areas supporting the holistic development of students with VI. However, supporting the development of all children relies on effective collaboration and open communication among educational teams to be truly impactful.