and Administrators ’ Views on Curricular Access by Students with Low Vision

Abstract: This national study reviews national and state policies and guidelines, as well as surveys and focus groups of administrators and teachers, on the implementation of policies for students with low vision to gain visual access to the general education curriculum. The findings demonstrate that few states provide the necessary services to enable students to achieve access and that people, philosophy, and systems are the main impediments to and the solutions for change. Providing access to the general education curriculum for elementary school students with low vision presents teachers and administrators with a unique and sometimes complex series of decisions. It does so because of the challenge of assessing functional levels of vision, factors affecting visual performance, appropriate technology to assist this access, and different state policies and procedures regarding acces