Accountability
As an administrator, you are likely keenly aware of the legal educational rights of students, particularly those who have disabilities. Teachers, schools and school districts have to be accountable for the educational process provided to their students. Classroom teachers have specific provincial or state guidelines to follow when planning and teaching their curriculum. Individual educational plans are mandatory for students who have disabilities.
Accountability assures appropriate education and is based upon the specific needs of the students gathered from assessments and data collection to determine growth and development. In order to provide an appropriate education for your braille-reading students, you will need to consider the following areas.
Specialists
If you have a blind or visually impaired student in your school or school district, you will be required to hire a qualified teacher of students with visual impairments. Based on the needs of the student, you may also need to hire a qualified orientation and mobility instructor.
Assessment
A functional vision assessment and learning media assessment will need to be completed yearly by a teacher of students with visual impairments.
Teaching
Braille-reading students, particularly those who are beginner braille readers, are required to have direct instruction in using the braille code and consistent assessments by a teacher of students with visual impairments.
Access
Braille reading students are required to be provided with materials and instruction that is delivered in an accessible format.
Materials and Resources
It is mandatory that each student who is blind or visually impaired be provided with textbooks and materials in accessible format either before or at the same time as delivered to the rest of the students in the classroom.
Time
If needed, braille reading students may be granted extra time to access tactile information during exams, particularly provincial or state exams.
Reporting
Teachers of students who are blind or visually impaired are required to report on their students’ progress.
Please check your provincial or state ministry of education laws to view other areas of accountability.
If you are an administrator who works in Canada, you will want to review the Canadian National Standards for teaching students who are blind or visually impaired. It will be important for you to familiarize yourself with the these standards to ensure accountability.