Health and Wellbeing
Sight Loss Awareness
Support a blind or partially sighted pupil or colleague with confidence, from the words you use to guiding them down a corridor.
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- 8 modules
- 1.5 CPD hours
- Certificate
Members
14 days free, then £70 a year or £7 a month.
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What you'll learn
- Use the words the person prefers, and don't avoid everyday ones like "see"
- Communicate clearly, including saying who you are and when you're leaving
- Guide someone safely through doors, narrow corridors and stairs
- Make simple changes to text, lighting and layout that reduce visual fatigue
- Support the social side of sight loss so pupils and staff feel less isolated
About this course
Sight loss is often the part of SEND that nobody in school knows much about. Specialist teachers for visually impaired pupils are stretched thin, so a lot of the day-to-day support falls to you.
This sight loss awareness course is taught by a specialist teacher who once taught while registered partially sighted, and whose husband is blind. That's where the practical detail comes from. Say who you are when you walk up, tell someone when you leave the room, and describe where things are ("your book's on your right") rather than steering their hand to it. You'll learn to guide someone safely through doorways and down stairs, and to keep classrooms predictable.
The social side matters just as much. When you can't see faces, conversation is hard work, and a little thought from you can make someone feel far less alone.
- For early career teachers, middle leaders and 4 other roles. Primary and secondary.
8 modules
Open in order
- 8 min
Introduction
- 12 min
Describing sight loss: what language should I use?
- 6 min
Facts and figures
- 11 min
Communication
- 9 min
Guiding
- 14 min
Social and emotional aspects of sight loss
- 15 min
General tips and advice
- 4 min
Wrap up