Acquisition of information is vital in academic life, and students with visual impairments need to have the same degree of access as their sighted peers. Information resources such as textbooks or professional journals are generally available only in printed format (Senge & Dote-Kwan, 1995), however, and access to materials prepared in alternative formats is limited. Equality of opportunity is a key premise of the expanded core curriculum, a major aim of which is enabling visually impaired students to live independently in society. It is essential, therefore, that students with visual impairments master the elements of the expanded core curriculum (Hatlen, 1996). The importance of reading in furthering this goal increases as students progress in their educational careers, especially as they prepare for exams or carry out homework assignments. When
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