Optical aids for low vision: use of the Internet to guide teachers of the visually impaired

Abstract

Purposes: To describe and interpret teachers' opinions about and responsiveness to guidance on optical aids for low vision. Methods: It was conducted a cross-sectional analytical study. The convenience, non-random sample consisted of 58 teachers from the public school network of the city of Campinas. It was constructed and applied a structured questionnaire, available online at the assessed website. For qualitative data collection it was conducted an exploratory study using the focus group technique. Results: Responses expressed, for the most part, a marked interest in the website, its easiness of access, and the comprehensive nature of the information provided. Most people reported frequent use of the Internet to seek information, and found it easier to access the Internet at home. Among the qualitative aspects of the evaluation, we should mention the perceived importance of the website as a source of information, despite some criticism about the accessibility and reliability of the information found on the Internet. Conclusion: Teachers' need for training to deal with visually impaired students and their positive response to advice and information lead to the conclusion that webbased guidelines on the use of optical aids were considered beneficial to ease the understanding of visual impairment and the rehabilitation of the affected subjects. Keywords

Development of an Educational Video for the Promotion of Eye Health in School Children

“…5 According to research, 62.7% of the educators, among them teachers and pedagogical coordinators, stated that they have children as students with some visual impairment or poor vision among their students however, they reported not feeling prepared to deal with such children. 23 Scientific literature corroborates the level of unpreparedness of teachers regarding eye health, and in this literature, the teachers acknowledge that they have little or no knowledge to help students with vision problems besides stating that they have not received guidance or training on the subject in recent years .5,23-24 From this perspective, the need to implement continuing education programs for teachers in the field of eye health is highlighted, in order to establish early diagnosis, prevention of visual incapacity and blindness in school children. 5,24 In regards to signs and symptoms related to visual illness, the video included a significant number of behaviors demonstrated by children with vision problems.…”