Introduce yourself and anyone else who might be present when speaking with a student with a vision impairment.
Use a normal voice level when speaking; remember a vision impaired student has sight problems, not a hearing loss.
Speak directly to the vision impaired student and address him or her by name.
Do not hesitate to use such words as look or see; students with vision impairments use these terms also.
When walking with a visually impaired student, allow him or her to take your arm just above the elbow. Walk in a natural manner and pace.
A guide dog is trained as a working animal and should not be petted or spoken to without the permission of the handler. A general rule of thumb is that the dog is working while in harness.
When offering a seat to a vision impaired student, place the student's hand on the back or arm of the seat. This gives the student a frame of reference to seat himself or herself.
Do not hesitate to ask a student what adaptations, if any, are required in the classroom. The student is the "expert" about his or her particular needs.
