Being an Assessor can be both challenging and rewarding. With various types of learners to cater to, creating an inclusive and effective assessment plan can seem daunting. However, it’s vital to adapt to meet individual needs. Visual impairments, in particular, need extra support and careful thought, as we’ll explore further.
What is Visual Impairment?
Visual impairments, affecting over “2 million people” in the UK (RNIB, 2021), refers to sight defects that cannot be corrected by glasses. Understanding the degree of impairment your learner faces is crucial for making appropriate adjustments. It may be that your learner is sensitive to light, and would therefore benefit from being assessed in a darker room.
Legal blindness is something to be aware of too. This is when someone hasn’t lost their sight completely, but a significant portion of their sight is reduced. This can translate to standing up to 10x closer to an object to see it, in contrast with someone who has perfect vision.
Steps You Can Take To Assist With Visual Impairments
To ensure a successful assessment for visually impaired learners, consider these strategies:
Firstly, reach out to your learners before the assessment to familiarise them with your voice and comfort them about the process.
Next, conduct an initial assessment to identify tools that can aid learners in overcoming their visual impairments and enable them to complete the assessment easily.
Additionally, discuss any potential trouble the learner may face in specific environments and adapt your assessment methods accordingly.
Implementing these prior steps will help both you and your learner feel more at ease during the assessment process. It’s also best to maintain written evidence of the initial assessment for record-keeping purposes.
Consider The Assessment Environment
If you are qualified to conduct assessments within the learning environment, you will have taken the Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in a Work Environment (or CAVA). As such, you should feel confident with handling reasonable adjustments to the assessment process. However, if you are new to the industry or are studying towards an assessor qualification, this may be an new challenge.
We have a little exercise that may help you brainstorm some adaptations. Try this at home or a place you find very familiar:
Close your eyes
Try to leave your room without opening your eyes
Now try to find a seat in the new room
Sit in it
Open your eyes
Now think to yourself, how did you find your way to that seat? Did you try to feel for familiar objects? Maybe a light switch or a cabinet? These are signals people with visual impairments use to move around their surroundings. If the learner is to be assessed within their place of work, they should be very familiar with the surroundings.
As such, you mustn’t change the environment to be hostile or create hurdles to a smooth assessment. The learner should feel safe, secure and comfortable to speak securely about their knowledge, skills and behaviours. Try to avoid changing the layout of the room. People with visual impairments rely on consistent environments, changing them could make them uncomfortable.
In the case of necessary adaptations, take the time to communicate with the learner. A simple email or phone call explaining the instructions to find a new location helps. Make sure to take into account guide dog access if necessary.
Assessor-to-Learner Communication
Verbal clarity is important when assessing visually impaired students. Partially blind individuals may experience trouble in reading slides or telling colours apart. Hence, extra time for assessments is crucial to prevent pressuring the student.
In cases where learners disclose visual impairments, consider using assistive technology. Utilising screen readers or magnification software can greatly assist with written or reading tasks. Effective advance planning guarantees a smoother assessment process for everyone involved.
Overcoming Visual Impairments
Your learner is the best source of advice on necessary adaptations. Therefore, assume nothing and be prepared to think on your feet. Additionally, consider that your learner’s vision may vary, especially later in the day. To accommodate this, plan assessments for morning sessions may be helpful.
We hope you have found this blog article useful, and if you have any other tips on how to meet the needs of learners with visual impairments please email us at training@brooksandkirk.ac.uk
