Written Report

BLINDNESS
Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the 60-minute online discussion, 95% of the
learners with 80% level of proficiency shall be able:
 Students will be able to know the definition, causes,
characteristics, types of visual impairment and the
assessment and possible educational program for visually-
impaired people.
 To demonstrate a positive increase in attitude towards

visually impaired individuals
 Create an advocacy tagline for visually-impaired people.
 Blindness is the inability to see or a lack of vision. In the

most severe cases, there’s an inability to see even light. It
also means that you can’t correct your vision
with eyeglasses, contact lenses, eye drops or other
medical therapy, or surgery. Sudden vision loss is an
emergency. It’s important to seek immediate medical help.
HISTORY OF BLINDNESS
Samuel Gridley Howe
 Born November 10, 1801
 Died January 9, 1876
 American physician, abolitionist, and advocate of education for the blind.
 He organized and was the first director of the Perkins Institution.
 In 1824 he had gone to Greece to serve in the revolution as a surgeon.
 He arranged for support for refugees and brought many Greek children back to Boston with him
for their education.
 Was interested in the education of blind students, and in 1829 founded the first school for blind
children in the United States . The school nowadays is called the Perkins School for the blind,
and it is located in Massachusetts . Howe also was the founder of the Massachusetts School for
Idiotic and Feebleminded children in 1848.
 1784 The first school for the blind was established in Paris, France by Valentine Hauy.
 1791 First school for the blind established in Liverpool, England.
 1793 France had first mandatory school for the blind
 1808 Charles Barbier invents Ecriture Nocturne, or night writing, for use by French soldiers at
night.
 1827 James Gall publishes First Book for Teaching the Art of Reading to the Blind, the first
English-language work in raised type.
 1829 Louis Braille publishes an explanation of his embossed dot code (inspired by Barbie)
 1829 The New England Asylum for the Blind (later the Perkins School for the Blind) was
incorporated in Watertown, MA
 1831 The New York Institution for the Education of the Blind (now the New York Institute for
Special Education) was incorporated.
 1832 The Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind (later the Overbrook School
for the Blind) was founded.
 1833 The Gospel of St. Mark was printed in Philadelphia. It was the first book in raised print in
the United States.
 1834 Louis Braille perfects the literary braille code.
 1837 The Perkins School for the Blind establishes a printing plant, later named the Howe
Memorial Press.
 1839 A state-supported “normal school” for training general education teachers is started in
Lexington, MA.
 1854 France officially adopts braille as a reading mode for people who are blind.
 1858 Seven states establish central printing house. APH.
 1860 The Missouri School for the Blind becomes the first institute in the United States to use
braille.
 1872 The Scottish Education Act calls for educating children who are blind with sighted
children.
 1878 Joel W. Smith at the Perkins School for the Blind develops the American raised-point
system, modeled closely on braille, which became the foundation for American braille.
 1879 Act to promote education of blind and establish quota funds. Quota funds brought
about the American Printing House for the blind (APH). It was established with federal money.
APH was the first professional organization of blind workers. Materials from APH can be
purchased with quota funds for students who are legally blind.
 1893 Children 0-22 who are blind receive an education
 1903 Helen Keller was the first student who is deaf/blind to receive a college degree.
 1905 The New York Association for the Blind (now Lighthouse International) was founded.
 1915 The National Society for the Prevention of Blindness was founded.
 1918 The University of California offers the first university preparation courses for teachers of
students who are blind.
 1921 The American foundation for the Blind was founded.
 1922 The Council for Exceptional Children was founded.
 1929 The seeing Eye, the first dog guide school in the United States, was incorporated.
 1931 The Library of Congress established the National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped. It began distributing braille and recorded materials in accordance with
the Pratt-Smoot Act of 1930.
 1935 The Social Security Act is passed. It adopts the AMA’s definition of legal blindness.
 1940 The National Federation of the Blind was founded.
 1947 The Perkins Brailler is designed and developed by David Abraham of Howe Press.
 1948 Recording for the Blind (RFB) is established.
 1954 The Pine Brook Report identifies different educational options for students who are
blind or visually impaired and the type of teacher preparation required.
 1960 US conducts a study outlined in the Comstock reports. Determined a need for
O&M specialists.
 1960 Boston College started the first university program for O&M instructors.
 1961 The American council of the Blind was founded.
 1966 The CEC Project on Professional Standards defined visually handicapped to include both
blind and partially sighted.
 1970 CCTVs become commercially available.
 2000 Academy for certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals
is established.
 2000 American Foundation for the Blind National Literacy center established.
 2001 Bookshare, a source of downloadable books, was founded.
TYPES OF BLINDNESS
 Partial blindness: You still have some vision. People often call this “low vision.”
 Complete blindness: You can’t see or detect light. This condition is very rare.
Congenital blindness: This refers to poor vision that you are born with. The causes include
inherited eye and retinal conditions and non-inherited birth defects.
 Legal blindness: This is when the central vision is 20/200 in your best-seeing eye even when
corrected with glass or contact lenses. Having 20/200 vision means that you have to be 10x
closer or an object has to be 10x larger in order to see compared to a person with 20/20 vision.
In addition, you can be legally blind if your field of vision or peripheral vision is severely reduced
(less than 20 degrees).
 Nutritional blindness: This term describes vision loss from vitamin A deficiency. If the vitamin A
deficiency continues, damage to the front surface of the eye (xerophthalmia) This type of
blindness can also make it more difficult to see at night or in dim light due to retinal cells not
functioning as well.
SYMPTOMS
What are the symptoms of blindness?
With complete blindness there is a lack of vision and the inability of the eye to detect light.
Symptoms that you may have while vision loss develops include:
 Blurry vision.
 Eye pain.
 Floaters and flashers.
 Sensitivity to light (photophobia).
 Sudden loss of vision, or the sudden appearance of black spots in your vision.
CAUSES
What causes blindness?
The following eye diseases and conditions can cause blindness:
 Glaucoma refers to different eye conditions that can damage your optic nerve, which carries
visual information from your eyes to your brain.
 Macular degeneration destroys the part of your eye that enables you to see details. It usually
affects older adults.
 Cataracts cause cloudy vision. They’re more common in older people.
 A lazy eye can make it difficult to see details. It may lead to vision loss.
 Optic neuritis is inflammation that can cause temporary or permanent vision loss.
 Retinitis pigmentosa refers to damage of the retina. It leads to blindness only in rare cases.
 Tumors that affect the retina or optic nerve can also cause blindness.
 Chemical burns.
 Exposure to toxins
 Fights.
 Fireworks.
 Industrial accidents, including falls.
 Motor vehicle crashes.
 Sports.
 Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
 Refractive error
 Diabetic Retinopathy
 Amblyopia
 Strabismus
Causes of blindness in infants
The following conditions can impair vision or cause blindness in infants:
 Infections, such as pink eye

 Blocked tear ducts
 Cataracts
 Strabismus (crossed eyes)
 Amblyopia (lazy eye)
 Ptosis (droopy eyelid)
 Congenital glaucoma
 Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which occurs in premature babies when the blood vessels
that supply their retina aren’t fully developed
 Visual inattention, or delayed development of your child’s visual system
TREATMENT
How is blindness treated?
The type of treatment available depends on your condition. Providers can treat some forms of
blindness with medications or glasses but can’t treat other types, such as the ones where your
eyes are missing or completely damaged. In these cases, your provider may recommend visual
rehabilitation. The goal of vision rehabilitation is to enhance visual functioning so you can meet
your visual goals and improve your quality of life. Often, this happens through low-vision
training, therapy and using low-vision devices.
Treatment for various forms of blindness

Treatment exists for some forms of blindness, depending on the cause and how extensive the
eye damage is.
 Medication: Anti-infective drugs treat some forms of blindness caused by infections.
 Cataract surgery: Surgery can treat cataracts successfully in most cases.
 Corneal transplant: A provider may be able to replace your scarred cornea.
 Retinal surgery: A provider may be able to repair damaged retinal tissue with surgery and/or a
laser.
 Vitamin supplements: You may be able to reverse the vision loss of xerophthalmia by taking
vitamin A. You may need vitamin B or vitamin D supplements to treat vision loss caused by a
poor diet.
TIPS FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS

 Educate yourself. Learn all you can about your child’s disability and the options for treatment
and education. Look at other articles on this web site, and seek out relevant information from
government and nonprofit organizations that offer resources for families of visually impaired
children.
 Build a support system. Seek out other parents of visually impaired children. They will be a
wonderful source of information and support. Ask your doctor or learning specialist for referrals
to parents’ support groups in your area.
References:
 https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-the-blind-1996241
 https://www.healthline.com/health/blindness?
fbclid=IwAR3pBTqRZ0V8gu9wwddiB1aKr8PQkkvA9BxwN-H8GltN-
DSg3VrcslNwJTo#causes
 https://r.search.yahoo.com/
_ylt=Awr.0H53VxNk4XUJyilXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNncTEEcG9zAzIEdnRpZAMyNTQzNFNU
XzEEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1679017975/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fmy.clevelandclinic.org
%2fhealth%2fdiseases%2f24446-blindness/RK=2/RS=pQr0S1FrrjFDYylhCkXo10SZAqo-
_ylt=Awrgzb3jjhRkKcMI9k9XNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNncTEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMyNTQzNFNU
XzEEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1679097699/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.britannica.com
%2fbiography%2fThomas-Hopkins-Gallaudet/RK=2/RS=E90xCZ.QelbGwYPso2VnrONatdQ-
 https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/tips-for-parents-visually-impaired-children
_ylt=Awr9.JfNnRRkSrUJBRNXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNncTEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMyNTQzNFNUXzEEc2Vj
A3Ny/RV=2/RE=1679101517/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.britannica.com%2fbiography
%2fThomas-Hopkins-Gallaudet/RK=2/RS=ONP3qmR0tXbCb8uUgEjkVBLKEnI-
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Gridley_Howe
 https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/timeline-of-vi.html?
fbclid=IwAR27u4oUb3bC8HSLYS9MUphEKGtCgodYgfhsu4UekGig3La5gaJ8F5Uxf6o

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BLINDNESS

 To demonstrate a positive increase in attitude towards

 Create an advocacy tagline for visually-impaired people.

 Blindness is the inability to see or a lack of vision. In the

 Infections, such as pink eye

Treatment for various forms of blindness

TIPS FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS

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