ABSTRACT

The expression, ‘visual impairment’ is often used to indicate a continuum of loss of sight, which includes blindness. Within this understanding, distinctions may be made between ‘blindness’ which describes a level of sight loss requiring dependence mainly on tactile methods of learning, and ‘low vision’ where learners use predominantly methods relying on sight. Visual impairment affects social and emotional development, language development, cognitive development, mobility and orientation, which in turn influence the child’s functioning and learning potential.