ABSTRACT
This chapter explains early childhood care and education with respect to the home and relatively informal settings. It provides a brief definition of this early developmental phase. The chapter then examines what is distinctive about early development for young learners with vision impairment, highlighting the significance of vision in early development and the ways in which reduced visual information can present significant barriers to access and how these may be mitigated. It presents the relationship between developing a child's personal agency through promoting early "learning to access" skills and inclusive practice/environmental considerations, "access to learning". The chapter explores the role of specialist practitioners in providing effective support and highlights the importance of establishing effective collaboration with families to promote distinctive independence access skills. It reviews the importance of ensuring these access skills are in place at this early phase in a child's educational pathway to support successful transition to more formal learning settings.
