Which visual impairment can significantly affect a student's learning?

Blindness or low vision can significantly affect a student's learning because these conditions can drastically limit the individual's ability to access visual information that is crucial for educational development. Students with blindness may not be able to see at all, while those with low vision may have only limited sight, which challenges their ability to read text, view illustrations, or engage with visual aids that are often integral to instructional materials.

The impact on learning is profound; students with these visual impairments may require specialized educational strategies, such as the use of braille, large print materials, or assistive technologies designed for individuals with visual impairments. Additionally, they may benefit from accommodations like preferential seating, extended time for tasks, and tailored lesson plans that leverage their strengths and address their challenges.

In contrast, while conditions like color blindness, night blindness, and peripheral vision loss can pose certain challenges, they typically do not affect a student's overall ability to access the curriculum in the same pervasive way that blindness or low vision does. These other visual impairments may lead to specific difficulties but often do not entail a complete or substantial barrier to learning as is the case with blindness or low vision.