Blind Students: Transition from High School to College

Abstract

An evaluation of selected visually impaired high school students, conducted by The Florida State University Counseling Center over a 10-year period, indicated that 75 percent had good potential for successful college work. A follow-up study of available students revealed that only 25 percent had been successful in completing their degrees, and that there was a 32-percent dropout rate. In an attempt to reduce the dropout rate, a “College Orientation Program for the Visually-Handicapped” was established to help students to make the difficult transition from high school to college. Peer counseling, integration into the sighted college community, and better mobility training are recommended, as well as suggestions for investigation of other variables involved in successful pursuit of college work.