The changing role of teachers of students with visual impairments in North America during the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Schools abruptly closed throughout in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although legal requirements remained unchanged, service delivery models and how teachers of students with visual impairments supported their students changed. Teachers of students with visual impairments answered a series of questions about how district policies impacted their work, what materials they could not access and the subsequent impact on their students, and changes in their caseloads during the initial shutdown of schools. Four overall themes emerged from the data: (1) district policies often impeded the work of teachers of students with visual impairments; (2) teachers did not have the materials needed to ensure that their students could access instruction; (3) teachers were concerned that they could not locate some of their students; and (4) teachers experienced changes in their direct and consultative caseloads due to a variety of factors. The work of teachers of students with visual impairments was dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the shutdown continued, district policies changed and often impeded their efforts to support students on their caseload. In addition, many teachers struggled to locate all of their students and lacked the basic supplies to ensure instruction was accessible. However, teachers of students with visual impairments were creative and provided instruction that incorporated online resources and readily available home materials, collaborated with colleagues, and engaged the community in order to support their students. The experiences of teachers and lessons learned during the pandemic can be used to advocate for policy that protects the rights of students with visual impairments to an education during future unanticipated events such as a pandemic or inclement weather.