It is important to think about how much vision a student has when considering demonstrations. Some people:

• have blurred vision;
• cannot judge distances and speed;
• unable to distinguish between objects that have similar colour or shape;
• may be able to see things that are very close but not be able to see things in the middle or far distance;
• have a restricted range of vision (e.g. tunnel vision).

Most people who have a visual impairment have some useful sight, so the nature of the demonstration will determine whether or not they can see it.  For example, some learners with visual impairments may be able to see a demonstration that has been uploaded to a PC by peering closely at the screen, but be unable to see the same demonstration conducted in ‘real life’.

• Ask partially sighted students what helps them most, because the support they require may be very different.
• If you have someone who is Deaf or hard of hearing in your class, use subtitles wherever possible.
• If a learner has a support assistant, it would be helpful if they could be enabled to watch the film beforehand so that they can later provide supplementary information to the learner in the most appropriate format.
• Provide supplementary materials to support learners with sensory impairments. These materials will also be useful to support workers and interpreters.
• Discuss potential barriers with disabled learners in advance. 

• If there are people who cannot see or read off the screen in your group, read out what is written on the screen when using a whiteboard, blackboard, overhead transparency or PowerPoint presentation.
• Explain fully any diagrams, illustrations, acronyms or videos you use.
• Produce materials in advance for those who need them
• Remember to produce your course information with plenty of time for the material to be put into Braille or have the print modified, if required.
• When preparing handouts, pay attention to how easy they are to read. Keep them clear and simple. Use an accessible sans serif fonts; Arial at 14 point size is a good starting point for clarity. Black print on yellow or white paper is usually clear, although students with visual stress may have individual preferences. An uncluttered layout without too much information on one page is helpful.
• Avoid placing text over a background illustration or pattern.
• Upload presentations/handouts onto an intranet Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), if available, in advance of the session. This will enable learners to prepare for your session.
• Help learners to customise their PC environment, VDU, default fonts, look at the Tech Dis site for information 
• Some learners find it easier to record sessions, as this may be the most efficient way for them to make accurate notes; review materials and ideas and discuss the content with others at a later date.  Digital recorders are now sophisticated machines that allow easy tracking of information. Check that the learner has a strategy to locate information either by using an index marker or dividing recordings up into timed sections.
• With the learner, explore techniques that help to compensate for perceptual difficulties. For example, discuss ways of isolating lines or blocks of information, possibly using windows cut out of card. Use a frame or ruler to identify the line of text and to help move the eye to the next line.
• Use colour and imagery to highlight key points or important details.
• Encourage learners with visual stress to use coloured overlays to cover the text they are reading; this can dramatically reduce the glare from white paper.  

• Never speak when facing away from learners, as those with hearing impairments rely on seeing the face and mouth to make sense of the words.
• Adjust lighting for individuals, where possible.  Generally, good lighting is helpful, but for some students too much light can be a hindrance, and glare from shiny surfaces can be very distracting. Many people who are partially sighted are photophobic - they cannot tolerate bright light.
• Remember that some people with autism cannot bear the high frequency ‘buzzing’ of strip lighting.