Literacy Assessment and Instruction: A Position Paper

AERBVI (Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired) has released a new position paper on Literacy Assessment and Instruction for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.  In this paper Dr. Kelly Lusk, Dr. Holly Lawson, and Dr. Tessa Wright discuss best practices for addressing learning media decisions and literacy instruction for students with visual impairments who are participating in a conventional literacy program. The paper addresses the needs of students who have low vision, are tactile readers, and those who are dual media learners. The paper emphasizes the need for a variety of assessment data, including input from family members, to determine the appropriate literacy medium or media for a student with a visual impairment. Furthermore, the paper is aligned with IDEA and highlights the need to consider a wide range of assistive technology tools and accommodations.