What is a Teacher of Blind Students?
A Teacher of Blind Students is an educator trained to support blind and low vision learners across academic, adaptive functioning, and expanded core curriculum areas. This includes teaching access skills like braille, tactile graphics, leisure skill, assistive technology, strategies for nonvisual learning and much more.
What I do
In my case, I work with students who are not only blind or deafblind, but also have multiple disabilities and high-intensity support needs. Many of my students don’t yet use braille, formal language, or standard academic tools. My role is to create access for each individual learner. That might mean object-based communication, tactile exploration, switch-access, or highly individualized sensory instruction. I collaborate closely with IEP team members (e.g. OTs, SLPs, PTs, etc...) to ensure that blind students with complex profiles are still recognized as blind students, with full access to the dignity, identity, and the specialized instruction that implies.
On Terminology
While my certification title is "Teacher of the Visually Impaired," I use “Teacher of Blind Students” in alignment with how many blind people and advocacy groups—like the National Federation of the Blind—refer to educators in this field. I believe it’s important to use identity-centered language that reflects the experiences and preferences of the blind community, and to model that respect in how I talk about the work I do.