On December 18, EdSurge, an educational technology company that publishes newsletters and operates databases used by venture capitalists, teachers, and school administrators, published a story titled “COVID-19 Is Costing Visually Impaired Students Time That Can’t Be Made Up.”
The story features interviews with AFB Director of Research Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum as well as parents of K-12 students who are experiencing the challenges that come with remote instruction during the pandemic, especially for students who are blind or low vision.
“If I have a child who has a visual impairment and a hearing impairment, I’m going to use sign language with that child where their hands are going to be on top of my hands. I can't do that through a computer, so how do I communicate with that child?” Rosenblum says. “I have to engage a family member, and they have to understand what I’m doing and why.”
The story also draws upon the findings in the Access and Engagement report, and notes that Dr. Rosenblum and her colleagues are currently wrapping up data collection for their fall survey, which will reveal what about 800-900 professionals and parents of visually impaired children experienced with the addition of hybrid and in-person learning.
