How Is COVID-19 Continuing to Impact Education in the 2020-2021 School Year?

Executive Summary Download the Full Report
Or read the entire report online.

For the Access and Engagement II study, researchers collected data from 662 family members, teachers of students with visual impairments, and O&M specialists to understand the challenges and successes in the patchwork of education occurring throughout the United States and Canada. The Executive Summary provides a snapshot of the finding and recommendations. The full report notes the challenges with digital learning tools, instruction for students with additional disabilities, mental health concerns, but also the successes and collaboration that have occurred as the pandemic has impacted education throughout the 2020-2021 school year.

How Will the Findings Be Used?

AFB and other collaborators (see list below) are already sharing data from this study to document both the pandemic-created and systemic issues impacting the education of students with visual impairments. More importantly, it will allow us to work together to develop solutions to ensure children with visual impairment have an accessible, engaging, and equitable education.

How Can I Stay Informed About AFB's Research?

Please sign up to receive updates on AFB's research related to blindness and low vision. If you have ideas, comments, experiences, please email access_report@afb.org to share them with Dr. Rosenblum and the other authors of Access and Engagement and AFB staff who focus on public policy initiatives.

Collaborating Organizations

The following 22 organizations, companies, and universities are collaborating on this project.

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