COVID-19 and Education Nine Months Into the Pandemic
In the second study in the Access and Engagement series, the American Foundation for the Blind examined how the pandemic impacted learning and teaching.
After the first Access and Engagement study was conducted in spring 2020, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) distributed a follow-up survey. The Access and Engagement II study showed there were still challenges for students who are blind or have low vision, their families, and their teachers. What AFB found can be used to make sure all students have the same opportunities to learn to their full potential, no matter where or how education is delivered.
About AFB’s research on this.
AFB wanted to understand how COVID-19 was impacting students who are blind or have low vision and their families nine months after the pandemic began. In fall 2020, AFB sent a survey to family members of students who are blind or have low vision, including students who are deafblind and those with additional disabilities. The survey was also sent to teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs), orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists, and teachers who are both TVIs and O&M specialists. AFB gathered survey responses from 662 family members and teachers representing 206 students from birth through age 21.
What did the researchers learn?
This was the status of education in fall 2020 for the groups AFB studied:
- No matter where early intervention services were delivered, most families reported feeling overwhelmed, especially because they were managing multiple roles.
- Some families of children in preschool found that changes from online to hybrid to in-person education made it difficult for their child to learn. Others found that during the pandemic, their child’s skills increased.
- By November 2020, more children were receiving educational services than in spring 2020.
- As of November 2020, 58% of teachers were able to reach between 90% and 100% of their students’ families. But 42% of teachers reached fewer than 90% of students’ families.
- Two-thirds of the teachers said they had made changes to at least one student’s Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and/or Individualized Education Program (IEP) because of COVID-19.
- Family members and teachers said many apps and websites were inaccessible or not fully usable for students who are blind or have low vision.
- Many TVIs said it was difficult, if not impossible, to coordinate with classroom teachers in enough time to prepare for lessons with students learning remotely.
Why is this a problem?
Students have returned to in-person learning. But the challenges faced by students who are blind or have low vision may continue if schools keep using remote learning tools for any reason. There could also be challenges if there is another national emergency.
Who needs to take action to change this?
Policymakers, schools, school districts, school leadership, and teachers.
What changes does AFB recommend based on the research?
The needs of students, families, and teachers need to be met wherever education takes place, but especially if there is a shift to remote or online learning:
- Communication between students, family members, teachers, and school leadership must be ongoing, clear, and tailored to the needs of students and families.
- Families and students who do not speak English as their primary language need access to interpreters.
- Working with community agencies can help schools make sure translation services and materials in languages other than English are available.
- Teachers who work with students with disabilities must have the time and resources to meet their students’ needs.
- Students must have access to the same technology at home that they do at school.
- Technology companies must create digital learning tools that are fully accessible. Policymakers should work with these companies and school leadership to make sure products for teachers and students are accessible.
- Students who are blind or low vision must have access to educational materials at the same time as their peers.
- School leadership must provide enough time and funding for teaching teams to develop and implement fully accessible teaching plans.
- Schools must make sure students who read braille have all class materials in braille.
- School leadership and teachers should find new ways to strengthen home-school partnerships.
- Students, family members, and teachers who are struggling with stress, anxiety, or other challenges should have access to counseling and other support.
- School leadership and teachers must build on the successes of the ways teachers developed student lessons and family coaching during the pandemic.
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Glossary of Terms
Accessible: A product, service, or environment that is designed for people of all abilities to use.
Early Intervention: Services for infants and toddlers with disabilities from birth through their third birthday and their families. The services help children with social, emotional, and physical development, communication, knowledge development, and more.
Hybrid learning: A combination of in-person and online/remote learning (see below).
Individualized Education Program (IEP): A written education plan to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP): A written education plan to meet the needs of children with disabilities in early intervention programs.
Orientation & Mobility (O&M): Travel skills for people who are blind or have low vision that help them know where they are and move around safely.
Screen readers: Software that reads text out loud or uses a braille display so people who are blind, low vision, or deafblind can read a computer screen.
Remote learning: Education provided outside of a classroom.
