Needs Analysis for Teachers of the Visually Impaired

The needs of educators dealing with low vision children were assessed by use of a mailed questionnaire. Teachers of the visually impaired (VH) of the Los Angeles City, Los Angeles County, and Long Beach City districts comprised the sample population. Analysis of the results revealed unmet needs in the following areas: teachers' knowledge in use of low vision aids, lack of low vision assessment by vision care specialists for their students, difficulty with adequacy of eye reports, and lack of communication with their students' eye care specialists. Recommendations are made for improvement of these problem areas.