Inclusion for Students w/ Visual Impairments: Overcoming Barriers Together w/ Jonathan Hooper ~ 1334

Jonathan Hooper is a distinguished educator and a certified teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) and an assistive technology professional (ATP). With 13 years of experience as an itinerant vision teacher in New York City, Jonathan currently contributes his expertise at Pediatric View at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. There, he specializes in Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and complex support needs alongside Dr. Christine Roman Lansky. His journey into the field was driven by firsthand classroom experiences with a student with visual impairments, which inspired him to transition from a general education role to a specialized advocate for inclusive education. In this insightful episode of Think Inclusive, hosted by Tim Villegas, listeners explore the essential aspects of creating inclusive environments for students with visual impairments. Jonathan Hooper shares his journey from a general education teacher to a specialist in visual impairments, emphasizing the separation of vision from cognition and the significance of presuming competence. The discussion broadly encompasses the value and implementation of accessibility in educational contexts, ranging from academic subjects to everyday social interactions in lunchrooms and playgrounds. Complete show notes and transcript: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/incl... 00:00 Introduction: Presuming Competence for Students with Visual Impairments 00:38 Access vs. Ability: What Presuming Competence Really Means 03:38 Meet a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) 05:26 Inclusive Practices in Special Education: A Vision Teacher's Perspective 12:35 Schools for the Blind vs. Inclusive Classrooms 19:53 Supporting Students with CVI and Complex Support Needs 27:32 Creating Accessible Materials for Students with Disabilities 32:00 Accessible EdTech and Inclusive Curriculum Design 40:30 Inclusive Recess and Play for Students with Visual Impairments 53:45 Using AI Tools for Accessible Image Descriptions