The development of guidelines and recommendations for classroom configurations addressing visual requirements for visually impaired students is crucial to ensuring that the involvement and academic performance of these students are not hindered by suboptimal environments. Photo: Getty Images.

Although individual teachers and schools allow classroom modifications and adjustments for visually impaired students, to date there appears to be a lack of comprehensive effort to systematically synthesize these resources. Inadequate infrastructure, limited access to specialized tools and a shortage of skilled teachers may contribute to lower self-confidence and academic performance among kids with visual deficits. This underscores the necessity for specific guidelines and recommendations to address an optimal classroom setting that is tailored to their visual needs.

Researchers in Malaysia are presently working on a scoping review intended to bring clarify to these issues, to establish a framework for future research projects and evidence-based improvements in educational settings. “Uncorrected refractive errors, classroom overcapacity relative to size, inadequate illumination and the size of learning materials can all affect students’ perception of information and contribute to visual impairment,” the team wrote in a recent paper for PLOS One outlining their forthcoming work.

There have been limited studies discussing the optimal classroom settings, considering furniture and seating arrangement, layout, lighting, color and contrast, aimed at accommodating the unique visual needs and diverse spectrum of visual deficits of these students, they wrote. Such considerations are crucial not only to help in mobility and navigation but also to enhance visual comfort.

“Eligible studies in this review are studies that investigate or discuss interventions related to lighting, contrast, physical measurement, layout, and seating position in classrooms for visually impaired students. Additionally, studies assess the impact of classroom settings on the educational experience, participation and academic outcomes of visually impaired students, and studies report on the preferences and feedback of visually impaired students regarding classroom design,” the study authors described in their paper. Studies focusing on low-vision aids and assistive technologies will be excluded, they noted.

The team decided that this decision aims to maintain a focused examination of the organizational aspects and visual comfort within the physical classroom environment, ensuring a direct exploration of their impact on these students.

The two main research questions of the study are: (1) What specific classroom settings are tailored to accommodate the individual visual needs of visually impaired schoolchildren? and (2) What are the recommendations or guidelines for physical measurement, layout, lighting, contrast and appropriate position for visually impaired schoolchildren?

Sub-questions ask how the configuration of the classroom environment can be optimized to improve mobility and navigation for visually impaired students, as well as whether lighting, color and contrast influence the perceptual clarity and comprehension of material to meet the individual visual needs of visually impaired students.

“Our planned scoping review aims to synthesize existing classroom setting modifications and recommendations, serving as invaluable references for policymakers and researchers striving to design inclusive classroom settings tailored to the unique needs of visually impaired students,” the researchers highlighted. “This ripple effect can lead to sustained efforts to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for visually impaired students worldwide, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future for all.”