Learning Goal: The student will identify techniques and resources to better communicate with persons with visual impairments.
Introduction
This lesson examines ADA provisions that affect the criminal justice system’s interactions with people who have vision impairments. The lesson also provides guidance on how to perform your duties effectively when working with people who are blind or visually impaired.
Objectives
4.3.1. Define blindness, visual impairment, and partial sight.
People who have visual impairments such as blindness or partial sight meet the ADA definition of disability. These impairments are substantial when measured vision loss is so extensive that a person must use alternative methods to read or travel.
Visual impairment refers to any degree of vision loss. There are several types and degrees of visual impairment.
• visual malfunctions that can be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses
• visual impairments that adversely affect sight even with corrective lenses
• visual impairments so severe that alternative methods must be used for reading or travel
4.3.2. Identify indications that a person is visually impaired or blind.
The types of visual impairment that you will encounter most often are blindness and partial sight. Blindness is a severe, functional loss of vision. The individual is totally without sight or has a maximal visual acuity of the better eye, after correction by refractive lenses, of one-tenth normal vision or less (20/200 or less on the Snellen test for Visual Acuity). This definition applies both to people who cannot see at all (are unable to distinguish light from dark) and people who have some vision in one or both eyes. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of people who are blind or visually impaired have some vision. Partial sight is a loss of visual acuity ranging from 20/70 to 20/200 after correction. To people whose vision is within this range, objects look dim or out of focus. They may not see color well or at all, or may lack peripheral vision. They can still read with magnifiers or other aids. Color blindness is not a visual impairment. Color blindness can affect testimony about the color of cars, clothing, and so on.
4.3.3. Identify mobility aids for people who are visually impaired.
Vision impairment poses obvious problems to people when they try to walk within a building or navigate in open areas outdoors. Those who are blind use various mobility aids. These include:
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• a cane to feel the area before them. These canes are usually red-tipped and white or partially white to signal others that people who use them are blind.
• a guide dog. These specially trained animals guide their owners, making decisions about safety when outdoors or near indoor hazards.
• another person. The blind person holds the guide’s arm just above the elbow, as the guide walks slightly ahead.
These mobility aids are good indications that people using them are visually impaired or blind.
4.3.4. Identify ways in which you may assist the mobility of someone who is blind or visually impaired.
Ways to Help
Here are some ways to help someone who is blind or visually impaired and has mobility problems:
• Identify yourself immediately. Give verbal direction, and offer to let them touch your badge.
• Make sure the person knows that you are speaking to them, perhaps by a touch on the arm or shoulder. Tell the person what you intend to do before you do it.
• To lead, allow the blind person to grasp your arm just above the elbow, and walk slightly ahead of the person.
• Stop completely before going up or down stairs or curbs, and tell the person what is coming. When entering a doorway, tell the person in which direction the door opens.
• Never grab a blind person by the arm and propel the person along.
• If the person seems to need help, offer to assist, but don’t insist. If help is requested, follow the person’s instructions.
• Visually impaired or blind people may use a guide dog or service animal. Do not pet or interfere with the guide animal. The person should not be separated from the animal, unless required.
• When walking with a person who uses a guide or service animal or a cane, walk on the side opposite the animal or cane.
• Tell the person when you enter or leave the room.
4.3.5. Identify special considerations you should follow when dealing with a blind victim, witness, or suspect of a crime.
Reassure the victim that the assailant is no longer present. Because the person cannot see the environment, they may experience apprehension and need reassurance.
Read pamphlets or other printed information given to the victim. Alternative methods of sharing information include large-print and Braille versions. (The ADA requires agencies to supply large-print versions of their printed information.)
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4.3.6. Determine appropriate referral services/resources for people with visual impairments.
To communicate with people who have visual impairments, you must gain their attention and give information in oral or printed formats that they can hear or read. A visually-impaired person who is arrested must be read or given large-print versions of any written documents that require the suspect’s signature. Examples include an inventory of the person’s pockets after a search, a typed copy of a statement, and the Miranda rights.
• Victims with visual impairments can obtain help through the same community resources available to all crime victims. More specialized local resources can offer counseling and assistance in maintaining independence. One such
organization is the Florida Association of Centers for Independent Living found online at http://floridacils.org/index.html.
• If you must take a blind person who uses a guide dog into custody or to a treatment facility, you also must make arrangements for the guide dog. Do not separate the animal from the person.
4.3.7. Identify how a person who is blind could aid in a criminal investigation.
A witness who is visually impaired may provide useful and reliable information. People who do not have one sense often develop their four other senses to make up for their loss. Their nonvisual observations may help you investigate.
When interviewing a person who is visually impaired and uses a cane, do not move the cane if the person puts it down. If the cane is in the way, ask the person to move it so that they know where to find it later. If you move furniture such as chairs or a table after the person sits down, tell the person what you moved and where you put it.
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