Retinitis Pigmentosa is a serious eye condition, which is commonly diagnosed, in the pre-teen and teenage years.  RP refers to a group of inherited retinal degenerative disorders characterized by night blindness, poor contrast vision and gradual loss of peripheral vision. Students with Macular Degeneration (MD) have poor central (reading) vision and sometimes – poor colour vision.  Students with retinal degeneration (RD) will have special needs and concerns in the classroom.  Educators can help by being aware of the student’s eye condition and of some relatively easy and inexpensive ways to minimize the effects of RD.

You may find the following tips useful if you have a student with RD.  Please keep in mind that the course of progression of the disease varies greatly from individual to individual.  While many students may benefit from these suggestions, others may have enough sight that visual aids and modifications are not yet needed.

• Allow the student to sit near the blackboard if he/she finds this helpful.
• Allow more time for completing tasks and assignments if necessary.  As the student cannot easily scan the page, additional time for reading may be needed.  Also, the student may require time to rest his/her eyes as a result of vision fatigue.  Slow to dark adaptation times should also be borne in mind.  Additional time for tests and examinations is legally permissible.
• Large bold print and/or black felt-tip markers may be helpful for students with central vision loss.  It is also helpful to have any printed or copied materials printed on white paper with black ink, as a high contrast is easier to persons with RD to read.
• Become familiar with the various visual aids that may benefit your student.  An aid can be something as simple as writing paper with bold lines, or as sophisticated as a closed circuit television set which greatly magnifies print.  A low vision therapist or suppliers of electronic visual aids may be able to assist you in determining which aids can help the student to achieve the best results.
• Adequate lighting in the classroom and other areas is very important.  Lighting is even more important at night, when students with RP may have the most difficulty.  The student should be prepared for entering any dimly lit area.
• The student may be able to make better use of his vision setting near a window or with the light behind him.  A desk lamp may be useful.
• For the younger child, games can be adapted so that everyone can participate.  For example, beeping balls can be purchased to that an approaching ball produces both visual and auditory cue.  Rules to games can be modified.  This can be done without singling out the visually impaired child, as these suggestions may also allow children who are not, as co-ordinated as their classmates to enjoy participating in games.  Physical Education teachers should be fully informed especially if the child participates in sports.
• Be aware of low obstacles in the classroom or hallways, and remove them if possible.
• After showing slides or films in a darkened room, begin to turn on lights immediately, rather than continue the lesson in semi-darkness.  Assign a note-taker when the room is not well lit, or allow the child to use a tape recorder if appropriate.  Abrupt changes in lighting can be very uncomfortable.
• On class field trips, be sensitive to lighting and obstacles in the student’s path.  Steps can be a problem when they are the same colour as the surface ground.
• Taped books may be requested from specialist organizations for the low vision student.  Depending on the degree of impairment, volunteers may be willing to read some assignments on tape.
• Feedback between the student and teacher is essential.  The student needs to communicate to the teachers problems, just as the teacher needs to point out any areas where improvement is needed.
• Avoid treating the student as “special”.  Acknowledge that the student has special needs, but make your expectations for him/her clear.  Other students may resent any special treatment given to the student above and beyond what is necessary.  Learn to think of the student with RD as just that – a student who has visual impairment.  This assists the student in learning to define himself in a healthy way.
• Encourage the student to discuss his condition with curios classmates, if appropriate.  Other students may get along better with the visually impaired student if they understand the nature of the problem.  People who do not understand RD may mistakenly think that the affected person is “faking” the problem, because there are some things that the person may be able to do very well and other tasks that the person will have difficulty completing.  Some students may erroneously assume that the RD student is a “snob” when he does not acknowledge them, though it is because he does not see them at all times.  It may help to point this out to students who convey this attitude.
• Career guidance is important for older students. Students who have not yet lost a significant amount of vision may not like to think about the future as it applies to their vision.
• Encourage the student to strive to reach his/her full potential, utilizing his/her talents and capabilities, yet also to be realistic in selecting career goals however students should not be forced into seemingly “appropriate” careers but should be encouraged to pursue their passions in a realistic way.