Joanne R. Pompano
Developed for students in high school, this unit will assist visually impaired and blind students in their efforts to explore, analyze, and understand the importance of good nutrition for the health of an individual. The project will focus on the development and of healthy eyes and visual processing.
This curriculum will be taught to students who are visually impaired and legally blind in my course “Life Skills for Blind and Partially Sighted.” In addition, I will teach the unit in the summer school program and in the Extended Day Academy for visually impaired students conducted at Wilbur Cross High. This unit will be of interest not only to visually impaired students but also their sighted peers. In addition, it can be modified for elementary and middle school or special needs students.
Visually impaired students have a strong interest in protecting their remaining vision and have a personal interest in the newest research on diet supplements and the claims that the use of certain nutrients and vitamins can prevent or improve vision. Therefore, this unit covers a topic that is of great importance to the blind and visually impaired students. Visually impaired and blind students face many issues concerning their diet and their eye problems. For instance, students with diabetes need to be well informed about nutrition and they need to understand the visual problems that may arise when diabetes is not controlled.
