Name: 9 Classroom Accessibility Adaptations for Students with Cortical Cerebral Visual Impairment
Start: 2026-09-14T11:00:00-0400
End: 2026-09-14T12:00:00-0400

9 Classroom Accessibility Adaptations for Students with Cortical Cerebral Visual Impairment

Monday September 14, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

502 East Event Centre

Session Description: CVI is the leading cause of pediatric visual impairment, yet environmental barriers often hinder student access. This interactive session explores nine high-impact, zero/low-cost classroom adaptations. By leveraging Universal Design for Learning (UDL), participants will learn to optimize physical and digital spaces, from lighting to layout, to foster independence for students with CVI.

Session Abstract:
In the four years since this session first debuted, our understanding of Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) has evolved, but the physical classroom often remains stuck in the past. As the primary cause of visual impairment in children today, CVI requires educators to look beyond traditional "blindness" accommodations and focus on how the brain processes visual information.

This updated session bridges the gap between theory and practical classroom management. We move past expensive specialty equipment to focus on nine essential, no-cost adaptations that can be implemented immediately. By viewing the classroom through a CVI lens, we identify how "visual clutter", often disguised as cheerful decor, acts as a barrier to learning.

Drawing on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), we will demonstrate how strategic changes to furniture placement, lighting, organizational systems, and existing technology settings create a more accessible environment for students with CVI while simultaneously reducing cognitive load for the entire neurodiverse classroom.Participants will engage in: Visual Audits: Learning to "scan" a room for sensory competition. Tactical Rearrangement: Utilizing anchor points and simplified backgrounds to increase visual attention. Digital Scaffolding: Maximizing accessibility features already built into standard classroom tech.

Whether you are a general educator, a specialist, or an administrator, you will leave with a toolkit of "hidden in plain sight" strategies that transform a distracting environment into a supportive, accessible space for every learner.

Session Goals:

Attendees will identify three common environmental "visual stressors" (such as pattern complexity or sensory competition) that impede access for students with CVI.
Attendees will apply UDL-based physical adaptations including furniture orientation and color-coding to reduce visual fatigue and increase student independence.
Attends will optimize existing classroom technology using built-in accessibility features to provide high-contrast and simplified visual displays for complex learners.

Speakers

Emily Cantillon, PhD, TVI

Perkins School for the Blind

Emily Cantillon, Ph.D., TVI, is a Teacher of the Visually Impaired, providing direct instruction, consultation, and program leadership to support students with complex visual needs in both public and specialized settings while serving as the School-Age Lead CVI Teacher at Perkins... Read More →

Monday September 14, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
502 East Event Centre 502 E Carmel Dr, Carmel, IN 46032, USA

Blind/Low Vision

INSAIL 2026

Emily Cantillon, PhD, TVI

Attendees (1)

Get help with the event

INSAIL 2026

Emily Cantillon, PhD, TVI

Attendees (1)

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