Is College for Me? A Guide for Blind and Partially Sighted Adult Learners

College isn’t just for the young at heart! College, apprenticeships and other further education options are available to you as a blind or partially sighted adult learner. This is anyone over the age of 19, or 25 with an Education Healthcare Plan (EHCP), at the point of enrolling on a course.  

Further education can help you progress to university, change careers, develop new skills, or return to learning after time away from education.

This guide was created with support from blind adult learner Jeff who applied for college for a Maths GCSE. Jeff, an experienced social care and higher education practitioner, has provided his insights following his college experience. Read on to find out more!

Getting Support in Place 

What support is available? 

Support at college comes in the form of reasonable adjustments which are the steps a college should take to make the course accessible to you. These can include: 

• Learning resources in your preferred format.
• One-to-one support in classes.
• Exam arrangements such as; modified papers, additional time, rest breaks, use of a laptop, a reader or scribe. 

 Read our Five Steps into College guide for more information on adjustments and getting them in place 

Eligibility for support 

Colleges have funding to provide you with support. Colleges cannot reject your application if they are unsure about providing or funding the support you need as the adjustments will be funded by Learning Support.

Learning Support is funding colleges receive from the government to support disabled learners. If you have high support needs, exceptional learning support is available. In most cases, support can be provided at little cost to the college, especially with guidance from the Local Authority’s Sensory Support Service. Focus on what you need to access your course rather than worrying about the cost.

Working with the College

You may find that for some colleges this will be their first time supporting a blind or partially sighted adult learner. Our advice below can help you with those initial conversations when approaching colleges. 

Preparation

Your previous education or employment makes you the expert on the support you need and how it should be delivered. You aren’t responsible for providing reasonable adjustments, but your expertise can help college staff understand how to best support you. For some learners this could mean demonstrating how they use assistive technology or sharing information about your specific vision impairment.

Jeff described this as “helping the college to meet me halfway.” His experience as tactile diagrams advocate at the Open University gave him strategies he could bring to college such as sharing advice on how to modify his learning materials.    

When considering how to bridge the gap yourself, think about: 

• What might college staff need to know about your vision impairment?  
• What worked or didn’t work well in previous education?  
• When supported by others in education or employment, what has helped or hindered you? 
• What assistive technology do you already own and how can the college accommodate this? 

Make a list of your ideas and share it with the college’s disability or learning support team before meeting with them. This can help you have a more informed discussion about your support package.

You can also share our Resources for Professionals in Further Education with college staff for further guidance 

Open day

Open days are useful opportunities for prospective students to visit the campus, meet staff and ask questions. Jeff explained that an open day was an important way to communicate his needs beyond email: “I gave a demonstration to the college on specialist skills and methods, so they knew roughly how I might approach things.”

Academic and admissions staff won’t always be aware of the reasonable adjustments available and the funding for them. You should arrange to speak with the Learning Support Team before your open day to discuss your options.

Assistive Technology 

Assistive technology is a lifeline for returning to education. We encourage all learners to have a device ready they can use to access their education. Both laptops and tablets can be made accessible using the linked guides.

Once online, you can explore the world of assistive technology available to you. This is technology or software which helps disabled people access things like mainstream education. Some examples include:

• Screen-reader and text-to-speech software. This helps you to access and navigate information on your device’s screen. 

• Digital and electronic magnifiers. 

• Braille hardware like refreshable displays to translate digital text into Braille, Braille notetakers and transcription software. 

• Bluetooth hardware like earphones, keyboards and mice. 

• AI apps for everything from summarising long pieces of text to describing visual imagery. 

What support might be available for assistive technology will depend on the college. Some colleges have Assistive Technology Specialists. Others will already have assistive technology on campus or be able to source some for you. This would remain the property of the college. Reach out to the college’s Learning Support Team to find out more.

Once you have your technology in place, it’s time to learn how it works! This is where we recommend the below opportunities. Make sure you receive training in how to use your new technology before you start your course, so you have time to practise. 

• TAVIP’s Technology for Learning training programme – 5 hours of free one-to-one training for visually impaired students who are 18+ to help them develop the skills they need for education 
• RNIB Technology for Life team – offer a variety of support, including information advice and Guidance, Focus on Technology Course, technology guides group and one-to-one training, technology help in the home, community education, and a podcast!

Jeff told us “Accessible learning materials was the most vital” support for someone confident with using technology but access to assistive technology should not replace reasonable adjustments. They should be arranged in conjunction with any technology you already use.”

For information on the technology available to you in education, see our Technology in Education resources. 

Next Steps  

We have shown you how to approach starting further education and the support available. You will be able to communicate your needs effectively and share best practise yourself. This will set you up for a more proactive and collaborative experience as you take the exciting next steps in your educational journey.

Find out more!  

Our Education Information Advice and Guidance Service can answer questions about starting college as an adult learner.

Connect with other blind and partially sighted adult learners through our online Student Support Community.

We partner with Guide Dogs to deliver our Education Advice Service. Guide Dogs have a range of services for blind and partially sighted adults including cane skills, sighted guide training, life skills and of course guide dogs!

Through RNIB you can find out more about eye health, practical and emotional support, and their community Facebook groups.