When I was in high school, I had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP plan) for visual impairment, specifically low vision. As a student that accessed the general curriculum and took several advanced classes, my IEP provided a framework for receiving accessible educational materials and helped me to make progress in my goals for self-advocacy, building technology skills, and attending college to study data science and assistive technology. I’ve had several people ask me what type of accommodations I received in different classes, so here is a list of low vision accommodations for print materials from my high school IEP for visual impairment, along with additional resources that can help other students as well.
It’s worth noting that IEPs expire the moment a student graduates from high school, and I do not use these exact accommodations or font sizes now that I am in college— I prefer a larger font size so I don’t have to strain my eyes, and receiving the vast majority of my assignments in digital formats has made it easier for me to self-accommodate this preference.
Low vision accommodations for English materials
As part of my studies, I took English 9, English 10, AP Language and Composition, and English 12 (online). I used the same accommodations for each of my classes, which included:
- Assignments and handouts printed in 22 pt bold Arial font
- Assignments and handouts printed on 8.5” by 11” light blue, light yellow, or off-white paper to reduce glare
- Digital copies of graphics that can be read on a computer, and/or image descriptions for images that describe visual characteristics. Decorative images should be removed when possible.
- Use of eReader to read eBooks downloaded from Bookshare
- Use of tablet to read eBooks
- Permission to type assignments and submit assignments digitally
Another accommodation related to print materials is that I was allowed to type assignments instead of handwriting them, and would not be graded on handwriting legibility due to dysgraphia.
Related links
- Taking Online English Classes With Low Vision
- Assistive Technology For Dysgraphia
- How I Use My eReader For School and Online Classes
- Reduce Glare In The Classroom For Low Vision Students
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: eReaders
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- AP Exam Accommodations For Low Vision
- E-Ink Displays and Low Vision Accessibility
Low vision accommodations for History materials
In high school, I took Geography in-person, and then World History 2, US History, and Government as online classes. I had to switch into an online history class partway through the semester from an in-person class because my teacher had difficulties with proving accessible materials and following my IEP. Low vision accommodations for print materials that I used in my history classes included:
- Assignments and handouts printed in 22 pt bold Arial font
- Symbols on assignments and handouts enlarged to 500% or drawn larger on the page (e.g. map symbols)
- Assignments and handouts printed on 8.5” by 11” light blue, light yellow, or off-white paper to reduce glare.
- For geography, assignments and handouts printed on 11” by 17” off-white paper to accommodate images
- Maps and line drawings traced in black permanent marker or highlighted
- Digital copies of graphics that can be read on a computer, and/or image descriptions for images that describe visual characteristics. Decorative images should be removed when possible.
- Use of tablet or laptop to read digital textbooks
- Permission to type assignments and submit assignments digitally
In my online classes, I would often enlarge my own assignments or open images in a new tab to add image filters or zoom in further to view details.
Related links
- Taking Online History Classes With Low Vision
- How I Access Historical Documents With Low Vision
- Adapting Math Sketches: Math Problems and Low Vision
- High School Laptops and Low Vision
- The Best Study Tips For Visually Impaired Students
- My Experience With Virtual Classes in High School
- How To Transfer To A Virtual Class Mid-Year
Low vision accommodations for Spanish materials (or other world language class)
I took my first two years of Spanish in middle school, and then took Spanish 3 and Spanish 4 in high school. Low vision accommodations for print materials that I used in my Spanish classes included:
- Assignments and handouts printed in 22 pt bold Arial font
- Assignments and handouts printed on 8.5” by 11” light blue, light yellow, or off-white paper to reduce glare
- Accent marks outlined in black marker so they were easier to see
- Remove decorative images, or provide a high-resolution digital copy of an image
- Dictionary, spell check, and grammar check features turned off when writing in Spanish on computer
- Use of laptop for reading textbook
- Permission to type assignments and submit assignments digitally, including annotating workbook pages
Ideally, I would have used a larger text size to make it easier to read unfamiliar words— I would often increase the font size when taking notes or reading my own typed text, but this accommodation was not officially approved.
Related links
- Receiving Accessible Educational Materials With NIMAC and AIM-VA
- Language Learning Tips And Resources For Low Vision
- Using The iPad Markup Tool With Low Vision
- How I Use Microsoft OneNote With Low Vision
- How To Make Classroom Videos Easier To See
- Dear High School Teacher
- Ten Spooky Inaccessible Assignments For Low Vision Students
Low vision accommodations for math materials
In high school, I took Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Statistics, and Discrete Math. I would tell people that my brain loves math but my eyes do not, and I had to retake two of my math classes in high school because I didn’t have access to assignments I could see— this included retaking Algebra 2 online. Low vision accommodations for print materials I used in my math classes included:
- Assignments and handouts printed in 26 pt bold Arial font
- Assignments and handouts printed on 11” by 17” off-white paper to reduce glare
- Use of Sharpie pens instead of pencils
- Digital copies of charts and graphs to enlarge on the computer or on a tablet with magnification or pinch-to-zoom.
- Use of laptop or tablet to access textbook
- Permission to type assignments and submit assignments digitally
- Symbols and exponents enlarged 500% or drawn in a larger size
- Tracing graphs and lines on coordinate planes with black marker to increase thickness of lines
While this post primarily focuses on accessible print materials, I was also approved to use a large print calculator.
Related links
- Math Test Accommodations For Low Vision
- Adapting Digital Equations: Math Problems and Low Vision
- Adapting Math Symbols: Math Problems and Low Vision
- Adapting Coordinate Planes: Math Problems and Low Vision
- Adapting Accessible Charts: Math Problems and Low Vision
- Adapting Accessible Z-Tables: Math Problems and Low Vision
- How I Show Work For Math With Low Vision and Dysgraphia
- Five Accessible Calculator Apps For Low Vision
Low vision accommodations for science materials
Similar to history, I also transferred into online classes partway through the semester for some of my science classes— I took Earth Science/Geology, Biology, Chemistry, and AP Environmental Science (online). Low vision accommodations for print materials that I used in my science classes included:
- Assignments and handouts printed in 22 pt bold Arial font
- Assignments and handouts printed on 11” by 17” light blue, light yellow, or off-white paper to reduce glare
- Digital copies of graphics that can be read on a computer, and/or image descriptions for images that describe visual characteristics. Decorative images should be removed when possible.
- Permission to use a lab partner or scribe
- Use of a large print Periodic Table
- Use of laptop or tablet to access textbooks or other handouts
- Use of digital textbooks
- Permission to type assignments and submit assignments digitally
For AP Environmental Science, I would take exams by reading/typing answers in a Word document instead of using the Desire2Learn tests because I had trouble enlarging images and diagrams. The test was still proctored by the lab supervisor.
Related links
- Implementing Shared Folders For Accessible Materials
- Free Accessible Periodic Tables For Low Vision
- How To Create Accessible Diagrams For Low Vision
- Science Labs and Low Vision
- How To Describe Science Experiments For Visually Impaired Students
- How I Receive Accessible Quizzes and Tests in the Classroom
- Mainstream eReader Apps and Low Vision Accessibility
- Five Apps I Use In The Science Classroom As A Low Vision Student
Low vision accommodations for band and music materials
My favorite class in high school, I took Honors Band every semester and had daily band classes— I love playing multiple types of clarinet! Low vision accommodations for print materials I used in band classes included:
- Music enlarged to 250%-300% scale (equivalent to 22 pt font size)
- Sheet music printed on 11” x 17” off-white paper, which would often be cut into segments to accommodate lines on the page
- Dynamics and other markings traced with marker or highlighted
- Digital sheet music in a shared folder that can be read on tablet
I started enlarging my own music for some ensembles, which was helpful when I started playing in college pep band and had to figure out how to enlarge my own music.
Related links
- How To Make Music Accessible With Microsoft PowerPoint
- My Large Print Music Binder
- Writing Marching Band Drill For Low Vision Students
- Assistive Technology Options For Watching The Conductor With Low Vision
- Adapting Band Uniforms For Sensory Processing Issues
- Marching Band and Low Vision
- Concert Band and Low Vision
- Learning Clarinet With Low Vision
Additional low vision accommodations for print materials from my IEP
- Wondering how I got accessible materials for gym classes? Learn more in Gym Classes and Low Vision: My Personal Experiences
- I am from Virginia, so I took the Standards of Learning (SOL) standardized tests— learn more in SOL Test Accommodations And Low Vision
- Looking for a list of potential accommodations for visual impairment? Read Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- Want more posts on academic access for low vision? I share a ton of content on my website, just check out my Categories page!
Published February 22, 2017. Updated January 2025