One of the components of my low vision and neurological condition is sensitivity to bright and/or flashing lights, also known as photosensitivity and photophobia. While I wear tinted non-polarized glasses and use other tools to help with the sensitivity to bright lights, I often have to self-advocate for modifying the classroom environment or assignments to remove or reduce flashing animations, strobe lights, or rapidly flickering effects so that I can access information without feeling disoriented or dealing with physically painful lights.
Here are my tips for modifying assignments to remove flashing lights that can be used for instructors that have students with photosensitivity and/or photophobia, as well as students and families advocating for alternative materials.
First, identify the goal(s) of the assignment or resource
Before making any recommendations for modifying assignments or activities, it helps to identify the goal(s) or purpose of the content so that the student and/or instructor can identify an alternative. It is pretty rare for the goal of the assignment to be something like “identify types of strobe lights” or “watch this video and pay close attention to the flickering lights,” and some instructors will include the goals/purpose of the assignment when posting it online or introducing it to students. Here are some examples of goal(s) I have identified for assignments in my high school and college classes that contained flashing lights:
- Describe different characteristics of a movie/video, including traits of characters, settings, and situations (Spanish class)
- Explain the role of white blood cells in the body (biology class)
- Categorize storms and hurricanes based on different characteristics (general science class)
- Understand events that took place during a specific historical event (history class— multiple)
- Watch a press conference and pay attention to the answers that are given (civics class, communications class)
- Identify changes in a model over time, including key trends (modeling and simulation class)
- Describe the academic research process and appropriate library resources (composition class, research writing class)
I actually have had a small number assignments over the years that required students to identify characteristics of strobe lights or flashing lights— I never had more than one of these assignments in a given class. I share more about being exempt from these assignments later in the post.
Related links
- How To Make Classroom Videos Easier To See
- Taking Online History Classes With Low Vision
- Learning to Self-Advocate
- Managing Chronic Migraines in College
Share copies of files that can be modified or viewed individually
Some instructors will add animations, flashing effects, or gifs/videos to slideshows or class presentations that can be disorienting or difficult to see. In these instances, it is helpful to get a copy of the presentation that can be modified to remove or turn off animations, or provide an option for watching or interacting with video content independently since screen-sharing tools or projectors can add a flickering effect to videos. Other types of content that can be shared for student access include websites, which can have auto-play ads or other unexpected video content.
Following an incident involving a rapidly flashing ad on a webpage in high school, my teacher began giving me a typed copy of web content in a Word document, which they had copied and pasted from the original page. In college, I started using simplified reading displays more regularly to read web articles, which blocks ads and provides a consistent layout for reading text.
Related links
- How I Access PowerPoints with Microsoft Sway
- How I Take Notes During Video Lectures With Low Vision
- Recording Video Lectures For Visually Impaired Students
- How To Make Things On The Board Easier To See
- Simplified Reading Displays and Low Vision
Use a text-only view or turn off animations
Some educational games and websites offer a text-only view or the option to turn off animations, which may be listed as an accessibility setting or configured within the Settings app of a device. This can be helpful for games or activities that have a lot of embedded videos or flashing effects, which can also trigger vertigo for some individuals. Depending on the application, other accessibility views or alternatives may also be available such as accessible worksheets or applications designed for users with disabilities— consult with the instructor or an assistive technology specialist/accessibility specialist.
Related links
- Learning To Type With Low Vision
- Avoiding Flashing Lights On Social Media
- Five Common Technology Behaviors That Hurt My Brain
- Touring Colleges With Virtual Reality
- How To Make Virtual Museums Accessible For Visual Impairments
Play animations or videos at a slower rate
As part of my data science coursework in modeling and simulation, my professors would often show models on the board and have us track changes and trends over time. One day, I noticed that as the reproduction rate for a model increased, the model began to have a strobe-like animation effect, which led to me feeling super disoriented for a few hours. The fact the room was completely dark other than the projector and that I was feeling tired didn’t help either.
After class, I sent my professor an email asking if there was a way to view the reproduction rate for the model at a slower speed, and they sent me the code so that I could try it on my own. I noticed that when I decreased the animation speed, the strobing effect went away and I could safely engage with the model. If I was watching a video of a model, I could adjust the playback speed to watch it more slowly (I usually went for 0.25x to 0.5x speed to start) to avoid the strobing as well.
As a result, my professor and I came up with the following strategies for modifying assignments to remove flashing lights in their class, which I used in future classes:
- Provide a verbal warning before increasing the reproduction rate or speed of a simulation (or video). This also included rapidly rewinding or fast-forwarding through content.
- Narrate any changes to the model in real time. If students are expected to answer the question, repeat the answer(s) after students share them, e.g. “yes, the B group is increasing at a faster rate”
- Provide students with copies of code or videos so they can control them at their own pace, instead of just watching them on the board
- Avoid making the classroom completely dark when working with rapidly flashing or strobing animations
Some instructors would have me close my eyes while demonstrating something on the projector— I would watch the simulation on my own device either shortly before or afterwards. Instead of just closing my eyes, I find it helpful to cover my eyes with another object to make sure that flashing effects are blocked out as long as possible. An eye mask would be perfect for this and I started carrying one in my backpack for this purpose, but I’ve also used my hands or a hoodie to further block my eyes from the light.
Related links
- How I Talk To Professors About Photosensitivity
- Ten Ways To Reduce Eye Strain From Screens With Technology
- Activity Ideas For Vision Breaks
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- What’s In My College Backpack As A Low Vision Student
Instead of watching a video, listen to a podcast or read an article
Many of my in-person and online history classes over the years have included watching videos about a particular topic or event, some of which had strobing or flickering effects during battle scenes, transitions, camera flashes, severe weather, or constant flickering effects from archival footage. As an alternative to watching videos, students can read an article or book about a given topic, or listen to a podcast that discusses the information instead— this should be provided by or approved by the instructor when possible. Text-based and audio-based content inherently does not contain flashing lights or strobing lights.
Listen to audio description
In college, I found a video for one of my classes that included audio description, which is a secondary audio track that describes key visual information in the video and may be available in multiple languages, depending on the content (check the Audio Description Project website for more information). There are also websites that provide audio description tracks that users can listen to— Audiocinemateca is one resource for Spanish audio description that can be helpful for students.
Related links
- The Best Study Tips For Auditory Learners
- Language Learning Tips And Resources For Low Vision
- Audio and Nonvisual Entertainment Ideas For Blind and Low Vision
- DCMP: Free Audio Described Videos For Classrooms
- Streaming Audio Description For Performing Arts Videos
Provide a transcript of video content
For some of my online classes, instructors have posted short videos for students to watch or longer videos of people talking that include flashing or strobing animations in multiple areas. In these situations, I typically receive a transcript of video content that can be read in lieu of watching the video— some professors post the transcript so anyone can use it, while others provide transcripts to students with approved disability accommodations via email. Instead of watching the video, I read the transcript using large print or text-to-speech to get the information I need— transcripts in an accessible format like a Word document can also be accessed with a screen reader or braille display.
When I was assigned a documentary for one of my classes that had several flashing lights, I found a transcript online that contained descriptions of visual information and all of the spoken content and relevant on-screen text that I could read within a web browser or copy/paste into another application. I do not recommend downloading transcript files online unless it is from a trusted source.
Related links
- Purposes of Media Descriptions for Visual Impairment
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- The Best Study Tips For Visually Impaired Students
- How To Run Effective Web Searches
Allow option for watching video content outside of class time
Sometimes, an assignment or video will be “mostly safe” for me to watch, with the exception of a couple of scenes or moments that have flashing or strobing lights. If students are going to be watching this video during class, I typically will ask to watch the video either before or after class on my own device so that I can fast-forward through flashing parts or watch it at my own pace, and then complete related activities with the rest of the class. In these instances, someone pre-screens the video and indicates time stamps or sections that have flashing lights— depending on the age of the student, this might be the instructor, another allied professional, a trusted classmate, or a family member.
When I was in high school, I would typically leave the room when videos were playing and come back after they were finished, or go to another classroom or the library if it was for the entire class period. During online classes, I will turn off incoming video/screen sharing until the video is over. I would watch videos at home or in another setting where I had control over lighting and where I was sitting in relation to the screen.
In some instances, instructors have also identified alternative videos that I either watched on my own or they switched to having the entire class watch a different video.
Related links
- How To Make Classroom Videos Easier To See
- How To Check Videos For Flashing Lights
- How I Watch Concert Videos Without Strobe Lights
- Quiet Places At School For Students With Visual Impairments
Screen student-created content in advance when possible
For student-created content like class presentations, group projects, or other videos, my instructors would remind students to avoid adding strobe lights or flashing lights into their presentations to be considerate of others that are sensitive to these lights. Some instructors would screen student-created videos in advance to verify if they contained any flashing lights, and would let me know if I needed to close my eyes or avoid watching a particular presentation.
While students should not feel pressured to do this, I am open with my classmates about my photophobia/photosensitivity, and offer to answer questions they have about making their videos inclusive for audiences with light sensitivities. For peer review assignments, sometimes I will get a list of “safe” videos to review or videos to avoid, or other students will self-disclose if a video has flashing lights. If I come across a video with strobe or flashing effects that the instructor assigned me to review, I can let the instructor know and they will give me another video to watch instead.
Related links
- How I Talk About Disability With New Friends
- How Tinted Glasses Help My Light Sensitivity
- The Real Villain In Incredibles 2: Strobe Lights (NO SPOILERS)
Tips for discussing assignment modifications for students and instructors
Understanding the purpose of the assignment and identifying potential alternatives is huge when it comes to modifying assignments to remove flashing lights— it shows that modifications are being made in an intentional way and that the goals of learning are not changed. Here are my favorite tips for discussing assignment modifications:
- First, it is helpful to be proactive about disclosing light sensitivity to instructors and explaining how photophobia and/or photosensitivity personally affect the student. For example, are there specific colors or light frequencies to avoid?
- Share what makes an assignment, video, or other activity inaccessible. This can be as simple as “there’s a lot of strobe lights” or “the flickering animation is disorienting”
- Propose an alternative that fulfills the same purpose as the intended assignment, instead of asking to be exempt entirely. Instructors are more receptive to “can I do this instead?” compared to “can I avoid doing this entirely?”
- Document the plan in writing, along with any time extensions or grading modifications that will be made.
In the case of assignments that cannot be modified to remove flashing lights without negating the purpose of the assignment, it is important for a student that is self-advocating to explain exactly why they cannot complete the assignment, or why modifications would not be appropriate. In this instance, the instructor should propose a different assignment or exempt the student from the assignment entirely.
I came across an assignment in graduate school that involved watching animations of strobe and flashing lights and answering questions, and told the professor there was no way for me to complete the assignment safely and that I would need to be exempt/complete an alternative assignment of their choosing. Because I had explained why these particular types of lights were inaccessible to me, I received full credit for the assignment instead of being exempt since the goal was to identify accessibility barriers related to flashing lights.
Related links
- How I Talk To Professors About Photosensitivity
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
- Disability Accommodations For Fluctuating Eyesight
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For Chiari Malformation
More resources for managing photophobia, photosensitivity, and flashing light sensitivities in the classroom
- Something that has helped me a lot is having a guide for how to screen videos for flashing lights— I share it in How To Check Videos For Flashing Lights
- Flashing lights aren’t just in videos! I created a list of surprise sources of flashing lights in classroom settings in Flashing Lights and Photosensitivity in the Classroom
- To help with blocking out flashing lights at band events, I have implemented a few different strategies over the years— learn more in How I Play In GMU Green Machine/Pep Band With Low Vision and Adapting Band Uniforms For Sensory Processing Issues
- Something that helps me avoid or minimize exposure to flashing lights is having accessibility settings enabled on my devices, which I outline in Smartphone Accessibility Settings For Photosensitivity
Published May 21, 2025. Updated May 2025