As a student with low vision, preferential seating accommodations have been a consistent part of my disability accommodations over the years, including in my IEP, 504 plan, SAP, and college disability accommodations for visual impairment. Even though I have trouble seeing objects more than 3-5 feet in front of me, sometimes the most optimal seat isn’t in the front of the class or in the center of a row— there are other factors that go into choosing “the best seat in the house” from my student perspective. Here is a list of tips and strategies for implementing preferential seating accommodations for students with low vision, including how I personally use preferential seating accommodations as a student with low vision.
What is preferential seating?
Preferential seating accommodations allow students to sit in a location that maximizes access to instruction and/or information presented at a distance. Most preferential seating accommodations do not list a specific location, rather they indicate that a student should have their desk in an area that best supports access to visual information. For students with visual impairments, this is commonly interpreted as sitting in the front row of the classroom.
In this context, preferential seating is separate from flexible seating accommodations, which may provide alternatives to the standard desk and/or chair used by the student. However, flexible seating accommodations may also play a role in how preferential seating is implemented if a larger desk is used.
Related links
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- Environmental Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For Chiari Malformation
Examples of preferential seating accommodations
The most common preferential seating accommodations include the following options:
- Positioning the student desk on a specific side of the room to support visual/auditory access. For example, a student may benefit from being on the right side of the room if they have limited vision and/or hearing on their left side, or use an interpreter/captioning tools.
- Sitting away from doors or windows.
- Placing the student near the instructor’s desk or work area.
- Sitting close to the board or screen during lectures.
- Positioning the student desk so they can use optical aids (e.g. bioptic) or magnification to enlarge information.
- Placing student in a low-distraction area of the classroom.
- Allowing students to move to different areas in the classroom for different activities.
These accommodations may or may not be specified when a student is approved for preferential seating. In middle school and high school, I was expected to know what location(s) in the classroom would work best for me as a student with low vision. I typically remained in the same seat for the entire semester/school year and was not impacted by seating chart changes.
Related links
- Elementary School Classrooms And Low Vision Accessibility
- Middle School Classrooms And Low Vision Accessibility
- Flashing Lights and Photosensitivity in the Classroom
- Modifying Assignments To Remove Flashing Lights
Questions to ask about preferential seating
Students with visual impairments are often the best experts on their own lived experiences, but may still find it challenging to figure out how to choose a seat in class or where the best location to sit is. Here are examples of questions that I would ask myself as a student with low vision when choosing a seat in class:
Where is the instructor?
- During lessons or activities, where is the instructor standing or writing?
- Are they writing on the board, sharing examples on the projector, or moving around the classroom?
- Do they write on a specific side of the board?
- If there are multiple boards in the classroom, which one do they write on the most frequently?
As part of my disability accommodations, I also received a copy of notes and presentations shown on the board, and had permission to stand up during class to move closer to the board and copy down information.
How can I minimize distractions?
- Is there a bright, flickering, or flashing light in the classroom?
- Where are the windows? Is there a way to cover windows or sit away from them?
- Are there other sources of noise in the classroom that can be distracting and make it harder to focus? Things like pencil sharpeners, loud fans, doors, class pet, etc.
- Is there a way to reduce or eliminate glare?
Environmental factors like noise, bright lights, and even temperature can make it much more challenging for me to focus my eyes or use my vision effectively. While it is impossible to expect a classroom environment to be 100% consistent and free of any distractions whatsoever, there may be options to minimize them such as using curtains or moving items to another location. In one example, I added an anti-glare mat to my desk so that I didn’t have to deal with the reflection of overhead lights in the front row.
Can I use assistive technology?
- Where is the nearest outlet?
- Can I fit my computer or other devices on this desk?
- Does the instructor use screen sharing or mirror their computer to other displays in the classroom?
- Will I be able to access everything on the board?
Students with low vision often use assistive technologies such as computers, magnifiers, or other specialty devices that may need to be charged during class— knowing where nearby outlets are can be very helpful. For students that use distance magnifiers or screen sharing tools, they may prefer to sit in a different location so they can see everything that is going on.
Are there potential safety hazards?
- Can I store my backpack or other items without creating a tripping hazard?
- Are there any cords or items that block walkways in the classroom?
- Can I store my cane in a place where I can easily grab it?
- Will I be able to find my seat and get in/out of the classroom independently?
To share a story from undergrad, I tripped over dark backpacks on a dark carpet when walking to the front of the room, which led to me moving to the edge of the row so that I could see the board more easily but also get up without assistance. In another example, my professor almost tripped over my bass clarinet case because I couldn’t store items under my desk in the front row— for future classes, the bass clarinet case stayed behind their desk.
Related links
- How To Make Things On The Board Easier To See
- How To Make Classroom Videos Easier To See
- Recording Video Lectures For Visually Impaired Students
- How I Take Notes During Video Lectures With Low Vision
- Reduce Glare In The Classroom For Low Vision Students
- Twelve Blindness Cane Storage Solutions
- Choosing A Backpack With Low Vision
Figuring out preferential seating in the classroom
Implementing preferential seating accommodations is often a collaborative effort, involving feedback from the instructor, student, and/or their families and support teams. Before the first day of classes, I would typically visit the classroom to preview the room layout/desk layout and figure out what seat would work best for different activities. When I was younger, my family would come in and provide recommendations to the teacher, and I became more responsible for figuring out preferential seating staring in middle school and high school.
While there is a significant difference between a classroom full of activity and visual stimuli and an empty classroom, it was helpful to visit the classroom in advance and see how the instructor typically writes on the board or presents information. This also made it easier to fix issues that might arise before the first day of class, such as if the desk was too small to accommodate my large print assignments or if the projector was flickering. At the end of the first week of school and a few times throughout the school year, the instructor would check in and ask me if I could see everything on the board or ask if I wanted to sit somewhere else.
In college, I recommend visiting the classroom before the first day of classes, or show up early on the first day to find (or claim) a seat. Alternatively, I would look up images of the classroom online or ask the professor in advance if they had any recommendations for where to sit. This became easier when I started having multiple classes in the same classroom.
Related links
- Disability Accommodations For Fluctuating Eyesight
- Learning to Self-Advocate
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
Implementing preferential seating accommodations in the classroom
Visual impairment is a spectrum, not a binary, and students with low vision often have varying access needs and preferences. Here are some examples of how my instructors implemented preferential seating accommodations for me as a student with Category 2 low vision from a progressive eye condition as well as a brain condition.
- Place the student in front of where the instructor stands or presents lessons during class.
- Use screen sharing or screen mirroring tools so that the student can view information on their own device.
- For floor activities (e.g. circle time), the student should sit on their “best side” so they can listen or follow along. For example, a student with worse vision in their left eye should position themselves so they can use their right eye more effectively.
- Have a student sit next to a friend or other trusted classmate who can help with reading information out loud or assist with notetaking as needed.
- For classes with no assigned seating chart, place a card that says “reserved” on the student’s desk to ensure consistent access to the same seat.
- Verify that the student can access all information on the board, including reminders for homework.
- Ensure that the student does not have to constantly turn around or pivot to see what is being written on the board.
As my vision loss has changed over time, tools like distance magnifiers, screen sharing/screen mirroring options, and getting copies of notes and presentations has been tremendously helpful for accessing information in my classes, especially when it isn’t practical for me to sit or stand extremely close to the board. Preferential seating should be used to support assistive technology use or compensatory skills, and should not be considered a substitute for providing information in accessible formats— sitting closer to something does not always make it easier to see every detail!
Related links
- Tips For Screensharing With Low Vision
- How I Use Microsoft Whiteboard With Low Vision
- How I Use The HIMS E-Bot Pro In College
- How I Access PowerPoints with Microsoft Sway
More resources for preferential seating and low vision
- For classes like band or orchestra where students are expected to sit in an assigned section, distance magnifiers and other aids can be useful. Learn more in Assistive Technology Options For Watching The Conductor With Low Vision
- Taking a dance class or gym class where students aren’t sitting? I share strategies for preferential “seating” in Dance Classes and Low Vision
- At performing arts events and theme parks, I will often get “ADA seating” or have options to sit in the front row so I can see what is going on. Learn more in Going To Amusement Parks With Low Vision
- What if the student is not in the classroom, but still needs to see the board? Read Options For Attending College Classes Remotely
Published August 22, 2017. Updated August 2025