What they do
Teaches academic and living skills to sight impaired students, and promotes students' social, emotional, intellectual and physical development. Registration or licensing is required.
Working conditions
Teachers of the vision impaired usually work as visiting teachers within a region in the State. They may visit students at their home, at a designated school, or in their classroom to provide assistance and support to students. They may also advise and consult with the students’ teachers, educational assistants and parents. They may be required to travel to different schools to visit a number of students.
Tools and technologies
Teachers of the vision impaired may teach students how to use a number of assistive technologies such as braille writers, talking calculators and braille computers. They may also help students to use magnification aides, video magnifiers such as closed circuit television viewers, and screen reading software.
How do I become one?
Education and training
To become a teacher of the vision impaired, you usually need to study a degree in primary or secondary education, specialising in special needs teaching.
Alternatively, you can complete a degree in a relevant study area, followed by a postgraduate qualification in education. You may also need to undertake further postgraduate study in special needs education to specialise in teaching sight impaired students.
All universities in Western Australia offer relevant undergraduate teaching courses.
Macquarie University offers a one-year Master of Disability Studies (Vision Impairment) via distance education. Flinders University offers a Graduate Certificate in Education (Vision Impairment).
Contact the universities you are interested in for more information.
Required registration and licensing
To work as a teacher of the vision impaired in Western Australia, you will need to obtain registration with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA). You will need to obtain a Working with Children Check from the Department of Communities and undergo a National Police History Check (NPHC) conducted by the Department of Education Screening Unit.