Sensory Disabilities

By Dr.R.Shanthi | Avinshilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women

Learners enrolled: 203

The course is designed to provide a basic understanding to the student-teachers about the nature and needs of different types of sensory disabilities. It will also equip them in undertaking screening, planning and instructing students with sensory disabilities.

Sensory impairment or disability is when a person has difficulty in seeing, hearing or even both. It can mean they cannot see things around them or that they cannot hear what people say or noises around them. People with sight loss are sometimes known as blind or partially sighted but the more modern term is sight impaired or severely sight impaired. People with hearing difficulties are often known as being deaf or hard of hearing but the more modern term is hearing impairment. Some people might have both sight and hearing impairment; this used to be known as deafblind, but is now described as multi sensory impairment (or MSI).

Summary

Course Status :	Upcoming
Course Type :	Core
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	8 weeks
Category :	Teacher Education
Credit Points :	2
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	08 Jan 2026
End Date :	30 Apr 2026
Enrollment Ends :	28 Feb 2026
Exam Date :
Translation Languages :	English
NCrF Level	5.5

Page Visits

Course layout

Week - I

1. Concept of Impairment

2. Importance of Hearing

3. Definition and Identification of Hearing Impairment- 1

4. Definition and Identification of Hearing Impairment- 2

Week - II

5. Incidence and Prevalence of Hearing Impairment

6. Types and Characteristics of Hearing Impairment

7. Challenges arising due to congenital and acquired hearing loss

Week- III

8. Types and Characteristics of Hearing Loss

9. Language & communication issues attributable to hearing loss and need for early Intervention

10. Issues & measures in literacy development and scholastic achievement of students with hearing loss

Week - IV

11. Restoring techniques using human (interpreter) & technological support (hearing devices)

12. Blindness and Low Vision--Definition and Classification

13. Causes of Blindness and Low Vision

Week - V

14. Effects of Blindness on Growth and Development - Physical, Social, Intellectual and Emotional

15. Effects of Visual Impairment on Personality Development - Verbalism & Mannerism

16. Psychological and Sociological Implications of Visual Impairment –I

17. Psychological and Sociological Implications of Visual Impairment –II

Week - VI

18. Importance of Early Identification and Intervention

19. Educational Problems of Low Vision children

20. Selecting Educational Placement

Week - VII

21. Definition, causes, classification, prevalence and characteristics of deaf-blindness

22. Screening, assessment, identification & interventional strategies of deaf-blindness

Week - VIII

23. Effects and implications of deaf-blindness on activities of daily living & education

24. Fostering early communication development: Methods, assistive devices and practices including AAC

25. Addressing orientation, mobility & educational needs of students with deaf-blindness

Books and references

1. Kelley, P., & Gale, G. (1998). Towards Excellence: Effective education for students with vision impairments. Sydney: North Rocks Press.

2. Lowenfeld, B. (1973). Visually Handicapped Child in School and Society; American Foundation for the Blind; NewYork.

3. Lynas, W. (2000). Communication options. In J. Stokes (Ed), Hearing Impaired Infants – Support in the first eighteen months. London: Whurr Publishers Ltd.

4. Martin, F. N., & Clark, J.G. (2009). Introduction to Audiology. 10th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

5. Martin, F.N., & Clark, J.G. (2012). Introduction to Audiology. 11th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

6. National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (2015). Information Booklet on Visual Impairment in India, Dehradun: Government of India.

7. Nerbonne, M. A., & Schow, R.L. (2002). Introduction to Audiologic Rehabilitation. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

8. Nerbonne, M. A., & Schow, R.L. (2013). Introduction to Audiologic Rehabilitation. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

9. Loreman, T., Deppeler, J., & Harvey, D. (2005). Inclusive education - A practical guide to supporting diversity in the classroom. (2nd Eds.). Routledge, London.

10. Norris, G. H., & Romer, L.T. (1995). Welcoming Students who are deafblind to typical classrooms. Paul H. Brookes, New Jersey.

11. Pandey, R. S., & Advani, L. (1995). Perspectives in Disability and Rehabilitation. Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.

12. Proceedings from National Conference on Centenary for Work for the Blind in India (1987). All India Confederation of the Blind and Christoffel Blinden Mission. R.K.Printers, New Delhi.

13. Scholl, G.T. (1986). Foundations of Education for Blind and Visually Handicapped Children and Youth. American Foundation for the BLind, New York.

14. Tucker, I., & Nolan, M. (1984).Educational Audiology. Croom Helm, London.

Instructor bio

Dr.R.Shanthi

Avinshilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women

Dr.R.Shanthi is currently working has a Assistant Professor (SG), Department of Special Education, School of Education, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore.

She holds a Master degree in Rehabilitation Science, M.R.Sc., Post graduate degree in M.A ( Sociology)., Post graduate degree in Eduction in Special Education (Hearing Impairment) M.Ed. Spl.Edu (HI)., Post graduate Diploma in Personel Management & Industrial Relation PGDPM & IR, M.Phil degree in Education, currently doing Ph.D in Education.

She has 24 years of services in the field of special education, especially in the area of teaching and Rehabilitation of children’s with hearing impairment and various Disabilities in special, integrated and Higher education. She earned acquaint knowledge in Field related work in various Disabilities. She has published 3 books and 10 articles in International level and 28 articles in National level and published 11 papers in UGC Approved Journal and developed the Tamil finger spelling for 247 Tamil Alphabet. She was the Project Staff in the Indo-US Research Project on Response to Intervention Model in Indian Context and Course Co-Ordinator of two Mooc’sProgramme.

Course certificate

1. End-Term Examination:

Weightage: 70% of the final result

Minimum Passing Criteria: 40%

2. Internal Assessment:

Weightage: 30% of the final result

Minimum Passing Criteria: 40%

Calculation of IA Marks:

Out of all graded weekly assessments/assignments, the top 50% of assignments shall be considered for the calculation of the final Internal Assessment marks.

Weekly Assignments- Each week of the course shall mandatorily include one MCQ-based assessment, which is auto-graded.

All students who obtain 40% marks in the internal assessment and 40% marks in the end-term proctored exam separately will be eligible for the SWAYAM Credit Certificate.

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