Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment

The importance of having a specialist framework for vision impairment (VI) education that addresses the specific development and learning needs associated with blindness and partial sight and also reflects the distinctive skills required by learners with VI, is widely recognised within the vision impairment education field.

Children and young people with VI (CYPVI) need to be taught a range of specialist skills that promote independent learning, mobility, everyday living and social communication. We know from research evidence that those CYPVI who learn these skills are more likely to achieve better long-term outcomes in making a successful transition to independent adulthood.

The new  VI Curriculum Framework (CFVI)

In partnership with RNIB, VIEW and the University of Birmingham, we launched the new Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment on 15 March 2022.   This has involved  months of consultation and gained huge support from the sector.  The framework presents outcomes within 11 teaching areas:

• Facilitating an Inclusive World.
• Sensory Development.
• Communication.
• Literacy.
• Habilitation: Orientation and Mobility.
• Habilitation: Independent Living Skills.
• Accessing information.
• Technology.
• Health: Social, Emotional, Mental and Physical Wellbeing.
• Social, Sports and Leisure.
• Preparing for Adulthood.

You can watch the event recording: www.rnib.org.uk/cfvi

Young Voices volunteer, Rainbow Mbuangi, had some advice for people using the framework:

“It shouldn’t change the way people teach. Stay the teacher you are, but just try and learn from it so that you can adapt your lessons.

“Take PE for example, I’ve had negative and positive experiences. The teachers who I have had a positive experience with are those who stick to the same lessons but are just creative so that I am included. The teacher thought ‘how can I make football accessible?’  and  still taught football but the ball was kept below hip height. They were thinking about creative things that didn’t change the way they taught the lesson. That’s just something I want people to take away from the framework.”

Download the CFVI

The framework, its appendix and overview in both English and Welsh languages are available to download on the RNIB website.

Visit the RNIB website to download the full CFVI

CFVI resource hub

To accompany the framework, we have developed an online resource hub which is available to all professionals working with children and young people with a vision impairment, free of charge through RNIB Bookshare.  The hub hosts and signposts to resources that have been developed and submitted by individuals, organisations and services from across the sector in relation to delivering the specialist skill areas defined by the new framework.

Visit RNIB Bookshare CFVI Resource Hub

This framework has been co-produced by the sector, for the sector and will support specialists working with children and young people with a vision impairment. It sets out the specialist skills development and best practice support needed to promote equity, inclusion and personal agency. Read the FAQs on the framework

The VI Curriculum Framework Project Team:

• The professional association of the Vision Impairment Education Workforce (VIEW).
• Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR) at University of Birmingham.
• Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT).
• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).