Australia's unacknowledged Students: Light Sensitive Learners. The Grattan Institute rightly acknowledges the damaging effect of not being able to read well. However, Grattan's proposed remedy (more/better teaching) is not the solution for perhaps 5% of students who are light sensitive. While adjustments are possible and requisite under the Disability Discrimination Act, few teachers know about them. eg.,: appropriate coloured overlays, seating position in the classroom to access natural daylight, a personal lamp on their desk and/or coloured paper both in their day to day learning and as a special provision for assessment activities. Few teachers know about the adjustments recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council: "Anti-glare filters for computer screens to relieve eyestrain, fatigue, headaches and stress. Place blinds on windows, flicker free lighting, full spectrum lighting, light filters for covering fluorescent lighting, lower wattage overhead lights, task lighting or other alternative lighting." Light Sensitive Learners are entitled to these adjustments. Does the Grattan Institute disagree?
‘I taught secondary English and saw first-hand the damaging effect not being able to read well can have on students’ lives.’ The struggles of these secondary students are the forgotten problem in Australia’s school system. See my op-ed in EducationHQ for how systems can solve this problem. https://lnkd.in/gADYf5Qv
