Learning and Education

Learning, as defined in this section, is about the process of acquiring information either through formal or informal activities. Learning may include gathering information through your experiences—also known as experiential learning—or from observing and doing things with other people, as well as building skills. Education, on the other hand, refers to knowledge gained formally in schools or training facilities.

Individuals learn casually or incidentally from their families, at school, and from other people in the community. Although people have different ways of learning or gathering information, the most common type of learning generally occurs through vision. Individuals with good vision scan the environment around them and learn about what is going on and how to perform a multitude of tasks by simply watching others. Without good vision, incidental learning (learning casually through vision) frequently doesn’t occur or may be flawed.

This section of the web site includes a short overview about learning; detailed descriptions of the early learning needs of children: preschoolers and primary students; the transitional learning needs of youth: secondary students; and the more advanced learning needs of post-secondary students.

The post-secondary section provides information about academic and vocational educational opportunities. In addition, you can read about the disability-specific training needs of individuals who are blind or partially sighted – regardless of when the vision loss was incurred. Resources for the training and education needs of children, youth, and adults to be successfully engaged in employment are included as well.