SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Enhance visual functioning of persons with low vision to improve quality of life

SAQA US ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE
117089	Enhance visual functioning of persons with low vision to improve quality of life
ORIGINATOR
SGB Inclusive Education
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-
FIELD			SUBFIELD
Field 05 - Education, Training and Development			Adult Learning
ABET BAND	UNIT STANDARD TYPE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Undefined	Regular	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	12
REGISTRATION STATUS		REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE	SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		2008-01-22	2009-07-29	SAQA 0160/05
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2010-07-29		2013-07-29

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This unit standard is replaced by:

US ID	Unit Standard Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Credits	Replacement Status
264958	Enhance visual functioning of persons with low vision to improve quality of life	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	12

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD

The purpose of this Unit Standard is to ensure that learners are able to facilitate the competencies of persons with low vision, in order to improve their quality of life.

Credited learners are capable of:

Identifying needs of persons with low vision

Selecting and applying techniques to enhance the use of residual vision

Modifying environments to enhance the use of residual vision

Facilitating the integration of skills for vision enhancement with independent travel through complex environments

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The credits and level assigned to this unit standard are based on the assumption that learners have already attained the following competencies:

Communication at NQF Level 4 in one language

Communication at NQF Level 3 in another language

UNIT STANDARD RANGE

Basic techniques include the use of contrast, colour, lighting, enlargement etc. The phrase "people/learners who are blind and partially sighted" refers to persons with low vision). Where the person who are blind and partially sighted to learning is a minor, legal guardian/parental consent is required at all relevant times.

Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria:

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1

Identify needs of persons with low vision.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Needs are identified appropriately for specific contexts

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Needs identified are justified in terms of specific requirements

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

The level of visual functionality is determined accurately

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

Visual diagnosis and appropriate medical aspects are discussed with persons experiencing low vision in a clear and empathetic manner

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

The need for vision enhancement is identified in consultation with persons experiencing low vision

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2

Select and apply techniques to enhance the use of residual vision.

OUTCOME RANGE

Techniques refer to, for example, scanning, tracing, tracking, etc.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Techniques to enhance the use of residual vision are identified, appropriate to specific persons' needs for visual enhancement

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

One or more techniques are selected according to suitability to specific persons' needs

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Facilitation of use of techniques is facilitated in a creative and appropriate manner suited to specific contexts.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

Use of techniques is modified when required to optimise specific persons' safety

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5

Visual enhancement needs are confirmed in consultation with persons who are blind and partially sighted

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6

Skills used are reflected upon and adapted for personal safety and preference

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3

Modify environments to enhance the use of residual vision.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

Environments are assessed in terms of potential hazards and level of difficulty to negotiate

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Modifications are made to environments to optimise safety and reflect the needs of persons with low vision

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Modifications are assessed in terms of enhancing persons' use of residual vision

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

Modifications are reflected upon in consultation with persons with low vision and areas for further improvement are identified

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4

Facilitate the integration of skills to enhance the use of residual vision with independent travel through complex environments.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

The identification, selection and use of techniques and methods is facilitated in consultation with the persons with low vision and assessed to be appropriate to the environment

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2

Persons with low vision regarding the transferability and adaptation of techniques across a variety of environments and situations are briefed within specified contexts

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3

Facilitation of planning for the independent execution of complex routes is facilitated to optimise effectiveness in specific contexts.

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4

Facilitation of learning of independent completion of complex routes is facilitated effectively within specific contexts and with emphasis on safety.

UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS

Assessment of learner achievements is conducted by providers accredited by a relevant ETQA (RSA, 1998b) for the provision of programmes that result in the outcomes specified for this unit standard.

Anyone assessing a learner against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with a relevant ETQA.

Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this unit standard must be accredited as a provider with a relevant ETQA.

The relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines and the agreed ETQA procedures will oversee moderation of assessment and is responsible for moderation of learner achievements of learners who meet the requirements of this unit standard.

UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE

Credited learners understand and can explain:

Levels of visual functionality

Techniques to enhance the use of residual vision

Modification of environments to enhance the use of residual vision

Inclusion within the SA context
Range: historical developments, and key legislation, policies, concepts and terminology

UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME

N/A

UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES

N/A

Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO):

UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING

Identify and solve problems where responses to problems show that such critical and creative thinking has been used to make responsible decisions regarding modifications of environments to enhance the use of residual vision.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING

Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation or community to identify, select and use techniques and methods to enhance the use of residual vision in consultation with persons with low vision.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING

Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information to assess environments in terms of potential hazards and level of difficulty to negotiate.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING

Communicate effectively using visual, mathematic and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written presentation when discussing visual diagnosis clearly and empathetically.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING

Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation when facilitating planning of independent execution of complex routes optimally for specific contexts.

UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA

Assessors should keep the following principles in mind when designing and conducting assessments against this unit standard:

Focus the assessment activities on gathering evidence in terms of the main outcome expressed in the title to ensure assessment is integrated rather than fragmented. Remember we want to declare the person competent in terms of the title. Where assessment at title level is unmanageable, then focus assessment around each specific outcome, or groups of specific outcomes.

Make sure evidence is gathered across the entire range, wherever it applies. Assessment activities should be as close to the real performance as possible, and where simulations or role-plays are used, there should be supporting evidence to show the learner is able to perform in the real situation.

Do not focus the assessment activities on each assessment criterion. Rather make sure the assessment activities focus on outcomes and are sufficient to enable evidence to be gathered around all the assessment criteria.

The assessment criteria provide the specifications against which assessment judgements should be made. In most cases, knowledge can be inferred from the quality of the performances, but in other cases, knowledge and understanding will have to be tested through questioning techniques. Where this is required, there will be assessment criteria to specify the standard required.

The task of the assessor is to gather sufficient evidence, of the prescribed type and quality, as specified in this unit standard, that the learner can achieve the outcomes again and again and again. This means assessors will have to judge how many repeat performances are required before they believe the performance is reproducible.

All assessments should be conducted in line with the following well documented principles of assessment: appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, direct, authentic, sufficient, systematic, open and consistent

UNIT STANDARD NOTES

This unit standard has been replaced by unit standard 264958, which is "Enhance visual functioning of persons with low vision to improve quality of life", Level 5, 12 Credits.

QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD:

	ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	STATUS	END DATE	PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
Core	49087	National Diploma: Orientation and Mobility Practice for Blind and Partially Sighted Persons	Level 5	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5	Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"	2009-07-29	Was ETDP SETA until Last Date for Achievement

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

1.	South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind