Vision Australia has expressed concern about a Victorian government ban on smart glasses in schools, saying they are important assistive technology for students who are blind or have low vision.
The Victorian Government has announced a ban on the use of smart glasses in schools across the state from next year. The technology will be permitted only “when no other suitable adjustments can be provided”.
However, Vision Australia’s Chief Mission Officer, Chris Edwards, said this creates “unnecessary hurdles for students and their families to navigate, rather than schools working collaboratively with families to find solutions that lead to positive education outcomes for students”.
Students who are blind or have low vision have the right to learn and play alongside their peers
“Smart glasses have shown to be an important piece of assistive technology for people who are blind or have low vision, supporting their ability to access information and navigate independently,” he said.
“Students who are blind or have low vision have the right to learn and play alongside their peers and governments should not be limiting that by restricting the use of assistive technologies in the classroom.”
Vision Australia also questioned what the ban means for the use of specialist blindness and low vision wearable technologies in classrooms that have been on the market for a significant period and perform similar functions to mainstream smart glasses.
“Vision Australia is extremely disappointed that the government has made this announcement without consultation with the disability community and thorough consideration of the impact it will have on students with disability,” Mr Edwards said.
