While it is important for all students to develop strong
auditory strategies, this area is crucial for those who are
blind or visually impaired. Definitions of literacy have
expanded to include auditory skills as another type of literacy
Is Listening Literacy? There is controversy about whether or not
accessing text through the hearing is reading or not. Dr. Phil
Hatlen gives his thoughts about this in Literacy According to
Phil. Whether or not it is truly reading, many students with
visual impairments access information from text through auditory
means. The skills to do this are different than those used for
listening in casual conversation.