The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is commonly known by teachers as the law that introduced IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) as legal documents for ensuring a FAPE (Free and Appropriate Education) to students with disabilities. The IDEA enabled these students to remain in a general school setting while also receiving special education services. The advances… Read more A Quick Intro to the IDEA
Father Thomas J. Carroll is a legendary figure whose steadfast empowerment of the blind shines like a beacon for those who seek to follow his footsteps in the field of education and rehabilitation of the visually impaired. A fervent promoter of civil rights for African Americans, Carroll has compassion for all, actively supporting legislation and… Read more Father Thomas J. Carroll: Faithful Friend to the Blind
Complete Computer Proficiency Primarily and in very brief terms, a totally blind college student will need to be able to use a computer to the same degree as their peers and that means, they will need to be skilled with a fully featured screen reader such as JAWS or NVDA to access their curriculum and class materials. They will… Read more 4 Tech Tools for the Blind College Student
Braille Translation Software Braille translation software is necessary to create hardcopy braille. It is the program on your computer used to convert imported print text into braille, format it as desired, and send the data to a compatible embosser. It is the program used by large volume producing braillists to format textbooks and literature, by… Read more 3 Types of Must Know Braille Technologies
Headings When creating a document, it is important to consider the digital organization and how a screen reader will navigate the content in addition to just the visual attractiveness. It is vital to use headings properly. When writing a blog post on WordPress Block Editor or an article with multiple sections and subsections in Microsoft Word, rather than… Read more 4 Easy Ways to Optimize Your Documents for Screen Reader Users
Overview The Human Activity Assistive Technology model describes a process of technology development and service that is structured to focus on the persons who will use it. Its four primary components include Activity, Human, Context, and Assistive Technology. Within this approach, the activity and context of the human to use the equipment, takes precedence over… Read more The HAAT Model of Assistive Technology Instruction
Activate Windows Magnifier Hold down the windows key and hit plus repeatedly to desired zoom level. Hold down windows and tap minus or hyphen to zoom out. Hold down alt and control, then tap I to invert contrast. Sigh of relief! Too easy or what? OR: If you are not ready for that full magnifier… Read more Quick Tricks to See Windows Better
Screen magnification software, screen reading software, and menu-driven interface software may fall under the same broad category of assistive software for the visually impaired but they function very differently. Screen Magnification Screen magnification is designed for individuals who have some residual functional vision that they can use to view the screen visually. In other words,… Read more 3 Types of Computer Access Software
Enjoy these inspiring and practical videos demonstrating various independent living tasks from a blindness perspective. They will both show you how much is possible as well as provide concrete strategies for accomplishing your IL goals! Use heading level navigation to find videos of interest. PS: I identify paper money the same way, and the cooking… Read more Independent Living Skills Video Collection
Literally billions of sensory experiences during the first year of life are necessary for cognitive development to take place. Typical development during this crucial period results in the brain actually doubling in size as pathways are formed and grown. Talk about an egg head! Every interaction with people, objects, and stimuli in the environment contributes… Read more Sensory Efficiency: Is It Just Another ECC Extra?