Video posted with parental permission.
I began my current job as a Paraprofessional in Special Education many years ago. I was introduced to a 4 year old blind student. She was a tiny spitfire. From the day I met her I was convinced she would be able to take on the world! I have learned so much from her over the years that I had no idea I needed to learn. She has taught me so much. When she was in TK (Transitional Kindergartern) the teacher used ipads on a daily basis. I immediately knew this was not the right thing to do for this student as there were not any accessibility tools available. It was not a device she could use. She could, however, sort small items into like piles like nobody else. Over the years her education and use of technology has evolved. The district has also had to learn how to adapt for our visually impaired students. The first year she was at our school there were no books available in Braille. That has since changed and the books are rotated in and out of the library so she has new books to choose from. She has had to learn to read and write Braille. It is a very complex system and she is remarkable.
The San Diego County Library offers ebooks and audio books online via the Libby App. Escondido Public Library offers ebooks and audio books online via Overdrive. Both require library cards to use.
A tool used at my school is a Braille Note Touch. Attached is a video teaching how to add apps to the device.
"BrailleNote Touch is a braille tablet that sports an 18- or 32-cell braille display along with onboard speech. The tablet is Google-certified, meaning, among other things, that any app developer who follows the Google API (Application Program Interface) guidelines will be able to write an app that will work on the BrailleNote Touch." (AFB)
The 5th generation Focus Blue refreshable braille display provides a compact,
tactile interface to your computer. Used together with screen access software
such as JAWS® for Windows, the Focus Blue can enhance your computing
experience.
The Focus Blue includes the following features:
Works Cited:
Mates, Barbara T., and Char Booth. “Information Power to All Patrons.” Library Technology Reports, vol. 48, no. 7, Oct. 2012, pp. 7–13. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=83242900&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Selverstone, Harriet. “Tech for Kids With Disabilities.” School Library Journal, vol. 49, no. 6, June 2003, p. 36. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9940536&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
I loved reading your post Carrie and watching the sweet video of your student! These students always have so much to offer and teach so much. This post drives home the point that assistive technology is a trial and error and it can take time to find the right fit for the individual. Thanks for sharing!
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