A Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance - Low Vision

What you should know about Your Students with Disabilities

FeedsImporter — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:55:01 +0000

What you should know about Your Students with Disabilities

Students share information about what the wish their faculty knew about students with disabilities.

Are there Hour of Code activities that are accessible to students with visual impairments?

FeedsImporter — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 06:15:01 +0000

Code.org’s Hour of Code activities are one-hour tutorials designed to expose K-12 students to coding and other aspects of computer science. Although there are numerous Hour of Code projects, many are not accessible to students who are blind and visually impaired. However, there are two that utilize the Quorum programming language and are accessible.

Code with Mary, Astronomy, Dash Joins a Dance Circle (K-5), and Dash Joins a Dance Circle (with functions) (6-8) are fully accessible to students with visual impairments and can also be used with a classroom of sighted students. Currently, there are no other accessible Hour of Code activities.

For more information about Code.org and students with disabilities, consult Supporting Students with Disabilities for the Hour of Code.

For more information about accessible K-12 computer science, consult the following knowledge base articles:

Are there resources to help individuals who are blind build hardware devices?

FeedsImporter — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 01:45:01 +0000

Yes. For example, there is a community of individuals who are blind and use the Arduino platform to build hardware devices. Arduino allows users to build digital devices that can sense and control objects in the physical world. Arduinos can utilize sensors, motors, displays, wireless communications, and a host of other tools to build things like alarm clocks, robots, night lights, and limitless other projects. The Blind Arduino blog has resources and advice for getting started.

How are the terms low vision, visually impaired, and blind defined?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 09:25:02 +0000

Low vision is used to describe a loss of visual acuity while retaining some vision. It applies to individuals with sight who are unable to read a newspaper at a normal distance of viewing, even with the aid of glasses or contact lenses. People with low vision often need adaptations in lighting and/or enlarged print to read something. There are two specific types of low vision:

Myopic- Unable to see distant objects clearly, commonly referred to as "near-sighted."
Hyperopic- Unable to see close objects clearly, commonly referred to as "far-sighted."

Partially Sighted is usually used in educational contexts to describe a visual impairment that requires special education services. The partially sighted student meets the challenge of disability in much the same way as a totally blind student. Accommodations include the use of readers, audio taped texts, and raised-line drawings. The partially sighted student may be able to use large print books and a Closed-Circuit TV (CCTV) or other magnifying device. Some partially sighted students can take notes in class by printing very large with a felt tip pen or marker; others will tape record lectures for later use.

Legally Blind refers to people that have less than 20/200 vision in the better eye or a limited field of vision that is 20 degrees or less at its widest point. People who are legally blind may have some useful vision.

Totally Blind individuals need Braille, raised-line drawings, audio recordings, and/or other non-visual media as an accommodation for accessing the content of visually presented materials.

The descriptions above were compiled using the following resources.

The Center for Parent Information and Resources publication Visual Impairments.

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) website.

The The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) website.

Braille Plus, Inc.'s glossary of definitions and terms related to braille, visual impairments and blindness.

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI)

FeedsImporter — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 01:25:01 +0000

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI Access)

Offers online training on accessible information technology for persons with disabilities.

Maplewood Middle School: A Promising Practice in Integrating Technology for Students with Visual Impairments

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:05:45 +0000

Tod Harris, a math and computer teacher at Maplewood Middle School in Edmonds, ��ԭ��, is committed to the universal design of classroom environments. His school serves students with visual impairments from throughout the district in general education classrooms. Some students were having difficulty accessing information projected on an overhead during class lectures and completing tasks in the math computer lab. Through an AccessSTEM Minigrant from DO-IT, Mr. Harris purchased equipment to make his classes accessible to all students independently.

Mr. Harris purchased a Dell desktop computer with a 19" flat screen monitor, installed ZoomText (a screen magnification program) and JAWS (a screen reading program) on the hard drive, and connected the system to the school's existing network. These software programs allow students with visual impairments at his school to access a variety of computer programs independent of assistance from a reader or assistant. Additionally, Mr. Harris purchased a visual presenter for the science teacher to use during classes and labs. The visual presenter allows the teacher to control the contrast and colors used in an overhead display, in a way that standard overhead projectors do not.

Purchasing and using this new equipment at Maplewood Middle School is a promising practice because it enables students to function in their classes in the same independent fashion as their peers. The availability of this equipment and software makes it possible for the classroom aide to support the whole classroom, instead of serving exclusively as a sighted guide for students with visual impairments.

For more information on computer access for people with visual impairments see the Knowledge Base articles, How can people with low vision access a computer? and Marika and Mathematics: A Case Study on Accommodations for Visual Impairments.

AccessSTEM minigrants were funded under The Alliance for Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (AccessSTEM, Research in Disabilities Education award # HRD-0227995).

How can I create math and science documents that are accessible to students with visual impairments?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:04:54 +0000

Mathematics and science are disciplines that have historically communicated ideas visually. This is especially true of formulas and equations, where relationships between parts are understood by their spacial relationship to one another. Communicating these same ideas to people who are unable to see poses significant challenges. However, a variety of solutions exist.

An early solution was developed by mathematician Abraham Nemeth in 1952. He developed Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics which was a system for encoding mathematical and scientific notation linearly using standard six-dot Braille cells. Nemeth Braille is still used widely today for making math and science accessible for tactile readers. For more information about Nemeth Braille, consult An Introduction to Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics from dotlessbraille.org.

Dr. Nemeth later developed MathSpeak, a system for communicating mathematical notation orally. For more information about Mathspeak, consult the DO-IT Knowledge Base article What is MathSpeak?.

Over the years various authoring tools have been developed that support the creation of accessible math materials, as well as assistive technologies that support users in accessing these materials. An excellent overview of strategies, solutions, and available tools is available in the online journal of the Access Technologists Higher Education Network (ATHEN), in the article Creating Accessible Math and Science Materials.

A new development with a major influence on the accessibility of math and science content is MathML, a standard markup language for describing both the structure and content of mathematical notation. MathML allows formulas to be displayed on web pages without simply displaying them as images, and allows formula to be printed in Braille or communicated audibly to screen reader users. A growing number of math editor software applications now support MathML. For more information about MathML consult the DO-IT Knowledge Base article What Is MathML?

The following DO-IT Knowledge Base articles may also be of interest:

You may also wish to view the video Creating Accessible Documents.

How can I accommodate students with low vision?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:04:54 +0000

To accommodate students with low vision, use large print for text and handouts. While size will depend upon the needs of the individual, large print is usually defined as 16 to 18 point bold type depending on the typeface used. A standard Roman typeface, using upper and lower cases, is more readable than italicized, oblique, or condensed fonts. To enlarge print from standard 12 point original text to 16-18 point, use a 150-165% enlargement setting on a copier or printer.

Additional ways to accommodate students with low vision include:

Use a Roman type standard serif or sans-serif font, size 16- or 18-point. These fonts tend to have more space between letters (i.e., non-condensed).
Print text using the highest contrast possible. Light or white letters printed on a dark background are more readable than dark letters on a white background. High contrast can be difficult to achieve with colored type on a colored background. It is important to check with the student to see what type of contrast he prefers.
Allow extra line space between the lines of text. The spacing should be at least 25-30% of the point size. For example, when using a 16-point font, there should be at least four spaces between the lines of text.
Extra-wide margins and the ability to open a printed document flat are helpful if the document is bound.
Use paper with matte finish, which is easier to read than a glossy finish.

Remember, the student is the best source of information about preferred text characteristics.

What lab safety issues need to be considered when working with a student with a visual impairment?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:04:31 +0000

Although each situation is different and the student is the best source of information regarding useful accommodations, the following are some accommodations that should help to make the laboratory safer for students with visual impairments and all of the students in your class:

All written instructions should be provided in electronic or Braille format.
Visual warnings, such as flashing lights, should be paired with audible alarms.
For a lab where the student must make visual observations, particularly if safety is involved, pair the student with a student who is not visually impaired, and make sure both students have a role to play in the group.
Keep paths to exits clear, and try to keep furniture and other objects out of the path.
Make sure all students know where the safety equipment in the room is located, and make Braille or tactile labels.

For more information consult Accessibility in the Laboratory, published by the American Chemical Society, and visit the Science Labs area of the AccessSTEM Room.

How can people who have low vision operate a computer?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:04:31 +0000

For some people with visual impairments the standard size of letters on the screen or printed in documents are too small for them to read. Some people cannot distinguish one color from another. Fortunately, specialized hardware and software can make computer systems usable by individuals with visual impairments.

Input

Most individuals who have visual impairments can use standard keyboards, but large-print keytop labels are sometimes useful, particularly when they are learning to type.

Output

Special equipment for individuals who are visually impaired can modify displays or printer output. Computer-generated symbols, both text and graphics, can be enlarged on the monitor or printer, thereby allowing individuals with low vision to use standard word processing, spreadsheet, electronic mail, and other software applications. For individuals with some visual impairments, the ability to adjust the color of the monitor or change the foreground and background colors is also of value. For example, special software can reverse the screen from black on white to white on black for people who are light sensitive. Antiglare screens can be easier to read. Speech output systems are also used by people with low vision.

Documentation

Scanners with optical character recognition can read printed material and store it electronically on computers, where it can be read using speech synthesis or printed in large print. Some hardware and software vendors also provide large-print or American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) versions of their documentation.

For more information, consult Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology, Working Together: Computers and People with Sensory Impairments, and Accessible Technology.