Blind/Visually Impaired
Special Education
Q&A
Creating Inclusive Classrooms for Blind Students Can Benefit Everyone. Here's How
6 questions with a teacher who has dedicated her career to teaching and supporting blind children.
Special Education
What the Research Says
Braille and Language Development: What Teachers Should Know
A more nuanced understanding of Braille among educators could lead to better literacy instruction for students with impaired vision.
Special Education
The Challenge of Teaching Students With Visual Disabilities From Afar
Teachers of students with visual disabilities struggle to provide 3-D instruction in a two-dimensional remote learning environment.
Special Education
Are Students With 'Reading Barriers' Ready to Start the New School Year?
Benetech, which oversees a federally-funded initiative to provide accessible texts, says teachers are more likely to see their students as prepared if their technology needs are met.
Special Education
Education Department Settles Civil Rights Complaints Over Accessible Websites
Education entities in seven states and one territory were under investigation because of websites deemed inaccessible to people who are blind or visually impaired.
Special Education
Seattle Settles Lawsuit Over Ed-Tech Accessibility
The National Federation of the Blind, a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit, says the agreement to make the Seattle district's online materials accessible is a "model for the nation."
Special Education
Accessibility Concerns Delay $30M Amazon E-Book Contract in N.Y.C.
New York City schools postponed action on an Amazon contract for creating an online storefront where educators will buy e-books, after the National Federation of the Blind raised questions about it.
Assessment
National Federation of the Blind Settles Lawsuit Against PARCC
The common-core assessment consortium plans to work closely with the advocacy organization to create accessible field tests for blind students.
Assessment
National Federation of Blind Sues PARCC Over Field Test
Pilot tests being developed by one of two common-core testing consortia will not allow the use of Braille or text-to-speech technology.
Special Education
Teachers of the Blind to Get Common Core Support Through Gates Grant
A $250,000 grant will help the Perkins School for the Blind create resources tied to the math and English/language arts standards adopted in 46 states and the District of Columbia.
Special Education
School for Blind Expands Online Resources for Educators
The Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Mass., is positioning itself as a resource for regular classroom teachers as well as educators specifically trained in teaching blind students.
Special Education
Braille Instruction Receives Boost From Education Department
In a letter to schools, districts and states, the Education Department notes that special education law requires that blind and visually impaired students should be taught Braille unless an IEP team deems such instruction inappropriate.
Special Education
Advocates for the Blind Plan Protest of Amazon's Kindle
The National Federation of the Blind protests Amazon's "massive effort" to sell Kindle e-readers and books in schools because of inaccessibility for the visually impaired.
School & District Management
Study: People Who Are Blind Can Learn to Process Visual Input
Researchers in Israel taught congenitally blind adults to use sensory substitution devices鈥攏on-invasive sensory aids that provide visual information鈥攖hrough the senses they do have.