ACCESSING AUDIO BOOKS

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

The use of auditory books can be a wonderful and invaluable tool for students who are blind or visually impaired. Keep in mind that listening to audio books should not replace the student's need for literacy and they should also be instructed in reading print and/or braille. This tool is helpful, however, in reading longer passages. Pairing books (in print or braille) with Audio Supported Learning is a great strategy to build listening skills. Be sure to select tools that are appropriate for the student's unique needs, but also intentionally expose each student to a variety of different formats. Being able to learn to use new technology and software is an important career and life skill!

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Use of Auditory Playback Device

There are a variety of types of auditory playback devices available for listening to books on CD or digital books. Some of these devices can also be used to record notes.  Students who can benefit from this type of a device should receive instruction in its use prior to being expected to use it independently. Some students will learn to use it on their own quickly while others will need a systematic approach to instruction that could take awhile.

You will need to instruct the student in how to:

• Insert and eject CD/caddy/flashdrive/SD card
• Identify, locate, and describe function and operation of basic function keys and operation of control keys (play, stop, rewind, fast forward, eject, tone, volume, speed, help, menu)
• Identify and connect the power charger
• Identify and perform the charging procedure
• Take responsibility of the device
• Older students may be instructed in stating the name and manufacturer of the device, locating information in the manual and seeking technical support when needed.

Accessing Audio Books on iOS

There are a variety of apps now available that provide instant access to audiobooks. The apps are accessible to students who are blind or visually impaired. The apps integrate with VoiceOver, the screen reader built into Apple's iOS products, and the Android reader. On both Android and Apple devices, the app syncs directly with the audio library. Many of the apps allow the student to download the books directly, bypassing iTunes. ​

Resources for Accessing Digital Books...

• Bookshare provides access to books that are legally scanned for people who are visually impaired or print disabled. The books can be read with adaptive technology or in embossed braille.
• ​Learning Ally is a national nonprofit provider of books in accessible format for people who cannot read standard print due to visual, perceptual or physical disabilities. Provides thousands of titles available on digitally recorded audio books, DC, and computer disk, including textbooks.
• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Library of Congress provides a free correspondence course to certify Braille transcribers. They offer a wide variety of braille books on loan. NLS has also compiled a directory in large print and braille formats which provides names of volunteer groups and individuals who transcribe and record books and other reading materials for people who are blind. They provide an alphabetical listing by state.

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TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

$50.00

Written specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), this book consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level.

The core activities listed in the Activity section can be adapted to each thematic unit. These include:

• Object Characteristic Activities
• Quantity & Number Concepts
• Time Concept Activities
• Environment & Job Awareness Activities
• Listening Skills Activities
• Reading Foundation Activities
• Reading Fluency Activities
• Braille Basics Activities
• Writing Activities
• Tactual Efficiency Activities
• Developing Skillful Hands Activities
• Visual Efficiency Activities
• Optical Device Instruction Activities
• Recipe Activities

In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites.

Unique Concepts within the Units include:

• Self Advocacy Activities (e.g. advocating for safe classroom, presenting to class on visual impairment, requesting help and more)
• Social Skills Activities (e.g. Being bullied or teased, giving and receiving compliments, body language, "I" messages when upset and more)
• Recreation & Leisure Activities (e.g. exploring interest areas, getting involved in clubs and sports, playing games, and more)
• O&M Support Activities (e.g. Suggestions for community based experiences, dog guide information, locations in the school, bioptics, ride sharing, traffic signs, and more)
• Independent Living Skill Activities (e.g. chores, being responsible, using tools, recipe suggestions, hygiene, staying healthy, labeling foods and products, and more)
• Sensory Efficiency Activities (e.g. unique sensory experiences related to the unit, unique optical device activities, and more)
• Compensatory Activities (e.g. organizing materials, study habits, and many unique concepts related to the unit)
• Career & Vocational Activities (e.g. job awareness, completing applications, job task suggestions, and more)

Although the intended audience of this resource is fellow Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, special education teachers may find these activities beneficial to the students in their classrooms as the activities are multisensory and include life skills and concepts needed by all students. This resource, however, is not intended to take the place of a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI). Readers are advised to consult their own TVI’s regarding instruction in the ECC and the unique visual needs of the student’s served in their programs.

Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf download. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download link. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number.

Each download is intended for single instructor use per copyright. Thank you for helping me preserve the content and not distributing copies to third parties.

Product details

Digital pdf download: 364 pages (11 pt font)

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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Visual Efficiency & Magnifier Fluency Grab & Go ECC Supplements

$20.00

This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a supplement to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.  

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:

Digital pdf download: 210 pages

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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