CREATIVE ARTS MATERIALS
By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Updated March 11, 2016 There are a number of materials and resources you can use to make art accessible to students who are blind or visually impaired. The following are some options. Resources & Materials
Time for Art: Art Projects and Lessons for Students with Visual Impairments
This handbook, available through APH, is for teachers and parents. It explains how to instruct visually impaired students in art, how to handle the media being explored, and points to consider in art program planning. 
Paint Pot Palette
The Paint Pot Pallet from APH includes a set of custom-made drawings that are printed and embossed on heavy paper; each picture is titled in print and braille. The embossed lines make it easy to trace the subject with the fingers and then follow with a crayon or paint brush this makes it easier for beginning artists to learn to color and paint. 
Feel 'n Peel Sheets: Carousel of Textures
This kit, available from APH, includes an assortment of sheets in a variety of textures and colors that can be used in numerous ways. Although frequently used to adapt materials and create tactual graphics and charts, it can be used for classroom art activities. 
Textured Paper Collection
This paper collection, available from APH, contains tactile colored sheets that can be cut and applied to other surfaces. These textures can be used in combination with other materials to create tactual pieces of art. 
Quick-Draw Paper
Quick-Draw paper, available from APH, allows teachers or students to create instant tactile graphics or raised line drawings. 
DRAFTSMAN Tactile Drawing Board
The DRAFTSMAN, available from APH, is typically used to create tactile graphics for student, but can also be used by the student to create their own art drawings. The board has a plastic frame that encases a double-layer rubber surface. Clamp a sheet of drawing film onto the board and use the stylus or a ballpoint pen to quickly draw a raised image. 
inTACT Eraser
The inTACT Eraser is a battery operated eraser specifically designed for tactile drawing. It allows the user to erase mistakes and can also be used to create dashed lines. The eraser works like a miniature iron, heating the flat tip to approximately 180 degrees. It flattens tactile drawings quickly and erases them tactually. This eraser can be used in tandem with the inTACT Sketchpad or it can be used with the APH Draftsman. Some students may be able to use inTACT eraser independently while other students will need supervision or assistance. 
inTACT Sketchpad
The inTACT Sketchpad is a great alternative to the Draftsman. It is particularly beneficial for students to use and create their own tactual graphics due to its ease of use. When the cover is lifted, there is a recessed area to place the drawing sheet on. Magnet strips completely cover the perimeter of the board creating a secure closing when the lid is lowered. Although students may have a difficult time independently using the Draftsman, they will quickly discover that the Sketchpad is much easier to use and is more secure. |
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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:
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:
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 
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 |
