FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

If you are a resident of the United States, there are some financial assistance programs available to persons with disabilities including those with visual impairments and their families. 

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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 research-based 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.

Product details

Digital pdf download: 346 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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TVI Guide to the ECC and Visual Motor & Magnifier ECC Grab & Go Bundle

$60.00

Buy together at a reduced price!

The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), andconsists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussionfor 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.

TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details

Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements

The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. 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 companion 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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Thematic Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & Go Supplement

$25.00

The Thematic Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. All are presented in contracted UEB braille. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These fun activities will help students refine their braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, a Duxbury print file is also included should you choose to produce the braille using a braille embosser. Modify as needed for your student, translate, and emboss. Although these word lists and passages were specifically created to document and increase braille reading and writing fluency, they may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.

Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf downloads. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download links. 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.

Product details

Digital pdf download: 327-page print and simulated braille worksheets with corresponding Duxbury files

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

Shop

TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC + Thematic Braille Fluency & Maintenance Grab & Go Bundle

$65.00

Buy together at a reduced price!

The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), and 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 multi-sensory 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.

TVI's

Guide to the ECC Product details

Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

Thematic Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & go Supplement

The Thematic Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. All are presented in contracted UEB braille. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These fun activities will help students refine their braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, a Duxbury print file is also included should you choose to produce the braille using a braille embosser. Modify as needed for your student, translate, and emboss. Although these word lists and passages were specifically created to document and increase braille reading and writing fluency, they may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.

Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf downloads. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download links. 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.

Product details

Digital pdf download: 327-page print and simulated braille worksheets with corresponding Duxbury files

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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.

Shop

TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC + Braille Fluency Worksheets + Visual Efficiency Bundle

$75.00

Buy together at a reduced price!

The

TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), and 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 multi-sensory 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.

TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details

Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements

The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. 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 companion 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

Thematic Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & go Supplement

The Thematic Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. All are presented in contracted UEB braille. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These fun activities will help students refine their braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, a Duxbury print file is also included should you choose to produce the braille using a braille embosser. Modify as needed for your student, translate, and emboss. Although these word lists and passages were specifically created to document and increase braille reading and writing fluency, they may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.

Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf downloads. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download links. 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.

Product details

Digital pdf download: 327-page print and simulated braille worksheets with corresponding Duxbury files

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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.

*See each individual book for images from inside each book.

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​Social Security Administration
According to the Social Security Administration, if you are blind, there are special rules that allow you to receive benefits when you are unable to work. There are currently two programs that provide benefits to people who are blind. Medical and other rules are followed in determining eligibility for the programs. You can get disability benefits if you are "legally blind". The federal government considers you to be "legally blind" if your vision cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 in you better eye, or if your visual field is 20 degrees or less in your better eye. You can also be eligible for disability benefits even if you are not legally blind if your vision problems alone or combined with other health problems prevent you from working.

The two programs are as follows:

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Social Security Disability Insurance Program
Social Security Disability Insurance pays benefits to you and certain members of your family if you are "insured," meaning that you MUST HAVE WORKED LONG ENOUGH IN A JOB WHERE YOU PAID SOCIAL SECURITY TAXES.

If you are legally blind, you can earn credits anytime during your working years. Credits for your work after you become blind can be used to qualify you for benefits if you do not have credits at the time you became blind. Also, it is possible to get benefits based on the earnings of one of your parents or your spouse.

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Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes):

• It is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income; and
• It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

*Disability benefits paid to qualifying individuals whose household income falls below a certain level. In other words, it pays benefits based on financial need. The income limits vary from state to state.

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Tax Resources

Anyone whose field of vision falls at or below 20 degrees, who wears corrective glasses but whose vision is 20/200 or less in his best eye, or who has no eyesight at all, meets the legal definition of being blind and is eligible for certain tax deductions. Turbo Tax provides an online resource of eligible deductions.

Grants & Scholarships

Michigan State University has put together an extensive list of grants and scholarships available to individuals with disabilities including those with visual impairments. ​

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