LOW/MEDIUM-TECH DEVICES 
for Tactual Learners

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Students who are blind or visually impaired that use their tactual skills as a primary or secondary mode of learning will need tactual adaptations to materials in order for them to be accessible. There are a variety of low and medium technology devices that allow persons who are blind to access and produce braille, complete math activities and activities of daily living tactually.

Braille Compass

A braille compass allows a student who is blind to find North, South, East and West independently. This equipment is especially useful in Orientation & Mobility.

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​Braille Labelers

A braille labeler is an easy-to-use, handheld braille labeler that makes it easy for people who are not familiar with braille to create labels. Labels can be applied to medicine, food, documents, and more. The downside of these labelers is that they only create uncontracted braille.

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Braille Watches

Braille watches are important for students who are blind and learning time management skills.

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Bump Dots ​

Bump Dots are ideal for persons who are blind or have low vision as they provide easy identification of items. These Bump Dots allow a variety of uses from tactile marking of everyday items such as computer keyboards, telephone keypads, multiple switches. Clear dots can be used so the view of keypad displays are not obscured. Black dot label are ideal for creating a contrast if placing on a white or light background or the fluorescent orange dots on patterned or darker backgrounds. 

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Cranmer Abacus

The Cranmer Abacus was especially adapted for individuals who are blind to complete math operations. An abacus can be procured through quota funds from the American Printing House for the Blind if you have access to quota funds. 

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Script Letter Board

This Script Letter Board, available from APH, provides a way for  students to explore upper and lower case cursive letters. Students can use a pencil or stylus to trace the incised script letters,

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Full Page Writing Guide

A full page writing guide can help students who are blind or have low vision to stay within the writing space.

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​Perkins Braillewriter

This classic Perkins braillewriter is a manually operated, six-key machine that, as its name indicates, is used to produce braille. Electronic and computerized braillers are also available that are more portable and lighter weight. This braillewriter is known for its durability and reliability and ability to write on wide paper and is my personal favorite! Although it is a bit heavy, I love the durability and quality of braille produced compared to the newer lightweight versions. 

The Perkins website provides downloadable manuals that includes the machine layout and basic functions, instructions for the care and storage, inserting and removing braille paper, as well as brailling tips.

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Raised Line Paper

Raised line, or embossed, writing papers are not only great for teaching line orientation, and cueing correct letter and word spacing, but can be a helpful tool for students with visual impairments by providing sensory-tactile feedback. Raised-line paper comes in various formats, such as writing paper and graph paper, and allows a student to write script on the line or to construct a graph either by placing markers onto the graph paper or by punching holes to indicate specific points.

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Signature Guide

Although most guides available consist of simply a cut out rectangle in which to sign, this guide has a flexible rubber cord that marks a straight line but, unlike the standard rigid guide, flexes to accommodate letters that go below the line.

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Slate and Stylus

A slate and stylus is a portable way to produce braille. It can be easily carried in a pocket or on a clipboard. The slate is a metal or plastic frame with openings through which braille dots are embossed with the aid of a pointed stylus.

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Work Play Trays

These work-play trays are available from APH. They are available in yellow and black.  Dividers are available for sorting as well as to create inset puzzles to work on fractions.  Trays can be used to help define the students work space as well as keep objects from rolling away. A "Hands ON" kit is also available through APH that is contains sturdy molded plastic trays with different dividers and sections to encourage sorting, categorizing and exploration. If you do not have access to APH materials, lunch trays can be used to define space. Place the trays on shelf liner or stick nonskid pads to the back to minimize the tray sliding around the table surface.

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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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