MATERIAL ADAPTATIONSBy: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Students who are blind or visually impaired will typically need adaptations to access printed information that will allow the student to access all areas of the curriculum. It is the role of the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) to determine the adaptations that the student needs. Material adaptation needs will vary, depending on the degree of functional vision, effects of additional disabilities, and the task to be done. Students may use braille, large print, print with the use of optical devices, regular print, tactile symbols, a calendar system, sign language, and/or recorded materials to communicate. Accessible Education MaterialsAccessible Educational Materials are educational materials that makes them usable across the widest range of student variability regardless of format.This page discusses the different types of Accessible Educational/Instructional Material.
Large Print BooksAlthough large print books are commonly ordered for students with low vision, their use is sometimes unnecessary and restrictive. This page discusses the advantages and disadvantages of large print and when it may be needed.
Braille CodeBraille is the literacy medium for students who are blind and for some students with low vision. This page provides information on braille, where to obtain braille materials and links to other braille resources.
PhotocopyingAlthough large print should be the last choice, there will be times when photocopy enlargements will be necessary. This page provides suggestions on making photocopy enlargements.
Font LegibilityMany students function best with the reduction of visual clutter and increasing visual clarity. Providing a clear, legible font will reduce visual clutter and increase clarity. This page provides suggestions on font legibility.
Increase ContrastSome students will need increased contrast in order to view materials presented. There are a number of ways to increase contrast to make the materials or print more visible. This page provides suggestions of ways to increase the contrast.
Pictures and WorksheetsSpecial attention needs to be given when selecting worksheets and materials for students with low vision as students need to be provided with the highest quality worksheets and materials.
Sensory TableDuring play and exploration in the sensory table, the student is able to have hands on experience with math and science concepts. This page provides suggestions for activities and materials to use in the sensory table.
Materials should be adapted only to the extent necessary for efficient learning. If regular materials can be used in conjunction with environment adaptations or low vision devices, such an approach is preferable to using specialized materials. |
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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 |
