Using a mouse to navigate the computer can be difficult if not impossible for a student with a visual impairment. Students who continue to have useable vision often prefer to use a mouse to navigate the computer simply because it is familiar to them and it does not require the user to memorize key commands.
Learning to use the keyboard commands can, however, help students become more efficient and independent on the computer. These shortcut keys and can be beneficial for sighted students and adults as well!
Navigating Computer w/o a Mouse
These will allow you to use the start menu system to access applications not on the desktop.
To activate the start menu, use the Win Key or CTRL + Esc on non-Win Key keyboards. Select item from start menu using arrow keys or use the keyboard navigation keys (underlined key on menu). If you are using Win 2000 or Win XP you may not see the underlined keys, but will need to turn on Menu Navigation Letters.
In Windows 2000. Right-click the desktop, and choose Properties (or from the "start" button, select "settings", "control panel", and then "display"). On the "effects" tab, clear the checkbox for "hide keyboard navigation indicators until I use the ALT key."
In Windows XP. Right-click the desktop, and choose Properties (or from the "start" button, select "settings" and then "control panel" and then "display"). On the "appearance" tab select the "effects" button and clear the checkbox for "Hide underlined letter for keyboard navigation until I press the ALT key."
In Windows Vista. Click Start/Control Panel/Ease of Access Center and select "Make the keyboard easier to use." Locate the item labeled "Make it easier to use keyboard shortcuts" and check the box labeled Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys.
In the programs section of the start menu system, you can use arrow keys or the first letter to move to a selected application or application group - if more than one item begins with the same letter, then type it a second time.
If only one item begins with that letter, pressing the letter will activate (run) the selection.
If you are using the arrow keys to move to items, the fastest way to the bottom is by pressing the up arrow key, or if at the bottom the fastest way to the top is to press the down arrow key.
Use the Enter key to select program shortcut.
Use right arrow key to open the contents of a folder in the menu system.
You can use the ESC key to back out of menu selections.
You can change the name of the items in the start menu system by highlighting the item and pressing the Context Menu Key and selecting the Rename option. (This could be beneficial as program icons with unique first letters will be activated by pressing the first letter of their name.)
Navigating to and within the Desktop
To move the focus (there will be a dotted line around the item that is "in focus") on the desktop and start menu/task bar/tool tray area. Press the tab key to move in a counter clockwise direction around the screen. You can change the direction to move clockwise by holding down the shift key while pressing the Tab key.
To quickly gain focus on the desktop. To quickly gain focus on the desktop, press Win+M - all open windows will close and the focus will be placed on the desktop.
Alternative way to gain focus on the desktop. Press the Win key (or use Ctrl+Esc if you have no Win key) to pop up the start menu. Press ESC to close start menu and place the focus on the Start button. Press Shift + Tab to move the cursor in a clockwise direction to an undetermined item on the desktop (usually the last icon selected or in focus when the desktop was exited).
Move from item to item on the desktop. Use the arrow keys to move focus to the desired object or type the first letter of the item to place the focus on that item. If there are several items beginning with the same letter, repeat typing the letter and the focus wil move between items beginning with that letter.
Select (highlight) and de-select a desktop item. When an item on the desktop is in focus, press the spacebar to select the focused object. Press Ctrl+Spacebar to remove the selection highlight.
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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
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
