By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

It wasn't until 1260 that there is documentation that perceptions of people who were blind began to change. After King Louis the Ninth of France had suffered a defeat in the Sixth Crusade, he returned with an interest in charities. He endowed one of the first formal institutions for the blind. (Enabling Technologies, How braille Began) During this period there was no formal education available for those who were blind. Although braille had not yet been developed, some developed their own literacy methods in clever ways including a writing system of pinpricks and silk embroidered onto cardboard. The following are some important historical events in the history of the field of visual impairments.

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1784    The first school for the blind was established in Paris, France by Valentine Hauy.
1791    First school for the blind established in Liverpool, England.
1793    France had first mandatory school for the blind
1808    Charles Barbier infents Ecriture Nocturne, or night writing, for use by French soldiers at night.
1827    James Gall publishes First Book for Teaching the Art of Reading to the Blind, the first English-language work in raised type.
1829    Louis Braille publishes an explanation of his embossed dot code (inspired by Barbie)
1829    The New England Asylum for the Blind (later the Perkins School for the Blind) was incorporated in Watertown, MA
1831    The New York Institution for the Education of the Blind (now the New York Institute for Special Education) was incorporated.
1832    The Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of the Blind (later the Overbrook School for the Blind) was founded.
1833    The Gospel of St. Mark was printed in Philadelphia. It was the first book in raised print in the United States.
1834    Louis Braille perfects the literary braille code.
1837    The Perkins School for the Blind establishes a printing plant, later named the Howe Memorial Press.
1839    A state-supported "normal school" for training general education teachers is started in Lexington, MA.
1854    France officially adopts braille as a reading mode for people who are blind.

1858    Seven states establish central printing house. APH.
1860    The Missouri School for the Blind becomes the first institute in the United States to use braille.
1872    The Scottish Education Act calls for educating children who are blind with sighted children.
1878    Joel W. Smith at the Perkins School for the Blind develops the American raised-point system, modeled closely on
braille, which became the foundation for American braille. 

1879     Act to promote education of blind and establish quota funds. Quota  funds brought about the American Printing 
House for the blind (APH). It  was established with federal money. APH was the first professional  organization of blind workers. Materials from APH can be purchased with quota funds for students who are legally blind.
1893    Children 0-22 who are blind receive an education
1903    Helen Keller was the first student who is deaf/blind to receive a college degree.
1905    The New York Association for the Blind (now Lighthouse International) was  founded.
1915    The National Society for the Prevention of Blindness was founded.
1918    The University of California offers the first university preparation courses for teachers of students who are blind.
1921    The American foundation for the Blind was founded.
1922    The Council for Exceptional Children was founded.
1929    The seeing Eye, the first dog guide school in the United States, was incorporated.
1931     The Library of Congress established the National Library Service for  the Blind and Physically Handicapped. It began distributing braille and  recorded materials in accordance with the Pratt-Smoot Act of 1930.
1935    The Social Security Act is passed. It adopts the AMA's definition of legal blindness.
1940    The National Federation of the Blind was founded.
1947    The Perkins Brailler is designed and developed by David Abraham of Howe Press.
1948    Recording for the Blind (RFB) is established.
1954     The Pine Brook Report identifies different educational options for  students who are blind or visually impaired and the type of teacher  preparation required.
1960    US conducts a study outlined in the Comstock reports. Determined a need for O&M specialists.
1960    Boston College started the first university program for O&M instructors.
1961    The American council of the Blind was founded.
1966    The CEC Project on Professional Standards defined visually handicapped to include both blind and partially sighted.
1970    CCTVs become commercially available.
2000    Academy for certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals is established.
2000    American Foundation for the Blind National Literacy center established.
2001    Bookshare, a source of downloadable books, was founded.

NOTE:  I have assembled this list from online and offline resources.  If you know of a discrepancy on this page please contact me so I can amend the entry. Thank You!

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TVI's Guide Complete Set Bundle + BONUS Resources

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Buy together at a reduced price and get BONUS resources!

TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

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. 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.

In addition to the book, the following two supplements are included:

·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Concept Checklist

·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Activities Checklist

For complete product details and additional images, visit the TVI's Guide product page.

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.  

For complete product details and additional images, visit the Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Product Page.

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:

·      Digital pdf download: 210 pages

·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

·      Author: Carmen Willings

·      Language: English

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

The Thematic Keyboarding & 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. 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 word lists and sentences will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, you may also copy and paste the passages into any braille translation software for quick production on an embosser. They may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.

For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency & Maintenance Product Page

Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency Worksheet Details:

·      Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets

·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

·      Author: Carmen Willings

·      Language: English

Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists: Grab & Go ECC Supplement

The Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Grab and Go ECC supplement is a 446 page pdf downloadable print on demand workbook that includes 2940 vocabulary card on 3 1/2" x 2" templates divided by each of the 32 Thematic Units along with a checklist of each unit words in print and simulated braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the vocabulary cards correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. 

Additional Use:

Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can have a extremely varied caseloads. It is possible to go several years without having a student on your caseload who requires braille instruction. Like other skills, if you do not practice your braille regularly, it is easy to lose those skills. Use these checklists and cards to maintain your braille skills. Fold the checklist along the line dividing the print from the braille. Choose to either read the print and produce the word in braille using a braillewriter or read the simulated braille and decode it. Finally, these vocabulary cards and checklists may be used with family members or peers who are interested in learning and practicing the braille code.

For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Vocabulary Cards & Checklists Product Page

Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Details:

·      Digital pdf download: 446-page print on demand resource

·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

·      Author: Carmen Willings

·      Language: English

BONUS!

Lotto Cards

The LOTTO Cards Grab and Go Supplement includes 37 theme related unit cards along with activity suggestions that support activities within the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC.

On My Way File Folder Cards

Print and use these cards to represent locations the student may visit that are related to the current thematic unit. Use these with the On My Way File Folder Game outlined in the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC p. 27.

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All products are digital pdf downloads. 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. If you encounter any difficulty, please let me know and I can assist you.

*Please contact me if you need to purchase using a purchase order. I am happy to help guide you in the process of adding Teaching Students with Visual Impairments as an approved vendor for your school or program or you can visit the product support page for information on using a PO.

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