Education

Find resources for parents interested in supporting their child's educational needs, from reading and literacy to math and science.

Filter by: Braille and Literacy, IEPs, iPad Apps and Accessibility, Math and Science

Cartoon girl lying on an open book

Braille and Literacy

Great Expectations: Bringing books to life for blind kids

Tips for reading aloud to blind children, courtesy of National Braille Press, complete with video and featured story.

smartphone held over menu shows text being read

iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment

Breakthrough App Reads Print for the Blind

This cool new app lets you use your smartphone to translate printed material into spoken words, letting the user "read" virtually anything. The app is available on iTunes and was...

Great Expectations Program from NBP

Braille and Literacy

Picture Books for Blind Kids? Yes!

Through NBP's new program, Great Expectations, parents and caregivers can learn how to describe pictures to visually impaired children and also how to read out loud in a way that...

Ivan and dad at the lake

Math and Science, Visual Impairment

7 Science & Nature Activities for Young Children who are Blind

Touching leaves, twigs, rocks and trees is a great way to introduce the world to your blind child. Here are 7 simple ideas to get you thinking about science and...

Front cover of iBook Reach for the Stars

Math and Science, Visual Impairment

Reach for the Stars: Free iBook for Visually Impaired Students

This free iBook, available on iTunes, is compatible with braille refreshable displays and VoiceOver on iPads, and is accessible to anyone with a visual or print impairment.

The cover of three spiral bound notebooks, in purple, blue and green

Education, Special Needs

My Special Journal: Home to School Communication Notebook

My Special Journal is a pre-printed communication notebook that lets teachers quickly summarize a special needs child's day at school.

Young Pakistani boy reads braille

Braille and Literacy

Dad Develops Tactile Graphics for Blind Son

Devoted dad Shahzad Zaidi makes tactile graphics to make education and games more accessible to his visually impaired son.

sample page from Sound of Colors

Braille and Literacy

The Sound of Colors

The Sound of Colors tells the story of a young girl who is losing her sight and goes on a journey of discovery. Available at Amazon.

Osmo

iPad Apps and Accessibility

Osmo: A Fun, Tactile & Engaging Way to Use Your iPad

The Osmo Game System uses special adaptations to make the iPad more interactive, allowing users to manipulate real tangible objects while using their iPad. It promotes social skills, creative thinking...

AFB's two new apps

iPad Apps and Accessibility

Free Accessible Apps from AFB for Blind Users

Two free apps for visually impaired mobile phone users: CareerConnect for iOS and AccessNote for iOS and Android. Offered by American Foundation for the Blind.

SMART Brailler

Braille and Literacy

Perkins SMART Brailler is Now Available on APH Through Quota Funds

Perkins SMART Braillers are now available at American Printing House using quota funds. These funds make educational tools for those who are blind accessible.

child speaking with an iPhone

Communication, iPad Apps and Accessibility

Talkitt® Makes Unintelligible Speech Understandable

Talkitt translates unintelligible speech from any language into understandable speech through smart phones, tablets or computers. Works for people with speech disorders or diseases or syndromes that affect speech.

Opening slide for Intro to braille video

Braille and Literacy

Video Introducing Braille to Parents

This YouTube video from Sensory Sun is an eight-minute introduction to braille geared toward parents.

help and support

Braille and Literacy, Support

Bookshare’s Parent Ambassador Program

Bookshare, the free program that offers printed material in an accessible format to those who are unable to easily access printed material, is offering a free parent forum, allowing parents...

The cover of the Black Book of Colors is just that: black.

Braille and Literacy

Black Book of Colors

The Black Book of Colors uses raised illustrations, braille letters and imaginative descriptions to give sighted people a glimpse into the world of the blind. This is a great book...

17 Braille Innovations

Braille and Literacy, Visual Impairment

17 Braille Innovations That Don’t Exist Yet… But Should!

A lot of the coolest ideas involving braille aren't actually on the market yet. Listed here are some of my favorite braille concepts. And maybe if we reach out to...

Exploring Braille App

Braille and Literacy, iPad Apps and Accessibility

Exploring Braille App Review

Exploring Braille with Madilyn and Ruff is an iPad app that teaches the braille alphabet while also introducing your child to the iPad, VoiceOver and a refreshable braille display.

Example of one way to assist with word recognition: sample boards

Education, Special Needs

Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs

This blog features extensive teaching resources for those educators teaching learners with multiple and severe special needs.

Slide-A-Round Math Manipulatives

Math and Science

Slide-A-Round Math Manipulatives for Kids who are Blind or Visually Impaired

A special education teacher has created a math manipulative that helps students who are blind or visually impaired to more easily learn abstract math concepts.

Ivan siling with his sink or float experiment

Math and Science

Simple Science Experiments: Sink or Float?

Will it sink or will it float? This is a simple science experiment that is completely accessible for children who are blind or visually impaired. And it's fun too!

Tap Tap See App

iPad Apps and Accessibility

TapTapSee App Review

TapTapSee is an amazing app that can identify just about anything in a photo. Use your iPad or iPhone's camera to take a photo and TapTapSee will speak (using VoiceOver)...

Braille Magnet Board

Braille and Literacy

Make Your Own Braille Magnet Board

Erica used a metal oil drop pan to create this braille magnet board. Add some adhesive Velcro patches and magnets and you've got a fun (and educational) play space!

Ivan watering the plants

Math and Science

Plants Get Thirsty Too! How watering plants can teach new skills

What can your child who is blind learn through watering plants? Lots! Watering can be an opportunity to count leaves, talk about the plants, squeeze water bottles, fill bottles and...

3D printer creating an image

Assistive Technology, Math and Science

3D Printed Pictures of Space

Astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore are working on a project creating 3D images of photos taken by the Hubble Telescope for people who are visually impaired.