Special Needs

Find support for parents of children with special needs. Learn how to advocate for your child, raise funds for needed equipment and find helpful organizations.

Filter by: Advocacy, Assistive Technology, Autism, Schools for the Blind, Support, Visual Impairment

Ivan swimming

Visual Impairment

Making Swim Lessons Accessible for Blind Children

Find tips on how to make a swimming lesson accessible for kids who are blind or have other disabilities. Great ideas for parents or swim instructors!

A girl using

Special Needs, Support

If you had a magic wand that could “cure” your child’s disability, would you use it?

I recently asked this question to a group of special needs moms: "If you had a magic wand that could 'cure' your child's disability, would you use it? Why or...

melted bead suncatcher

Light Play, Visual Impairment

Suncatcher Activities for Kids with Visual Impairments

Suncatcher art projects make great hands-on activities for children with visual impairments considering their tactile traits including different textures and raised-line graphics.

Roberto family

Adoption and Foster Care, Visual Impairment

Adopting a Visually Impaired Child from China: Our Story

MaryAnne Roberto shares her story of adopting two boys who are blind through Bethel China. Shane and Vincent have different stories, but they are all part of one big family!

standalone bed with sides and top

Sleep, Special Needs

Creative Care Safe Spaces: Beds and Sensory Spaces for Special Needs Kids

This company based in the UK makes solidly constructed spaces and beds to keep special needs children safe in their rooms.

collage of eyes

iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment

Be My Eyes App: Lend Your Eyes to the Blind

This iPhone app allows visually impaired users to connect with sighted users in real time in order to receive assistance with simple tasks.

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

Awareness T-Shirts for Kids who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Check out these childhood blindness Awareness T-Shirts from Eye Power Kid's Wear! Express yourself and raise awareness for your cause!

Tools for Life logo blue letters on white background

Assistive Technology, Special Needs

Dollars & Sense: Navigating the AT funding stream

This search engine helps identify funding sources for a range of assistive technology. Although geared toward residents of Georgia, much of the information is applicable everywhere.

Modular Hose

Assistive Technology

ModularHose allows you to turn almost anything into a handsfree device

This cool system uses flexible hose and a multitude of components to customize a way to attach items hands-free to your wheelchair or other place you might need it.

cells, DNA, retinal implants montage

Health & Nutrition, Visual Impairment

Top Medical Breakthroughs in Vision in 2014

There have been a lot of medical advances in curing blindness in the past 12 months. Read about the most exciting breakthroughs in gene therapy, stem cells, artificial retinas and...

Top 10 Accessible Toys

Toys, Visual Impairment

Top 10 Accessible Toys for Blind Kids

We recently ran a contest asking families to share their favorite toys for their kids who are blind or have other special needs. Here are the top 10 as voted...

Gizmonix Visor

Assistive Technology, Eye Conditions and Syndromes

New Gadget Addresses Tunnel Vision

There's a company that's working on a visor to help those with tunnel vision to see the full picture of what they could see without tunnel vision. It's still in...

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...

Woman's face wearing sunglasses

Assistive Technology, Visual Impairment

Seeing Through Sound

This technology takes sound to create "images" in the brain, by using a camera, special software, and headphones.

Visual Impairment

Lenz Frenz

These very cute stuffed animals have a hiding spot in their backs where children can safely store their glasses.