During this pandemic the blind community and our allies have come together to ensure blind students have the same access to learning opportunities as their sighted peers. This list of resources showcases how our community has come together in this time of great need.
Know of other relevant resources? Share them with @nlshaheen on Twitter.
If you are (or if you know) a blind/low-vision student who would be interested in sharing their story about using technology at school during COVID, consider participating in Natalie’s current research project.
Distance Teaching and Learning Resources
- Connecting the DOTS Presents—Accessible Remote Learning Webinar: resources and webinar recordings
- Don’t Be a Barrier: Be Accessible Now: Accessibility Resources from @NFB_Voice
- Distance Learning Resources from the National Federation of the Blind: including synchronous lessons for blind students and their families every Thursday at 11a Eastern
- Ask a Tech Trainer Anything: NFB invites blind students, as well as their families, educators, and other allies, to join us for an hour of Q&A.
- NFB-NEWSLINE® Kids Social Distancing Essay Contest: June 1 deadline; $50 gift card prize for winners
- Tactile Activity Packets: Files for creating tactile graphics designed by @n_c_ro. Download, produce, and enjoy!
- April 10 Letter from NFB to Betsy DeVos re IDEA waivers
- National Homework Hotline for Blind/Visually Impaired Students
- Accessibility and Online Educational Materials
- Accessibility Tips by @TVI_Ting
- @HumanWare Webinars every Tuesday and Thursday at 12pm Eastern (archived on Humanware’s YouTube channel)
- Numerous Ideas and Resources from Paths to Technology
- At Home with APH Resources
- @Neal_AT shares important information about that latest HIMS firmware update
- Free Aira for any university students needing assistance, contact support@aira.io
Zoom
- Meet Me Accessibly – A Guide to Zoom Cloud Meetings from a Blindness Perspective by @JonathanMosen
- Norms for an Accessible Zoom Meeting (video)
- Tactile and High Contrast Graphic of the Zoom Interface created by @Neal_AT
Google Classroom
- Google Classroom with HIMS Polaris (video)
- Using Google Classroom on a BrailleNote Touch on Paths to Literacy
Now Free or Reduced Price Technology and Services
- VoiceDream “At Home” Bundle: for a limited time VoiceDream has bundled their Reader and Scanner apps together for $9.99
- Free JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion through June 30, 2020
- Objective Ed Distance Learning Tools
Exemplars of Teaching Blind K-12 Students at a Distance
- Accessible Math WorkFlow Using Equatio and MSWord (video)
- @Neal_AT used Team Viewer and a HIMS device for a virtual lesson and he offered some takeaways
- @TVIMonique used recorded audio to engage a student in Braille instruction
- Many other great examples from the over 150 teachers of blind students (and related service providers) on Twitter
- TVI’s at Home Part 2: Video Conferencing Setup (video): How to use Zoom for a screen reader lesson
Professional Development Resources
- Accessible Teaching in the Time of COVID-19 by @AimiHamraie
- OCR Short Webinar on Online Education and Website Accessibility (video)
- How to Design a Small Group Activity In the Zoom Classroom (video) by @TVI_Ting
- Accessible Instructional Materials in the Digital Classroom
- TVIs at Home Part 1: File Management (video)
- TechTalk 3/31 @ 7pm PST: Remote Facilitation for Students Who Use Braille Notetakers: TechTalks are archived on SFSU’s VI Program YouTube Channel
Natalie L Shaheen 