Overview

Technology for everyone

Paths to Technology is designed to assist educators and families in learning and staying current on ever-changing technology for students with visual impairments and blindness.

Wherever you are in your technology journey, you will find help with our library of resources designed to define and disseminate best practices, training, and support for teachers of the visually impaired, braille transcribers, other education professionals, parents, and students themselves.

Smiling 4 year old using an iPad and Bluetooth keyboard with a braille display beside her on a classroom desk

A library of technology resources

A library of free accessible digital classroom materials created by and for teachers! These materials are perfect for in-school instruction and remote instruction. Learn more about the Resource Library or get started with one of our four collections: maps, books, lessons and tactile images.

Books and documents

The book Library contains multimedia digital books and resources created by educators, family members, groups/individuals and students.

Lessons

The Lesson library is one central place to find lessons and ideas to help educators and family members teach students with visual impairments from preschool thru college. You’ll find a multitude of lessons covering a variety of subjects and topics.

Maps

Our Map library includes non-visual digital maps that are fully accessible maps for use by students for O&M purposes and for educational purposes in mainstream classrooms. Please help us grow the Map Library by sharing your maps!

Tactile graphics

Browse our Tactile graphics library and download image files developed specifically for Tactile Graphics Machines (a.k.a. Thermal Image Enhancer or Heat Fuser) such as the PIAF or Swell machines.

Share your ideas.

Diane Brauner Paths to Technology, Community Manager

“Paths to Technology is a thriving community of educators, family members, and students. Please share your favorite lesson, activity or resource with us. Or contact us to share your ideas, ask a question or offer feedback. Thank you!”

What’s new in apps

News, surveys, and user testing

Keep up with the latest tech-related news, survey opportunities and user testing. Quality research and field testing will improve best practices for teaching and will support the development of accessible resources for students with low vision and blindness. Please help by responding to surveys and field testing opportunities. Your input matters!

four-year old boy holding a microphone
A student is reviewing a bar chart on a computer.

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Technology curricula

Technology curricula and training resources to assist teachers of the visually impaired to teach technology skills using various devices and software and to track a student’s progress as they develop technology skills.

Available curricula and resources

This page contains the Available Curricula and Resources, including complete manuals, directions to complete specific tasks, video tutorials, and specific lesson plans for a variety of devices and software.

Quick reference guides

The Quick Reference Guide page contains lists of commands – simple cheat sheets – for various devices and software.

Checklists and assessments

This page contains a combination of basic and comprehensive checklists and assessments designed to help teachers of the visually impaired to track a student’s technology skills and to help determine technology related IEP goals.

Orientation & mobility

Legs and long cane walking across a street.
Seven places I don’t take my blindness cane

I’m not faking my vision impairment, here are seven places I don’t use my blindness cane and why.

Posts for students

two overlapping chairs representing double vision.
Ten “odd” things I do with double vision

Seeing two of everything can be overwhelming. Here are ten things that I do to help minimize the effects of my double vision and why.

Software updates

BrailleBlaster logo
BrailleBlaster 2.1.5 update

Check out these updates!