Search Paths to Technology

Hands on the Mantis Q40 QWERTY keyboard and text, "Mantis Q40 Video tutorials"

Mantis Q40 Video Tutorials

The Mantis Q40 is a unique 40-cell braille display that has a QWERTY keyboard for input and a refreshable braille display for output. There is a 6-key entry...
computer screenshot of book cover image, Frank and Beans, in a Word document with alt text pane open

Adding Alt Text to an Image in Word for Office 365

Alt Text description of book on the post's featured image: "Microsoft Word document displaying the image of the book cover Frank and Beanswith an alt text pane...
Open laptop with Desmos logo and text, "Accessible, Interactive Math with Desmos"

Accessible, Interactive Math with Desmos

During recent discussions about what accessible math tools students are using, Desmos is always one of the first tools mentioned. Desmos, a graphing calculator...
Screenshot of Braille Math Editor textbox showing 1 3/4=7/4 in Nemeth code and in print. Text:"Braille Math Editor: Nemeth Code"

Braille Math Editor: Student Video Tutorial

I like to say that now is a great time to be a blind person interested in STEM, as both accessing and presenting math and other STEM content is becoming...
Image of Snow Globe Family book cover and text, "Tech Skills: Navigate, Cut and Paste"

Snow Globe Shake-Up: Tech Skills (cut and paste)

Snow globe shake up! Just like the snow globe in the story, the Snow Globe Family, your story has been through a snowstorm - and the story plot has been blown...
Open laptop with "JAWS Lesson Plans" on the screen.

Lesson Plans for JAWS and for iOS

Hello. My name is Rebecca, but everyone calls me Becca. As a blind user of assistive technology for many years, I’ve loved technology since I was little. I...
Three cartoon monster characters with text, "Monster: Note Taking Activities"

Monster: Note Taking Skills

Note taking is an important digital skill for students to learn. Young students, including students who are blind or visually impaired, should be given age-...
JAWS logo on a computer screen and text, "Braille Math Editor Update"

Braille Math Editor: JAWS and Fusion

The recent JAWS and Fusion update includes support for reading math equations. The following is from Freedom Scientific's website: Braille Math Editor JAWS...
Desmos logo with text, "Exploring Math with Desmos: Getting Started"

Exploring Math with Demos: Getting Started

TVIs - our mission is to help our students learn math and to love learning math! What mainstream, approved digital math tools are you teaching your students?...
Image of a computer displaying various math equations and text, "JAWS 2021 Math Support"

JAWS 2021 Math Support Update

A new feature in JAWS 2021 is the native ability to read math content in Word documents. Below is what Freedom Scientfic writes: JAWS and Fusion now supports...
Cartoon girl with clasped praying hands showing distress in front of a computer with text, "Homework hotline"

National Homework Hotline for Blind or Visually Impaired Students: Part 2

The National Homework Hotline for Blind and Visually Impaired students (NHH-BVI) was created in response to the school closures due to COVID. (See Homework...
Graphic with Colorful "G" and "Google Accessibility Updates"

Google Accessibility Improvements

Google's software update included accessibility improvements! New Shortcut command that instantly toggles Braille Support in Docs, Sheets and Slides...
Title text with background graphic of a laptop

Virtual Learning Starter Kit: Windows Computers

As we all get ready to go back to school, especially with either the reality or potentiality of teaching virtually from a distance, many of us are having to...
Young girl reading a teacher-created print/braille book with her hands on the braille.

Teacher-Created Resource Library!

Finding Solutions Students in today's classrooms are using digital educational materials - especially now with remote instruction, online courses and virtual...
Image of cartoon readers sitting on and standing around a digital book and "Bookshare #AllInTogether Summer Read-a-thon"

Bookshare's #AllInTogether Summer Read-a-thon

Get #AllInTogether for Summer Reading Are you looking for fun and EASY ways to keep your child or students learning this summer? Bookshare’s #AllInTogether ...
Image of a computer monitor displaying Uabacus app and text, "Teaching a Blind Braille Learner Remotely"

Teaching a Totally Blind Braille Learner Virtually: What worked and what didn’t

We all have been thrown into the deep end with regard to virtual/distance learning! Some of us had prepared our students and some didn’t. Some of us are tech...
Cartoon image of teacher in front of computer running JAWS and text, "Free Classes on YouTube: Abacus, Orion TI-84, JAWS, iOS".

TBSVI Short-Term Programs Class Videos

Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a leader in our field. For many years, the TSBVI Short-Term Programs (STP) has excelled in teaching...
Desmos logo and text, "Graphing tutorial"

Graphing for Blind Students Tutorial

Creating and using digital graphs is a challenge for many students with visual impairments. Traditionally, students have received graphs in a tactile format;...
Cartoon image of two teachers standing behind a student who is using a computer; text: "Tech Standards"

Tech Standards for Students with VIB: What's Happening

Students with visual impairments and blindness are successfully using technology in the classroom and it is exciting to see how technology has a positive...
Reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh through the starry night and text, "'Twas the Night Before: Comprehension"

'Twas the Night Before Christmas: Teaching Comprehension

As educators, we often teach basic reading skills, such as identifying letters, words, building vocabulary and spelling. However, when was the last time you...
Active Braille, a concave 40-cell refreshable braille display with cursor router keys, a Perkin’s style keyboard with a bar keys

Active Braille

The Active Braille is a forty-cell refreshable braille display with cursor router keys, a Perkin’s style keyboard, two triple action keys, and two spacebar...
Glad I am not a turkey poem.

Screen Reader Tech Activities: Thanksgiving Lesson Plan

How do you start teaching digital literacy skills to young students who are learning technology?  Memorizing a list of commands is B-O-R-I-N-G! How about...
Screenshot of Google Docs with focus on dictation button and text, "Today is Sunday. I am writing using dictation."

Educational Example of Using Speech to Text and Dictation

When a student becomes frustrated expressing their ideas in writing in their primary learning medium and it has negative implications on learning and their...
BrailleSense Polaris braille notetaker with a 32-cell refreshable braille display, Perkin’s style keyboard & LCD displa

BrailleSense Polaris: Using the Polaris as a Refreshable Braille Display with JAWS

This year, my student wanted to learn how to connect her Polaris to her Windows laptop with JAWS to use it as a braille display. I downloaded the correct...
Photo of QBraille XL and text, "So many Braille Displays which one is right for my student?"

So Many Braille Displays, Which One is Right for My Student: Part Seven

NOTE: Please see other posts in this series including: So Many Braille Displays Part One (focusing on the Brailliant BI 40 and BI 80 models) So Many Braille...
Images of Focus 14, 40 and 80 with text, "So Many Braille Displays, which one is right for my student? Focus Blue Series."

So Many Braille Displays: Which One is Right for My Student? Part Six

In the previous posts (see above) we’ve looked at a variety of braille displays.  In this installment, we are going to take a look at the fifth generation of...
Graphic of title text: Help! My Refreshabraille 18 is All Jumbled Up!

Help! My Refreshabraille 18 is All Jumbled Up!

If you are a Refreshabraille 18 user, you may have, at some point or another, found that your device's braille display is all jumbled up!  My students have...
Graphic of title text: One-Handed Braille Entry to Windows Computers

One-Handed Braille Entry to Windows Computers

I’ve got a neat new tip to share with y’all today, and it’s all because my student was confident enough to speak up and correct me after I made an incorrect...
Photo of Braille Beetle and text, "So Many Braille Displays, Which One is Right for My Student? Smart Beetle.

So Many Braille Displays, Which One is Right for My Student? Part Four

Editor's Note: The Smart Beetle is no longer available. NOTE: Please see other posts in this series including So Many Braille Displays Part One (focusing on...
Photo of Smiling man sitting at the help desk with text, "Sam's Story: Tech Support"

Be My Eyes: Microsoft Tech Support Story

Sam is a tech support agent at the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk, where he answers calls from customers who are blind or have low-vision calling through the...
Photo of Braille Edge 40 and text, "So many braille displays. Which one is right for my student? Braille Edge 40"

So Many Braille Displays, Which One is Right for My Student: Part Three

Editor's Note: The Braille Edge is no longer available. NOTE: Please see other posts in this series including So Many Braille Displays Part One (focusing on...
2 braille displays & text, "So many braille displays: which one is right for my Student? Brailliant BI 14 & Braille Trail Reader

So Many Braille Displays, Which One is Right for My Student? Part Two

NOTE: Please see other posts in this series including So Many Braille Displays Part One (focusing on the Brailliant BI 40 and BI 80 models) So Many Braille...
Book cover with colorful Easter eggs and title, " Why the Easter Bunny Brings Eggs" and text, "iBook/PDF".

Why the Easter Bunny Brings Easter Eggs: Folktale

This fun European folktale is one explanation of why a bunny brings eggs at Easter. A folktale is a legend or tale that has a moral or lesson and is typically...
Screenshot of Valentine's Day Puns iBook with a red heart, title, and pun definition.

Valentine's Day Puns: iBook

Candy, cards and laughter go hand-in-hand on Valentine's Day! The Valentine's Day Puns book is an accessible digital book full of candy related puns! This book...
Text of title graphic: Access to High-Level Mathematics using LaTeX

Access to High-level Mathematics Using LaTeX

In my short time as a vision teacher and assistive technology specialist, I have come to appreciate the vast lengths that developers have gone to in order to...
Image of Orbit Reader and text, "Orbit Reader 20: Using the Orbit with a Windows PC"

Orbit Reader 20: Using the Orbit with a Windows PC

NOTE: There are seven other articles in this series that may help you familiarize yourself with the Orbit and its capabilities: Layout and Menu Structure of...
EquatIO logo and text, "Accessible Editable math"

EquatIO

EquatIO is a math extension that makes math digital. Type, handwrite, dictate, or simply copy a printed math equation; EquatIO converts these math equations...
Headphones resting on an open text book above a Braille Edge refreshable braille display,

The Power of Not Knowing

I was introduced to Braille in elementary school when we knew I had a visual impairment that was impacting my ability to read, but we didn’t have a diagnosis....
small white 20-cell braille display with black keys; up and down arrows on both sides of the braille, cursor buttons underneath.

Braille Me: new refreshable braille display

The Braille Me is a new smart braille display by Innovision Tech. This refreshable braille display is a 6-dot, 20-cell display with a Perkins style keyboard...
Photo of a chalkboard with a sun, paw print & the words Here Comes the Sun written in different colored chalk.

Using Technology to Access the Song "Here Comes the Sun"

The first evening of summer, the song “Here Comes the Sun” popped into my head, as I reflected over the school year and the progress one of my student’s has...

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