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Making Math Accessible:

Students Who Are Visually Impaired

and Blind

Beth Conly-Edwards Kerry FowlerEducational Coordinator and Consultant Specialist Teacher- Visually Impaired/Blind

Vision Resource Services and Outreach Programs Learning Services- Vision

W. Ross Macdonald School Waterloo Region District School Board

Brantford ON Kitchener-Waterloo ON

● What defines visual impairment?

● How vision affects learning?

● Planning for life in the Classroom

● Real Life Examples of Math in Action

Today:

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Definitions of Visual Impairment

Low Vision

● 20/70 acuity in the better eye after best possible correction

● Glasses cannot ‘fix’ everything!

Blindness

● 20/200 acuity in the better eye after best possible correction

or

● a visual field of 20 degrees or less

Facts of Blind/Visual Impairment

● 1-1000 people are visually impaired

● 1-10 000 people are blind

Functional Vision is how well an individual uses

the vision they have in given circumstances

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Common Eye Disorders

Refractive Errors - Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism

Glaucoma

Cataracts

Retinopathy of Prematurity

Albinism

Nystagmus

Optic Nerve Atrophy

Cortical Visual Impairment

How Vision Impairment AffectsDevelopment

● 80-90% of what most people learn is visual

● Vision is a unifying sense

● All areas of development are affected by vision loss:

■ Cognitive Skills development

■ Fine and Gross Motor Skills

■ Speech and Language Skills

■ Social and Play Skills

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Educational Implications for students who are Blind and/or Visually Impaired

● Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired and Blind are needed in schools for successful education

● Courses offered as Additional Qualifications through Teachers’ Colleges

● Currently 3 part course: Teaching Students who are Blind Part 1, Part 2 and Specialist after achieving certification in braille

Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC)(Essential Skills for the Visually Impaired and Blind)

1. Compensatory Skills: braille, tactile, large print

2. Assistive Technology

3. Sensory Efficiency

4. Orientation and Mobility

5. Social Interaction Skills

6. Independent Living Skills

7. Recreation and Leisure Skills

8. Career Education

9. Self-Determination

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Individual Education Plans (IEP)

● Legal document that outlines:■ Accommodations ■ Modifications ■ Alternative Programs (ECC)

● Accommodations for visual needs are determined through a Functional Vision Assessment and listed in three areas:

■ Instructional ■ Assessment■ Environmental

Factors that enhance visual functioning:

● Ensure glasses are worn and are cleaned regularly

● Ensure proper lighting● Reduce glare● Selective seating for best visual access● Reduce auditory distractions● Ensure visual aids are available and used properly● Position work at proper distance/angle

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● Team planning well in advance

● Use multi-sensory approach

● Provide descriptive and consistent language

● Remember to allow more time

● Expect same quality not quantity

● Avoid large amounts of homework

General Classroom Considerations:

Considerations for Students with Low Vision:

● Provide alternate format materials for students

who have low vision (large print, auditory)

● Provide visually appropriate materials

● Provide a desk copy of notes and classroom

charts

● Avoid a lot of copying tasks

● Provide extra time

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Visually Appropriate Materials Should:

● Be enlarged (as appropriate to student’s needs)

● Have good contrast

● Use bold colours

● Have simple text and pictures

● Have de-cluttered diagrams, pictures and maps, etc.

● Have only diagrams and pictures that are necessary

for understanding

IEP Accommodations sample- Student who has Low Vision

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● Provide alternate format materials (braille, tactile and

auditory)

● Provide concrete and tactually appropriate materials

● Exploration of math manipulative materials prior to using

them for math concept development

● Use of concrete materials into higher grades to ensure

student comprehension, transition slowly…

concrete --> semi-concrete --> semi-abstract --> abstract

Considerations for Students who are Blind:

Considerations for Students who are Blind:

● Provide a desk copy of notes and classroom charts

● Avoid a lot of copying tasks

● Use of uncontracted vs contracted Unified English Braille

(UEB)

● Teach math braille code (the math code is part of UEB) to

the student at the same time as peers

● Provide extra time (timetabled into the day)

● Pre and post teaching

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IEP Accommodations sample - Student who is Blind

Real Life...

Examples of Math

in Action

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A variety of hands on materials available...

“White board” problem solving

Storing the manipulatives for ease of access

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Math Window: Braille and Large Print

- Graphic Art tape to give tactile lines- work area and storage area

- Consistent location to store digits and operation signs

Magnetic 3-in-1 Slant Board with magnetic pattern blocks

Patterning, 2-Dimensional shape names,

Attributes, Sorting, Fractions,

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Velcro Boards

numeracy concepts, one to one correspondence, operations

Wheatly Tactile Diagramming Kit

School maps

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Pictures In A Flash - PIAF Machine

Graphing - Magnetic board, braille number

tiles, PIAF number line, wiki stix

Counting PatternsSkip Counting

Perkins Brailler

- magnets with numbers- skip counting reference sheets

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Perkins Brailler, magnet board, braille digit tiles for place value problem solving

Connecting Numeracy and Literacy

Levelled reading book, counting,

Practising using velcro materials

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Number line (PIAF) with velcro hundreds board for DreamBox activity on iPad

Rekenrek (abacus) for DreamBox activity on iPad

Cardboard version with

2 different style beads

on pipe cleaners

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MathBuilder Kits -Data Management /Probability

- added cardboard wedges to the kit’s spinner

Mathbuilder Kits - Fractions/Decimals

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Draftsman Raised Line Drawing Tool

Graphic Aid Board

- pins, graphic art tape for x-axis and y-axis, straight edge (ruler, wire), yarn- large print or braille labels

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Raised Line Graph Paper

- mapping pins, elastics, graphic art tape for x-axis and y-axis- large print or braille labels

Geometro and Grade 9 EQAO Formula ‘Sheet’ in braille/tactile alternate format

Use of 3-D materials due to limitations of 2D representations of 3-D items

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High Technology - Magnification for Student with Low Vision

CCTV, Computer with Screen Enlargement and Screen Reading Software,

Connect 12 Portable CCTV

High Technology in Elementary setting

Braille Notetaker, external monitor, braille textbook, Perkins Brailler, graph

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High Technology in Secondary setting

Braille NoteTaker with external monitor, talking scientific calculator, textbook

Braille NoteTaker

- ‘Math mode’ for proper math notation

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Math Exam - putting it all together!

Resources - Ontario

SNOW is a branch of the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University

(Toronto) that focuses on Inclusive Education and Learning.

www.snow.idrc.ocadu.ca

Tactile Vision Graphics (Windsor)

- raised line drawings/braille/custom made materials

www.tactilevisiongraphics.com

Geometro: Hands On 3-D Geometry

www.geometro.net/index

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Resources – U.S.A.

Texas School for the Blind: Math Home Page

www.tsbvi.edu/math

American Printing House for the Blind: Math and more…

http://shop.aph.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category_412A3B3C_10001_1

1051_20731_-1_20724

Thank you!

Making Math Accessible:

Students Who Are Visually Impaired and Blind

Beth Conly-Edwards Kerry FowlerEducational Coordinator and Consultant Specialist Teacher- Visually Impaired/Blind

Vision Resource Services and Outreach Programs Learning Services- Vision

W. Ross Macdonald School Waterloo Region District School Board

Brantford ON Kitchener-Waterloo ON