Innovation is crucial for addressing challenges faced by children with visual impairments, as it enables the development of adaptive technologies and inclusive educational tools that enhance accessibility, independence, and learning opportunities. Benetech, a leading innovator in the field of accessible literacy, is on a mission to bridge the…

There is a critical need for Americans to study foreign languages to support the United States' participation in a global economy, commitment to national security, and actions in the political arena. However, there is a lack of American students learning what the US Department of State refers to as "critical languages," which are less…

The BrailleNote Touch+ (BNT+) can be a valuable tool for students who are blind who are learning a second or third language. Kapperman, Koster, and Burman (2018) stressed the importance of using a screen reader, as well as a braille display, when learning a foreign language because it allows a student to not only orally learn the language but also…

While assistive technology is often suggested as a way to increase, maintain, or improve functional ability for individuals with disabilities within physical activity (PA) settings, cost and availability of such items are often noted as barriers. In recent years, 3D printing has become available to the general public through the adoption of 3D…

Assistive technologies are frequently used to help disabled students to access core and expanded core curricula and to improve their functional, communication and literacy skills. Non-optical low vision devices and optical and tactile graphics technologies are some of the assistive technologies used by visually impaired students in today's…

Stargardt Disease was identified by German ophthalmologist Karl Stargardt in 1901. It is the most commonly inherited macular dystrophy condition (Light et al., 2017), with an estimated worldwide prevalence of 1 in 8,000 to 1 in 10,000 (Cai et al., 2018). Stargardt Disease is the juvenile version of macular degeneration (Daly, 2014), with its early…

Methods commonly used to enhance the language-learning experiences of students who are visually impaired (that is, those who are blind or have low vision), are not sufficient for foreign language learning. There are several challenges involved in the study of foreign languages by students who are visually impaired. One of the most pressing of…

In this article, the authors contend that the effectiveness in studying foreign languages by students who are blind can be greatly increased with the use of a properly configured screen reader, Job Access With Speech (JAWS), and a braille display. They assert foreign language instruction should not be limited to auditory input from an instructor…

Because she had been blind since birth, we knew that our new student, Cricket, would be unable to make the necessary measurements needed to get any meaningful lab data while all of the other students would be able to use highly accurate commercial Vernier calipers. All we had on loan for Cricket was a Brailled plastic tactile meter stick with low…

Instructors of postsecondary classes in statistics rely heavily on visuals in their teaching, both within the classroom and in resources like textbooks, handouts, and software, but this information is often inaccessible to students who are blind or visually impaired (BVI). The unique challenges involved in adapting both pedagogy and course…

Over the last decade, many innovations have significantly changed the classroom. As a result, the authors believe the roles of vision professionals, primarily teachers of students with visual impairments, orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists, and braille transcribers, have likewise changed drastically in that time period. Although the…

Although recent advances make it easier than ever before for students with severe visual impairments to be fully accommodated in the music classroom, one of the most significant current challenges in this area is most music educators' unfamiliarity with current assistive technology. Fortunately, many of these tools are readily available and even…

Organic chemistry courses can present major obstacles to access for students with blindness or low vision (BLV). In recent years, efforts have been made to represent organic chemistry concepts in tactile forms for blind students. These methodologies are described in this manuscript. Further work being done at Illinois State University is also…

Audio-Supported Reading (ASR) is a technology-based approach for accessing and working with text presented in either braille or enlarged (magnified) print. This approach allows a user to listen to a spoken version of text while looking at screen-displayed print or while touching braille. In ASR, both the rate of information pick up and the portion…

Technology provides equal access to information and helps people with visual impairments to complete tasks more independently. Among various assistive technology options for people with visual impairments, braille notetakers have been considered the most significant because of their technological innovation. Braille notetakers allow users who are…