Technology-Acquisition Strategies for Young Blind Students
By Chong, Curtis; Future Reflections,Publication Date: Summer/Fall 2002
Article offers advice to a teacher of the visually impaired in response to a query to the National Federation of the Blind regarding acquisition of Braille technology for a bright six-year-old blind student. The student was using a Perkins Brailler, and was able to access computer programs such as Math Flash and Learn Keys, as well as some computer games. He was also introduced to the Braille ‘n Speak Scholar. Advice offered includes: (1) The use of a slate and stylus as backup to any electronic note-taking system and to build up Braille-reading speed; (2) The acquisition of screen-access technology for the PC, such as JAWS for Windows or Window-Eyes, to help the student learn to produce printed work with a simple word-processing program using a qwerty keyboard, and to start supervised Internet activities; (3) Introduction, at a later point, of an electronic notetaker such as a BrailleNote; (4) Provision of tactile graphics such as raised-line drawings and tactile representations of three-dimensional objects; and (5) As the student reaches high school, encouraging the development of skill in working with sighted assistance, as less and less material will be available in Braille during high school and college.
Assistive Products Discussed: LEARN KEYS: VERBAL KEYBOARD FEEDBACK (MODELS D-03410-00 & D-03410-ED)
MATH FLASH
WINDOW-EYES PROFESSIONAL
STANDARD PERKINS BRAILLER (MODEL 22-0001-2)
JAWS FOR WINDOWS
BRAILLENOTE MPOWER BT 32
BRAILLENOTE MPOWER BT 18
BRAILLENOTE PK
BRAILLE 'N SPEAK SCHOLAR (MODEL 1-07320-01)
Published by: National Federation of the Blind (Website:http://www.nfb.org)
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (Web Site: http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Parents_and_Teachers.asp )
Link to text: http://nfb.org/legacy/fr/fr8/frsf0209.htm
