Visual Impairment – What is it like?

Have you ever been asked to present for disability awareness week? Were you asked to talk to a class that just finished reading The Miracle Worker? Do you have a new student starting a  school that you think the students or teachers need awareness of visual disabilities?

Here is a tool to help you! (the title is a link to the TSBVI page) I have made this as a kit several times and left it behind when I moved so it was ready to go for the next TVI. I color coded the stations for easy set up. I made a set of 60 blindfolds out of cloth so they were washable. Here are some of the other things I did by station.

  1. Station 1 – I bought a game which came with 20 different canisters of smell. Kept the smells contained and didn’t leak!
  2. Station 2 – I always taught sighted guide before hand. Never know if my student might need someone’s assistance. The end of the route had a bowl of mixed candies. The blindfolded person had to chose an item without looking. When the people switched to walk back, the second group had a bowl of candy on their end with completely different choices.
  3. Station 3 – I created a USB drive with wav sound files. This could also be on an iPod or iPad.
  4. Station 4 – brailling your own name was the most meaningful. I also brought real braille sentences for them to transcribe — way better than printed braille.
  5. Station 5 – the games I used were checkers, tic-tac-toe, connect four, and dominoes
  6. Station 6 – A favorite station. I also created a second activity so they partners could switch. It usually went smoother since they had already established a communication system. It was great for talking about how communication is so important.
  7. Station 7 – I created two different bags of items. I stored these in cloth bags and kept them together. One bag had more difficult items for high school students and adults.
  8. Station 8 – I made many more pictures which were more complex. I laminated these to be used over again. I made sure to include paper and pencils since most people didn’t bring any with them.

This continues to be my favorite form of in-service as it talks about the strengths a person can build instead of the ‘this is hard’ mentality. Using your senses is highlighted and the beauty of braille is explored.

iPad Tabletop Suction Mount

iPad Tabletop Suction Mount

Check out this tabletop mount – If you are an iPad user, this suction mount looks like it might be just the item to get the iPad positioned in better places for students with limited range of motion.

Now available are iPad Air mounting options for the popular Tabletop Suction, Latitude Arm, Hover, Friction Knob UMS, Lever UMS, and Gooseneck mounting systems. The new iPad Air cradle is designed to firmly hold an iPad Air without a case on it.

In addition, we’ve improved the popular Tabletop Suction Mounts for the iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini by adding a second suction cup to the base. The new double suction cup base not only provides twice the suction power, but also provides a better balanced base for increased stability during set up and use.

Kickball for the Blind

Another great video (and this one from yesterday) about our students getting active with a game of beeper kickball. With a feature on CNN this is nationwide encouragement for getting up and moving. They include in the discussion how sports are often out of reach for our students. I wonder if this could encourage PE teachers in elementary school to try a sport that encourages your hearing as well as your muscles.

Great story.

TBT – White Cane History

I have looked long and hard for the original posting of this article by Philip Strong, advocate at the American Council for the Blind. You can find it copied in many locations on the internet; some with tribute and some with complete plagiarism. Since I cannot find the original post I have reprinted it with the link going to the American Council for the Blind website.

 

The white cane is not just a tool that can be used to achieve independence; it is also a symbol of the blind citizens in our society. To honor the many achievements of blind and visually impaired Americans and to recognize the white cane’s significance in advancing independence, we observe October 15th of each year as “White Cane Safety Day.” Today, the white cane works both, as a tool for the blind as well as a symbol, but this has not always been the case.

Throughout history, the cane, staff, and stick have existed as traveling aids for the blind and visually impaired. Dating back to biblical times records show that a shepherd’s staff was used as a tool for solitary travel. The blind used such tools to alert them to obstacles in their path. For centuries, the “cane” was used merely as a tool for travel and it was not until the twentieth century that the cane, as we know it today, was promoted for use by the blind as a symbol to alert others to the fact that an individual was blind.

This new role for the white cane had its origins in the decades between the two World Wars, beginning in Europe and then spreading to North America. James Biggs of Bristol claimed to have invented the white cane in 1921. After an accident claimed his sight, the artist had to readjust to his environment. Feeling threatened by increased motor vehicle traffic around his home, Biggs decided to paint his walking stick white to make himself more visible to motorists. It was not until ten years later that the white cane established its presence in society. In February, 1931, Guilly d’Herbemont launched a scheme for a national white stick movement for blind people in France. The campaign was reported in British newspapers leading to a similar scheme being sponsored by rotary clubs throughout the United Kingdom. In May 1931 the BBC suggested in its radio broadcasts that blind individuals might be provided with a white stick, which would become universally recognized as a symbol indicating that somebody was blind or visually impaired.

In North America the introduction of the white cane has been attributed to the Lion’s Clubs International. In 1930, a Lion’s Club member watched as a blind man attempted to make his way across a busy street using a black cane. With the realization that the black cane was barely visible to motorists, the Lion’s Club decided to paint the cane white to increase its visibility to oncoming motorists. In 1931, the Lion’s Club International began a national program promoting the use of white canes for persons who are blind Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, blind persons had walked with their canes held diagonally in a fixed position, and the role of the white cane took on a symbolic role as an identifier.

 

But when the blind veterans of World War II returned to America, the form and the use of the white cane was further altered in an attempt to help return veterans to participatory lifestyles at home. Doctor Richard Hoover developed the “long cane” or “Hoover” method of cane travel. These white canes are designed to be used as mobility devices and returned the cane to its original role as a tool for mobility, but maintained the symbolic role as an identifier of blind independence. During this period, the white cane began to make its way into government policy as a symbol for the blind.

The first special White Cane Ordinance was passed in December 1930 in Peoria, Illinois. It granted blind pedestrians protections and the right-of-way while carrying a white cane. In 1935, Michigan began promoting the white cane as a visible symbol for the blind. On February 25, 1936, an ordinance was passed by the City of Detroit recognizing the white cane. To promote the new ordinance, a demonstration was held at City Hall where the blind and visually impaired people were presented with white canes. The following year, Donald Schuur wrote the provision of a bill and had it proposed in the Michigan State Legislature. The proposal gave the carrier of the White Cane protection while traveling on the streets of Michigan. Governor Frank Murphy signed the bill into law in March, 1937.

During the early 1960’s, several state organizations and rehabilitation agencies serving the blind and visually impaired citizens of the United States urged Congress to proclaim October 15th of each year to be White Cane Safety Day in all fifty states. This event marked a climatic moment in the long campaign of the organized blind movement to gain state as well as national recognition for the white cane. On October 6, 1964, a joint resolution of the Congress, HR 753, was signed into law authorizing the President of The United States of America to proclaim October 15th of each year as “White Cane Safety Day.” The resolution read, “Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives that the President is hereby authorized to issue annually a proclamation designating October 15th as White Cane Safety Day and calling upon the people of the United States of America to observe such a day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.” Within hours of passage of the congressional resolution, President Lyndon B. Johnson went down in history as the first to proclaim October 15th as White Cane Safety Day.

The Presidential proclamation emphasized the significance of the use of the white cane as both a tool and as a visible symbol. In the first White Cane Proclamation President Johnson commended blind people for the growing spirit of independence and the increased determination to be self-reliant and dignified. He said in part: “A white cane in our society has become one of the symbols of a blind person’s ability to come and go on his own. Its use has promoted courtesy and opportunity for mobility of the blind on our streets and highways.”

During most years since 1964, the President has proclaimed October 15th as White Cane Safety Day. On October 15, 2000, President Bill Clinton again reminded us of the history of the white cane as a tool, and its purpose as a symbol of blindness: “With proper training, people using the white cane can enjoy greater mobility and safety by determining the location of curbs, steps, uneven pavement, and other physical obstacles in their path. The white cane has given them the freedom to travel independently to their schools and workplaces and to participate more fully in the life of their communities. It reminds us that the only barriers against people with disabilities are discriminatory attitudes and practices that our society has too often placed in their way. As we observe White Cane Safety Day, 2001, let us recall the history of the white cane, its emergence as a tool and a symbol through history; a staff of independence. Let us also recall the events that have permitted us to celebrate October 15th as White Cane Safety Day.

50 Ways to Use a Light Box

One or two of the links for picture are no longer available on this blog but the text of many, many ideas for light box work are still present. A few of my favorites are:

  • Set a table by having the student match plate, cup and spoon with a transparent outline of these objects on the light box 
  • Help the student mix colored soft drink mix into a clear glass of water and watch the color develop
  • Paint with whipped topping on red or blue transparency
  • Stack up blocks so that simple arm or leg movement knocks them down
  • Have student use a capability switch to turn on the light box
  • Use a bold marker to write letters on lightweight paper and tape it to the light box. Have student trace the letters.

Some of these I have done with students, others are new. How do you utilize a light box with your students?