Educators of students with visual impairments have long advocated that children who read and write in braille benefit from access to and use of a braille note-taker (BNT) with refreshable braille display. However, little research exists that evaluates whether using a BNT impacts literacy. In this single-subject study, authors investigated if using a Perkins Braille Writer (PBW) versus a BNT would affect students' engagement during the writing process, the quality of their writing samples, and their attitudes toward writing. Participants were three middle school students who used braille as their primary literacy medium and who participated in a BNT intervention. Students were video recorded writing on either the PBW or BNT. Videotapes were later analyzed for the length of time each student engaged in writing and the frequency with which they reflected and corrected text. As compared to using a PBW, students wrote for longer periods of time using a BNT. A visual analysis of data showed that during writing, participants reflected and corrected more often when using the BNT as compared with the PBW. Writing samples were evaluated using a seven-trait writing rubric. All participants improved in writing on at least five of seven traits when using the BNT, as compared with using the PBW. Finally, interviews with students showed that their overall attitudes toward writing did not change even though their attitudes toward technology were positive.
Teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs) regularly present tactile materials (tactile graphics, 3D models, and real objects) to students with vision impairments. Researchers have been increasingly interested in designing tools to support the use of tactile materials, but we still lack an in-depth understanding of how tactile materials are created and used in practice today. To address this gap, we conducted interviews with 21 TVIs and a 3-week diary study with eight of them. We found that tactile materials were regularly used for academic as well as non-academic concepts like tactile literacy, motor ability, and spatial awareness. Real objects and 3D models served as “stepping stones” to tactile graphics and our participants preferred to teach with 3D models, despite finding them difficult to create, obtain, and modify. Use of certain materials also carried social implications; participants selected materials that fostered student independence and allow classroom inclusion. We contribute design considerations, encouraging future work on tactile materials to enable student and TVI co-creation, facilitate rapid prototyping, and promote movement and spatial awareness. To support future research in this area, our paper provides a fundamental understanding of current practices. We bridge these practices to established pedagogical approaches and highlight opportunities for growth regarding this important genre of educational materials.
Holly Lawson About 15 years ago, I read a thoughtprovoking article in the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB), entitled "Religious Beliefs of Parents of Children with Visual Impairments," by Jane N. Erin, Dale Rudin, and Michael Njoroge. At the time, I had just begun my master's studies at the University of Arizona and formal training to become a teacher of students with visual impairment, a milestone that also marked my introduction to JVIB. Prior to graduate school, I had worked in the field of visual impairment for over five years at two completely dissimilar and unequal residential schools. I was a paraeducator for the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), in Austin, and a Peace Corps volunteer for the Organization Alaouite pour la Protection des Aveugles (OAPAM) [Alawite Organization
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