Introductory Organic Chemistry (First-Semester) for Blind and Visually Impaired Students: Practical Lessons and Experiences

Abstract

This article describes practical lessons and experiences acquired as part of a journey in teaching a blind student at The University of Arizona to master the written and graphical language of first-semester organic chemistry and its associated concepts. These practical lessons include details on how to adapt an organic chemistry model set (with simple, minimal modifications) to make it suitable for teaching organic chemistry to blind and visually impaired students and lesson examples of how the modified model sets are an indispensable tool to effectively teach a majority of foundational topics in first-semester organic chemistry in concert with a tactile drawing board. Printing chemical structures and text in braille, along with semester printing preparations to ensure smooth experiences for students, teachers, and support staff, is a recommendation, as is the prioritization of one-on-one teaching to ensure the best possible outcomes.

Sculpting the Unseen: Exploring Quantum Mechanics Using 3D-Printed Potential Surfaces and Wave Functions

“…The formulation of inclusive teaching stategies to address the needs of visually challenged and blind students has also been the focus of active research activities. − Typical approaches to making complex molecular structures and mathematical diagrams accessible involve tactile graphics, ,, as realized in tactile drawing boards, swell touch paper and plastic embossing technologies. The latter have inter alia been combined with teaching materials based on interactive audio applications such as Braille/Audio-formatted textbooks or tabulated worksheets that can be accessed using either reader-equipped computers or talking tactile pens .…”