This article describes an outreach program to broaden participation in computing to include more students with visual impairments. The precollege workshops target students in grades 7-12 and engage students with robotics programming. The use of robotics at the precollege level has become popular in part due to the availability of Lego Mindstorm…

The goal of the User-Centered Digital Library Project, conducted by the National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) at WGBH, was to adapt the Teachers' Domain online digital library to enable teachers and students with disabilities to more readily use the resources in science classrooms. NCAM added accessibility features such as captions and audio…

The creative application of low-cost, readily available materials and techniques promotes inclusion and provides accessibility in the classroom and laboratory for students who are blind or have low vision. Difficulties encountered by these students include operation of laboratory equipment, execution of ordinary laboratory procedures, and use of…

A number of tools and techniques have been developed to assist students with blindness and visual impairment who are studying in secondary and post-secondary science laboratories. Commercial electronic probes and their associated software packages allow real-time viewing and collection of data using a personal computer; however, until now, these…

This report was released by the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) on January 23, 2008. Orientation refers to one's ability to determine his/her location and relationship with other objects in the environment. Mobility refers to one's ability to move about in the environment. Orientation and mobility training may be provided to…

Cooperative learning is an instructional method designed to teach students to work together in small, structured, heterogeneous teams to achieve a common goal. The Performer and Coach Earn Rewards (PACER) system is a new way to incorporate cooperative learning in the gymnasium. It consists of six components that help teachers to introduce new…

This study aimed to investigate whether there were differences in self-concept among adolescents with low vision due to gender. The sample population consisted of (23) adolescents, 12 (10 males and 13 females) aged 12-17 years in the first year of secondary school. The researcher used the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) for the evaluation of…

This paper reports on a 3-year, NSF-funded research and development project called ACED: Adaptive Content with Evidence-based Diagnosis. The purpose of the project was to design, develop, and evaluate an assessment for learning (AfL) system for diverse students, using Algebra I content related to geometric sequences (i.e., successive numbers…

This paper presents the Final Report on the Audio-Digital MCAS Pilot Program. The Department and Recording For the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) have collaborated to provide audio-digital read-aloud editions of the Grade 10 English Language Arts and Mathematics MCAS tests for a small number of students with disabilities such as dyslexia and/or…

In this study, the authors identify the components of a precollege curriculum needed by learners who are blind and visually impaired, and investigate the importance of acquiring various competencies in predicting whether students with visual impairments and blindness successfully complete a four-year college degree. The findings suggest that…

The self-concept and quality of friendship of 40 adolescents with visual impairments (20 in public schools and 20 in a residential school) were compared to those of 41 sighted adolescents. The findings indicate a similar self-concept profile for sighted adolescents and adolescents with visual impairments, although the scores of the participants…

Research indicates that students with exceptionalities such as visual impairments are more academically successful when they are included in the regular classroom setting and have opportunities to engage in active learning. Therefore, science educators must address their needs by motivating visually impaired students in science and making…

This report summarizes the design and development of an adaptive e-learning prototype for middle school mathematics for use with both sighted and visually disabled students. Adaptation refers to the system's ability to adjust itself to suit particular characteristics of the learner. The main parts of the report describe the system's theoretical…

Students with vision impairments in Singapore are educated in segregated settings from an early age. On completing primary school these students continue their education in mainstream secondary school settings. This transition requires considerable adjustment on the part of students with vision impairments. The present research explored the social…

Data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) are designed to provide a national picture of the rate at which secondary school students with disabilities complete high school and how they fare in their early postschool years. Further, comparisons of findings from NLTS2 and the original NLTS enables an investigation of changes in…