Introduction: The study presented here investigated the ways in which students who read braille were able to complete geometric tasks and how they constructed mental representations of the shapes of objects. Methods: Data were collected in an educational experiment conducted as a geometry course for students who read braille. A case study approach…

Introduction: The study presented here estimated the occurrence of braille-reading students in Norway who were educated according to their grade-level progression in mathematics from 1967 to 2007. It also analyzed the association among these students' progression in mathematics and the causes of visual impairment, the age at which the diagnosis…

This article explores how 11 pupils with severe visual impairment cope with reading activities in inclusive Norwegian schools. All pupils received instruction in braille and print, and used an audio-text format. Having multiple reading options provided possibilities for pupils to achieve reading skills, but also generated stress. Theories of…

Six primary school-aged braille students were taught to name 4 to 10 braille letters as phonemes and another 4 to 10 braille letters as graphemes (Study 1). They were then taught to name 10 braille words as onset-rimes and another 10 braille words as whole words (Study 2). Instruction in phonemes and onset rimes resulted in fewer trials and a…

Analysis of late-blind Norwegian adults' (N=35) reading rates (texts and single words) in contracted and uncontracted Braille revealed that: rates were higher for reading contracted versions of text and single words, and highest for contracted single words. "Slow" readers saved more time when reading texts which frequently used…

Forty visually impaired college students and older people were surveyed concerning improvements in Norway's educational system. The survey focused on attendance at mainstreamed or special schools, counseling services, braille books and talking books, and the need for a personal reader. (Author/JDD)

Papers on libraries for the blind presented at the 1986 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference include: (1) "Report on 'Study on the Tools to Improve the Availability of Library Materials for the Blind'" (Winnie Vitzansky, Denmark); (2) "Planning the Third Edition of 'The International Directory of…