This paper reviews selected research projects which focus on creating learning environments for special education, including those for handicapped, disadvantaged, and gifted children. Technologies that are applicable for gifted, retarded, blind or visually impaired, and deaf or hearing impaired students are discussed, as well as those for students…

St. Joseph's School for the Blind (Jersey City, New Jersey) cooperated with the Occupational Center of Hudson County to establish a model transitional prevocational training program for severely multiply handicapped, visually impaired students. The aim was to assist these student to move from a school environment to a work activity setting where…

These materials represent the Curricular-Career Information Service (CCIS) at Florida State University, a self-directed career planning program especially for the visually disabled, designed to: (1) increase the amount of occupational information available to blind people; (2) provide resources for visually disabled students to increase their…

A successful outreach model for training rural teachers of the visually impaired includes an on-site, two-year course sequence leading to certification which results in: increased teacher knowledge about community resources; a supportive networking system among participating teachers; and the capability for meeting the needs of rural area,…

Visually impaired people have the same information needs as sighted people. Just as sighted people might read a newspaper, listen to a CD or download electronic information from the Internet, visually impaired people also want access to relevant information in their chosen accessible format. Developing an efficient library service for…

Social routines, which combined nursery rhymes with carefully planned action sequences, were used to help two young developmentally delayed, visually handicapped children acquire communicative responses. Midway through the 3-year project, one child responded to words for objects, people, and actions. (Author/SEW)

The article describes educational needs and services of visually impaired children in Latin America noting especially the lack of services for children under the age of seven. It proposes early identification, provision of basic services within the child's home and local environment, and training in basic teaching techniques for anyone willing to…

The paper examines the historical background, the current status, and the future possibilities of educational programing for gifted children with sensory and/or physical disabilities. Discussed are definitions, prevalence, child characteristics, identification methods, exemplary programs, obstacles, and influential trends. A model is proposed for…

The State Center for Services for the Visually Impaired in Schleswig (Germany) provides intensive counseling and support to students with visual impairments in transition between school and career. The community-based program promotes vocational and social integration of these individuals through organization of a model vocational counseling…

Reports some of the current research taking place in Great Britain on designing text for visually impaired readers. Topics discussed include large print; Braille; instructional videotapes and how they can be improved; and developments in electronic text, including reformatting, compact disks, and electronic newspapers. (18 references) (LRW)

Discusses variables in the systematic decision-making process for selecting appropriate reading media for students with visual impairments. The article describes a two-phase process for selecting print or braille media. It examines an objective procedure for determining the relative effectiveness of print media, illustrating the procedure with…

Skills that families gain in coping with transitions at the early ages of their child with visual impairments provide skills necessary for all the life-stage transitions that follow and, thus, are termed marathon skills. The transition programing of the Lighthouse Child Development Center in New York City is designed to develop those skills. (JDD)

This article presents a framework for incorporating microcomputer technology into programs preparing teachers of blind or visually impaired students. The article outlines objectives and approaches to achieving the objectives, lists equipment needed, and stresses the importance of teacher educators' positive attitudes toward technology. (Author/JDD)

An Amiga 500 microcomputer with a talking word processor was used by an Australian visually impaired elementary school pupil, to provide an alternative to braille in using text and writing. This article reviews the relevant literature, explores the challenges and limitations posed by the technology, and offers a case study of the student and her…

A study was done to identify the level of independent travel considered ideal by three older adults with visual impairments. Results found that the ideal level of functioning is different from that implicitly used in traditional orientation and mobility programs. (CR)