This qualitative case study examined the issues and concerns with preparing visually impaired people (VIP) for mainstream employment and their perceptions of the impacts of information and communication technology (ICT) accessibility on their personal and professional lives. The study focused on the experience of one Philippine-based…

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of four commercially available talking pedometers in measuring accumulated daily steps of adult participants while they moved independently. Ten young sighted adults (with an average age of 24.1 [plus or minus] 4.6 years), 10 older sighted adults (with an average age of 73 [plus or minus] 5.5…

This paper updates the efforts to educate blind students in higher education in the digital age and describes how to support the development of mental models in learning through tactile learning and 3D-printing technology. It cites research documenting a drop in Braille literacy along with the growth in use of digital technologies by blind…

This article reports on a survey of 165 teachers of students with visual impairments in Texas to examine their perceptions of their knowledge of assistive technology. The results showed that they had significant deficits in knowledge in 55 (74.32%) of the 74 assistive technology competencies that were examined and that 57.5% of them lacked…

This study was conducted to explore the experiences of Malaysian secondary students with visual impairments in using digital talking textbooks (DTTs) to assist their learning. Data were obtained from individual in-depth interviews. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to understand the findings and confirm the emergent…

The non-use of assistive computer technology by some people who are legallyblind/visually-impaired was investigated to determine the reasons for lack of interest (Chiang, Cole, Gupta, Kaiser, & Starren, 2006; Williamson, Wright, Schauder & Bow, 2001). Social and psychological factors implicated in non-interest were determined by profiling…

Mathematics is an important educational component for students with visual impairments, and technology to support the access to and success of students with visual impairments in mathematics is essential. However, little research exists. This particular paper explores one aspect of technology and mathematics education for students with visual…

This special education reopening guidance has been developed as a companion resource to "Reopening Washington Schools 2020: District Planning Guide" (ED606044) to provide information and resources for supporting students with disabilities throughout the school reopening process. The intent of this document is to offer guidance for all…

The 2011 National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam event at Towson University enabled a large group of blind youth to participate in a five day long science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academy. Enrichment experiences such as this one may generate interest in STEM subjects for students with visual impairments. For decades,…

Individuals with print disabilities have difficulty processing information through visual means and rely heavily on spoken input. Mathematics and fields that have a heavy emphasis on mathematics are difficult for these individuals because of ambiguity inherent in typical everyday spoken renderings of mathematical expressions. MathSpeak is a set of…

Fourteen students with visual impairments in Grades 5-12 participated in the field-testing of AnimalWatch-VI-Beta. This computer program delivered 12 prealgebra math problems and hints through a self-voicing audio feature. The students provided feedback about how the computer program can be improved and expanded to make it accessible to all users.…

The widespread integration of the computer into the mainstream of daily life presents a challenge to various sectors of society, and the incorporation of this technology into the realm of the older individual with visual impairments is a relatively uncharted field of study. This study was undertaken to acquire the perceptions of the impact of the…

This article introduces a recently developed haptic glove system and describes how the participants used a video game that was purposely designed to train them in skills that are needed for the efficient use of the haptic glove. Assessed skills included speed, efficiency, embodied skill, and engagement. The findings and implications for future…

The current uses of audio podcasts, the accessibility of audio podcasts, and the benefits of using audio podcasts in U.S. online college courses as a form of access to visual course content that would be otherwise unavailable to learners with vision loss had not been examined and described. To provide instructional designers with a firm basis for…

You probably recognize this standard definition of a comet: "a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit." Add an accompanying photograph or diagram, and students "get" what a comet is, right? Science textbook publishers expect students to…