This article reviews the literature on the role of first-hand experiences, language, reading aloud, and scribbling on the preliteracy development of normal and visually impaired children. It describes a specific program developed by the American Printing House for the Blind which includes a handbook and 27 tactile-visual read-aloud story books.…

Several school districts participated in a project providing orientation and mobility instruction to 50 visually handicapped students. Students received four to five lessons a week and were instructed in long cane usage. Tactual maps were used for orientation. Evaluation by their instructor and an outside expert rated 21 of 27 students as having…

Research sought to test the utility of the Optacon (an optical-to-tactile converter, which enables the blind to read ink-print materials), to identify predictors of success with the Optacon, and to observe the Optacon's effect on student attitudes. Matched groups of blind students in grades 4 through 8 and 9 through 12 received instruction…

Papers on library services and developments in reading materials for the blind, which were presented at the 1984 Expert Meeting of the IFLA Section of Libraries for the Blind include: (1) "Teaching Map Concepts to the Blind" (R. B. Horsfall and B. Cox, Canada); (2) "Optical Character Recognition 'Reading' for Computerized Braille Production"…

Describes some adaptations made in a university physics laboratory course to accommodate a student with total visual impairment. (WRM)

These guidelines address the need for valid and reliable measures to aid in making decisions on teaching of braille and/or print to students with moderate to severe vision losses. After an introductory section, section 1 presents basic principles organized into the following categories: (1) learning media, (2) students who use the learning media,…

Discusses a project at the University of Louisville in which chemistry laboratories are being adapted for use by blind students. Describes the operational analysis of tasks normally performed in labs. Provides specific recommendations on how to utilize new technologies to enable blind students to conduct hands-on learning experiments. (TW)

In 1977, Saint Mary's Junior College initiated a project to determine the feasibility of educating and placing blind persons as occupational therapy assistants and physical therapy assistants. Faculty and project staff worked together to develop tactile models and diagrams, enriched verbal descriptions, and supplementary audiotapes to be added to…

Gathered from teachers around the country, this collection of teaching ideas and lesson plans is designed to provide teachers with activities and strategies for educating students with visual impairments. Tips and information are provided on: making tactile teddy bears; memory strategies; making tactile books; creating art kits; using magnifiers;…

This manual assists in developing educational goals and Individual Education Plans for children with visual impairments, by providing guidelines for selecting appropriate learning media for optimum literacy development. Part 1 describes the target populations, the members of the interdisciplinary team, and the team members' responsibilities. Part…

Using a stratified sample of 112 pupils in grades 4-12, a 2-year study was undertaken to (1) assess the outcomes of Optical-to-Tactile Converter (Optacon) training when carried out in various teaching arrangements, (2) identify predictors of Optacon success, and (3) observe the effect of Optacon training on student attitudes. In addition to…

An augmentative and alternative communication device was designed for a nonspeaking, blind, severely mentally retarded 11-year-old. The device consisted of a computer-supported expanded keyboard that produced synthetic speech output when tactile symbols were activated. Described are the assessment procedures, instructional procedures, and…

These eighteen articles concern approaches for dealing with the handicapped student in vocational education. The first article addresses the diversity of teaching approaches. The others focus on (1) team teaching (and cooperation with other subject area teachers); (2) the SERVE (Special Education Rehabilitation Vocational Education) Center…