Handout
Curated OER

Kids Health: What's Visual Impairment

For Students 3rd - 8th
What's it like for people who are visually impaired? How does it happen and what can be done? Be sure to read the whole article and click on the tabs to the right for more information.
Professional Doc
Curated OER

Kids Health: Visual Impairment Facts

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Written by an ophthalmologist, this site provides detailed information on the definition and causes of visual impairments, also including information on diagnosis. Be sure to click on tabs down the right side of the article for...
Website
Center for Parent Information and Resources

Nichcy: Visual Impairments Fact Sheet

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This PDF fact sheet, written by the NICHCY, provides details on visual impairments, and includes a thorough definition, incidence, characteristics, and educational implications, as well as listed resources and organizations. Printable...
Website
Center for Parent Information and Resources

Nichcy: Visual Impairments Fact Sheet

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This fact sheet, written by the NICHCY, provides details on visual impairments, and includes a thorough definition, incidence, characteristics, and educational implications, as well as listed resources and organizations. Printable for an...
Website
Other

Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students

For Students 9th - 10th
A space camp designed specifically for students with with visual impairments. Read about this week long camp adventure which takes place at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Professional Doc
Other

American Foundation for the Blind: Assistive Technology Products

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
In this section, you will find a comprehensive listing of assistive technology products used by people who are blind or visually impaired organized by category.
Activity
Other

Color Matters: Vision: What Is Color Blindness?

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the different types of color blindness and see a few simple tests that are used to diagnose this condition.
Activity
Other

American Foundation for the Blind: Anne Sullivan Macy

For Students 9th - 10th
A biographical overview of the life of Anne Sullivan Macy, devoted teacher of Heller Keller and a pioneer in the education of the visually impaired which earned her the nickname "miracle worker". Learn about her through her own letters,...
Website
Other

American Foundation for the Blind: Blindness and Low Vision

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Blindness or visual impairment can have a profound impact on one's life. This organization provides a great deal of helpful information about resources that will assist the visually impaired person to lead a normal, productive life.
Handout
Other

Infinitec: Total Resource Guide: Visual

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
A resource guide that is a great help to locating a full array of assistive products and services for persons with blindness or visual impairments.
Handout
Other

American Foundation for the Blind: Optical Character Recognition Systems

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains the different types of optical character recognition technology available for the blind and visually impaired.
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Making a Car for Blind Drivers

For Students 9th - 10th
Using robotics, laser rangefinders, GPS and smart feedback tools, Dennis Hong is building a car for drivers who are blind. It's not a "self-driving" car, he's careful to note, but a car in which a non-sighted driver can determine speed,...
Lesson Plan
Other

Perkins School for the Blind: Object Functions

For Teachers K - 1st
This activity helps students who are blind or visually impaired to identify the functions of common objects. Alternatively, for other students a blindfold could be used.
Handout
Other

Blind Readers' Page

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This Blind Readers' site provides links to hundreds of resources for students who are blind or vision impaired and their families. They include spoken word resources, information on assistive technologies, speech recognition, Braille...
Handout
Other

Blind Readers' Page

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This Blind Readers' site provides links to hundreds of resources for students who are blind or vision impaired and their families. They include spoken word resources, information on assistive technologies, speech recognition, Braille...
Website
Other

Tsbvi: Information About Color and Color Blindness

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Provides a list of links about color blindness. Split into two categories: living with color blindness, and color blindness tests and simulations.
eBook
Bartleby

Bartleby.com: John Milton/on His Blindness

For Students 9th - 10th
Text of a poem Milton wrote about his rapidly worsening visual impairment.
eBook
Other

Bookshare

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Bookshare.org offers both individual subscriptions and accounts for schools or groups a program that allows persons with blindness or visual impairments to download popular books from the Internet. Digital books can then be read with a...
Website
University of North Carolina

Hark the Sound: Sound Game for Kids

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This resource offers a sound game that is available for free to use with students who are blind or visually impaired.
Website
Other

American Printing House: Welcome to the Braille Bug

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This resource is for learning about braille. Links are provided to change colors, increase font size, decode braille, learn about braille, discuss some books with others and play games.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Write and Read Braille

For Students 3rd - 5th
There is a special writing system for the visually impaired called braille. This activity will show you how to read with your fingers.
Handout
Other

Codi: Vision and Computing

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Informative site for those who need assistance with computing needs due to low vision or blindness. Many links provided to arrive at a solution!
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: How Braille Was Invented: Moments of Vision 9

For Students 9th - 10th
Today, Braille is the universally accepted system of writing for the blind, translated into almost every language in almost every country across the globe. But it didn't actually start out as a tool for the blind. Jessica Oreck details...
eBook
Other

Louis Braille School: Louis Braille Biography

For Students 9th - 10th
Presents comprehensive biographical information on Louis Braille, the founder of a system of reading and writing by raised dots, and Valentin Hauy, the founder of the world's first school for the blind in Paris, France.