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Hands on the Mantis Q40 QWERTY keyboard and text, "Mantis Q40 Video tutorials"

Mantis Q40 Video Tutorials

The Mantis Q40 is a unique 40-cell braille display that has a QWERTY keyboard for input and a refreshable braille display for output. There is a 6-key entry...
Text, "Accessible Equation Editor User Study" with background of math equations on a chalk board.

Recruiting for Accessible Equation Editor User Study

Dealing with inaccessible mainstream digital math resources can be exhausting and frustrating! Here is a chance to provide your feedback and to support efforts...
Girl sitting at a desk touching an iPad and text, "iOS VoiceOver, Bluetooth Keyboard and Braille Display Checklists!"

iPad Checklists: VoiceOver Gestures, Braille Display & Keyboard

Technology skills are a hot educational topic. Students are entering kindergarten with basic tech skills from playing toddler and preschool games on mobile...
computer screenshot of book cover image, Frank and Beans, in a Word document with alt text pane open

Adding Alt Text to an Image in Word for Office 365

Alt Text description of book on the post's featured image: "Microsoft Word document displaying the image of the book cover Frank and Beanswith an alt text pane...
High school student Macy siting in her room creating video tutorial with text, "Docs with VoiceOver Tutorial"

Challenge Solutions: Google Docs with VoiceOver on iOS

As of 2021, approximately 150 million users use Google Classroom. How does a student who uses a screen reader use Google Docs on an iPad? Macy, with Challenge...
Hands holding an iPad with text, "Assistive Technology Scope & Sequence Chart. Tech Lesson 2: Word Processing"

AT Technology Skills Scope and Sequence: Tech Lessons 2

These blog links support the AT Technology Skills Scope and Sequence Chart for K-5 students using an iPad with VoiceOver. The AT Technology Skills Scope and...
Icicles over the braille dots on a braille display with text, "Is your Braille Display Freezing?"

iOS 15.3.1 Update: Fix for Braille Displays

According to Apple, the "iOS 15.3.1 update provides important security updates for your iPhone and fixes an issue that may cause Braille displays to stop...
Open laptop with Desmos logo and text, "Accessible, Interactive Math with Desmos"

Accessible, Interactive Math with Desmos

During recent discussions about what accessible math tools students are using, Desmos is always one of the first tools mentioned. Desmos, a graphing calculator...
Photo of Chromebook with text, "ChromeVox: From Basics to Mastery"

ChromeVox: From Basics to Mastery in 6 weeks!

Chromebooks are popular tablets used by numerous school districts. ChromeVox is the built-in screen reader for Chromebooks. Have you tried ChromeVox recently?...
Screenshot of Braille Math Editor textbox showing 1 3/4=7/4 in Nemeth code and in print. Text:"Braille Math Editor: Nemeth Code"

Braille Math Editor: Student Video Tutorial

I like to say that now is a great time to be a blind person interested in STEM, as both accessing and presenting math and other STEM content is becoming...
Image of Snow Globe Family book cover and text, "Tech Skills: Navigate, Cut and Paste"

Snow Globe Shake-Up: Tech Skills (cut and paste)

Snow globe shake up! Just like the snow globe in the story, the Snow Globe Family, your story has been through a snowstorm - and the story plot has been blown...
Screenshot of a web page with Page Settings popup menu. Reader Feature highlighted. Text: Reader Feature: Eliminate Clutter"

Navigating Websites: Reader Feature

Young students are reading news websites (geared for kids) and completing Internet searches as part of their class assignments. According to the Common Core...
Open laptop with "JAWS Lesson Plans" on the screen.

Lesson Plans for JAWS and for iOS

Hello. My name is Rebecca, but everyone calls me Becca. As a blind user of assistive technology for many years, I’ve loved technology since I was little. I...
Hands holding an iPad with text: " Assistive Technology Scope and Sequence Chart. Tech Lesson 1: Basic Operations"

AT Technology Skills Scope and Sequence: Tech Lessons 1

Tech Lessons: Basic Operations (Diane Brauner January 2022) These blog links support the AT Technology Skills Scope and Sequence Chart for K-5 students using...
Screenshot from book with Christmas tree and text: The Grinch does not have a tree." and "alphabetic Words: Not, Like and But."

The Grinch and Max: Emerging Reader Digital Book

This digital book was written for Addy because she loves the Dr. Seuss book The Grinch. Last year, I hand brailled a copy of The Grinch for her and added...
Three cartoon monster characters with text, "Monster: Note Taking Activities"

Monster: Note Taking Skills

Note taking is an important digital skill for students to learn. Young students, including students who are blind or visually impaired, should be given age-...
JAWS logo on a computer screen and text, "Braille Math Editor Update"

Braille Math Editor: JAWS and Fusion

The recent JAWS and Fusion update includes support for reading math equations. The following is from Freedom Scientific's website: Braille Math Editor JAWS...
Photo of two iPads opened to VoiceOver Practice page and two hands making the 1-finger tap gesture. Text: Synchronized Swimming

Practicing Gestures: Synchronized Swimming Activity

Rote practice is boring! Synchronized swimming is a fun way to practice your VoiceOver gestures, learn what the gestures do, and to build muscle memory. This...
Photo of BrailleSense 6 and text, "BrailleSense 6 Overview"

BrailleSense 6 Overview: Video Tutorial

This faster and more robust BrailleSense has 32 braille cell with cursor routers and Android 10 operating system. This is an excellent video tutorial by Jenny...
Graphic with text, "iOS 14.4 Braille Display Issue"

Braille Display and iOS 14.4 bug

If you or your student uses a braille display with an iOS device, do NOT update to iOS 14.4!  Currently, there is a bug with iOS 14.4 that is causing users to...
Cartoon hands on a Braille Display with an iPad showing ObjectiveEd Read Aloud and text, " Game that improves braille literacy!"

ObjectiveEd: Sara and Kai Use Braille AI Tutor

This fun digital game encourages students to practice their braille skills and reading accuracy. Using the ObjectiveEd web-dashboard, the TVI creates her own...
Image of hands holding a tablet with floating app icons. Text, "Tech Standards. Why Teach Digital Concepts Early?"

Tech Standards: Why Teach Digital Concepts Early?

Teachers of students with visual impairments or blindness are responsible for teaching so many things. How do you prioritize what to teach when? It used to be...
Image of a rider adjusting a stirrup and text, Horseback Riding Terms Book.

Horseback Riding Book

Every young girl loves horses. In my family, horses are almost an obsession! This Horseback Riding Book has been created with horse-lovers in mind! When...
smart phone with red "x" through it and text, "iOS 14.4"

Connection Issues with Mantis Q40 and Chameleon 20

APH shared the following information: We have identified connection issues for the Mantis Q40 and Chameleon 20 after upgrading to iOS 14.4. We recommend that...
Desmos logo with text, "Exploring Math with Desmos: Getting Started"

Exploring Math with Demos: Getting Started

TVIs - our mission is to help our students learn math and to love learning math! What mainstream, approved digital math tools are you teaching your students?...
Image of a computer displaying various math equations and text, "JAWS 2021 Math Support"

JAWS 2021 Math Support Update

A new feature in JAWS 2021 is the native ability to read math content in Word documents. Below is what Freedom Scientfic writes: JAWS and Fusion now supports...
Image of an iPhone with "iOS 14" annotated on the white screen.

iOS 14: Screen Recognition

What if . . . everything on the screen was labeled correctly for VoiceOver? What if every button, icon, image and element is accessible? iOS 14 incorporates on...
Toddler touching an iPad screen with Text, "ABC's of iOS Course"

ABC's of iOS: VoiceOver for Kids 3 - 8 Course

Perkins is offering a 6 module (12 weeks) course on how to introduce young children to an iPad running VoiceOver. The online modules are video tutorials...
Cartoon girl with clasped praying hands showing distress in front of a computer with text, "Homework hotline"

National Homework Hotline for Blind or Visually Impaired Students: Part 2

The National Homework Hotline for Blind and Visually Impaired students (NHH-BVI) was created in response to the school closures due to COVID. (See Homework...
Christmas Alphabet book cover with an image of Santa, audio button, and text, "Emerging Reader Book".

Christmas Alphabet Book

Alphabet books are among a child's first exposures to read aloud books and are important first steps to reading. Students with visual impairments should also...
title page of the Five Little Ducks book with text, "Creating Accessible Books"

Creating Accessible Books Using Pages

Emerging readers should have access to fun digital books - just like their peers! The books can be read aloud to the student, the student can listen to the...
BrailleBuzz logo with text, "Beginning Braille App"

BrailleBuzz App Review

Teachers are buzzing about APH's new beginning braille letter app, BrailleBuzz! This is a sister app to the popular stand-alone BrailleBuzz toy. Both games...
A page from the Rainbow Cat book with text, "This is Rainbow Cat" and image of painted ceramic cat.

Rainbow Cat Book: Emerging Reader

Emerging readers should be flooded with interesting books and these books should be available in various formats! Preschoolers love to do the same activity...
Graphic with Colorful "G" and "Google Accessibility Updates"

Google Accessibility Improvements

Google's software update included accessibility improvements! New Shortcut command that instantly toggles Braille Support in Docs, Sheets and Slides...
cartoon drawing of an iPad with a finger on the braille word "barn" on the answer sheet & text, "Braille Sheets: iPad Game".

ObjectiveEd: Braille Sheets

A combination of paper braille and technology? How cool is that!  Braille Sheets literacy tool that combines paper braille in tandem with with a fun app! In...
Screenshot of video: Graphic, "The Kindergarten Sight Word Dance Song" and Sight Word Lesson.

Kindergarten and First Grade Sight Words Lesson

Remote instruction activities can be challenging for young students to sit through. We know that early elementary students have trouble sitting still in class...
Title text with background graphic of a laptop

Virtual Learning Starter Kit: Windows Computers

As we all get ready to go back to school, especially with either the reality or potentiality of teaching virtually from a distance, many of us are having to...
Young girl reading a teacher-created print/braille book with her hands on the braille.

Teacher-Created Resource Library!

Finding Solutions Students in today's classrooms are using digital educational materials - especially now with remote instruction, online courses and virtual...
Seesaw logo and text, "Remote Instruction"

Remote Instruction using Seesaw for Dual Media Learner

Seesaw is an online platform that had been used by schools prior to COVID- 19 in New Hampshire to communicate with parents and share student work. Once schools...
Mantis Q40 braille display: a Braille Display with QWERTY keyboard

First Week with the Mantis Q40: What I Have Learned so Far

First Impressions  Like many other folks in the AT for VI world I was very excited when APH started shipping their new braille device, the Mantis Q40.  My...

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