Teachers of visually impaired or blind students as well as family members need to understand which reading and writing media work best for their student. This booklet offers guidance for selecting reading and writing materials.

Constantly consult with your child’s TBVI to identify their primary reading medium – print or braille. Also consult assistive technology specialists regarding various low-tech electronic devices available to them.

Braille Books

Braille books remain one of the oldest methods of reading for blind individuals, making them a staple in many schools today. First created in the 1820s by Louis Braille using six-dot cells, Hellen Keller noted she needed to learn five different languages just to read all her desired books – eventually this system became standardized throughout North America as Unified English Braille.

NLS provides free library service to anyone suffering from permanent or temporary blindness, vision loss or physical, perceptual, or reading disabilities that prohibit using conventional print materials. Their network of cooperating libraries offer braille books through braille readers or recorded audio books; additionally they have an online catalog called BARD where patrons can download digital Braille materials directly onto special players.

Recently, creating books in special formats like Braille or large print was once an expensive and labor-intensive process. Now with modern technology, however, users can download digital versions of printed material that is then embossed onto sheets of Braille or large print and cut out to form books in minutes – saving both cost and time when compared with producing conventional printed books.

Numerous states have passed laws to provide their public school systems with materials in alternative formats, including Braille. New York requires textbook publishers to supply state education agencies with computer diskettes of literary works that can be converted to Braille format; Arizona and Texas both follow suit, with Texas even creating a commission specifically to facilitate this process.

Twin Vision braille books combine regular print and Braille in one book for blind children to read with sighted siblings and friends, as well as parents and teachers working with their child as they develop literacy skills.

Seedlings, a nonprofit organization, offers children’s books that combine touch and text for preschoolers. These books can often be read aloud with an adult reader to encourage tactile exploration of textures on each page.

Tactile Books

Tactile diagrams can assist visually impaired students in understanding scientific concepts described by text in Braille books, making their reading of science an interactive and enjoyable activity compared to simply reading texts in Braille. NCERT of Delhi’s Department of Science and Mathematics Education has created a tactile book designed specifically for upper primary level students with visual impairments. This book visualizes scientific information provided in class VI textbooks through images and diagrams that can be perceived tactilely, aiding inclusive classroom environments by connecting concrete experiences of their environment with symbolic representations that facilitate conceptual understanding.

The book includes tactile diagrams of various objects, such as the world’s biggest shark or highest wave ever recorded, which provide students with useful comparative sizing data that they cannot access physically. In addition, there is also a tactile picture of peas and pods to help children develop handpicking techniques in separating individual peas from pods.

Counting is a fantastic book that uses various textures and materials such as fabric, foam, felt, sandpaper and stickers to stimulate sensory perception in young students and increase sensitivity. This resource can also be used to introduce counting as well as to develop discrimination skills among sighted students; animals encourage exploration of already displayed body parts that already practice tactile discrimination for concept development while shapes use both cutout shapes as well as raised representations so learners can feel them either negatively or positively promoting generalization of shapes for overall concept development.

US-based non-profit organization Audiobooks for Blind & Low Vision People of All Ages offers audiobooks, solutions, support and community for people living with blindness or low vision of all ages. Their collection of textbooks and literature can be downloaded free onto mobile devices with human voices; additionally they host a biennial international tactile illustrated book prize competition complete with guidelines on making tactile books as well as children’s stories with tactile illustrations as examples of past winning entries from previous contests.

Audio Books

Audio books (commonly referred to as talking books) offer an ideal reading alternative, benefitting readers of all ages – including visually impaired individuals and those with dyslexia or other learning disabilities. Furthermore, talking books may offer macular degeneration sufferers a way of continuing to enjoy their favorite stories without experiencing vision loss themselves.

Talking books are available through libraries across most states and territories for free through the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLSBPH), with recordings being ordered directly from an online catalog and delivered postage-free mail; additional equipment such as amplifiers may also be provided if applicable for patrons with severe hearing loss. Sometimes volunteer readers from local communities also lend their time to this effort.

Audiobooks provide a special benefit for those living with visual impairments because they allow simultaneous access to both textual and aural content. A digital talking book includes both an audio file and textual file that can be read by screen enlargement software.

Libraries are increasingly offering their patrons, including those with visual impairments, access to downloadable audio books. Not only is this digital solution affordable and portable across devices such as mobile phones, tablets and computers but it can also help individuals meet reading goals more easily.

Digital audio books can help visually impaired students to learn in an engaging and independent fashion, providing an interactive way for them to navigate school. An excellent example is Learning Ally, with their extensive collection of human-voiced textbooks, literature, and educational materials for children, teens, and adults.

For those unable to afford purchasing audiobooks in bulk, there are online services offering subscription models that make audiobook purchasing more cost-effective. These can include streaming, downloading, Braille conversion and tactile conversion.

Online Resources

Students with visual impairments typically require ongoing adaptations and accommodations in literacy to compensate for reduced and/or distorted information available through their eyes. To maximize independence, it is recommended that they work closely with both their teacher of visually impaired children (TOVIC) and an assistive technology specialist (ATS), to ensure they have access to appropriate materials and learning strategies throughout their language arts curriculum.

There are various online resources available to teachers of students with visual impairments to assist in finding, evaluating and using digital literacy tools for teaching digital literacy skills. Examples of such resources include the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP), offering free loan media with captions and audio descriptions in multiple languages; Simply Reading app offers a simple digital book reader connected to online libraries like Bookshare, Sugamya Pustakalaya Gutenberg etc;

The TBBL provides a free library service for eligible residents of upstate New York who are blind or severely visually impaired. Members may borrow Braille books, audiobooks, magazines and more via smartphones and tablets – as well as access specialized digital content tailored specifically for students living with blindness/vision loss such as textbooks and educational videos.

There are also various online resources to provide families with guidance and support in teaching children about visual impairments, including WonderBaby Pinterest account which offers resources on vision loss and assistive technology for young children. It includes ideas on how to explain visuals like charts or graphs in greater depth as well as ways they can encourage their children to move freely, keep track of objects effectively, and socialize successfully with peers.

Finally, several websites provide simulations for low vision. Versant Health has several options that simulate various forms of vision loss such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.