Definite food for thought - as there may be some who think/feel universal design (or inclusive design) principles meet ALL the needs for students who have more significant adaptive needs for print material.
Thank you for your input! I seriously want to try this out myself. It makes perfect senseāenlarging and modifying individual parts of a worksheet on to multiple pages rather than enlarging the entire page onto larger paper. Yes, it does make the student self conscious and canāt easily fit inside a desk or a binder. It would definitely take more work, though, which is a concern. But if it can be done, it would be worth it.
I think giving classroom staff a user-friendly way to adapt as much as possible as quickly as possible is so key to meeting accessibility needs for students. With the use of technology for students who have low vision, I have found collaboration with colleagues and school staff to be so much easier. I have been aware of font types that may work better with print readers who need accommodations for some time but when we used to have to make hard copies of everything, making materials accessible seemed so daunting for school staff because all the materials were so varied. I loved the term critical print size and am going to add that into my vocabulary when working with classroom staff - it makes the whole idea of accessible print needs much easier to grasp. Students who use technology can be taught to make changes as needed on their own or sent materials already made with an appropriate size or font. Once schools see how easily these accommodations and adaptations can be put into place, they will incorporate this more and more. As TVIs it is our job to help with facilitation and understand how to utilize technology to benefit our students and the support team that works with them. School districts have already made big pushes for accessibility, and I have seen font sizes and even font types specified in studentsā paperwork. I do think inclusive design principles would be so beneficial for school districts - more and more students have different print needs and it would streamline accessibility just that much more.
I agree with what you are saying - I do think going forward if materials were made with inclusive design principles eventually you would have all materials be appropriate for every student. I also donāt want my classroom teachers to have to do extra work. I love what you are saying about Google classroom - getting materials from teachers in advance so you can make those adaptations is so helpful - many times my classroom teachers have saved the adapted assignment to use with any other students who may need it so they donāt have to reinvent the wheel another time.
You make a great point about braille curriculum - I also have used several braille curriculums and have asked many colleagues about which they prefer and why. I do the same thing - I fill in where I see deficits. I also follow classroom instruction and try to incorporate that into my reading instruction for a student and it all gets to be a lot. My takeaway was also that learning contractions early is critical. I have always done that - I have used Patterns and that is how the beginning levels start. I think it gets complicated when you start adding in decoding with contractions and we have discussed this - lots of questions on my end as well!
You are right; this would be possible in the ideal world. I would love to see my new braille students at least 1x per day, but it is not practical. Us TVIās are spread too thin with large caseloads.
2 How do the assessment methods and protocols described in the ABC article align with your current practices for assessing the literacy skills of students who are blind or visually impaired? Are there any adjustments or enhancements you would consider based on the studyās findings?
After reading the ABC article, Iāve found that Iāve used the Assessment of Braille Literacy Skills: Braille Contraction Checklist with my student when assessing his literacy skills. When I began working with my current student, he was already in eighth grade, and had been taught Braille. I was told by the TVI who had him before me that I needed to work on improving his reading fluency, helping him to read more Braille materials to make him more comfortable with Braille. Going into my instruction with my student, I turned to the Assessment of Braille Literacy Skills: Braille Contraction Checklist, so that I could assess which contractions that he knew, and which ones we needed to focus on, as we went through reading instruction. As stated in the ABC article, a focus needs to be paid to having the student read connected text. This connected text reference resonated with me, as over the years in working with my student, I have had him take an active role in his Braille instruction. He has chosen books that he likes so that he can read them to help improve his fluency. Iāve observed in working with my student, that if he is given a passage to listen to, his comprehension of that passage is strong, where he can recall details, and answer questions about the text. On the opposite hand, when I presented a Brailled passage to my student, and had him read the text, his reading was slow. He would recognize the contractions and read them, only stumbling on the contractions that we see less of, like in the rejoice contraction, yet he was able to read the Brailled passage. Once he was done reading, I would as hm a series of comprehension questions, and he struggled to answer them, as he didnāt remember what he had read because it took him so long to read the passage. After doing the formal assessment of using the Braille contraction Checklist and the less formal assessment of reading, I knew that. Had to focus on reading fluency,and get my studentās reading speed increased, so that he could read more fluently, and remember what he was reading as he was reading it.
With this end goal in mind, in the last 4 years, Iāve worked with him to improve his reading speed. He has chosen books of interest as part of his Braille instruction. Weāve done buddy reading, which he enjoys as a motivator,and it has worked as a model, where he can hear what a fluent reader sounds like, when Iām reading to him. Weāve also worked on proper finger positioning and posture when reading. Again, Iāve used the hand over hand technique with him, where he can feel my hands as Iām reading. This immediate feedback as helped him correct his behaviors, and his reading stance has improved over the years. Iāve also found that providing all the Braille that I can in the general education classroom has been vital for him to improve his fluency. The more he can read and write in Braille, the more that he seems to have improved. When I first started working with him, he was reading 23 words a minute, in his eighth grade year. He will be a senior in the fall, and he is now reading 70 words a minute. That is a huge improvement for him. He is completing all of his assignments on his Braille tablet, and using a braillewriter for completing math assignments as well. He will use his video magnifier at times if he wants to look at something, but he always requests to complete assignments in braille. I feel that he has grown in leaps in the respect of Braille reading and his comprehension.
Lastly, when I began working with my student, I wanted to focus on spelling. His spelling was a struggle for him. He knew his Braille contractions, and I think because of this, his spelling of words was effected, along with not wanting to read. He suffered of not knowing how words were spelled, because he had always listened to text, or it was read aloud to him. In teaching Braille, I feel that it is important to focus n alphabetic braille when first starting out. The child needs to learn how words are spelled, so that they learn the foundation of spelling. If contractions are only taught in the beginning, I feel that the ability to learn how to spell is not being properly addressed. If there can be some kind of balance between spelling and the introduction of contractions, then the student can have the best of both worlds, where they can focus on spelling and the learning of contractions. Of course, every child is different, and the level at which they learn needs to taken into account, but I do think that attention needs to be paid to allow for both alphabetic braille instruction when itās appropriate and the instruction for contractions.
In the use of my choice of assessment in using the Braille Contraction Checklist with my student, I feel that maybe I relied maybe too heavily on the one assessment to guide my instruction. He has shown progress with it, but I wish that there could be more assessments for students who are older. In retrospect, maybe I did use the appropriate assessment with my student, paired with informal reading to help gauge what he needed to learn, but I just wish that there could be a varying forms of assessments to guide in instruction for our older students.
I have never heard of the blog Veroniiiica. Thanks for sharing it. She appears to have it all down pat and has developed her system for just about everythingāfrom low vision writing tips, to low vision hacks for the dorm room. She is a very confident young lady who I believe is a product of an effective TVI who taught her how to advocate for herself and what accommodations would be appropriate for her. Veroniiiica took this information and ran with it. I will recommend this blog to my middle and high school students. It is beneficial and a wealth of resources for students, parents and TVIās as well. I particularly appreciated the following from her blog, āIn extreme cases, students may need to be exempt from activities that pose a health or safety threat, but this should only be done after all opportunities for inclusion have been explored. ā
I agree with you in that adopting a set standard of guidelines for typeface would not be helpful for individuals who have low vision. Each person who has low vision is their own person, and what works for one person, may not work for the next. There is no one cookie cutter way to approach typeface font in accessing print. In working with students, the FVA is vital in determining what typeface, font size, and environmental accommodations need to be made for the student. The FVA is a guide,and it is individualized to meet our students needs.
When Iāve worked with low vision students in the past, Iāve worked heavily with the general education teacher to make sure that they feel comfortable to accommodate my students. Iāve given them clear instructions on what they can do to accommodate print access for my low vision kiddos. I think communication is key,and making sure that the teacher understands what they need to do for the student to access the print information will help the student succeed.
In accessing print information, I think the student also needs to learn self advocacy skills, so that they can articulate what they need to be able to access print information. Whether the student needs preferably seating, a certain kind of lighting, or magnification devices. The student needs to feel comfortable stating their needs to a teacher, or people whom they may interact with out in the community. In accessing print information and having low vision, itās vital to give our students a toolbox of devices and skills to help them access the print that they will come in daily contact with whether itās at school, work, or out in the community.
- What steps could you take to collaborate with colleagues, administrators, and support staff to promote awareness and implementation of best practices for font legibility to support students with low vision in the classroom? Should local school districts adopt inclusive design principles for printed materials? Why or why not?
This is key for so many students. There isnāt a one size fits all font size or style for VI students. During an FVA we are able to identify which font style and sizes are most beneficial for each student. It is important to take that information and order custom text books in the preferred style and size for each student This step is commonly overlooked, and I often get kick back from administrators who would rather have the students view the textbook using a screen magnifier or digital copy. This is an unfair practice that does not provide an equivalent experience for the VI student. I have advocated endlessly for my students to have the large print text books most appropriate for them, and have sourced, priced, and put together the orders which are often stalled or blocked at the district level. It is very frustrating.
I agree that communicating with the classroom teachers is key. I often offer my time to create the enhanced handouts for my students but find that if I write down specific details on what magnification to use etc. the classroom teachers take over the enlargement process.
This is a new blog for me too! I love her ideas and will certainly be using her blog to help my day to day!
Hi Lacey. I agree that using Building on Patterns can be beneficial when teaching Braille to young readers. I feel that the curriculum of BOP presents the Braille contractions in a sequential order. The stories in the BOP series are engaging,and they are aligned with the contractions that are being taught.
When using BOP with my young students, Iāve used it as a supplemental instruction. Meaning, that Iāve had individualized instruction with my student, where Iāve used the BoP curriculum for instruction of the Braille code with contractions. Iāve then taken what Iāve taught my student, and weāve moved that into the general education classroom, where my student then uses those contractions that she was taught when she goes back into the general education classroom for ELA and Reading instruction. Iāve found that using both BOP and the general education curriculum as worked well when Iāve taught little ones Braille. Collaborating with the general education teacher on how we can best implement Braille into the class has also been beneficial.
I agree. Students should learn and use self-advocacy skills to obtain the accommodations they need. It is the TVIās responsibility to teach the student to advocate for themselves. Self-advocacy skills are definitely a useful skill in school and in the future.
As someone who is visually impaired and have been using Braille, uncontracted or Grade 1 should be used as a way of developing most of the reading and spelling skills since it is easier to read. The findings did show how it can have a lower reading rate but being able to learn the different ways of reading such as consonants, how words are spelled and written can be easier to learn with uncontracted. It would help improve the development of reading skills as the student is learning Braile and have to read as they go.
I admit that the BOPPS is something I never heard of before. I was always introduced to the SETT model and the HAAT model when it comes to technology. It would be something that most teachers could use if does help other students. I may have to try it in my own classroom.
I agree with the not all things are one size fits all. It can be frustrating if one place expects everyone to use one thing rather than having it accommodated for that person. People tend to read print at different sizes, I remembered I had some students that read at either 18 point or 22 point depending on how much they can read. Plus, not all magnifiers fit everyone either since it can be cumbersome to keep it steady or keep it in line while moving the text.
I recently received the APH product Decision Making Guide which helps guide the LMA in regard to print size. They use Times Roman as the font. After watching a YouTube video on how to store (its huge) and administer it, I am thankful for this addition to my toolbox for LMAās. I used it for a recent FVA/LMA for a student suspected of a visual impairment.
The article stated that the preferred font was 16-22 in the Arial Font. The majority of Low Vision participants preferred high contrast, black with white background. As mentioned, I administer the Decision Guide to a recent student. The results correlated to the article. Her preferred font size was 14-16 with black and white background. I am interested to conduct my own trial on other low vision students when school begins in August. I will use the Arial font and Times Roman. I hope to use this data and present recommendations for teachers to make materials more accessible for all students. Also, to include this data and details to persons who are responsible for making district assessment and materials.
I agree that sharing specific language to describe what a student needs to access material is crucial. Students, older ones, need to know the language and specifics as well. It makes it accessible for them in other areas besides the classroom.
sharon.clark-
I agree with your statement you shared - āI do not believe it should be left to local school districts to adopt inclusive design principles for printed materials.ā As a TVI I include print and typeface/font preference options in my report. As a team we discuss it and will be sure to add it into the accommodation section to guarantee that the student is using the most optimal typeface/font. While I stop into rooms monthly I also encourage my students to utilize their own Self Determination skills and to self-advocate when they do not receive access to the tools that are beneficial to them, In worse case scenarios where their accommodations are not met they know that they can come to me and that I will advocate for their needs.