I agree with you Casey, as there are never enough hours in the day to make meaningful materials. Creating materials requires thoughtful planning, and often this interferes with the plan we otherwise had for the student. It seems like a balancing act much of the time. I know that students often do feel the stress of that.
Patricia,
I agree with you that “time” is the biggest factor when it comes to creating tactile graphics for a student. Many if not most TVIs are itinerant and serve multiple students in multiple school districts, which makes their ability to provide even “on the fly” tactile graphics challenging. In addition, from my experience depending on the student’s gen ed teacher(s), the TVI may or may not be provided the information about upcoming lessons in time for a tactile graphic to be constructed.
Reply to Question #3:
From my perspective, existing supports for the use of tactile graphics do not always reflect the realities of classroom practice. While resources and tools are available, they are only effective when teachers have received adequate training and opportunities to develop confidence in using them. One of the greatest gaps I have experienced is the lack of comprehensive, hands-on preparation before being assigned to support students with visual impairments.
In many cases, teachers are expected to learn independently while simultaneously meeting the immediate needs of their students. This self-directed learning often requires significant time and effort and can create uncertainty about whether instructional practices are aligned with best practices. As a result, teachers may feel underprepared, particularly when working with students who have diverse tactile learning needs.
I believe that more structured professional development, ongoing mentorship from experienced Teachers of the Visually Impaired, and collaborative opportunities to share practical strategies would better reflect the realities of classroom practice. These supports would not only strengthen teacher confidence and competence but also ensure that students receive consistent, high-quality instruction from educators who are well prepared from the outset rather than learning primarily through trial and error.
Hi Jennifer,
I really appreciated your observations, especially your point about how time constraints influence the instructional decisions TVIs have to make. It stood out to me that teachers often have to choose between providing the most effective tactile experience and using what is realistic, given the limited time they have. As you mentioned, relying on verbal descriptions may be necessary at times, but it doesn’t always meet the learning needs of students who benefit most from tactile exploration.
I also found your comments about technology interesting. Like you, I wonder whether advances in tactile graphic software and production tools could help reduce some of the time burden. At the same time, I imagine there would still be a learning curve, along with challenges such as access to equipment, funding, and adequate training. From what I’ve observed in my preparation to become a TVI, training appears to be one of the biggest gaps. Even if schools have access to technology, teachers need ongoing professional development and opportunities to practice using those tools effectively before they can confidently integrate them into instruction.
Ultimately, I think your post highlights an important issue: improving technology alone is not enough. Teachers also need the time, training, and institutional support to use those resources in ways that truly benefit students.
Hi Sheila,
I really appreciate you sharing your firsthand perspective. Your point about the importance of giving students time to explore tactile graphics before classroom instruction really resonated with me. This course has also helped me understand that tactile graphics are much more than simply providing an accessible version of a visual—they require intentional instruction, preteaching, and opportunities for students to build familiarity with the material.
I also agree with your observation that the collaboration between the classroom teacher and the support person is essential. Without adequate planning time, it becomes difficult to prepare quality tactile materials or provide meaningful preteaching, which can unintentionally place students with visual impairments at a disadvantage. Expecting them to process new tactile information at the same pace as their sighted peers, without prior exploration, is not an equitable learning experience.
Your post reinforces that addressing time constraints is not just about improving teacher efficiency; it is about ensuring students have equitable access to instruction and the opportunity to fully understand concepts before they are expected to apply them. Thank you for sharing your experience—it highlights an important reality that isn’t always visible to those outside the field.
Week 4 Question #1 Analyze the tension between time constraints and instructional quality in tactile material creation. How do these competing demands shape instructional decisions?
Time is a huge factor in terms of producing high quality tactile materials for students. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to always provide the quality materials we’d like to. However, prior planning is beneficial if the TVI and assistant has knowledge of upcoming topics. This way it can be determined what if any tactile graphics would enable the student’s understanding of a topic. Students will benefit greatly if they have a 1:1 assistant that is trained in the art of producing and tactile materials. I previously mentioned that the braillist/teaching assistant for my school district retired and has been sought after as there is such a great need for braille and tactile graphics. She’s currently producing braille and tactile graphics for an out of state student’s 1st semester class work for the 26/27 school year. When working for my school district, both of us would work to gather information about the next school year’s curriculum from teachers. The school district provided the braillist with a certain number of hours over the summer to produce braille and tactile graphics for the beginning of the year. This way the student had the materials needed to start the year alongside her sighted peers.
Julie,
It’s frustrating that students who need braille, Nemeth code, tactile graphics are usually short changed. the reality is that there are not enough TVis, Braillists, and paras who can produce the materials. I worked for a large school district with 9 schools and many students from pre k to 1th grade ( academic and those with cognitive/multiple disabilities).Without our full time dedicated and highly motivated braillist/TA our students would not have had the materials as needed alongside their sighted peers. A local district just had a gen ed student (congenitally blind since birth) move back after having relocated to another state for 2 years. While out of state the student did not have a local TVI ( & no braillist). The reason being that was that the district could not locate one to hire. They tried, but due to the rural location of the school there were none.
- Analyze the tension between time constraints and instructional quality in tactile material creation. How do these competing demands shape instructional decisions? I feel like no matter what a person is teaching, the educational world always has tension between time constraints and instructional quality! In reference to tactile material creation, as TVIs our time is already constrained due to our caseloads and so many varying needs. Adding to that the fact that classroom teachers have difficulty getting materials to us in a timely manner or change things last minute, make it very difficult to create quality tactile material. This shapes instructional decisions because I am thinking, “Something is better than nothing so what can I do in the time I have?” This typically is not what best serves the student.
That is awesome that your braillist is able to get ahead. In our district, the teachers plan the week before what they are going to do. When my co-worker and I approached the principal of a high school about the difficulty of getting work ahead of time, he looked at us and said, “Well lessons plans aren’t due until Friday for the next week.”
Dionne,
I feel like I will never have the confidence and competence in this field. Even with attending training opportunities and visiting with other TVIs, I feel like I am always responding to student situations with trial and error. I have learned a lot from this cohort and digested a lot of information, but still feel like I will be failing my student down somewhere.
1.Analyze the tension between time constraints and instructional quality in tactile material creation. How do these competing demands shape instructional decisions?
In my experience, one of the biggest challenges is creating meaningful tactile materials while making sure students have access to instruction when they need it. I have worked in districts where support staff helped create tactile materials, and I have also worked in districts where I was responsible for making everything myself. Even with support, materials were not always ready in time. I have also left supplies on campus so teachers or staff could make simple tactile adaptations when I was not there. While that helps students participate in a lesson, those materials are often not as effective as they would be if there had been more time to plan and prepare them.
Another challenge is that teachers are not always able to provide lessons in advance. Some teachers consistently share materials ahead of time, while others are planning only a day or two before instruction. That often means I have to decide whether a student needs a detailed tactile graphic, a simpler adaptation, or a real object to understand the concept. Those decisions are based on the importance of the concept, how quickly the material is needed, and what will give the student meaningful access to the lesson.
Caseload size also plays a role. There are many tactile materials I would like to create for my students, but when supporting multiple students with different needs, I have to prioritize where my time will have the greatest impact. Sometimes that means creating a simple adaptation so a student can fully participate in a lesson that day, while other times it means spending more time on a durable, high-quality tactile material that can be used repeatedly. My goal is always to provide materials that give students meaningful access to learning, but balancing quality, time, and the needs of multiple students is one of the most challenging parts of being a TVI.
I can definitely relate to this. I think many of us adapt tactile materials based on the student and the lesson, and sometimes consistency takes a back seat to getting the material ready. Your point about students spending more time figuring out the layout than the actual content really stood out to me. It made me think about how much cognitive energy our students may be using before they even get to the learning objective. I also like your example of using the same textures and symbols every time. That consistency would allow students to spend less time interpreting the graphic and more time understanding the concept being taught, especially as the graphics become more complex.
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I can definitely relate to this. I remember thinking I was prepared to create tactile graphics when I finished my program, but I quickly realized there was a huge difference between learning the concepts and actually creating meaningful tactile materials for students with the time and resources available. I also agree with your point about younger learners. It can be tempting to include too much information in a graphic, but students first need to develop the tactile skills to interpret simpler graphics before moving on to more detailed ones. I also think ongoing professional development and opportunities to learn from experienced TVIs would help bridge some of those gaps, especially for those of us who did not have extensive hands-on experience during our preparation programs.
Rebecca, I agree with your conclusion that standardizing graphics for our VI student would be greatly beneficial. I think this logic would also flow into other graphics that are used in the classroom. A standard format where the key is always found, where legends used standard symbols. As a support person, I make up things on the fly wading thru what works and what doesn’t, with my student being the guinea pig on what works well and what didn’t.
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3. To what extent do existing supports for tactile graphics use (e.g., resources, training, collaboration, tools) reflect the realities of classroom practice?
While supports for tactile graphics do exist, the reality of classroom practice often makes them difficult to implement consistently. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of time and training. Teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) are frequently given little advance notice when tactile graphics are needed, leaving limited time to create or adapt materials before they are required in class. For example, a TVI may learn on the morning of a science lesson that students will be studying a diagram of the water cycle, making it difficult to prepare an accessible tactile version in time for instruction.
The availability and quality of tactile graphics also depend on the TVI’s experience and training with different production methods and materials. Creating meaningful tactile graphics requires specialized knowledge, access to appropriate resources, and time for preparation. Classroom teachers often collaborate with the TVI to learn how to use commercially available materials, such as kits and resources from APH, and this collaboration helps build awareness of accessible instructional practices. However, competing classroom demands and limited opportunities for ongoing practice can make it difficult for these materials to be implemented consistently. Continued collaboration, professional development, and advance planning between classroom teachers and TVIs are essential to ensuring that tactile graphics become an integral part of daily instruction rather than an accommodation that is used only occasionally.
- To what extent do existing supports for tactile graphics use (e.g., resources, training, collaboration, tools) reflect the realities of classroom practice? Which gaps create the greatest barriers for teachers, and why?
I find tactile graphics is often second to learning braille and other skills and often assumed the student understands all tactile graphics being placed in front of them. I have been fortunate to work with a wonderful braillest that using transcribers notes and breaks apart images for greater understanding. She has contact with classroom teacher and myself and often asks what the purpose of the image is, what is being asked of the student to understand and what salient features to highlight. The student needs to learn the keys, symbols, titles and transcribers notes are there to assist them in the understanding of the graphic. Without any an understanding, I believe the graphic is so similar to the cow image that was depicted in the video. The biggest barrier I find with graphics, is so much like all areas. The TVI can’t do it alone as expected so often, there isn’t enough time in a day. It needs to be ongoing with all service providers and educators the student works with.
It is so important to be able to do graphics on the fly. I agree with you, although the tactile devices are nice, it is a barrier for districts due to cost constraints. I find the tactile graphics “on the fly” sometimes are more common due to not enough notice, impromptu teaching etc… With the knowledge of understanding both, the student can be so nicely versed with the exploration.
Consistency in the production of tactile graphics would be a tremendous benefit for both TVIs and students. Standardized layouts would allow TVIs to spend less time determining how to organize each graphic and more time focusing on instruction. Students would also benefit from familiar, predictable formats, enabling them to quickly locate essential information such as a map key, identify specific buildings, or distinguish between solid, dashed, and other line types in geometric figures.
Although resources and guidelines exist to promote consistency in tactile graphics, these practices are not always implemented. I have also observed that there is a lack of consistency across schools, districts, and even among professionals, making it more difficult for students to transfer their skills from one tactile graphic to another. Greater standardization would improve efficiency for educators while fostering independence and confidence for students who rely on tactile graphics.various resources. For example,
This is so true and relevant! I find I am often adapting for the students understanding, the lesson being taught, often last minute. I am fortunite to work with a braillest that helps, but there is so much back and forth what to include, how to adapt, the students understanding etc. Sometimes, it is easier to do it myself but with a caseload of 52 students and 26 schools, I am so thankful for her help. It is difficult on the classroom side with classrooms teachers not understanding the breakdown and learning process of learning a graphic and the assumption they automatically can break it down.
- Analyze the tension between time constraints and instructional quality in tactile material creation. How do these competing demands shape instructional decisions?
Time constraints do not allow us our best professional selves. Our instructional decision are often dependent on them whether they should be or not.
Time. I think I speak for everybody (or nearly all) that we need more time to do a better job creating tactile graphics. We CAN do it save for time…The crafter in me loves the creation but the teacher under the clock must make choices about reaching for that Cricut. (my district actually purchased one). I take my evidence from this wonderful article (and feel so justified by it at the same time on so many levels). So many comments/quotes regarding the “time constraint”; Tension is there; “Time was the largest factor for TVIs…”, “tactile materials were indeed time-consuming and laborious…”, “creating durable and long-lasting materials often stemmed from the rapid speed…”, and contributor Blossom’s “the ultimate decider is time”. All of these comments stress just how important time is to our craft (pun intended).
As every student is different, with differing needs and approaches, what works well for one does not necessarily work well with another. I used to think a repository of tactile graphics, 3D items, etc., would be fantastic but honestly, due to varying curricular needs, age/level of students, not to mention proximity, I recant that dream. I have the tools: varying height embosser, colored embosser, PIAF, Tactipad, and all manner of software. Despite these blessings, I am still frantically behind because I get so many items at the last minute (we even have an ‘unsupported’ policy stating I must have anything made tactile no later than 3 days before need). SO even though I have the tools, Time is always against me to produce high quality tactile graphics (let’s be honest - sometimes we just want GOOD quality). It involves thought, planning, materials, and getting to the essence of the meaning it is supporting for the student, making it a personal creation and often singularly used. These competing demands shape the instructional decisions at the onset because we know what we WANT to do and what will be BEST for the student, but lack of needed essentials (time being the main) usually (but not always) dwindles down to what we can get in the hands of our students by the time they are needed.
In every IEP accommodation for blind students I write "to have access to tangible resources representing essential learning SIMULTANEOUS WITH THEIR PEERS (emphasis mine). I do this because so many times we are given things of importance that we cannot, despite our best efforts, produce within the time given, and the student should not have to suffer for it, so we do our best.