Today's adaptive technology offers students who are blind and those with visual impairments the opportunity to "level the playing field" with their sighted peers. We have success stories! We know it can be achieved! However, the parents of these accomplished students frequently spent enormous amounts of time and effort on advocating, fundraising and obtaining donations from outside their school systems to ensure their children had what they needed.
Schools are often unable to purchase the requisite equipment because of prohibitive costs. Unfortunately, many visually impaired children do not have the means to access this adaptive technology. Their education may be significantly compromised.
The success, emotional health and independence we see in employed blind adults demonstrate that a proactive plan will far out-weigh the costs of reacting too late.
Click here for Equipment Request Forms.
Join parents, paraprofessionals and others in learning the skills that will enable you to assist your child or a student with whom you may be working. An orientation and mobility instructor will share some strategies on how to reinforce O&M skills throughout a regular daily routine. Human guide (sighted guide) techniques, cane skills, orientation and problem solving tips and tricks will be discussed, as well as other areas relevant to the participants. Participants have the opportunity to discover how the world may be experienced by a student with a visual impairment.
The Alberta Society for the Visually Impaired - Edmonton District will be sponsoring braille courses this fall for parents, educational assistants and professionals.
From Print to Braille with Unified English Braille - 22 lessons by correspondence.