Visually Impaired Teacher Resources
Every student needs to have access to classroom instruction, no matter what circumstances or disabilities keep them from participating in a standard method. Whether you’re teaching at a school for visually impaired students or making accommodations for learners with visual impairments, Lesson Planet has a wealth of resources to bring your teaching to the learners who need it.
Elementary classes can use a counting activity for students with visual impairment to reinforce math instruction, or a project on series circuits to make STEM concepts accessible. For teachers who have never taught visually impaired students, a helpful guide is a great start, as well as a video with tips for mainstream accommodations.
Reinforce compassion and friendship support for students without disabilities, as well. A lesson based on Rita Whitman Steingold’s Taking Visual Impairment to School emphasizes empathy for those with visual disabilities, while a photo essay and accompanying assignments enables sighted learners to experience life as their visually impaired peers do.
At Lesson Planet, we know that each pupil in your class is special and unique, and that some require more accommodations than others to access instructional material. Our teacher-approved resources make it easier than ever to get your exemplary teaching into as many hands—and minds—as possible.
Showing 339 resources
Other
American Foundation for the Blind: Optical Character Recognition Systems
Explains the different types of optical character recognition technology available for the blind and visually impaired.
Read Works
Read Works: Louis Braille
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about Louis Braille and the alphabet he created for blind people. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Touching the Invisible Sky
A book in Braille tries to make images from NASA space telescopes accessible to the visually impaired.
Other
Blind Readers' Page
This Blind Readers' site provides links to hundreds of resources for students who are blind or vision impaired and their families. They include spoken word resources, information on assistive technologies, speech recognition, Braille...
Other
Blind Readers' Page
This Blind Readers' site provides links to hundreds of resources for students who are blind or vision impaired and their families. They include spoken word resources, information on assistive technologies, speech recognition, Braille...
Museum of Science
Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Activities: Read Without Seeing
Step-by-step instructions, with photos, of how to create a message in Braille by gluing beans, or a substitute, onto paper.
Other
The Story of Louis Braille
A young French boy named Louis Braille, who himself was blind, developed a way for blind people to read. This is his story.
Library of Congress
Loc: Nls for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
The National Library Service provides a free program to provide braille and audio materials to those who need them. There is a national system of participating libraries.
University of North Carolina
Hark the Sound: Sound Game for Kids
This resource offers a sound game that is available for free to use with students who are blind or visually impaired.
Other
Braillerman: Louis Braille
A concise biography of the life and times of Louis Braille, the man responsible for the development of the 6-dot cell Braille system used today throughout the world.
American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History: Read With Your Fingers
Use braille to create a message for a friend.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Helen Keller
During this lesson, students learn about the life of Helen Keller and how she communicated with others. Students have the opportunity to use sign language to communicate with others. Students gain an appreciation for their sight and...
Curated OER
Visual System: Optical System and Perceptual System
From a school in Texas that is dedicated to providing a quality and complete education for students with visual impairments, this article introduces visual impairments, and discusses how visual impairments affect the early development of...
Curated OER
Labeled Cross Section of Eye
From a school in Texas that is dedicated to providing a quality and complete education for students with visual impairments, this article introduces visual impairments, and discusses how visual impairments affect the early development of...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control: Kids' Quest on Disability and Health
KQ, the techno-health wizard, lets kids choose a WebQuest about a disability-related question they may have been wondering about. They get a page of activities and resources about Autism, Vision Impairment, Mobility Restriction, etc.,...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control: Kids' Quest on Disability and Health
KQ, the techno-health wizard, lets kids choose a WebQuest about a disability-related question they may have been wondering about. They get a page of activities and resources about Autism, Vision Impairment, Mobility Restriction, etc.,...
Center for Parent Information and Resources
Nichcy Publications: Disability Information
Here are fact sheets on disabilities, available in text or PDF, English or Spanish. Each offers characteristics of the disability, tips for teachers and parents, and lists of related resources.
Center for Parent Information and Resources
Nichcy Publications: Disability Information
Here are fact sheets on disabilities, available in text or PDF, English or Spanish. Each offers characteristics of the disability, tips for teachers and parents, and lists of related resources.
Other
Color Matters: Vision: What Is Color Blindness?
Learn about the different types of color blindness and see a few simple tests that are used to diagnose this condition.
Other
Nyise: Blindness Resource Center
Comprehensive hotlist links to resources for the blind. Topics include Internet access, braille, eye diseases, organizations, research, university programs for persons with disabilities, vendors, and more.
PBS
Pbs Kids Clubhouse Adventures: What Is Communication?
Exploring our world is fun! Abby Brown, KIDS Clubhouse Adventures co-host, loves to help kids have fun while learning! In this segment, kids learn about a variety of verbal and nonverbal ways to send and receive messages, including...
Bartleby
Bartleby.com: John Milton/on His Blindness
Text of a poem Milton wrote about his rapidly worsening visual impairment.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: The Need for Money That Everybody Can Use
The U.S. Currency currently has two faces. The old bills are being replaced with new designs. The study of the look of the bills will lead into a discussion of their usefulness for a segment of our population: the visually impaired people.
