A resource for Adult Basic Education teachers working with learners with vision loss.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Maximize the Effectiveness of Large Print

Large print is just bigger text, right?  But have you considered how big the text should be?  What about the color, font, and spacing?  For students who use large print it is worth taking a few minutes to make sure that you're using the most effective large print possible.
See more at Designing for People with Partial Sight


So here's a few quick pointers...

  • Always enlarge by increasing the font size on your computer.

  • Never enlarge on a photocopier (the text becomes grainy, gray, and harder to read)

  • 16-18 point font is the most effective size.  If a learner needs larger than 18 point font they may need a different means of accessing text, such as a video enlarger, braille, or screen reader. See Braille, Audio, or Large Print.



Monday, March 7, 2011

Computer Screen Readers and Text-to-Speech

Screen Reader Basics

Screen readers are the programs that make computers accessible to people with vision loss.  A screen reader that uses text-to-speech will essentially read aloud the information on the screen.  Text-to-speech programs usually use a digital sounding voice, which can be adjusted to read slower or faster without affecting the pitch.  Skilled users of text-to-speech can listen to very fast rates of speech, thus improving their "reading" speed.

System Access To Go
System Access to Go (satogo.com) is a screen reader that can be quickly downloaded for free from anywhere you have Internet access.  It is designed to give visually impaired users computer access no matter where they are; at the library, a friend's home, or a public computer lab.  It is quite easy to use and can even save the user's speech settings.

JAWS
JAWS (is a commonly used screen reader for work and educational settings.  It is better for everyday use because it has a wider range of options and customization.

Keyboard Commands
Using a screen reader means getting to know your computer without the mouse.  Computers, both Macs and PCs, have a vast number of keyboard shortcuts.  In many cases, these shortcuts are the same for any model of computer you're using. Anything you can do with a mouse, you can also do with a keyboard.

Try out a few of these shortcuts on your computer.  Whether you use a screen reader or not, you may find many of them quite useful and remember there are many, many more!

Open Microsoft Word


Open the START menu = Windows key

Select the program from the menu  = arrow keys

Select and open the program  =



LISTENING TO TEXT/ MOVING THE CURSOR

Beginning and End
Move the cursor to the beginning of the file,  -

Move the cursor to the end of the file,  -


Page by Page
Move to the beginning of the page,  

Move to the bottom of the page,  
Paragraph
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph,  -down arrow

Move the cursor to the beginning of the current paragraph, -up arrow
Line by Line
Move the cursor to the beginning of the line,

Move the cursor to the end of the current line,
Move the cursor down one line, down arrow

Move the cursor up one line, Up arrow
Word by Word
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word, -right arrow

Move the cursor to the previous blank space, -left arrow
Letter by Letter
Move the cursor to the right one character, right arrow

Move the cursor to the left one character, left arrow


HIGHLIGHTING/ SELECTING TEXT

To select text, use any of the above keys for moving the cursor plus the key.

Select All, -A

Great Resources on Braille Literacy

If you've searched for "braille," or "blind" on the Internet, there's a fairly good chance that you've already run across the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB.org).  Their website is a wealth of background information on braille, vision loss, and educational issues (including some excellent videos).

One of my favorite parts of their website is their quarterly online newsletter, called DOTS.  It has great articles about issues in braille literacy.  Many of which are either directly relevant to learners in my class or provide great background for understanding issues that my learners may face as they transition to higher education or work.  You can read the current issue of DOTS, as well as past issues, at www.afb.org/DOTS.

This month, I was particularly interested in an article on preparing learners for standardized testing and another on "packing your learner's toolbox."  You can become a member of AFB for free and subscribe to any of their digital newsletters so that they will be delivered directly to your e-mail inbox (http://www.afb.org/myAFBregistration2.asp)

Happy reading!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

"Teacher, I can't see the board!"

Our jobs as ESL and ABE instructors might actually be easier if we heard this phrase more often.  Unfortunately, many of our learners struggle silently in class because they can't see the board, distinguish the grainy photograph, or hear over the background noise of the class next door.  This may be especially true of older learners, learners with little prior schooling, or learners with little to no ability to communicate in English. 

One of the most difficult aspects of serving learners with disabilities is recognizing that a disability may be the cause of a learner's lack of progress.  Asking learners about their vision or hearing is great, if you share enough language to communicate those concepts.  If not, you may want to experiment with some of these classroom strategies and note whether learner performance improves when these adjustments are in place.

Seeing the Board
If you're using a white board, reduce glare by closing blinds or writing on large pieces of poster paper. Stick to black markers that have plenty of ink (colored and dying markers are more difficult to see) and write as large as is feasible.

Experiment with where students sit in class. Can they see the board better from some places in class?

Are the learners who most need to sit at the front of the room the ones who usually opt to sit there?

Reading Handouts
Although black text on white paper is definitely the standard, many people report reduced eye stress when reading black text on light colored paper.  Try photocopying onto light blue or green paper or contact PANDA vision consultants (pandavisionloss@gmail.com) to borrow colored plastic overlays that learners can place over normal white paper.

I also keep a few pairs of cheap drug-store reading glasses on hand in my classroom. I have a variety of different strength levels for learners to try. Some use them every day in class, others just use them when they forget their own glasses. In some cases, it has inspired learners to buy their own non-prescription reading glasses, which cost between $2-10. Volunteers and other supporters of your organization are often happy to donate these because it is a tangible and low-cost donation.

When you have the option to print your own materials (not photocopies or textbook pages), experiment with different fonts and font sizes.  See the other posts on this blog about large print.

Seeing the Pictures
Photos and drawings, especially those that are photocopied or held by a teacher at the front of the room, can be very hard to see.  Consider replacing some pictures with props or pantomime. Enlarging photos on a photocopier or overhead project is often unhelpful but choosing pictures with strong lines, high contrast, and clear subjects can make a difference.  Also consider the contrast and text size in textbook graphics.

Beyond the Classroom
As for helping learners get eye exams and prescription glasses, I have had little success finding resources specifically geared toward low-educated, non-native English speakers. Often the best options are to help the learner determine what their insurance (if they have any) covers and to set up an appointment for an eye exam. Provided the client has an interpreter, I think many clinics have found ways around the conventional letter reading chart. If the client does not have insurance, I would call United Way 2-1-1 in the twin cities for a list of organizations that provide free or sliding scale eye care.