As a teacher, what do you do when you know a student with blindness or a visual impairment will soon be joining your class? Do you panic and immediately feel unprepared? Of course, feeling unready is a natural reaction to a sudden need to accommodate for a student with a disability, but take a deep breath. You’re in luck. There are hundreds and hundreds of resources available for assisting blind students. These resources are easy to access, inexpensive to apply, and extremely beneficial to all parties involved. Using any of the resources that follow will provide comfort and calm for the teacher worried about helping a student with blindness learn and enjoy school.

1. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped: At www.loc.gov/nls, visitors can browse a free library program offered through the Library of Congress. Many libraries across the country participate in the program, which offers free Braille and audio materials. The site is a clearinghouse for recently released Braille publications and audio books. The variety of materials is impressive, as is the ease of utilization.
2. Dancing Dots: Students with blindness or visual impairment should not be left out of the joy and positive experience of learning to play an instrument. The website www.dancingdots.com agrees and offers products and services for assisting the blind in reading music.
3. Barrier Free Education: This project’s goal is to provide educators with the tools needed to help their disabled students learn science, technology and math. At barrier-free.arch.gatech.edu, teachers can peruse the various subjects and find specific materials and tips for teaching. For blind students learning math, the site provides a math problem to Braille translator, for example.
4. Strategies for Teaching Blind Students: This very basic website, located at www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/text/vision_impair.html, offers advice on general courtesy, strategies and presentation suggestions for math and science teachers with blind students. These tips involve suggestions such as using talking thermometers and calculators.



Education is one area that parents strive to do the best for their children. For some this may mean applying to the best schools, paying for private education, or home schooling. Finding the best style of learning often depends on the extent of the disability. Some disabilities are not recognized until there are problems in the classroom. Many times bad behavior or not completing assignments is because of how the child is comprehending the information.

Students with disabilities may need to learn in a style that is not an option inside of the traditional classroom style of learning. Looking for the best way that your child learns can take both time and effort.

There are educators and therapists that take their jobs seriously and have a desire to help. Parents may find that certain tests are required to find out the inner workings of their  brain. These tests may focus on motor skills, language assessments, and cognitive responses. Understanding their disability can help lead both the family and educator to teaching methods that will reach your child.

Parenting children with disabilities day to day requires a great deal of patience. Choosing to be involved with their education is not just waiting until school starts the learning process. Small daily tasks are a great time to practice the way that they learn best. This could be by using the same techniques for learning that are taught at school at home. Building on the same teaching methods that the school is using can be done at home.

Teaching methods are more than just basic tools for education. They are the way that your child can learn basic concepts, form their own opinions, and develop ideas that expound on their imaginations. Being able to complete tasks or communicate effectively is necessary. Take time to understand the disability and find a learning solution that works for your child.