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SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED; LEARNING IS NOT
With schools closed many of us are looking for things to do while staying home. This is a good time to practice some of the skills that are being taught at school. Parents, you can help your child work on orientation and mobility skills while providing a chance to get outside. Look at the goals on their IEP and have your child show you what they have learned and continue to practice as you take a walk. Look at your child's IEP for other skills that they have been working on that you can practice with them at home.
We are providing a list of websites with educational and fun things for those with visual impairments to explore while you all have extra free time. These include programs to learn JAWS, Braille notetakers, and keyboarding. Special skills are not needed for any of these programs.
FREE OFFER!
This is an offer that any household with a blind or low vision person should not pass by. JAWS and ZoomText are available for free until June 30, 2020. Fusion, a combination of ZoomText and JAWS, is also available for free at this time. These are the software that make the computer accessible to blind and low vision users. Mastery of the appropriate tool is essential for the user to achieve a successful and independent life. Remember, this offer ends June 30, 2020. There are online tutorials on the Freedom Scientific site that teach users how to use this software.
After you install JAWS or ZoomText, there are several online spoken keyboarding websites. A sighted computer user can get by with hunting and pecking but this is not possible for someone who cannot see the keyboard. What a better way to spend some of this free time than learning to keyboard!
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To get free JAWS or ZoomText software,
click here
to go to the main Freedom Scientific website.
These programs are for windows-based computers only!!
For training in the use of these software programs, click on the link you plan to use.
IMPROVE YOUR BRAILLE NOTE TAKER SKILLS
Humanware has a wide variety of videos to teach you how to use your BraileNote. You select which model you have and then click on the link for that model BrailleNote Plus, Apex, etc).click here for the link to the tutorials at the Humanware website
Humanware is also hosting Webinars on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:00 pm. They discuss a particular skill and you can email them questions. Previous webinars are available on YouTube.
Click here
for information on the Webinars on the Humanware website.
LEARN TO TYPE
Here are two excellent learning to type software programs.
TypeAbility-
click here for the YesAccessible web site. This program is usually $150 but is now being offered for $30.
Keystroke-
click here for the New Mexico School for the Blind website. This typing program is accessible with both PC and Mac computers. You must have JAWS or VoiceOver to hear the feedback. Free
WHERE CAN I FIND THINGS TO DO?
With days filled with a lot of extra time and no place to go many of us are looking for fun and different things to do. Here are several sources of useful activities to help.
catchthesewords.com-
click here for the Catch These Words website for a complete list of tutorials and webinars covering screen readers, Braille notetakers, and many other commonly used software used by blind and visually impaired persons.
has many suggestions for apps, webinars, games to use at home.
Or just listen to a story
Or play a game
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