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Tools and Strategies for Teaching Math to Students
that are Blind or Visually Impaired
Presented by
Susan A. Osterhaus
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
1100 West 45th Street
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 206-9305
susanosterhaus@tsbvi.edu
http://www.tsbvi.edu/math/
Sponsored by:
Making It Count: Math Skills for Students with Visual Impairment
APH and the
Board of Education and Services for the Blind
Windsor, CT
June 14 – 15, 2005
Connecticut 
(4.74mb)
A Few of My Favorite Things for Teaching Math to Students Who are Visually
Impaired
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana
May 12, 2005
Louisana (4.63mb)
“A Few of My Favorite Things” for Teaching Math to Students Who
are Visually Impaired
There's Safety in Numbers: Safety Issues and Math Strategies for Students Who
are Blind/Visually Impaired 2005 Minnesota Statewide Vision Conference
Grand View Lodge
Nisswa, MN
April 15, 2005
Alberta Society for the Visually Impaired (ASVI) and The Vision Resource
Centre
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA
February 25-26, 2005
Alberta 
(4.39mb)
Suggested Adaptive Tools and Materials
- Math Materials
- Basic Tools and Technology
- Calculators
- Drawing/Construction Tools
- Measuring Tools
- Student-Generated Graphics
- Graphics Made by Others
- Strategies and Resources
Math Materials Braille Reader
- High Quality Braille Textbook
- Nemeth Code
- Tactile Graphics
- Teacher-Made Materials
Math Materials - Large Print Reader
- Large Print Textbook
- Enlarged Materials
- Regular Print with Magnification
- Be Alert for Color-Keyed Graphics
Basic Math Tools - Braille Reader
- Braillewriter
- Braille Paper
- Braille Eraser
- Abacus
Basic Math Technology - Braille Reader
- Refreshable Braille
- Braille Notetaker
- PC with Refreshable Braille Display
- Laptop
Basic Math Tools - Large Print Reader
- Black Line Paper
- Proper Writing Implement
- Reading Stand
Basic Technology - Large Print Reader
- Desktop Computer
- Laptop
- Low-Vision Software
New Technology - Large Print Reader
New Technology - For All
- Virtual Pencil
- addition
- subtraction
- multiplication
- division
- VP Algebra
APH Tools to Help Increase Basic Math Skills
- Math Drill Cards
- Quick Pick: Math
- Multiplication and Division Table
- Math Flash - Fun self-voicedsoftware program
Talking Tools to Help Increase Basic Math Skills
Head-Start Hands-On Tools
- MathPadTM By VoiceTM
- MathTalkTM/Scientific NotebookTM
- MathTalkTM/Scientific WorkPlaceTM
- Graphing CalculatorMath Trax
Accessible Scientific/Graphing Calculators for All
- Talking Scientific Calculator
- Talking Graphing Calculators
Braille Scientific Calculators
Large Display/Graphing Calculator Solutions
- Ruler
- Yardstick and Meter Stick
- Braille/Print Protractor
Student-Generated Quick/Instant Tactile Graphics
Student-Generated Graphics on a Number Line
- APH Number Line Device
- Student-Made Number Lines
Student-Generated Graphics on a Coordinate Plane
- Graph Paper
- Graphic Aid for Mathematics
Geometric Manipulatives
- 2-D Manipulatives
- Paper Folding
- 3-D Manipulatives
- Nets
Thoughts on Visual vs Tactual Perception
- Visual impairment is not an isolated condition; it affects the whole process
of information-gathering.
- Vision enables a person to simultaneously perceive all parts of an object
in its totality and in its relationship to other objects.
- The visually impaired learner has to rely on sequential observations (only
part of an object can be seen or felt at a time) and the entire image has
to be "built-up" out of the components. Relationships with other
objects can be lost entirely.
- The level of cognition needed for integration of sequential information
is higher than that needed for concept formation through immediate visual
perception.
- If you have vision, you can experience this way of processing information
by looking at a drawing through a very small hole in a piece of card held
over the drawing; I think that you will find that it's hard for you to "get
the picture.”
- Checklist To Determine If a Graphic Should Be Brailled
- Checklist For Making Decisions About A Tactile Graphic
- Basic Principles For Preparing Tactile Graphics
- Explanation-Demonstration of How Foil Graphics are Prepared
Math Graphics Made by Others
Math Graphics - Made to Order by Others
- ghBraille
LaserLine™ Graphics
- Tactile Vision Inc.
- View Plus Technology
Tiger Pro, Tiger Max, Tiger Cub, or Tiger Cub Jr NOW 3-D
high resolution (20 dots per inch) windows printer driver create
and emboss through MS Office, graphics programs, AGC, mimio, Duxbury,
MegaMath, and more faster, quieter, easier than before interpoint and
intergraphix stack paper or tractor media, or both
Teaching Students How to Read Tactile Math Graphs
- Begin at an early age
- Start with real objects
- Move to 3-D models
- Then to 2-D manipulatives
- Finally try tactile graphics on various surfaces
- Hard plastic
- Thermoformed Brailon of foil or collage
- Quick Draw or Capsule/Swell/Flexi-Paper
- Braille Paper
- Use APH Tangible Graphs to evaluate and/or re-teach if necessary
- Collaborative/Inclusive Strategies
- Arithmetic Calculation Using the Braillewriter
- Linear Measure, Perimeter, and Area
- Prime Factorization on the Abacus
- Standardized Braille Number Lines
- Graphing on a Coordinate Plane
- Geometric Constructions
- Transformations, Line Symmetry, and Tesselations
- Solving Quadratic Equations
Other Math Resources
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Last Revision:
May 9, 2005