Blindness and Low Vision Resources

In this unit, we teach students that the part of the body affected by blindness is the eye, and that someone who is blind or has low vision can use a variety of useful techniques and assistive technology to be independent and to participate in activities of daily life such as getting dressed, reading, writing and getting around.

Key themes:

• Blindness and low vision are among the many traits that contribute to making a person the individual that he or she is.
• Individuals can experience a broad spectrum of visual disabilities, from having some usable vision to extremely limited or no vision.
• People with blindness and low vision make individual choices regarding mobility (sighted guide, cane, guide dog).
• Technology is playing an increasingly important role in enabling people with blindness and low vision to do everyday tasks and to function more independently.
• Blindness may affect the way someone does things, but they still want to be included and to have friends.

Suggested reading – Two great books!

Picture Book: Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille, by Jen Bryant

This book is available for free as a digital video here: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11975827

This book is also available as a free e-book through the Minuteman Library Network, at this link: https://minuteman.overdrive.com/media/2621129  Reserve by placing a hold on the book, and you will be notified when the e-book is available to download. We also suggest checking with your school’s librarian for other free ways to access this book.  Or we suggest reviewing our extensive guide to finding suggested reading titles online, for free or at very low cost, here https://understandingourdifferences.org/findbooks

Listen to author Jen Bryant talk about the inspiration for her wonderful book!

And go to her webpage for all things Six Dots:

https://www.jenbryant.com/books/inprint/bk_sixdots.html

including a downloadable discussion guide:

Chapter Book: Blind Guide to Stinkville, by Beth Vrabel

This book is available for free downloading at this link on Hoopla:
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/12352118
Or we suggest reviewing our extensive guide to finding suggested reading titles online, for free or at very low cost, here https://understandingourdifferences.org/findbooks

• How would you describe Alice to a friend?
• Did characters make assumptions about a person with disabilities?  How did the characters change their attitude as the story progressed?
• What challenges does someone with low vision have in school that may prevent them from being able to learn?  What tools can they use to help them?
• How does Alice change as the story unfolds?  How does she advocate for herself? 
• What tasks does she accomplish that surprised you?
• Why do you think being independent is important to Alice?
• What are some of the things Alice noticed that others in the story didn’t?