standing who you want to connect with online can
help determine what information to publicize,
what tool(s) or platform(s) to use, and how to present the information. For example, if
the objective were to connect with other
teachers about using iPads with students who
were visually impaired, it would be reasonable to
focus on posting information related to that subject and to find where other teachers were discussing this topic online. Most importantly and
particularly for professionals in the field of visual
impairment, accessibility of nonvisual access to
information must be prioritized in order to maintain equal and inclusive digital environments. Indicators of professional and responsible online behavior include:
Use of headings (styles) formatting in all
posted Word documents
Provision of alt text, image description, video
description, and/or captions for non-text information
Preferential use of tools that are universally
designed for inclusion. This consideration
also reflects how well you know your audience. For example, although many professionals at large use the website LinkedIn,
many professionals who are blind do not
because the website is not easily accessible. Therefore, LinkedIn is not the primary
platform/tool for connecting with blind colleagues.
Listservs, Social Networking, Profiles, Platforms….What?!
While the following list is nowhere near
comprehensive, it attempts to introduce different
types of tools to inform the potential consumer.
1. Personal websites (blogs, newsletters). This
type of platform usually consists of a unique
URL, or web address, that is solely dedicated
to dissemination of one's own collection of in-
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