braille using the Mangold Program for Tactile Perception and Braille Letter and Nemeth Recognition. His teachers and parents do not know the
braille code, but he is learning to use the APH
Refreshabraille 18 (a braille keyboard with 18 cell
refreshabraille display) in conjunction with the
iPad's built-in accessibility features (voiceover).
The refreshabraille connects with his iPad via
Bluetooth, and whatever he inputs into the braille
keyboard is then displayed onto the iPad as text
for the teacher to see. The reverse works if the
teacher inputs text onto the iPad, he is able to
read the text on his refreshabraille device. With
more guided practice and training with the staff,
this will enable him to actively participate in instruction with his general education teachers and
his mother, who is his homeschool teacher, in
both braille and print. This should work well for
his current needs in his reading and language
arts curriculum while he is still learning the braille
code. Also, his classmates are accustomed to
seeing iPads, so he fits right in with his peers.
Not only does the iPad offer voiceover and
allow for braille input but it also provides access
for students who use print, without being obtrusive like the technology of ten years ago when
students who had multiple teachers had to use a
rolling cart to transport the cctv between classes,
yet still did not have access to the white board.
Some of the iPad's built-in accessibility features
include large font, high contrast display, zoom,
and brightness control. Added to that, purchasing
a magnification app can turn the iPad into a portable video magnifier to view items on a desk or it
can be aimed to targets at a distance.
Several of my students with low vision find
this aspect beneficial and appreciate the
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