reading. When the tablet with tactile overlays is
attached to a computer, it can provide information
about any object on the tablet's surface. The in-
formation can be organized in layers, so that the
first time a student touches a body part on a hu-
man anatomy "map," for example, the speech
output will identify that part by name. A second
tap provides additional information about that
part, e.g. "The foot is made up of 26 bones." A
student can also identify the body part he/she
wishes to locate, and the voice will guide him or
her (up, down, left, or right) until the student finds
it. One great benefit of this tool is that students
can use it independently and learn vital informa-
tion without having to ask an adult or a peer.
Summary
Much of the job of educating students who
are visually impaired or deafblind involves bring-
ing the ordinary but unseen or unheard experi-
ences of life alive for them. The expanded core
curriculum supports this notion by requiring direct
instruction in areas that a non-disabled student
receives through incidental learning. And in this
regard, there is no more important area to ad-
dress than that of human sexuality. Like all ado-
lescents, young people with disabilities share the
desire to grow up, leave home and find a special
someone to share their lives. These young peo-
ple may lack the senses of hearing and/or vision
that can certainly assist in this worthy pursuit, but
as the old expression says, "Where there is a will,
there is a way." The role of teachers of the stu-
dents with visual impairments is to help students
learn the skills they need to realize their dreams.
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