Independent Living
Orientation and Mobility in the IEP: Services, Goals, and Advocacy
Most parents first hear about orientation and mobility when someone suggests their child might need a cane. That suggestion tends to land hard, especially for families whose child still has usable vision. Worth knowing up front: orientation and mobility instruction is not a signal that vision is gone or going. It’s a related service under…
Read MoreCreating Accessible PDF Documents for Students
If you teach a student with low vision, you already know how much a single worksheet can shape their day. When a PDF works with their screen reader or magnifier, they participate right alongside everyone else. When it doesn’t, they get left behind through no fault of their own. Here’s the good news: making an…
Read MoreAssistive Technology IEP Goals for Students with Visual Impairment
A district buys a student a braille display. It costs several thousand dollars. Eighteen months later it’s in a closet, and the student is still relying on a classroom aide to read things aloud. This happens constantly, and it has one cause: the device was provided, and the instruction wasn’t. Assistive technology only becomes access…
Read MoreUsher Syndrome: Managing Dual Sensory Loss
If you or someone you love is living with Usher syndrome, you are facing something most people have never heard of—and that can feel isolating. Take heart: while combined vision and hearing loss brings real challenges, there are well-established strategies, technologies, and communities built specifically to help. With the right support, people with Usher syndrome…
Read MoreWearable Tech for RP: Aira, OrCam, and Smart Glasses
If you are exploring wearable technology for retinitis pigmentosa, the choices can feel overwhelming—and the marketing rarely tells you what actually works for RP. The truth is that these devices can be genuinely life-changing for reading, recognizing faces, and getting around. The trick is matching the right device to your vision and your daily life.…
Read MoreWhite Canes and Mobility Aids for Progressive Vision Loss
If you are living with progressive vision loss, getting around safely is probably one of your biggest concerns—and one of the most natural fears to have. The good news is that the most effective mobility tool is also one of the simplest and most affordable: the white cane. Paired with training and a few other…
Read MoreText-to-Speech Software and Tools for Classroom Accessibility
If a student in your classroom is straining to read the screen, or falling behind because the reading takes twice as long as it should, text-to-speech is usually the first tool to try. It is free on nearly every device your school already owns, and most students can start using it the same afternoon. Text-to-speech…
Read MoreManaging Night Blindness in RP: Strategies That Help
If you have retinitis pigmentosa, night blindness is often the first change you notice—and one of the most disruptive. Dim restaurants, evening events, and walking after dark can suddenly feel daunting. If that is where you are right now, take heart: while night vision itself cannot be restored, the right strategies make low-light situations far…
Read MoreMagnification Software for Students with Low Vision
Watching a bright student lean inches from a screen, squinting to make out text the rest of the class reads easily, is hard. If that is your student or your child, here is the good news: the right magnification software can put the full digital curriculum back within reach, and you may not need to…
Read MoreScreen Reader Software in the Classroom: Implementation for Teachers
A student who uses a screen reader just joined your class, and you might be wondering how much new software you need to learn. Here is the reassuring part: you do not need to master the screen reader yourself. Your real job is to understand how screen reader software in the classroom changes the way…
Read MoreBest Assistive Devices for Retinitis Pigmentosa
If you are looking for tools to help with retinitis pigmentosa, you have probably noticed that most low vision advice is written for conditions that affect central vision first. RP is different. It usually takes your night vision and side vision first, so the devices that help most are not always the ones you would…
Read MoreUnderstanding RP: Symptoms, Progression, and Adaptation
If you have retinitis pigmentosa, or you think you might, one of the hardest parts is not knowing what comes next. Will your vision change quickly or slowly? What should you watch for? Here is the reassuring truth: while RP is progressive, knowing what to expect lets you prepare and adapt on your own terms…
Read More