Home Education

Homeschooling a Visually Impaired Child

LEGAL SERVICE FOR HOMESCHOOLING

Home School Legal Defense Association offers legal protective services should you ever be approached by the public schools about your homeschooling. They also work with states in making homeschool friendly laws. From their website, you can learn about the laws in your states, and also about their membership program which is a very worthwhile investment.

CORRESPONDENCE COURSES

Hadley School for the Blind offers free correspondence courses for family members of people who are blind or visually impaired and for blind/vi impaired individuals who are 14 or older. Check out their extremely helpful courses.

SUPPORT GROUPS, ONLINE

Blindhomeschooler Egroup

This group has a moderator, and the archives are available for members only. This group is sometimes active and sometimes quiet. Valuable sharing of resources and ideas often takes place.

BVI-Parents Egroup

This is a very active group with a very involved and helpful moderator. Archives are available to members only. There are about 300 members, who include parents, teachers, and others wanting to share and be helpful.

BRAILLE INSTRUCTION

Hadley School

Introduction to Braille

Braille for Family Members

Blindness Related Learning - Free online tutorials; must register but it is free. Also known as braillejail.net, this website lets you learn both Grade One (uncontracted) and Grade Two (contracted) Braille at your own pace.

American Printing House for the Blind - Book - Handbook for Learning to Read Braille by Sight. Great for sighted family members to use to learn braille. Has lessons with ink-dots, quizzes with answers in back, and some actual brailled pages.

Kester Braille - Wonderful set of books for teaching beginning reading/braille to young children. Begins with the alphabet and short vowel words, is fully self-contained instruction for experienced or novice teacher or parent to use, and integrates braille writing with braille reading. To read my more detailed review of the books, CLICK HERE.

ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY (O & M)

Some orientation and mobility instructors insist that the students need to receive orientation and mobility from a certified instructor. As a homeschooler, you may be able to get this through a local agency for the blind by paying for the services, or perhaps you are in touch with your public school district, or maybe you can get services through your state school for the blind. Some individuals have suggested to me that state schools for the blind camps or NFB sponsored camps would enhance O & M and daily living skills. Whatever your decision about orientation and mobility services and about whether or not to get one-on-one professional help and how, here are some additional resources that can also help you at home:

Hadley School - Finding Your Way course, a sort of "pre-O & M" or supplement for elementary students.

O & M Free Electronic Book - Very extensive book describing and explaining various aspects of O & M. Written in a pleasant, conversational, and sometimes humorous style.

MATH

Hadley School - Abacus, Nemeth Code, and other courses.

Texas School for the Blind - Resources and ideas for teaching math.

MUSIC

Simply Music - A program for learning piano and keyboard which works well for home instruction, and which is ideal for teaching blind students as well as sighted students. The student learns to play some music in a variety of genres before ever learning to read music. Videos are used for instruction.

Hadley School - Braille Musical Notation.

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