Teaching Math to Students with Visual Impairments

1. Teaching Math to Students with Visual Impairments Gaeir Dietrich Director * High Tech Center Training Unit of the California Community Colleges * De Anza College Barbara Illowsky, PhD Professor of Mathematics & Statistics De Anza College

2. Issues • Will not see what you project on-screen or write on board • May have issues taking notes • Will require alternate formats for reading and writing • May require sighted assistance with writing and graphing • Will require extra time on tests

3. A Little about Visual Disabilities

4. Story: OMG a Blind Student! • Don’t feel badly for being nervous! • Even disability services can get nervous • A few tips can help…and remember, learn from your student!

5. Basic Blindness Literacy • Yes, you can say blind or “see you later”! • Speak directly to the person • Identify yourself to the person • Blind people may use braille…they very rarely know sign language (unless they are blind and deaf)

6. When explaining things to a blind person • Use very specific, concrete language. • Avoid words like “this,” “that,” “here,” “there” • Especially avoid “thing” • “Get that thing over there” is a meaningless statement for a blind person. • To show the person something tactually, ask the person if you may take his/her hand.

7. When giving directions to a blind person • Make sure that you use specific language. • Left/right • In front/behind • Degrees of a circle • Clock face • Compass directions • Always give directions from the blind person’s orientation.

8. Whatcha gonna do? Visual Impairments and Math

9. What Is Often True • Strategies that universally help • In-class note-taker • One-on-one tutoring • Access to electronic text • Extra time on tests • Talking calculators • Tactile graphing strategies

10. Strategy? • Blind strategy or sighted strategy? • Students who used sighted strategies through junior high will probably always “think sighted” when it comes to math • Transition from sighted strategy to auditory/tactile strategy can be VERY difficult

11. Low Vision Strategies • Students with some usable vision will usually prefer large print • May work on computer using enlargement software • Many prefer large paper and felt pen • Their strategies will be primarily visual, not auditory/tactile

12. Sight-free Strategies • Strategies combine tactile and auditory • Auditory math strategies • MathML • LaTeX (only for “blind geeks”) • Chatty Infty (specifically for blind users) • Tactile strategies • Braille and tactile graphics

13. Blindness and Braille • Not all blind people read braille • In fact, many CC students do not • Knowledge of braille usually depends on age of vision loss • Not all students who read braille read Nemeth math braille • As an aside; there are 7 braille codes

14. Nemeth Is Linear • Numbers • 1234567890 • #1234567890 • Symbols • x² + 2x + 2 = 10 • x^2"+2x+2 .k #10

15. Braille Options • Brailing math is expensive and time-consuming • Algebra books can cost $25,000+ • Calculus books can cost $50,000+ • Consider “independent study” with a book already in braille • www.atpc.net • www.aph.org

16. How can you help? Instructor Strategies

17. What You Can Do • Order books as early as possible • Consider adopting a book for 3+ years • Provide campus alternate media staff with electronic files for tests • Educate yourself about the issues • Be creative • Verbalize, verbalize, verbalize!

18. Use Meaningful Words • Use concrete terms • Meaningless! • “Here is the equation.” • “We start with the equation and factor.” • “Set both factors equal to zero and solve to get the result.” • Avoid • This, that, here, there, thing

19. Don’t just write it; verbalize it! • 6x2 = 53x + 9 • Subtract 53x and 9 from both sides • 6x2 – 53x – 9 = 0 • Trinomial factoring gives us • (6x + 1)(x – 9) = 0 • Set both factors equal to zero • 6x + 1 = 0 and x – 9 = 0 • Solve each equation…etc.

20. How to Do Homework Reading & Writing Math

21. Work with Disability Support Services • Someone on campus can help • Alternate media specialist • Access technology specialist • Disability services director • Please let those folks know they can call Gaeir! • HTCTU Secretary: 408-996-4636

22. Math to the Student • Audio • Human narration • MathML or MathJax • Can be read with MathPlayer or Chrome VOX • Text to speech • Braille or large print • Tactile graphics

23. Math from the Student • Sighted scribes • Large print versions • Braille to text programs • Tactile solutions

24. Math Is Pictures, too! Graphing

25. Story: Low-tech Solutions Are Okay (and even fun)! • The value of manipulatives • Pipe cleaners • Wiki Stix

26. Be Creative! • Manipulatives • Many standard K-12 manipulatives work very well • Some may need tactile aspects added • Collage • Puff paint • Cut-outs • Real objects

27. Other Tactile Strategies • Magnet boards • Letters and numbers can be purchased • Symbols can be cut from magnetic sheets • Corkboard for graphics • Glue heavy thread (or architect’s tape) to make a grid • Push-pins and string for graphing

28. Turning It In • How do you turn in a graph done on a corkboard? • Take a picture with your phone!

29. Commercial Tactile Aids • Wikki Stix • www.wikkistix.com • Raised Line Drawing Kit • www.maxiaids.com • Specialized abacus, protractor, etc. • www.aph.org • MathWindow • www.mathwindow.com

30. Tactile Diagrams: PIAF • “Pictures in a Flash” • www.humanware.com • Start with computer graphic, print, photocopy to PIAF (microcapsule) paper • “Toast” graphic

31. Math Machines that Talk Calculators

32. Simple Calculators • Lots of choices • www.maxiaids.com

33. Scientific Calculator • Orion TI-36X Talking Calculator • Stats, algebra, geometry, trig, calculus • American Printing House for the Blind • www.aph.org • MaxiAids • www.maxiaids.com

34. Simple Software Calculator • MathTrax • Works with screen readers • Free from NASA • http://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/MathTrax/

35. Software Graphing Calculator • Audio Graphing Calculator • Computer software, talks • ViewPlus Technology www.viewplus.com • Note: Graphs can be printed and PIAF-ed

36. Online Teaching Considerations

37. Beware! • Most math software is *not* accessible with screen readers • My Math Lab (Pearson) is working on accessibility • Many others aren’t even trying • As faculty members, you have real power to help by expressing concern!

38. MyMathLab Note • Not ALL problems are accessible • The accessible problems are marked with a symbol • You cannot “fix” the inaccessible ones • The graphing is not accessible • Pearson is working on it—talk to them for more info

39. Learning Management Systems • Most interfaces are fairly accessible • Documents must be accessible *before* uploading them • Equations must be MathML or LaTeX • Graphics need text descriptions • Most chat systems are not accessible • Interactive whiteboards are not accessible

40. OER Materials • Most OER math books are PDFs, and the equations are graphics • Computers cannot read graphics!

41. Story: Accessible Statistics • Barbara’s OER Stats book is accessible in MathML • (For an accessible stats calculation program, see R-Project for Stats: http://www.r-project.org/)

42. Tips for General Interaction

43. Feel free to contact us! • Gaeir (rhymes with “fire”) Dietrichgdietrich@htctu.net408-996-6047 * www.htctu.nethttp://accessiblemath.org/resources.htm • Barbara Illowskyillowskybarbara@deanza.edu(408) 864-8211