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
Issues
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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
A LITTLE ABOUT VISUAL
DISABILITIES
Story: OMG a Blind
Student!
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Don’t feel badly for being nervous!
Even disability services can get
nervous
A few tips can help…and remember,
learn from your student!
Basic Blindness Literacy
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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)
When explaining things
to a blind person
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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.
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To show the person something
tactually, ask the person if you may
take his/her hand.
When giving directions to
a blind person
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Make sure that you use specific
language.
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Left/right
In front/behind
Degrees of a circle
Clock face
Compass directions
Always give directions from the blind
person’s orientation.
Whatcha gonna do?
VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS AND
MATH
What Is Often True
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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
Strategy?
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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
Low Vision Strategies
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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
Sight-free Strategies
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Strategies combine tactile and auditory
Auditory math strategies
– MathML
– LaTeX (only for “blind geeks”)
– Chatty Infty (specifically for blind users)
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Tactile strategies
– Braille and tactile graphics
Blindness and Braille
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Not all blind people read braille
– In fact, many CC students do not
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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
Nemeth Is Linear
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Numbers
– 1234567890
–#1234567890
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Symbols
– x² + 2x + 2 = 10
– x^2"+2x+2 .k #10
Braille Options
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Brailing math is expensive and timeconsuming
– Algebra books can cost $25,000+
– Calculus books can cost $50,000+
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Consider “independent study” with a
book already in braille
– www.atpc.net
– www.aph.org
How can you help?
INSTRUCTOR STRATEGIES
What You Can Do
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Order books as early as possible
– Consider adopting a book for 3+ years
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Provide campus alternate media staff
with electronic files for tests
Educate yourself about the issues
Be creative
Verbalize, verbalize, verbalize!
Use Meaningful Words
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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.”
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Avoid
– This, that, here, there, thing
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.
How to Do Homework
READING & WRITING MATH
Work with Disability
Support Services
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Someone on campus can help
– Alternate media specialist
– Access technology specialist
– Disability services director
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Please let those folks know they can
call Gaeir!
– HTCTU Secretary: 408-996-4636
Math to the Student
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Audio
– Human narration
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MathML or MathJax
– Can be read with MathPlayer or Chrome
VOX
– Text to speech
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Braille or large print
Tactile graphics
Math from the Student
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Sighted scribes
Large print versions
Braille to text programs
Tactile solutions
Math Is Pictures, too!
GRAPHING
Story: Low-tech Solutions
Are Okay (and even fun)!
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The value of manipulatives
– Pipe cleaners
– Wiki Stix
Be Creative!
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Manipulatives
– Many standard K-12 manipulatives work
very well
– Some may need tactile aspects added
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Collage
– Puff paint
– Cut-outs
– Real objects
Other Tactile Strategies
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Magnet boards
– Letters and numbers can be purchased
– Symbols can be cut from magnetic sheets
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Corkboard for graphics
– Glue heavy thread (or architect’s tape) to
make a grid
– Push-pins and string for graphing
Turning It In
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How do you turn in a graph done on a
corkboard?
Take a picture with your phone!
Commercial Tactile Aids
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Wikki Stix
– www.wikkistix.com
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Raised Line Drawing Kit
– www.maxiaids.com
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Specialized abacus, protractor, etc.
– www.aph.org
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MathWindow
– www.mathwindow.com
Tactile Diagrams: PIAF
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“Pictures in a Flash”
– www.humanware.com
– Start with computer graphic, print,
photocopy to PIAF (microcapsule) paper
– “Toast” graphic
Math Machines that Talk
CALCULATORS
Simple Calculators
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Lots of choices
– www.maxiaids.com
Scientific Calculator
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Orion TI-36X Talking Calculator
– Stats, algebra, geometry, trig, calculus
– American Printing House for the Blind
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www.aph.org
– MaxiAids
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www.maxiaids.com
Simple Software
Calculator
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MathTrax
Works with screen readers
Free from NASA
http://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/MathTrax/
Software Graphing
Calculator
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Audio Graphing Calculator
– Computer software, talks
– ViewPlus Technology www.viewplus.com
– Note: Graphs can be printed and PIAF-ed
ONLINE TEACHING
CONSIDERATIONS
Beware!
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Most math software is *not*
accessible with screen readers
My Math Lab (Pearson) is working on
accessibility
– Many others aren’t even trying
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As faculty members, you have real
power to help by expressing concern!
MyMathLab Note
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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
Learning Management
Systems
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Most interfaces are fairly accessible
Documents must be accessible
*before* uploading them
– Equations must be MathML or LaTeX
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Graphics need text descriptions
Most chat systems are not accessible
Interactive whiteboards are not
accessible
OER Materials
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Most OER math books are PDFs, and
the equations are graphics
Computers cannot read graphics!
Story: Accessible
Statistics
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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/)
Tips for General Interaction
Feel free to contact us!

Gaeir (rhymes with “fire”) Dietrich
[email protected]
408-996-6047 * www.htctu.net
http://accessiblemath.org/resources.htm

Barbara Illowsky
[email protected]
(408) 864-8211