Inaccessibility of Kindle e-books for Blind Students
Features
Read Character by
Character
Usable by Blind
Students:
Kindle e-books
on Any Kindle
Device or PC
No
Read Word by
Word
Use Built-In
Dictionary
Use Built-In
Encyclopedia
Usable by Blind
Students:
Usable by Blind
Students:
iBook
Blio
Yes
Yes
Educational Implications of Kindle
e-books for Blind Students
Kindle e-books interfere with blind students
achieving the following Common Core State
Standards:
•learn grammar, including punctuation,
capitalization, abbreviations, and contractions
(L.CCR.2*)
•master word spelling (L.CCR.2)
•develop phonetic awareness and decoding
skills (RF.K-5.1-3.a-g)
•master sentence structure (L.CCR.1)
•appreciate author’s semantic and cultural
nuances (R.CCR.4)
•comprehend word order to decode sentence
meaning (R.CCR.5)
•master sentence dissection to locate phrases,
clauses, and modifiers (R.CCR.5)
•learn grade-level vocabulary (L.CCR.6)
•identify synonyms and antonyms (L.CCR.5)
•resolve issues of complex or contested word
usage (L.CCR.4)
•explore surrounding issues while reading
(W.CCR.9)
•develop essential and age-appropriate research
skills (W.CCR.7, W.CCR.8)
•learn to be "digitally literate" (W.CCR.8)
*All citations refer to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf.
Inaccessibility of Kindle e-books for Blind Students
Features
Able to Connect to
Braille Display
Educational Implications of Kindle
e-books for Blind Students
Kindle e-books interfere with blind students
achieving the following Common Core State
Standards:
•select text for closer inspection, i.e. main ideas,
comparisons, and contrasts (R.CCR.1)
•study while researching, i.e. select text to
return to at a later time (W.CCR.7)
•take notes and make connections between or
within text (R.CCR.9)
•use note taking as a reading retention strategy
•engage in reading as an active, rather than
passive skill; access for deaf-blind students
Easily Navigate
Table of Contents
and Select Sections
to Read
•keep up with classmates
•achieve overall understanding of a book and its
layout (R.CCR.5)
•study or find facts within text (R.CCR.1)
Find Specific Text
and Navigate
Directly to it
•locate references and key words (R.CCR.1)
•increase comprehension (R.CCR.10)
•skim text effectively
Bookmark and
Navigate to
Specific, NonConsecutive Pages
•follow teacher’s directions to passages; locate
relevant passages for essay assignments
•cite the appropriate page when writing
research papers (W.CCR.7)
Highlight Text
Make Notes
Usable by Blind
Students:
Kindle e-books
on Any Kindle
Device or PC
Usable by Blind
Students:
Usable by Blind
Students:
iBook
Blio
*All citations refer to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf.