Educational Programs and Curricula
Following are the sections of this department. Click on a title to go there.
American Printing House for the Blind [APH]
mail: P.O. Box 6085, Louisville, KY 40206-0085 U.S.A.
internet: http://www.aph.org/
e-mail: info@aph.org
fax: 502-899-2274
voice: 800-223-1839, 800-572-0844, 502-895-2405
They sell several braille curricula for teaching braille to adults and children.
Archer, Mary Lou
mail: Communications Center, 2200 University Avenue West #240, St. Paul, MN 55144-1840 U.S.A.
Curriculum English Braille in 40 Lessons for the adult learner.
Beach Cities Braille Guild
mail: P.O. Box 712, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 U.S.A.
Jumbo braille curriculum The World at My Fingertips by Norma L. Schecter.
Braille Authority of North America [BANA]
internet: http://www.brailleauthority.org/
This organization helps oversee the standardization of English braille codes used in North America.
Braille Through Remote Learning
internet: http://www.brl.org
This site offers a self-paced tutorial in Brialle. One level is free, without exercises or support from staff. The next level costs $50, with exercises and some help from instructors. Full support costs more. See the site for complete information.
Canadian National Institute for the Blind [CNIB]
internet: http://www.cnib.org
The ABLK Method of Teaching Braille by Bernice G. Robins is geared for the deaf-blind adult.
Canadian National Institute for the Blind [CNIB]
contact: Transcription Department
mail: 100-5055 Joyce Street, Vancouver, BC V5R 6B2 CANADA
Their curriculum Brushing Up on Braille is intended for reviewing the Grade 2 braille code.
Exceptional Teaching Aids
internet: http://www.exceptionalteaching.com
Sells curricula for braille readiness and braille reading.
Grant Wood Area Education Agency
mail: 4401 Sixth Street S.W., Cedar Rapids, IA 52404-4499 U.S.A.
fax: 319-399-6457
voice: 319-399-6821
Their curriculum Braille Too is designed for students of middle school age who are learning braille for the first time.
Hadley School for the Blind
internet: http://www.hadley-school.org
Their braille curriculum Step By Step Braille by Bernard M. Krebs is available to enrolled students.
Lehigh Valley Braille Guild
mail: 614 North 13th Street, Allentown, PA 18102 U.S.A.
Book Manual for Spanish Braille.
Macdonald School, The W. Ross
mail: The STAR Center, 350 Brant Avenue, Brantford, ON N3T 3J9 CANADA
internet: http://stauffer.queensu.ca/inforef/srs/wrms_hlp.htm
e-mail: karen.nagel@sympatico.ca
voice: 519-759-0730
Book One Is Fun "Guidelines for Better Braille Literacy" by Marjorie Troughton ($25.00) has fun activities and games introducing braille letters and letter sounds, a great list of books appropriate for blind children, and perceptual motor activities that coordinate with each letter.
Multiple Services Media Technology
mail: 11 West Barham Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95407 U.S.A.
Curriculum to learn braille Reading With Feeling.
Napier Publications.
mail: 2011 8th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80631 U.S.A.
Braille curriculum Teaching Braille Reading to Adventiously Blinded Individuals by Grace D. Napier.
National Braille Press
mail: 88 St. Stephens Street, Boston, MA 02112 U.S.A.
internet: http://www.nbp.org
e-mail: orders@nbp.org
fax: 617-437-0456
voice: 800-548-7323, 617-266-6160
Book Just Enough to Know Better by Eileen P. Curan introduces parents to the braille their blind child is learning.
National Federation of the Blind, The [NFB]
internet: http://www.nfb.org
Curricula: Beginning Braille for Adults by Michael Tobin; McDuffy Reader by Sharon L. M. Duffy.
North Carolina Central University (Durham)
internet: http://www.shodor.org/braille
Program "BRL -- Braille Through Remote Learning" is funded by a federal grant to teach braille as a university course over the computer.
Opus Technologies
internet: http://www.opustec.com/
Books How to Read Braille Music, Second Edition (in print and braille, and on CD-ROM) and New International Manual of Braille Music Notation. Also available is the Opus Braille Font Pack.
Project Salute
internet: http://www.projectsalute.net
Their organization provides information on "successful adaptations for learning to use touch effectively".
Royal National Institute for the Blind [RNIB]
internet: http://www.rnib.org.uk
The curriculum Beginning Braille by Michael Tobin is meant to be used by an adult who wants to learn braille independently.
Scalar's Publishing
mail: P.O. Box 158123, Nashville, TN 37215 U.S.A.
internet: http://members.aol.com/scalars
email: ashcrosc@ctrvax.vanderbuilt.edu
voice: 615-371-0205
Sells books, including The Braille Enthusiast's Dictionary with 29,000 entries, New Programmed Instruction in Braille (a book for sighted to learn braille), and the accompanying Instructor's Manual and Companion Reader.
Troughton, Marjorie
mail: 5 Kingsway Crescent, Brantford, ON N3R 1M6 CANADA
voice: 519-7653-1604
Book One is Fun: Guidelines for Better Braille Literacy is about teaching braille to young children. This book is also available from The W. Ross Macdonald Ross School.
Virginia Department for the Visually Handicapped
mail: 397 Azalea Avenue, Richmond, VA 23227 U.S.A.
e-mail: Slonnegr@DVHmail.state.va.us
fax: 804-371-3351
voice: 804-371-3113
Booklet What is Braille? Virginia's Braille Awareness Guide, introduction to braille codes, including ink dot representations and information on braille instruction.
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Ben Challis' Research Page
internet: http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/~bpc/research/
"My research area is concerned with improving accessibility to music notation for blind people through the use of computers."
Braille Music Page
internet: http://www.cstp.umkc.edu/personal/bhugh/brmintrohtml
e-mail: BHugh@ctps.umkc.edu
This web site shows all the braille music symbols.
Guitar Lessons for the Blind
internet: http://www3.edgenet.net/zacknewton/homepage.html
Lessons here appear as text files, meant to be read by speech software.
Bill Brown
internet: http://www.guitarbyear.com
e-mail: bilbrown@MCIWORLD.COM
This gentleman has authored the music learning systems "Guitar by Ear" and "Piano by Ear", which are taught on audio cassette tape. The introductory courses are available through the Library of Congress or your local library. Several programs are available to purchase from him at reasonable prices.
Michigan Association of Transcribers for the Visually Impaired [MATVI]
mail: 913 Country Road 612, Lewiston, MI 49756 U.S.A.
voice: 517-786-5311
Sells a manual of piano instruction which combines braille and print.
M.I.R.A.C.L.E. Project
internet: http://projects.fnb.nl/
This project is attempting to united European sources for music in digital formats, to enable the blind to download printed music in a reproducible format. Recently, the project has joined with several others under a new "umbrella" organization. Look at the web site for the many music projects going on in Sweden and Europe.
Music Education Network for the Visually Impaired
mail: Southern California Conservatory of Music, 8711 Sunland Blvd., Sun Valley, CA 91352 U.S.A.
e-mail: taeshr@netcom.ix.com
fax: 818-768-6242
voice: 818-767-6554
This newly-formed organization is seeking to provide a network of information regarding the teaching of music to blind children and adults, and to act as a resource guide to braille music materials.
Music Educators National Conference [MENC]
mail: Publications Sales, 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 22091 U.S.A.
internet: http://www.menc.org
e-mail: MbMENC@aol.com
voice: 800-828-0229, 800-336-3768
Sells professional resources for music teachers, including: a video series that explores the history and philosophy of music from different cultural groups; and books TIPS: Teaching Music to Special Learners, TIPS: Music Education in Early Childhood, and several others.
National Resource Center for Blind Musicians
mail: 600 University Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06601
e-mail: 102730.163@compuserve.com
fax: 203-368-2847
voice: 203-366-3300
Holds annual "Summer Institute for Blind College-bound Musicians".
Nicotra, Prof. Giuseppe
mail: Via del Minatore 3/C – 37122 Verona ITALY
internet: http://www.stakes.fi/tidecong/412PLAY6.html
e-mail: nicotra@easynet.it
fax: +39 45 8650549
voice: +39 335 6389863
A European consortium is researching and authoring braille music transcription software.
Opus Technologies
mail: 13333 Thunderhead Street, San Diego, CA 92129-2329 U.S.A.
internet: http://www.opustec.com/Index.htm
e-mail: opus@opustec.com
voice and fax: 858-538-9401
Their music resources including New International Manual of Braille Music Notation and How to Read Braille Music, Second Edition. These books are available in print or braille and on CD-ROM. They are also selling braille sheet music for popular songs.
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Blind Children's Fund
internet: http://www.blindchildrensfund.org/
They have a demonstration site of Lilli Nielsen's curriculum operating in Washington state.
Lilli Nielsen Little Room, The
internet: http://members.aol.com/LSWebDesgn/LNroom.html
This web site is written by a mother whose daughter uses the Little Room.
Lilliput L.L.C.
internet: http://w3.trib.com/~liput/
An official distributor of Lilli Nielsen materials.
LilliWorks Active Learning Foundation
internet: http://lilliworks.org/
An official distributor of Lilli Nielsen materials.
MOVE International: Mobility Opportunities Via Education
contact: U.S.A. Headquarters
internet: http://www.kern.org/edserv/move
This non-profit organization promotes "Project MOVE", an activity-based program to teach functional motor skills. They provide equipment and training.
Ohio Center for Deafblind Education
internet: http://www.ssco.org/ocdbe/
Their booklet Hold Everything is available to download. It lists 20 "stay-put play spaces" that can be constructed from common materials, and includes materails lists and construction instructions. Each play area is similar in function and use to the Little Room by Lilli Nielsen.
Rifton for People with Disabilities
mail: P.O. Box 901, Rifton, NY 12471-9001 U.S.A.
Has a catalog of products for persons with physical disabilities, such as standers, balance boards, and positioners. Most of these are part of the program promulgated by MOVE International (above).
SpecialEd Solutions, Inc.
internet: http://www.specialed.com
"Noisy Box" (sensory stimulation "room") and "Noisy Board" (resonance board) help students develop object permanence, spacial relations, cause-and-effect, and movement.
Vision Associates
internet: http://www.visionkits.com/#
Reference materials on the curricula by Lilli Nielsen.
WonderBaby
internet: http://www.wonderbaby.org/articles/play-area.html
Information on stimulating play environments.
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Explore my own attempt to show illustrations of what the world might look like to people with some common eye conditions by clicking on a link:
with frames
without frames
Allergan Pharmaceuticals
contact: Karen Bringas
mail: P.O. Box 19534, Irvine, CA 92713-9534
internet: http://www.allernet.allergan.com
voice: 800-347-4500 x4188, 714-752-4500
This vendor of eye care products has pediatric items and educational materials, including free posters with simulations of eye conditions.
American Optometric Association
mail: 243 North Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63141
internet: http://www.aoanet.org
fax: 314-991-4101
voice: 314-991-4100
Video cassette on how the eye works, several pamphlets on eye conditions (send self- addressed, stamped envelope), and models of the eye. Voice phone extension 329 will access facts about visual conditions. The internet site has eye care advice for parents and a fun page for the children (with optical illusions, etc).
Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
internet: http://www.acbvi.org/albums/vision/index.html
A slide show shows simulated views of what the world might look like for people with common visual impairments.
Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired
mail: 215 Sheldon S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503
internet: http://www.grcmc.org/blindser/cblind.html
e-mail: blindserve@j2K.com
voice: 800-466-8084, 616-458-1187
Their web site shows how the world might look to people with different eye conditions.
DAAS Consulting
mail: P.O. Box 93545, Nelson Park PO, Vancouver, BC V6E 4L7 CANADA
e-mail: daascon@istar.ca
Vision problems simulations kits for professionals. These may be ordered through the mail, and are not found in stores.
Lighthouse, Inc., The
mail: 111 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022
TTY: 212-821-9713
voice: 800-334-5497, 212-821-9200
"VisualEyes Simulators" are a set of glasses which simulate functional vision loss. Poster "A Photographic Essay on Partial Sight".
Stereo Vision Project, The
internet: http://www.vision3d.com
e-mail: webmaster@vision3d.com
Has information on humans' vision in three dimensions, including a checklist for parents.
Swiss National Association of and for the Blind
mail: Schuetzengasse 4, CH-9000 St. Gallen SWITZERLAND
fax: 0041-71-222-73-18
voice: 0041-71-223-36-36
Sells a video cassette called Between Sight and Sightlessness II, which shows simulated examples of different visual conditions.
Zimmerman, George J.
mail: 1932 Woodside Road, Glenshaw, PA 15116-2122
internet: http://www.spedex.com/zimmerman-lvsk
e-mail: zimmerman@spedex.com
voice: 412-487-2818
"Zimmerman Low Vision Simulation Kit" uses welder's goggles to simulate different degrees of loss of acuity or loss of field.
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Bartiméus Zeist
mail: P.O. Box 1003, 3700 BA, Zeist THE NETHERLANDS
internet: http://www.bartimeus.nl
e-mail: 106307.1210@compuserve.com
fax: 31-30-9 82 375
voice: 31-30-69 82 211
ITVIC: Intelligence Test for Visually Impaired Children. (This is a nonverbal intelligence test series by Dr. Riet Dekker which has ten haptic subtests. It is geared for ages 6 to 15 and is available in English, Dutch, and German.) Also for sale is the video cassette See You, about low vision and social development. In development is the English translation of the book Kindren die slecht zien (Children with Low Vision).
Stoelting
mail: 620 Wheat Lane, Wood Dale, IL 60191 U.S.A.
internet: http://www.stoeltingco.com
email: psychtest@stoeltingco.com
fax: 630-860-9775
voice: 630-860-9700
Publisher of testing materials for professionals, including: vision and O&M assessments; the Haptic Intelligence Test; developmental scales for infants/toddlers and for the developmentally delayed. Catalog.
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This page was last updated July, 2008.