So questions for #Blind #Edgucaters, #teachers, #school staff and anyone in the #education field as a whole.

I am a university student who originally planned to double major in computer science and elementary education, but I’ve recently faced some concerns that I’d like to address.

I’ve been told that pursuing a teaching certification might not be advisable because schools may be reluctant to hire a teacher with low vision, who is mostly blind, to manage a classroom of thirty or more students. This has been quite upsetting.

My dream was to work with elementary students, focusing on #STEM subjects and teaching technology-related topics like understanding tech, its role in the world, and the basics of programming. Now, I find myself uncertain about what path to take.

Working with kids, especially those in elementary school, is my biggest passion, even more than tech or music. It’s something that would truly fulfill me. Since I can’t have kids myself, guiding and teaching young learners is the next best thing. It’s a career I’m committed to and want to excel in.

Being advised not to pursue a teaching certification and to focus solely on computer science has been quite discouraging. I’ve been told to study elementary education as a secondary focus and combine it with my computer science studies. This might involve developing educational systems for kids, but it would likely mean limited direct interaction, possibly just during product testing, which isn’t enough for me.

So, I have a few questions:

1. Are there any educators with #Blindness or #LowVision challenges working with elementary students? If so, in what capacity do you work with them?
2. How has your disability affected your effectiveness in the field?
3. What challenges did you face in getting certified and qualified, and how did you overcome them?
4. What obstacles have you encountered in the classroom and with colleagues, and how have you addressed them?

If these questions don’t apply, what advice can you offer me in pursuing my goal of working with children? While tech is a focus, I’m open to being flexible, as long as it’s an area I’m confident in.

Finally, if teaching isn’t possible for me, what other career paths would you suggest that align with my goals?

I’d really appreciate any support
and engagement in this discussion.

Boosts welcomed and appreciated.

#BlindEducators #Teachers #Education #AskMastodon #VocationalAdvice #University #TeacherLife #OvercomingAbleism

Huge props to the #NVDAsr team for recognizing this and taking the steps to make #Braille a priority. Will be filling out their survey and hope other #Windows #ScreenReader users will do the same.

#Blind #LowVision #BlindMasto #BlindMastodon #BlindFedi @mastoblind

Calling All Blind and Low Vision Users!

Exciting news! I’ve reached out to Apple Accessibility, and they’re on board to collaborate with us. They’ve asked me to put together a team so we can work directly with their team and engineers.

Are you passionate about improving accessibility features for blind and low vision users? Do you use VoiceOver, Zoom, or other low vision features on your devices? We need your help!

We’re looking for individuals who are interested in providing feedback and testing new features from our point of view. Your input will be invaluable in making technology more accessible for everyone.

If you’re interested in participating, please fill out the form below:

forms.microsoft.com/r/eRQAsmMb…

Let’s make a difference together!
Feel free to share this post.

Best,
Matthew Whitaker

#Accessibility #BlindUsers #LowVision #VoiceOver #Zoom #AppleAccessibility #TechForAll #Inclusion #AccessibilityMatters #blind #lowvision

⌨️ Nielsen Norman Group research on how screen-reader users type on and control mobile devices

“Summary: Users who are blind or have low vision prefer dictation over typing with a keyboard whenever possible. Screen readers on touchscreen devices are restricted to a well-defined set of gestures which makes interaction more challenging than on computers.”

#accessibility #usability #mobile #lowVision #blind

nngroup.com/articles/screen-re…

How Screen-Reader Users Type on and Control Mobile Devices

Screen-reader users prefer dictation over typing with a keyboard. Screen readers on touchscreen devices are restricted to certain gestures which makes interaction more challenging than on computers.

^{Nielsen Norman Group}

Check out the latest great content for blind and visually impaired people using Android.

Available in Turkish erisilebilirandroid.com/

and English erisilebilirandroid.com/en/

#blind #visuallyimpaired #lowvision
#android #accessibility #a11y

The #scrcpy utility is super useful. It is open source and available for free.
Connect your phone to your PC with USB or Wi-Fi:
✅ mirror the phone's screen to your PC
✅ use Windows Magnifier to zoom in on the phone
✅ copy paste text in both directions
✅ use the PC keyboard and mouse with your phone
✅ record the phone's screen while mirroring

Download `scrcpy` from...

github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy

#blind #lowvision #visuallyimpared #andoird #a11y

GitHub - Genymobile/scrcpy: Display and control your Android device

Display and control your Android device. Contribute to Genymobile/scrcpy development by creating an account on GitHub.

^GitHub

These magnetic USB C adapters are truly fantastic! Recommended for anyone blind or visually impaired.
Available from Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress.

✅ Makes fitting a USB cable easy - the magnet pulls the cable into place.
✅ Saves wear and tear on the USB C port.
✅ Can be used with chargers, wired earbuds and data sync cables.
✅ Acts as a quick release if the cable gets yanked.
✅ They work well with phones, laptops, and tablets.

amazon.com/Magnetic-Adapter-Co…

#blind #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #a11y

If you're a #lowvision person and use Windows, checkout PowerToys from Microsoft. Some of the tools it comes with are super useful.
👉 On screen ruler tracking mouse
👉 Grab text from any image on screen & auto ICR'd & put in the clipboard.
👉 Change Windows shortcut keys and add new ones.

More info here:
learn.microsoft.com/en-us/wind…

#sightimpaired #visuallyimpaired

Microsoft PowerToys

Microsoft PowerToys is a set of utilities for customizing Windows. Utilities include ColorPicker, FancyZones, File Explorer Add-ons, Image Resizer, Keyboard Manager, PowerRename, PowerToys Run, a Shortcut Guide and more to come.

^{learn.microsoft.com}