by Monica Turner
As a Field Services Representative, one of my responsibilities is to go to conferences and exhibit APH products. Oftentimes I will display many of the new and exciting products that we have to offer in order to provide consumers an opportunity to see the items firsthand before making the decision to purchase them. While it is wonderful that APH has been producing so many new products over the past several years, I find that I'm not often able to take along as many of the wonderful, older products that we still have available. We give you information about our new products each month as they are released, and we have been thinking that it might be beneficial to also go back and revisit some of the "oldies but goodies." We hope you agree and we welcome any suggestions you may have about products that you would like to see highlighted. Please send your comments and suggestions to Monica Turner at mmturner@aph.org.
DRAFTSMAN Tactile Drawing Board
The first product that we would like to revisit with you is the DRAFTSMAN Tactile Drawing Board which was first produced in 2005. This product is a versatile tactile drawing board that is used in combination with special film and a stylus to create raised-line drawings instantly. It is intended for a wide audience, such as visually impaired students, teachers, parents, and adults, and can be used in a wide variety of situations, whenever a simple raised-line drawing is needed. APH Tactile Graphics Project Leader, Karen Poppe has created a PowerPoint presentation (.ppt)to provide further information about this product. This information is also provided in a text-only format.
This video clip, http://www.aphmedia.org/video/draftsman.avi, demonstrates exactly how to prepare the DRAFTSMAN for use.
Staying in the Driver's Seat When You No Longer Drive
Reclaiming Independence: Staying in the Driver's Seat When You No Longer Drive is a product developed by Penny Rosenblum, Ph.D. and Terrie Terlau, Ph.D., released in 2007. This kit includes a large print resource guide, a cassette recording of the resource guide, and a DVD or VHS video. The 45-minute video follows six older persons, who stopped driving because of vision loss, as they continue to lead active, independent lives. These individuals discuss issues such as dealing with loss, and finding low vision, rehabilitation, and transportation resources that allow them to become successful non-drivers. The accompanying resource guide provides information about understanding visual impairment, services for adults with vision loss, transportation options and strategies for using them successfully, and finding resources that work. This product can offer people with low vision and their families validation, role models, information, examples of positive outcomes, and hope. The link below will allow you to watch an 8-minute complimentary preview trailer of the video.
http://www.aphmedia.org/video/ReclaimingIndependence.wmv
If you know of anyone who might benefit from receiving a DVD copy of this complementary preview along with an informative brochure, we do have a limited supply available. Please contact Terrie Terlau at tterlau@aph.org with their mailing information.
Card Chart Kit
The Card Chart Kit holds the 3 1/2 x 2 inch braille/print cards sold by APH. The chart board measures 19 1/2 x 12 1/4 inches and has holes for hanging and a corner cut for orientation. Up to five cards can be inserted into each of the six high contrast slots. The kit includes 90 blank cards. Additional blank cards may be purchased separately and several sets of prepared cards are available for purchase.
The Expanded Dolch Word Cards consist of 220 sight vocabulary words and 95 words with pictures. These cards can be used for reading practice or an informal assessment of a student's ability to read words in contracted braille and to spell words in uncontracted braille. Words are shown in contracted braille on one side and uncontracted braille on the other, with large print on both sides.
Braille Contraction Cards are large print/braille flashcards that can be used for practicing the Literary Braille contractions. This set includes the alphabet and numbers, punctuation and composition signs, two-cell contractions, one-cell whole-word and part-word contractions, and short-form words. There are 247 cards in this kit. The first 26 cards contain the braille alphabet on one side and large print on the other side. Remaining cards contain contracted braille on one side and both uncontracted braille and large print on the other side.
The Math Drill Cards that are available for use with the Card Chart Kit include Number & Math Signs, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division. The cards in the Number & Math Sign set have a math sign or number sign in braille on one side and large print and braille on the opposite side. Large print/braille math operations cards have a math fact on one side and the fact with the answer on the opposite side. These cards are done using the Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics.
Together with any of these card collections or with cards that you create yourself using the blank cards, the Card Chart can be used for a variety of activities such as:
- Alphabetizing
- Matching (i.e., states and capitols)
- Categorizing (i.e., verbs and nouns)
- Reproducing information from a worksheet or blackboard
- Sentence structure
- Constructing a class seating chart
- Scheduling activities
- And many, many more.
Geometry Tactile Graphics Kit
Geometry Tactile Graphics Kit is a set of thermoformed raised-line drawings depicting geometry concepts, figures, and relationships which are covered in nearly all geometry textbooks. The graphics in this kit, however, are larger and easier for students to measure than those in most braille textbooks. They are intended to supplement, not replace, the graphics in a student’s adapted textbook.
This kit includes 26 white plastic thermoform sheets measuring 8 1/2 x 11 inches (52 drawings total), two specially adapted protractors, a teacher's guide in print and braille, and a storage binder. The protractor itself has several unique features, designed specifically for use with the graphics in this kit, which make it easier to use than an adapted commercial model. The teacher’s guide provides specific instructions about the recommended procedure for using the protractor, as well as a description of each drawing and instructional hints for teaching each concept.
In the PowerPoint that follows, you can see the line drawing of each graphic provided in the kit. Note: The black line drawings shown are not included in the kit, only the thermoformed graphics, but each line drawing is currently available for download from the Tactile Graphic Image Library.
Download the Geometry Tactile Graphics Kit PowerPoint.
Fine Motor Development Materials Kit: Twist, Turn, and Learn was designed to help young children who are visually impaired or multiply disabled in developing and refining fine motor functions. Fine motor activities encourage the development of eye-hand coordination and help children practice the skills required to handle or manipulate small objects with their fingers. The eight specially designed modules included in the kit assist students in developing such skills as reaching, grasping, raking, pincer grasp, wrist rotation, searching technique, palmar grasp, and visual-motor/visual-perceptual coordination and attract the child's attention with bright colors and ringing bells. The modules nest together for convenient storage in a durable carrying bag. Also included is a set of straps designed to allow the modules to be hung on playpens or cribs. This product comes with a teacher’s guidebook that contains ideas and suggestions for utilizing the modules.
This PowerPoint provides photographs and a brief explanation of each module.
The Brannan Cubarithm Slate is a rubber slate with a 16 x 16 grid pattern of nests which will hold small 3/8" plastic Brannan Cubarithm Cubes which are placed in the squares of the frame. Slate and cubes are sold separately. Each cube represents one digit and are numbered 0 through 9 in braille (no print). The cubes are available in a set of 100. Young students may find it easier to use this slate and cubes, rather than a brailler, to align problems such as multiplication.
The Brannan slate was designed by R.E. Brannan of Summit, New Jersey. Brannan turned over his rights to the invention to APH. APH began manufacturing the Brannan Cubarithm Slate and Cubes in 1957. Directions for how to use this device are available on our Fred's Head Blog. Photographs of the device and the mathematical equations described in the blog can be viewed in this PowerPoint.
The Everyday Exposure to Experiences for Enjoyment Calendar, also called the Everyday Activities Calendar, was written by Nancy Smith, a Wisconsin state-wide consultant for children who are blind or visually impaired and produced by APH in 2001. It is an idea-filled calendar that suggests a fun preschool activity for each day of the year. The calendar was designed specifically for young (ages 3-8) visually impaired children, but all children may benefit from and enjoy participating in the activities. The activities are drawn from everyday occurrences in a child’s life and make use of easily accessible, low cost materials typically available in the home. The large print/braille calendar comes in a three-ring binder with a colored dividing page between each month. The calendar is formatted with two days per page. This calendar does not track any specific year, and can therefore be used year after year.
The introduction for this product includes detailed task analyses of washing the dishes and of crushing crackers for meat loaf stuffing. These are provided in order to demonstrate examples of how to break an everyday experience down into the smaller steps that make up the experience. Because visual impairment results in a deficit of learning through visual observations and it is necessary to use a multisensory approach that takes advantage of the child’s remaining senses. Activities may need to be broken into smaller segments and repeated multiple times.
Examples of some of the everyday experiences that are included in this calendar are:
“What is a salad? Help make one for dinner.”
“Use an alarm clock to wake up.”
“Pick all the nickels from a pile of coins and buy something with them.”
“Find pairs of things, like shoes, socks, and dishes.”
“Visit a vegetable garden. What’s growing there?”
It is not required that every activity in the calendar be completed, but rather, the calendar is meant to be a compilation of ideas from which to draw inspiration and expand upon. The calendar is designed so that the user may begin at any point and choose activities appropriate for the child, the occasion, and the lifestyle of the family. Cross-environmental teaching is encouraged and activities may be taught by a variety of different “teachers” and in a variety of locations.
Listen and Think Auditory Readiness (AR) Level
Listen and Think Level C
Listen and Think is a classic product to develop and improve listening comprehension and thinking skills. Listen and Think was originally released in print in 1968 and was adapted by Eleanor Pester and first sold by APH around 1987. In 2009 the listening materials began being produced in CD format when the audiocassette editions were discontinued.
Listen and Think Auditory Readiness (AR) Level (5-7 years) includes 15 lessons and covers basic listening skills such as understanding positional placement (e.g., up, down, behind, between, beside, etc.), comparing, classifying, cause and effect, sequencing, and predicting outcomes. The AR level includes an introduction and lessons on CDs, a print teacher's handbook, simple multiple-choice answer sheets, and crayons.
Advanced levels Listen and Think Level B (7-8 years) and Listen and Think Level C (8-9 years) introduce such concepts as main ideas, summarizing, outlining, and comparing. Level B and C each include introductory material and lessons on CDs, a print teacher's handbook, braille and large print multiple-choice answer sheets, braille and large print progress charts, crayons and marking pins.
Each lesson presents a recorded passage to the student which introduces various concepts. At the end of each passage are recorded questions that the student can answer using the provided crayons and simplified answer sheet. The correct answers and necessary explanations are provided on the recording as well so that these lessons can be completed independently, in small groupings, or with the entire class, providing flexibility for the teacher. Within the Teacher’s Handbook are additional questions and activities that can be used for follow-up reinforcement and to further extend the concepts presented to the curriculum areas of Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Music.
Money Handling and Budgeting is a collection of techniques and resources for teaching adolescents or young adults who are blind and visually impaired the skills necessary to manage money in daily life. This guide is based on the premise that daily living skills must be learned in natural settings and with real-life applications whenever possible.
A variety of fundamental, interconnected skills are addressed in this product, including: coin and bill identification; counting money and making change; budgeting; basic employment strategies; banking skills; and handling money in a number of simulated and actual daily living situations, such as visiting a store or a bank.
Appendices include a glossary, references, resources, an aids/devices chart, and a record keeping skills chart. Included with this product is an adapted practice checkbook with a vinyl cover; a pack of 28 yellow, raised-line, large type practice checks bound with 8 white, raised-line, large type practice deposit tickets; and a white, large type, columned practice checks and deposits register. The resource guide, along with the adapted practice checkbook, helps students learn vital money handling skills.
O & M Tactile Graphics is a tool for helping teach orientation and mobility concepts such as compass directions, clock locations, and navigating outside and inside. It contains 10 high-contrast print/tactile graphics and a teacher's guide in print and in braille. The teacher's guide gives you basic ideas for lesson planning using the graphics, suggested concepts, and instructional hints for each graphic.
The graphics included address the following concepts:
- straight lines and points
- compass circle and clock face
- city block with sidewalks
- intersection with lanes and sidewalks
- types of intersections
- T intersection
- city blocks, 4X4 grid
- advanced city block
- hallway and rooms
- room with objects
The Chang Tactual Diagram Kit is made up of a board covered with black hook/loop material and over 100 Velcro-backed geometric forms in 27 shapes and sizes, which allow for a wide variety of concept development activities. This versatile tactile aid allows for instruction in orientation and mobility concepts as well as other curricula areas.
The kit comes with a printed instructional guidebook. This guidebook provides 36 lesson plans that cover topics which include:
- Introducing symbolic representation of objects and structures (scanning workspace, room representation, making a picture, left-right relationships, etc.)
- Mathematics (angle construction, area comparison, grouping, and equivalent fractions)
- Social studies (representation of organizational patterns, population information, and governmental body seating)
- Science (representation of wiring diagrams)
- Daily living skills (table setting, and dial-face orientations)
- Orientation and mobility (representation of street layouts, intersections, cardinal directions, traffic movement, etc.)
The Chang kit is easy for young children to manipulate and has a pleasing texture. The stick people that are included have different left and right hands and the face is only incised on one side of the figure. This allows these figures to be used to mirror left-right relationships. They can also simply add an element of play to the lessons since they can be used to navigate the layouts that are created by the student.
The kit can be easily added to and modified as needed by the instructor. For example, the kit does not contain small point symbols, but these can be made by adhering the included Velcro strips onto items to be used as symbols or by using Feel n’ Peel Stickers. This kit can also be used in conjunction with the Picture Maker: Wheatley Tactile Diagramming Kit (its smaller, more colorful, and more complex predecessor), the All-In-One Board, or the
Each project includes objectives, a list of needed materials, the step-by-step instructions, and a companion lesson that often explores other curriculum areas such as science, history, or mathematics. A comprehensive list of suppliers is offered at the end of the guidebook to aid teachers and parents in finding materials for the projects.
Instructors may want to consider using Time for Art as they work with students who are interested in submitting art work for the annual APH InSights art contest. For more information on this contest, visit the APH Museum website.
Tactile Treasures is packaged as a complete kit consisting of three individual binders housing a total of 79 white thermoformed sheets, measuring 8 1/2 x 11 inches, and a teacher's guidebook (both print and braille versions provided) with two suggested scripts or stories for each concept introduced. The guidebook also gives a general overview of the materials, instructions for use, and extended activities. The types of thermoformed objects are numerous: from pretzels, buttons, and rings to zippers, scissors, and shells. The variety of objects depicted adds interest, encourages exploration, and helps broaden vocabulary.
Tactile Treasures can be adapted for a child with low vision by outlining the thermoformed objects with a permanent marker, or even by cutting out items and presenting them on a high-contrast background. In addition, cut-out materials could be presented on a Work-Play Tray. Because of the versatility of the tactile pages, they can also be used to introduce related concepts other than those presented in the provided scripts. For example, thermoformed objects can be paired with the real objects for students who are still learning to transition to the use of thermoformed tactile graphics. (See photos below for examples.)
Please keep in mind that while APH strives to give you products that are timeless and durable, some of the materials that we use will eventually show signs of age. Please always inspect products—especially older products that may have been sitting unused for a period of time—before use, to ensure there are no signs of breakage or loose parts that could be dangerous for small children.
