Coloring Outside the Lines: Coloring Books for Persons Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired
Coloring Books for Persons Who Are Blind and Visually
Impaired
Did you know that several organizations make coloring books
for persons of all ages who are blind and visually impaired? In this post, we
will introduce you to several coloring books with varying themes and objectives.
Perhaps you may discover a new hobby that you may have thought was beyond your
reach.
The American Printing House for the Blind
Lots of Dots
The American Printing House
for the Blind, (APH) has developed a series of three coloring books called
Lots of Dots.
Lots of Dots: Counting 1 2 3
The first book is entitled Lots of Dots: Counting 1 2 3. The
APH website offers the following description of the series and this first book:
Lots of Dots: Counting 1 2 3 is one book in
the Lots of Dots Coloring Book Series. An exciting set of three
raised-line coloring books designed for future large print and braille readers.
The books are designed for sequential use; children develop character
recognition, pre-literacy, and pre-math skills, and eventually picture building
and daily living skills.
Lots of Dots helps children with visual impairments gain skills similar to those of their sighted peers, facilitating peer interaction. Accompanying each book are suggested enrichment exercises for each letter, number, or word, allowing a child to fully associate the print letter, the braille, the tactile graphic, and the object.
This book presents the numbers 0-30 and then integers of 10 up to 90. Each number has two pages:
·
The first page features two or three large braille cells. The
number is shown with its braille equivalent, along with reduced-size cells
showing which dots need to be colored to complete the number
·
The second page shows the number and tactile graphic
depiction of easy-to-find objects that begin with the same letter as the
number, i.e., five fans, seventeen seashells, etc.
Attached
to the inside front cover is a plastic stencil of three large braille cells.
This can be folded over the blank pages, allowing the child to practice the
braille cell for the number by tracing or by using the accompanying foam
braille chips. This book uses uncontracted braille.
Video: Watch a teacher and student-made video showing some of the activities available in the Lots of Dots Coloring Book Series.
Lots of Dots: Learning my ABC’s
The
second book in the series is called Lots of Dots: Learning my ABC's.
The
introductory description of this book is the same as the others; the site
describes this second book as:
This
learning tool facilitates braille character recognition through repetitive
activities. Each letter of the alphabet has two pages:
·
The first page features a jumbo braille cell, with six raised-line
open circles
·
The second page shows the letter and a tactile graphic depiction
of an easy-to-find object that begins with that letter.
Lots of Dots: Coloring the Garden
Its description demonstrates the importance of reviewing the books in
order:
This
book presents a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and introduces
picture building. The book begins with an empty garden. Each page adds a new
feature, i.e., clouds, rain, seeds, and plants. Once the garden has grown, a
new garden item is introduced on each page for the child to color. The
enrichment activities are simple recipes that the child and
parents/siblings/teachers can do together. The activities present daily living
skills, such as planning, organizing, and food preparation. This book uses
uncontracted and contracted braille, where applicable.
To
better enjoy this book, children should first complete Lots of Dots: Learning
My ABC's and Lots of Dots: Counting 123.
The
Lots of Dots series is intended for people age’s preschool and up.
National Braille Press
National Braille Press, NBP, has a section of books that are
described as activity books for kids, four of which are coloring books. The
first is called I Am a Crayon: What Color Am I? It is a raised line coloring
book described as, “A tactile, braille and large print coloring
book, for blind and sighted family and friends to share with their kids!
Includes 9 unique tactile pictures.”
The second book is called Let’s Count and Color; it is a
raised line coloring book in print and Braille with ten pages for coloring.
The third book is called The Farm, and it is a raised line
coloring book with ten pages for coloring.
The fourth book is called Tactile Book of Dinosaurs; it is a
tactile drawing/coloring book. Its description reads:
This book of tactile images shows you what
dinosaurs were like. Each page features one dinosaur and a short description in
print and braille. The last page is a size comparison, showing how big or small
the dinos were compared to humans. And each raised-line dinosaur is also ready
to be colored in!
Along with the coloring books, themselves, NBP also sells a
box of eight triangular Crayola crayons designed to remain in place and to keep
from rolling off surfaces. These books are listed in the section for children;
no recommendation is given for the age at which children are ready to use the
books, and adults may find them enjoyable also. See and purchase these and the
other children’s activity books at http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/activities.html.
Braille Products for the Blind
This store contains several departments of products for
persons with differing disabilities including blindness, deafness, and mobility
impairments. Their coloring books focus on the four seasons with one coloring
book devoted to each season. Each book contains nine or ten pages of pictures
appropriate for that season which can be colored. They also sell a coloring
book featuring farm animals, one featuring favorite toys, and an additional
section of other children’s activity books. Read about and purchase these books
at www.hearmore.com/categories/175/Braille/Tactile-Books.html.
Many of these same books also are available from MaxiAids, another store
carrying products for people who are blind and visually impaired. See their
coloring books and other products at http://maxiaids.com/.
Tactile Vision Graphics
Tactile Vision Graphics sells many of the coloring books
listed as available from MaxiAids and Braille Products for the Blind; however,
their page gives a detailed explanation of how these books were created, information
on the child who created them, and a list of reasons to purchase them. Go to http://tactilevisiongraphics.com/tactile-colouring-books/
to read the information and to http://tactilevisiongraphics.com/product-category/braille-colouring-books/
to purchase them.
The Braille Superstore
Touch and Trace Books
The Braille Superstore offers four Touch
and Trace books; the site says, “Blind children
will adore these ground-breaking tactile Braille picture books, great for
reading readiness and superb for coloring and tactile recognition.” Books
include My First Shapes, My First Letters, At the Farm, and Christmas Carol
Coloring. View and purchase these books at http://www.braillebookstore.com/Touch-and-Trace-Books/.
National Braille Factory
At one time, National Braille Factory marketed their
coloring books as adult coloring books, ones that persons of any age could
enjoy. While such wording is not found on their site, the site also does not
specify that the books are meant only for children to use. The site lists the
name of each coloring book available currently and a list of the pictures in
each book. There are two Christmas coloring books, one seasonal book that
contains pictures like hearts, Easter eggs, and ghosts, seven basic coloring
books with pictures of general items, one shapes coloring book, one animal
coloring book, and a dog-themed coloring book. Availability of some books is
subject to change so check their site to determine if books are added, removed,
or temporarily out of stock. National Braille Factory welcomes ideas for other
coloring books; to contribute an idea, email suggestions@braillefactory.com.
Browse their selection of coloring books at http://www.braillefactory.com/colouring.htm.
Maybe you thought previously that persons who are blind and
visually impaired could not participate in coloring pictures or that no
coloring books made for blind and visually impaired persons actually existed.
Now that we have dispelled this myth, you may wish to color, even if it is
outside the lines. As APH says when describing their Lots of Dots series,
learning by coloring is fun!
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