Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Math Adds Up to Education
Susan Osterhaus, a math teacher at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, recently sent to the office of the editor a sample math packet. This wonderful packet simply bulges with brochures, catalogues, order forms, and flyers about adapted math materials and tools for blind and visually impaired children of all ages�from pre-K to college-age. The resources range from expensive, high-tech items to inexpensive, low-tech, materials.� To order the complete math packet�which is free�send your request and your mailing address to:
Susan A.
Osterhaus, M.Ed.
Secondary Mathematics
Texas School
for the Blind and Visually Impaired
1100 West 45th Street, Austin, TX 78756
[email protected]
www.tsbvi.edu/math
Listed below are some of the resources in the packet:
Videotapes:
Teaching Visually Impaired Students�two videotapes produced by the Iowa State University Media Resources Center in cooperation with Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School:
Tape 1. Preparing Tactile Adaptations for Math and Science (28 min.)
Tape 2. Using Adaptations for Math and Science (18 min.)
Tape 1 is $60, Tape 2 is $60 and together they are $100. All prices are for prepaid orders and shipping is included. Send orders to:
Instructional
Technology Center
1200 Communications
Bldg.
Iowa State University,
Ames, Iowa 50011-3243
Phone: (515) 294-8022�
*� Fax: (515) 294-8089
Instructions for Teachers
Strategies for Developing Mathematics Skills in Students Who Use Braille is a 245-page book that covers such topics as Teaching Nemeth Code, Tactile Displays and Graphics, Spoken Mathematics, etc.
Computerized Nemeth Code Tutor is a tutorial guide (three disks and instruction booklet) that helps sighted teachers of blind students hone their skills in Nemeth Code.
For more information, request a Publications and Resources brochure from:
Association
for Education and
Rehabilitation of the Blind and
Visually Impaired (AER)
4600 Duke Street, Suite 430
P. O. Box 22397, Alexandria, VA 22304
Phone: (877) 492-2708 or (703) 823-9690
Fax: (703) 823-9695� *� [email protected]
Math Courses
Tuition-Free Distance Education�High School and Adult Continuing Education Programs in: general, pre-algebra, applied mathematics, algebra, geometry, metric, and Nemeth Code. Contact:
The Hadley
School for the Blind
700 Elm Street
Winnetka, Illinois
60093-2554
Phone: (800) 526-9909
or (847) 446-8111
Fax: (847) 446-0855
[email protected]
Louis�
A service
of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), Louis, a database
of accessible materials for people who are blind or visually impaired, lists
the location information for over 145,000 books in Braille, large print, computer
file, and/or tape. For information about how to use the Louis system,
contact:
APH
Maria E. Delgado, Louis Database
Field Representative
Phone: (502) 899-2340� *� Fax: (502) 899-2363
[email protected]� *� www.aph.org
Computer Transcription of Math
Convert print math to Braille with Scientific Notebook (SN) and LaTeX importer. Edit, proofread, and emboss Nemeth, BAUK, UEBC, and French math Braille. Contact:
Duxbury
Systems, Inc.
270 Littleton Road, #6
Westford, MA 01886-3523
Phone: (978) 692-3000� *� Fax: (978) 692-7912
[email protected]
www.duxburysystems.com
Math Textbooks in Braille
Computers to Help People, Inc., is a transcription service which specializes in math books�from elementary texts to advanced calculus and logic. For more information contact:
Computers
to Help People, Inc.
825 East Johnson
Street
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 257-5917�
*� Fax: (608) 257-3480
[email protected]
Tactile Graphics
Making tactile graphics can be fast and easy. In only 10 seconds you can process a raised picture with piaf (Pictures in a Flash). Contact:
HumanWare
6245 King Road, Loomis, CA 95650
Phone: (800) 722-3393� *� Fax: (916) 652-7296
[email protected]
www.humanware.com
Maps, Etc.
Tactile Vision, Inc. provides many inexpensive tactile maps, calendars, children�s tactile books (Alphabet Book, My Counting Book, etc.), tactile and Braille greeting cards, etc. The most expensive item in the catalog is $70; the cheapest, $0.75. To order a catalog, contact:
Tactile
Vision, Inc.
461 North Service Road, West, Unit B-11
Oakville, Ontario L6M 2V5 CANADA
Phone: (905) 465-0755
Wikki Stix for the Sight-Impaired
Wikki Stix are an easy way to create tactile graphics and assist with O&M training, map concepts, and much more. The thin, �sticky� strips are made of a special formulation of yarn and wax. They are virtually mistake-proof�press �em down, peel �em off�they are easy to change and reposition. Contact:
Wikki
Stix, Omnicor, Inc.
2432 W. Peoria, #1188
Phoenix, Arizona 85029
Phone: (602) 870-9937� *� Fax: (602) 870-9877
www.wikkistix.com
Math Aids
From toys such as Twist & ShoutTM Multiplication and Dr. Talking Clock to talking calculators, Independent Living Aids, Inc. (ILA) offers a range of math educational resources for blind and visually impaired children. To request a catalog contact:
ILA
200 Robbins Lane
Jericho, NY 11753-2341
Phone: (800) 537-2118� *� Fax: (516) 937-3906
www.independentliving.com
Math Materials and Tools
Tactile demonstration thermometer, Feel �n Peel Stickers, measurement aids, Braille/print Protractor, tangible graphs, tactile graphics starter kit, Braille Transcribers� Kit: Math, Tactile Graphics Kit, graph sheets, Graphic aid for Mathematics, Geometry Tactile Graphics Kit, APH Number Line Device, Orion TI-34 Talking Scientific Calculator, Math Flash, Nemeth Braille Code books, and many more math-related items are available from APH. Contact:
American
Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
1839 Frankfort Avenue
P. O. Box 6085
Louisville, Kentucky 40206-0085
Phone: (502) 895-2405 or (800) 223-1839
Fax: (502) 899-2274
[email protected]�� *�� www.aph.org
Click Rule
The Click Rule is an efficient tactile and auditory measuring device that allows for accurate readings up to 1/16 of an inch, or up to one millimeter. It is especially fast and accurate for wood and tool set-ups. Contact:
Community
Advocates, Inc.
P. O. Box 83304, Lincoln, NE 68501
Fax: (402) 486-3091�� *�� www.clickrule.com
Large Display Calculator
The VisAbleTM Scientific Calculator is a portable, battery-operated, large display calculator that allows people with low vision to perform scientific, statistical, and trigonometric calculations. Contact:
Betacom
Corporation
450 Metheson Blvd. East, Unit 67
Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1R5 CANADA
Phone: (905) 568-9977 or (800) 353-1107
Fax: (905) 568-9925
[email protected]�� *�� www.betacom.com
Leo Braille Display Calculator
Named after the famous 18th century blind mathematician, Leonard Euler, this miniature, 10-ounce scientific calculator has a refreshable Braille display. It performs the standard arithmetic functions and numerous scientific functions such as square root, sine, cosine, tangent, logarithm, conversions, financial functions, and others. Contact:
Robotron
Group
Phone: +613 9568-2568
Fax: +613 9568-1377
[email protected]
www.sensorytools.com
Talking Scientific Calculator
Based on the popular TI-34 calculator from Texas Instruments, the pocket-size talking Orion TI-34 can be used for general math, trigonometry, statistics, physical sciences, etc. For more information contact Orbit Research at (888) 606-7248.