NFB EQ for Teachers: A Nonvisual & Accessible Engineering Curriculum
NFB EQ for Teachers is a free, online curriculum and collection of resources for educators who want to teach NFB EQ, the National Federation of the Blind’s week-long engineering program designed for blind and low-vision youth.
The National Federation of the Blind has always been an innovator when it comes to education, technology, and access. We believe that STEM learning should be accessible for all, including blind and low-vision youth. As our world is evolving to become more and more digital, we discovered a need to create a version of our popular NFB EQ curriculum that is digitally accessible, free, and publicly available. In other words, an online, Open Educational Resource (OER) that allows educators to access the NFB EQ curriculum remotely — from anywhere.
The correct citation for this curriculum is:
Shaheen, N. L., Goodridge, W. H., Lopez, S, Anderson, P., Cunningham, A., Nietfeld, D., (2023, April). NFB Engineering Quotient Curriculum. National Federation of the Blind. https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb-eq/nfb-eq-teachers
NFB EQ is part of NFB’s Spatial Ability and Blind Engineering Research Project, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1712887. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
About NFB
NFB is the oldest and largest organization of blind people. Founded in 1940 and currently headquartered in Baltimore, NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Through our network of blind members, we coordinate many programs, services, and resources to defend the rights of blind Americans, provide information and support to blind children and adults, and build a community that creates a future full of opportunities.
We have produced science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs for blind youth nearly every year since 2004. These programs, with support from universities, federal agencies, and STEM employers, have been facilitated with blind youth of various ages on university campuses, museums across the country, at the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, and have even been adapted for remote-learning experiences. While the format has varied, the core values have remained the same: a fundamental understanding that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.
Understanding Our Approach to STEM Teaching & Learning
Lesson Plans
Introduction to "A Place of My Own"
- Lesson: Introduction to "A Place of My Own" (HTML)
- Handout: Project Description and Design Brief (BRF)
- Handout: Project Description and Design Brief (Word)
- Handout: Prototyping Ideation (BRF)
- Handout: Prototyping Ideation (Word)
Engineering 101
Defining Disability
Basics of Nonvisual Wood Working
- Lesson: Basics of Nonvisual Wood Working (HTML)
- Plan Narrative: Angle/Length Jig (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Angle/Length Jig (Word)
- Plan: Angle/Length Jig BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Angle/Length Jig LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
NFB EQ Expo Introduction
Introduction to Drawing
- Lesson: Introduction to Drawing (HTML)
- Handout: Intro to Drawing Workbook (PDF for hardcopy production only)
Intermediate Drawing & Drafting
- Lesson: Intermediate Drawing and Drafting (HTML)
- Handout: Intermediate Drawing and Drafting Workbook (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan Narrative: Block House (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Block House (Word)
- Plan: Block House BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Block House LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan Narrative: Cube on Base (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Cube on Base (Word)
- Plan: Cube on Base BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Cube on Base LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan Narrative: Doghouse Models (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Doghouse Models (Word)
- Plan: Doghouse Models (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan Narrative: Picture Plane Manipulative (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Picture Plane Manipulative (Word)
- Plan: Picture Plane Manipulative (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Sun House Girl (PDF for hardcopy production only)
Engineering Drafting & Multiview Drawing
- Lesson: Engineering Drafting and Multiview Drawing (HTML)
- Handout: Dimensioning Example (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Floor and Elevation Plans (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Linetypes BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Linetypes LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Multiview Block 2 BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Multiview Block 2 LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Multiview Doghouse BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Multiview Doghouse LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Snap Cubes (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan Narrative: Big Doghouse (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Big Doghouse (Word)
- Plan: Big Doghouse BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Big Doghouse LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Multiview Block BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Multiview Block LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan Narrative: Plexiglass Cube (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Plexiglass Cube (Word)
- Plan Narrative: Plexiglass Cube Overlay (BRF)
- Plan: Plexiglass Cube BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Plexiglass Cube LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Plexiglass Cube Overlay (JPEG)
Forming Foundations
Fun with Forces
Columns of Calculation
- Lesson: Columns of Calculation (HTML)
- Handout: Bracing BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Bracing LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Column Plan (BRF)
- Handout: Column Plan (Word)
- Handout: Load Adjustment Factors (BRF)
- Handout: Load Adjustment Factors (Word)
- Plan Narrative: Angle/Length Jig (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Angle/Length Jig (Word)
- Plan: Angle/Length Jig BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Angle/Length Jig LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan Narrative: Column Tester (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Column Tester (Word)
- Plan: Column Tester BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Column Tester LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
The Roof System
- Lesson: The Roof System (HTML)
- Plan Narrative: Angle/Length Jig (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Angle/Length Jig (Word)
- Plan: Angle/Length Jig BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Angle/Length Jig LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan Narrative: Pavilion Model (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Pavilion Model (Word)
- Plan: Pavilion Model BRL (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan: Pavilion Model LP (PDF for hardcopy production only)
Forces in a Roof
- Lesson: Forces in a Roof (HTML)
- Handout: The Truss (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Handout: Truss Analysis Overview (Word)
- Handout: Vector Components (PDF for hardcopy production only)
- Plan Narrative: Pasco Models (BRF)
- Plan Narrative: Pasco Models (Word)
- Plan: Pasco Model 1 (STL)
- Plan: Pasco Model 1b (STL)
- Plan: Pasco Model 2 (STL)
- Plan: Pasco Model 2b (STL)