Qualitative research highlights experiences with technology, learning progress, and social-emotional effects of the pandemic

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 23, 2022)-The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) today announced the release of the third Access and Engagement research report, which examines the continued negative impact of systemic and COVID-19-specific issues on the education of students who are blind or have low vision. The report is based on focus groups and short surveys with families of these students and the professionals who serve them as the 2020-2021 school year concluded.

American Foundation for the Blind Announces Third Access and Engagement Report, Observing Impact of COVID-19 as Students with Visual Impairments Returned to In-Person Education full article

OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 2, 2022 /CNW/ – A post-secondary education, such as a trade school, college, polytechnic or university, is essential to the future career and long-term success to which students, including students with disabilities, aspire. That is why the Government of Canada continues to improve supports under the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program (CSFA Program) for students with disabilities.

Today, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced new measures under the CSFA Program. Post-secondary financial supports became more accessible as of August 1, 2022, with the Government extending disability supports under the CSFA Program to include those with a persistent or prolonged disability. Additionally, the Government has increased flexibility for documentation that can be accepted when applying for CSFA Program disability supports.

Government of Canada Announces Improved Financial Supports for Students With Disabilities full article

Bill Holton
AccessWorld News

When his young son, Noah, lost most of his vision to bilateral retinal blastoma cancer, like most fathers, Bryan Shaw, PhD worried about his son’s education and future prospects. He also knew that earlier detection of Noah’s cancer might have saved more of his sight.

One of the early signs of retinal blastoma is known as leukocoria “leukos means white and kore means pupil.) “An abnormal light reflection in the eye can signify retinal blastoma, the onset of a cataract, a scarred retina or vitreous hemorrhage,” says Shaw. “The condition will show up most often in low light situations, or in photographs.”

Accessible Science: Chemistry 101 full article

One in five U.S. students has a learning or attention issue, and teachers aren’t well prepared to help them by TONI BARTON March 14, 2022
Despite initiatives, students with disabilities are still performing significantly below their peers in general education. Credit: Jackie Mader/The Hechinger Report

The Hechinger Report is a national nonprofit newsroom that reports on one topic: education. Sign up for our weekly newsletters to get stories like this delivered directly to your inbox.

We need to rethink school systems and environments if we are going to better serve students with the highest levels of need. Traditional systems, practices and policies in many cases cater only to general education students.

OPINION: How to Better Serve Students With Disabilities full article

The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC) is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 academic year. This year we will be awarding two T-Base Communications Scholarships, two AEBC Scholarships and a British Columbia Scholarship, each with a value of $1,000.

The application deadline for the 2022 AEBC/T-Base Communications scholarship program is Friday, March 25th, 2022. All applications and supporting materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, March 25th, 2022 in order for applications to be considered by AEBC.

The application package can be downloaded in French and English from: http://www.blindcanadians.ca/programs/scholarship.

Please pass this information along to those you feel would benefit from the program.

Introducing The 2022-2023 AEBC and T-Base Communications Scholarship Program full article

Success Beyond Sight, (SBS), a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, has created a FREE National Registry (NRTSVI) for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVIs/TVIs) to empower a national voice for TSVIs/TVIs and to provide a means to reach, on a national level, TSVIs/TVIs with free resources and important professional information.

Success Beyond Sight recognizes the crucial role that TSVIs/TVIs play in the long-term success of their students. Strong instruction and mentorship by TSVIs/TVIs are common denominators for many highly accomplished adults who were born without vision or who lost their vision as children.

National Registry for Teachers of Students With Visual Impairments Launches full article

By Rhea Kelly09/09/21

With fully online or hybrid course formats still very much in play at colleges and universities around the world, accessibility issues remain a key challenge, according to a recent study.

To find out the state of accessibility in higher education, transcription and captioning company Verbit commissioned a survey of both higher ed professionals and students in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia about accessible materials and technologies in use on their campuses, their familiarity with students’ accessibility needs, and the pain points involved.

Respondents numbered 132 campus leaders and 100 students with a noted disability; responses were collected between April and May of this year.

Survey: Accessibility Challenges Persist as Hybrid and Online Learning Continues full article

by Molly Mayhew | CTT.

What started with an innocent question from an instructor last year brought four university units together to create a new resource with information about accessibility and universal design for learning.

After McKinzie Sutter, an instructional designer at the Center for Transformative Teaching, assisted an instructor in finding a captioning service for YouTube videos, the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities reached out about the potential to share more tips with faculty in relation to accessibility.

New Resource Focuses on Accessibility, Universal Design for Learning full article