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Goal

The goal of this proposal is to provide equal access to tools of measurement (Click Rule, talking tape measure, & talking scales) for blind students to facilitate collaboration with sighted peers and access measurement standards in math and science classes throughout all grade levels. 

What will be done with my students

The use of these tools will be immediately integrated into classroom instruction in conjunction with classroom measurement activities across all grade levels with the classmates of blind students. The tools will also be integrated into regularly scheduled after school vision club activities. Additionally, these specialized tools will be presented during White Cane Day blindness awareness activities hosted by the vision department throughout the month of October to highlight the accomplishments of the blind and showcase how independence can be achieved with the use of adaptive tools. We in the vision department are passionate about spreading the message that our students, and all students with disabilities, should be known by their abilities, not their disabilities. These White Cane Day activities reach hundreds of students and staff members every school year. The benefits of these tools will be evidenced throughout the school year with positive academic and social gains for blind and sighted students.  

Benefits to my students

The adaptative tools that we currently use for measurement are accessible to the blind in braille only, which limits students' abilities to collaboratively work with their peers on measurement related tasks, inherently isolating blind students. The commonly available tools are also typically made of paper or flimsy plastic and are easily broken making them difficult to use repeatedly over time. The tools proposed in this grant help us overcome these access barriers. These tools are durable and are able to be used by both sighted and blind students year after year which fosters inclusion with equal access. There is an inherent interest displayed by the peers of our blind students whenever an assistive device is used, and these tools not only empower our blind students to achieve academic success independently, they also educate their peers by highlighting the "different is not less" motto.

The Click Rule is a metal ruler that has tactile marks within 1/16 of an inch and allows the user to both feel and hear a click of each increment when being used for measurement tasks. The Click Rule is more tactually accessible, has an additional auditory component, and is a more precise measuring tool. Each
Click Rule comes with four rods that can be connected, making this tool also appropriate for measurement activities that would require a yardstick.

The talking tape measure looks very similar to a traditional tape measure but has a digital display that also speaks the measurement.

The talking bathroom scale and talking kitchen scale will allow students to participate in various weight measurement activities with scales that are accessible to them. The scales also have high contrast digital displays making them accessible to sighted and blind students.  

Budget Narrative

We would like to request $1169.72 to be spent on accessible tools of measurement for length and weight that can be used by our blind students and their classmates. The money would be used to purchase four talking kitchen scales and three talking bathroom scales from Amazon, five click rules from Adaptations.org, and two talking tape measures from MaxiAids.
 

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