BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING MATHEMATICS FOR BLIND STUDENTS

THIS PROPOSED PROJECT WILL CREATE A SERIES OF SKILL-BUILDINGMATERIALS AIMED AT MEETING THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF BLIND STUDENTS STUDYING MATHEMATICS. MANY EXPERTS HAVE POINTED TO BRAILLE SKILLS AS CENTRAL TO EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS FOR BLIND STUDENTS; SKILL IN USING NEMETH CODE (THE BRAILLE CODE FOR MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE NOTATION) IS ESPECIALLY CRUCIAL FOR PROGRESS IN MATH AND SCIENCE. RECENT TRENDS IN THE EDUCATION OF BLIND STUDENTS HAVE SHIFTED AWAY FROM BRAILLE, DENYING STUDENTS A METHOD OFWORKING OUT MATHEMATICS PROBLEMS THAT WOULD REMAIN USEFUL ASTHEY PROGRESS BEYOND ARITHMETIC. WE PROPOSE TO CREATE A SERIES OF DOCUMENTS IN BRAILLE, AUDIO TAPE, AND INKPRINT, AIMED AT BLIND STUDENTS, THEIR MAINSTREAM TEACHERS, THEIR RESOURCE TEACHERS, AND THEIR PARENTS, TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THESEMATERIALS WILL ALLOW MORE BLIND STUDENTS TO DEVELOP TO THEIRFULL POTENTIAL IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE. IN ADDITION, WE PLAN TO DEVELOP COMPUTER-BASED TOOLS FOR THE QUICK GENERATION OF USEFUL TACTILE DIAGRAMS AND TO STUDYTHE PRACTICABILITY OF CLASSROOM USE BY TEACHERS, AIDES, AND STUDENTS OF A COMPUTER-BASED BRAILLE MATH TRANSLATOR (WHEN SUCH A TRANSLATOR BECOMES AVAILABLE.)