Practical Advice
Formats of Media
Depending on the resources at your library the different formats available at your library will vary. For those will visual impairment, the typical ways in which they interact with the media of books is in the formats of braille books, audio books, or large print editions of books.
Braille Books: A key tool in helping to promote literacy for those who are totally blind. Braille books of all different levels should be acquired, both containing Grade 1 braille as well as those with contractions. Children exposed to contractions in braille "performed better on reading measures, such as vocabulary, decoding, and comprehension" than those who were not (Emerson et al., 2009). However specific instruction in braille is need to learn contractions, so books that engage in both would be beneficial. In addition to these braille books, a print copy of the book would also make for additional help in promoting literacy. As not all children who are blind also have blind parent's, this would allow for sighted parents who do not read braille to aid in their children's literacy.
Just remember braille takes up more space than a regular print book. For example, "a braille book like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, released simultaneously with the print edition, is still 1,100 pages over 10 volumes, compared with the 759 pages of the regular edition" (Samuels, 2008). It may be easier for your library to start out with more lower level braille books, which will be beneficial to your emerging braille readers and develop a patron base to later justify purchases of these more substantial texts.
Large Print Books: Large print books not only serve those with low vision, but they have also been seen to be beneficial for those struggling with dyslexia (Burns, 2009).The unfortunate aspect is that few publishers print large print versions of popular teen and children's books. However technology has come to the aide of these readers! With the advent of e-readers, the user has the ability on some devices to increase the size of the text (Burns, 2009). By investing in digital versions of materials and using devices already in place, the library can accommodate the needs of teens with low vision. Not all libraries will be able to accommodate readers with this new technology, but for those who can, its a good way to serve not only the needs of readers with low vision, but also the general population who can have access to these e-readers as well.
Audio Books: "Reading aloud gives children with visual impairments opportunities to hear how print is read, understand book concepts, and begin to understand vocal inflection and characterization," and while parents and teachers reading aloud is one way in which children can experience this books on tapes, cds, and MP3s can also provide this experience (Brennan et al., 2009). With young children it helps with all the afore mentioned components, but for older teens it is also a way for them to engage in texts that may be above their skill level, but still of interest to them. Popular teen books may not be available in braille or large print format, but often they are available in audio books. While not a substitution for improving literacy by reading, the opportunity provided by audio books for children and young adults to engage with texts independently can help to promote a love of literature, and thus an appreciation for books and reading. Your library may already have many of these resources so don't forget to include them in reader's advisory opportunities!
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Braille and large print books can be quite expensive, and as mentioned on other pages of this website, much material is not made available in these formats. One way in which to combat this issue is for libraries in cooperative groups to work together to build a library-community wide collection. While collection policies may vary among different libraries, often collection development works to not obtain duplicates of low circulating, although important material.
Braille Books: A key tool in helping to promote literacy for those who are totally blind. Braille books of all different levels should be acquired, both containing Grade 1 braille as well as those with contractions. Children exposed to contractions in braille "performed better on reading measures, such as vocabulary, decoding, and comprehension" than those who were not (Emerson et al., 2009). However specific instruction in braille is need to learn contractions, so books that engage in both would be beneficial. In addition to these braille books, a print copy of the book would also make for additional help in promoting literacy. As not all children who are blind also have blind parent's, this would allow for sighted parents who do not read braille to aid in their children's literacy.
Just remember braille takes up more space than a regular print book. For example, "a braille book like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, released simultaneously with the print edition, is still 1,100 pages over 10 volumes, compared with the 759 pages of the regular edition" (Samuels, 2008). It may be easier for your library to start out with more lower level braille books, which will be beneficial to your emerging braille readers and develop a patron base to later justify purchases of these more substantial texts.
Large Print Books: Large print books not only serve those with low vision, but they have also been seen to be beneficial for those struggling with dyslexia (Burns, 2009).The unfortunate aspect is that few publishers print large print versions of popular teen and children's books. However technology has come to the aide of these readers! With the advent of e-readers, the user has the ability on some devices to increase the size of the text (Burns, 2009). By investing in digital versions of materials and using devices already in place, the library can accommodate the needs of teens with low vision. Not all libraries will be able to accommodate readers with this new technology, but for those who can, its a good way to serve not only the needs of readers with low vision, but also the general population who can have access to these e-readers as well.
Audio Books: "Reading aloud gives children with visual impairments opportunities to hear how print is read, understand book concepts, and begin to understand vocal inflection and characterization," and while parents and teachers reading aloud is one way in which children can experience this books on tapes, cds, and MP3s can also provide this experience (Brennan et al., 2009). With young children it helps with all the afore mentioned components, but for older teens it is also a way for them to engage in texts that may be above their skill level, but still of interest to them. Popular teen books may not be available in braille or large print format, but often they are available in audio books. While not a substitution for improving literacy by reading, the opportunity provided by audio books for children and young adults to engage with texts independently can help to promote a love of literature, and thus an appreciation for books and reading. Your library may already have many of these resources so don't forget to include them in reader's advisory opportunities!
************************************************************************************
Braille and large print books can be quite expensive, and as mentioned on other pages of this website, much material is not made available in these formats. One way in which to combat this issue is for libraries in cooperative groups to work together to build a library-community wide collection. While collection policies may vary among different libraries, often collection development works to not obtain duplicates of low circulating, although important material.
Programs
Many programs already in place can be adapted to fit the needs of visually impaired children.
Summer Reading Clubs
-While not completely the FVR that best supports literacy, these are great ways to keep children and young adults reading during the summer months when they are out of school (Fiore, 2006). There are multiple ways to make this more accessible
Story times
- For younger kids, story times are a great way to help promote a love of reading and books. Many involve read aloud crafts, songs, and rhyming. While often story times for younger children will incorporate colorful picture books, sometimes as a result of such detailed pictures in the books, these stories are inaccessible . While not all aspects of story times can be adapted there are a few ways to make them more accessible.
Summer Reading Clubs
-While not completely the FVR that best supports literacy, these are great ways to keep children and young adults reading during the summer months when they are out of school (Fiore, 2006). There are multiple ways to make this more accessible
- allow audio books/read to me - For children with low vision or no vision, accommodations should be made for their particular reading levels. By allowing books to be read to them or audio books, this they will have a greater ability to participate and not feel as though they are being punished for not being as literate as other children.
- Special Book Lists - As you would have special books related to your reading clubs theme, create lists of books in both braille and large print for kids to browse, taking the burden off asking for help to seek out books and allowing them to make choices.
- Special Prizes - Make sure if you give out prizes, to have some prizes that would appeal to kids with low vision. Many times they can not always enjoy the same prizes like pencils with fun designs on them because they can't see the design or don't use pencils. Have other more tactile options like small balls that they can enjoy.
- Scented stamps/ tactile stickers - If you use stamps at all to check off reading logs for the Summer reading program, get scented stamp pads that allow the kids to be able to engage in their accomplishment or stickers that are fuzzy shapes or have raised dots. This allows them to interact with their accomplishment with their other senses, rather than "seeing" what they have accomplished.
Story times
- For younger kids, story times are a great way to help promote a love of reading and books. Many involve read aloud crafts, songs, and rhyming. While often story times for younger children will incorporate colorful picture books, sometimes as a result of such detailed pictures in the books, these stories are inaccessible . While not all aspects of story times can be adapted there are a few ways to make them more accessible.
- Braille picture books - this may sound like a oxymoron, but some picture books like Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar are available with braille writing and raised line pictures. While not many books are available in this format, some are so when planning a program and applicable, use books in your collection that are available in both print and braille.
- Tactile Objects - One of the main ways children with low vision or no vision interact with daily with things is through their sense of touch. "People who are blind have to adapt to lives without sight," and often must problem solve through their sense of touch (Verhoeven et al., 2010). As a result of their lack of vision, many children must rely on physical touch to create an index of things; putting objects with names. By providing children with tactile objects related to the story, a child will be better able to understand why certain things happen in the story, because they will have a physical object to relate to the actions of the story.
Physical Space
Often not much of the physical space of a library needs to be changed. One of the most helpful additions a library can do it provide large print signage or braille labels. Large print signs to delineate sections allow readers to be independent in their search for a text. Along with this helping independence is providing braille labels on some media. For example, creating a braille label on the cases of audio books would allow people who are blind to browse titles independently, rather than relying on a librarian or someone else to find a specific audio book for them by either reading titles out loud or knowing exactly which book they would like. Braille label makers are made for both sighted and blind are available, so with a small investment, a large change for independence can be made.