At APH Press, we strive to create books that provide both parents and professionals with the knowledge and resources they need to help children who are blind or low vision thrive. Reach Out and Teach is the ultimate guide to helping a child who is blind or low vision learn and grow. This comprehensive guidebook focuses on learning at developmental stages, expanded strategies to promote children’s skills, and preparation for early intervention, preschool, kindergarten, and beyond. The book is divided into two distinct sections. Part One focuses on meeting your baby and addresses common concerns ..read more

Standardized tests can be a source of anxiety for students who are blind or have low vision. Although they are required to be given in an accessible format, new adaptations need to be made to accommodate the switch from hard copy tests to computerized versions. The APH Monarch serves as a tool to make these testing experiences easier for all. A teacher supervisor at the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Lori Cole’s students used to receive braille testing booklets and input their answers on the computer. This year, students will be completing the ATLAS test, a computer-based ..read more

Braille and tactile graphics allow students who are blind or low vision to learn the same educational concepts as their sighted peers. To improve access to these materials, APH worked with companies and organizations around the world to create eBraille, a new file standard that allows braille and tactile graphics to be read together in one document. We are also in the process of releasing an eBraille converter so customers who purchase the Monarch can request and receive eBraille files. What is eBraille? APH embarked on a two-year journey to create a new file standard that would maximize the c ..read more

Are you ready to dive into the fascinating world of literacy education for students with visual impairments? APH is thrilled to announce the launch of our summer cohort, powered by the Hive, where educators and aspiring Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) can unlock new insights and strategies to enhance their teaching practice. What Defines Our Cohort? A unique opportunity to engage in an asynchronous learning experience over a six-week period, the cohort spans from July to early August. Our primary goal is to foster a collaborative environment where TVIs and those preparing t ..read more

Imagine what it would be like to be shut off from the outside world for decades, only to find that everything has changed once you’ve been given your freedom. That’s what many of the participants in APH’s Braille Transcriber Apprenticeship Program (BTAP) experience when they are released from prison. We spoke with APH’s Jayma Hawkins, Senior Director of the National Prison Braille Network Program (NPBN), to learn more about how APH and BTAP work together to assist participants as they transition back into society. Voted to the Executive Board this year, Jayma started BTAP in 2015 after several ..read more

Standardized testing scores among students who are blind and have low vision are very low in STEM subjects. When APH and its partners created the Monarch, their goal was to make a piece of access technology that students could use throughout their school day to succeed in every class, especially math. The Monarch is a 10-line by 32-cell refreshable braille display, which can render lines of braille and tactile graphics on the same surface. With the Word processor, Greg Stilson, APH’s Senior Director of Global Innovation, said, “Students can receive math worksheets and view them in their prefer ..read more

Math is not the most accessible subject for students who are blind or have low vision. Adaptations to activities and new materials have attempted to fix this problem, but none have come close until now. With its multitude of apps, the Monarch is making math accessible for all. Modifying an equation and seamlessly creating another graph has never been as easy for students who are blind and low vision as it is now.  At the push of a button, the Desmos Graphing Calculator allows students to understand how one change can transform an entire graph. “This is huge for math concepts and understan ..read more

Have you ever seen someone who had glasses with what looked like miniature telescopes attached to the lenses? A special device for people who are blind or low vision, bioptic lenses are a regular set of glasses with a telescope at the top that you can look into to see signs, stop lights, or anything else that you need to view more clearly or closely. Typically, the scope is mounted on the right or left side, depending on which eye has better vision. Some people have scopes on both sides. Using bioptic glasses allows a legally blind or low vision driver to operate a motor vehicle. This is calle ..read more

National Library Week is an annual celebration of the value and impact libraries across the country bring to their communities. This year’s theme of “Ready, Set, Library!” promotes how libraries give us the green light to do truly special things, like connect with others, learn new skills, access resources, and so much more! This year, National Library Week is April 7-13, 2024, and each day of the week has a special theme highlighting various aspects of the work libraries do, including Right to Read Day, National Library Worker’s Day, National Library Outreach Day, and Take Action for Librarie ..read more

Braille helps students who are blind or low vision with reading, writing, and comprehension so they can succeed in school and life. APH created the Monarch, a 10-line by 32-cell refreshable braille display which can render lines of braille and tactile graphics on the same surface, to increase student access to braille textbooks and classroom materials. The Monarch has spread its wings and is making strides to improve braille literacy for students of all ages. One of the biggest advantages of the Monarch is its multi-line braille display. Krystal Guillory, an itinerant Teacher of the Visually I ..read more