How I Keep Track Of Assignments With Low Vision

Learning how to organize my assignments and document what is due and when is a skill that has helped me a lot in college. That said, keeping track of assignment due dates and writing down homework instructions with low vision is not a skill that I learned without assistance or something that I learned right away— just ask my parents or any teacher I had in middle school or high school. They would probably share some of the terrible strategies I used, like trying to memorize what was written on the board on the way out the door, assuming the teacher would tell us if there was something assigned for homework, or copying down entirely wrong information from the board (like assignments for different class periods or writing the wrong question numbers).

My ability to keep things organized and use compensatory skills started to improve a lot after ninth grade, but the biggest difference for me involved using apps and other technology to keep track of assignments and due dates instead of trying to write things down or remember everything. I’m glad that I took the time to develop these skills, find a planner alternative, and learn to keep track of assignments, because otherwise I would not be studying for my PhD! Here are my tips for keeping track of homework for students with visual impairments and staying organized when it comes to assignments and projects, infused with my own experiences as a student with low vision who disliked using school planners.

Unhelpful strategies for keeping track of assignments with low vision

When I was in high school, I remember telling my case manager and parents that I had trouble writing down my assignments in the school-provided planner because all of the text boxes were small and I had trouble reading my handwriting. Sometimes I would write assignments down in the planner, but then would have no idea what I was reading later or I would forget to open my planner. Here are some of the other unhelpful organizational strategies I tried as a young student for keeping track of assignments, and why they were not helpful:

Memorize what is on the board to write it down later. I would pass the homework board on my way out the door to my next class, and told myself I would just memorize what was on the board and write it down when I got to my next class. I would either forget what was on the board because I got distracted or write down the wrong thing.
Take a picture of the board. To avoid walking up to the board, I would take a zoomed-in photo of the homework board. This often looked super blurry or cut off, and sometimes I would decide it looked “good enough” only to realize I couldn’t read it later.
Wait for the teacher to say what the homework was. My teachers had a lot of things to do, especially during class, and announcing homework information to the class was not something they did consistently. Alternatively, they might just tell students to look at the board.
Ask a friend what the homework is. A lot of my friends would not write down everything on the board or would not read everything that was written on the board if I asked them. Besides, I wanted to be independent as much as possible.
Write homework down quickly in a planner or on a piece of paper. I would have trouble locating my planner or lose papers in my backpack. Plus, dysgraphia made it challenging for me to read what I wrote.
Use the school planner that is hard to read. This was too small for me to write in neatly, and I would become discouraged trying to write legibly or write at all, so I would avoid using it as much as possible.

I share these unhelpful strategies because I really didn’t want to “stand out” by using technology or bringing attention to my low vision, something that a lot of students with visual impairments experience. That said, I would frequently “stand out” more by forgetting assignments, getting lower grades, or trying to make other people responsible for telling me when homework was due. Learning to keep track of assignments and find a way to manage assignment deadlines has made it much easier for me to focus on studying instead of focusing on how my vision loss can make certain tasks more difficult.

Choosing an accessible to-do list app with low vision

There are so many accessible to-do list apps out there that support large print, screen readers, high contrast color schemes, dark mode, and other accessibility settings for low vision. The best accessible to-do list app is one that a student will use, though I recommend looking for the following features:

Access to-do lists across multiple devices, such as phone, computer, and tablet. This way, students can access reminders from whatever device they are using, instead of having to track down a specific item (e.g. phone)
Download apps or access to-do lists across multiple operating systems, e.g. Android and Windows
Set notifications or reminders for tasks, which can appear on their device’s lock screen or status bar.
Add due dates for tasks
Option to type or dictate items to add to a list
Ability to create multiple lists
Break down tasks into sub-tasks or steps
Option to create shared lists that others can add to

Examples of accessible to-do list apps that can be used as agendas or planners for visually impaired students can include:

Microsoft To-Do
Google Keep
Apple Reminders (note: not available for Android)

Since my school primarily uses Microsoft products, I have Microsoft To-Do installed on my Android phone, iPad, and connected to my Windows computer so I can check due dates or add/remove tasks from any device; I also have a Microsoft To-Do widget on my phone’s home screen launcher so I can add tasks without having to open the app. These features are also available on Google Keep and Apple Reminders, though users will need to log in to iCloud through their web browser if they aren’t using an Apple device.

I prefer keeping information organized in a separate app instead of relying on the course website to remind me when items are due. This is because my instructors don’t always add discussion boards or quizzes to the course calendar, or I prefer to set different due dates so I can make sure assignments are finished early.

Using a to-do list vs using a calendar app for low vision

Another helpful strategy for keeping track of assignments is a calendar app, such as Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar. These types of apps also support reminders and assigning due dates to assignments, but the extra features may be too overwhelming for students that just want to keep track of assignments or that are looking for a step-by-step checklist. Other students may prefer to document assignments or reminders in a to-do list app and import due dates into a calendar app later to serve as an additional reminder.

Learning to use to-do list apps with low vision

The most important question to ask when choosing a to-do list app for students with low vision is “will the student actually use this?” If the answer to that question is no, here are some strategies to consider that can make students feel more comfortable with staying organized and using a to-do list app:

If the student is worried about standing out by having their phone, it helps to remember they are using their phone for a specific academic task and that writing homework down can make them a better student/ensure they are getting access to all of the same information as their peers. It is much easier to read something that is typed compared to messy handwriting. Alternatively, many apps support adding tasks from a computer or tablet, which the student may already be using in class.
Personalize the application to reflect student interests. Many to-do list apps offer features like changing text or background colors, adding emoji, or other decorative elements. Just make sure everything is still readable!
If typing is a challenge, use dictation or set up Siri/Gemini to add items to To-Do, Reminders, or Keep. Have the student verify that information is accurate before they leave the classroom; this can be done by reading the reminders back using a screen reader or text-to-speech
For students that are trying to get out of the classroom to avoid hallway traffic, one potential modification is to have the student write down the homework assignment at the beginning of class and then put their phone away or use their computer to add reminders.
Middle school or high school students who are working with a TVI/TSVI or case manager can share their lists with their teacher, staff members, and/or other trusted adults, who can review the lists and make sure information is being copied down correctly. While it can be helpful to make corrections, students should be aware of what corrections are being made so that they can improve; for example, if I wrote down question 8 instead of question 18, I would appreciate it if someone corrected me, but I would also want to know that I copied it wrong to begin with.

Other skills to practice when learning to use to-do list apps with low vision include adding and removing items from lists, how to set due dates and notifications, and reading list items with large print, text-to-speech/screen readers, or with a braille display. Since I mostly use large print, my process of learning to use a to-do list app mostly consisted of learning where different icons were located and what they do.

Organizing assignments and homework on a to-do list

Should students have all of their assignments and homework on one list, or break it up into several lists? Some students may prefer to have a separate to-do list for each of their classes (e.g. Algebra 2, Biology) or have one list with all of the homework for their classes (similar to a planner). Another option is to list each class as a task within a list and then have sub-tasks or steps with individual assignments; for example, Algebra 2 could have two assignments listed as sub-tasks or steps listed underneath the primary task.

In my college/university classes, I prefer to have a separate list for each class and break individual assignments into sub-tasks. For example, if I have a discussion board post due for a Government class, I would add a discussion board task to my Government list, and then create sub-tasks to post my original reply, reply to one student, and reply to a second student, only marking the task as complete once all steps are finished. This is also helpful for writing papers or working on longer projects across multiple days.

Since many of my college/university professors will provide a list of all of the assignments for modules or for the class, I often take a few minutes to add all of the assignments, homework, and corresponding due dates to a to-do list. That way, I can check them off throughout the semester or work ahead/catch up on assignments if needed.

Example of one list with ongoing tasks

List title: Homework

Statistics
- Article Critique 2
- Homework 4
English
- Read Chapter 6 of Case Study
- Complete two sections of annotated bibliography
Band
- Complete call-in #8
- Add more bass clarinet reeds to case
Government
- Respond to discussion board prompt #10 on Moodle
- Complete digital scavenger hunt

For each task, the student will set a due date and reminders for when to complete the items within the to-do list app.

Example of class list with tasks

List title: Government

Discussion board post
- Post reply on Canvas by Friday
- Respond to student #1 by Sunday
- Respond to student #2 by Sunday
Article critique 3
- Submit on Moodle
Read chapter 6 of textbook
Digital scavenger hunt activity
- Answer multiple-choice questions
- Submit on Moodle
Exam 12/9

The student has a separate list for each of their classes. For each task, the student will set a due date and reminders for when to complete the items within the to-do list app. Each task has a specific due date as well. Another option would be to create bullet points for each module if all assignments are due on the same day and have each module activity listed as a task or sub-task.

Keeping track of projects and tests on a to-do list

For projects and tests that are assigned days or weeks in advance, I create a separate list that breaks the project or test into sub-tasks and add a due date to the task or list. Once I set a due date, I can also enable notifications that will remind me about this list at specific dates or times, which can be helpful reminders to make sure everything is turned in. Since a lot of my tests require me to complete study guides or other tasks in advance, I personally prefer to keep this list separate from homework assignments.

Example of projects on a to-do list

List title: EBQ3

Introduction
- Thesis statement
- Background context
- Summarize other paragraphs in 1-2 sentences
Body paragraph 1
- Topic sentence
- Detail 1
- Detail 2
- Transition to next paragraph
Body paragraph 2
- Topic sentence
- Detail 1
- Detail 2
- Transition to next paragraph
Conclusion
- Summarize topic sentences
- Restate thesis
- Add call to action
Format references and bibliography
- Add in-text citations
- Add references at the end
Writing conference with teacher
Submit paper

Each bulleted task is due on a different day to help the student have everything ready before the “submit paper” deadline and to remind them of what to include in each section.

Example of exams on a to-do list

List title: Semester exams

Statistics (due 12/6, reminder every day)
- Submit testing center form
- Study guide 1
- Study guide 2
- Complete proctoring check
- Exam: 12/6 at 7:00 PM
English (due 12/7, reminder every day)
- Submit EBQ on 12/7 on Canvas
Band (due 12/8, reminder the day before)
- Chair test 12/8 at 10:00 AM
- Music theory exam proctored in-class on 12/8
Government (due 12/9, reminder 2 days before)
- Test on Moodle due on 12/9
- Submit article critique before exam
- Study chapter 3