November 14, 2023 marks seven years since I published my first blog posts about low vision and assistive technology on my website, Veroniiiica (Veronica With Four Eyes). I started this website because I love finding new ways to use mainstream technology as assistive technology and enjoy sharing strategies that I’ve learned for living with loss, and I would often receive requests to share what I had learned with others. I’ve continued to update my posts over the years to reflect new innovations in assistive technology and disability services, but one message that has remained timeless is that investments in assistive technology, accessible educational materials, and disability supports can have a profound effect on student success in the classroom, the workplace, and beyond.
There are many teachers in public schools here in the United States that struggle to get the funding they need to fully invest in student success, especially when it comes to visually impaired students (inclusive of low vision/blind). I want to help teachers get the funding they need so that their students can get the support they deserve, so I’ve partnered with DonorsChoose to create a giving page so that donors can easily find projects that support visually impaired students.
What is DonorsChoose?
DonorsChoose is a nonprofit organization that allows teachers and other approved school staff to post funding requests for classroom materials and similar related items. Teachers can share their projects online or on social media, and donors can filter projects by criteria such as geographic location, subject area, types of projects, or other keywords.
To be eligible for an account on DonorsChoose, the user must be a full-time employee of a school district or Office of Head Start. They must also be a “front line educator” who works directly with students at least 75% of the time at a United States public school, public charter school, or Head Start Center. In some school districts, educators may need additional permission from their building administrator. Before any project is posted, information about the project and the person requesting materials is verified by a DonorsChoose staff member or volunteer.
I have an entire post that provides more information about DonorsChoose and creating projects linked below.
Related links
- How To Create A DonorsChoose Project For Visual Impairment
- 20+ Visual Impairment Project Ideas For DonorsChoose
- Classroom Technology That Benefits Low Vision Students
All about giving pages
Giving pages provide users with the option to create a curated list of projects that they can share online. In my case, I am interested in projects that benefit students with disabilities- specifically students with visual impairments, inclusive of low vision and blind students. Creating a giving page is free with a DonorsChoose account, and the pages can exist indefinitely (or until the creator deletes/archives their page).
Related links
How projects are chosen
When creating a giving page, users have the option to filter projects by a given location, subject, or search criteria. Alternatively, users can hand-pick their own projects by selecting a project on DonorsChoose and selecting the option “add to campaign” on the project page. On my page, projects are chosen if they have the “Students With Disabilities” tag and include the phrase “visually impaired”- sometimes I will also manually add projects that include other terms related to visual impairment as I encounter them.
On my giving page, projects are automatically listed in a random order, and sharing of a project does not constitute an endorsement or guaranteed funding.
Related links
- A to Z of Assistive Technology For Low Vision
- Eight Things You Need To Know About Your Disability Accommodations
Donating to projects on the giving page
There are two ways to donate to projects listed on my giving page to help students with visual impairments:
Option 1- Funding individual projects
One option for donating to projects is to browse through the curated list and select the project you would like to donate to. Donations are processed directly on the project page through DonorsChoose, and 100% of the donation goes to DonorsChoose to purchase the items requested.
Option 2- Give Now button
The Give Now button at the top of the giving page allows users to type in the amount of money they wish to donate. The funds are automatically applied to the top project on the list, and any leftover funds would go to the second project, third project, etc. Again, the order of projects on this page is random/something I do not have control over. Just like with the other funding option, 100% of the donation goes to DonorsChoose.
Can I donate to other projects on DonorsChoose instead?
Absolutely! To search for other projects that might not be listed on my giving page, select the “Find a classroom to support” button at the top of the page. Search results can be filtered by location, cost, availability of match offers, and other options.
Thank you for your support!
As I mark my website’s seventh birthday, I want to express my profound gratitude for my readers, mentors, and everyone who has supported my website for the last seven years. Writing has empowered me to use my lived experiences with disability and chronic illness to develop better tools, resources, and strategies for talking about vision loss and using assistive technology across a variety of different contexts. Being able to continuously learn from my readers and the communities of practice that exist both online and offline has been a privilege, and one that I am grateful for every day.
The best way you can support Veronica With Four Eyes is to continue reading and sharing posts that you find interesting. The second-best way is to donate to my giving page on DonorsChoose, and empower students to not just learn how to live with visual impairments, but to thrive with them too.
