I use dictation as assistive technology frequently when I am using mainstream technology devices such as my computer, phone, and tablet. Also known as speech-to-text, dictation tools take spoken words, numbers, punctuation, and other formatting information as input, and transcribes the audio as text that…

I love math and am very good at it, but often struggle with organizing scratch paper and “show your work” prompts when handwriting math assignments- I would tell people that my brain loves math, but my eyes do not. I have a combination of low…

When I was in middle and high school, I often had trouble with reading the formula sheets provided for tests and exams and wouldn’t use them, which would lead to me getting lower grades than other students. This changed when I learned how to create…

When I was in middle and high school, my teachers were adamant that all students should use lined paper for math and science classes so that we could write out equations and solve problems on the page. This didn’t work well for me as a…

I’ve used several different types of assistive technology for dysgraphia over the years, ranging from low-tech/no-tech devices that don’t require any batteries to the use of a computer or tablet that makes it possible for me to type all of my notes and not have…

For some of the practice problems in my classes, I have to draw graphs or plot points by hand, a task that can be difficult as a person with low vision and dysgraphia. While there are lots of ways to draw graphs in a digital…

Many years ago, I set a goal to write at least 2500 words per day on a creative writing project or for a blog, which has helped me tremendously with hitting writing goals and becoming a more confident writer. I use a few different high-tech…

The other day, I was having a conversation with a teacher of the visually impaired about paper and document sizes for people with low vision. They were wondering how I would choose what documents would be on what size paper, and how I would store…

In 2019, I interned at Microsoft on the Excel team, where I helped outline the redesign of a feature that makes it easier for users to locate patterns in a given dataset. Someone had asked me about what I bring to work as a program…

Recently, I received a note from someone on my website asking me if I was familiar with the AlphaSmart for low vision and dysgraphia. I was surprised that someone had asked me about this, as I had used it in early high school but had…

Before one of my close friends moved to another country for two years, they gave me a handwritten card that is filled with all sorts of memories and inside jokes about our friendship. Shortly after they handed me the card, my friend asked me if…

I was officially diagnosed with dysgraphia at the age of five, which is a learning disability that is characterized by poor handwriting and trouble with forming letters. I’ve always struggled with dysgraphia, but the people who seemed most frustrated by my poor handwriting were my…

Yearbooks are a fun end-of-school-year tradition that allow students to celebrate their accomplishments and friendships that they have made during the year and provide opportunities for documenting memories. My school yearbooks are the only books I own that have a small/standard print size, but I’ve…

How to make instructor evaluations accessible to students with vision impairments and print disabilities while preserving privacy and anonymity.

Tips for managing dysgraphia in classroom settings, from elementary school to college.