As someone who regularly writes about assistive technology and accessibility, I have taken a lot of steps to ensure that my content is accessible to as many audiences as possible- not just people with low vision or blindness. One of the areas I have been…

This semester, I noticed a new tool within my online classes called Blackboard Ally that could transform the way that I access materials as a student with low vision that fluctuates frequently. I’ve been using Blackboard Ally for about a week and a half now,…

As part of my work as the Microsoft Content Specialist for AIM-VA and as a Microsoft Certified Educator, I had the opportunity to present a short talk as part of the AT Lab at the I’m Determined Summit, a virtual conference for students with disabilities…

Every year, people from all around the world gather to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and this year is no exception. I’ve noticed that many of the events are targetted at professionals who want to learn more about accessibility and people who are already involved…

Earlier today, I received an email from a parent asking about using the Raz-Kids app with visual impairment and if the app could be used independently by an older elementary school-aged student with low vision. I’ve used this app in the past when helping students…

Over the years, I have had several awesome teachers and professors who have helped me learn how to write essays and research papers for my classes quickly and efficiently. Because of them, I have earned consistently high scores on all of my writing assignments and…

At the beginning of the semester, I often sit down with my professors and go over my Disability Services File so that they can have a better understanding of what I can and can’t see in my physical and virtual classes. One of my professors…

Recently, one of my friends was asking me about a way to read articles and browse websites offline with assistive technology, and I was excited to tell them all about the Pocket app accessibility for visual impairment. The Pocket app has grown in popularity over…

As a person with low vision, I personally prefer to read text in large print whenever possible. However, there are times when I am unable to read text due to eye strain, the largest font size available is too small, or I am dealing with…

Educational posters are common fixtures in K-12 classrooms, as teachers love to find ways to present information in a fun and visual way that students can easily reference by looking around the classroom. However, blind students or students with low vision frequently do not have…

The other day, one of my friends texted me with an urgent question asking how to request accessible textbooks in college. Their professor had just announced they would be using a new textbook for the rest of the semester, and they had no idea how…

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 several of my math, statistics, and data science classes, the professor will provide a formula sheet for quizzes and exams, or encourage students to make their own. Many of these formula sheets are difficult to read, because there is lots of information printed on…

Recently, I was talking to a faculty mentor about interesting reading apps for kids, and the app Novel Effect came up as a great way to encourage students to read books, stories, and poems out loud. While I’ve always felt fairly comfortable with reading text…

When I was visiting Palo Alto, I had the opportunity to tour Bookshare headquarters and learn more about how Bookshare books come to life. As someone who has used the service for over eight years, it was fascinating for me to see all of the…