For Teachers and Parents
Welcome to the National Center for Blind Youth in Science Web portal!
This Web portal is meant to serve as a centralized clearinghouse of information and resources to assist you in engaging and inspiring blind youth to greater achievement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and careers. Typically, blind youth are tracked out of these subjects due to misconceptions that science and math are too difficult for the blind. Through the National Federation of the Blind’s Jernigan Institute, we are demonstrating that these subjects, as well as countless others, are within the reach of blind youth. This Web portal is meant to help you empower and inspire blind youth to achieve their dreams.
Have you tried to find accessible materials for your child or student, but couldn’t locate the ones you wanted? Try our Resources section, which is organized according to the STEM areas. There you can find information and links to everything from Braille periodic tables and tactile maps to talking thermometers and graphing calculators. Whether you're looking for low-tech or high-tech solutions, you’ll be able to find it in our Resources section. You can also get your students involved in math competitions! The NFB Jernigan Institute has created Braille-ready files for MATHCOUNTS!
Are you a teacher who is unsure how to adapt your classroom activities? Visit our Lesson Plans and Teaching Tips section for classroom activities that will benefit all your students through hands-on activities and exploration. Be sure to view our library of instructional video clips which will highlight proper tips and techniques for empowering blind students in the classroom.
If you have a student or child who dreams of working within a STEM area, visit our Careers section. You can learn about internships—including the NFB EXCEL program—to help your student or child get the job experience that he or she will need. You can also learn about blind people who have built successful careers in the STEM fields by visiting our section highlighting blind scientists and engineers. There, you can read biographies and listen to interviews, during which these successful blind professionals tell their stories and offer advice.
Be sure to check back often to view updates and additions to this portal. For example, you will soon be able to post messages to our Bulletin Boards and take part in interviews via a chat room.
We are always looking for more valuable resources and ways to improve the portal to meet your needs. We encourage you to fill out our survey so that we can do a thorough evaluation of the first phase of the portal. Those completing the survey also have an opportunity to receive a gift certificate from the NFB Independence Market.
If you know of any valuable resources that you would like to see on this portal, please submit your suggestion.
