We live in a world of almost endless options for gathering information. We can turn on our television and watch the news, we can turn on our computers to access live news and entertainment and check sports scores almost instantly. We read newspapers and magazines and books and listen to podcasts and audiobooks. In today's society, a person's ability to use a variety of tools and choose the appropriate literacy tool for the task is important for success in work, social activities, recreation and leisure.
Pupils with visual impairments also have countless options for gathering information and while some of these options are part of mainstream media, others require specialised equipment or software that are specific to the needs of individuals who are visually impaired. For this reason, the Learning Media Assessment process contains a provision for yearly examination of a pupil's literacy tools in the hope that this ongoing attention will lead to greater attention to instruction in both the low and high tech tools that will benefit the pupil going forward.
Members of the learner's educational team will want to begin filling a learner's literacy 'toolbox' as early as possible and with as much variety as possible. But in addition to acquiring the skill of using a particular tool, it is important for a learner to have ample opportunity to choose between various options and practise using each of them in authentic contexts.
If you would like to develop a more in-depth understanding of the 'literacy toolbox' and other aspects of teaching literacy through braille, you may wish to consider applying for a place on the VIEW course; 'Effective Teaching of Literacy through Braille'.