21 Pinterest Boards All Parents of Blind Kids MUST Follow!
Pinterest began as my go-to place for recipes and holiday ideas. Then I stumbled upon the parenting and kids boards and found myself lost in all the pins for toys and sensory activities. And then I realized that there’s a huge special needs parenting movement on Pinterest… and I was hooked.
Pinterest is now one of the best ways for a parent of a child with special needs to find what they need on the internet. When we were designing our son’s accessible bathroom I felt lost. Then I searched accessible bathrooms on Pinterest and there was everything I needed to get started. Suddenly a project that had felt incredibly overwhelming seemed possible.
And yes, there are boards on Pinterest specifically about visual impairments, too. If you’re a Pinterest connoisseur like I am, you’ve probably already found a bunch (and don’t miss out on the WonderBaby boards too!), but just in case you’ve missed them, here are 21 of my favorite Pinterest boards for parents of blind kids.
Each board listed below is also embedded on this page, so you can scroll through the boards and browse their pins. Then click through to follow them on Pinterest!
#1. Blind Kids are Awesome!
This is the home of Thomas Marshall Does it All on Pinterest. Tommy’s mom, Jessica Kovacs, pins about braille, adaptive technology, sensory activities and special needs inspirations. Plus of course you can find lots of adorable photos of Tommy here too!
#2. Toys, Games and Activities
What are you looking for when you’re on Pinterest? No, I mean, really. That’s right… toys! Anna shares ideas for toys that are completely accessible to children who are blind or that are easily adaptable.
#3. Assistive Technology
Julie Johnson is a teacher of the visually impaired with a certification in assistive technology who blogs at Adapted Innovation about AT solutions for children who are blind and multiply disabled. She posts about great accessible iPad apps, augmentative communication devices, low vision devices, ways to use switches and so much more. And guess what? That’s what she pins too! A very useful and informative board to follow.
#4. iPad Apps for Children with Vision Loss and Special Needs
Donna Sue pins apps, curriculum ideas involving the iPad and ideas for iPad accessories that make the iPad more accessible to kids who are blind. If you’re at all interested in unleashing the power of the iPad for your child, check out this board.
#5. Braille
Looking for early literacy ideas involving braille? How about ways to keep braille reading and learning fun and interesting? Rita Easler has you covered! From braille apps and games to braille jewelry, Rita pins the fun stuff that will keep you and your child engaged and inspired.
#6. Sensory Play and Exploration – Visual Impairment Inspiration
Visual Impairment Inspiration pins about a lot of things, but their best board has to be their Sensory Play board. Learn how to make sand slime or foaming paint. Or find lots and lots of ideas for little rooms. Need to fill up a long holiday break with activities? Check out this board!
#7. Lights and Glowing
Thinking Outside the Light-Box is one of my favorite spots to visit on Facebook. And now they’re on Pinterest too! Pinning as “For Our CVI Kiddos,” these guys have great shared community boards with resources for kids with CVI. I especially love their Lights and Glowing board because they find some really creative ways to play with lights.
#8. Orientation & Mobility for Children
O&M ideas can be tough to find sometimes, but what about O&M ideas for infants? Merry-Noel pins O&M inspirations and creative techniques for kids of all ages, but some of the cleverest things she pins are for babies. Check it out!
#9. Visual Impairment
PediaStaff curates a huge collection of Pinterest boards on just about every special needs topic, from PT and OT to feeding and behavior. Their visual impairment board is a great place to find information on child development or therapy ideas for kids who are blind.
#10. Sports & PE Resources for People who are Blind
This is a really fun board from APH on adaptive sports. You’ll find lots of ideas for making traditional games accessible as well as many ideas for new games that were created with blind players in mind.
#11. I Teach the Visually Impaired
Teacher boards are often some of my favorites on Pinterest. Teachers pin curriculum ideas, ideas for fun games and activities, and ways to make commercial toys more accessible. Teachers are often working with limited budgets so they need to get creative! Lisa Roby’s board is no exception. I mean, she has a pin for how to play soccer on a light table! Wow!
#12. Teaching TVI and O&M
Here’s another teacher board from April Gasper, an itinerant vision specialist. She has a lot of great pins about adapting the environment or adapting curriculum for visually impaired students. I especially love her CVI pins!
#13. Multisensory Activities
Vision Research ROPARD Foundation offers many great boards, but my favorite is their multisensory activities board because almost every pin is accompanied by a note explaining how each activity benefits a child with a visual impairment. I love the time and effort they put into this board. This is a really good one to follow.
#14. Visual Impairments
Julie Grossman’s board covers all sorts of topics, from braille and early literacy to ideas for light tables and accessible class room design.
#15. Accessible Music Making and Listening
Music and music therapy are often gateways to encouraging development for visually impaired kids, but Jennie Delisi’s board covers far more than just music toys or techniques. Here you’ll also find hand-picked music apps, adaptive music technology and ways to incorporate the other senses while listening to music.
#16. Light Table Ideas
I love boards about lights and glowing. This one, curated by Carrie Becker, focuses primarily on Light tables (or LightBoxes) and all of the amazing things you can do with them!
#17. Wise Words
Tara writes about her family and life on her blog, Happy Soul Project, and the name says it all. She finds the beauty in all things and is ever thankful. We could all use her positive energy! That’s why I love her Wise Words board where she pins inspirations and aspirations… and of course adorable photos of her daughter, Pip.
#18. All about Glasses
Eye Power Kid’s Wear is the place to go if you’re looking for fun, quirky and stylish shirts (and more!) for kids who are visually impaired, wear glasses or wear patches. So of course, these guys would know all about glasses! This board offers practical advice on choosing and caring for glasses, but mostly you’ll find lots of fun ways to celebrate glasses and help your child learn to love the glasses they wear.
#19. Math is Fun!
My first response to math is generally “ick!” but Sensory Sun really does pin ways to make math fun! I wish my teachers had been this creative when I was a kid! Plus you’ll also find ideas here to make math activities accessible for kids who are blind or visually impaired.
#20. Science for VI and Blind Students
Stephanie Wagner King is a teacher for the blind and visually impaired and she pins lots of ideas for her students. I especially like her board about accessible science. Lots of ideas here for teaching physical and life sciences and for all ages and abilities.
#21. Adoption
If you’re going through the process of adoption, you need all the support you can get! Bethel China offers resources, articles and eBooks for families who are planning to adopt a child who is blind or who have recently brought their child home. They highlight real stories, which helps to ease some of the fears and focus on the joy of adoption.
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