News

The 17-member State Superintendent’s Blind and Visual Impairment Education Council advises the state superintendent on statewide activities that will benefit students who are blind or visually impaired; makes recommendations for improvements in services provided by the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired; and proposes ways to improve the preparation of teachers and staff and coordination between the department and other agencies that offer services to the visually impaired.

Microsoft has been steadily improving their commitment to accessibility in the past few years. For example, Microsoft’s Accessibility Team has made major upgrades to low vision support in recent Windows 10 updates. Additionally, Microsoft Narrator has also received significant upgrades to make it more functional for individuals relying on screen readers.

Did you know that there are literally thousands of apps added to the App Store every day? That means there are countless opportunities to download and try a variety of new apps and find new favorites. However, a large percentage of apps added to the App Store do not work for blind and visually impaired individuals who depend on VoiceOver. There are sources to check for new and VoiceOver friendly apps, but like anything else, word of mouth is probably the most efficient way to find out about useful and interesting new apps.

As many of our students with low vision are adjusting to online learning, it is becoming more and more apparent that the screen time is causing some eye strain. Many parents and TVIs are wondering why this is happening. After all, the student has been using the device all year and not had a problem. This article will attempt to explain why and provide some possible solutions.

The Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WCBVI) Materials and Production Department has implemented procedural changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We hope this letter finds your family healthy during this challenging time. We
appreciate that most families took the time to answer our phone calls and
complete informational surveys.

We are excited to share that in light of the COVID19 pandemic, we have used stakeholder data to provide Outreach Open Office Hours, continued open Virtual PST meetings and a new Virtual Assistance Request Form.

The Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WSBVI) will close school for students beginning Monday, March 16, 2020 until at least Friday, April 3, 2020. Please note that transportation will not take place on Sunday, March 15, 2020.