Perkins School for the Blind

We're celebrating #NationalGuideDogDay in the @BlindNewWorld by handing the camera over to one of our favorite guide dogs! Join Idabelle and her person, @PerkinsLibrary Director Kim Charlson, for a typical day navigating our beautiful #Watertown campus. 🦮 #GuideDog

How do blind people experience emojis? 🤔 Our friends at @PerkinsLibrary and @BlindNewWorld helped us find out! Screen reader software allows #Blind and #LowVision users to hear emojis by announcing short descriptors like “thinking face” or “red heart.” 🔊

Why is labeling your groceries as a #Blind person important? This small habit of adding #Braille or other tactile markers might just save your dinner!

No snow? No problem! 🏂 In Adapted #PhysicalEducation, kids with disabilities are exposed to a variety of sports and athletics. Today Kelsey takes us through our adaptive #Snowboarding station, where students practice leaning side to side on a mat and eventually the balance beam.

Does #Braille have punctuation and symbols? 🤔 We asked our friends at @PerkinsLibrary for the answer. Absolutely! Braille contains the same punctuation marks as are found in print. But, some combinations of dots have different meanings depending on their placement. 📚

Whether it’s holding onto a pole or a guide or other methods like using a tether, adaptive sleds, and headsets to communicate, there’s a way for everyone who is #Blind or #LowVision to hit the slopes.⛷️

A monthly gift makes moments like learning how to cross a street with a #WhiteCane possible all year long. 💙 ⭐️ Join the 5 Star Challenge at bit.ly/48NvIK1

Blast from the past 🚀 We recently got a visit from Judi, a retired Perkins employee and alumni from the class of 1970! Judi donated her #PerkinsBrailler to our Lower School, passing along a piece of Perkins history that will now also be used in today’s classrooms. 💙

There’s nothing like connecting with peers who get it, and that’s exactly what EmpowHER Weekend was all about. ✨ With adaptive tools and techniques 💅 Skincare, hair, makeup, and nails 🧼 Making sugar scrubs and handmade soaps 💐 Designing floral bouquets in the our greenhouse

Braille embossers transform written text into #Braille for menus, lesson plans, and other everyday materials. After the embosser prints the pages, Beth, Braille Production Manager at @PerkinsLibrary, runs them through a paper cutter to trim them to size and remove the sprockets.

A slate and stylus is a simple tool for writing #Braille by hand. Unlike a #PerkinsBrailler that writes left to right, a slate and stylus is the opposite. Each braille letter is in reverse, right to left. When flipped over, the dots are raised and can be read left to right.

#DigitalAccessibility matters! We're proud to stand alongside leaders like @SenMarkey who recognize the importance of accessible tech to remove unnecessary barriers to work, entertainment and safety for people with #Disabilities. A win for inclusion, a win for our community. 👏

Using #TangibleSymbols helps students like Nico understand what’s coming next through touch and exploration. With support from Ana, a Perkins International Scholar, he identifies the morning meeting symbol from two options, building recognition and decision-making in his routine

After graduating from a Perkins-supported preschool, Natalia María is now learning in an inclusive primary school in #Mexico. This is the tactile calendar she uses to understand her morning routine. With #Braille and tangible symbols, it helps her keep track of what’s coming next

Inspired by #TheStarryNight painting by #VanGogh, eight students in our #Deafblind School worked together with their teachers and peers to create a #Tactile, multi-sensory version across six canvases. #WorldArtDay

Welcome to the future of #Braille The Perkins Braille Bloom brings braille to life on any screen in real time, easily connecting your #PerkinsBrailler to the internet as a keyboard for computers, tablets and mobile devices. Ready to Bloom? Shop now: Perkins.org/Bloom

Taking action for our youngest learners with disabilities is exactly what our #EarlyConnectionsConference on May 1 & 2 is all about. Registration closes Friday 4/17 - secure your spot today at: Perkins.org/EarlyCC

In Adapted #PhysicalEducation, students with disabilities are exposed to a variety of sports and athletics! On the heels of the #Olympics and #Paralympics, our students got to try out at #Curling (and #WheelchairCurling!) by using a table as a ramp and indoor #CurlingStones

Learning to cross the street safely is one way young adults who are #Blind build independence. In this #OrientationAndMobility lesson, Madilyn’s instructor is using sound cues to help her practice crossing the street with a #WhiteCane.

We’re launching the future of #Braille on Tuesday, April 14. Get ready to Bloom. 🌸 #PerkinsBrailler