AnimalWatch Vi Suite vs Visual LightPad

AnimalWatch VI Suite The AnimalWatch VI Suite app for iPad helps students with visual impairments (VI) improve middle school math skills. Students learn about endangered and invasive species such as the Great White Shark, Black Rhino and Burmese Python as they solve word problems targeting unit conversion, percentages, fractions, and more. Students can tap the screen to listen, use VoiceOver, enlarge text, or connect to a refreshable braille display. Color, contrast and font size can be adjusted to maximize visual access. An integrated scratch pad is available for users with some vision. Students get immediate audio feedback on their answers, and hints to guide them to success. Designed by experts in the education of students with visual impairment at The University of Arizona with support from the US Dept. of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (R324A120006) and extensively tested with students with mild, moderate and severe vision loss, the app improves math skills, encourages independent work, and is fun too! Visit the AnimalWatch Vi Web Site for Accessible Graphics and More: https://awvis.aphtech.org/ • App includes 24 units, each with 6 word problems • Environmental science content is engaging and authentic • Math content is aligned with the Common Core Standards for Grades 6 and 7 • May also be helpful for students with print disabilities • Contact Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum (rosenblu@email.arizona.edu) for more information

Visual LightPad creates a bright illuminated surface for developing visual perceptual and visual motor skills in people with visual impairment. It's a cheaper alternative to expensive, dedicated hardware visual impairment light boxes. Think of it as a digital light box! Adjust Visual LightPad's brightness and color, then place semi transparent toys, numbers or letters on the iPad's screen. Where colors become difficult, open the color picker and change the background color to something that accentuates the toys. Where hardware light boxes can be associated with work, iPads tend to be associated with play. Visual LightPad helps develop awareness to color and light, but using objects also helps in the development of visual perceptual skills, hand eye coordination, and both visual scanning and tracking. Visual LightPad can also be used for; - Reading content printed onto acetate - Providing a reading backlight when paper documents are placed on top of it - Photo negative illumination - Sensory / mood lighting Visual LightPad is purposefully easy to use and relatively low on features. It supports presets for easy saving and recall of preferred settings. It is designed to run on iPad, but also runs on iPhone - meaning you can keep a small light box in your pocket at all times.