OSSB Education Program

Looking for an interesting and unusual program for your school or organization?

The Ohio State School for the Blind's REACH & TEACH program may be the answer. OSSB High School students will present a one-hour interactive program that will give your group an chance to put on blindfolds and experience some of the adaptations necessary to function in a sighted world. Race along a guide wire. Listen for the jingle of the goal ball. Hear the intonations of JAWS, the screen reader used by many computer users who are visually impaired. Learn to be a sighted guide. Experience the need to trust someone else to guide you! This highly educational program is excellent for sensitivity training in almost any venue and for any age level

Mrs. Pat Wilson
614-752-1359 or pwilson@ossb.oh.gov

Mr. Gerard Marcom, Principal
614-752-1359 or gmarcom@ossb.oh.gov

Endorsements:
"Many of our eighth grade students had never before considered life as a visually impaired person. The hands-on, interactive program gave them an opportunity to experience that. It was a fantastic experience."
~ Cindy Botti, 8th Grade Language Arts, Calumet Christian School, Columbus.

"The students were exceptional in their ability to communicate the challenges of living with visual impairments and how they relate to the world. [Our docents] all felt this insight would make our audio-described tours even more effective."
~ Paul Hammock, co-chair, Tours for Visually Impaired, Columbus Museum of Art

Adaptive Physical Education

The purpose of physical education is to provide a program of developmental activities that contribute to the optimum physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth of the child. Physical education provides opportunities for the optimal growth in the student’s physical fitness, for developing activities that lead to the effective use of leisure time, and for developing efficient movement in all of life’s tasks.

Objectives to the extent of each child's capabilities. (Potential)

Students will increase knowledge of and level of physical fitness
Students will apply the use of basic motor skills while participating in low organized or modified team games
Students will develop efficient fundamental skills of body awareness, locomotion, manipulation, and rhythms
Students will develop aquatic skills
Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of skills and rules in specialized sports
Students will acquire skills in life-time sports and pursue an active use of leisure time
Students will develop desirable social and emotional traits

Life Skills

The Life Skills program prepares students with visual disabilities for their roles as independent home managers, consumers, and citizens. It incorporates the application of other content aspects into everyday living, and develops skills, attitudes, and knowledge, which prepare students with visual disabilities for the future. A successful Life Skills program provides learning experiences, instruction, and independence. The Life Skills program needs the cooperation of all the staff, administrators, teachers, teacher aides, food service personnel, youth leaders, educational leaders, maintenance personnel, nursing staff, and parents.

Elementary Education

In the elementary department, our goal is to help students develop age appropriate intellectual and emotional maturity and the skills necessary to be successful.

To work with students and families to meet IEP goals
To adapt materials and utilize methods which meet the special needs of students with visual impairments
To promote individual academic achievement
To develop age-appropriate social skills
To encourage understanding and respect in our culturally diverse society
To improve student's use of available technology
To promote goals necessary to foster independence

High School/Middle School Education

In the High School, our goal is to help students develop intellectual and emotional maturity and the skills necessary to be responsible adults and to attain appropriate levels of independence To accomplish this goal, our efforts will be directed toward:

To help students use technology effectively
To help students develop appropriate social behavior
To help students acquire the academic skills needed to maximize their potential
To help students acquire physical, leisure skills, and cultural (ie. art and music)
To help students develop life skills
To help students develop appropriate organizational/study skills
To help students develop respect for all cultures

Multi-Disabled Education

The Multi-Disabled Department strives to provide individualized instruction in daily living skills, vocational skills, and community-access skills with emphasis on communication and independence across all curriculum areas.

To assist students and their families in meeting IEP goals.
To assist students to acquire age-appropriate leisure, recreational, cultural, and social skills.
To assist student to utilize technology to improve their communication and education.
To assist students in transition to their home communities prior to their graduation.
To provide needed specialized services including speech and hearing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, sensory training, and orientation and mobility training to assist students to maximize their educational potential.
To help students to learn to access goods and services in community settings.
To adapt materials and methods to increase students' independence and communication.
To promote individual progress with functional academics.
To promote an increased quality of life.

Technology

Blind and low vision students at OSSB use a variety of assistive technologies to access the curriculum. Blind computer users use JAWS for Windows screen reader; low vision students use Zoomtext for screen magnification and CCTVs. Students use Openbook for OCR scanning; Duxbury for Braille translation, and the Braille Note family of notetakers.

Once a student is enrolled at OSSB a comprehensive technology assessment is given to evaluate current technology skills. Using the results of the assessment, the type of technology best suited for the student's needs is determined. Type and duration of instruction is then provided per IEP goals.

Technology instruction begins with keyboarding and basic notetaking skills in elementary grades. Middle and high school computer instruction includes assistive software with standard programs such as Microsoft Office Suite and the Internet.

Technology Resources

Adaptive Technology Resources from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired	Adaptive resources at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, including tips, tricks and assessments
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped	Check out the Web Braille. Students can do searches of NLS catalogs to find materials.
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic	Students and teachers can search RFBD’s catalog for textbooks.