Activity
Teaching Chemistry to Students with Visual Impairments
These tips for teaching chemistry to students who are blind or visually impaired includes suggestions for accessible instructional materials.
By Jennifer Bliss, Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
The resources and instructional materials below may be helpful when teaching chemistry to students who are blind or visually impaired.
Periodic Tables
The PURPOSE of the periodic table is important when choosing which to use.
Periodic Table structure:
If a student is learning the structure of the table and its importance (periods, families, etc.) then a hard copy is important, especially as an introduction. The APH Periodic Table is adequate for this, but needs some modification and pre-teaching. I add tactile tape to go across the first three periods—as students easily get lost tracking across those rows where there are gaps—especially period 1 with hydrogen way on the left and helium way on the right. I also add tactile tape that runs down through the 8 representative groups and add braille at the top of those for the names. It is helpful also to add some sort of tactile marking to each element key as the designations for metal/nonmetal are color and not tactile. If students who are braille readers are using this periodic table to look up details on elements, it is essential that they use the brailled reference book that accompanies it so they can quickly find elements by symbol, name, atomic number, etc. and get additional information on each element. If an
electronic version is used when teaching table structure, it is important that the online version voice rows and columns.
Periodic Table as a reference for details on elements:
Once the structure is understood, it is often easier for a student to use an online resource for looking up
information. Even a voice assistant can be quickly used to find the mass of hydrogen or whatever.
Accessible online periodic tables
- SAS Periodic Table (website)
Works on iPad within a browser. Brings up a simple table which can be explored with VoiceOver by
sliding a finger, which is great for visualizing. When one pauses on an element, it voices the name,
symbol, atomic number and type of element. A double tap opens the Wikipedia description. - Web Elements Periodic Table (website)
Tab through elements and up and down arrow for details. Always voices row and column. - Independence Science periodic table (website)
Includes auditory feedback for element attributes - Royal Society of Chemistry Online Periodic Table (website)
Each element is text-based link which links to page of information organized with headers and information accessible with screen reader. - Accessible periodic table for Windows (download)
Allows viewing as a table or a list with a screen reader - Elementor App (iOS and Mac)
Accessible with VoiceOver. Enter atomic number, name or symbol and hit submit. The results show the periodic number, element name, chemical symbol and group.
Math Window® Print/Braille Chemistry Kit – Nemeth
The Math Window® Chemistry Kit provides students with the tools needed to understand chemical principles and solve chemistry problems in the mainstream classroom. All items are labeled in both braille and print.
Bunsen Burners
Some pre-teaching will be necessary, but Bunsen burners are no more dangerous than a gas stove. Allow student to practice ahead of time with no flame by putting whatever will be over the burner into place and moving materials around, whether with a test tube and clamp or a beaker stand. Make sure the Bunsen burner is firmly attached to the lab table so it can’t be accidentally knocked over.
Labs
Complicated labs may need pre-teaching. Provide lab directions in student’s preferred format. Consider
allowing the student a separate set of materials (while still working within lab group) so they have time to feel and understand procedures and materials.
Adapted tools for measuring may be available for loan from Resource Centers in your state or district, with materials such as: talking thermometers digital scales; tactile and talking metric distance
measuring devices; tactile caliper that allows measurements to 1 mm accuracy; tactile spring scales, adapted syringes, beakers and graduated cylinders; funnel stand for pouring; trays for organizing, talking Labquest. A piece of sandpaper or a tactile dot can be added to chemicals that might be toxic.
Online simulations
Generally, online simulations are not accessible. An alternative activity with manipulative materials is usually required. Phet has done some work with accessibility in their simulations.
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/accessibility/prototypes
Braille notation
There are some special braille notations for chemistry. Some of these will need pre-teaching by the students teacher of the visually impaired. Braille Code for Chemical Notation (1997) from the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) is a helpful resource.
- Provisional Guidance for Chemistry Notation Using UEB with Nemeth (BANA), 2020
- Braille Code for Chemical Notation (PDF of photocopy)
- Braille Code for Chemical Notation 1997 (accessible website)
Be sure to see also this resource on Nemeth Braille for Chemistry.
Braille label maker for adding quick labels to materials
- Example of Labeler (from MaxiAids)
Described and Captioned Media Program
- Described educational videos: Described and Captioned Media Program DCMP.org
look for the “D” icon for videos that are described
Accommodations for Students with Low Vision
- Use contrast whenever possible: black paper under well plates, colored paper behind graduated cylinders, consider coloring liquids to be measured, when this is possible.
- Leverage technology: use an iPad or phone to take a photo and zoom in when making observations or measurements
Braille and tactile materials available from the American Printing House (APH)
Velcro board with multiple sets of element pieces (tactile, color, print and braille). Also includes coefficients, oxidation and subscript numbers, plus signs, parenthesis, yield arrows. Atomic structure velcro atom with pieces to model atoms up to Argon (18).
Large print and braille. Accompanied by braille and print reference books which list elements in separate sections by element name, atomic number, symbol, etc. (Product discontinued)
- APH Basic Science Tactile Graphics contains the following diagrams (braille and tactile only)
- 43 States of Matter
- 43 Atom
- 44 Molecules and Compounds
- 44 Water Molecule
Contains materials for students with no vision to participate in labs. Funnel, tactile tape measure, trays for containing and sorting materials, pan balance with tactile masses, velcro histogram, talking thermometer, and adapted cylinders, beakers and a syringe. A talking digital scale is not included, but should be considered as another tool once students understand the concept of mass.
Additional Materials
These braille and tactile materials may also be helpful:
- Molecular Model Set
- Atomic Structure magnet kit
- 3D Water Molecule
- Talking LabQuest
Works like standard labquest with speech. Sonifies graphs. - Colorino
Tool that can voice either light intensity or colors. Can be used to identify pH approximate values on litmus strips, color change, precipitates forming (light intensity changes), opacity (light intensity). Consider putting a solid background behind clear liquids when trying to find light values. - Seeing AI (free app)
Includes OCR, short text vocalizing (for reading short directions or labels), color identification, sonification of light intensity, handwriting OCR and scene recognition.
Reprinted with permission of the author.
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