Get out the suits and sunscreen, itâs pool time! Swimming is a welcome reprieve from the heat and a phenomenal no-impact exercise for the entire family. But donât take it from me: Letticia Martinez, Paralympian swimmer who is blind, shares her story to encourage parents. Letâs dive into accessibility considerations for your child who is … Continued
My hope is your family is able to unwind this summer on holiday. If youâre feeling unsettled about staying in a hotel during a pandemic, or youâre seeking the serenity of nature, perhaps this is the summer for a camping adventure! I will never forget our first camping experience as a family. We bundled up our only child (at the time), packed … Continued
Dads, you are a gift to your children. Your love and support are valuable; you are valuable. We honor you. This Fatherâs Day, I wonder if youâd enjoy making plans to spend the day together. You may have found a winning activity alreadyâperhaps your family bikes, hikes, bowls, swims, games, or cooks togetherâand if thatâs how youâd most enjoy spending Fatherâs Day, go … Continued
Schoolâs out for the summer! Cue extra family time, sports, and perhaps a vacation. But, in addition to planned activities and family bonding opportunities, summer affords our children ample good old fashion free time. Managing the spare hours can feel overwhelmingâespecially so if you have a young child who needs close supervision or a child … Continued
Does your child who is blind or visually impaired engage in prolonged eye-pressing? Perhaps youâve noticed your child aggressively rubbing or poking their eyes with their fingers, knuckles, or fists, and you are concerned or even disturbed. You may wonder why itâs occurring, whether itâs acceptable, and how to address it. If this describes you, please know you are not alone! Letâs take a look at why … Continued
Such a whirlwind of bittersweet emotionsâkindergarten is approaching! Itâs hard to believe how quickly the years have passed, isnât it? Your little one went from complete dependence on you to making strides toward independence. Thankfully your childâs absolute preciousness hasnât changed, but their level of autonomy has. So, letâs take a look at how you can be preparing your child for increased independence in preparation for kindergarten. Working … Continued
Delicate petals. Fuzzy leaves. Sweet-smelling blossoms. Vivid color contrasts. Sturdy stems. Yes, weâre talking about beloved flowersâthe wild ones found peppered across fields and those bound and arranged-just-so at the supermarket. While they are no doubt visually beautiful, flowers (natureâs treasures) can be enjoyed by all, irrespective of visual acuity, due to their lovely fragrance and texture. And you … Continued
Earth dayâitâs a day we intentionally take note of the natural beauty of our world and choose to help preserve and steward it well. And what an expansive, exquisite planet we have! I believe that to encourage our children to appreciate Earth and care for it, we should begin by instilling wonder in it. Especially so with our children who are blind or visually impaired, we must slow down our fast-pace in … Continued
Weâre talking Easter egg decoratingâbut not your standard boiled eggs dipped in food coloringâaccessible, tactile designing! While our finished products can still look creative and beautiful, our main aim is for them to be tactually interesting. We also want them to be enjoyable to create. Determined to create simple, elegant eggs which would be interesting … Continued
The National Freedom of Information Day (March 16th) is a day Americans, with renewed energy, re-mind ourselves of the importance of government transparency. We the people have a right to information. The very idea of âfreedom of informationâ re-energizes and re-minds me that people who are blind AND people who have low vision have a right to information. They have a right to access stories, … Continued