Ohio Department of Education Learning Supports

This page provides links to various information, programs and resources related to students who are blind, have visual impairments or print disabilities.

Ohio Resources

• Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB) Outreach Program provides technical assistance, professional development, materials and resources to families and local school districts serving children who have a visual impairment or print disability including those with multiple disabilities.
• Center for Instruction Supports and Accessible Materials (CISAM) assist local education agencies in providing Braille and large print materials for students with visual impairments or print disabilities.
• Offers professional development for parents and teachers of students with visual impairments and print disabilities;
• Technical Assistance;
• Braille Excellence for Students and Teachers (BEST) Grant;
• Statewide Braille Production Services
• Federal Quota Registration of Blind Students in Ohio. CISAM conducts the annual Federal Quota Registration of Blind Students for Ohio. Each year in December, CISAM mails a packet of materials to superintendents and/or principals requesting them to register each student who is legally blind and attending in their district as of the first Monday in January;
• Quarterly newsletter; and
• Brailler Repair.
• National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS). CISAM assists Ohio school district personnel in accessing NIMAS electronic files, adapting the NIMAS files into alternate formats, assigning the NIMAS files to Accessible Media Producers and/or producing the adapted materials for eligible students, including those with print disabilities.
• For additional information, contact CISAM at (800) 310-3317.
• The Ohio Center for Deafblind Education (OCDBE) provides services in Ohio for individuals with deafblindness from birth through age 21. Services include free collaborative technical assistance to families, educational personnel and service providers through training and information dissemination. 
• Ohio Deaf-Blind Outreach Program (ODBOP) is a program of the Columbus Speech and Hearing Center, Comprehensive Program for the Deaf and a Helen Keller National Center affiliate. ODBOP provides services to individuals who are deaf-blind from age 15 and up. ODBOP offers communication and technology assessments, vocational training and employer support, and life management skills training. They also provide rental of assistive devices for use at home and work. 
• State Library of Ohio (and local libraries) offer the Talking Book Program that provides free recorded books, magazines and playback equipment. Catalogs, large type books and books on tape are available.
  Deaf Education Resources - in conjunction with the Ohio School for the Deaf, the State Library has books and videos related to educating the deaf, including interpreting and sign language for teachers, parents and students who are deaf. To locate the resources, type interpreting and sign language into the search box. Click on the title of any item for more information about the resource. A State Library card is required to borrow an item from the collection, and any Ohio resident can apply for a card.

Other Resources

• PACER Center and the National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials at CAST 
  • Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) — Basics for Families
  • Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) — A Technical Guide for Families and Advocates
• Braille Through Remote Learning offers information on Braille courses, Braille code and other relevant information.
• American Optometric Association provides general information about the eye.
• American Printing House for the Blind has information and product catalogs.
• Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a comprehensive site containing information on education and technology for the visually impaired.  
• Perkins School for the Blind (Hilton/Perkins National and International Programs) the Perkins school for the Blind was the first School for the Blind in the United States. Services include the residential school, community-based programs, consultations, support assessment and training materials for children who are blind, blind/multi-disabled and deafblind and their families and providers. Hilton Perkins develops publications, curricula, literature and materials for parents and professionals.
• National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI) provides leadership, support and training to assist parents of visually impaired children. They provide an information and referral service, publish a quarterly newsletter titled, Awareness, present workshops and conferences and maintain a national support and information network.