Welcome to the STEM Learning Toolkit for parents of blind children! The National Federation of the Blind understands that with the proper tools, environment, and encouragement blind people can participate equally in any career field they choose. The fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are often seen as incredibly difficult or impossible for blind people to participate in, let alone make a career out of.

This is where you come in! As a parent, you want to support your child in participating actively in all areas of their education, including science and math. This toolkit was designed to support you as the parent of a blind child in guiding your child’s successes in STEM and much more.

In this toolkit, you will find:

• A variety of suggested activities to get you started in helping your child build key skills for success in STEM.
• Links to the free NFB EQ Curriculum full of helpful information on supporting your child and exciting lesson plans to get them engaged.
• Information and links to other helpful resources including the National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS) and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC), a network of parents just like you.

Why Is It Important for My Blind Child to Participate in STEM?

You may be thinking to yourself, “My child has no interest in science,” or “My child wants to be a musician, so STEM isn’t that important.” There is a common misconception that science and math are primarily visual studies and therefore of little interest or no use for blind children to pursue adamantly. Then why have we put together an entire toolkit to help you encourage your child’s STEM learning?

Let’s take a step back. The real query here is why is it important for children in general to participate in STEM? Many researchers have demonstrated the benefits of STEM education including the development of problem-solving and decision-making skills. Learning opportunities in STEM have been shown to benefit children in all areas of academics, such as literacy and language, not just STEM subjects. This means that when children learn through STEM activities, they are building skills and knowledge that will help them prepare for careers in a variety of fields.

Your blind child should be able to participate equally and effectively in the same STEM learning opportunities as their peers. With a variety of tools, technology, practice, and alternative techniques your child can have fun and successful learning experiences. We hope that the information provided in this toolkit will help you set high expectations for your child’s ability to be an active learner in their classrooms and at home.

Skill-Building Activities

Here are some great activities to help you and your child build key skills to support their STEM education. The grades given here are only suggestions. Please feel free to explore the activities in all the grade levels and do whatever activities are appropriate for your child’s skill level and interest. In addition, these activities are meant to be a springboard. We encourage you to explore and expand on the main ideas presented here.

Kickstarting Their STEM Journey: Activities for Blind Students in Preschool and Elementary School

Learn about shapes and tactile drawing, tools and technology, DIY accessibility tricks, and building nonvisual skills in our preschool and elementary activities section.

Preschool and Elementary Activities

Nurturing Independence: Activities for Blind Students in Junior High and High School

Learn more about drawing, tools and technology, adapting tools and technology, and building nonvisual skills in our junior high and high school activities section.

Junior High and High School Activities

Getting Creative: Affordable and Simple DIY Adaptations

Learn about the many simple and low-cost strategies that can make everyday items more accessible in our additional details on DIY adaptations section.

Additional Details on DIY Adaptations