PowerPoint for the Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Session 2 of 2
October 24, 2011
2:00 Welcome and Instructions
2:05 Homework Review
2:20 Making your PowerPoint presentations
accessible to all students
2:40 Helping classroom teachers create
accessible PowerPoint presentations
3:00 Fun stuff – PowerPoint Books with
animations, sounds, music, etc.
3:30 Adjourn
3:35 FIMC-VI Update - upcoming
professional learning opportunities
Great Job!
Great ideas!
By Brittany Holloway
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Bay District Schools
Quote 1

 “There is no better way
to thank God for your
sight than by giving a
helping hand to
someone in the dark.” –
Helen Keller
You CAN be:
SUCCESSFUL
Power Point Presentation by: Sharon Scherbarth & Judy Wallace
An eye doctor (ophthalmologist or
optometrist) has determined that you
are:
1. Partially sighted
2. Have low vision
3. Legally blind
4. Totally blind

The Expanded Core Curriculum will
include…
•
compensatory or functional academic skills, including
communication modes
orientation and mobility
social interaction skills
independent living skills
recreation and leisure skills
career education
use of assistive technology
sensory efficiency skills
self-determination
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sunsets
Are
Spectacular
Anchor from the
Missouri
Battleship
Pearl Harbor,
December 7th,
1941
Receive print
copy of
assignment
Scan/Type
into
computer.
Clean up and
import into
Braille
program
Hand back to
teacher
Braille out
and arrange
pages
Clean up again
and arrange on
page
1. Receive
electronic
copy of
PowerPoint
2. Export to
MS Word
3. Prepare for
braille
transcription
6. Return
braille copy to
teacher
5. Emboss
and arrange
pages
4. Edit in
braille
transcription
program
Comparison of Schools for the Deaf & Blind
Florida School for the
Deaf and Blind
Virginia School for the
Deaf and Blind
 Established in 1885
 Established in 1870
 Located in St.
 Located in Staunton,
Augustine, Florida
 47 Buildings & 72
Acres of land
 Pre-School-12 Grade &
Post Secondary
Programs
Virginia
 16 Major Buildings &
79 Acres of land
 Pre-School-12 Grade &
Post Secondary
Programs
IDENTIFY YOUR SELF
“AMY , I AM MISS BECKER, DO
Y O U H AV E Y O U R W O R K ? ”
SAY THE STUDENTS NAME WHEN
SPEAKING TO HIM OR HER.
“ J E S S I C A C A N I P L E A S E H AV E
YOUR WORK?”
SAY THE STUDENT’S NAME WHEN
SPEAKING TO HIM OR HER.
“ J E S S I C A , C A N I P L E A S E H AV E Y O U R
WORK?”
Information to share with classroom teachers
using PowerPoint
Use simple and uncluttered backgrounds
 Use colors that provide contrast
 Use sans-serif fonts (Arial, Tahoma,
Verdana) or APHont
 Avoid fonts such as Times New Roman
 Title every slide
 Use Alt Tags (descriptions) for pictures
and images

Use the predefined layouts and avoid
adding text boxes. Added text boxes will
not be read by screen readers.
 If importing video or flash content, provide
text description
 Keep the slide simple –one thought / point
per slide.
 Do not layer pictures, create a new slide.

Avoid the use of “shadow fonts” such as
these!
 Avoid the use of backgrounds that are
shaded or add a level of glare (like this
one)

Avoid the use of “shadow fonts” such
as these!
 Avoid the use of backgrounds that are
shaded or add a level of glare (isn’t this
better )

Use discrete sound cues when presenting
to students who are blind or visually
impaired to alert them to the next slide.
 Use animations and special effects
judiciously. Spinning or bouncing text is
hard for anyone to read!

1.
2.
Do an inservice for classroom teachers
where you model the difference between
well designed slides and poorly designed
slides. (Have them wear simulators!)
Provide handout - Tips for Making your
Classroom PowerPoint Presentations
Accessible to classroom teachers at the
beginning of each year.
Determine the best print settings for your
students with low vision and provide the
teacher directions for printing those
handouts.
 For braille production, establish a
procedure for getting the files
ELECTRONICALLY ahead of time. Do not
accept the paper version of the
PowerPoint.

Person first language – Florida
Department of Education guidelines
establishes the use of person first
language – student who is blind, not blind
student
 Be consistent in how you refer to yourself:
Teacher of the Visually Impaired, not
vision teacher.

Check and recheck grammar and spelling
before presentation. (You wouldn’t believe
some of the stuff I see from teachers!)
 Be sure your name and contact
information is on every PowerPoint – you
should get credit for the creation!


Put an automatic “signature” on all your
emails. At a minimum the signature
should include
◦ First and last name
◦ Your title (teacher of the visually impaired)
◦ School district/agency and/or school
◦ Phone number
How did you do THAT???
Select Animations from menu bar
 Transition Sound: select sound
 Change speed (if wanted)
 APPLY TO ALL
 Preview if needed

PowerPoint Books
Perfect for emergent readers!
Flying Purple People
Eaters!
By Kay Ratzlaff
Halloween means dressing up.
Halloween means candy!
Halloween means parties!
Halloween means fun!
I hope Halloween doesn’t bring
Flying Purple People Eaters!
The End
Making a PowerPoint Book
Narration
Your computer must have a sound card
 Be sure you have a microphone
 Turn up your speakers
 You need to be working in the slide for
which you are adding narration or sound.

INSERT tab from Menu Bar
 In Media Clips section, select SOUND
 Select RECORD SOUND
 You can change the name
 Push the red dot to record and the blue
dot to stop (be sure you are working in a
quiet area)
 Preview it
 Then select ok

Adding Music from a CD
CD must be in your computer …
With a music CD in your computer …
 Select INSERT from Menu Bar
 Select SOUND (far right)
 Play CD Audio Track
 Select track
 Time to begin and time to end
 Once you have the sound selected a small
icon appears on the screen. Double click
the icon to change settings.

Once you have the icon in your slide,
double click on the icon
 This opens the CD Audio Tools menu bar
 You can set the volume,
 Start automatically or on click


Add sound from a file such as Windows
Media Player or iTunes
◦ This embeds the file into PowerPoint instead of
“linking” it to the CD
◦ Can make your presentation file very large

Record while playing the music CD from
your computer (like narrations)
Select ANIMATIONS from the Menu Bar
 Select CUSTOM ANIMATIONS and a
side-bar opened on the right
 Select ADD EFFECT
 Click on the purple monster, and then
select ADD EFFECT


After ADD EFFECTS, select ENTRANCE /
FLY IN
Modify effect
 Start – on click, with previous or after
previous
 Direction
 Speed

ADD EFFECT – EMPHASIS
 SPIN
 Start
 Property
 Speed
 (Remember you must have the picture
selected to connect the animation to that
image.)


Completed Projects –
1. PowerPoint Presentation and MS Word file
that is prepared as if you were going to
transcribe it to braille. (NOT the braille file)
2. Take the PowerPoint you have already
created and add sound and animation to at
least on slide.

Certificate for Completion – submit both
those things (corrected if needed) and we
will email you a certificate for 5 hours.





You will be emailed evaluation questions,
please reply (we need this information for the
FIMC-VI grant).
Next session is on Excel Spreadsheets for
the Teacher of the Visually Impaired at 1:00
p.m., November 24, 2011 (Monday after
Thanksgiving holidays!)
Suggestions for other topics or Webinars?
Email: kratzlaff@fimcvi.org
This PowerPoint will be posted at
www.fimcvi.org
Guidelines for Creating Accessible
PowerPoint Presentations:
www.aerbvi.org/
 Making Your PowerPoint Presentations
Accessible: www.michigan.gov/
 Making PowerPoint Books:
www.setbc.org/download/LearningCentre/
Access

Keyboard Shortcuts for Powerpoint:
http://office.microsoft.com/enus/support/keyboard-shortcuts-forpowerpoint-2007-HP010154710.aspx
 Accessibility and Usability Guide for Penn
State:
http://accessibility.psu.edu/microsoftoffice#
ppt

188 Useful Keyboard Shortcuts -:
http://www.shortcutworld.com/en/win/Pow
erPoint_2007.html#link_0
 Access Project at Colorado State Univ.
http://accessproject.colostate.edu/udl/mod
ules/powerpoint/tut_alt_text.cfm?display=p
g_3


Insert Tab: Chart
John's Braille Reading Speeds Words
Per Minute (WPM)
150
100
John's Braille
Reading Speeds
50
Words Per
Minute (WPM)
0
1st Qtr 2nd 3rd Qtr4th Qtr
Qtr
Braille Produced
16
14
12
10
8
Braille Produced
6
4
2
0
1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr
4th Qtr
Total
Menu Bar – Insert Tab – Chart
 Select the type of chart you want –
column, pie, graph, line, etc.
 An Excel Spreadsheet will open with
sample data included
 You change the data to reflect what you
want
 Close the Excel Spreadsheet and your
graph will appear

Enhancing competencies of teachers,
administrators, and families of students with
visual impairments
Affiliated with the National
Braille Challenge sponsored by
Braille Institute of America
October 24: Power Point for the TVI
(part 2)
 October 31 – November 1: QPVI
Facilitator Training in Tampa
 November 2 - 3: QPVI - Building Local
Capacity in Lake Placid (Session 1 of 3)
 November 4: QPVI - Building Local
Capacity in Sanford

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November 17: Ushers Screening Training at
FIMC-VI
November 28: Excel for the TVI Webinar (part 1)
December 1 – 2: Working with the Experts Math Strategies (“But I’m not the math teacher.
Oh, but you are the ECC – Nemeth code, abacus,
math concepts, manipulatives, assistive
technology and math access – teacher. ) in
Daytona Beach.
December 7 -10: Getting In Touch With Literacy
Conference in Louisville, Kentucky
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January 10: QPVI Building Local Capacity in Miami
January 11-12: QPVI Building Local Capacity
(session 2 of 3) Lake Placid
January 13: QPVI Building Local Capacity in Sanford
January 20: Braille Challenge - Tallahassee
January 30: New Teacher Orientation Webinar (part
2)
February 2: Braille Challenge - Orlando
February 20: Excel for TVIs (part 2) Webinar
February 24: Braille Challenge - Ft. Lauderdale
March 2: Braille Challenge - Tampa

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April 3 - 4: Working with the Experts – Intensive
Reading Strategies (“But I’m not the reading teacher.
Oh, but you are the ECC – braille, assistive
technology, concepts, and access to reading –
teacher.’) in Tampa
April 5: New Teacher Orientation and Vision
Contact Meeting at FIMC-VI - Tampa
April 10-11: QPVI Building Local Capacity (part 3)
Lake Placid
May 3-5: FAER and AFB Leadership Institute in St.
Pete
May 11: New Teacher Orientation Webinar (part 3)
Kay Ratzlaff
kratzlaff@fimcvi.org
813-837-7829