Trainings:
Assistive Technology

BVIS Tech Time

BVIS Tech Time meetings are held on the first Monday of every month, from 3-4pm. These sessions give us all a chance to connect, share ideas, ask questions, and take a closer look at the various tools we're using to support our students.

The BVIS Tech Time Notes are updated each session with key discussion topics and links to helpful resources.

Chromebook Accessibility Features

Explore the accessibility features built into Chromebooks, how to access them, and which tools might be a good fit for you and your students. 

Desmos

A BVIS Tech and BVIS Math collaboration! The Desmos calculators are excellent tools for blind learners. In our Desmos session, we cover all the basics you need to know to make the most of these calculators with your students.

Google Suite and JAWS

JAWS Crash Course #2: Google Suite and JAWS

Presented at PNWAER 2025, this document compiles all the information included in my individual Google app sessions into one document with a focus on the essential settings and keyboard commands required to effectively navigate the Google Suite with JAWS. 

Google Drive, Gmail, and Screen Readers

Google Drive and Gmail are helpful productivity tools that many of us use every day. For screen reader users, these tools may be confusing at first, since they use unique keyboard commands that are not used on other web pages. Fear not! In this session, we’ll cover all the basics you’ll need to navigate these sites with any screen reader. 

Google Docs and JAWS

In this session, we go beyond the basics of reading and writing in Google Docs with JAWS. We take a deeper dive into utilizing Google Docs features with JAWS,  like spell check, comments, formatting tools, and more!  

Google Slides and JAWS

Rounding out our Google suite sessions, we take a closer look at using Google Slides with JAWS. Learn how to navigate the Google Slides environment, edit slides, present your work, and more!

iPad Accessibility Features

iPads have so many excellent accessibility features built right into the device. This iPad Accessibility Features overview gives a brief introduction to some key features for BVI users. Email mcantino@nwresd.k12.or.us to access webinar recordings. 

JAWS and NVDA: Basic Computer Navigation

An introduction to completing basic computer tasks with JAWS and NVDA. This document covers everything you need to know to get started with JAWS or NVDA, including navigating the desktop environment, working with applications, managing files, and working with text.

Presented at PNWAER 2025, this presentation file includes an updated overview of the basic computer navigation document, with a focus on just the essentials needed to navigate the desktop effectively with JAWS.

JAWS: Basic Internet Navigation

Navigating the internet with JAWS can be intimidating, but once you know the basics, it’s not so bad! You don’t need to memorize every single keyboard command or shortcut. You just need to know a few simple strategies, and that will be enough to get you around pretty much any web page. This Basic Internet Navigation document will walk you through the essentials.

Magnification: Settings, Apps, and Text-to-Speech

This magnification document covers various approaches to enlarging digital content on iPads, Chromebooks, PCs, and Macbooks. An overview of common magnification features is provided, as well as a quick review of how text-to-speech can be utilized to reduce visual demands. 

MathKicker.ai

MathKicker.ai Presentation materials

Creating accessible math documents can be difficult! Specialized editors are expensive and tedious to use, and once you have your document prepped, how will your student demonstrate their work to their teacher? Fortunately, MathKicker.ai has come up with an excellent, free solution. In this session, we'll learn how to prepare documents in seconds using MathKicker.ai, and we'll explore how students can use the MathKicker Editor to solve problems and effortlessly demonstrate each step of their work to a sighted instructor.

Screen Readers and Word Processors

This short Screen Readers and Word Processors Google Doc covers the basics of using programs like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Pages with JAWS and VoiceOver. A lot of this information will also apply to NVDA and ChromeVox. 

SETT Framework

The SETT Framework is used to help educators assess the AT needs for a student in a given situation. A Brief Introduction to the SETT Framework covers the basics of the SETT process. This document outlines the Student, Environment, Task, and Tools concepts, provides things to consider for each area, and includes links to training sessions from Joy Zabala, creator of the SETT Framework.

Sonification for Math and Science

A collaboration between BVIS Tech and BVIS Math! This engaging session explores the innovative world of sonification, a groundbreaking technique that converts complex mathematical and science concepts into immersive auditory experiences. Make STEM accessible and enjoyable for visually impaired students, their peers, and teachers too!   

State Testing

For all things state testing, visit our State Testing page.

VoiceOver Gestures on iPad and iPhone

VoiceOver Gestures

Learning to use a screen reader for a mobile device (i.e. phone or tablet) is a crucial skill for our students to master, and the VoiceOver screen reader on Apple devices is a particularly powerful (and popular) option. Gesture commands are an excellent place to start with these devices, since no braille or keyboarding skills are required. That also makes VoiceOver a great starting point for students just getting acquainted with screen readers. 

Working with Crummy Documents

Working with Crummy Documents Presentation Materials

Our students encounter all kinds of documents in various formats, and those documents are not always easy to work with. In this session, we'll learn some tips and tricks to help you and your student quickly adapt and access documents on a variety of devices.