Rockbridge County Public Schools recently announced that it had received two significant grant awards that will dramatically expand educational opportunities for students who are blind or visually impaired.
Funding from the Virginia Board for the Blind and Vision Impaired (VBBVI) and the Rockbridge County Public Schools Foundation will provide innovative resources that improve access to both classroom instruction and physical education for students across the division, according to a press release from the school system.
The Virginia Board for the Blind and Vision Impaired awarded Rockbridge County Public Schools a $7,500 grant to establish the Move-Able P.E. Lending Library, a countywide collection of adaptive physical education equipment designed to ensure students with visual impairments can fully participate alongside their peers. The lending library will include auditory sports balls, highcontrast and tactile equipment, adapted recreational materials, and specialized resources that will be shared among schools throughout the division.
School officials will begin planning and purchasing the equipment when teachers return to school.
The initiative promotes inclusion, independence, physical fitness, and confidence while providing teachers with the equipment and guidance needed to create accessible physical education experiences, said a spokesperson.
In addition to the VBBVI award, the Rockbridge County Public Schools Foundation has funded the purchase of a ViewPlus Spot Dot Braille Embosser, an innovative piece of technology that will transform the way accessible instructional materials are produced for students throughout the school division.
The Foundation provided $5,285 for the equipment, with the school system matching that amount. It was purchased and put into use last spring.
Unlike traditional braille embossers, the Spot Dot can produce both full-color printed graphics and tactile raised images on the same page. This allows maps, graphs, science diagrams, mathematical models, charts, illustrations, and classroom materials to become accessible to students through both touch and vision. The technology will enable Rockbridge County Public Schools to create accessible instructional materials in-house, significantly reducing production time while allowing students to receive materials at the same time as their classmates.
Together, these two grants represent a comprehensive investment in accessibility by supporting students academically, socially, and physically, according to the press release.
“These grants are about much more than purchasing equipment,” said Kerri Arehart, teacher of the visually impaired for Rockbridge County Public Schools. “They are about removing barriers. Whether a student is reading a tactile map in a history class, exploring a graph in mathematics, participating in a science lab, or playing alongside classmates in physical education, every student deserves equal access to learning opportunities. These grants allow us to create those opportunities.”
The new resources will benefit students from elementary through high school while also providing teachers with innovative tools to make instruction more accessible and inclusive. Both projects are designed to serve students for many years, ensuring that current and future learners have greater access to educational materials and experiences that support independence, engagement, and lifelong success.
