A Second Look at What High School Students Who are Blind Should Know About Technology

This article presents an overview of mainstream and assistive technology skills and tools to be mastered by high school students who are blind in preparation for postsecondary education. It is an update to an article written on this exact topic fifteen years ago. The recommendations focus entirely on what is necessary in today's high-tech society for high school learners who read and write braille competently (e.g., read braille tactually at a minimum rate of 30 words per minute). The number of recommendations from the original article in 2004 has more than doubled. There were only 14 recommendations in 2004. In 2018 there are more than 30 recommendations for students who are blind to relate to their use of assistive technology. The Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist for People with Visual Impairments (CATIS) provides a Scope of Practice and Body of Knowledge that is sufficient for supporting the substantial growth in the assistive technology-related knowledge, skills, and tools recommended in this article.