Skill Building Apps
for Blind and Low Vision Students

BLV Steps

BLV Steps is an accessible curriculum for blind and low vision students to learn, practice and improve critical education, employment and life skills.

BLV Steps was originally funded by grants from Microsoft, the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR, a division of HHS), the National Eye Institute (within NIH), and the CNIB Foundation (Canadian National Institute for the Blind).  Our skill-building apps have won numerous awards including the Louis Braille Touch of Genius Award and the American Council of the Blind Annual Award.

FirstSteps

FirstSteps is a comprehensive VoiceOver training app for BLV kids ages 3–8 that combines fun, skill-building games with iPad technology.​

​Students systematically learn essential gestures while exploring nursery rhymes, grouping, counting, braille letters, phonetics, and more—building a solid foundation for future success.

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Designed for both TVIs and parents, FirstSteps removes the guesswork by automatically guiding kids from goal to goal, ensuring consistent, high-quality instruction. Let FirstSteps handle the details, so you can focus on empowering your young learners. Discover how FirstSteps can transform your students’ journey with assistive technology!

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NextSteps

Looking for a fun and effective way to help BLV students (ages 6–14) build essential skills in orientation, mobility, tech, and listening?

​Our interactive game suite has you covered—step by step. Kids kick off with Barnyard to practice simple directionality, then move on to Temple Explorer for more advanced navigation challenges. They’ll also enjoy audio matching in Sound Search, real-world mapping in Wayfinder and listening skills in Monster Café.

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Plus, teachers can easily customize game settings so every student learns at their own pace. By blending learning with play, these tools boost confidence, independence, and the core skills needed for school and everyday life.

FutureSteps

FutureSteps Virtual Adventures are accessible experiential learning platform where clients can practice critical life skills through immersive, “choose-your-own-adventure” stories.

Developed by seasoned TVIs and counselors, each scenario offers hundreds of decision points, letting teens safely explore the natural consequences of their real-world choices in a safe, non-judgmental virtual world.

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Each adventure takes from two to five hours, so teens can progress at their own pace under the guidance of a teacher or counselor.

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We are creating more adventures to FutureSteps every year, including Workplace Readiness Skills,Executive Functioning Skills, Self-Advocacy Skills, Self-Determination Skills, Self-Esteem, Social Skills, Financial Literacy and Independent Living Skills.