Group of people sitting around table viewing computer screen with TinkerCAD design.

Registration Open for 2021 BBB Professional Development Conference!

Aug. 5, 2021

Registration is now open for the 2021 Build a Better Book Professional Development Conference! Whether you are just getting started or already a network partner, this conference is for you! This virtual conference will be held Monday, September 13 - Tuesday, September 14, 2021. All sessions will be conducted via Zoom. Participation is FREE, but registration is required. REGISTER and save your spot!

People working at a long table with craft supplies

Save the Date!

Aug. 3, 2021

Build a Better Book is inviting new and returning partners to a virtual conference for sharing ideas and learning best practices around accessibility and universal design. Learn about tools and models for working in partnership with community members who are blind or visually impaired, teaching STEM and maker skills, and...

Group of people holding up tactile pictures of birds

Call for Proposals

July 15, 2021

We want to hear from you! Would you like to share a completed BBB project, best practice, tool, or idea with the BBB Network? Submit a proposal for our upcoming BBB Virtual Conference on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. All sessions will be conducted via Zoom. Deadline for submissions is July...

Two boys working with braillers and consulting a braille chart.

Better with Braille

June 3, 2021

Students from Yonkers Public School have been working on adding braille and other tactile features to popular children's books like the Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems. The books will be donated to the Lavalle School for the Blind.

Three girls working on tactile poems with geometric cardboard shapes.

Build a Better Poem

May 20, 2021

Funding from a Build a Better Book small grant provided Makey Makey kits and 3D pens for John Somer's Build a Better Poem workshops with 4th grade students and Elementary Teacher candidates at the University of Indianapolis.

Five different pieces from Hex game with different paths for marbles.

Designed for Fun

May 5, 2021

At the core of universal design is connection between the designer and the user. Joseph Mucci and Quinn Bello are two teens who have embraced their partnership with the St. Joseph School for the Blind in developing designs for their Hex Game, an interactive marble run game. Starting in 2019,...

Ann Cunningham and Rishika Kartik working with clay

Webinar: Tactile Art Workshops with Rishika Kartik (April 6, 2021)

March 16, 2021

Tuesday, April 6 at 1pm MT/ 3 pm ET. Register for the Zoom webinar . Join us for an inspiring session on engaging with the blind and visually impaired community through tactile art workshops. High school student Rishika Kartik will share her experience running the Colorado Tactile Art Club, art...

Group of teen boys with teacher reviewing picture books in library

Extra! Extra!

March 4, 2021

Read all about it! Build a Better Book was recently featured in several publications and professional journals. Check out these articles that connect BBB with science, makerspaces, multimodal literacy, and diversity and equity. BBB staff and partners are exploring the ways universal design and maker skills can be applied across...

Girl working with iPad and Specdrum rings with color map

BBB Small Grants Awarded

Dec. 22, 2020

Build a Better Book finished out the year by awarding Participant Support grants of up to $750 to ten partners around the country. Each organization submitted a proposal and request for materials that will support their on-going or new BBB projects. Most of the projects will be completed in 2021...

Swell paper diagram being read with iPhone Tactile Images app.

Webinar: Tactile Images with Dan Patzelt (November 10, 2020)

Nov. 19, 2020

Learn about a new e-learning platform that allows you to create self-describing tactile graphics. Tactile Images is an iPhone app that reads graphics and attaches audio descriptions through a QR code. BVI students can explore graphics independently and instructors can create and customize their own diagrams and images through the...

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