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Activity and strategy

Making an Advent Calendar Accessible

Make your Advent calendar accessible to children who are blind or deafblind this Christmas using braille.

My sons Liam (8 years old, deafblind, braille reader) and Finn (5 years old, typical vision and hearing) love those cute little advent calendars that include a piece of candy when you open up the little tab as you begin the count-down to Christmas.  There are 24 little tabs on the calendar– each day of December you open one up until it is time for Christmas day.  We start on December first and count up to Christmas. 

Working on Number Recognition

The numbers are not in order on these particular calendars.  The kids need to search for the numbers and both boys really enjoy that part!   It’s a great way for both of them to work on number recognition.

Advent calendar with braille numbers
Advent calendar with braille numbers
Finding braille numbers on calendar
Finding braille numbers on calendar

Making the Advent Calendars Accessible   

I easily made the calendar accessible for Liam by adding the numbers in braille onto the tabs using braille label paper. 

Adding braille labels to Advent calendar
Adding braille labels to Advent calendar
Names in braille on Advent calendars
Names in braille on Advent calendars

I also added braille name labels to each of the calendars.  Liam noticed Finn’s didn’t have braille numbers, so I think I will be adding some to Finn’s as well!  The boys get so excited every morning to open a new tab.  It’s a fun thing that they enjoy doing together.     

Materials

Collage of accessible Advent calendars for children who are blind or deafblind
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