Use recommended and preferred accommodations for accessing any written materials related to the garden

Develop techniques to access printed material on seed packets or other types of packaging

• e.g., Seeing AI or taking an iPhone picture and using voiceover

• developing this skill incorporates community-based instruction within an on-campus activity

• Generalize to use with menus or cooking instructions located on packages

Students may have preferred assistive technology

This technology may also be applicable within the community garden

If new compensatory access methods are required, this may mean student will need to learn about new assistive technology

• For example, if students need to access small print on a seed packet, they can use the Seeing AI app or the Be My Eyes app.

Working together in a group with other students either with VI, a different diagnosis, or other typical high school students in a club or class facilitates development of social skills

Continue to learn and develop strategies to learn about and join extra-curricular activities

Develop and maintain friendships

Social skills appropriate for a workplace

Expose students to a potential hobby that may be carried over into other areas of life

Whether students develop lasting friendships with others who share a similar enjoyment of gardening, enjoyment of outdoors activities in general, or simply the act of nurturing plants, if it brings a meaningful way to relax and find enjoyment it is worthwhile

OTPs continue to support O&M recommendations and instruction

Students may expand their proficiency by using the garden as a way to practice community-based travel

O&M specialists may teach students how to access the bus line or use a taxi or Uber to obtain garden supplies

Develop awareness of other senses and of any remaining functional vision

Learn what may be different about using senses outside compared with indoors, where most classes take place

Develop and refine the ability to identify items by touch, smell, or taste

Continue to practice appropriate force grading used for various tasks

• for example, carrying a heavy watering can is much different than planting a delicate seedling

• without vision, it may be difficult to determine how gentle it is necessary to be with certain tools or plants

• tactile learners need to know how to approach novel tasks with correct force grading

Learn how to budget for, manage, and order garden supplies

Depending on the size and type of garden, students may be able to develop a small farmer’s market

• plan, market for, and set up the farmer’s market

• developing customer service experience by selling the produce, flowers, or seedlings can carry over to other types of jobs

• learn how to interact in a work situation with co-workers, managers, and customers

ILS skills abound within a community garden

Practice budgeting as the plan for and buy supplies for the garden

Online and community-based shopping can be introduced, including the assistive technology required for access

Complete gardening chores such as:

• organization of materials within a storage area

• cleaning up after oneself

• choosing appropriate clothing

• learning how to clean dirt or stains from clothing

Produce can be used in meal preparation tasks including

• washing and storing fruits and vegetables,

• shelf life of produce

• learning to prepare various dishes

Meal preparation includes:

• different methods of cutting or dicing produce

• following a recipe

• safely using kitchen appliances

• cleaning up supplies and dishes

Developing strong self-advocacy skills is one of the most important areas of the ECC to develop

Learn to communicate effectively with other students and supervising teachers to explain how they can be included and what accommodations are needed

Learning to actively problem-solve and work together with other students to complete gardening tasks will help develop divergent learning skills