About Learn to Look

Hi! I'm Jim.

I spent more than 30 years as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) and an Orientation & Mobility Specialist.

I created Learn to Look because I wanted more of the apps, activities, and resources I wish I'd had when I was teaching.

Well... that's not completely true.

I mostly just wanted to create apps.

When I started teaching, there were no app stores, tablets, or smartphones. The tools we take for granted today simply didn't exist. But as technology evolved, I began to see something special in it.

As a TVI, I discovered how powerful simple visual apps could be for learners who were just beginning to use their vision. Controlled light, movement, high-contrast color, and sound could capture attention, encourage visual awareness, and help students use their vision more purposefully.

Working with students with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), low vision, and other complex learning needs, I saw what iPads and touchscreens could become. They weren't just gadgets. They became carefully controlled visual environments—places where unnecessary visual clutter disappeared and learners could focus on what truly mattered.

The idea for Learn to Look didn't come from sitting behind a computer desk.

It came from countless hours spent in dimmed classrooms watching... and waiting.

Waiting to see what a student would notice.

Waiting to see what they would reach toward.

Waiting to see what would make them smile.

Those quiet moments taught me more than any textbook ever could.

They also taught me that progress doesn't always look dramatic. Sometimes it's a glance toward a light, a smile, a reach, or a learner choosing to come back to an activity on their own. Those moments matter.

Like most teachers, when I couldn't find exactly what a learner needed, I started making it.

One activity led to another.

Eventually those ideas became apps.

Then collections of apps.

And somewhere along the way, Learn to Look quietly took shape.

Although many of these apps were originally created with Phase 1 CVI learners in mind, they've gradually grown into something broader. Today they support many learners who benefit from reduced visual complexity, predictable movement, simple touch interactions, and opportunities to engage independently.

I've always believed that formal learning is only part of the goal.

If an activity helps a learner become more independent...

If it gives them something they genuinely enjoy...

If it encourages them to look a little longer, reach a little farther, or spend meaningful time exploring on their own...

...then it has done something worthwhile.

Just as importantly, I hope these apps and activities make everyday life a little easier for the people who care for these learners.

Parents and caregivers provide support every hour of every day—often for a lifetime. Meaningful, independent engagement isn't simply a welcome break for a caregiver. It's a better quality of life for the whole family.

If a learner can safely enjoy an activity, make choices, explore, and succeed without constant adult direction—even for fifteen minutes—those moments matter. They build confidence for the learner while creating valuable breathing room for the people who love and support them.

When I was in the classroom, I realized two things.

First, there is a tremendous shortage of high-quality software designed specifically for learners with complex visual and physical needs.

Second, the great tools that do exist are often scattered and difficult to find.

Because of that, I want to be completely clear:

Learn to Look isn't a commercial competitor, and it isn't a closed ecosystem. It's a resource.

There are brilliant apps, sensory tools, and activities created by other educators and developers. Some may be a better fit for your learner than anything I create—and that's exactly as it should be.

If something helps a learner, that's the only measure that really matters.

My hope is to celebrate those tools, share them whenever I can, and continue adding ideas that might help fill the gaps.

If you've discovered an app, activity, or resource that has made a difference for your learner, I'd genuinely love to hear about it—and I'd be happy to share it with others in this community.

You'll probably notice that Learn to Look is constantly evolving.

New apps appear.

Old ones get refined.

Ideas change as we learn more.

That's entirely intentional.

My philosophy has always been simple.

Every learner is different, and every learner teaches us something new.

I don't expect every app to work for every learner.

What I do hope is that you'll find something here that sparks progress for yours.

And if you discover a way to adapt an app, improve an activity, or think of an idea I haven't considered yet, I'd genuinely love to hear from you.

If something here helps your learner, I'm glad you found it.

If you discover a way to make it even better, I hope you'll tell me.

That's how Learn to Look began, and that's how I hope it continues to grow.