Graphing Calculators For Students With Disabilities

I have had the great pleasure of helping students with disabilities learn Math. For some of these students, the act of holding a graphing calculator is an impossible task, and thus graphing functions and using the tool of the graphing calculator becomes a difficult task.  Consequently, I did a little digging to help students in such a case to still be able to use a graphing calculator.

There are several options.  The website wolframalpha.com is a great resource for Mathematics help/getting solutions/seeing graphs.  Of course with the wonderful advancement of touch screens, mobile apps, and tech, resources are becoming better, lighter and faster.

We used a free TI -84 emulator to help us analyze and graph functions, and it was the calculator used in class and thus it was important that the students get familiar with it.  So, follow the instructions below to get a free TI-84 emulator on your computer.  (Note: This procedure is for PC/Windows Operating Systems) In the event I am made aware of Mac OS option, I will certainly update.


1. Go to the following website to download the operating system (OS 2.53 MP):
http://education.ti.com/calculators/downloads/US/Software/Detail?id=6014&ref=%2fcalculators%2fdownloads%2fUS%2fSoftware%2fSearch%2fResults%3fcp%3d2%23view-1

2. Save the operating system to your computer.

3. Go to this website http://wabbit.codeplex.com.
Download Wabbitemu.  You will be asked to agree to the license. Click Agree.

4. Run Wabbitemu.exe

5.Select “Create a ROM image using open source software.”

6. Select Calculator Type TI-84 Plus SE. (unless of course you want a different look/OS)

7.  OS Selection – Browse for TI-84 Plus OS file you saved on your computer.

8. Save as a ROM file (I named mine Wabbit84PlusROM)

9. The Wabbitemu should appear on your desktop

10. From the View Menu, select "Enable Skin"

11. The Wabbitemu appears on your desktop
12. Turn on the Emulator

13.  Right click on the white rabbit.  Select “Pin this program to the taskbar.”

14. If you are successful, the Wabbitemu Emulator icon changes from a white rabbit to a calculator with rabbit on your taskbar. 

Click on the icon to use the emulator.

If you have any questions/hang ups, please feel free to post a comment. I'd like to thank Jane Bowdler of Brockport High for originally posting these instructions.  - http://www.bcs1.org/webpages/hsmath/ti-84.cfm