There are several important differences between the way a blind student is able to use the computer and the way a sighted student can use the computer. The most important differences are related to the way a blind student uses the screen, the mouse, and the keyboard.
A blind student will be unable to use the computer screen. Most modern applications use GUIs, so not being able to see the screen often creates accessibility barriers. As a replacement for the screen, the student will get most of their information from a "screen reader" program. A screen reader is a program that describes aloud what appears on your computer screen, speaking the text that’s in documents and windows. There is additional information on how screen readers work, and on some commonly used screen readers.
The mouse is primarily a spatial and graphical metaphor for controlling the location of the cursor on the screen. Since the student will be unable to see the screen, they will also be unable to get feedback from the screen on the location of the cursor. Therefore, the student will be unable to use the mouse as well.
The keyboard will be the primary interface that the student uses to control the computer. They will need to use the computer both to control the operating system (such as Windows, Mac OSX, or Linux), as well as to control any applications they are running (such as a web browser and a development environment). Since modern operating systems and modern applications commonly use GUIs, the student will need to interact with these GUIs using the keyboard. The primary assistive technology for accomplishing this interaction is the use of keyboard shortcuts.