TVI Tidbits - Vol. 2, No. 1
January 27, 2010
The Role of the ParaEducator
A NeuroDevelopmental Perspective of Learning & Development
in Children with Sensory Impairments
Barrier-free Web Design
New Enabling Devices Catalog
Section for the Visually Impaired
Need an accessible book?
National Federation of the Blind 2010 Scholarship Program
Camp Eureka, a Natural Science Camp for Blind Kids
Braille Certification
Preparing for Postsecondary Education
The following information is for your information and not an endorsement of any product or service:
1) The Role of the ParaEducator: Enhancing the School Experience for the Child who is Blind or Visually Impaired, Including Those with Multiple Disabilities
PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH PARAEDUCATORS, PARENTS, AND ADMINISTRATORS!
Monday, April 12, 2010, 8:30 AM-3:00 PM
This workshop, sponsored by Perkins Training Center and presented by leaders in vision education, will examine the roles and responsibilities of the paraeducator working with students with visual impairment, including those with multiple disabilities. Sessions will provide an overview of visual impairment, and discuss ways to support students in academic and non academic activities. Although this workshop is designed for paraeducators, others are welcome to attend, including TVIs, parents, classroom teachers, and administrators.
The Role of the ParaEducator workshop is supported through a Perkins Training Center grant from the Starr Foundation and is offered at NO COST to schools and programs in New York State.
Presenters: Rona Shaw, Ed. D., Coordinator, Program for Teachers of Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired, Dominican College, NY
Joanne Russotti, M.S., Children’s Consultant, NYS Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped
Judy Strauss-Schwartz, M, Ed., C.O.M.S., Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments/Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist
Hosted By: Monroe #1 BOCES, 41 O’Connor Road, Building 9/Upper, Fairport, New York 14450
At the completion of this workshop, participants will have increased knowledge in:
- The educational team’s role in supporting students with visual impairment
- Impact of visual impairment on learning and access to the general curriculum
- Ways to support students with visual impairment in social skills, orientation and mobility, activities of daily living, and adaptations for printed and tactile materials
Completed Registration form is due no later than April 1, 2010.
Submit Registration to: Perkins Training Center, 175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA 02472, perkinstrainingcenter@perkins.org, or Fax: (617) 972-7209
Questions, please contact: Rona Shaw, rona.shaw@dc.edu or (845) 848-4081
**Seating is limited to 40 participants**
For additional information on upcoming events, please see the Perkins Training Center Schedule.
Email: PerkinsTrainingCenter@Perkins.org Phone: 617-972-7712 Fax: 617-972-7209 Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:00pm
2) A NeuroDevelopmental Perspective of Learning & Development in Children with Sensory Impairments
Free Community Information Presentation Thursday, March 25, 2010, 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Hallowell House, Perkins School for the Blind, 175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA 02472
Gain insight into understanding these challenges, and how HANDLE can help.
HANDLE — Holistic Approach to NeuroDevelopment and Learning Efficiency — a non-drug, gentle alternative, appropriate for all ages and settings! A new paradigm for enhancing developmental outcomes!
Speaker: Kimberly Lauger, RN, began her studies of neurodevelopmental difficulties in order to meet the needs of her own children. Kim has one son who struggled with attention and learning difficulties, one son with CHARGE Syndrome and vision and hearing loss, and a daughter for whom learning and “being” is relatively easy. Kim’s professional background includes the fields of pediatric nursing, foster parenting, behavioral science, deafblindness, and neurodevelopment. Kim is the owner of ND Solutions and is a Certified HANDLE Practitioner and Instructor.
“Kimberly is the personification of the gentleness that is the trademark of HANDLE.” GeeGee Larrington, OTR/L
RSVP / Registration Information: Perkins Training Center (617) 972-7712 or email perkinstrainingcenter@perkins.org
Information about HANDLE: Kim Lauger 520-907-2842 or email klauger@comcast.net or visit www.handle.org
3) Barrier-free Web Design: An EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information) online course starting February 1
EASI will take the jargon out of Web design and out of the technical requirements for Web accessibility. EASI will make creating accessible Web pages easier than you think! The course is based both on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2, WCAG 2), released in late 2008 and also in the Section 508 standards. Based in universal design principles, the lessons will enable participants to produce attractive pages that will reach a broad audience including those with disabilities using assistive technologies to access the Web. The course will be useful for Web designers, faculty, instructional and information designers, administrators, ADA compliance officials, librarians and anyone wanting to learn how to make their Web site conform to accessibility guidelines and standards. The course's 4 weeks are structured around the 4 major principles of WCAG 2: Principle 1 Perceivable, Principle 2 Operable, Principle 3 Understandable, Principle 4 Robust. You can read more and also register and pay online from:
http://easi.cc/workshops/easiweb.htm
(Discounts are available for students, overseas participants and for EASI Annual Webinar Members.)
Course 2010 schedule is February 1, June 7, Oct. 4.
“Once you choose hope, anything's possible.” - Christopher Reeve
4) New Enabling Devices Catalog Section for the Visually Impaired
Enabling Devices today announced that its 2010 catalog
and website
will feature a new section devoted entirely to products for
the Visually Impaired. Assistive Technology is essential
in today's world to enable people who are blind or visually
impaired to participate fully in school, play, work, and
life.
Enabling Devices has Communicators, Switches, Adapted Toys
and Kits specifically designed for children and adults
with Visual Impairment and Blindness, including those with
severe disabilities, at:
http://enablingdevices.com/catalog/products_for_the_visually_impaired
Basic HTML-based books can be produced from NIMAS or DAISY file sets using the FREE TechAdapt Accessible Media Center (TAMC) product, available at http://accessiblemediacenter.techadapt.com/. The books are not self-voicing but they are easily accessible using any screen reader or reading system capable of displaying HTML, and the HTML includes features that allow the foreground/background colors and font sizes to be changed on the fly.
The upcoming release of TAMC also includes support for conversion from NIMAS to DAISY text-only digital talking books, and can run on both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems.
- Chris von See, Senior Geek, TechAdapt, Inc.
http://www.techadapt.com
chris@techadapt.com
6) National Federation of the Blind 2010 Scholarship Program
The National Federation of the Blind 2010 Scholarship Program is up and running, with its deadline coming up March 31, 2010. For the ins and outs of making an application, you can go to: http://www.nfb.org/scholarships to read the submission checklist and the FAQ; then fill out and submit the application form (online or in print).
7) Camp Eureka, a Natural Science Camp for Blind Kids
The Montana Association for the Blind and NFB are sponsoring Camp Eureka, a natural science camp for blind kids (Please see the attachment for details). This year, the kids will be studying the migration of the Snow Goose as the birds take off and land by the tens of thousands at Freeze Out Lake, near Great Falls, Montana from March 19th-21st.
We have made some changes that are not reflected in the attached flier. We are allowing out-of-state kids to participate, we have expanded the age range to ages 8-16, and we have also set an application deadline of February 20th. Transportation costs to and from Montana are the responsibility of the parent or the state affiliate. Arrival destinations in Montana will be arranged on a case-by-case basis. Once the kids are in Montana, we will cover all their cost (food, lodging, transportation). Please write with any questions. Thanks.
- Jim Reed, President, Montana Association of Blind Students
Call 406.371.5047 or email jim275_2@yahoo.com
"The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work." -Vince Lombardi
8) A Letter from AER's Executive Director re: Braille Certification (apologies to AERNet subscribers for duplication)
AER supports high standards for vision professionals, and offers many different programs, professional development and networking forums to promote this. While we no longer certify professionals in our field, we do represent our membership on professional issues.
Braille Certification is an issue that affects several divisions within AER and over half of our total membership. The Chairs of AER’s Personnel Preparation, Itinerant, Education Curriculum and Multiple Disabilities Divisions met last week to discuss the implications for our members, both positive and negative, of the NCLB becoming a required certification test for TVI’s in all fifty states. That group decided to send a recommendation to AER’s Board of Directors regarding the NCLB.
AER’s Board met last weekend for a regularly scheduled business meeting and reviewed those recommendation; the board voted to accept the input from all our affected divisions and has authorized the following:
1. An AER Task Force is being formed to evaluate the NCLB.
2. The Task Force plans to meet with NCLB representatives to share areas of concern and discuss solutions.
3. The Task Force will recommend a position for AER to adopt on the NCLB.
Members of AER’s Personnel Preparation Division will be represented on this Task Force, as will our other divisions; if you have recommendations or would like to serve on this Task Force yourself, please contact your Division Chair offline. The current discussion with Ed Bell on your divisions Listservs is very informative and I’m sure will be included in the Task Forces review. The work of the Task Force will be transparent and shared frequently with all of AER’s stakeholders.
Jim Gandorf, CAE
Executive Director, AER
jgandorf@aerbvi.org,
www.aerbvi.org
703.671-4500 x205, fax 703.671.6391
1703 N. Beauregard St, Ste 440, Alexandria VA 22311
9) Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities
is a downloadable brochure that is free from the federal government: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html