Special Education

TVI Tidbits - Volume 2, No. 15

May 3, 2010

  1. Introduction to AIM video: AIMing for Achievement DVD
  2. NLS DTB Player Carrying Case Now Available from Perkins Products
  3. iPhone Interactive Workshop Saturday May 8, 2010 1:00 to 3:00 p.m
  4. Compare Financial Aid - Don't Be Blind About Colleges
  5. NIMAC Update, April 1, 2010
  6. New O&M Program at Portland State!  Recruit, Recruit, RECRUIT!
  7. 2010 NYSAER Conference in Syracuse October 24-26, 2010
  8. NEW SCREEN MAGNIFIER AND READER OFFERS TRUE PORTABILITY
  9. BANA Adopts IPA (International Phonetics Alphabet)

The following information is for your information and not an endorsement of any product or service:

  1. Introduction to AIM video: AIMing for Achievement DVD

    2. Please share these links with administrators, CSE Chairs, curriculum and textbook committees!

    The AIMing for Achievement DVD includes content on a variety of topics that are important to the provision, selection, acquisition, and use of accessible instructional materials. The content of the DVD is of national impact; designed to be useful across multiple environments with differing models of service provision rather than highlighting a single model. The DVD contains interviews, supplementary information, and illustrative scenarios that increase awareness and knowledge that support timely provision of accessible instructional materials to students who need them for educational participation and achievement, including legal issues, a student-centered decision-making process, an overview of specialized formats, a review of multiple sources from which to acquire specialized formats, and an overview of which students can receive materials from each source, as well as detailed discussions about technology and other supports for using accessible instructional materials. Additionally, the DVD includes possible strategies for implementation and information to support individual states in developing a program that meets local needs.  The AIM DVD, AIMing for Achievement, includes a range of information that is useful to people with varied interests and responsibilities related to the provision of accessible instructional materials. It can be used individually or by groups to increase awareness, knowledge, and skills of educators, administrators, families, advocates, and all who sit on IEP teams and other collaborative decision-making teams.  See an introduction here:

    mms://stream2.video.state.mn.us/MinnSat/Introduction-a.wmv  using this link will guide you away from this web site. or order the DVD here:

    http://aim.cast.org/experience/training/AIMAchvDVD using this link will guide you away from this web site.

     

  2. NLS DTB Player Carrying Case Now Available from Perkins Products

    3. Perkins Products is proud to introduce the new carrying case for the National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped/Library of Congress (NLS) Digital Talking Book Player made by Executive Products. This soft, black, form-fitting case fits snugly around your talking book machine, and has a storage zipper compartment for your cartridges. The case has been designed to enable the user to easily utilize all keys, ports and compartments on the machine. Order online to take advantage of the special introductory price of only $39.95: http://snipurl.com/vyo8g.  using this link will guide you away from this web site. To order by phone, or for international orders, please call (978) 462-3817.

     

  3. iPhone Interactive Workshop Saturday May 8, 2010 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

    4. Attend in person or via live stream at http://www.lighthouse-sf.org/listen.m3u using this link will guide you away from this web site.

    Excited about Apple iPhone’s out-of the-box accessibility?  Dubious about a blind-friendly touch screen?

    Explore VoiceOver screen reader, Zoom magnifier and voice control options with LightHouse staff.  Learn tricks from other iPhone users and get tips on helpful apps for transit info and more!
    The iPhone and VoiceOver Braille manuals using this link will guide you away from this web site. will be available from Adaptations, the LightHouse store.  You do not need to own an iPhone to participate.

    RSVP and details at
    http://www.lighthouse-sf.org/blog/iphone-interactive-workshop-at-the-lighthouse-may-8-2010/, using this link will guide you away from this web site.
    call 1-888-400-8933 or rsvp@lighthouse-sf.org. 
    Accommodations are available upon request.

    [Return to Top]

     

  4. Compare Financial Aid - Don't Be Blind About Colleges

    5. Please share this link with students transitioning to college:

    http://www.pfa-csb.org/101-compare-financial-aid-dont-be-blind-about-colleges#more-101 using this link will guide you away from this web site.

     

  5. NIMAC Update, April 1, 2010

    6. Registered Users:

    • Publishers: 88 (77 a year ago)
    • States/Outlying Areas Coordinating with NIMAC: 55 (54 a year ago)
    • State Authorized Users (AU): 153 (124 a year ago)
    • Accessible Media Producers (AMP):  135 (107 a year ago)

    Inventory & Downloads:

    • NIMAS file sets available for download:  20,028 (up from 15,735 a year ago)
    • Total unique downloads, 12/3/2006 to 4/1/2010:  4,024
    • Unique downloads by AMPs, 12/3/2006 to 4/1/2010: 1,885 (504 one year ago)
    • Unique downloads by AUs 12/3/2006-4/1/2009: 2,139 (945 one year ago)

    NIMAC Inventory by Content Type:

    • Textbooks:                                 22%
    • Other:                                         8%
    • Consumables:                             10% 
    • Supplementary reading material  60%

    TOTAL:                                      100%

    Downloads

    • 4,024 unique downloads by AMPs and AUs
    • 18% of total inventory has been downloaded
    • 32% of textbooks have been downloaded

    Unique AU Downloads By Content Type

    • 65%     Textbooks
    • 25%     Supplementary reading materials
    • 8%       Consumables (workbooks)
    • 2%       Other (assessments, blackline masters, etc.)

    Unique AMP Downloads By Content Type

    • 73% Textbooks
    • 14% Supplementary reading materials
    • 12% Consumables
    • 1% Other

    - Julia Myers, Director Resource Services and Project Director NIMAC
    jmyers@aph.org
    American Printing House for the Blind, Inc., 1839 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206

    www.louis.aph.org using this link will guide you away from this web site.
    www.nimac.us using this link will guide you away from this web site.

    [Return to Top]

     

  6. New O&M Program at Portland State!  Recruit, Recruit, RECRUIT! 

    7. With apologies to AERNet subscribers for the duplication, please take 5 minutes to complete this survey, requested by Blue Bickford.

    Friends and colleagues:
    Portland State University is in the process of planning & development for a
    new O&M program to begin (hopefully) in the summer of 2011.  Attached is a
    link to short, 2-3 minute survey, that will help us immensely in planning
    for quality and sustainability.  Even though you may not be planning to get
    your O&M certification, or you may already have it - we would like your
    input.  Here's the link - and if it takes more than 5 minutes, I owe you a
    piece of chocolate!

    https://survey.oit.pdx.edu/ss/wsb.dll/s/2bfg13d3 using this link will guide you away from this web site.

    Thank you

    James O. (Blue) Bickford, Ed.D., Associate Professor
    Coordinator:  Licensure Program - Visually Impaired Learners
    Director:  Project Braille
    Portland State University
    Department of Special Education
    PO Box 751
    Portland, Oregon   97207
    Telephone:   503-725-5495
    FAX:      503-725-5599

    Website: http://www.pdx.edu/sped/vil using this link will guide you away from this web site.

     

  7. Reminder!  2010 NYSAER Conference in Syracuse October 24-26, 2010

    8. Refer to the NYS AER Conference Flyer word document for more information !

     

  8. NEW SCREEN MAGNIFIER AND READER OFFERS TRUE PORTABILITY

    9. WinZoom, the industry's first truly plug and play Screen Magnifier and Reader, includes ClearPoint font smoothing which keeps the crystal clear text quality regardless of the zoom level.  Its SmartAlign technology also allows the user to re-align entire paragraphs to fit on the screen with a simple mouse click.  WinZoom supports 8 different viewing modes, ensuring a perfect zoom mode for any situation; contains several locators which allow the user to know where they are on the page at anytime; and has several mouse enhancements available to allow the user to customize their mouse size and color.  Only WinZoom USB is truly portable and will install on any Windows compatible computer with no software installation required.  Simply plug WinZoom USB in and the autoplay function will launch the application immediately and let you use it without having to download any software or drivers.  There is no administrative privileges required which is key when using a public computer, such as, ones at a hotel, library, school or even at a friends house.  When you are done, just unplug WinZoom and there is no trace left on the computer. For additional information or a FREE TRIAL: call (800) 575-1456 x204 or go to  www.getwinzoom.com. using this link will guide you away from this web site.

     

    9) The “Mission Accessible” National Disability Media and History Project

    The “Mission Accessible” National Disability Media and History Project is looking for volunteers to transcribe historical state documents and oral history videos. Transcriptions will be included in a new database and video editor scheduled for launch July 26, 2010, the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Volunteers can work from their own computers. This could be a meaningful volunteer project for students with disabilities in work-based learning and other secondary transition programs. Participation would allow students to develop and use their reading, keyboarding, and other job skills and could serve as a springboard to discussions of disability rights and the disability rights
    movement. “It’s Our Story” also needs technology volunteers to lead in creating a beta site that will make its archives available in a public, accessible, and searchable format.
    https://sites.google.com/a/pinedafoundation.org/ios/dart-diaries-50-states using this link will guide you away from this web site.

     

  9. BANA Adopts IPA (International Phonetics Alphabet: Braille)

    10. The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) announces that it has adopted IPA Braille as the authorized BANA code for phonetics. This is a braille code for the transcription of the International Phonetic Alphabet as revised 2005 under the auspices of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB). Further information about the development and revision of this international code for phonetics may be found at the ICEB website at http://www.iceb.org/icebipa.htm. using this link will guide you away from this web site.

    Electronic files of this code may be found on the ICEB website as well as that of the Braille Authority of North America at http://www.brailleauthority.org using this link will guide you away from this web site. in the Publications link.

 

[Return to Top]

Last Updated: June 30, 2010