UPDATED! Oldies but Goodies: The "Established" APH Product Series

by Monica Turner

As a Field Services Representative, one of my responsibilities is to go to conferences and exhibit APH products. Oftentimes I will display many of the new and exciting products that we have to offer in order to provide consumers an opportunity to see the items firsthand before making the decision to purchase them. While it is wonderful that APH has been producing so many new products over the past several years, I find that I'm not often able to take along as many of the wonderful, older products that we still have available. We give you information about our new products each month as they are released, and we have been thinking that it might be beneficial to also go back and revisit some of the "oldies but goodies." We hope you agree and we welcome any suggestions you may have about products that you would like to see highlighted.

Please send your comments and suggestions to Monica Turner at mmturner@aph.org.

More "oldies but goodies" added to our growing list!

UPDATED! APH Braille Book Corner: Recreational Braille Titles Available from APH!

Through the APH Braille Book Corner, we are offering a number of recreational books in braille (Quota funds can be used). Each of these titles was originally transcribed and produced by APH for the National Library Service which has graciously granted permission for this offering. As usual, these titles have been added to the APH Louis Database where you can find thousands of titles produced in accessible formats. To order any of the following books, please note the catalog number and enter that number into our shopping site. Click this link to enter the APH Shopping Site: http://shop.aph.org. All books are produced upon receipt of orders, therefore, please allow approximately 8 weeks for delivery.

A #STEM-ulating Annual Meeting this Year!

Every year in October, members of the blindness community meet in Louisville, Kentucky to learn about innovations in our field, connect with colleagues, and celebrate the past year's achievements. This year, APH will host the 145th Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and Special Guests on October 17-19. It will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in beautiful downtown Louisville.

The theme for this year's meeting is "The Universe at Our Fingertips: STEM-ulating Products for Life." This reflects APH’s commitment to provide cutting edge tools for students and adults engaged in all areas of life, but especially the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM is increasingly a pivotal aspect of education for students with and without visual impairments.

Nancy Tsupros, project director of the Intermediate Unit 1 Center for STEM Education, defines STEM education as "an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons as students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school, community, work, and the global enterprise enabling the development of STEM literacy and with it the ability to compete in the new economy." However, Jonathan Gerlach, an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator, argues that this definition leaves something to be desired. Different groups of people define STEM education differently. For Gerlach, STEM education "is about moving forward, solving problems, learning, and pushing innovation to the next level."

However you define STEM education, it's clearly important in today's world. And no less so for students who are blind and visually impaired. In the past, educators have—wrongfully—assumed that students who are blind could not be taught STEM subject matter, and that these students would never have careers in science fields. Yet, this attitude is quickly changing and evolving.  Within the last five years, educators in both inclusive and specialized classrooms have begun advocating for better resources for their blind and visually impaired students.

Unlike language arts and social studies subject materials, which can readily be made accessible through braille textbooks, STEM subject materials require more innovation and adaptation to be made accessible. Nevertheless, it is not impossible to accomplish this and the rewards are great. Students who are blind should be taught the same material on the same level as sighted students.

Some necessary adaptations are easily done, while others take a bit more ingenuity and technology. For instance, braille or tactile labels can be used to denote liquid levels on beakers.

Scientific graphing calculators, on the other hand, present numerous challenges for a student who is blind or visually impaired.  To address this need, APH, in conjunction with Orbit Research and Texas Instruments, will soon be offering the Orion TI-84 Plus Talking Graphing Calculator.  The Orion TI-84 Plus will use auditory output to make the graphing calculator, a staple in high school and college classrooms, accessible to students who are blind and visually impaired.

Keeping all of this in mind, it is obvious why we chose "The Universe at Our Fingertips: STEM-ulating Products for Life" as the theme for this year's Annual Meeting. There is a great deal of work to be done in this area. We're hoping that the discussions and sessions will STEM-ulate innovation in this field!

For more information on the Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees, check our website.

We will also be posting more information here and on our Facebook page.

APH News: June 2013

APH News: June 2013

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

Read on to learn about these new products - now available!

• APH Spring Fever Sale
• New! STACS: Standardized Tactile Augmentative Communication Symbols Kit
• REVISED! Reach for the Stars, Planning for the Future
• REVISED! The Good Tactile Graphic DVD and Booklet
• NEW! Venn Diagram Template Kit
• APH Braille Book Corner

EPAC Brings Home a Winner During Derby Week

The Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC)
1st Row: Madeleine Burkindine (KS), Dorinda Rife (MA), Stephanie Bissonette (VT)
2nd Row: Collette Bauman (MI), Jim Downs (GA), Paula Mauro (OH) Serving as co-chairs: Collette Bauman and Paula Mauro 

 

The role of the Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC) is to advise APH in matters regarding publications and products. The 2013 committee did an outstanding job of providing that advice when they met at APH, April 28—May 2. Even though they were here during a week filled with Kentucky Derby festivities, the committee worked diligently to provide APH with an excellent report of commendations and recommendations before their departure.

Committee members Collette Bauman (MI) and Paula Mauro (OH) served as co-chairs for the meeting, and were joined by Stephanie Bissonnette (VT), Madeleine Burkindine (KS), Jim Downs (GA), and Dorinda Rife (MA). Along with approving several products for sale on Federal Quota, this excellent group met with appropriate APH staff to discuss relevant topics and had dialogs with Research Department Project Leaders about products, processes, and priorities.

A highlight for staff and committee alike included an early morning visit to Churchill Downs to watch Derby contenders going through their morning workouts. Thanks, EPAC, for your winning meeting!

STEM-ulating News About APH Annual Meeting 145

The theme for the 145th Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and Special Guests, "The Universe at Our Finger Tips: STEM-ulating Products for Life," reflects APH’s commitment to provide cutting edge tools for students and adults engaged in all areas of life, but especially the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This year’s event will take place October 17 – 19, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Louisville.

We are pleased to welcome motivational speaker Kevin O’Connor to Louisville to give the keynote address for this year’s meeting. Kevin O’Connor is a professional speaker, consultant, and author, as well as the parent of a visually impaired son. He specializes in Leadership Education for Professionals Charged with Leading Their Peers, and has authored or contributed to seven books. Kevin’s presentations are always enlightening, informative, and entertaining, and we know he will open the 2013 Annual Meeting with a not-to-be missed bang!

Registration and other details will be coming soon. If you have questions, please contact Janie Blome, jblome@aph.org, or call 800-223-1839, ext. 367.

Attention Teachers! Survey Responses Needed

We at APH are evaluating a product idea that is proposed to help high school students with blindness understand the concept of net forces in physics. To gather more information about classroom teaching and learning, it would help us if you would complete a short questionnaire. It will take you less than 10 minutes and your responses are completely anonymous.

To fill out the questionnaire, please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LLLHBB9.
Should you have any questions, please contact Li Zhou at 502-895-2405, ext. 424 or lzhou@aph.org.
Thank you very much.

Breaking News from the Hall of Fame!
Historic Heroes Martha Foxx and Laurence Jones to be Inducted in 2013

The Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving the tradition of excellence manifested by specific individuals through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired in North America. It is housed at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) in Louisville, Kentucky, but belongs to all.
The ceremony to induct Ms. Foxx and Dr. Jones, connected through their work at Mississippi's Piney Woods Country Life School, will take place on Friday evening, October 18, 2013 in conjunction with APH's Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and Special Guests, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Joining the 50 outstanding legends previously inducted, are these two remarkable historic figures who literally changed lives and altered history. Their stories of accomplishment—in the face of staggering odds—are still powerfully touching lives. Dr. Jones and Ms. Foxx opened, and held open, a door that was seen as forever closed to black Americans, including those who were blind. Their heroic actions were not accomplished without personal danger and danger to their fellow workers, their supporters, and students in their charge.

The Class of 2013:

• Martha Louise Morrow Foxx (1902 - 1975) Ms. Foxx was the primary teacher of the blind at the Piney Woods Country Life School in Mississippi from 1929 until 1942. She then became principal until 1951, when the school moved to a new campus in Jackson, thus becoming the Mississippi School for Blind Negroes, where she served as director until retirement in 1969. Martha Louise began her journey in the Piney Woods as an 18-year-old graduate of the Overbrook School for the Blind (PA). She went on to study at several colleges during summers, earning her bachelor and master degrees.
  
  Mrs. Foxx became widely known for her innovative and dynamic teaching philosophy which entailed instruction outside the walls of the school. She insisted that the students be allowed to enjoy outings into the woods around Piney Woods School to hone their senses of touch, sound, and smell. Using what were considered to be progressive techniques she taught students to read braille and large print and insisted that they learn to be self reliant and develop careers to insure they would succeed in making their own way after graduating from the school. Teachers, both black and white, from around the country, came to the Piney Woods to learn and embrace her methods—all before PL 94-142, IDEA, and the Civil Rights movement. This was happening in the heart of our segregated country. It took courage, persistence and unlimited patience. Her curriculum was adopted by the "white" school for the blind in the late 1940s.
  
• Dr. Laurence C. Jones (1884 - 1975) The Piney Woods School was founded in 1909 by Dr. Jones as a place to provide vocational and academic schooling for poor black children and grandchildren of slaves in the rural piney woods area—just south of Jackson, Mississippi. The school started with one 16-year-old student at a tree stump and the next day there were 2 more students. As word got around, the school continued to grow. Many students came in mule-drawn wagons and were dropped off with tuition partially paid in crops and homemade goods. Their families left them at the school with the hope of a better life made possible through education. All students at the school were required to work; they helped to grow food for the school, built and repaired the grounds, or toured in music ensembles. In an early photograph, the motto of the school reads "Work is the Mother of Contentment."
  
  In the 1920s, sparked by two events, Dr. Jones became aware that there was no school to educate Negro children who were blind. He observed a young blind girl begging on the streets of Vicksburg and a young blind boy, whose sharecropper parents were killed in a fire, was left at the school for him to care for. Never one to turn away a child in need or a challenge, and believing every child deserved an opportunity, Dr. Jones added the education of blind children to the school's purpose which remained a focus until 1951.
  
  Dr. Jones authored several books and tirelessly toured the country telling of the work and inviting national and international dignitaries to visit the campus. He attracted both white and black teachers from around the country to the Piney Woods to learn the methods used at the school for the blind. He advocated education which touched "the mind, the heart, and the hands." This credo was evidenced in education for the mind, spiritual growth and service for the heart, and putting the hands to good old fashioned work.
  
  Dr. Jones was a pioneering educator of the blind in Mississippi and he is credited with guiding the Mississippi Blind School for Negroes towards its move to Jackson and eventually to integration. The first big step was embodied by the creation of a new campus in Jackson in 1950, after almost 30 years of effort. In 1945, Helen Keller, after visiting the school and learning of Dr. Jones and Miss Foxx and their work, helped convince the Mississippi legislature to fund the establishment of the school. The Piney Woods School received state funding and moved to become a sister school of the Jackson based Mississippi School for the Blind.

Helen Keller visited the Piney Woods School in 1945. Dr. Jones and Mrs. Foxx are seated on the first row to the far right. 

 

The full news release and additional information regarding the 2013 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will soon appear on the Hall of Fame pages of the APH website.

Visit the Hall of Fame website at http://www.aph.org/hall_fame/index.html for information on the Hall and those inducted.

The Unforgettable APH Star Contest ROCKS!

Do you dig APH products? Are you looking to unearth some spending cash?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, then we have the summer project for you! APH is now accepting entries for our Summer 2013 Unforgettable APH Star Contest! Anyone can enter to win cash prizes of up to $150! So, brush the dust off of your camcorder, capture a 5-minute APH product video and send it our way! It could make you an instant APH Star!

For all the dirt on the Unforgettable APH Star Contest and to see our new contest promo, go to: www.aph.org/contest. Entries must be received by September 17, 2013.

From the Field:

The ATIA Orlando Conference Call for Presentations is now open through June 21, 2013

ATIA is seeking abstracts on the uses or research of assistive technology in a wide variety of settings - school, home, recreation, rehabilitation, university and workplace - from an equally wide group of qualified individuals. The ATIA Research Committee is looking for interesting new presentations for the Research Strand. Abstracts may be in the form of a case study, demonstration, implementation study, panel discussion, poster session, research paper, or tips and techniques workshop. Check out this link for more details: http://atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=4422

Recent Actions: BANA Accepts Two New Member Organizations and Approves Addition to Nemeth Code

The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) held its 2013 spring meeting April 11–13 in Washington, D.C. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a BANA member organization, hosted the meeting at the Library of Congress.
Actions taken at the Board Meeting included:

• Approval of the applications for two new member organizations: the Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB) and the Hadley School for the Blind. BANA welcomes both of these organizations and looks forward to working with them.
• Approval of a recommendation from BANA’s Braille Mathematics Technical Committee that the following be added to the Nemeth Code: "Rule XIV, §86c. When the expression being modified is a single digit or a letter, lower-case or capitalized, from any alphabet, and in any type form, and when the modifier is the horizontal bar directly under such a single digit or letter, the digit or letter, followed by the directly under symbol and the bar, serves to express the modification. This construction should be regarded as a contracted form of expression and must be used whenever applicable. If the modification includes a superscript, subscript, or prime, the five-step rule of a above must be followed. The five-step rule may be used in conjunction with the contracted form without fear of confusion."

For additional resource information, visit www.brailleauthority.org

Cal State LA Produces and Shares APH Book Port Plus Videos!

Dr. Cheryl Hannan is pleased to share their latest video training series on APH’s Book Port Plus. There are 10 video clips demonstrating how to use the Book Port Plus. They are intended to be used with the product in hand, so that you can watch the video and learn to use one. There are two versions of each video - one with descriptive video services and closed captioning and one without. Please feel free to share the link with colleagues, parents, and others who may be interested to learn more about the Book Port Plus.

Here is the link: http://www.calstatela.edu/programs/visualimpairment/kamei_digital_book_player.php

Also, if you haven't seen it yet, you may find the training on video magnifiers interesting. Here is the link to that page: http://www.calstatela.edu/programs/visualimpairment/kamei_video_magnifier.php
Future installations of the video training modules will include a video on pairing a Bluetooth™ braille display with an iPad and using an iPad with a braille display. Please check back regularly on the website below to see all training modules.

http://www.calstatela.edu/programs/visualimpairment/kamei_learning_modules.php
*Note: These materials were created by Keith Christian, Mike Carillo, Seanarae Smith, and CSULA as a part of an OSEP funded grant.

2013 Langan Award Winner

Gary Mudd, Vice President for Public Affairs, received the 2013 Paul J. Langan Distinguished Award from the Kentucky School for the Blind. His wife, Susan, and their daughters, Rachel and Kelly, were among those at the ceremony. 

 

On May 9, Vice President Gary Mudd (Public Affairs) received the Paul J. Langan Distinguished Award of the Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB). This prestigious award was established in 1992 and is given to a Kentuckian who has made a positive impact in the lives of persons who are blind or visually impaired.

Paul Langan, a former superintendent at KSB (1945-56), was known for his outstanding service and constructive leadership. In particular, his innovative approach to education laid the foundation for the continuing improvement of educational opportunities for blind and visually impaired students. As noted by John Roberts, KSB Director of Instruction, Gary’s “dedication and unselfish service to and for individuals who are blind makes him an excellent choice for this honor.” The award was presented at the 171st KSB Founders Day Program.

Mudd is very active in the community, including service on the Board of Kentucky Industries for the Blind, Visually Impaired Preschool Services, and the KSB Advisory Board. He is currently serving as the President of the Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation.

Treasures From the APH Libraries

The APH Barr Library supports research initiatives at APH, while the Migel Library is one of the largest collections of nonmedical information related to blindness in the world. Although the collections do not circulate, arrangements can be made to use the materials on-site. In addition, an ongoing digitization effort means APH will continue to make materials available through the online catalog at http://migel.aph.org.
Two of the many "Treasures from the APH Libraries" are described below.

From the Migel Library: Sheldon, Dorothy Dean. The Blind Child in the World of Nature. A Report of a Nature Study Project Conducted in the Department of Special Studies at Perkins Institution for the Blind. New York: American Foundation for the Blind, 1929.

This brief but significant report summarizes the adoption of the Girl Scouts’ nature program for students who were blind. Conducted at the Perkins Institution’s Natural History Museum, program showed that the students had a very deep and unfulfilled desire to learn about the natural world. The students were able to observe, interpret, and appreciate life in its natural environment. Children experienced the life cycle of a perennial flower bulb, learned bird calls, and even followed the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Especially interesting was the way that the life cycle of a river clam was observed, and the creation of a pearl was linked to the pearl buttons on the students’ clothing. Digitized for the Internet Archive at http://archive.org/details/blindchildinworl00doro, Sheldon’s report argues that every school for the blind should offer a nature program for its students.

From the Barr Library: Huxley, Aldous. The Art of Seeing. Seattle: Montana Books, 1942.

Novelist and critic Aldous Huxley produced this work to pay homage to the ophthalmologist who he considered a precursor of visual education, Dr. W. H. Bates. Huxley draws on his own experience of allegedly overcoming blindness in order to connect the principles of visual education with the discoveries of modern psychology. His fourfold process includes palming (closing the eyes and applying pressure to them with one’s palms), visualization (using one’s visual memory to conjure a mental image of the top letter of the eye chart), movement (shifting the eyes back and forth), and sunning (gazing at the sun). Although mainstream optometrists regard its content as misinformation, the theories in this book are worth examining within the historical context of alternative therapies.
APH is working with the Lyrasis Consortium and Internet Archive to digitize portions of the M.C. Migel Library. Search the phrase “full text” to find these items at http://migel.aph.org. The digitized texts are available in a variety of formats, including DAISY, Kindle, EPUB, PDF, etc.
Contact Library staff: library@aph.org, 800-223-1839, ext. 705

Oldies but Goodies: The "Established" APH Product Series

The Quick Pick Educational Game Series provides a unique play format for students who are visually impaired and blind. Each Quick Pick title consists of a set of cards packaged in one or more plastic cases and includes a wooden tool. Each game card presents a question or other challenge with four possible answers. The student reads the card while it is still in the case. To play, the player chooses an answer by inserting the wooden tool in one of four holes in the front of the case. If the answer is correct, the card will slide out of the case. If incorrect, the card will not pull out, and the player should try again. The object is to “quick pick” as many cards as possible on the first try. This fun and challenging flash card game can be played at school, at home, or in the car.

Quick Pick Braille Contractions includes two cases of 50 cards with each case representing a cross-section of braille contractions. On both sides of the cards, a braille contraction is on the top and four uncontracted answer choices are across the bottom.

Quick Pick Math is available for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Each set consists of one case containing 50 large print/braille cards. The front and back of each card contains a math question and four possible answers.

Quick Pick Counting is designed to help children learn to count to 12 with raised-line symbols and braille numbers. It includes 50 one-sided game cards. The player counts the tactile symbols and then reads the correct braille number. The raised-line symbols are embossed only; the number answers are large print-braille.

If you have any suggestions for other products you would like to see highlighted in this monthly feature, please send your comments to Monica Turner at mmturner@aph.org.

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Conference Exhibit

APH’s booth was consistently busy with inquisitive conference-goers at the AOTA’s 93rd Annual Conference, April 23-28, 2013 in sunny San Diego, CA. Field services representative, Kerry Isham was on hand to exhibit brand new and tried-and-true products for the approximately 5000 enthusiastic attendees. Products that garnered attention included the DRAFTSMAN, the Getting to Know You Kit, Giant Textured Beads with Pattern-Matching Cards, the Mini-Lite Box, Tactile Town, TREKS, and Pegs and Peg Board. APH is always pleased to be a part of this important yearly event for occupational therapy professionals.

Tactile Graphics TV is On the Air!

APH is introducing a new series of online videos devoted to tactile graphic design. Each episode in the ongoing series will address one or two aspects of the design process involved in adapting a print graphic (for example, from a textbook) into a readable tactile image.

Unlike videos that demonstrate the production of tactile graphics through various methods, TGTV focuses on the thought process and shows ways to interpret the print image in a way that is meaningful for tactile readers. The emphasis is on the way to think about tactile adaptation rather than on “dos and don'ts.”

If you are involved in providing accessible images to tactile readers, either as a teacher, transcriber, aide, resource professional, TVI, or family member, check out episodes of TGTV on the APH website. Then let us know what you think about Tactile Graphics TV!

New Online Video Format – We Want Your Feedback!

In addition to all-new video content, the two Tactile Graphics TV videos have been created in a new format for APH online videos (HTML5). Please let us know how these videos work for you as you play them on your computer or mobile device.

Touch 'em All Baseball IN the Ballpark!

A KSB student runs from third base to home Fred Otto (right) orients the students from KSB to the field using APH's Touch 'em All Baseball

Recently, APH introduced a new product, Touch 'em All Baseball, a fun tactile and visual game for learning about our American Pastime, baseball, and teaching numerous other skills.

As a way to kickoff the product locally, we hosted an event at Louisville Slugger Field, the home of the Louisville Bats baseball team. We took a group of middle- and high-school students from the Kentucky School for the Blind and let them explore the ballpark and learn all about the game of baseball. First, we oriented the kids to their surroundings by using the Touch 'em All Baseball game board. Then, we separated the students into three groups to explore different parts of the field. Nathan Stalvey, curator at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, showed the students some baseball bats and explained the differences between bats of the past and the bats used by players today. After holding the bats, the students were able to run the bases with the assistance of the Portable Sound Source, Sport Edition, which was located at each base. The kids also got to experience just how big the outfield really is. They explored the warning track and the outfield wall. Some tried jumping to touch the top of the wall. Finally, the kids got to practice pitching, holding a real baseball and trying to throw it the full 60'6".

Later that day, we welcomed a group of local adults who are blind to the field. They were also able to run the bases and practice pitching. Both the kids and the adults had a fantastic time. One student even said it was the best field trip ever!

Here's a link to a local news video about the event: http://www.wdrb.com/category/163829/fox-41-video?clipId=8909810&autostart=true

Thank you to everyone involved for helping us knock it outta the park!

Using APH Products to Teach the Common Core State Standards

APH is pleased to announce the development of a new Common Core State Standards website. Staff, consultants, and TVIs from Alabama, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri have aligned APH math products to the CCSS for grades K-6. Product alignment for 7th grade and above will be added soon. The site also has links to the Common Core State Standards, the Maryland Common Core State Curriculum Framework for Braille, the five Assessment Consortia, as well as links to webinars on implementing the CCSS and other free resources. Visit the new website @ http://www.aph.org/ccss/

Another New Braille Plus 18 Video Added!

We’ve added links to ANOTHER new video created by prolific student Chase Crispin and his teacher LeAnna MacDonald. Visit our products video page to view this video, which covers setting the date and time for the Braille Plus 18.

Social Media Spotlight

Soon-to-be parents who are blind may not be able to see the sonogram images of their growing baby, but 3D printing technology may soon allow them to feel and hold a representation of the baby taken from sonogram data.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/22/3d-printing-gives-blind-parents-a-chance-to-feel-baby-before-its-born/

"Like" APH at Our Facebook Page!

We invite you to visit our Facebook page and "Like" us! You can find APH at these social media sites: Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and at our blog, Fred's Head from APH.

APH Welcomes New Ex Officio Trustee

Michelle Dornan-Vickery, the Vision Loss Resources account in Minnesota, replacing Stacy Shamblott.

APH Travel Calendar

June

June 4, 2013
NIP: APH Intervention Continuum with Millie Smith;
Georgia
June 6-9, 2013
The Family Café (a family conference);
Orlando, FL
June 8, 2013
KSB Alumni Event;
Louisville, KY
June 11-13, 2013
Texas AT Network Conference;
Houston, TX
June 14-15, 2013
DE Deaf/Blind Program SAM Workshop;
Rehoboth Beach, DE
June 27-30, 2013
Visions 2013;
Baltimore, MD
June 28, 2013
CIP: Western Michigan University;
Kalamazoo, MI

July

July 1-6, 2013
NFB 2013;
Orlando, FL
July 4-12, 2013
ACB 2013;
Columbus, OH
July 14-17, 2013
OSEP Directors Project Conference;
Washington, DC
July 15-16, 2013
NIP: Math with Susan Osterhaus;
Madison, WI
July 24-25, 2013
NIP: APH Intervention Continuum (SLK, TC, & SAM) with Millie Smith;
Raleigh, NC
July 25-28, 2013
CHARGE Syndrome, 11th International;
Scottsdale, AZ

August

August 2-4, 2013
West Virginia AER 2013;
Terra Alta, WV
August 8, 2013
NIP Event - APH Communication Continuum: SLK, SAM and TC with Millie Smith;
Clarksville, TN
August 9, 2013
NIP Event – APH Communication Continuum: SAM with Millie Smith;
Nashville, TN
August 12, 2013
Advisory Commission on Textbook Specifications (ACTS);
Austin, TX
August 22-23, 2013
NIP Event: Woodcock-Johnson III – Tests of Achievement-Braille Adaptation/Training on Administering and Scoring with Lynne Jaffe;
Ann Arbor, MI
August 27-29, 2013
NIP Event: Math Workshop with Susan Osterhaus;
Grand Rapids, MI

September

September 19-21, 2013
Envisions 2013 Conference;
Minneapolis, MN
September 27, 2013
Human Development Institute: APH Products, Services, and Accessibility Workshop;
Lexington, KY

APH Spring Fever Sale

Load up a world of savings on selected APH products with APH's Spring Fever Sale 2013, April 1—June 30. As always, first come, first served.
www.aph.org/products/springfever.html

APH Has Discontinued Repair of the Table-Top Cassette Tape Recorder

Effective April 1, 2013 APH is no longer repairing our Table-Top Cassette Tape Recorder/Player due to the lack of parts availability. We appreciate your understanding.

New Downloadable Manuals Available

Get the manual you need instantly! APH offers a selected list of product manuals available for free download (www.aph.org/manuals/). You may print or emboss these as needed. We will continue to package hard copies of these manuals with their products and sell hard copy replacements.
Newly added manuals:

• STACS Braille Guidebook (5-08815-00)

New! STACS: Standardized Tactile Augmentative Communication Symbols Kit

1-08815-00 -- $659.00
Optional Item:
STACS Guidebook, Braille: 5-08815-00 -- $16.00
Replacement Item:
STACS Guidebook, Large Print with CD-ROM: 7-08815-00

Teach vocabulary to learners who have no means of formal communication.

Tactile symbol systems are valuable tools that aid learners with conversations about people, places, events, and ideas. STACS: Standardized Tactile Augmentative Communication Symbols Kit helps learning partners (teachers, parents, peers, etc.) teach a beginning standardized vocabulary. Teachers then introduce additional individualized symbols as needed. The STACS instruction manual and included online videos show learning partners how to implement symbols effectively as a part of their learner's communication system.

The instructional manual and the accompanying materials will improve partner understanding of the use of tactile symbols and provide a jumping off point from which to develop personal communication systems. STACS will open the doors of communication and enrich the lives of children and adults.

STACS includes

• 25 tactile symbol cards (basic vocabulary)
• Two blank cards for making individual tactile symbol cards for learners
• Large Print Guidebook with assessments and accessible CD-ROM (braille guidebook available separately)
• Three online training videos
• Electronic (online) assessment forms

Tangible symbols are appropriate for use as a receptive form of communication with any learner who is deafblind and as an expressive form of communication for learners who have a predictable motor, behavioral, or communicative response that the communication partner can interpret.

REVISED! Reach for the Stars, Planning for the Future

Large Print with CD-ROM: 7-08412-00 -- $20.00
Braille: 5-08412-00 -- $25.00

This guidebook helps families with planning positive transitions for young children with disabilities.
Reach for the Stars aids families in working with school personnel to create educational plans that will lead to inclusive educational programs.

• Family members can work with teachers, community members, and their child's peers to complete the maps and supporting materials prior to attending a transition meeting for their child.
• Service providers can use the material to understand a family's desires and expectations regarding their child's future.
• Information from the Reach for the Stars process can be utilized as part of the child's functional assessment to facilitate the development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Curriculum Framework

• Assessment: the process of gathering comprehensive information about children to guide educational programming decisions.
• Scope and Sequence: refers to the skills children should learn and the order in which they should learn them.
• Activities and Instruction: includes the contexts in which instruction occurs, as well as the strategies for providing instruction.
• Performance Monitoring: (progress monitoring) data on children's performance should be collected on a regular (ongoing) basis.

Person-Centered Planning (PCP)

Person-centered planning emphasizes positive attributes of children with disabilities rather than their weaknesses. When using PCP, programs are planned around what works for a child, rather than a child's conventional test scores. Similarly, when PCP is employed, decisions are made based on informed choice rather than what is available for a child. Finally, families are actively involved in the PCP process, particularly when used with young children.

REVISED! The Good Tactile Graphic DVD and Booklet

1-30006-DVD -- $25.00
Guidelines, Resources, and Samples (booklet only): 7-30006-01 -- $15.00

These informative and entertaining videos tell the story of a visually impaired angel who must find well-made tactile graphics of his flight manual if he is ever to fly!

The Good Tactile Graphic DVD and booklet helps braille transcribers of all skill levels design clear and meaningful tactile graphics. These two videos on this DVD offer a wealth of information woven into the story of an angel who desperately needs tactile graphics showing him how to operate his wings.

The booklet that accompanies these videos, Guidelines, Resources, and Samples, provides specific guidelines for the design of tactile graphics, which expand on those mentioned in the videos. It also provides further resources and information that may be of use to creators of tactile graphics. In addition, it contains actual samples of some of the tactile graphics depicted in the videos.

NEW! Venn Diagram Template Kit

1-04095-00 -- $15.00

A Venn diagram or set diagram shows all possible logical relations between a finite collection of sets.
The Venn Diagram Template Kit includes 15 sheets with two-circle diagrams and 15 sheets with three-circle diagrams, sized to allow for braille labeling in all sections and in the outer margins. The outlines of the circles are made in contrasting line styles so they are easily distinguishable, both visually and tactually. These heavy, consumable sheets may be tooled directly or used in a braillewriter. Includes a total of 30 sheets, measuring 11.5 x 11 inches.

APH offers a number of recreational books in braille (Quota funds can be used). Each of these titles was originally transcribed and produced by APH for the National Library Service which has graciously granted permission for this offering. As usual, these titles have been added to the APH Louis Database where you can find thousands of titles produced in accessible formats.
Note: all books are produced upon receipt of orders, therefore, please allow several weeks for delivery.

Whales
by Laura Marsh: T-N1937-70 -- $10.00
Facts about sperm whales -- the largest toothed predator on the planet. Describes their huge size, long journeys, travel in pods, eating habits, and echolocation and communication. Discusses conservation efforts to save the species from near extinction caused by hunting. Grades K-3. *(AR Quiz No. 140140, BL 4.5 Pts 0.5)

Ninth Ward
by Jewell Parker Rhodes: T-N1919-00 -- $34.00
Twelve-year-old orphan Lanesha, who sees spirits, prepares for hurricane Katrina with her eighty-two-year-old adoptive grandmother, Mama Ya-Ya. Unable to evacuate, they gather supplies and two refugees -- neighbor TaShon and his dog Spot. Grades 4-7. *(AR Quiz No. 139032, BL 3.3 Pts 4.0)

Scrumble
by Ingrid Law: T-N1919-20 -- $65.00
Mibs's cousin Ledge is disappointed to discover that his "savvy" -- the magical power unique to each member of their family -- is to make things fall apart, which endangers his uncle Autry's ranch and reveals the family secret to future reporter Sarah. Grades 4-7.

Silenced
by Brett Battles: T-N1938-90 -- $94.50
Professional cleaner Jonathan Quinn, from Shadow of Betrayal, is hired to remove the remains of a body hidden for twenty years inside the walls of a London building that is about to be demolished. But the job endangers Quinn’s family. Some adult content.

The Accidental Family
by Rowan Coleman: T-N1883-50 -- $103.00
Sophie Mills, from The Accidental Mother, leaves London to follow her former wards Izzy and Bella to Cornwall after she falls in love with their father Louis. Complications occur when Louis runs into an old lover and learns that he has a grown son. Some adult content.

*Accelerated Reader quiz number, book level, and point value. For more information on the Accelerated Reader program, see the January 2006 APH News or www.renlearn.com/ar/

2013 Inductees into the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field Announced

Martha Louise Morrow Foxx and Laurence Clifton Jones Inducted into Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving the tradition of excellence manifested by specific individuals through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired in North America. It is housed at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) in Louisville, Kentucky, but belongs to all.

The ceremony to induct Ms. Foxx and Dr. Jones, connected through their work at Mississippi’s Piney Woods Country Life School, will take place on Friday evening, October 18, 2013 in conjunction with APH's Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and Special Guests, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.  Joining the fifty outstanding legends previously inducted, are these two remarkable historic figures who literally changed lives and altered history. Their stories of accomplishment, in the face of staggering odds, are still powerfully touching lives. Dr. Jones and Ms. Foxx opened, and held open, a door that was seen as forever closed to black Americans, including those who were blind. Their heroic actions were not accomplished without personal danger and danger to their fellow workers, to their supporters, and to the students in their charge.

The Class of 2013:

Martha Louise Morrow Foxx (1902 - 1975)

Ms. Foxx was the primary teacher of the blind at the Piney Woods Country Life School in Mississippi from 1929 until 1942. She then became principal until 1951, when the school moved to a new campus in Jackson, thus becoming the Mississippi School for Blind Negroes, where she served as director until retirement in 1969. Martha Louise began her journey in the Piney Woods as an 18-year-old graduate of the Overbrook School for the Blind (PA). She went on to study at several colleges during summers, earning her bachelor and master degrees.   

Mrs. Foxx became widely known for her innovative and dynamic teaching philosophy which entailed instruction outside the walls of the school. She insisted that the students be allowed to enjoy outings into the woods around Piney Woods School to hone their senses of touch, sound, and smell. Using what were considered to be progressive techniques she taught students to read braille and large print and insisted that they learn to be self reliant and develop careers to insure they would succeed in making their own way after graduating from the school.  Teachers, both black and white, from around the country, came to the Piney Woods to learn and embrace her methods – all before PL 94-142, IDEA, and the Civil Rights movement. This was happening in the heart of our segregated country.  It took courage, persistence and unlimited patience. Her curriculum was adopted by the “white” school for the blind in the late 1940s.

“Challenging minds, expanding possibilities, securing opportunities, and changing what it means to be blind for African-Americans who happened to be blind - this is what Mrs. Fox did with her life.  She accepted the call, challenged her limits, and impacted lives by making a difference in the dignity and quality of life of hundreds of blind individuals who are now living all across America.  Those same individuals are carrying on her legacy not only today, but for many years to come.”   Barbara White Hadnott, former student

Laurence Clifton Jones 

The Piney Woods School was founded in 1909 by Dr. Jones as a place to provide vocational and academic schooling for poor black children and grandchildren of slaves in the rural piney woods area – just south of Jackson, Mississippi. The school started with one 16-year old student at a tree stump and the next day there were 2 more students.  As word got around, the school continued to grow.  

 Many students came in mule drawn wagons and were dropped off with tuition partially paid in crops and homemade goods. Their families left them at the school with the hope of a better life for them if they could only get an education. All students at the school were required to work helping to grow food for the school, building and repairing the grounds, or touring in music ensembles. In an early photograph the motto of the schools reads “Work is the Mother of Contentment.” 

In the 1920s, sparked by two events, Dr. Jones became aware that there was no school to educate Negro children who were blind. He observed a young blind girl begging on the streets of Vicksburg and a young blind boy, whose sharecropper parents were killed in a fire, was left at the school for him to care for.  Never one to turn away a child in need or a challenge, and believing every child deserved an opportunity, Dr. Jones added the education of blind children to the school’s purpose which remained a focus until 1951.

Dr. Jones authored several books and tirelessly toured the country telling of the work and inviting national and international dignitaries to visit the campus.  He attracted both white and black teachers from around the country to the Piney Woods to learn the methods used at the school for the blind. He advocated education which touched “the mind, the heart, and the hands.”  This credo was evidenced in education for the mind, spiritual growth and service for the heart, and putting the hands to good old fashioned work.

Dr. Jones was a pioneering educator of the blind in Mississippi and he is credited with guiding the Mississippi Blind School for Negroes towards its move to Jackson and eventually to integration.  The first big step was embodied by the creation of a new campus in Jackson in 1950, after almost 30 years of effort.  In 1945, Helen Keller, after visiting the school and learning of Dr. Jones and Miss Foxx and their work, helped convince the Mississippi legislature to fund the establishment of the school. The Piney Woods School received state funding and moved to become a sister school of the Jackson based Mississippi School for the Blind.

The combined efforts of Dr. Jones and Ms. Foxx were rewarded when the two campuses combined in 1974.

“Dr. Jones should be noted and recognized for his work in the field of blindness. Because of his willingness to take on the challenge of educating black children, including those that were blind, Mississippi can tout the legacy of Martha Foxx. Dr. Jones was the first spark that initiated a fireball of interest and support to educate all children, including those of former slaves and those who were blind. This leader dared to educate the excluded. This leader dared to include a department to educate the blind which was far different from the expectations during that time. His leadership and professional practice are unsurpassed.” Dr. Rosie L. T. Pridgen

For additional information on Dr. Jones, Ms. Foxx and the Piney Woods School, visit this website: http://captionmax.com/blog/2012/02/dr-laurence-jones-martha-louise-morrow-foxx/ or the Piney Woods School website: http://www.pineywoods.org/

 Additional information regarding the 2013 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will soon appear on the APH website, www.aph.org. Visit the Hall of Fame website at http://www.aph.org/hall_fame/index.html for information on the Hall and those inducted.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

The Hall of Fame Voluntary Governing Board:

Jane Erin (AZ), Chair

Ann MacCuspie (CAN), Secretary

Janie Blome (KY), Treasurer

Billy Brookshire (TX)

Mike Cole (CA)

Greg Goodrich (CA)

John Maxson (CA)

Rosanne Silberman (NY)

Diane Wormsley (NC)

Jim Deremeik, (MD) Past Chair

Questions?  Please contact Bob Brasher, Hall Curator, at 800/223-1839, ext. 369 or bbrasher@aph.org.

 Thank you.

Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is a project of the entire field of blindness, curated by the American Printing House for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.