The Fred's Head blog contains tips, techniques, tutorials, in-depth articles, and resources for and by blind or visually impaired people. Fred's Head is offered by the American Printing House for the Blind. It was voted best blindness-related blog three years in a row by BlindBargains.com.

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Fred's Head is named after the legendary Fred Gissoni of APH's Customer Relations Department, who is now retired. Check out the bottom of this page for: browsing articles by subject; Fred's Head on Twitter; receiving posts by email; subscribing to RSS feeds; APH resources; the archive of this blog; APH on YouTube; contributing articles to Fred's Head; and disclaimers.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Book Features Photographs by Blind Teenagers

Chronicle Books has published "Seeing Beyond Sight," a book by visual artist and social entrepreneur Tony Deifell, which features photographs taken by blind and visually impaired teenagers.

A rare book of visual art, "Seeing Beyond Sight" provides inspiration, not only to the visually impaired community, but also to anyone who has ever considered what it means to see and perceive the world.

For order information, call 800-722-6657, or click this link to visit http://www.chroniclebooks.com.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Night Reader

No, I didn't say Knight Rider, I said Night Reader. You guys are so 80s. Anyway, this device was designed for those who can't sleep without doing a bit of reading. The Night Reader Book Cover allows one to continue reading without bothering anyone after the lights go out.

How cool would this be for those who have low vision? How many times have you needed a little extra light in the library or classroom?Just slip this attractive book cover onto your favorite novel, pull up the periscoping light, and you will have the luxury of having your own personal lamp to read by.

The Night Reader's white light is restful on the eyes and its adjustable neck and pivoting head allows you to shift the light anywhere you need it. The Book cover light contains energy-efficient LEDs that last an incredible 100,000 hours, never needing replacement!

Click this link to purchase the Night Reader.

Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers - (IVIE)

Independent Visually Impaired Enterprisers - (IVIE) is an affiliate organization of the American Council of the Blind, (ACB). Their members include a wide range of blind and visually impaired business owners and entrepreneurs.

IVIE is a rich source of information on business ideas, strategies, assistive technology and networking. Have you ever considered starting your own small business? Perhaps, IVIE members can help.

For any questions, or more information about IVIE, please click this link to contact Ardis Bazyn at abazyn@bazyncommunications.com.

Article Source: http://www.tabinc.org/blog/archives/2007/04/independent_vis.html

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

What is the Retina?

We hear a lot about the retina, but what is it? I found the following explanation on The Foundation for Retinal Research website and wanted to share it with you.

The retina, as the brain, is part of the Central Nervous System. It is a thin, transparent tissue that is attached inside the back part of the eye. Its main function is to capture light images, begin their processing and pass them down the optic nerve to the brain. Structurally, the retina is stratified, i.e., most cells are in distinct bands or layers. In fact, one can think of the retina as a layer cake. The following is a short description of the important cell types of the retina.

Photoreceptor Cells

The most important cell is the photoreceptor neuron. Its main function is to capture the light energy in a visual image and convert it to an electrical response. This is done is a specialized part of the photoreceptor cells called the outer segment. Visual proteins are concentrated in the outer segment. These are the proteins that actually capture the light energy. Once the photoreceptor neuron converts the photic energy to an electrophysiological signal, it passes this signal on to secondary neurons in the next layer of the retina (e.g., bipolar cells) and ultimately to the brain.

There are two main types of photoreceptor cells in most animal retinas. These are called rods and cones. Rod cells are, as the name implies, rod-shaped. They are designed to mainly function in dim light and in peripheral vision. Cone cells are more cone shaped. They serve in central vision, bright-light vision and in color vision. There is a concentration of cone cells in a highly specialized, region of the retina called the macula. Most of our central and sharp vision uses macular cone cells. Interestingly, the photoreceptor cells point towards the back of the eye, necessitating light to pass through all the other retinal layers before striking the photoreceptors.

Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) Cells

Juxtaposed to the layer of photoreceptor cells is a single cell layer of RPE cells. Perhaps, think of them as frosting on the retinal "cake". They are tightly intertwined with the outer segments of the photoreceptor cells. The RPE cell layer functions in maintaining proper operation of the photoreceptor cells which are thought to have the highest metabolic activity of any cell type in the human body. Thus, RPE cells bring nutrients and oxygen to photoreceptor cells and remove waste products. RPE cells also are heavily pigmented (melanin granules), allowing for capture of stray light. Last but not least, RPE cells are intrinsic to vision in that they participate in the visual cycle with photoreceptor cells. They store the vitamin A (retinoids) needed in vision and also contain enzymes that chemically alter vitamin A to forms used in photoreceptor outer segments in the visual process. When RPE cells are not functioning properly, photoreceptor cells are usually quickly affected resulting in retinal degeneration.

On the other side of the RPE cell layer from the photoreceptors is a dense network of blood vessels called the choroid. It is from this blood vessel system that RPE cells get the nutrients to pass on to photoreceptor cells.

Other Retinal Cell Types

Beneath the photoreceptor cells are several stratified cell layers. Within these layers are secondary neurons such as bipolar cells, amacrine cells and ganglion cells. These cells are all connected through structures called synapses. The function of these cells is to begin the processing and integration of the visual signals. These signals are finally passed to the brain through the optic nerve. The optic nerve consists of many long, thin processes (axons) of ganglion cells.

Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA)


Message: HI Fred! I am new to this---trying to find information about a condition called "Lemurs" not sure I am even spelling it right, but that's what it sounds like. It's apparently a genetic condition, passed through the mother, only to male children, that causes significant vision impairment, the onset of which usually occurs around age 20-30. Know where I can get more info? Thanks so much. location: North Carolina

Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) is a rare, hereditary disorder that leads to retinal dysfunction and visual impairment at an early age, often from birth. Of all the retinal degenerations, LCA has the earliest age of onset and can be the most severe.

LCA bears the name of Dr. Theodore Leber who first described the condition. The term amaurosis refers to any condition of blindness or marked loss of vision, especially loss of vision in which there is little or no change in the appearance of the eye itself. LCA is sometimes confused with another condition termed Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) that also leads to visual impairment. However, LCA is a separate and distinct disease.

The clinical signs of a disease are collectively called the phenotype. Besides vision loss, other signs of LCA are nystagmus (roving eye), sluggish or nonexistent pupillary response and, in some cases, eye rubbing (oculo-digital reflex). In a smaller number of cases, there can be lens opacity (cataract), cornea abnormality (keratoconus), aversion to light (photophobia), hearing impairment and possibly developmental delays. Retinal blood vessels can become thin and narrow and there can be pigmentary changes that an Ophthalmologist can see within the eye.

A key feature of LCA is an abnormally low electrical response of the retina. This can be measured by the Ophthalmologist using a method called Electroretinography. In this procedure, the retina is stimulated by light and the electrical response pattern is recorded on an electroretinogram (ERG) and compared with ERG responses from normal subjects. Some LCA types are progressive in that they become more severe with age and some are stationary in that there is little change noted with time.

Article Source:
The Foundation for Retinal Research: http://www.tfrr.org

The AFB site also gives an online reference for more information on this condition: www.icomm.ca/geneinfo/lebersam.htm. I hope this helps, and thanks for the question.

Click this link to visit the American Foundation for the Blind's Glossary of Eye Conditions page: http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?DocumentID=2139

The Foundation for Retinal Research

The Foundation for Retinal Research is committed to finding treatments and cures for Retinal Degenerative Diseases and supporting the lives of affected families.

The Foundation for Retinal Research (FRR) was founded in 1998 at a time when very little was known or published about Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). Families affected by Leber's Congenital Amaurosis had a difficult time acquiring information and making connections to help them understand the eye disorder. The Foundation has bridged the gap between families and research. Their website offers people the most current medical and research information available, connects them to other families and provides links to services related to the field of blindness.

For more information, contact:

Foundation for Retinal Research
1985 Dale Avenue
Highland Park, IL 60035
Phone: 847-432-5101
Fax: 847-432-0545
Email: info@tfrr.org
http://www.tfrr.org

Monday, April 23, 2007

Restaurant Menus That Talk

Menus That Talk is a portable, compact device, approximately the size of a DVD case, that speaks to restaurant guests, describing selected food items from the hand-held unit's illuminated buttons.

A lighted array of buttons displays major menu categories like DRINKS, APPETIZERS and SEAFOOD. Guests simply press a button corresponding to a category and hear brief descriptions of cuisine, wine suggestions, sides and prices. At the touch of a button, Menus That Talk describes what's for dinner.

No habla ingles? No problem: Just press the language button for Spanish or another language. No more squinting in dim light or turning page after page of complex printed menus. No more awkward conferences with busy waiters.

Ready to order? A Service button pages your waiter. For the visually disabled, the buttons are also imprinted in Braille. Guests who can't see the button names and don't use Braille can browse the menu simply by tapping buttons to hear categories. Another tap brings up the details.

In noisy restaurants or for the hearing-impaired, Menus That Talk features a detachable hand-held earphone. The earphone also interfaces with Tele-coil equipped hearing-aids.

Menus That Talk serves the needs and comforts of all restaurant patrons with its simple layout, ease of use and ability to deliver voice anywhere in the restaurant. Benefits for the restaurants include streamlining menu selections, reducing server assistance time and bringing the menu to a larger, appreciative audience.

For more information, contact:

Susan Perry, President, CEO
susan.perry@menusthattalk.com
Phone: 305-255-9600

Richard Herbst, VP Marketing
richard.herbst@menusthattalk.com
Cell: 786-449-9351

Website:
Menus That Talk: http://www.menusthattalk.com

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Connie's Kitchen: Confessions of a Low Vision Cook

When a cook is blind or partially sighted, safety and organization become crucial issues. Accurate cooking demands full use of all remaining senses. For this reason, the lack of complete concentration during meal preparation can result in over-or under-cooking food, burning yourself, or creating messy accidents to be cleaned up later.

Tips:

  • When handling hot baking ware, use oven mitts long enough to cover your hands and lower arms completely. Use an audible timer and be sure you have set it correctly. Organize your ingredients, and develop a labeling system so containers that feel alike will not confuse you.

  • If you have any residual vision, use a magnifier to read food labels, even if you are positive as to what is in your hand. Before serving a meal, double check to be sure all stove controls are in the off position.

  • While burner covers are very attractive, they are not heat resistant; so if you have them, remove them from the stove before turning on a burner or oven.

This abstract of the article by Connie Weadon first appeared in Dialogue 34 (Summer 1995) and is reprinted with permission from the publisher. Dialogue magazine is published in braille, large print, 4-track cassette and IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette.

Don't Forget the Attachment!

If you are sending an email with an attachment, add the attachment first, compose the message, then add email addresses to the send line. Now there's no chance you'll have to send the ever-popular "whoops, forgot to attach the file" follow-up message.

It's a good practice to always put the email addresses of the recipients in last, to ensure that a runaway enter key press or mouse click won't fire off the message before its complete.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Keeping Track of Breast Feeding

I received this great tip from a visually impaired mother of four.

Amid the confused haze of sleep deprivation that comes with the care of an infant, a breastfeeding mother may forget which side she used last. If faced with this problem, simply place a hair band or bracelet around the wrist.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Recuva: An Accessible File Recovery Utility

In more than one instance, I've been in need of a decent file restore utility, you know, for those times when you like to use the shift key with the delete because you just know you'll never need that file again?

Recuva (pronounced Recover, according to their website, is "a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer. This includes files emptied from the Recycle bin as well as images and other files that have been deleted by user error from digital camera memory cards or MP3 players. It will even bring back files that have been deleted by bugs, crashes and viruses!" Even if you think you'll never need it, go ahead and download it and put it away somewhere. I guarantee a time will come when you'll be glad you did.

Click this link to visit http://www.recuva.com and download Recuva.

Monday, April 02, 2007

APH News: April 2007

APH Logo

APH News

Your monthly link to the latest information on the products, services, and training opportunities of the American Printing House for the Blind.

April 2007

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

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



Want the Scoop on the Hottest APH Products?
Subscribe FREE to APH News!

The APH News, your online source for news about services offered by APH, workshops and events, new APH staff, Ex Officio Trustee information, and much more, is also the place you'll hear about new APH products FIRST! Subscribe to the News so you can order early for your students, adult clients, or yourself.

  • Beat the rush and reduce waiting for back-orders
  • Plan your curriculum before the next catalog arrives
  • Get the latest tool to help you in your daily life

You may have field-tested one of our products or have seen a prototype demonstrated at a conference -- so be among the first to know when you can get one in your hands!

Subscribing is easy -- and it's free!
To automatically receive your monthly link to the APH News:

  • Send an email to aphinfo-request@iglou.com
  • Leave the subject line blank
  • In the body of the email, type the word "subscribe" (without the quote marks)

Note: APH will never share your information with another organization.



We've Decked the Hall with a New Website Design!

Anne Sullivan's Hall of Fame Plaque

We're excited to launch our redesign of the virtual Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field.

The wealth of information on the Hall of Fame site has been reorganized for easier navigation. The site features:

  • User-friendly, streamlined navigation
  • Photos and bios of all 38 Hall of Fame inductees, including the new Class of 2006 inductees
  • Additional photos of some inductees
  • New photos of the Hall of Fame space, housed at APH
  • New stones on the Wall of Tribute
  • Information on how you can support the Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is a project of the entire field of vision and is housed at APH in Louisville, Kentucky. The Hall is dedicated to preserving, honoring, and promoting the tradition of excellence manifested by the specific individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame and through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired.



Field Test Families Needed for New "Lots of Dots"

APH is seeking families to field test the third and final book in the Lots of Dots raised-line and large print coloring book series. Lots of Dots: Coloring the Garden presents fruits, vegetables, and herbs. This product is designed for beginning readers. It is recommended that children have completed at least one other book in the Lots of Dots series. The word for each item is presented in large print, uncontracted braille, and contracted braille (when applicable). This book is best used in the home where parents and children can complete the enrichment activities (recipes) together. Field testing is scheduled for July and August of 2007. Spend your summer shopping the farmers' market and preparing fun family meals. To participate, contact Tristan Pierce at tpierce@aph.org



June Workshop Planned on Making Tests Accessible

The APH Accessible Tests Department is offering a half-day post-conference workshop in connection with the 2007 Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Conference on Large Scale Assessment. The post-conference workshop will be conducted on Wednesday, June 20, from 1:30-5:00 p.m. at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. It is targeted for members of assessment teams, such as test publishers, state and local assessment personnel, and school psychologists, and anyone involved in the provision of tests in accessible media. Although there is a $25 workshop fee, you may apply for a fee waiver if needed. If you are attending the post-conference workshop, but not the regular conference, you need not register and pay the CCSSO registration fee. This workshop will provide information on test development and adaptation in order to ensure access to test items by students who are blind or visually impaired. For more information or to register for the workshop, contact Nancy Bayens at 800/223-1839, ext. 470 or nbayens@aph.org



National Family Conference to be Held

Families Connecting With Families

Families Connecting with Families in the Heartland of America will take place July 13-15, 2007 in Omaha, Nebraska. This is the second national conference of its type for families with children who are blind or have low vision of all ages. The American Foundation for the Blind, the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments, and The Seeing Eye, Inc. will be the lead sponsors for the 2007 program. There will be a significant level of family entertainment alongside informational workshops.

The color and black and white brochures are available at www.afb.org. You will find the brochures by using search words, such as "family conference" or "Omaha."

Online registration will begin March 1, 2007.

If you have specific questions, contact Mary Ann Siller (AFB) at siller@afb.net



The Results Are In!
APH Online Assessment Survey: New Directions

Information about this survey was circulated in the APH News; on various list serves such as AERnet, braille-n-teach, and Vhassessors; by our Ex Officio Trustees; and by word of mouth. One hundred and forty-six online responses and one response by U.S. mail were received. Persons from 25 states and Guam participated, with the following states boasting the highest number of participants: Indiana (19), Texas (16), South Carolina (16), Virginia (12), Missouri (10), and Kentucky (9). Job titles of participants ranged from Test Coordinator to Teacher of the Visually Impaired to Department of Education Program Director. Respondents reported that test scores were utilized in a variety of ways across the states: NCLB compliance, tracking Adequate Yearly Progress, establishing IEP goals, program placement, interventions, accountability, etc.

Survey results indicated that APH has continued to accurately identify the highest priority assessment needs reported by practitioners. The top 10 individually administered achievement tests requested were: *Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT II), *Woodcock-Johnson III: Tests of Achievement (WJ III); Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT 3/4); *Kaufman Tests of Academic Achievement (KTEA II); *KeyMath 3, Blind Learning Aptitude Test (BLAT); *Brigance Diagnostic Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills, Revised (CIBS-R) aka Brigance Green; California Achievement Test (CAT); Diagnostic Achievement Battery (DAB-2); and Peabody Individual Achievement Test, Revised (PIAT-R).

* in development at APH

Thanks to everyone who answered the online survey questions. For a complete report, go to www.aph.org/tests/index.html



Utah Learns About the SLK

Approximately 60 services providers from around Utah gathered in Salt Lake City March 19th and 20th to learn about the APH Sensory Learning Kit (SLK) with author Millie Smith. The highly successful event, held in partnership with Ex Officio Trustee Lori Quigley and the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, offered participants an opportunity for hands-on training with the guidebooks and materials in the kit.

In addition to hearing great information provided by Millie, participants used materials from their own kits to practice assessments with each other and to learn about developing routines using the learning media and access items found in the SLK.

NIP events are designed to showcase the use of APH products across the areas of the Core Curriculum and the Expanded Core Curriculum. If you are interested in partnering with APH to bring an "expert" to your area, please contact Janie Blome by calling 800-223-1839, ext 367, or emailing jblome@aph.org



APH and CTEVH

The 48th Annual Conference of California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped, Inc. (CTEVH), titled "Check Your Resources", took place March 1 - 4 in Santa Clara, CA, and APH was well-represented! Speakers, presenters and vendors at the conference focused on the varied services and resources that exist in the field of visual impairments.

APH's Accessible Textbook Department staffers Dena Garrett, Jayma Hawkins and Yan Zhang gave a presentation on Quality Assurance: Creating Quality Braille Documents For Your Customers and Students. The presentation was standing room only and the participants were excited to receive new resources and helpful techniques to create quality documents.

Jane Thompson facilitated a panel discussion titled Employment and Training Opportunities for Braille Transcribers. The panel consisted of Diane Spence, TX, Whitney Gregory, TX and Nancy Niebrugge, CA. This presentation introduces transcribers to employment opportunities at APH as well as other organizations.

Nancy Lacewell presented a session on Prison Braille Programs Across the U.S., and included discussion on the challenges facing prison braille programs and individual inmate transcribers as they transition "to the outside".

Karen Poppe gave a presentation on the APH product Setting the Stage for Tactile Understanding, a newly available set of materials intended for early instruction of tactile graphics.



APH and SOMA

Research Department Project Leaders Terrie Terlau, Jeanette Wicker, and Fred Otto represented APH in Nashville at the 2007 conference of the Southern Orientation & Mobility Association (SOMA) in March. Terrie delivered presentations on electronic travel devices (the K-Sonar and Miniguide US) and the upcoming APH video, Reclaiming Independence. Fred presented on Map Use and Tactile Design while Jeanette anchored the APH exhibit. Visitors to the exhibit showed interest not only in the newest APH products but in several old stand-bys as well, particularly ones related to making tactile diagrams.



Bards and Storytellers Series Announces a Program Change

Fiona Page

Bards & Storytellers, the Callahan Museum's performance series which celebrates entertainers with visual impairments, announced a program change. Fiona Page, an award winning storyteller from Atlanta, has replaced Oregon storyteller John Dashney on the program for Saturday, April 14th. Dashney was forced to cancel his trip to Kentucky due to a serious illness. We wish John the best and hope to see him next year. A former president of the Southern Order of Storytellers, Fiona Page's passion is using the art of storytelling with the young and the young at heart to help them overcome adversity in their own lives. Page draws her stories from southern folklore and her own experience with vision loss late in life.

The remaining acts on the program are unchanged. Local traditional duo Tom and Kathy Arnold perform on Saturday, May 12th. Classical violinist Barbara Henning concludes the 2007 series at on Saturday, June 16th. Admission to the series is free but reservations are required, as tickets go quickly. For more information, contact Mike Hudson at 502-899-2365.



Why Your APH Power Select May Not Work

Have you experienced inconsistencies with the Power Select found in the Sensory Learning Kit (SLK)? If so, we are here to help.

The Power Select is the only power control unit on the market today that features ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). We offer this feature to allow the unit to be used safely in kitchen and bathroom settings. If, however, you plug the device in to an outlet with a ground fault (a leakage of AC current to the safety ground in home wiring), the Power Select will automatically trip (interrupt power to) the device. To read a full set of instructions on how to correctly reset tripped GFCIs on the Power Select, please go to www.aph.org/products/ps_reset.html.

In some of the units, the GFCIs are sensitive to a "spike" generated by turning devices (lamps, massagers, etc.) on and off. APH has designed a repair to eliminate this problem in future production runs.

The process to reset the GFCIs is the same as outlined at the above link. Your Power Select may operate 5, 10, 20, or even 100 times in a row without tripping from a power spike. If the tripping of the GFCIs becomes an annoyance, please return the unit to APH for the modification.

Thank you and we are sorry for any inconvenience.



Connecting Youth Who are Visually Impaired Around the World

The youth working group of the European Blind Union (EBU) has set up an e-mail group to build a network between visually impaired youth all over the world. This group is primarily focused on blind and partially sighted youth between 15-35 years old but is open to all other people who are interested.

If you would like to join this group, send an empty message to ebu_youth-subscribe@yahoogroups.com



Braille Music Class

A Braille Music Class will be taught on June 10-21 for students ages 12-22 at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The class will be taught by Bill McCann from Dancing Dots (Dancing Dots. Braille music) and Jane Rundquist, TSBVI music director. Participants should be functioning on or close to grade level, have a musical background, independently use a Windows PC and access technology, and read contracted literary Braille.

For more information, contact Dr. Lauren Newton, laurennewton@tsbvi.edu, 512-206-9119. Read more at www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/fall06/music.htm



Our Newest APH Ex Officio Trustee!

Please welcome Georlene Adams as the new Ex Officio Trustee for the Illinois Center or Rehabilitation and Education-Wood. Georlene replaces Harold W. Williams.



APH Travel Calendar

on the road with APH

April

April 3-5, 2007
Dakota Chapters AER Conference;
Aberdeen, SD

April 4-12, 2007
National Family Conference Planning Committee Meeting;
Omaha, NE

April 12-15, 2007
BANA Spring Board Meeting;
APH in Louisville, KY

April 16-18, 2007
Florida Conference of Volunteers;
Jacksonville, FL

April 18-21, 2007
CEC 2007;
Louisville, KY

April 23-24, 2007
Power Up 2007 Conference & Expo;
Columbia, MO

April 26-28, 2007
NBA Professional Development Conference 2007;
Colorado Springs, CO

April 27-28, 2007
New York Institute for Special Education (NYISE) Staff Training;
Bronx, NY

June

June 17-20, 2007
Council of Chief State School Officers 2007 Large Scale Assessment Conference;
Nashville, TN

June 30-July 6, 2007
NFB Convention 2007;
Atlanta, GA

June 30-July 7, 2007
ACB 2007;
Minneapolis, MN

July

July 13-15, 2007
Family Conference;
Omaha, NE



In Memoriam: Judy Cernkovich

Judy Cernkovich

Judy Cernkovich, 59, of Bowling Green, Ohio passed away on March 11. She is survived by husband Stephen and daughters Erin and Abby. Judy was a career Teacher of Blind and Visually Impaired Children with the Wood County Educational Service Center, guest lecturer at Bowling Green State University, former Ohio Chapter AER (AERO) President, chair of three memorable state-wide AERO conferences, member of the Educational Products and Resources Evaluation team for APH, and partner with APH's Babies Count project.

Among her honors, Judy earned AER's 2006 Pauline M. Moor Award, AER's 2006 International Itinerant Teacher Award, AERO's 2006 Educator of the Year Award, and CEC/DVI's 2003 Teacher of the Year Award. Shortly before her death, AERO renamed the annual AERO Educator of the Year Award the Judy Cernkovich Excellence in Education Award.

Her many friends at APH are saddened by the loss of this exceptional teacher, collaborator, and friend. Read the entire obituary here: www.dunnfuneralhome.com/show.pl?id=398



NEW!
FanFold Tractor-Feed Braille Paper Now in 8 1/2 x 11 Inch Sheets

8 1/2 x 11 FanFold Tractor-Feed Braille Paper, 100#:
Unpunched (500 sheets): 1-04137-00 -- $21.00
3-hole / 19-hole Punched (500 sheets): 1-04138-00 -- $21.00

This low dust paper is designed to be used with computer-driven braille embossing devices. Perforations allow tractor feed holes to be removed after brailling. This same paper is also available in 11 1/2 x 11 inch sheets.

Also Available:
11 1/2 x 11 FanFold Tractor-Feed Braille Paper, 100#
Unpunched (1000 sheets): 1-04139-00 -- $46.00
3-hole / 19-hole Punched (1000 sheets): 1-04140-00 -- $46.00



NEW! Push Button Padlock -- Accessible Security!
1-03990-00 -- $12.50

The traditional push button padlock is now accessible!

Does this sound familiar to you? "Excuse me, but I just purchased a push button padlock. Can you please tell me what my combination is?" If you have to ask someone what the combination is, then your security may be compromised. You can now have a combination that is known only to you. Each lock comes with two large print/braille cards listing the combination, along with large print and braille instructions. Buttons eliminate the worry of losing a key. Just push five buttons and presto, you're in! Use at school, work, or home.



Now Available Separately!
Sticky Dots Adhesive™

1-08452-00 -- $7.50
Note: Sticky Dots not available on Quota.

Tactile graphics projects are easier with Sticky Dots -- make any lightweight object self-adhesive!

Sticky Dots Adhesive™, included in APH's Rolling Right Along Construction Kit, is now available separately. Sticky Dots Adhesive is a convenient and quick solution to the slow glue-drying time often needed for creating collage graphics, tactile books, worksheets, maps, adapted game boards, etc. These sheets of self-adhesive dots allow teachers, transcribers, and parents to create multi-textured tactile displays by transferring the dots to a wide range of materials, e.g., felt, craft foam, textured paper, etc. Just press a pre-cut shape onto the Sticky Dots sheet, lift to transfer dots to the back of the shape, and then permanently affix the shape onto the page. Sticky Dots allows for smooth adhesive application to a variety of materials without adding the tactile distraction of unevenly applied glue.

Package includes eight 8.5" x 11" sheets in a tear-off pad.

Related Product:
Rolling Right Along Construction Kit™: 1-08451-00 -- $58.00

Note: The full Rolling Right Along Kit IS available on Quota.

Rolling Right Along Construction Kit

Note: No APH Braille Book Corner this month

APH News Credits

President:
Dr. Tuck Tinsley
ttinsley@aph.org

Designer:
Malcolm Turner, APH Web Site Coordinator
webmaster@aph.org

Thanks to the following APH staff:

  • Cindy Amback, Support Specialist, Field Services
  • Sandi Baker, Field Services Representative
  • Janie Blome, Director, Field Services
  • Scott Blome, Director, Communications
  • Burt Boyer, Early Childhood Project Leader, Research
  • Brian Dougherty, Graphic Designer, Communications
  • Barbara Henderson, Project Leader, Accessible Tests
  • Becki Moody, Support Specialist, Communications
  • Fred Otto, Project Leader, Research
  • Artina Paris-Jones, Assistant, Field Services
  • Tristan Pierce, Multiple Disabilities Project Leader, Research
  • Jane Thompson, Director, Accessible Textbooks
  • Debbie Willis, Director, Accessible Tests

Editor:
Bob Brasher, Vice President, Advisory Services and Research
bbrasher@aph.org


For additional recent APH News, click the following:
March Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2007adv03.html
February Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2007adv02.html
January Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2007adv01.html

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