The Sounds of World War II

To ever truly understand those generations before us, we must fully understand their times.

For those of us fortunate, or unfortunate, enough to have been born into the world after Thomas A. Edison, we can gain a sense of the past by listening to the sounds our predecessors preserved for us.

The intent of Irv Mitchell's QUEST: Echoes of the Past website is to present selected recordings from yesteryear, presented as MP3 downloads, so those living today may hear the echoes of generations before. The focus is World War II - the greatest calamity yet to befall humankind.

The Second World War was a common experience shared by every individual then living, one that continues to influence the lives of all of us who have followed.

Over 50 million souls perished in the war, many from the US. Countless families, on all sides of the war, were wiped out in their entirety.

Click this link to visit Irv Mitchell's QUEST: Echoes of the Past website.

WorldWar-2.net

"The website includes an exhaustive day by day timeline, covering every event that occurred during World War 2, by military theatre and in chronological order from 1939 to 1945, which gives a fascinating insight into the most devastating war in our history."

Click this link to visit http://www.worldwar-2.net.

You may also be interested in a site called First World War: A Multimedia History of WWI. "The purpose of this website is to provide an overview of the First World War. Necessarily a long-term undertaking - and approaching seven years into the process - much remains to be covered. Whole aspects of the conflict are light on material at present - rest assured, this is not deliberate: in time it should all find its place on the site."

Click this link to visit http://www.firstworldwar.com.

Here's another site on the first World War. "The website includes an exhaustive day by day timeline, covering every event that occurred during World War 1, in chronological order from 1914 to 1919, which gives a fascinating insight into what was arguably the first industrial war in our history."

Click this link to visit http://www.worldwar-1.net.

National Pesticide Information Center

The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) was created through a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Its primary function is to provide "objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions about pesticides and their use." The site contains seven primary sections, including "General Information", "Technical Information", "Pest Control", and "Emergency". Most casual visitors to the site should click on over to the "General Information" area. In this section, they will find accessible fact sheets and posters on pesticide safety, storage and disposal, and case studies. Of course, they shouldn't forget about the other areas of the site, particularly if they are interested in regulatory issues involving pesticides and emergency resources. Finally, the site also contains a search engine for those who know exactly what they need to find.

Click this link to visit The National Pesticide Information Center online at http://npic.orst.edu.

Top 100 Hits, According to the BBC

The BBC Sound Index is a massive online index of the hottest music tracks and artists on the internet. Want to find the most popular songs and artists on the web? The Sound Index is the right place. Check out top 100 songs and top 100 artists based on some of the biggest music destinations on the web.

Once every six hours, the Sound Index scans major music and social networking sites including MySpace, Last.FM, iTunes, and YouTube to build the top 100 (actually top 1000) music chart. The more blog postings, views, plays, downloads, comments etc. an artist or track has, the higher it appears on the Sound Index. What you get is a top 100 music chart determined entirely by web users. The site includes a search feature that lets you check whether the artist or track is on the chart and an option to watch listed music videos on Youtube.

Click this link to visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/soundindex.

Accessible Video Game Documentation

For most gamers, the process of setting up a game and starting to play is pretty straight forward: install the game, skim over the instructions, and start playing. Unfortunately, people who are blind or visually impaired may have a problem with that read the instructions part.

It's funny, you never know where accessibility will show up. At ReplacementDocs - Gaming Guides and Manuals, you'll find scanned copies of video game manuals.

Looking for a gaming guide to your new video game? Bought a second hand game without a manual? Check out ReplacementDocs - comprehensive online archive of replacement game manuals. The ReplacementDocs archive has over 1000 scanned gaming manuals (not just the text) that can be freely downloaded in PDF format. Anyone who frequently buys second hand games which usually come without a box or manuals should find this website invaluable. The site supports all popular gaming consoles: PC, PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox 360 etc.

How is this accessible to the blind? The docs are in PDF format and if you have a program that can OCR the files, you'll have that useless printed manual ready to read in seconds. Low vision players could use the PDF files to enlarge the text to something more easily read.

Click this link to visit http://www.replacementdocs.com.

Poodles for the blind?

Would you consider a poodle for a dog guide? Have you heard the old joke where a man pretends he is blind so he can get his Poodle into a bar by pretending it is a dog guide. When challenged he says, "Poodle? Oh, no! They told me he was a German Shepherd."

The breeds most often used as dog guides for the blind are German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers and Labradors. But Poodles do just as good a job, even though they are often misunderstood by the public.

In fact, because they don't shed, Poodles may be the guide dog of choice for people who have allergies.

Because of their high intelligence and eagerness to please, they learn quickly the skills needed to be a dog guide. The problem is with a public who may not believe that a dog guide or a guide puppy-in-training is really a working dog and not just a pet. Because people don't take them seriously, Poodles sometimes have problems gaining access to stores and transportation where they are legally entitled to go.

Another problem is that the Poodle seems more approachable than the more formidable looking German Shepherd dog, resulting in people trying to pet the Poodles instead of allowing them to do their jobs.

What is Ricotta Cheese?

Most people when ask about Ricotta would stumble to describe it other than "it's a cheese, right?" And exposure to Ricotta for most has been through cheesecakes or classic lasagna recipes.

Actually, Ricotta is a by-product of cheese manufacturing. Ricotta is the is uncooked and unripened curd, which is undrained of its whey. It is fresh (as opposed to ripened or aged), grainy and creamy white in appearance, slightly sweet in taste, and contains around 5% fat. In this form, it is somewhat similar in texture to some cottage cheese though much lighter. Like many fresh cheeses, it is highly perishable. Ricotta is cheap, nutritious and low in fat. Enjoy!

Atlas of Plucked Instruments and Baker's Encyclopedia of Music

Henny de Bruin, a collector of plucked instruments, offers this "encyclopedia of all the world's plucked instruments of lute, guitar, banjo and mandolin type." Browse by instrument type or by geographic region or origin. Using his personal collection, he provides, for each instrument, a photo and a description of its construction and playing characteristics. He also provides links to related resources and a bibliography.

Click this link to visit the Atlas of Plucked Instruments website at http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com.

Baker's Student Encyclopedia of Music

Noted country artist Roy Acuff and modern American composer John Adams don't often find themselves in close musical company, but in the Baker's Student Encyclopedia of Music they are only separated by four entries. Offered as part of the eNotes site, the Encyclopedia is a good resource for both students and others who wish to brush up on any number of composers, musical terms, performers, and so on. Visitors can browse alphabetically, and they may wish to read the brief "Foreword" offered as a way of establishing the focus and intent of this publication. From Sun Ra to the Sabre Dance, visitors will want to dip into this encyclopedia on multiple occasions.

Click this link to visit the Baker's Student Encyclopedia of Music at http://www.enotes.com/music-encyclopedia.

LyricsOnCall

Find your favorite lyrics at Lyrics on call, featuring over 2,500,000 songs from artists including Leona Lewis, Jordin Sparks, Usher, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Nelly, Jessica Simpson, Justin Timerlake, Linkin Park, Avril Lavigne, One Republic, Maroon 5, Green Day, Eminem, Rihanna, Beyonce Knowles, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Slipknot, Alicia Keys, Mase, Yellowcard, Metallica, Blink 182, classic artists like Supertramp, Fleetwood Mac and Journey and over 13,000 more artists.

Lyrics on call allows you to search for your favorite music by artist, title or even song lyrics. Lyrics on call includes alphabetical list of artists and albums, with direct links to the most comprehensive lyrics database on the net.

Lyrics on Call has a list of artists by alphabet. If you are looking for the Lyrics to the classic Little Red Corvette by the one and only Prince, you can go to "P" or type in his name and you will have a thorough list of Prince classic pieces. Once you choose a song, you can see which album it is from, along with the other songs on the album.

Click this link to start singing with http://www.LyricsOnCall.com.

Directory Of Grants For Organizations Serving People With Disabilities

The Directory of Grants for Organizations Serving People with Disabilities profiles foundations that have a history of awarding grants (and are receptive to grant proposals) that help organizations serving people with disabilities. Each profile lists the address, phone number and areas of interest supported (e.g., blind, deaf, developmentally disabled, elderly, education, emotionally disturbed, independent living, etc.).

The Directory Contains:

• Foundations arranged in state-by-state order.

* Foundation profiles list verified areas of support and current address. Geographic restrictions, grant range, and a list of previously awarded grants are included when available to the research staff.

• Insightful articles provide critical insider tips and strategies to win funding.

Additional information can be obtained by visiting the following web site: Learning Lab - Topical Resource List Funding for People with Disabilities: A Resource List http://fdncenter.org/learn/topical/disabilities.html#endofmenus or by calling or writing Research Grant Guides, Inc.

Research Grant Guides, Inc.
Department 3A
P.O. Box 1214
Loxahatchee, FL 33470
Phone: 561-795-6129
Fax: 561-795-7794
Email: rggfl@aol.com

Grant Gopher

Grant Gopher is a service that helps registered users find grants for just about any non-profit organization. The grant search engine is continuously updated to include new grant opportunities and remove expired grant opportunities. There is a free section of Grant Gopher and two "premium" subscription services offered.

The free service offers access to the search engine, weekly newsletter about grant opportunities, and access to common application forms.

Click this link to visit http://www.grantgopher.com.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrates Children with Special Needs

"Raising a child with special needs is a lifelong commitment that is as unique as each person who embarks on it. Written by a variety of authors who share in this distinctive relationship, Chicken Soup for the Soul Children with Special Needs offers a glimpse into the lives of others who are on a similar path."

"These stories provide insight, comfort, and connection with others who have walked this powerful and transformational journey. The authors of these candid stories relate their own experiences of adjusting, reaching out, and flourishing and share their universal worries, their tears, and the laughter that come with this extraordinary relationship. Most important, through these stories, you will be guided with the wisdom of fellow parents, caregivers, and those with special needs to help you be the very best parent or caregiver you can be.""

Click this link to visit the Chicken Soup for the Soul website to learn more or to purchase Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrates Children with Special Needs.

Full Screen Fun with Internet Explorer

If you'd like to see more web page and less web browser toolbars, here's a little trick you'll like. Hit the F11 key. It will put you into "full screen" mode. Hit F11 again to go back to normal mode. This works with IE, Netscape, and Opera. Try it with other Microsoft programs too!

If you want your address bar to be available, just right-click a blank area of the toolbar. A menu will pop up that lets you add your address bar, menu bar, and any other Explorer bars you feel the need to have.

If you want to remove the toolbar, simply right-click the toolbar and select Autohide from the resulting menu. Now, when you move your mouse away, the toolbar disappears. Move your mouse back to the top and the toolbar reappears.

Xerox Accessibility

From the Access Ability Blog, we learn how Xerox is building accessibility into their new copiers.

"Peter Abrahams has written a great article, with a good discussion of relevant issues, on how Xerox has implemented USB accessibility on an assorted selection of their copier products."

"The key to accessibility lies in the Xerox Copier Assistant software that runs on a compatible Windows machine and connects to the Xerox machine via a built-in USB port. The software allows for providing accessibility to people who have various disabilities, of which Abrahams provides a good overview of as well. Input is allowed via mouse, keyboard, or with the proper combination, voice command."

"This article offers a good examination of touchscreens and lists how they provide a superior user experience. Additionally, Abrahams lists how they make good business sense, but balances this all out with how they have been inaccessible in the past. He wraps up by looking at the under-promotion Xerox is giving this landmark achievement and offers some tips to help make the most of what they have done."

The ZipSkinny Zipcode Finder

ZipSkinny is a cool zip code finder and zip code information lookup website. Put in any US zip code and ZipSkinny will give you everything you might want to know about that neighborhood. It is especially useful for folks who are planning to move to a new area and want to find out as much as possible about the place. Simply enter the zip code, sit back, and wait for the demographics.

Find out zip code location, how many people live there, % of married/single/divorced people, average income, number of the public schools in the area, and lots more.

Keep in mind that while the website provides lots of interesting stats about an area, it's designed to give only a general idea. In some cases it can be inaccurate. So you can't use it as a primary source for any serious research.

Click this link to visit http://www.zipskinny.com.

How to Transfer Settings and Files From One Computer to Another with Magic Transfer

If you're looking for an easy way to transfer your files, Windows settings and other software preferences from one computer to another, Magic Transfer is a tool that you must check out.

Magic Transfer is freeware, comes at less than 1 MB and helps you transfer your files and settings from one computer to another. Once installed, launch the program, click "Backup" and select the items that you want to back up. You'll notice that Magic Transfer gives you the following options:

• Internet Explorer Favourites, Cookies, History and Settings
  
• Firefox Bookmarks, Plugins and Extensions and Settings
  
• Outlook Express Address Book, Mail Folders, Accounts and Settings
  
• System Keyboard, Appearance and Mouse settings, Desktop, Quick Launch and Start Menu shortcuts among other things
  
• Files that you specify

Magic Transfer also gives you an estimate of how much space these would take when backed up.

Now, click the backup button on the bottom of the window and specify a folder where the backup should be stored. Copy this folder to a CD or USB drive and when you're on your other computer, install Magic Transfer, hit the Restore button and point to the location of the folder where the backup is present.

All backed up settings will be restored. Magic Transfer works great when you're reinstalling Windows or if you have a new computer. I only wish Magic Transfer gave more options to backup other programs, not just Firefox, IE and Outlook Express.

Click this link to learn more or download Magic Transfer.

Sightmate: Helping People with Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Retinopathy

Sightmate is a portable low-vision aid system developed by Vuzix of Rochester, New York. It is designed to help aid those who have visual impairments like Macular Degeneration or Diabetic Retinopathy. The Sightmate is worn like glasses and uses a 2 megapixel camera with edge detection, contrast enhancement and optical zoom to improve the user's visual acuity.

The Sightmate contains twin high-resolution 640x480 full color 24 bit LCD displays with a 2 mega pixel digital imager. It's zoom capability close-up is set to 16 inches with a 3X Optical Zoom and 4X Digital Zoom and its distance zoom at 20 feet has a magnification of 0.5X - 6X.

The system can also help to improve color blindness with an adjustable algorithm that is activated by a button on the Sightmate control pannel. The unit also has image inversion and snap and pan capabilities.

"The SightMate LV920 vision tool can help approximately 40 to 60 percent of patients improve their visual acuity, and enhance their quality of life. Tests have demonstrated that people with a 20/70 to 20/200 acuity in their better eye have been able to increase their reading and distance acuity to the range of 20/20 to 20/40 using their remaining peripheral vision while wearing the SightMate. SightMate improves the visual acuity of individuals with central vision loss by allowing them to magnify images or text and pan across it. The magnified images or text are viewed by vision that has not been lost to disease."

Click this link to learn more from the Sightmate LV920 product page.

Make a Guess by Touch Game

A few days ago, while browsing through a toy store, I noticed an interesting new toy. To play, you stick your hand in a small black plastic dome. The door to the dome is covered with strips of fabric so that you can't see inside. The toy comes with some small plastic objects, the idea being that you try to guess what object you are touching. I'm sure the prepackaged game is fine, but it's so easy to make your own, and what a great way to develop sensory skills. Sighted people are so used to looking at things, feeling them is a different way to identify objects and to identify with a blind or visually impaired classmate, brother or sister.

To hide your objects, you can turn a box upside down, use a gift bag, grocery sack, an old purse, even a pillow case. Pick some items to hide. Consider the age of the players when you choose what objects you are going to identify. For example, an older child might be challenged by different types of change, I like to use everyday objects, particularly with younger children. Things like a toothbrush, a crayon, a spoon, a mitten, a sock, and a familiar stuffed animal. Younger children may need a few hints like "it's something you use for your cereal", or "it's something you wear on cold days". This can be fun for adults too!

For older children you can use a hard piece of candy, hair barrettes, different coins, a roll of tape, a bottle cap, a large paper clip, sidewalk chalk, or just about anything you have in your purse or junk drawer.

There are a couple ways to play this game. You can put in one object at a time, or several. One at a time is easier. If you play with multiple items, you can make the goal to try to find a certain object.

Educational Videos at Teachertube

The goal of Teachertube is to provide an online community for sharing instructional videos. "We seek to fill a need for a more educationally focused, safe venue for teachers, schools, and home learners. It is a site to provide anytime, anywhere professional development with teachers teaching teachers. As well, it is a site where teachers can post videos designed for students to view in order to learn a concept or skill."

With TeacherTube, community members can:

• Upload, tag and share videos worldwide.
  
• Upload Support Files to attach your educational Activities, Assessments, Lesson Plans, Notes, and Other file formats to your video.
  
• Browse hundreds of videos uploaded by community members.
  
• Find, join and create video groups to connect with people who have similar interests.
  
• Customize the experience by subscribing to member videos, saving favorites, and creating playlists.
  
• Integrate TeacherTube videos on websites using video embeds or APIs.
  
• Make videos public or private, users can elect to broadcast their videos publicly or share them privately with those they invite.

Most importantly, TeacherTube community members are a major part of the evolution of the site. Members are encouraged to not only upload educationally relevant videos, but also to make constructive comments and use the rating system to show appreciation for videos of value to one as an educator or learner. Users also have the ability to preserve the integrity of the site by flagging inappropriate videos. TeacherTube staff review flagged sites and will remove any inappropriate posts. With more collegial commentary and discussion through messaging and responses, the quality of this resource will only increase. The service is free for everyone and I'd love to see a "special education" channel.

Click this link to visit http://www.teachertube.com.

Tips for Selecting First Set of Knives

Setting up a first time kitchen can be quite a task. You don't know exactly what you need and when you do look, there are a billion choices. Please remember when you are making your purchases, don't skimp on the quality. If you spend a little bit more now, you will save a lot of money down the road.

A Chef's knife is a very handy item for the first kitchen. Select one that is at least 8 inches in length and is "full tang" which means that the metal goes all the way through the handle of the knife for stability.

You will want to select one that is heavy enough to cut through items like squash and melons.

Do not wash your knives in the dishwasher, this will dull your blade quicker and possibly ruin your handles. Always wash with a warm soapy cloth then rinse well. You will want to invest in a sharpener and sharpen your knives about every other use. Sharp knives are usually not the cause of cuts; dull ones are because the knife slips.

Knife holder that goes under the cabinet

Ordinary knife stands, knife blocks or knife holders have one problem in common. They take up space on the kitchen counter. This knife holder from Wusthof offers an alternative. Mounted under a kitchen cabinet, it swings out to present the knives and back again to keep them out of sight. Clever. And the best part is it has a magnet inside to prevent the knives from flying all over the kitchen in case you get too enthusiastic. Room for 8 knives, no longer than ten inches.

Click this link to purchase the Under-Cabinet Knife Block from Wusthof.

Poached eggs, anyone?

This little silicone cradle lets you poach perfectly smooth and round eggs. Just brush the inside with a little oil, pour in the egg, and let sit in boiling water until firm. When the egg is done, you just turn the pod inside-out and the egg plops onto your plate as a perfect little dome. Can also be used for baking or as a jelly mould. dishwasher and oven safe, Set of two.

Click this link to purchase a set of Poach Pods from the Lakeland website.

Keep Food on Top of the Grill

Slippery Grilling Skewers?

Grilling on skewers can be frustrating some times because the food keeps sliding off.

To prevent this from happening, place all your items on the skewer as normal.

At the end, place a peeled clove of garlic.

Now your ingredient will stay put and as it cooks it will add great flavor to your meat or veggies.

Mesh Grill-Top Fry Pan

Here's another great idea to keep smaller items from falling into the fire.

In Spain's picturesque Basque hill country, restaurant chefs use mesh frying pans to sauté vegetables on an outdoor grill, a technique that infuses the food with a delicious smoky tang. Here's a version that is woven with heavy-gauge, stainless-steel wire that promotes exceptional searing yet keeps foods safe from slipping into the fire. The stainless-steel long handle offers a secure grip for sliding the pan back and forth over a hot grill. Dishwasher safe. 12" diam. 3" high.

Click this link to purchase the Mesh Grill-Top Fry Pan from Williams-Sonoma.

The Central Intelligence Agency

Forget covert operations and international spies. This website is a great resource for school geography projects. Every country in the world can be found here with information as listed in almanacs. Just type in the desired country in the search box and all the public information that the CIA has gathered about that country is displayed. There are also games, tips for parents, information about what careers are available, links to other kid-friendly sites sponsored by the US Government.

"The CIA is an independent US government agency that provides national security "intelligence" to key US leaders so they can make important, informed decisions. CIA employees gather intelligence (or information) in a variety of ways, not just by "spying" like you see in the movies or on TV (though we do some of that, too). On this website, you can read more about us, play some games, and help us solve some puzzles. You'll see some top secret things you won't find anywhere else."

So, if you're ready to learn more about the CIA, the employees, and what they do, click this link to visit the kids page of the Central Intelligence Agency website.

History Matters

History Matters is a project built from the combined efforts of the City University of New York and George Mason University. It's designed for use by high school and college teachers and students. History Matters hosts a collection of thousands of items useful for the study and teaching of US History, with hundreds of lesson plan ideas and suggested methods.

Two things really caught my attention on History Matters. First the great collection of audio and video files for student and teacher use. Secondly, the collection of hundreds of digitized primary resources, virtual tours and interactive activities designed for high school students.

Locating and accessing primary sources can be logistically difficult for high school students in rural areas. The Internet has made finding primary source documents much easier than it used to be, but still if you're not near a large public library or a university it can be hard to actually view the resources.

History Matters makes hundreds of primary sources available to students everywhere. The search page is great for locating resources for use in US History courses. You can set search parameters by selecting from 63 possible categories. The categories of resources are defined by era, concept, and media type. There is also a key word search option.

Click this link to visit History Matters at http://historymatters.gmu.edu.

US History From Hippo Campus

Here's another site with online movies that cover the course of our continent's history.

Click this link to visit the Hippo Campus website.

Teach US History

This website provides primary source materials, lesson plans, audio and video presentations, and supplementary resources such as worksheets and links to other informative websites to help classroom teachers teach US History. Most of the material can be adjusted for use in the homeschool environment.

This site contains a vast amount of content assembled by teachers and museum curators as you will discover once you start clicking through the resource links. Plan to spend some time here to pinpoint the materials you'll want to use to supplement your study of US history. Click this link to visit http://www.teachushistory.org.

Blog Talk Radio

BlogTalkRadio is the social radio network that allows users to connect quickly and directly with their audience. Using an ordinary telephone and computer, hosts can create free, live, call-in talk shows with unlimited participants that are automatically archived and made available as podcasts. No software download is required. Listeners can subscribe to shows via RSS into iTunes and other feed readers. The network has produced tens of thousands of episodes since it launched in August of 2006.

Now it's your turn to share your voice with the world. Become a host and come join the conversation. You can set up a free internet radio talk show: No software download is necessary. Hosts can chat with listeners during and after live shows. Receive up to 5 simultaneous guests/listeners on your show, no limit on the online listeners. Copy and paste flash player and buttons to any blog or website to promote your show. Show Archives are saved automatically and available as MP3, RSS subscription and on iTunes. You can also create customized alerts by email or phone of your upcoming shows.

Click this link to visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com.

Classroom Accommodation

"Accommodations" are changes that are made to classroom or testing materials and procedures that help students with disabilities learn and participate in tests. An accommodation should not change the standard of learning, nor lower the expectations for performance that have been set for all students. Instead, accommodations "level the playing field" by allowing students to bypass (or partially bypass) the effects of a disability in order to learn and perform at the levels expected of students without disabilities.

Accommodations include practices such as allowing a student with a disability extra time to complete an assignment or a test, or providing amplification equipment for a student with a hearing impairment. Decisions about the need for accommodations are made by the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, and are formally documented in the IEP. Allowing students with disabilities to use accommodations is more than just good educational practice. Several federal laws require that accommodations be provided to students with disabilities who need them in the classroom and on state and district tests. These practices and requirements ensure that educators, school districts, and states are accountable for the academic progress of all students.

For more information, click this link to visit the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition.

Children with Special Needs: a web site with vision-related info

Does your child complain of frequent headaches? Does he or she have trouble seeing the chalkboard at school, or have difficulty recognizing familiar faces from a reasonable distance?

These symptoms can be indicators of vision impairments. Vision impairments are often difficult to detect in young children. Kids often do not realize that their vision is affected, some vision impairments can be observed only intermittently, and many parents and teachers are simply unaware of the indicators of a condition.

The web site of Children With Special Needs has information about vision impairments that may prove helpful to parents and educators. The site contains information about a range of "binocular vision impairments", such as amblyopia or "lazy eye", which CWSN estimates to affect approximately 3% of the population, strabismus (12%), exophoria, and nystagmus. For each condition, the authors have provided a definition and suggested treatment options.

The web site, which is sponsored by the Optometrists Network, a trade-oriented group, also provides information about the relationship between vision impairments and learning, tips for early detection of a vision impairment, and resources for vision therapy. There is a useful glossary of vision-related terms. And if you are in search of an optometrist, the site has a "free referral" link to a directory of qualified professionals. For additional information, visit the site at the web address below.

Children with Special Needs
93 Bedford Street, Suite 5D
New York, NY 10014
Web: http://www.children-special-needs.org

Special Needs Parent Toolkit

The DOD Special Needs Tool Kit is designed to help military families and others with special needs children navigate the maze of medical and special education services, community support and benefits and entitlements. The Toolkit is broken down into six colorful modules that can be easily downloaded and printed.

The Toolkit can be found by clicking this link.

Making Math Talk

The following information comes from the Access Ability blog and reposted here for your convenience.

On its home page, MathTalk Proudly proclaims "Do math without keyboard or mouse."

MathTalk operates with either the Dragon NaturallySpeaking or the Microsoft Speech voice input systems to allow the user to use speech input to write math calculations, and, we're not just talking basic, four function arithmetic here. MathTalk allows users to correctly write and work through pre-algebra, algebra, calculus, trigonometry, graphing, and statistics problems.

One feature I find particularly interesting is that there is a specific math to Braille program,, employing the Duxbury Braille translator. Using this, students could do their work in MathTalk and export it into a Braille file so that it can be loaded into a Braille notetaker. That's definitely some cool technology integration.

There are several Videos on the MathTalk website demonstrating the program in action. Take a little time and check these out for yourself. Most of the videos are short and won't take long to watch. They will give you an idea of what the program does, and doesn't do.

I checked out several of the videos and was generally impressed with the MathTalk program. It would take some work for those who are unfamiliar with either of the voice input programs to get the voice files set up and running correctly, but once that was done, MathTalk appears to have a definite niche as an assistive technology.

As one disability does not preclude a person from having another, it is easily possible that somebody who already uses Dragon NaturallySpeaking could also have a Learning Disability that would make this program a great fit for them. The same goes without saying for somebody who is blind and a Braille user. For purely mental processing reasons, the ability to take in the Braille display of the problem and your work would be priceless, I would think. Also, just as well, being blind doesn't exclude a person from having a learning disability, which could again make berballizing one's work a very realistic and accessible option.

From watching the last video link on the demo page, which is MathTalk for the Visually Impaired, I don't believe that the program was working with an additional screen reader. It sounds like the developers have an integrated screen reader that works within the program.

The MathTalk for Visually Impaired program is still under development, so it is difficult to draw concrete conclusions, but, it apparently does not require visually impaired users to be Braille users.

There are only a few downsides of the Math Talk program that I can see. First, in the event that there is a speech disability, I don't see where this would be the best alternative path for obvious reasons. Additionally, the user must be sufficiently cognitively sophisticated and able to manage the proper diction with a clear speaking voice. Blind users will need to get an interface like J-Say to allow their screen reader to work with Dragon NaturallySpeaking, just to get their voice files working properly before even working with MathTalk. Any of these problems could arise when working with students with disabilities and render this as an unworkable solution. However, for many others, it should be a very realistic solution.

Click this link to visit the MathTalk website at http://www.metroplexvoice.com.

Streaming Audio Collection from Stephen Jolley

This site contains links to audio streams that Stephen finds interesting. It is by no means an exhaustive directory, but points to a range of sports and other streaming radio that he visits from time to time. There are alternative links to sites referenced, as well as in some cases from referenced sites, numerous links to audio on demand.

Though the correctness of the links can not be guaranteed, every reasonable effort is made to keep them accurate and up to date. Both Windows Media and Real Media links are provided where they are known to be available. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome.

Click this link to visit Stephen Jolley's streaming audio collection.Web sites, Accessible media, Sports, Audio, Streaming audio, Internet, UK resources, Radio

Get Down in the VIP Mud with GMA Games

GMA Games has produced a fully-accessible MUD client. The VIP Mud client allows you to easily connect to hundreds of multi-player games. It is totally accessible working directly with Jaws, Window Eyes, System Access, and MS Sapi. It was written for both the expert and novice mudder. You can be playing in minutes after downloading the game.

If this is your first time to Mudding, get ready for an exciting trip. You are about to have access to hundreds of interesting and fantastic worlds. Places to make friends, maybe enemies, discover new lands, go on quests, fight monsters, pilot a spaceship, become a vampire, and the list goes on.

A Mud, standing for Multi-User Dungeon, is a remote game accessed by many other gamers concurrently. Not only are their usually game controlled characters known as mobs or Non-playing-characters (NPC's), there are real life people like yourself, playing in the same Mud world as you.

Despite the name, not all Muds are based on the Dungeons and Dragons theme. They cover themes such as, Star Wars, Vampire and Werewolf worlds, fantastic science fiction worlds, Middle Earth, modern day cities, and many more. Muds also differ in type. Some are primarily role playing while others are based on progressing your character through quests, killing monsters, and practicing skills. Some fall in between. Some Muds allow the killing of other gamer's characters, and in some, this is not allowed or maybe even not possible. In short, there is something for everyone. The Mud Connector is a good place to find what your are looking for. You will want to look for the strictly text-based Muds since many of the newer Muds are more graphical, but don't worry, that still leaves hundreds to choose from. We plan to have a user's choice list available showing the most popular accessible Muds.

You need a Telnet-based client to enable you to interface with Muds. Built into Internet Explorer is a Telnet client that might be used, but it is not very blind friendly. Controlling and speaking the text coming in from the Mud is problematic at best. Other programs such as GMud, ZMud, MonkeyTerm, MushClient and so on either are difficult to use or require screen reading scripts to make them usable. Even then, these programs were not developed to handle multiple voices or sounds in a way that might help someone without sight. Enter VipMud!

Click this link to learn more about VIP Mud from the GMA Games website.

Accessible MP3 Tagging Software

Do you have hundreds or even thousands of ripped and downloaded mp3, aac, OGG and other audio files with inconsistent or incomplete metadata? The freeware application Mp3tag can make life a bit easier for those of us who like to keep files organized, with accurate tags.

We've all ripped CDs that we have legitimately purchased which did not give accurate and complete metadata tags in the extracted tracks. You know, the "track 01" "track 02" problem with filenames after the CD has been ripped to the hard drive? It's a tremendous problem when you are converting large numbers of CDs.

There are many tag editors available, but most are not accessible with a screen reader like JAWS or Window Eyes, and most don't come with the easy-to-use tools that mp3tag includes.

With mp3tag you can:

• select all files within a nested directory structure at once, useful for instance to update the Artist and Genre tags when you have all their albums as subdirectories under one directory
  
• rename sets of files based on meta data tags in user-definable ways
  
• set metadata values based on filenames in user-definable ways
  
• gather metadata tags from freedb or Amazon
  
• gather album art from freedb or Amazon
  
• mass update tags for selected files
  
• create playlists from selected files
  
• load tags from a text file

Click this link to download MP3tag for free.

Recover accidentally closed programs in Windows

Have you ever closed a program that you didn't mean to close? For example, maybe you have several browser windows open, your email open and maybe a media player. You go to close your media player, but you accidentally alt+f4 or click the wrong "X", thereby closing the browser and all of the tabs that were open too.

Normally, you would have to re-open your browser and load all of the pages you had opened previously, if you could even remember what was there! Wouldn't it be nice if you could recover any accidentally closed program for up to 60 seconds?

GoneIn60s is a nifty little freeware application that takes care of this small, yet annoying problem. Whenever you click the "X" button or alt+f4 any program, GoneIn60s tells Windows to not kill it for 60 seconds, thereby giving you a chance to instantly reload it with no loss of data or settings.

Once you have it downloaded, just run it and^DNB you'll notice a small icon in the system tray, which you can right-click to see the list of programs that you can recover (will only show stuff that was closed in the last 60 seconds). Simply click on the item you want restored and you'll be back up and running in seconds.

There are also some settings for the program that you can change, including the shutdown delay, which is by default 60 seconds. Just right-click and choose Settings to customize. You can also add programs in that you want it to ignore, which means it will not delay the shutdown of the program. Go to the Task Manager to see the name of the process for the program if you want to add it to the ignore list.

Click this direct download link for GoneIn60s.

AudiOdyssey: a DJ Simulation Game for the Blind and Sighted

An accessible game called AudiOdyssey has been developed by MIT and Singaporean students that makes it possible "for visually impaired people to play the game on a level field with their sighted friends."

The user stars as Vinyl Scorcher, an up-and-coming DJ, on his quest to get club patrons dancing. Swinging the Nintendo Wii controller to the beat, Vinyl lays down the various component tracks of a song, and keeps the party jumping. If he does an especially good job, he can even freestyle! But beware - if dancers get too rowdy, they're likely to bump into the turntables, messing up Vinyl's tracks. Think you have what it takes?

AudiOdyssey was developed with four research goals:

• The visually-impaired and the sighted can enjoy the same level and quality of gameplay
  
• Navigate game's menus with ease and efficiency approaching that of conventional UIs
  
• Create a fun and natural control scheme using the Wiimote
  
• An engaging game that relies more on high quality audio than visuals

Click this link to see AudiOdyssey in action on Youtube.
Click this link to download AudiOdyssey, developed for Windows only.

Add Computer Memory with a USB Drive

Speed up your computer with a spare USB thumb drive with eBoostr, an XP-only application that can work with up to four USB drives, up to 4GB on each, and its smart-cache feature gives speed boosts to your more frequently used apps and data. eBoostr could be perfect for XP users who want a little extra memory but don't want to install RAM themselves, or even for laptop users who've filled every free slot. eBoostr comes as a free trial version, which gives you four hours of functionality each time you boot up, or you can run it unlimited by purchasing the registered version.

Click this link to download eBoostr from http://www.eboostr.com.

NOTE: Windows Vista users can get the same functionality from Windows ReadyBoost.

Click this link to visit the Microsoft website to learn more about Windows ReadyBoost.

Convert Audio Files to Programs

Want to send a friend an audio file, but don't know if they've got an audio player that can handle your OGG files? You could point them to the appropriate player and codec combo, or you could just make the file an executable.

Audio/Video to Exe is a utility that lets you turn pretty much any audio file into a standalone media player. The player is probably the simplest you've ever seen. There are no controls for play/pause or fast forward/rewind. In fact there are no controls at all. If you want the file to stop playing, you just close the program. But the media you create should be playable on any PC.

You can also use the program to convert files from one format to another. It can handle a wide array of audio and video formats, including 3GP, AAC, FLAC, MP2/3/4, OGG, and WAV, and WMA, WMV, FLV, SWF, ASF, and MOV. Audio/Video to Exe is available as a free download. Or you can buy the Pro version, which lets you adjust bit rates, for $32.27.

Click this link to download the Audio/Video To Exe program.

What is BitTorrent and How Does It Work?

BitTorrent is a protocol that enables fast downloading of large files using minimum Internet bandwidth. It costs nothing to use and includes no spyware or pop-up advertising.

Unlike other download methods, BitTorrent maximizes transfer speed by gathering pieces of the file you want and downloading these pieces simultaneously from people who already have them. This process makes popular and very large files, such as videos and television programs, download much faster than is possible with other protocols.

Like most Internet phenomena, BitTorrent has its own jargon. Some of the more common terms related to BitTorrent include:

• Leeches: People who download files but do not share files on their own computer with others
  
• Seed or seeder: A computer with a complete copy of a BitTorrent file (At least one seed computer is necessary for a BitTorrent download to operate.)
  
• Swarm: A group of computers simultaneously sending (uploading) or receiving (downloading) the same file
  
• .torrent: A pointer file that directs your computer to the file you want to download
  
• Tracker: A server that manages the BitTorrent file-transfer process

To understand how BitTorrent works and why it is different from other file-serving methods, let's examine what happens when you download a file from a Website. It works something like this:

1. You open a Web page and click a link to download a file to your computer.
   
2. The Web browser software on your computer (the client) tells the server (a central computer that holds the Web page and the file you want to download) to transfer a copy of the file to your computer.
   
3. The transfer is handled by a protocol (a set of rules), such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol).

The transfer speed is affected by a number of variables, including the type of protocol, the amount of traffic on the server and the number of other computers that are downloading the file. If the file is both large and popular, the demands on the server are great, and the download will be slow.

Another file-transfer method that you may have heard about is called peer-to-peer file sharing. In this process, you use a software program (rather than your Web browser) to locate computers that have the file you want. Because these are ordinary computers like yours, as opposed to servers, they are called peers. The process works like this:

1. You run peer-to-peer file-sharing software (for example, a Gnutella program) on your computer and send out a request for the file you want to download.
   
2. To locate the file, the software queries other computers that are connected to the Internet and running the file-sharing software.
   
3. When the software finds a computer that has the file you want on its hard drive, the download begins.
   
4. Others using the file-sharing software can obtain files they want from specific folders, that you specify on your computer's hard drive.

In this method, the file-transfer load is distributed between the computers exchanging files, but file searches and transfers from your computer to others can cause bottlenecks. Some people download files and immediately disconnect without allowing others to obtain files from their system, which is called leeching. This limits the number of computers the software can search for the requested file.

BitTorrent is a protocol that offloads some of the file tracking work to a central server (called a tracker). Another difference is that it uses a principal called tit-for-tat. This means that in order to receive files, you have to give them. This solves the problem of leeching. With BitTorrent, the more files you share with others, the faster your downloads are. Finally, to make better use of available Internet bandwidth (the pipeline for data transmission), BitTorrent downloads different pieces of the file you want simultaneously from multiple computers. Here's how it works:

1. You open a Web page and click on a link for the file you want.
   
2. BitTorrent client software communicates with a tracker to find other computers running BitTorrent that have the complete file (seed computers) and those with a portion of the file (peers that are usually in the process of downloading the file).
   
3. The tracker identifies the swarm, which is the connected computers that have all of or a portion of the file and are in the process of sending or receiving it.
   
4. The tracker helps the client software trade pieces of the file you want with other computers in the swarm. Your computer receives multiple pieces of the file simultaneously.
   
5. If you continue to run the BitTorrent client software after your download is complete, others can receive .torrent files from your computer; your future download rates improve because you are ranked higher in the "tit-for-tat" system.

Downloading pieces of the file at the same time helps solve a common problem with other peer-to-peer download methods: Peers upload at a much slower rate than they download. By downloading multiple pieces at the same time, the overall speed is greatly improved. The more computers involved in the swarm, the faster the file transfer occurs because there are more sources of each piece of the file. For this reason, BitTorrent is especially useful for large, popular files.

To use BitTorrent for file downloads, you need to install a BitTorrent client. The most accessible program that I've run with a screen reader is ABC [Yet Another Bittorrent Client].

1. Download and install ABC.
   
2. Check and configure firewall and/or router for ABC (if applicable).
   
3. Find files to download. A good way to do this is to search Google.
   
4. Download and open the .torrent pointer file.
   
5. Let ABC give and receive pieces of the file.
   
6. Stay connected after the download completes to share your .torrent files with others.

After you set up your computer, you're ready to download .torrent files. You can search for the term ".torrent" using an Internet search engine to find sites that offer BitTorrent files.

bt.etree.org is a great site for the legal download of music, videos and books.

When you find the file you want, right-click the .torrent link or press enter on it if using a screen reader, choose "save target as" and save the file in a convenient place on your computer, such as the Windows desktop. The .torrent file, which is a pointer to the actual file you want, will download quickly. Next, double-click or press enter on the .torrent file you saved to your computer. ABC will load and start the download process:

As I mentioned before, the more computers in the sending/receiving swarm, the quicker the download process. If you are downloading a file with only a few computers in the swarm, the transfer speed will be relatively slow.

After the download is complete, leave the BitTorrent client software open so that other peers can download .torrent files from your computer.

Peers using BitTorrent can download only .torrent files from your computer. Once you have a complete copy of a file, your computer becomes a potential seed for that file -- as long as you're still running ABC. Sharing what you have causes speedier BitTorrent downloads for you in the future. You can leave ABC running for a few hours or overnight. Simply close ABC when you're done.

Because BitTorrent handles large files remarkably well, it is especially popular for downloading video files. The Motion Picture Association of America has filed countless lawsuits, causing many high-traffic .torrent download sites to shut down because they were distributing copyrighted material.

BitTorrent itself is perfectly legal to use. When you select a file to download, however, it is your responsibility to make sure the file is not copyrighted.

Torrent2exe

Torrent2exe makes files distributed via BitTorrent downloadable without a separate BitTorrent client.

Here's how it works. You download a torrent file (just the tiny torrent, not the big file it helps you to download) to your desktop, and then upload that torrent to Torrent2.exe. Click the download button, and you'll get an executable file. When you run this program, a standalone BitTorrent program will start up and immediately try to download the source file to whatever directory the executable is in. The site also allows you to enter the URL of a torrent instead of uploading a file from your desktop. But I had less success with that method.

If you want to convince your less tech-savvy friends or relatives to download a Creative Commons licensed movie, Torrent2exe could come in handy. Instead of telling them to download a BitTorrent client, then a torrent file which they have to load into that client, you can just create an executable that you can send to them.

Click this link to visit http://www.torrent2exe.com.

Torrents with Training Wheels

Although BitTorrent's popularity is unquestionable, it is by far one of the more useful and smart file sharing services out there, it can be somewhat difficult for beginners, and even die hard users can run into complications. TorrentRelay simplifies things somewhat. It converts download urls into links which can be downloaded from within your browser without having to install any extra software. Newbies, anyone actually, who doesn't want to have to install more gear on their machine, can enjoy bittorrents without having to install a client. As such, TorrentRelay also works on mobile devices and game consoles. Torrents with multiple files are automatically split up and can be downloaded one by one, useful for getting individual files from an archive. There is one caveat, however; you can only download files up to 400mb in size, any larger and you'll need to download a cliant.

Click this link to visit http://www.Torrelay.com.

Wireless Connectivity and the Internet

Notetakers, like other portible devices, have now entered the world of wireless communication. Isn't it great to be able to walk around and download books, email, podcasts news or RSS feed content through your notetaker?

If you use wireless Internet in your home, you may think it's the easiest thing in the world. I mean, after you get everything connected and hooked up, it's so easy to obtain Internet access. You don't have to worry about any cords, you hardly ever lose connections and it just makes your computer life simple. So, you have mastered using wireless in your house and you think you might as well try it outside of your home too. You go down to the local coffee shop, which is a free WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) hotspot. You turn on your computer or notetaker and activate your wireless controls, and everything is fine until you realize you can't get connected to the internet. What could possibly be wrong?

Well, there is a difference between home wireless use and public hotspot use. Even if your WiFi card shows that you're attached to an access point, you still might not be connected to the internet and all you will receive are the dreaded "Page Cannot Be Found" messages.

The main thing to remember when you go to a public hotspot (free or paid) is to open up a new browser window before you do anything. Do it before you open up your email, a chat program or any other internet function. The browser window you open will usually have a log in screen (or something similar) so that you can get connected to the Web.

By doing things that way, paid hotspots are able to collect the fee information they need and free places are able to put up their information and disclaimer screens. The process really only takes a couple seconds and it will save you time for the next time you go to that same hotspot. Most of them have you set up an account with a username and password so that you can just log in easily the next time you visit.

You may be wondering what you're supposed to do if the above process still doesn't work. What if you do everything and you still don't get a log in screen? Well, there are a couple of things you can check. Make sure you have your browser home page set to something. Don't just have it set to a blank page. If it's blank, it won't be able to trigger the needed port opening. You also need to make sure you have the updated Service Packs (at least SP2 for Windows XP if on a laptop). One final thing that may be causing you problems: you might just be too far away from the access point. If you're too far, your signal may be too weak to catch a connection. So, just move a little closer.

towel in a tablet

How many times have you and your guide been caught out in the rain? You just know your guide's paws are going to be a mess and you didn't bring any whipes because it wasn't raining when you left that morning.

My backpack is the store-all of items that I may need while I'm away from home, but you know, a towel isn't one of the regular items. Who wants to pack a towel around all the time? Well, now you can and it won't be heavy or take up any room.

Towels now come in tablets! Better known as TowTabs, just add water and the bottlecap-sized tablet expands into a towel! Yes, it's true. Reminds you of those sponge-in-a-gel-capsules we adored as kids, right? These TowTabs are ideal for storing in (dry) places like glove compartments or handbags for a quick and convenient wipe, or even for easier, lighter packing on trips.

Click this link to purchase TowTabs from the Body Bumps website.

Food Safety Websites

FoodSafety.gov is a wealth of accessible information for kids and teens. One of the features on this site is a coloring book that explains basic food safety rules to children. The site also links to several other sites that teach important information to children about how to make sure they are preparing food safely. You can also find tips on how to pack a safe school lunch for your children.

The site includes news and alerts about food safety. It also contains a section entirely devoted to consumers. You can also learn about specific foodborne pathogens on this site. I think that the best section is the frequently asked question section. It addresses questions based on food type, foodborne illnesses, and how to stop the spread of the illness. You can also email the site with a specific question regarding food safety.

The site also addresses specific incidences where you should be concerned with food safety and how to deal with them. This includes power outages, hurricanes and floods. It is important to consider things such as food safety at restaurants after such events. It is common for food to spoil, and for people not realize that it has.

The site also has sections about food safety programs, as well as information for industries. This would be an excellent source for a report on how food is handled and distributed. It is interesting to see the many steps the government is making in order to help keep food safe.

Click this link to visit http://www.foodsafety.gov.

Food Safety First

Welcome to Food Safety FIRST, from the University of Massachusetts Extension Service. This website is an online education program designed to help you and your students gain food safety knowledge, safe food handling practices, and critical thinking skills.

With Food Safety FIRST You Can:

• Develop meaningful student projects that meet National Science Standards
  
• Try new ways to practice inquiry-based teaching and learning
  
• Get teaching ideas and engaging support materials like videos, PowerPoint presentations, and activity sheets that could be converted into braille
  
• Gain laboratory skills for you and your students
  
• Communicate about teaching food safety with peers around the world
  
• Receive university-based professional development
  
• Help prevent foodborne illness

Click this link to visit http://foodsafetyfirst.org.

Get a List of All Keyboard Shortcuts in MS-Word

If the curious computer user has MS Word on his Windows PC or OS X Mac, he can pull together a printable list of all the keyboard functions in his word processor. This amazing feat can be accomplished with MS Word 97, 2000, 2002, or 2003 in Windows, MS Word X or Word 2004 will work on an OS X Mac.

Here are the quick and dirty clues to MS keyboard secrets.

1. Click the "Tools" menu, then hit "Macros In."
   
2. Pick "ListCommands" in "Macro Name."
   
3. Hit the "Run" button.
   
4. When the "List Command" box appears, choose the "All Word Commands" and click OK.

There it is, the list can be saved under any name and printed whenever the urge strikes. Instead of being keyboard secrets, these shortcut keys are yours to use, enjoy and share with your friends. The more word gets around about these obscure functions, the more they will enter into keyboard life and start performing the functions for which they were intended.

Note: For users with different versions of MS Word, hit F1 to access the help file and then type in "keyboard shortcuts" to see the list as well.

Vision Loss Resources

Vision Loss Resources has announced the relaunch of their website (www.visionlossresources.org) that features a text-only version with screen reader compatibility. The site utilizes the latest technology available to offer full customization to people with blindness and vision loss, and delivers easy access to valuable information.

Through this site, information can be accessed about topics such as low vision assessment, rehabilitation, programs for seniors and children, deaf-blind services, recreation, everyday living skills and community center activities.

Vision Loss Resources (formerly known as the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Society for the Blind) is an independent nonprofit agency whose mission is to assist people who are blind or visually impaired to achieve their full potential and to enrich the lives of all persons affected by blindness or vision loss.

For more information, contact:

Vision Loss Resources, Inc.
1936 Lyndale Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone: 612-871-2222
Email: info@vlrw.org Web: http://www.visionlossresources.org

Websites for Family Reading Time

One of the best things you can do with your young children is to read to them. Even if your child is not blind or visually impaired, you will find that reading creates quality time that can never be replaced by video games or TV programs. Here's some websites that provide story books that you, and your child, will enjoy.

Free Books for Kids

This is a great site where parents can read books to their children. Classics such as Tom Sawyer and Treasure Island can be found at this screen reader friendly site.

Children's Story Books Online

This screen reader friendly site has interactive short stories for children of all ages. These stories are not the classics, but they are still fun reads.

ByGosh

This site contains illustrated short stories aimed more at the preschooler. This site has classic stories such as The Little Red Hen, Jack and the Beanstalk, and The Hare and the Tortoise. The site is screen reader friendly, but may be frustrating for younger users.

Mighty Books

This site has interactive, animated short stories for children to listen and read along with Flash. Additional features include knock, knock jokes, games, art corner, and a puzzle page. Parent and child will both enjoy exploring this fun site, not all areas will be compatible with screen readers.

RSS Can Be Your TV Guide

RSS feeds are a great way of receiving real-time updates and ensuring that you never forget to check your favorite websites. MyTVRSS offers to extend the convenience of RSS to your TV life by allowing you to receive a notification the day a new episode of your favorite show is aired. No sign up is required, just go to MyTVRSS.com and search through the extensive alphabetized list of TV shows until you find your favorites, check the boxes next to them and then click "create feed". Nothing else is required, just sit back and relax with the knowledge that you will never have to miss an episode of your favorite programs again.

This is quite possibly the easiest and most accessible way to be reminded about when the next episode of your favorite show is going to air. People will love the simplicity, the extensive selection and the ability to request shows that aren't currently listed.

Click this link to visit http://www.MYTVRSS.com.

AM/FM Radios for the Blind

Listen to Everything with C. Crane

C. Crane radios have been favorites of blind and visually impaired listeners for many years. I have been fortunate to have had many friends in the radio business and they've all told me about these radios. I wanted to share this one with you, I think they've improved the model by adding features that we will love.

The CCRadio Plus, Silver offers all the features of the original CCRadio - including unparalleled long-distance AM tuning - but now adds FM reception, National Weather Service emergency alerts, even the audio signals from local off-air TV stations! Combine these features with a highly tuned playback system designed to recreate the human voice accurately, and you get the ultimate talk radio listening device!

Although the CCRadio Plus, Silver offers dozens of features, perhaps its most significant is its short-wave receiver-quality reception of AM radio stations up to 300 miles away. Its reception is so powerful, the CCRadio Plus, Silver has even been known to pick up radio signals from Hawaii all the way from the mainland.

The CCRadio Plus, Silver also makes it easier to tune into programs on more than one station. For example, you can tune in one station and set the radio to switch to another station automatically at any time you specify. It's perfect if the talk radio show you listen to in the mornings is on a different station from the sports news you want to hear in the afternoon.

This improved version also features an updated external radio jack and FM stereo sound to the headphone jack. A lighted LCD display indicates battery life, time and station, with a signal meter that lets you tune your favorite station for the best reception in your area. Choose to wake to an alarm or the radio, or hit the snooze button for a few more minutes of sleep.

Other features include:

• 1 KHz fine-tuning
  
• External antenna jack can improve reception in a metal or brick building
  
• Audio input and output jacks
  
• Timer for taping programs or automatic station switching
  
• Activated weather alert switches to weather band immediately when alarm sounds
  
• Varying tones indicate FM, AM, TV or Weather band, ideal for the visually impaired

The radio is powered by the included AC adapter or via four D batteries (sold separately), which will power the radio for more than 250 continuous hours. CCRadio Plus, Silver is also available in black mica.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 11" W x 6 1/2" H x 4" D
  
• Weight: 3.8 lbs.
  
• Power: 4 D batteries or AC power adapter
  
• Battery Life: Over 250 hours
  
• Frequency Coverage: FM band: 875. to 108 MHz stereo; AM band: 520 to 1710 kHz; TV band: channels 2 to 13, audio only Weather Band: Channel 1: 162.400 MHz; channel 2: 162.425 MHz; channel 3: 162.450 MHz; channel 4: 162.475 MHz; channel 5: 162.500 MHz; channel 6: 162.525 MHz; channel 7: 162.550 MHz
  
• FM, TV and Weather Band Antenna: Telescopic whip antenna
  
• AM Antenna: Built-in ferrite bar; external AM antenna directly wired through filter network into RF front end

Click this link to purchase the CCRadio from the Smarthome website.

Low Vision Large Dial AM/FM Radio

Blind and Low Vision music lovers will instantly appreciate this table radio. With only 3 dials controlling all functions and an oversized tuning dial that is easy to manipulate, listening to your favorite station has never been easier or sounded better. The ultimate combination of performance and simplicity, it is still small enough to fit even the tightest space. It's precise tuner pulls in even the weakest stations and delivers a crystal clear audio signal. This AM/FM Table Radio provides exceptional audio quality and easy-to-use functionality in an attractive, handmade wood cabinet. Perfect for home or work. At only 4 lbs, this unit is also easy to handle and set up. Features Stereo headphone output jack. 9V power adaptor included.

Click this link to purchase the Low Vision Large Dial AM/FM Radio from Amazon.com.

Audiopoint: Bringing Web Content to a Phone Near You

Audiopoint has launched an exclusive Voice Terminal Service ( VTS) that will give instant access to Internet content in real time via telephone. Designed for both the visually impaired, as well as users with limited internet access, VTS uses a first of a kind text-to-speech technology so subscribers can listen and respond to email messages, surf and access web content anytime, anywhere. The service hopes to give the visually impaired access to content like never before, there are no limitations like other services, if its online, its fully accessible. This also makes VTS a safer, more convenient alternative to PDAs while on-the-go.

For more information, contact:

Audiopoint
11810 Parklawn Drive
Suite 200
Rockville MD 20852
Toll Free: 866-545-1560
Email: needtheinfo@audiopoint.net
Web: http://www.audiopoint.net

The Listening Post Audio Splitter

This revised audio splitter box allows you to connect up to four pairs of headphones to one sound source. New selector switch allows you to use either mono or stereo headphones, eliminating the need for stereo to mono adaptor plugs. Four 3.5 mm jacks with volume controls are mounted in a rugged case. Includes two 3-foot cords with 3.5 mm plugs.

Revised Listening Post:
Catalog Number: 1-00941-01

Click here to purchase these items through our Quick Order Entry page: http://shop.aph.org/quickentry.asp

If you need assistance, click this link to read the Fred's Head Companion post "Purchasing Products From The APH Website Is Easy".

American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, Kentucky 40206-0085
Toll Free: 800-223-1839
Phone: 502-895-2405
Fax: 502-899-2274
E-mail: info@aph.org
Web site: http://www.aph.org

Websites of Interest to Seniors

Here are some sites for networking with other seniors, making new friends, learning more about computers, obtaining information about retirement, etc.

Senior Citizens Resources: This Website is run by FirstGov and it provides several tips for senior citizens. It gives information on consumer protection, places senior citizens can volunteer, seniors and adult education, advice on estate planning and federal and state agencies for seniors. This site also has links to the government sites that may be beneficial to senior citizens, such as the Administration on Aging, the Social Security Administration and the Veteran's Health Administration.

Click this link to find some Senior Citizens Resources.

SeniorNet: This Website's mission is to provide access to computer technology for older adults. As a result, senior citizens will be able to gain knowledge and eventually share it with others. This site is basically set up as a discussion board. Everyone is welcome to participate in the SeniorNet RoundTable discussion groups. You just have to sign up for the boards and then you will be able to learn and teach others about computers and using the Internet. If you feel like you could share your wisdom with others or if you want to learn more, this site is perfect for you!

Click this link to visit SeniorNet.

Web Pointers for Seniors: If you're looking for even more sites to try out, this is the place you'll want to go. It is managed by a retired couple from Oregon and they have set up a website full of links they feel would be of special interest to senior citizens. There are links to such topics as senior issues, grandkids, senior guides, caregiving, health, nutrition, legal issues, financial planning, travel and others. Do keep in mind that this site hasn't been updated in awhile and some of the links no longer work, but it's still worth taking a look at. There are still working links to a lot of helpful information that's useful for seniors.

Click this link to visit the Web Pointers for Seniors website.

SeniorLink: This site is helpful for senior citizens to maintain independence in their homes. The developers of this site want seniors to be able to do this safely and with dignity. This site even offers some help for children who have aging parents. It gives advice on making the difficult choices that come with the care of their aging parents. This site does have some parts that require a paid subscription, but you can access free information in the Caregiver FAQ and Top Elder Risks sections.

Click this link to visit SeniorLink.

Write a Senior Citizen: Here is one more site I thought some of you might be interested in. This is more on the fun side of things! This Website was actually created by two teenagers who wanted to bring senior citizens together. You can use it to write other seniors by email or even by snail mail as a pen pal. If you're wanting to get connected with other seniors, this is a good place.

Click this link to Write a Senior Citizen.

ZipHolder: a Lock for the Barn Door!

I guess when I think about it, the problem of your fly accidentally coming open really only dates back to the invention of the zipper. But even if it's not an "age old" problem, it's still a problem, particularly if it's ever happened to you. So this simple solution created by Lisa Sjövall seems so obvious that you have to wonder why it hasn't been thought of or even incorporated into pants already. (At least I haven't seen it before.)

The ZipHolder is basically an elastic loop that fastens to the pull tag on your zipper. When it's done up, the loop is placed around the button on your fly which prevents the zipper from accidentally coming open. In fact it's so simple there's really nothing else to say, except click this link to purchase the ZipHolder from the SmartaSaker website.

Official Holiday Calendars

Sometimes my life gets so busy that I just don't know whether I'm coming or going and then a holiday sneaks up on me and I didn't even remember it was coming.

Now I start each month by heading to this site and checking out what holidays fall within that month. The bonus is that this site also lists all the bizarre, strange and unusual holidays that are either unobserved or untraditional, which makes it more fun to look into the holidays each month.

Just click on the month that you want to visit. From January to December, all the months are there with the holidays listed. From Kristallnacht in November to Dairy Month in June, you'll find lots of interesting holidays and observances.

You may even find activities, comic strips, fun tidbits and of course a good amount of history thrown in. All this put together makes this site a fun and interesting calendar to check out.

Click this link to visit this holiday calendar: http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html.

When-is: Find out Dates of Religious and Civil Holidays

Here's a useful website where you can easily check on various religious and civil holidays. See important Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and American holidays throughout the year. Simply go to the website, select the calendar and the name of the holiday and get the date for the event.

Check out When-is at http://www.when-is.com.

Adjustable Drink Holder

My family loves playing Monopoly. We've had a braille Monopoly game for years, and there's nothing better on a rainy day than playing Monopoly. What we don't like is the constant worry that someone is going to spill their drink on the board. I found the Drink Hold'em and it may be the answer to our problems.

The Drink Hold'em is a drink holder that hangs off the edge of a table, allowing you to play cards, do your taxes, or anything else you can think of without the risk of knocking your drink over.

It's unique selling feature is that it's adjustable. The green colored piece at the bottom of the holder slides up and down accomodating cans and bottles of various heights. WARNING: Use extreme caution if used with a hot beverage. Keep away from children.

Click this link to purchase the Drink Hold'em: http://www.drinkholdem.com.

Note to users of a screen reader: This website is not speech friendly, but you can click the "buy" button to purchase the product.

L'il Suckers: Drink Holders for All Sizes

I'm always a fan of universally-designed products, especially the ones that make me want to kick myself and say, "Why didn't I think of that?" L'il Suckers are drink holders designed to keep cups where they belong, great for people with dexterity and mobility issues but also awesome for babies, boaters, drivers and generally klutzy people like myself. I've had friends give custom koosies away at their weddings, but I think these are way cooler! They come in a variety of sizes from "paint-can" to "nail polish bottle".

L'il Suckers come as a neoprene ring with a huge variety of uses, or as a drink holder with optional insulation or a pre-attached base. For work or play, the L'il Sucker mini, small and medium rings can be used with practically any bottle, mug, can or container. Simply attach the ring to your container, and suction will hold it steady on any non-porous surface and at any rate of speed (within the legal limits of course!). It's a great way to prevent spills! The Classic L'il Sucker comes with a foam sleeve glued to the base ring. It will work anywhere with anything! The Insulated L'il Sucker works with cans and bottles. Keeps drinks cold and handy under the toughest conditions! L^D>'il Sucker rings and insulation cups come in a variety of colors, including Black, Burgundy, Camouflage, Forest Green, Lime Green, Navy Blue, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Royal Blue, White and Yellow.

Click this link to visit the L'il Sucker website at http://lilsucker.com.
Click this link to purchase L'il Suckers from Boater's World.

SSMunch.com: Accessible Music Search Engine

One of the main reasons for web surfing is to find music and download it. Everyday, sites like iTunes and various blogs are crawled for their musical treasures. Often, however, finding the tunes you like can be hard, especially amidst the sound and fury of pop candy and the top 50 that gets played on endless loops on terrestrial radio. This is where SSMunch comes in handy.

Funny as it may sound, SSMunch belongs to the breed known as music search engines. Like its peers, SSMunch allows you to search for and download tunes. Simply input a search query and specify where you want it to search (iJigg, Mp3Realm, or Esnips) and hit search. A list of corresponding tunes, artists and bands will come up along with a download option. SSMunch of course, is absolutely free.

Click this link to visit http://www.SSMunch.com.

Dorble.com: Free MP3 Search Engine

Type in an artist or song and then Dorble will get to work finding it for you. The results show up and there's an option to listen or download. It also gives a ranking of the songs found. Dorble has a blog as well with plenty of goodies including music reviews, articles on fashion, gadgets, videos, and, if you have some vision, photos.

Click this link to visit http://www.Dorble.com.

APH Traveling Exhibits: Bring History to Life at Your Location

The APH Museum offers three traveling history exhibits. Each exhibit draws on the Museum's unique collection and extensive research on the history of the education of blind people. You can rent these exhibits for display at your school, library, or other organization.

"IN TOUCH WITH KNOWLEDGE: The Educational History of Blind People"

Kiosk-style exhibits feature interactive displays with original artifacts, reproductions, graphics, tactile exhibits, and hands-on activities. The exhibit focuses on the history of tactile innovations in four areas: reading and writing, geography, mathematics, and science. Braille labels, large print, and audio text descriptions provide complete accessibility. This 800-square foot exhibit is modular, allowing for flexible exhibit arrangement.

"Building A Future: U.S. Residential Schools for Blind and Visually Impaired Students"

Free-standing exhibit features a chronological arrangement of photo illustrations. The photos show historic buildings of sixty-one U.S. schools. This compact exhibit includes descriptions in large print and braille.

"War of the Dots"

Colorful tabletop-size traveling exhibit presents the history of English-language dot systems, including the revisions and debates leading up to agreement in 1932 of the standard dot system, Standard English Braille Grade Two. The exhibit includes large print text and photo illustrations on a foldout panel, historic books embossed in different dot systems, and braille booklets.

For additional information, visit www.aph.org and click on "Perspectives" or contact:

American Printing House for the Blind
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
800-223-1839, ext. 365
502-895-2405, ext. 365
Museum Direct number: 502-899-2365
Fax: 502-899-2363
Email: museum@aph.org

APH News: May 2008

APH News

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

May 2008

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

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

• MaximEyes™ Video Magnifier
• Compact+ Hand-Held Electronic Magnifier
• MathBuilders, Unit 6: Geometry
• SQUID Tactile Activities Magazine, Issue 5
• REVISED! Listening Post III
• APH Braille Book Corner

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APH to Host Traveling Museum Exhibit in Our Nation's Capitol

As a very special sesquicentennial event, APH has the great honor of hosting our traveling museum exhibit, In Touch with Knowledge: The Educational History of Blind People, in Washington, D.C. during the week of June 16. All four components of the exhibit; Hands-on Science, Hands-on Math, Hands-on Geography, and Hands-on Reading and Writing, will be on display June 17, 18, and 19, from 8:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., in the rotunda of the Senate Russell Office Building at 1st and C Streets, NE.

This display will offer a rare opportunity for members of Congress, Capitol Hill staff, and Washington visitors to experience the unique ways in which people who are blind and visually impaired learn the use of specialized educational materials. The exhibit explores the fascinating history of inventions and adaptations that have transformed visual information into tactile forms, giving those with vision loss quality educational opportunities and greater independence.

If you are going to be in Washington in mid-June, please make plans to stop by this educational exhibit. APH staff will be pleased to guide your tour.

This exhibit is made possible through the support and guidance of Senator Mitch McConnell, Kentucky's senior senator, and the professional staff in his Washington, D.C. office. APH is extremely grateful for Senator McConnell's leadership and for his continuing support for educational opportunities for students across the U.S. who are blind and visually impaired.

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APH Narrator Makes Fan's 16th Birthday Special

Creed Leffler, of Charlottesville, Virginia, is a big fan of Talking Books and APH narrator Jack Fox. A few weeks ago, Creed's mother contacted APH, through the National Library Service (NLS), to ask if Jack might call Creed to help celebrate his 16th birthday. On the evening of April 24, Jack did just that! The two spoke for several minutes and we hear that Creed was surprised and excited by the call.

WVTF Public Radio in Roanoke and WCHV-AM Radio in Charlottesville, both covered the occasion. The stations interviewed Creed and Jack, separately, and then produced stories that aired the next day.

Jack has been an APH Narrator since 1978, and won the Scourby Award for non-fiction in 1997. www.aph.org/studio/narrators/fox_jack.html

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Visit Our New Museum Website for Learning and Fun!

The website of the Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind has a brand new look and functions. The site was redesigned with help from Malcolm Turner, APH Webmaster, and the Louisville design firm Bisig Impact Group.

"Our new site is easier to navigate," explained Museum Director Mike Hudson, "and we wanted to add a virtual exhibit feature recommended by our Trustee Educational Services Advisory Committee."

The new site has plenty of space for new content, including better information on finding the museum, more information on upcoming programs, and a search feature that allows users to browse the museum collection. But according to Hudson, the site is a work in progress.

"We still have some exciting updates to do on the education sections," he said. "And we would like to hear from our audience about accessibility. If you think we can make it better, we would love to hear from you."

Check out the new museum site and send your comments to mhudson@aph.org

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Major Exhibit to Open at APH Museum

The Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind announces the opening of its first new major exhibit in fourteen years. History in the Making: APH Past to Present is a celebration of 150 years of innovation and ingenuity. The exhibit explores how a small company operating in a school basement grew into the largest supplier of educational and daily living aids for blind and visually impaired people in the world. The exhibit provides an exciting new doorway into the company's museum, with panels that introduce tactile writing from the ancient world. And it continues the Printing House emphasis on accessibility, with many artifacts that can be touched, and labels in large print, braille, and recorded formats. Games, videos, and a jukebox unit that introduces the company's award winning narrators encourage visitors to take a closer look at this Louisville landmark's important contributions to history. The exhibit was funded by APH and the City of Louisville.

Photo: Installer Steve Forrester from Nashville works on the museum's new entry portal.

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BANA Announces Topics for Open Forum at Spring Meeting

The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) has announced the topics for discussion at its Open Forum, which will take place on Wednesday, May 14, 2008, from 4:00 till 5:30 PM in the Lineberry Hall Auditorium on the campus of the Governor Morehead School. The Open Forum provides opportunity for participants to learn more about the workings of BANA and to provide feedback to the Board. The dialogue of the spring Forum will center on formats for braille menus and on typeface indicators such as italics, bold face, underline, and capitalization. BANA Board members want to hear participants' views about the issues involved with these indicators. The last section of the Forum will be designed to gather feedback about BANA rules.

Consumers, teachers, and producers of braille are invited, and indeed encouraged, to take advantage of this opportunity to participate in a round-table discussion about braille and to engage in a dialogue with the members of the BANA Board. To reserve your spot at the Forum and to help ensure accurate counts for handouts, contact Diane Wormsley at 919-530-7693 or e-mail dwormsley@nccu.edu no later than Monday, May 5, 2008.

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APH Goes to Boston for CEC

Keynote speaker Henry Winkler (aka "The Fonz") motivated and entertained Council for Exceptional Children conference-goers at the opening session of the annual conference in Boston on April 2, as he recalled childhood memories of his personal challenges due to learning disabilities. Preconference workshops, program sessions, poster sessions, and vendor exhibits provided a full schedule for the record-breaking crowd of attendees.

The field of visual impairments was pleased to see Dr. Sheila Amato, teacher of students who are blind/visually impaired, awarded the Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year Award. The Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year Award recognizes a CEC member who currently provides direct services to students with exceptionalities. The Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year is an outstanding member of the profession whose work exemplifies success for students, continued professional development, and the highest standards of educational quality. Our congratulations go out to Sheila for an outstanding accomplishment!

Photo: Diane Pevsner and Mary Jean Sanspree, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, review a new product with APH's Cindy Amback at the exhibit booth.

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Making It Count in California

More than 50 teachers of students with visual impairments, mathematics teachers, test coordinators and others gathered recently at the California School for the Blind to attend a two day National Instructional Partnerships (NIP) event focused on teaching math skills to students with visual impairments. The event, held April 25 - 26, featured Susan Osterhaus from the Texas School for the Blind who highlighted the use of APH products in teaching math skills and concepts to students of various ages and skill levels.

Ex Officio Trustee Stuart Wittenstein, APH's partner in hosting the event, welcomed the group to the information packed event. A wide variety of low tech and high tech products were presented during the workshop, with an opportunity for attendees to have hands-on experience with some of the products.

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 host such an event it your area, please contact Janie Blome, 800-223-1839, ext 367, or email jblome@aph.org

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Getting Good Advice

The two standing APH Advisory Committees made up of Ex Officio Trustees, the Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC) and the Educational Services Advisory Committee (ESAC), will meet in Louisville May 18 -22. Following the success of last year's format, both committees will again be on-site at the same time to provide guidance to the company. Each committee will meet with designated APH staff members to discuss product development, processes, and services as they relate to APH products.

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A "NEW" Employee in Technical Research

Darlene Donhoff has assumed the duties of Manufacturing Specialist in the Technical Research Division. Darlene has 28 years of service to APH and has been a valuable team member in Technical Research for nearly 20 years, being one of the original 4 "charter members" that made up the department when it was formed in January 1989. Congratulations Darlene.

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Math Study

Marshall University's Partricia Myers is conducting a National Study concerning teachers' perceptions of the use and effectiveness of strategies and aids in advanced mathematics (Algebra I and higher) for students with visual impairments. If you can answer "yes" to either question below, you meet the criteria to participate. The study involves a one-time survey. If interested, please send the following information to myers42@marshall.edu or call 304/532-6876 and ask for Patty Myers.

1. Have you worked with students with visual impairments who have taken advanced mathematics classes (algebra I and higher)in the past five years (2003-2008) whose primary medium is visual?
   
   
2. Have you worked with students with visual impairments who have taken advanced mathematics classes (algebra I and higher) in the past five years (2003-2008) whose primary medium is tactual?

Name: (optional - without your name, information will be mailed to the attention of the Teacher of the Visually Impaired)
Mailing Address:
Email:

This information will only be used for the purpose of this study and kept in confidence. You will not receive any products or emails concerning products. Thank you for your prompt responses.

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APH Receives Generous PNC Foundation Assistance

APH Vice President of Development Don Keefe recently accepted a $20,000 check from the PNC Foundation to support APH 150th Anniversary celebration projects. Pictured are: (left to right) Paul Zurkuhlen (APH), Richard Carnes (PNC), Don Keefe (APH), Terry Strange (PNC), and Dave Keller (PNC)

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APH Welcomes New Ex Officio Trustee

Cynthia M. Johnson, Ohio State School for the Blind, replacing Louis A. Mazzoli.

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APH Travel Calendar

May

May 5, 2008
West Ed Bias Review Committee Meeting;
Lexington, KY

May 5-7, 2008
VAVF 33rd Annual Florida Conference of Volunteers Serving the Visually Impaired;
Orlando, FL

May 7-9, 2008
Dakota AER/Vision Conference;
Grand Forks, ND

May 18-22, 2008
Advisory Meetings;
APH in Louisville, KY

May 30, 2008
INSIGHT Exhibitor Showcase;
Morehead State University, KY

June

June 13-15, 2008
Montana Family Learning Weekend;
Location unknown at this time

June 15-18, 2008
Washington DC 150th Celebration Event;
Washington , DC

June 16-18, 2008
Texas Focus Conference;
Austin, TX

June 17-19, 2008
APH 150th Anniversary Exhibit;
Washington, DC

June 26-28, 2008
National Braille Challenge;
Los Angeles, CA

June 29-July 5, 2008
NFB National Convention;
Dallas, TX

July

July 4-12, 2008
ACB 2008 National Convention (BITS) Luncheon;
Louisville, KY

July 10-13, 2008
NOAH 2008(National Organization for Albanism & Hypopigmentation Conference);
Las Vegas, NV

July 22-27, 2008
2008 AER-International Conference;
Chicago, IL

August

August 8-10, 2008
Visions 2008;
Washington, DC

August 11-16, 2008
63rd BVA National Convention;
Phoenix, AZ

September

September 4-6, 2008
Envision Conference;
San Antonio, TX

September 27, 2008
Indiana Vision Expo;
Indianapolis, IN

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Paralympic Athlete Says Carrying Flame One of Proudest Moments

OAKLAND - Despite scores of angry protesters, intense security and the cancellation of the closing ceremony, carrying the Olympic torch Wednesday in San Francisco was one of the proudest moments in Jessica Lorenz's life.

"I kept thinking, 'No one is going to take this torch from me,'" said Lorenz, 29, of Berkeley, one of a few Paralympic athletes to carry the flame in North America.

"I held on so tight and I am so proud," said Lorenz, a blind member of the U.S. women's goalball team, which won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The team will compete in August in Beijing.

"Silver was great. But quite frankly I would like to come back with a medal of a different color," Lorenz said. "That color would be gold."

The Olympic flame symbolizes freedom and friends - a tradition that has been passed on through many Olympic games, she said.

"We proved the Olympic flame and spirit can be alive and people can express their freedom of speech."

Lorenz said Mayor Gavin Newsom stressed from the beginning that the city would have an "evolving game plan" to deal with the anticipated protests again China's policies in Tibet.

San Francisco is the only North American leg of the relay that touches down around the world.

Lorenz said the goal in San Francisco was to have a successful relay, keep the flame lit and make sure no one was hurt.

Lorenz said her only disappointment was her family and fiance couldn't see her running with the torch along Van Ness Avenue, near California Street. The athlete declined to give her opinion about Tibet, but added that she was honored to be a U.S. citizen because activists' ability to protest was not suppressed.

"It was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had," she said.

From USABA

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In Memoriam: Stan Suterko

Stanley Suterko (known to many as Dave) passed away Wednesday, April 9, 2008. Stan graduated from the University of Illinois with a BS in Education and earned a Masters Degree from Western Michigan University (WMU). He served as a LTJG in the US Navy during WWII on a sub-chaser in the Pacific Region. In 1948 he began his career at Hines V.A. Hospital, Hines, IL where he helped establish the first Orientation and Mobility program for blinded veterans. He joined WMU in 1961 to aid in the establishment of the Blind Rehabilitation Department. His distinguished career included teaching in England, Poland, Australia, France, and across the United States. He received the highest honors of his profession culminating with his induction into The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field in 2002. Stan was often referred to as "St. Peter of Mobility". He retired from WMU in 1984 as Professor Emeritus.

Additional information on his life and history are available from his obituary and his Hall of Fame biography page.

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A New Way into Fred's Head Companion Blog

APH's Fred's Head Database and Companion blog contain tips, techniques, tutorials, in-depth articles, and resources for and by blind or visually impaired people.

Currently the Fred's Head Companion blog is set up on blogspot.com. Because many school systems restrict the use of blogs, you or your students may have experienced difficulty reaching the Companion. To help you, we've added a new web address for the Fred's Head Companion: www.fredshead.info

If you have the original address (www.fredsheadcompanion.blogspot.com) in your bookmarks, don't worry, it will continue to work. We hope that by providing both addresses, we will insure people can find Fred's Head and gain better understanding of blindness through its pages.

Remember, if you have any suggestions for future Fred's Head articles, please feel free to email fredshead@aph.org

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NEW! Free Downloadable APH Product Manuals

We are pleased to offer a new service: selected APH products now have manuals available for immediate, free-of-charge download. Examples of downloadable manuals include Crafty Graphics, Let's See, and Basic Tactile Anatomy Atlas.

Manuals available for download.

A new APH Products Catalog will be available in May. Look for the yellow & black book icon to find the manuals available for download. APH will add new manuals to the download page on an ongoing basis. We will announce additions in the News. You are free to print or emboss these manuals as needed. APH will continue to package hard copies of these manuals with their products. We will also continue to sell hard copy manuals as replacement items. If, however, the manual is posted as a free download, we will not carry inventory on the shelf for immediate delivery. If you order one of these manuals separately, delivery time will be 4-6 weeks for large print and 8-10 weeks for braille orders.

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NEW! MaximEyes™ Video Magnifier

The new MaximEyes™ Video Magnifier from EITAC Solutions Group is offered exclusively by the American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. This video magnifier is the first of its kind to offer access to printed materials and multimedia. With up to 60X magnification, you are able to display an enlarged view of whatever is placed on the video magnifier's work surface. A large 19" LCD panel provides a clear and easily viewed image for your reading and writing. MaximEyes Video Magnifier has a unique interface that uses a familiar five-button computer mouse. You can manipulate the camera in any direction, zoom in or out, or control any of the wide variety of features using the mouse.

In addition, the MaximEyes Video Magnifier offers an amazing new technology designed to improve writing productivity. The PenTracker™ is a small clip-on device that is tracked by the camera as you move your pen. This means that what is being written stays in the view of the camera automatically; PenTracker can also control the magnification as it moves about the work surface.

With an optional Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera, not available from APH, you can see information being presented in the distance, such as a lecturer. Three inputs allow connection of other media sources, such as a VCR, DVD player, or compatible computers. Switch between all of your video sources with the click of a mouse. Furthermore, with its picture-in-picture capability, you can view two sources at one time.

Features:

• PenTracker for improved writing capability
• Access to remote audio-video presentations through the provided inputs
• Mouse control of the camera movement, magnification, and more

Specifications:

• 19" LCD screen
• Up to three additional video and one audio input
• Five-button mouse
• Unique PenTracker technology, includes two corded PenTrackers
• Base of unit measures 18" W x 20" D - requires less space than other CCTVs that require a moveable X-Y Table
• Can utilize an optional Sony® EVI-D70 Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera
• One year limited warranty (optional extended warranty available)

MaximEyes Video Magnifier Unit: 1-03915-00 -- $3,495.00

Optional Extended Warranty (extends the included one-year warranty for an additional year, giving you two years total. Must be ordered within 60 days of the date your product was shipped): 1-03918-00 -- $200.00

Replacement PenTracker™, Corded: 1-03917-00 -- $40.00

Freight and Insurance Delivery: $74.00
UPS shipping fee added to all orders within the contiguous U.S. All other shipments will include actual shipping rates based on the point of destination.

NOTE: MaximEyes™ Video Magnifier, extended warranty, replacement PenTracker™, and freight & insurance delivery ARE available for purchase with Quota funds.

MaximEyes™ and PenTracker™ are trademarked products of EITAC Solutions Group, LLC in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Additional MaximEyes Information for Trustees

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NEW! Compact+ Hand-Held Electronic Magnifier
Blue Model: 1-07570-00 -- $795.00

Note: shipping charge added - please call for more information.
Not available with Quota funds.

This ultra-bright widescreen electronic magnifier enlarges up to 10X and fits in your pocket or purse. Snapshot function holds one image of an area being magnified so that image can be brought closer to the eye.

Features:

• Three zoom levels: 5X, 7.5X, and 10X
• Five viewing modes: true color, black-and-white, blue-and-yellow, black-and-yellow, and reverse
• Camera positioned directly behind screen for ease of image alignment
• Snapshot feature
• 4.3-inch LCD widescreen
• Retractable hand-grip
• Rechargeable battery, up to 3 hours of continuous use
• Dimensions: 5.3 x 2.9 x 1.2 inches, Weight: 10.6 oz.

Includes:

• AC Adapter
• Leather carrying case
• One year limited warranty

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NEW! MathBuilders, Unit 6: Geometry

Large Print Kit (includes Teacher's Guide in large print): 7-03563-00 -- $288.50
Braille Kit (includes Teacher's Guide in braille): 5-03563-00 -- $288.50

Optional Items:
General Guidelines, Braille: 5-03560-03 -- $24.00
General Guidelines, Large Print: 7-03560-03 -- $24.00

Replacement Items:
Teacher's Guide, Large Print: 7-03563-01 -- $59.00
Teacher's Guide, Braille: 5-03563-01 -- $59.00
Consumables Pack, Braille: 5-03563-02 -- $16.00

MathBuilders is a supplementary math program separated into eight units by content standards and grade level. This allows the teacher to focus on specific standards or provide remedial material for individual students.

Unit 6 includes:

• Teacher's guide with lesson plans for grades K-3
• CD-ROM with General Guidelines for Teaching Math to Young Braille Users
• 34 student worksheets for additional practice
• Manipulative parts:
  • Felt board
  • Textured shapes with Velcro® backing
  • 9 geometric shapes - hexagon, pentagon, octagon, equilateral triangle, isosceles triangle, right triangle, square, rectangle, and circle
  • 3-D shapes - sphere, cone, hemisphere, cylinder, cube, pyramid, and prisms
  • Geometro - kit for building simple 3-D shapes
  • Nemeth Code Reference Sheet

The remaining units will be announced individually as they are produced and available for sale.

Note: The General Guidelines is included on the CD with every unit. It is not included in large print or braille in the kits, but can be purchased separately in large print and braille editions. A good resource for teachers who need information about teaching math to students with visual impairments and a great resource to share with the regular classroom teacher.

WARNING: Choking Hazard-Small Parts. Not intended for children ages 5 and under without adult supervision.

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NEW! SQUID Tactile Activities Magazine, Issue 5
1-08862-05 -- $72.00

The newest issue of SQUID is now available! SQUID is deceptively fun--while your child or student enjoys solving a variety of activities in each SQUID issue, he or she will build and acquire skills that will enable him or her to become a more proficient tactile reader.

SQUID, Issue 5 includes activities such as:

• Alligator Alley
• Eggs-stra Fun
• Favorite Season
• Mouse Trap
• Popcorn Pick Up
• Rainbow Coloring Page
• Transportation
• Yummy Ice Cream

Recommended Ages: 5 years and older

Look forward to future announcements of SQUID issues in the APH News!

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REVISED! Listening Post III
1-00941-01 -- $85.00

This revised audio splitter box allows you to connect up to four pairs of headphones to one sound source. New selector switch allows you to use either mono or stereo headphones, eliminating the need for stereo to mono adaptor plugs. Four 3.5 mm jacks with volume controls are mounted in a rugged case. Includes two 3-foot cords with 3.5 mm plugs.

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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 approximately 8 weeks for delivery.

Night of the New Magicians: Magic Tree House, Book #35
Mary Pope Osborne, Braille: T-N1658-50 -- $20.50
Merlin sends Jack and Annie to the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, France. Their mission is to find four new magicians in the crowds at the Eiffel Tower and protect them from an evil sorcerer. Juvenile Fiction. Grades 2-4. *(AR Quiz #105864, BL 4.0, Pts. 2)

Caddy Ever After
Hilary McKay, Braille: T-N1674-60 -- $36.00
Casson siblings Rose, Indigo, Saffy, and Caddy present individual accounts of events leading up to Caddy's wedding, including a helium balloon stalking and a Ghost Club accident. Rose, upset that the groom is not darling Michael, intervenes. Sequel to Permanent Rose. Juvenile Fiction. Grades 4-7. *(AR Quiz #107066, BL 5.2, Pts. 5)

Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies)
Justina Chen Headley, Braille: T-N1674-20 -- $62.00
Fifteen-year-old Patty Ho, half-Taiwanese and half-white, feels like she never fits in. However, when her strict mother sends her to summer math camp at Stanford, Patty begins to accept her biracial heritage and has her first brush with romance. Fiction. Senior High. *(AR Quiz #105939, BL 6.1, Pts. 10)

The Widow's War
Sally Gunning, Braille: T-N1668-40 -- $73.50
Cape Cod, 1761. After her husband is lost at sea, Lyddie Berry finds herself a dependent of her miserly son-in-law Nathan Clarke. Inspired by the words of attorney and woman's suffrage supporter James Otis, Lyddie challenges the terms of the will--and society--and attempts to live on her own. Fiction. Adult.

To Catch an Angel: Adventures in the World I Cannot See
Robert Russell, Braille: T-N1673-80 -- $69.50
The life and achievements of the author, who was blinded at the age of five. Refusing to acknowledge any essential difference between himself and sighted people, he succeeded in obtaining a Ph.D., went to Oxford to study, married an English girl, and became a college teacher. Biography. Adult.

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

APH News Credits

President:
Dr. Tuck Tinsley
ttinsley@aph.org

Designer:
Malcolm Turner, APH Website 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
• Jack Decker, Vice President, Production
• Artina Paris-Jones, Assistant, Field Services
• Frank Hayden, Technical Research Manager, Research
• Mike Hudson, Director, APH Museum
• Mary Nelle McLennan, Executive Advisor to the President and BANA Board Member Representing APH
• Gwynn Stewart, Support Specialist, Communications
• Tuck Tinsley, President
• Roberta Williams, Special Projects Manager, Public Affairs
• Paul Zurkuhlen, Director of Planned Giving, Development

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

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For additional recent APH News, click the following:
April Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2008adv04.html
March Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2008adv03.html
February Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2008adv02.html

Archive of all previous issues - www.aph.org/advisory/advarch.html

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The APH News is a monthly publication from the American Printing House for the Blind:
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
800/223-1839

Please share this web link or any items that appear in this publication with anyone who might benefit.

Thank you.

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1. Create an email to aphinfo-request@iglou.com
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4. Send it.

Ginger's Resources

From the website:

"Hello, my name is Ginger, the owner of this website. I have used the computer for years to accomplish many tasks. Only in the past three years have I really developed an interest in how they work and how to fix various issues that may come up.

I rely on a speech package to assist me, as I am a person with a visual disability. I am hoping that this web site will be a testament to the fact that we all have a strength and weakness of some sort and that we can rise above this and grow personally and professionally, as we research and share with others.

It is for this reason that I wanted to create this website. Additionally, I wanted to share a plethora of ideas and for others to share their ideas with me. I want this site to be a one stop shopping approach for locating information. The information provided is meant as an opportunity to research, learn, grow, and to share openly and honestly with others. I do not endorse or promote any one product or service over another."

Click this link to visit http://www.GingerResources.com.

Access Ability Solutions

From the website:

"Hi, my name is Toni. This is a site that I have created for you. I am no one special. I am just someone who is visually impaired and has been through a very long journey. I^DNB hope that I have learned something from it and I hope that some of the resources that I have gathered along the way will be of use to you. Much of what is here is stuff that is hard to find as I am gearing this site toward blind adults and our needs.

I am currently working as a general transcriptionist. I have been trained in medical transcription and customer service. I have taken a few college classes, a couple online classes, and I have been to a couple of blind rehab centers. I have been through long struggles trying to find employment and acceptance as a blind individual. I have had my share of discrimination in employment as well as in educational settings. I have also had discrimination regarding my guide dog.

I currently have my second guide dog from Guide Dogs for the Blind. I am in an alumni organization there called Guide Dog Handlers All Ways. It is geared toward people who have other disabilities besides blindness. If you would like to know more about our chapter, please contact me.

I am currently a member of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP), and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).

I have an interest in computers, as you may be able to tell. I consider myself to know quite a bit about a computer, or maybe just enough to get myself in trouble. However, I can usually get myself out of whatever trouble I get into.

I believe that oftentimes resources for adults who are blind are harder to find than those for children who are blind. The thing I want to make very clear is that I don't feel my blindness defines me as a person. I am not my disability, but I have worked long and hard to find resources that enable me to live as normal of a life as possible. Here I am going to share those resources with you. I hope you will find something useful."

Click this link to visit http://www.accessabilitysolutions.net.

Pill bottle magnifier

What can we say? There's almost nothing as important as being able to read the text on a medicine bottle. This clip-on 2x magnifier fits most prescription bottles. Just clip magnifier to bottle & swing lens outward to magnify text. Folds inward for compact storage. Measures 4" x 1½" x 2¼".

Click this link to purchase the Pill Bottle Magnifier from the Home Trends website.

Downloadable Audio Short Stories at Sniplits

I am very excited to introduce you to Sniplits. Their tagline is "Audio Shorts 2 Go" and they mean it. Their stories are published DRM-free, making them compatible with any device that plays digital music, which means you can take them on the go with you, wherever that may be!

Sniplits publishes a variety of genres. From Literary/Mainstream to Romance, Horror to Humor they're sure to have a story that will appeal to any taste. (They even have a Tweens2Teens section.)

While it's true Sniplits offers a Community where you can discuss your favorite stories, join author fan clubs, join groups, and create your own page, you don't have to become a member just to download a story. (You do if you want to participate in the other stuff.)

Most stories cost less than a buck. (88 cents) However, they also have 48 cent specials --for stories that run under five minutes. I believe the shortest one available currently is "Victory" by Marianne Crone that's all of 42 seconds long. Some are just over a minute, like Guy Belleranti's "Doctor's Orders," Lydia Ondrusek's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," and Karen Bernardo's "The Year the Tree Fell on the House." The longest story currently available is "Holy Spirit" by Sally Bellerose --just over an hour.)

Click this link to visit http://www.sniplits.com.

Small Microwave for Any Office or Dorm Room

The one thing you never have enough of is space in a dorm room or at your office desk. Now, there are appliances that are not only small, but work as well as their larger counterparts.

Does your staff kitchen cause you to have nightmares? You've actually already got your own mini-fridge in your cube/office, so that you can avoid the freakish festival that occurs in the community fridge. If so, you can now add a compact microwave to your collection.

The iWaveCube Personal Microwave is compact enough to be hidden away in your office, dorm room or pint-sized starter apartment. It's the perfect size (smaller than a cubic foot) to prepare your hot beverage of choice, reheat your leftovers (maybe!), or cook up a warm snack. Features a built-in carry handle and view-through door.

Click this link to purchase the iWave Cube Microwave from The Sharper Image website.