The Fred's Head blog contains tips, techniques, tutorials, in-depth articles, and resources for and by blind or visually impaired people. Fred's Head is offered by the American Printing House for the Blind.

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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

APH News: April 2009

APH Logo

APH News

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

April 2009

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

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

What Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments Need to Know about Lighting Braille Edition Guidebook cover

Coming to Your Computer Monday April 6th:
APH's New Louis Database and New Online Shopping!

Louis Database New Features! New Look! New! Online Shopping Site! Shop APH

Last week, APH News readers received the exciting announcement that the new versions of APH's Louis Database and APH's online ordering system will be launched this Monday April 6th. To recap, we've implemented major upgrades to both sites to improve your APH shopping experience. Both sites have many new features too numerous to list here, but below are a few highlights.

Like the current Louis site, the new Louis site will allow users to search for all APH products & textbooks, plus educational materials from about 140 other agencies. The new Louis site features:

  • An easier basic search plus more advanced search capabilities
  • Convenient "My List" feature that allows you to save, email, or print items of interest
  • Ability to add APH products to our new shopping site cart

We will roll out further improvements to the new Louis site over the coming months. The Louis web address will change to: http://louis.aph.org/

The new APH shopping site features:

  • A familiar interface similar to many commercial shopping sites
  • Relationships between products that allow you to see optional, replacement, and related products
  • Ability to browse for products by categories

The shopping site will continue to be improved over the coming months -- for example, more product photographs and relationships between products will be added.

The shopping site web address remains the same: http://shop.aph.org/

Note that in order to complete the launching of these sites, both the current APH web ordering system and the current Louis system will be unavailable on Friday April 3rd.

We welcome your questions or comments about our new sites. Please email cs@aph.org



APH Tactile Graphic Image Library

A line drawing of a soccer ball

New Graphics Added Monthly!

Fifty-five new graphics were added to the Tactile Graphic Image Library during the month of March. Additional graphics are added every month, so keep checking back for more useful depictions! The free images in the database are templates for you to use to create your own custom tactile graphics.

Registered Users: http://imagelibrary.aph.org/
New Users: http://www.aph.org/tgil/

For more details contact Chris Graham at tgfeedback@aph.org or call 800/223-1839, ext. 289.



Coming Soon - Spring Meetings for Advisory Committees!

Just like the Kentucky Derby, we can be sure that each spring will bring another big event to APH--the arrival of the Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC) and the Educational Services Advisory Committee (ESAC) in Louisville for their annual discussions and dialogs with APH staff. These two committees, made up of Ex Officio Trustees, are charged with learning about products, policies, procedures and services in support of products and then providing APH with a written report of commendations and recommendations to assist staff in improving our work.

ESAC, chaired by Michael Bina (MD), will be in Louisville on April 26-29. Other members of ESAC are Angyln Franquemont (AR), Marje Kaiser (SD), Barbara McCarthy (VA) and Frank Simpson (NY). EPAC, chaired by Jim Downs (GA), will be in Louisville on May 10-14. Other members of EPAC include Suzanne Dalton (FL), Stacy Grandt (WI), Marty McKenzie (SC), Nancy Niebrugge (CA), Jim Oldham (TN), and Steven Rothstein (MA). If you have questions or topics you'd like either committee to discuss while at APH, please contact Mike, Jim, or any member of the committees. Items for discussion may also be sent to Janie Blome, jblome@aph.org



Teaching Jump Rope to Children with Visual Impairments

Jump Rope to Fitness

Congratulations to Tristan Pierce, the APH Research Department Multiple Disabilities Project Leader and co-authors Lauren Lieberman, Ph.D., and Haley Schedlin, M.Ed., for an excellent piece in the March 2009 edition of the prestigious Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB). (APH editing by Monica Vaught-Compton.)

The article tells us that children with visual impairments have lagged behind their same-age peers in physical activity and motor skills. It further states that jumping rope is one way to improve these skills and to promote socialization. Giving choices related to the types of rope and use of mats is important. In addition, using appropriate instructional strategies and modifications will make jumping rope a skill that the children enjoy and will lead to involvement in other physical activities.

This research led to the development of a popular new product now available from APH. Here is a link to information on APH's Jump Rope to Fitness Kit: www.aph.org/advisory/2009adv01.html#P2



Golden Anniversary in the Golden State

APH was proud to be a part of the 2009 CTEVH conference as the organization celebrated its 50th year. The conference, held in Burlingame, CA, near San Francisco, highlighted the history and accomplishments of this outstanding organization, and celebrated its founders, including Dr. Phil Hatlen, APH's Executive in Residence.

APH staff members Jane Thompson and Jeanette Wicker made presentations and other staff members were on hand at the APH exhibit booth, which featured many new and classic APH products. Attendees were excited to try out the new APH Perkins Braillewriter and the new ropeless jump rope in the Jump Rope to Fitness Kit. Other favorite products included the All-In-One Board and Azer's Interactive Periodic Table.

Congratulations, CTEVH, and here's to 50 more golden years!



New York's Stepping Stone Day School Steps Up to the Plate for Children with CVI

Stepping Stone Day School, a preschool for children with disabilities located in Flushing, New York, serves many children with multiple disabilities, including those with cortical visual impairment. Maureen Vecchione, Staff Development Coordinator at the school, felt that staff needed to learn as much as possible about CVI and the educational tools that are available so she turned to APH. On Thursday, March 19, APH's Sandi Baker conducted a training session with early childhood special education teachers, teaching assistants, occupational therapists, and physical therapists at Stepping Stone, introducing them to an array of APH products that are useful intervention tools for children with CVI. She also discussed the APH CVI website (www.aph.org/cvi/index.html). Feedback from Maureen, following the training, indicated that the teachers "found the presentation extremely helpful and are moving ahead with (ordering) the materials."



Celebrating Connections in West Virginia

Your Hands, Their Future 2009 Celebrating Connections

APH's Monica Turner and Burt Boyer attended Celebrating Connections 2009 in Charleston, West Virginia, in late February. This marked APH's first participation in this conference. This was West Virginia's 12th annual conference to highlight the state's early childhood programs. The conference is designed to provide relevant information about practices, policies, planning and research that enhances community partnerships and quality in early care and education. Monica and Burt exhibited a variety of APH products relevant to early childhood education including Building on Patterns, ToAD, Tactile Connections, and the On the Way to Literacy materials. The conference was well attended by educators, administrators, and parents of young children with special needs including blindness and low vision. This conference was an excellent opportunity to connect with many individuals who were not yet aware of the products and services offered by APH, and to hopefully begin a lifelong relationship with those individuals as the children they serve grow and develop into independent adults.



Registration Opens for Woodcock-Johnson III Workshop

Registration is now open for the workshop on "Administering and Scoring the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement for Braille Readers." There is a $25.00 registration fee for this 2-day workshop which will be held at the Desert Valleys Regional Cooperative in Phoenix on August 28-29, 2009. For registration information and to access the registration form, go to www.aph.org/edresearch/WJIIIworkshopAugust2009RegistrationForm.doc

For hard copies of the registration form, contact Rachel Goodman at rgoodman@aph.org or call 502-899-2389.



APH Visits the Volunteers of Vacaville

Logo: Volunteers of Vacaville Fiat Lux

The Volunteers of Vacaville, a well-known prison braille program located in California, has provided braille services to their customers since 1960, recently adding the transcription of textbooks for APH.

Jane Thompson, Director of the Accessible Textbooks Department, and Jayma Hawkins, Accessible Media Editor, took a side trip to the prison program after the Spring CTEVH (California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped) Conference in Burlingame, California recently.

The project at Vacaville offered much more than expected. It was obvious that the men in the program are dedicated to quality and customer service. In addition to braille transcription, the program offers recorded books on tape or CD/DVD, braillewriter repair, cassette player cleaning and maintenance, and they work with the Lions Eye Foundation gauging eye glasses donated for international distribution.

Robert, the lead transcriber of the program, gave APH staff an in-depth tour and presentation. According to Robert, there are participants in every program who are eager to work. In the recording studio digital files are created with professional sounding voices. Robert added that there is always the capacity to do more; they just need the work to do. Robert concluded by saying that their tasks give them purpose--with the goal of helping low vision persons access print. The braille transcribers are dedicated to quality textbooks and leisure readers. They create good tactile graphics and have a phenomenal proofreader. The costs for all services are reasonable and delivery is timely.

To contact the Volunteers of Vacaville write, P.O. Box 670, Vacaville, CA 95696-0670, or call 707 /448-6841.



Boston Trip Successful for WJ III Braille Project Team

Karen Ross, APH's Barbara Henderson, and Rachel Ethier Rosenbaum

APH's Barbara Henderson and consultant Dr. Lynne Jaffe presented a session at the 2009 National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Convention in Boston. The presentation was titled "Issues in Translating Tests into Braille: The Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ III ACH): Braille Adaptation." While at NASP, Barbara and Lynne had the opportunity to meet with Melanie Bartels-Graw of Riverside Publishing, Dr. Richard Woodcock and Dr. Frederick Shrank of the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation, all of whom are partners in the WJ III Braille project.

In addition, Barbara was invited to visit the Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, Massachusetts. Her visit was hosted by President Rachel Rosenbaum and Vice President of Education Karen Ross. Barbara received a personal tour of the buildings and grounds. She flew home the next morning, narrowly missing a snowstorm that covered Newton, Boston, and surrounding areas with nine inches of snow.

Photo: Karen Ross, APH's Barbara Henderson, and Rachel Ethier Rosenbaum



Kentucky School for the Blind Students and Flat Stanley

Third and fourth grade students from the Kentucky School for the Blind brought a special friend to a museum on March 18. Flat Stanley is the title character of a 1964 children's book about a boy who is mysteriously flattened and has many adventures along the way. The Flat Stanley Project was started in 1995 by a Canadian schoolteacher. It is meant to encourage letter-writing by schoolchildren to each other as they document what Flat Stanley has done with them. At the American Printing House, students from classes led by Gina Quaid and Stephanie Brown taught their pal Stanley how to write his name in braille. He also learned more about how the folks at APH make lots of books, maps, and other tools for kids all over the United States. For more information about bringing Stanley to your own classroom, visit www.flatstanley.com



APH Museum Announces 2009 Bards and Storytellers Lineup!

The Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind announced its 2009 Bards and Storytellers lineup in March. Bards and Storytellers is an annual performance series featuring entertainers who are blind. Historically, being an entertainer was one of the few routes to independence for a visually impaired person. This series celebrates modern performers who have chosen to follow this path, although better educational opportunities and shifting societal attitudes make employment possibilities today considerably greater. The 2009 series, presented in partnership with VSA Arts of Kentucky, features Harley Cannon on April 11, Patrick Henry Hughes on May 23, and Jag Einhorn on June 20.

  • Harley Cannon Harley Cannon, from Lexington, is a virtual one-man-band famed for accompanying himself on trumpet and keyboard. His thirst for challenges, despite his visual impairment, has been a lifelong part of his personality. Log on to http://www.vsartsky.org/registry/2.php to hear Cannon's music.
  • Patrick Henry Hughes Patrick Henry Hughes started playing piano as a toddler, and also plays the trumpet and sings. He is a member of the University of Louisville Marching Band, with help from his father, who maneuvers his wheelchair through the band formations. Patrick Henry and his family achieved fame from their appearance on ABC's Extreme Home Makeover. Today Patrick Henry performs all over the country.
  • Zagannath Einhorn is a deafblind storyteller from Florida who tells stories, poems, and dances in American Sign Language. A graduate of Gallaudet University, Zag has a wonderful way with his hands, face, and whole body in his native language of ASL.

Bards and Storyteller programs are free to the public but reservations are required. For information or to make reservations, call Mike Hudson at 502-899-2365.



Reading Promotion Partners at the Library of Congress

Every year in March, the Center for the Book (CFB) of the Library of Congress hosts an invitational forum in Washington, D.C. Upwards of forty organizations send representatives to highlight their literacy projects and to develop new partnerships. As a member of this national network since 1999, an APH Public Affairs staff member has participated in the annual gathering, reporting on APH products and services that promote literacy for the blind and visually impaired.

With a live internet screening of the APH website in the background, Becky Snider's update about APH focused on a new product, a book entitled, All children have different eyes, and the importance of self esteem as a foundation for learning and independence for people who are blind and visually impaired. She also relayed highlights of the 150th Anniversary National Essay Contest, and introduced many attendees to braille reading--and the entrepreneurial skills of blind students operating their own business--by distributing braille fortune cookies.

CFB Director John Cole announced the establishment of a monthly newsletter for articles about the Center for the Book, as well as information about the work of its partners, including APH. Reading Promotion Partners were invited to tour the new Library of Congress space soon to be dedicated as the Young Readers Center (YRC). In addition to having an online resource center and providing a venue for family reading programs, the Center for the Book's YRC will include a rotating display of recent and notable books for young people. Snider plans to make sure that APH braille and large print books are featured in the Young Readers Center.



Another NIMAC Milestone

NIMAC staff and APH's Bob Brasher pose with the celebratory cake

NIMAC celebrates the acceptance of the 15,000th file set into the repository, just over two years into the project. During the planning phase of the NIMAC, it was estimated that the repository would receive 12,000 files in the course of the first five years of the program. So we are happy to again report that the repository is growing by leaps and bounds--far beyond our expectations!



Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field

Wall of Tribute Continues to Build

Several columns of the Wall of Tribute
Susan J Spungin We live by your pearls of wisdom love your colleagues, friends, and family
Ralph A. Brewer Leader - Teacher Advocate - Coach Storyteller Mentor & Friend

The Wall of Tribute, a series of beautifully crafted wooden columns located in your Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field, continues to grow with the addition of new engraved stones honoring heroes, mentors, friends, and organizations. To the right are examples of recent stones added to the Wall of Tribute, now containing 145 unique stones.

For a complete listing of the Gallery of Stones (with photographs), please visit: www.aph.org/hall_fame/stones/index.html

For more information on honoring a special person or agency while supporting your Hall, please visit: www.aph.org/hall_fame/development.html



Take a Guided Tour of Turbo Phonics

Turbo Phonics is a computer-based, phonemic awareness and phonics program for young students who are preparing to develop reading skills. This program has been specially designed for students who have low vision, but students with typical vision may successfully use the program. Join Elaine Kitchel's 'Guided Tour' at: www.aph.org/webcast



APH Welcomes New Ex Officio Trustee

Charles R. Atwell, the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center, replacing Deana A. Graham.



APH Travel Calendar

on the road with APH

April

April 1-4, 2009
CEC 2009;
Seattle, WA

April 19-23, 2009
Visual Aid Volunteers of Florida (VAVF) Site Visit;
Orlando, FL

April 20-21, 2009
NCLVI Advisory Committee Meeting;
Philadelphia, PA

April 22-24, 2009
Penn-Del AER 2009;
Grantville, PA

April 23-25, 2009
National Braille Association Spring Professional Development Conference, 2009;
Boston, MA

April 23-26, 2009
AOTA 2009 Annual Conference and Expo;
Houston, TX

April 25-26, 2009
The Mid-America Conference of Rehabilitation Teachers and The Association of Southeastern Rehabilitation Teachers (MACRT-ASERT);
Chicago, IL

April 26-29, 2009
Educational Services Advisory Committee (ESAC);
APH in Louisville, KY

April 27-28, 2009
Power Up 2009;
Columbia, MO

May

May 10-14, 2009
Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC);
APH in Louisville, KY

June

June 14-16, 2009
On-Site Ex Officio Trustee (EOT) Training;
APH in Louisville, KY



Fred's Head Transition from Database to Blog Is Complete

Fred's Head, Sharing Tips and Techniques

Fred's Head, the free service from APH that publishes tips, articles, and resources for blind or visually impaired people, has changed format. At the end of March, the traditional Fred's Head Database was discontinued. The current Fred's Head blog will continue to grow, with new articles posted almost every business day.

The Fred's Head blog is one of the first places you'll find announcements about new APH products. We also publish articles and links on dozens of topics of interest to blind people. A few of these are: adjusting to blindness, assistive technology, clothing, deafblind resources, dog guides, employment, family life, health, kitchen hints, organization skills, safety, and transportation.

YOU Can Contribute to Fred's Head!

Please contact us if you have suggestions for updating an existing article or adding a new article. Email us at fredshead@aph.org. You can also comment on articles by using the provided link at the bottom of each posting.



Spring Fever Sale

Spring Fever Sale

Explore a world of savings on selected APH products with APH's Spring Fever Sale 2009, April 1 - June 30. As always, first come, first served. www.aph.org/products/springfever.html



New! Braille+ QWERTY Docking Station

1-07452-00 -- $600.00 plus shipping
All shipments will include actual UPS shipping rates based on the point of destination.

Braille+ QWERTY Docking Station

Optional Items:
One-year Extended Hardware Maintenance Agreement (HMA): 1-07465-00 -- $75.00

You must purchase the HMA prior to the expiration of the included one-year warranty, unless you wish to purchase the $50.00 out-of-warranty inspection listed below.

Inspection Service for Out-of-Warranty Docking Station: 1-07461-00 -- $50.00
Send your out-of-warranty Docking Station to APH for a system check. If it passes the inspection, you will be allowed to purchase the above HMA even though your Docking Station is past the included one-year warranty period.

Related Item:
Braille+ Mobile Manager
1-07450-01 -- $1,395.00

The QWERTY Docking Station is a new accessory for use with APH's Braille+™ Mobile Manager. Smaller than a laptop, the Docking Station provides connectivity and comfort on-the-go or at your desk. Simply snap the Braille+ Mobile Manager into the QWERTY Docking Station and you have a highly functional, comfortable-to-use, portable notetaker with Ethernet connectivity!

The Docking Station Enables You To:

  • Take notes comfortably with a full-size QWERTY keyboard
  • Perform full-capability word processing
  • Web browse extensively
  • Read and write email when you're on the go

Features

  • QWERTY keyboard
  • Audio output and input options include: stereo speakers, mono microphone
  • Rechargeable lithium-ion battery with user-accessible battery compartment
  • USB 1.1 host and client
  • Internet Connectivity: 10BaseT Ethernet
  • Dimensions: Folded: 7.12 x 12 inches; Unfolded: 8.84 x 12 inches; Thickness: 1.56 inches

Includes

  • Braille+ QWERTY Docking Station
  • AC Power Adaptor
  • Quick Start Guide in braille, print, and CD (text and audio)
  • User's Guide (text CD)
  • One-year limited warranty

Note: The Braille+ Mobile Manager is required to operate the Docking Station.



NEW! Lighting Guide Kit
(Large Print Book with Better Vision Lamp): 1-08941-00 -- $138.00

What Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments Need to Know about Lighting Braille Edition Guidebook cover

Optional Item:
What Teachers and Students With Visual Impairments Need to Know about Lighting, Braille (hard copy, made to order): 5-08941-00 -- $12.00

Replacement Item:
What Teachers and Students With Visual Impairments Need to Know about Lighting, Large Print (Book only): 7-08941-00 -- $12.00

The Lighting Guide Kit includes a Better Vision Lamp and a book about appropriate lighting for students with visual impairments.

What Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments Need to Know about Lighting is a booklet that helps teachers, administrators, parents, and practitioners make decisions about lighting that aids their student or child with comfort and productivity. Too often, students with low vision work in lighted environments that do not meet their visual or physiological needs. This short, easy-to-read book presents information, based upon the latest research, about light and its physical properties. It shows how to judge what kind of light is best for a given student or situation. Vivid photographs show examples and help convey meaning.

Better Vision Lamp

The Better Vision Lamp was specially developed by an inventor and APH staff in order to provide the best light possible for students with visual impairments. This energy-saving lamp gives off light that doesn't cause photo stress in most people with retinal, corneal or lens disease/injury, or cortical visual impairment. Lightweight and handsome, the Better Vision Lamp goes with any décor. It uses a special 27 watt, 2700K, compact fluorescent tube that is different from most tubes of its type because it emits no blue or ultraviolet light.

The lamp and the book together make up the Lighting Guide Kit. The lamp is not offered separately.



NEW! Denver the Guide Dog DVD
1-30010-DVD -- $15.00

Denver the Guide Dog DVD and Cover

This video IS available with Quota funds.

The popular Denver video is back and it is available with Quota funds! It's a great day at APH! Heathcliff, APH Vice President Gary Mudd's hard working guide dog of fifteen years, is handing over the harness to Denver, the bouncy up-an-comer.

Produced by the Discovery Channel cable network for their Animal Planet® Pet Stories series, this video is for anyone who'd like to know more about guide dogs or would just like to meet Denver.

Celebrate with Heathcliff as he's honored after twelve faithful years of service, and meet the new kid on the block--Denver. In this episode see how Denver got his start, "made the cut" at guide dog school and was matched with Gary. Be amazed as you watch how hard the two of them have worked to become the team they are. And get out your tissue, because there's not a dry eye in the house when Denver's puppy trainer returns to find such a confident and capable guide dog!



NEW! 30-Love: Tennis Guidelines for Players with Visual Impairments or Blindness:
1-08110-00 -- $123.00

30-Love: Tennis Guidelines for Players with Visual Impairments cover

Learn this new and exciting sport that's making news around the world! Whether practicing against a wall, playing singles against an opponent, or participating in a round of doubles, adaptive tennis is a great sport for practicing sound localization skills and socialization. Meets national standards on physical education.

Helps players develop: ability to accelerate, leg strength, general body coordination, gross motor control, fine motor control, bone strength, agility, balance, and flexibility. Players learn a variety of skills, including: competing one-on-one, accepting responsibility, managing adversity, accommodating stress, planning and implementing strategies, solving problems, sportsmanship, and teamwork.

Includes

  • 2 blindfolds
  • 2 rackets
  • Set of 6 sound-adapted tennis balls
  • 30-Love: Tennis Guidelines for Players with Visual Impairments, Large Print
  • 30-Love: Tennis Guidelines for Players with Visual Impairments, Braille

Watch videos of tennis on: www.aph.org/pe/features.html

Note: Extra sound-adapted tennis balls are available as replacement parts.



Textured Matching Blocks Available Again
1-08950-00 -- $57.00

We are pleased to announce that our Textured Matching Blocks product is once again available. It is featured on page 34 of your Products Catalog or visit our website for more information.

This is one of the products affected by our plastic vendor's fire several weeks ago. Our plan for each of these products is to send you an announcement as soon as they are restocked and available for shipment.

Thank you for your continued understanding and patience.



APH Braille Book Corner

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.

Changes for Kit--A Winter Story: An American Girl, Book 6
by Valerie Tripp, Braille: T-N1715-00 -- $18.50
Cincinnati, 1934; the Great Depression. Kit's grouchy uncle Hendrick dictates a letter to the newspaper complaining about hoboes. This inspires Kit to write her own letter encouraging donations of clothing and food for hobo children. Sequel to Kit Saves the Day. Fiction, Grades 3-6. *(AR Quiz #55813, BL 5.0, Pts. 1.0)

Boy Girl Boy
by Ronald Koertge, Braille: T-N1658-90 -- $30.00
Childhood friends Elliot, Teresa, and Larry plan to run away to California after graduation and leave behind their small Illinois town and family problems. But as the senior year progresses and each struggles for individuality, the trio begins to doubt the feasibility of the plan. Fiction, Senior High. *(AR Quiz #100127, BL 4.0, Pts. 4.0)

Paladin of Souls
by, Louis McMcaster Bujold, Braille: T-N1683-70 -- $156.00
Free of the madness that imprisoned her in The Curse of Chalion, dowager Royina Ista undertakes a pilgrimage of atonement. With her followers, Ista contends with gods, demons, and soldier-bandits until she is rescued by the hero of her visions. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. Fiction, Senior High. *(AR Quiz #78292, BL 6.6, Pts. 26.0)

American Pastoral
by Philip Roth, Braille: T-N1673-30 -- $137.00
After serving in World War II, "Swede" Levov weds Miss New Jersey, takes over the family business, and moves to the suburbs. His dream life unravels in the late 1960s, when daughter Meredith joins an antiwar terrorist group bent on undermining all that Swede values. Strong language. Pulitzer Prize. Fiction, Adult.

Mama Made the Difference: Life Lessons My Mother Taught Me
by T.D. Jakes, Braille: T-N1672-60 -- $68.50
Minister and author of God's Leading Lady reminisces about his mother, a teacher, and the lifelong lessons she imparted. Includes biblical stories about mothers, advice for modern moms, and testimonials from other African Americans including Colin Powell about the importance of parenting.

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

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
  • Chris Graham, Supervisor, Data Entry
  • Barbara Henderson, Project Leader, Accessible Tests
  • Micheal Hudson, Director, APH Museum
  • Stephanie Lancaster, Graphic Designer, Communications
  • Gwynn Stewart, Support Specialist, Communications
  • Jane Thompson, Director, Accessible Textbooks Department
  • Monica Turner, Field Services Representative
  • Roberta Williams, Manager, Public Affairs and Special Projects
  • Debbie Willis, Director, Accessible Tests

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


For additional recent APH News, click the following:
March Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2009adv03.html
February Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2009adv02.html
January Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2009adv01.html

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


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.


Subscribe to the APH News!
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  4. Send it.

Need a Little Boost of Screen Magnification?

ZoomWare is another Ai Squared product that provides a gentle boost of magnification (up to 2x) so that hard-to-read text is larger, clearer and easier to see.

Three different viewing options allow you to see the entire screen magnified, or have a small or large portion magnified. ZoomWare also provides color filtering features that improve text contrast and eliminate uncomfortable glare. You can reverse all screen colors for a dramatic reduction in screen glare, or apply a colorful tint to white areas of the screen to soften the overall brightness.

ZoomWare also lets you adjust the size and color of the pointer and apply eye-catching locators to the cursor, making it easy to see and follow.

For more information, contact the Ai Squared sales department at 800-859-0270, email sales@aisquared.com, or click this link to visit http://www.getzoomware.com.

School's Out, Camp's In, Fun's On: Resources for Finding the Perfect Summer Camp

So, what are you going to do this summer? Let's review your options. On TV there's re-runs. There's more time for chores, housework and--if your school meets year-round--dreaded homework. You've got all the time in the world for swimming, playing and hanging out with your buddies but your personal chauffeurs (whom you know as Mom & Dad) will be at work.

Sounds...lame, doesn't it? So why not spend the summer at a totally awesome Summer Camp? Sure it's a chance. You're going to have to sleep in a strange bed, eat strange food, and when you first arrive, you'll meet all kinds of strangers. Big kids. Short kids. Serious kids. Goofy kids. And maybe a kid or two just like you who will become your life-long best buddies.

So, is it worth it? You bet it is. There are Summer Camps completely dedicated to doing the types of things you love to do. There are camps for kids who want to go horseback riding. Camps for swimming. Camps for crafts. Adventure camps. There's even a camp where you can learn what it's like to be an astronaut (talk about far-out!)

So how do you find the kind of camp where you would want to spend your Summer? The following resources will guide you. Follow the web-links. Call for information. Email for applications. Ask your parents for help. The vast majority of these camps are set-up for kids who are blind or have visual impairments, so there'll be no surprises -- except the origin of the mystery meat the camp cook is serving up for dinner!

General Resources

Your search for the perfect Summer Camp starts here. These organizations and associations can help you narrow your Summer Camp search by geographical region and interests.

  • American Camping Association: http://search.acacamps.org/
    The ACA has a comprehensive database of Summer Camps for Kids. Follow the link to Search ACA's Camp Database and then provide the specific geographic, age, interest and need data to help narrow your search of available Summer Camps.

  • National Camps for Blind Children: http://www.christianrecord.org/
    National Camps for Blind Children®/Adults (USA) (www.christianrecord.org ) and National Camps for the Blind® (Canada) (www.crsblindservices.ca) are affiliated with Christian Record Services. This project began in 1967 with a single camp at Kulaqua in High Springs, Florida and has grown to 28 camps at various locations across the United States and Canada. These camps are free to blind and legally blind campers.The NCBC website maintains a lengthy list of camps from all regions of the United States. Here is a sampling of camps on the NCBC list:

    1. Sea Camp I & II
    2. YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado
    3. Horsemanship Camp, Ohio

  • The Family Village Center: http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/Leisure/camps.html
    The Family Village Center website has a detailed list of camps for kids with special needs. The site's directory includes all geograhic regions and allows you to narrow your search for camps according to your own unique interests. From the site's home page, follow the link to Recreation & Leisure and then choose Camps from the list of topic-links.

  • LionNet International: http://www.lionnet.com/
    LionNet International is the Internet presence for Lions Club International. Their site has a link to Lions Clubs by country and state. Within the state-by-state listings, you'll find links to and information about Lions Club-sponsored recreational opportunities and summer camps.

  • Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired: http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/camps.htm
    Always a wonderful site for current information, TSBVI has posted a thorough listing of summer camps for kids in the Lone Star State.

Special Focus Camps

    li>Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS): http://www.tsbvi.edu/space/
    Space Camp is a unique opportunity for blind and visually impaired children to experience life aboard a simulated space station. The camp, located at the US Space and Rocket Center in Hunstville, Alabama, gives campers the opportunity to practice their leadership and teamwork abilities as they prepare for two Space Shuttle missions. While preparing for a "role" (Shuttle Pilot, Communications Officer in Mission Control, Space Station Scientist, and many others), students learn about the history of manned space flight, shuttle and space station basics, and water survival. Simultaneously, they experience lunar gravity (1/6 Earth gravity), the 5DF (degrees of freedom) chair, and the Zero G wall. The students participate in building a lunar colony. They also build and fly their own rocket!

    The camp is for kids in grades 4 through 12. In 2001, the cost for a five-day Space Camp session is $540.00.

    Contact: Dan Oates - W. Va. School for the Blind
    Address: 301 E. Main St., Romney, WV 26757
    Phone: (304) 822-4883
    Email: scivis@raven-villages.net

  1. Courage Camps: http://www.couragecamps.org/
    For teens interested in sports, look into the Courage Camps "sports camp" program. Sports camp is a week-long program for adolescents and teens ages 12-17. Campers work with coaches and top disabled athletes to develop their skills in their favorite sports. Camp Courage has an indoor gymnasium, swimming pool, paved trails, tennis courts, and archery and rifle ranges. The core sports offered atsports camp are wheelchair basketball, swimming, sailing, horsemanship, tennis, floor hockey, fishing, and blind sports. Other sports such as water skiing, golf and marksmanship may also be available if facilities and staffing permit. Week-long Sports Camp.

    Contact: Courage Camps
    Address: 3915 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN 55422
    Telephone: (763)520-0504
    Fax: (763)520-0577
    E-mail: camping@courage.org

  2. Camp Bloomfield: http://www.juniorblind.org
    Nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains of Malibu, Calif., Camp Bloomfield offers various week-long camp sessions for children and teens who are blind, visually impaired or multi-disabled, and their families. Campers participate in fun and challenging adaptive activities, such as horseback riding, swimming, archery, climbing walls and high ropes course. Camp Bloomfield has provided tens of thousands of children with a safe and supportive environment to build self-esteem, increase independence and experience the joys of childhood. For more information, contact Frank Cardenas, Director of Recreation, at 323-295-4555 extension 261.

Guide for Older Americans

Grey House Publishing has released the seventh edition of its Older Americans Information Directory. It answers questions currently on the minds of all Americans, such as how to find and pay for needed support services, how to deal with health issues, how to be effective self- advocates, and much more.

This edition also includes a glossary of health and medical terms and a glossary of legal terms. It's available in soft cover. To get a sneak peek inside, visit http://www.greyhouse.com and look at the Older Americans Information Directory's online database, or call 800-562-2139 extension 118 for more information.

The Veterans Business Training Center provides online job training and professional placement assistance to combat-wounded and disabled veterans by using the Internet and web-based training technology. The goal is to recruit, train and retain qualified veterans for careers in the Contact Center industry that offer long-term job placement. The course work maximizes the military training veterans received and re-engineers their skills to the information industry -- creating employment opportunities to provide for themselves and their families.

For more information, click this link to visit http://www.combatwoundedcallcenter.com.

Medication Assistance with take-n-slide

Take-n-Slide helps you monitor your medication's daily doses, up to 4 times a day. Just attach the self-stick dosage strip to your prescription, vitamin or daily supplement bottle of any size and align all "indicator slides" to the left. Then, take your medication and move one indicator slide to the right. Just remember not to place dosage strip over important instructions.

For more information, or to order the dosage strips, call 678-494-2992 or click this link to visit http://www.take-n-slide.com.

Monday, March 30, 2009

iRecord: The One-Touch Media Uploader

You know blind people love audio gadgets and this is a great one for recording just about anything to an MP3 file for listening while on the go.

The iRecord plugs into an audio or video device using RCA connections and S-Video and with a push of the button the content is converted to digital MP3 or MPEG4 format. Content can be converted directly to an iPod attached OR a USB device (flash drive or hard drive).

This device, the first of its kind, converts any type of video or audio, including cassette tapes, vinyl records, television shows, and VHS tapes, directly to an iPod at the touch of a button. The device allows you to preserve your audio and video memories without having to rely on a conversion service or risk long-term damage to the original medium, and no computer or special software is required. The converter plugs into any audio or video device equipped with RCA connections and S-Video (standard on nearly all A/V components) with its included audio/video cables. Simply push the record button, and content is converted to digital MP3 (audio) or MPEG4 (video) format, three hours of 320 x 240 resolution video content takes up approximately 1 GB, and is stored immediately onto an iPod (video iPod required for video content). Data can also be uploaded to a USB flash drive or USB hard drive plugged into the converters USB port; it automatically detects if it has attached an iPod or USB key. Plugs into AC.

Click this link to purchase an iRecord from Hammacher Schlemmer.

TV for the USB

Here's a great toy for those of us who have enough vision to enjoy all its features.

The Mini TV USB lets you take TV wherever you go! Using a regular TV Antenna or cable connection, you can now watch TV right on your computer screen. It's simple to install and no extra cables or power supply to carry around. Check out these features:

Video



  • Video file playback
  • Digital video capture
  • DVD/VCD creation from captured video, recorded TV, and other sources


Audio



  • Listen to your digital music library
  • Build custom playlists
  • Rip from audio CDs


Photo



  • One-click red-eye removal, auto enhance, crop, and more
  • "Smart printing" allows multiple prints per page, various print sizes, and automatic photo rotation
  • Archive photos to DVD/CD


Click this link to purchase the MiniTVUSB.

NOTE: Software may not be compatible with screen reading technology.

A Great site for web and software developers, as well as users of assistive technology

Accessibility Resources is the simple name of this site that is subtitled the HCI Webliography and offers more than 200 links regarding an assortment of accessibility matters. The great news is that it is a global perspective, with information being provided by not only sites in the US, but from several companies in Europe as well as Australia.

The offered links are categorized into the following headings : first choice, companies, discussion, guidelines, organizations, papers, resources, and tools.

There will be some familiar names for those who live or work in the field of assistive technology, but there are many other useful resources offered whose names you’re probably not familiar with. Take some time and look over the site. There are items offered on the ADA, Section 508, W3C, and some you might not expect. It is encouraging to see that the compendium includes links on making Apple, Ajax, and Adobe’s Acrobat and Flash products more accessible.

If you’re like me, you’ll bookmark the Accessibility Resources site and return for further reading: http://www.hcibib.org/accessibility.

Article Source:
Access Ability

A Unique Luggage and Recovery Service

Luckily, (knock on wood) I've been very lucky in my travels through airports so far: the one time my luggage was misplaced, the airline found and delivered it to my door the very next day. But that experience was enough of a scare for me to relate to the thirty-seven million people who lose their luggage every year, and never get it back. Now, there's a solution to this problem that works with existing databases and websites to keep you and your luggage together.

TRACE ME Luggage Tracker provides you with a strong, durable airline approved tag for your luggage, that has a unique serial number and 2D bar code ensuring your suitcase can always be identified and returned to you. Tags are suitable for all types of luggage including briefcases, laptop bags and is ideal for all members of the family.

Your personal details do not appear on the tag, your identity is safely and securely stored on Immobilise.com, a database genuinely used by law enforcement agencies, major lost property services as well as airport baggage handling organisations across the globe to return lost luggage.

The effectiveness of the tag is not limited to air travel. The tough TRACE ME tag provides train operators, the police, lost property services and even local transport companies with the facility to securely identify your luggage and immediately notify you how to retrieve it from anywhere in the world.

Each customer has a personal online account with Immobilise.com for updating change of address, telephone and email details. Never write your name on a flimsy old paper tag ever again.

Click this link to learn more about the Trace Me Luggage Tracker system.

Lost and Found Sound Tag

The Lost and found sound tag ensures luggage doesn't get lost by letting you record a twenty-second message of important information like phone number, address or hotel name for fast identification. The bold color and shape are easy to identify in a carousel of similar suitcases. Three batteries included. 2 1/4 x 3".

Click this link to purchase the Lost and Found Sound Tag from Taylor Gifts.

Learn Spanish with Your MP3 Player

p>Are you interested in learning Spanish? “SpanishPod is a language training service unlike anything you have ever seen before. It works by taking the best of the traditional classroom, and recreating it around the needs and lifestyle of the student, with all the improvements that technology allows."

"Just like a traditional classroom, SpanishPod provides a community of practice: great teachers, lively discussion with fellow students, and a shared learning experience.”

When you visit SpanishPod.com, you have a large selection of Spanish lesson podcasts to choose from, from beginner to advanced. Once you subscribe you can choose the lessons you wish to hear. You can bookmark the lessons that you want and have them delivered to your personal RSS feed. There are ten steps to the SpanishPod learning method:

  1. Listen to the Podcast
  2. Review the Dialogue
  3. Review the Vocabulary
  4. Study the Expansion Sentences
  5. Complete the Exercises
  6. Rate the Lesson
  7. Ask Questions
  8. Review with Flash Cards
  9. Review the Dialogue Audio
  10. Revisit the Exercises
Learn Spanish on your own time with lessons that interest you by subscribing to SpanishPod.com

Talking Email Keyboard for the iPhone

I've mentioned that talking products, created for sighted people, often benefit the blind and visually impaired. I'm going to tell you about another product that fits into this catagory, but before I do, let me give you the description of this product from the manufacturer and let you decide its best use.

"With the Internet in your pocket, it’s hard to not take advantage of it in every situation possible. However, there are some instances in which iPhone use is limited, particularly if you’re behind the wheel of a car. Talking Email Keyboard from G.P. Imports attempts to change that by allowing you to type e-mails as you drive."

Typing email as you drive? How many blind and visually impaired people have been hit while trying to cross the street? Let's see if we can't find a better use for this nifty product.

Talking Email Keyboard works by announcing each letter you’ve typed after you tap a key, saving you the trouble of having to look down at the screen as you type, at least in theory. The voice used by the app is pleasant and can clearly enunciate the letters you type. However, when typing fast, the voice can lag, decreasing your productivity.

Still, even with Talking Email Keyboard’s oral confirmation, it remains hard to know what you’re about to type without sneaking a peak at your iPhone. For instance, it’s impossible to know that you’re about to type the letter “y” until after you’ve hit the key and Talking Email Keyboard confirms it. It would be great if the application would announce letters as you scroll over them, like a screen reader. The application doesn’t announce any auto-correct words suggested by iPhone. And it doesn’t let you know when you’ve switched to the numbers/symbols keyboard. It may be something for a person with low vision, but I think the blind would have problems successfully using it.

As I noted above, G.P. Imports touts this app as something you can use while driving “if your local law permits”, I wouldn’t recommend the app for that use, no matter what your local laws are. That said, the app might be more appealing to visually impaired users who would appreciate the audio cues as they type, it certainly seems like a better use than having distracted motorists fumbling for their iPhones to tap out an email, when they should be focusing on the road. Talking Email Keyboard is compatible with any iPhone or iPod touch running the iPhone 2.x software update.

Click this link to learn more about the Talking Email Keyboard from AppBeacon.

Hotmail Goes Pop3

Access to Hotmail via pop3 has been enabled worldwide, finally ending years of your email being trapped behind specific applications not available on some blindness-related products. Many notetakers for the blind use the pop3 email protocol to grab email from an email server. If you have a free Hotmail account, you'll be happy to hear that you can now access that account through your notetaker, or more traditionally through Outlook Express or Windows Mail on Vista.

Setting it up is fairly simple in most email applications, just create a new account using the following details from the Windows Live team::

POP server: pop3.live.com (Port 995)
POP SSL required? Yes
User name: Your Windows Live ID, for example yourname@hotmail.com
Password: The password you usually use to sign in to Hotmail or Windows Live
SMTP server: smtp.live.com (Port 25)
Authentication required? Yes (this matches your POP username and password)
TLS/SSL required? Yes

This is so cool. I've had a Hotmail account for years but never checked it because I had to use a difficult web-based system. Now I can grab all my email from Outlook Express or Windows Mail in Vista, life is good!

Get Notified with POP Peeper

How many email accounts do you have right now? I'll bet many of you have more than one. One for home, one for work, one for junk, one for family members, the list can be endless.

How do you manage all those accounts? Are they all just mixed up in your Outlook or Outlook Express? Maybe you check some of them through Outlook and others you go online for? Why are you putting yourself through all the hastle? Let me make your email notification a lot simpler with one small program.

POP Peeper is an email notifier that runs in your Windows task bar and alerts you when you have new email on your POP3, IMAP (with IDLE support), Hotmail\MSN\LiveMail, Yahoo, GMail, Mail.com, MyWay, Excite, Lycos.com, RediffMail, Juno and NetZero accounts.

IMAP support allows you to access AOL, AIM, Netscape and other services.?? Send mail directly from POP Peeper and use the address book to email your frequently used contacts.

POP Peeper allows you to view messages using HTML or you can choose to safely view all messages in rich or plain text. Several options are available that will decrease or eliminate the risks of picking up an email virus, dangerous javascript, webbugs, etc.

POP Peeper can be run from a portable device and can be password protected.?? Many notification options are available to indicate when new mail has arrived, such as sound alerts (configurable for each account), flashing scroll lock, skinnable popup notifier, customized screensaver and more.

For more information, visit the website: http://www.poppeeper.com.

What is "web based email"?

Outlook Express and Thunderbird are referred to as email "clients". They're programs on your computer whose main goal in life is to manage your email.

"Web based", on the other hand, is located on a server and can be accessed from any computer using a web browser. You don't usually have as many options for filtering, sorting, or saving email, but if you want a free email account they're great.

Two popular free web based email services include Yahoo Mail! MSN/Hotmail, and Google's G-mail . AOL can be considered web based since you can check it in the AOL browser or any web browser.

Since there is no standard way to do things like change text color, create filters, make folders, or add pictures it can sometimes be difficult to use these services. Also, they regularly "improve" without warning, causing things to work differently than they did the week before.

If you have a POP3 email account that you check using a mail client, it's still a good idea to sign up for a free web-based account. When you register products or sign up for stuff you can have it sent there rather than your regular account. This can help keep your inbox clean. I hope this clears things up.

Get your Mail2Web and Never Miss a Message

Mail2Web is a free Web site that lets you check the contents of any POP3 or IMAP e-mail account. In other words, if you use Outlook or Eudora (or any of the hundreds of POP-3 email programs out there) and want to check your email when you are away from your computer, this site will let you do it. And better still, unlike Hotmail, Mail2Web doesn't require you to send scads of personal information to some company before you can use the service. :)

Since Mail2Web is only a Web interface -- it shows you the contents of your email inbox without actually "popping" the mail -- you can read your emails on a remote computer and then, when you return to your own computer, download all of those emails just like normal. Mail2Web also lets you reply to and even delete any or all of the emails in your inbox before you ever even download them with your regular email program.

That last point is important. Using Mail2Web, you can delete any or all emails in your inbox before you ever download them. Why is this important? Well, have you ever had a "friend" send you a 27 kajillion byte uncompressed bitmap of a squirrel drinking a Coke with a straw? Did the file take 57 years to download? By using Mail2Web, you can keep this from happening. Just go to Mail2Web and delete that hideously large email. The file goes away, and you never have to download it. Yay! If your ISP or workplace doesn't offer its own webmail interface, Mail2Web is an absolute must.

Click this link to get started with Mail2Web: http://mail2web.com.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Better Living with Fred's Head

Here's a story in which it is shown that the regular use of the Fred's Head blog can improve one's quality of life.

Greg Samsa awoke one Saturday morning to the sound of a baby crying. He got out of bed, remembered that his wife had left for a teacher's convention the night before and knew that he had to take care of things. He put on his bathrobe and went into the nursery.

"Jen-ny" he sang. "Daddy's here, Jenny. Daddy's here." He felt around in the crib for the baby and picked her up. Jenny's crying continued, but with less force.

"Are we hungry?" Greg asked, bouncing the little girl in his arms as he carefully navigated into the kitchen. He put a saucepan of water to heat on the stove, then prepared a baby bottle one-handed and set it in the saucepan. Jenny's cries continued. "I've got to change her diaper," he thought. Laurie usually took charge of that task--manipulating the diaper while he helped to clean the baby-- but she was in Chicago.

"Why didn't I think to get some practice while she was here?" he asked Jenny. "That's okay, Muffin. Daddy will fix it."

One important lesson Greg had learned in graduate school was that not knowing an answer to a question was not nearly as bad as not knowing how to find an answer.

Greg went into the living room, where the computer was. He always left the computer running, so it only took a moment to get online. He selected "Fred's Head" from his bookmark file. He went straight to the edit box with his screen reader by pressing the letter "e", and typed "baby diaper" in the search field. He got How To Diaper A Baby as a result.

"Piece of cake!" Greg said to Jenny. "I think."

Greg carried Jenny down the hall to the nursery and followed the instructions he'd gotten from "Fred's Head".

"Fold this…" he said to himself. "…check that she's covered…peel this… peel this… Done! That wasn't too bad!" He put a clean romper on Jenny and they went back to the kitchen.

The bottle was ready, so Jenny got her breakfast. After she had eaten, Greg got Jenny settled into the baby carrier and started making his own breakfast. Greg fixed himself some oatmeal and toast and wondered what else it was he wanted to eat.

"Fried eggs!" Greg said. "That's what's missing. I want fried eggs!"

He went back to the computer, hit the letter "e" until he landed on the search box, then typed "frying eggs" into the search field.

He found two results: Frying eggs using an egg ring and American Egg Board Recipes.

Greg hit the link for Frying Eggs Using An Egg Ring and read over the record.

"Seems easy enough," Greg thought. "I know we don't have the egg rings-- but maybe those metal cookie-cutters will work. I'll give it a try."

Returning to the kitchen, Greg got a frying pan and set it on the stove. He set the burner to 'medium high' and put two tablespoons of oil in the pan. The Samsa's keep their oil in a wide mouth jar near the stove. A metal measuring spoon whose handle had been bent 90 degrees fits through the wide-mouth opening and serves as a ladle for the oil, providing an accurate measure.

Greg pulled the two largest cookie-cutters out of the bottom drawer. One was used for making gingerbread men; the other was a large five-pointed star. He added them to the pan. He grabbed two eggs from the refrigerator and started cooking.

After cleaning up the breakfast dishes, Greg got ready for work. He didn't have to perform any weddings this week, but he wanted to stop by the office anyway. The new computer was delivered yesterday and he hadn't finished setting it up. He also wanted to fix a couple of weak spots in tomorrow's sermon.

Greg got dressed for work and took Jenny next door to the Davis' house. Mrs. Davis was the regular babysitter, and she was expecting Jenny today. He knocked on the door.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Doris. How are you today?"

"Okay. I'm watching Scooby Doo."

"Are you? That's nice. Do you like it?"

"Yeah," Doris nodded.

"Good. I liked it when I was your age. I'm here to drop Jenny off. Is your mom around?"

"Yeah. She's upstairs." Doris ran off, yelling "Mom! Reverend Greg is here." She soon ran back. "She says you can come in."

"Thanks, Doris." Greg stepped into the house.

"Hi Greg! Isn't it a lovely day?" Mrs. Davis' voice came from above and to the left. Her voice got louder and closer as she walked down the steps. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"No thanks, Sandra. I'm trying to decaffeinate."

Greg accepted a glass of water and chatted for a little while, then headed off to the church. The church was nearby, only seven blocks away. Greg always walked there when the weather was nice.

The Thomas Merton Unitarian Universalist Church was a former Methodist church. It was originally built in the early 1800s and had been expanded twice since then. The building had lots of narrow hallways and steep staircases; there was even a spiral staircase that led from behind the sanctuary to the choir loft. Greg had been minister here for seven years, so he was familiar with the layout and was comfortable navigating to his office. He went directly to his desk and turned on the computer.

He had spent most of yesterday getting the various cables connected and getting his software installed. He still needed to get desktop shortcuts created for his most-used programs. It had been four years since he made shortcuts on his old computer, and he had forgotten the procedure. The computer manuals were not accessible, so he got online. He hoped that "Fred's Head" could help. He typed in http://www.fredshead.info and added it to his bookmarks. He searched for "computer shortcuts" and received several results.

Greg selected How to Transfer Settings and Files From One Computer to Another with Magic Transfer and found the information he needed.

Greg saved this article to his favorites for reference and created his shortcuts and he was quickly finished. He then opened up tomorrow's sermon: "The Importance of Heroes: Role Models in Modern America." He decided that he was happy with it, especially the part about how product endorsements and advertising in general had adversely changed the role of modern heroes, but it still needed another good example. He went to "Fred's Head," looked under the "Browse Articles by Subject" heading, chose the Role Models link, and was rewarded with several results.

"These are just what I need to round out the sermon!" Greg thought.

He used some of the results to strengthen the weak part of his essay. Pleased with the finished product, he typed up an outline to use as a guide in the morning. He went to the closet and turned on the braille embosser then shut the closet door. He went back to his outline and chose 'print' from the file menu. The clattering of the embosser was loud even through the closed door.

Greg checked his email. There was a short message from his brother.

"Greg, I just heard on the radio that someone published a book on astronomy for blind people. Does that make any sense to you? Love, Bill"

Greg decided to check "Fred's Head" before replying. A quick search on "astronomy" returned several articles. Greg opened the article The Sky's Not the Limit: Astronomy for the Blind and Visually Impaired to learn more.

Greg emailed the record to his brother along with this message: "It makes good sense to me."

The next email came from the church's music director.

"I want to do some movements from Bach's Cantata 140 for that special memorial service next month." She wrote. "The arrangement has an important trumpet obbligato. Would you be willing to play the trumpet part? Let me know soon. Thanks, Callie"

"That would be a lot of fun," thought Greg. "I wonder where I can get a copy of the braille music?"

Greg decided to search "Fred's Head," for "braille music". The first result was titled Braille Music." Greg opened it and began reading.

Greg saved this information to his desktop, intending to research the location of the trumpet part after lunch. He knew APH's Louis database had over 200 thousand entries, so he figured that the trumpet part would probably show up there.

He checked the time: 11:30-- "almost time for lunch," he thought, "Just a couple of things to get done first."

Greg needed to replace his old tactile metronome. He had knocked it off the shelf while practicing two days ago and it had shattered when it hit the floor. Greg clicked on the "Fred's Head" Assistive Technology link and the computer responded with a variety of results.

Greg selected Finding Adaptive Technology Is As Easy As Abledata, and the computer displayed the article.

Greg surfed over to the Abledata site and bookmarked it. He found a replacement metronome in the music section; the description included the manufacturer's contact information, including a web address. He surfed over and found that they supported internet sales. Two minutes later, his new metronome was on its way.

The other thing he needed to do before lunch was to find something special to cook for Laurie when she returned from Chicago. Once again he called up "Fred's Head," this time he clicked on the Recipes link."

Greg decided to browse through the Cooking subject, he enjoyed cooking and had found good ideas there before. He learned the trick about keeping his oil in a wide mouth jar and using a bent metal measuring spoon from "Fred's Head" a couple of months before. "Maybe they've added something new since the last time I was here."

"These are some great articles!" He thought for a moment. "I've got a few tricks that I learned from Laurie that I'd like to share with other blind and visually impaired people."

Greg used the letter "h" on his keyboard to navigate to the "YOU Can Contribute to Fred's Head!" heading and clicked on the fredshead@aph.org link. He typed his idea into a new email message. He checked for errors and then clicked the send button.

"Alright. That's enough for one day." Greg thought. He shut down the computer, collected his braille outline and turned off the embosser. He placed the outline on his desk and decided to put off searching for music and to spend some time outside with his daughter instead.

Greg stopped at the sandwich shop across the street from the church for some lunch, and then went to get his daughter.

The End.

About Fred's Head

Fred Gissoni emerging from computer monitor Click this link to hear a message from Fred.

Created by and for people who are blind or visually impaired,
Fred’s Head is where you go when you gotta know!

Explore the collective ideas and experiences of blind or visually impaired people by visiting Fred’s Head! You’ll find hundreds of tips and techniques to help you solve everyday difficulties, and detailed explanations of more complex issues that may challenge you.

Why Is this Blog Called Fred's Head?

Fred's Head is a free service from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) that publishes tips, articles, and resources by and for blind or visually impaired people. The Fred's Head blog was inspired by APH's legendary Fred Gissoni.

Fred has been providing technical support to APH customers and writing APH technical manuals since 1988. Prior to coming to APH, Fred had many accomplishments in the field of blindness. He has been working in the field since 1953 and has been a rehab placement officer, counselor, teacher, case supervisor, center director, and technical service unit director. He has written and taught courses for the Hadley School for the Blind and was a visiting instructor at the University of Kentucky. Fred was the co-inventor of a device that would eventually become the APH PocketBraille, one of the earliest braille notetakers.

Fred is known across the US for his vast wealth of knowledge about blindness, especially as it applies to daily living. Staff from the American Printing House for the Blind wanted to capture the knowledge in "Fred's head" and so the original Fred's Head database was established in the early 1990s. Many of Fred's tips, tricks, and resources were written as articles and published in the database, along with articles contributed by other APH staff and by Fred's Head users.

The Fred's Head Companion

In order to use the latest technology for people who are blind or visually impaired, APH began the Fred's Head Companion blog in 2004. In addition to the original Fred's Head Database, the Fred's Head Companion was a way to widely syndicate the information that was created for the original database. Through a variety of services, the records in the original Fred's Head database were delivered to a much broader audience through email, RSS aggrigators and to portible MP3 players as a podcast.

APH continues the tradition of sharing knowledge through the current blog, simply called Fred's Head. And Fred Gissoni, now in his 70s, continues to serve blind and visually impaired people across the US by being available for questions in APH's Customer Relations Department. The original Fred's Head Database was discontinued in March of 2009.

The Fred's Head Blog

Fred's Head, the free service from APH that publishes tips, articles, and resources for blind or visually impaired people, has changed format. The Fred's Head Companion blog has been renamed to Fred's Head (www.fredshead.info).

Fred's Head is one of the first places you'll find announcements about new APH products. We also publish articles and links on dozens of topics of interest to blind people. A few of these are: adjusting to blindness, assistive technology, clothing, deafblind resources, dog guides, employment, family life, health, kitchen hints, organization skills, safety, and transportation.

All of the thousands of Fred's Head articles that were in the previous database have been published to the blog. You will still be able to search the blog for a specific article or topic. In addition, you can browse the articles using the subject listings that are located toward the bottom of every blog page.

The Fred's Head blog offers many functions that were not available in the original database. You can receive newly published articles via email, RSS, or Twitter. Articles are self-voicing, just click on the speaker icon and the text is automatically read to you. If you find an article you want to share, send it to a friend's in-box with just one click.

The Fred's Head Newsletter

So, you really like the information in Fred's Head? Are you one of those folks who click on the link to see the most recent entries? Do you find yourself visiting the Fred's Head website everyday to see what's new? Would you like a way to get the latest posts in your email? Thanks to the Fred's Head Newsletter you can! Click this link to learn more.

The RSS Feed

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated digital content, such as blogs, news feeds or podcasts. Users of RSS content use programs called feed "readers" or "aggregators": the user subscribes to a feed by supplying to his or her reader a link to the feed; the reader can then check the user's subscribed feeds to see if any of those feeds have new content since the last time it checked, and if so, retrieve that content and present it to the user.

You can subscribe to the Fred's Head Companion RSS feed by adding the following URL to your news aggregator: http://feeds.feedburner.com/FredsHeadCompanion

The Companion Podcast

Wikipedia says that a podcast "usually consists of a combination of audio and/or video that is made available for download via syndication. It is this syndication aspect of the delivery that separates a podcast from a file available for download. The files are usually retrieved with software applications (generically known as podcatchers) such as Apple's iTunes so that subscribers can listen at their convenience on devices that have intermittent, slow, or are otherwise lacking Internet access. The podcatcher reads an RSS feed (whose entries point to specific podcasts, usually sorted by date) to identify and retrieve the podcast."

You can subscribe to the Fred's Head Companion Podcast by adding the following URL to your podcatcher: http://podcasts.odiogo.com/freds-head-companion/podcasts-html.php

Fred's Head on Twitter!

Wikipedia defines Twitter as "a free social networking and micro-blogging service, that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length."

You can follow Fred's Head in a number of ways using the free Twitter service: on our profile page at http://www.twitter.com/fredshead; by using RSS, SMS, email; or through a variety of third-party applications. To get started, simply visit Fred's Head and click on the "follow me on Twitter" link toward the bottom of the page.

YOU Can Contribute to Fred's Head

Fred's Head is updated nearly every business day. Michael McCarty, APH's Expert Database Coordinator, scours dozens of sources to add and revise content. And Michael wants to hear from you! Those from any walk of life can submit an article, tip, trick, technique, web link, or other resource. If we use your information, you'll be credited by name as having expanded the knowledge in Fred's Head.

If you would like to contribute, or have questions about Fred's Head, please contact:

Michael McCarty
Expert Database Coordinator
American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
1839 Frankfort Ave.
Louisville, Kentucky 40206
Phone: 502-899-2396
E-mail: mmccarty@aph.org or fredshead@aph.org

Spell Check Your Website

spellr.us has been designed with one goal in mind: to make it extremely simple to keep websites free from spelling errors. The spellFOCUS spelling engine to help identify genuine spelling errors and minimise false positives. The aim was to build a system that would provide immediate value without complex configuration of custom dictionaries or require human intervention.

Websites often span across thousands of separate web pages creating a challenge in performing a site wide spell check. Spelling errors on large websites that have multiple content contributors cannot be easily identified by the website content manager. English web pages constructed by non-native English speakers can be prone to spelling errors. Deadline pressures for editors at frequently updated websites such as news websites can create an environment prone to the introduction of spelling errors. Spelling errors are often not identified during a visual inspection of content due to the brain's ability to automatically compensate for incorrect or missing letters. These are all reasons why a website like this is necessary.

With spellr.us, you can: Create an automatic online spell check for mistakes in US, UK, CA, AU & International English website content (new languages being introduced regularly). Unique spellFOCUS technology identifies genuine errors and ignores false positives. View screenshots of errors on the web page & get notified of newly introduced errors automatically. Automatically identify & spell check new content or spell check only a specific section of your website - e.g. a knowledge base. Flag specific content such as blog comments to be ignored during the spell check process. Use spellr.us - become a hero in your office!

Click this link to check your website with http://spellr.us.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Household Product Expiration Dates

Most of us have never thought about expiration dates on household items. How long can something sit around before it gets too old? Here's a small compilation of beauty and food items with manufacturer suggested expiration dates:

  • Canned or Glass Bottled Soda, regular:
    Unopened: 9 months from "best by" date.
    Opened: It really doesn't go bad, but you may notice a different taste, especially if not stored tightly sealed in a temperature controlled environment.

  • Plastic Bottled or Diet Soda:
    Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date.
    Opened: It really doesn't go bad, but you may notice a different taste, especially if not stored tightly sealed in a temperature controlled environment.

  • Ground Coffee in Can:
    Unopened: 2 years
    Opened: 1 month if tightly sealed and refrigerated.

  • Bottled Juices or Apple Juice:
    Unopened: 8 months from production date.
    Opened: 7 to 10 days.

  • Ketchup or Mustard:
    Unopened: 1 year from production date.
    Opened: 4 to 6 months.

  • Maple or Imitation Syrup:
    Unopened: 1 year
    Opened: 1 year

  • Soy Sauce:
    Unopened: 2 years
    Opened: 3 months

  • Peanut Butter:
    Unopened: 2 years
    Opened: 6 months; if longer than 3 months refrigerate.

  • Canned Tuna:
    Unopened: 1 year from purchase date.
    Opened: 3 to 4 days, If stored in a tightly seald container, not the original can.

  • Mayonnaise:
    Unopened: Indefinitely
    Opened: 2 to 3 months from "purchased by" date.

  • Prepared Salad Dressing/In Bottle:
    Unopened: 12 months after "best buy" date.
    Opened: 9 months if refrigerated.

  • Olive Oil:
    Unopened: 2 years from manufacture date if stored in a temperature controlled environment.
    Opened: 2 years from manufacture date if stored in a temperature controlled environment.

  • Vinegar:
    Unopened: 42 months
    Opened: 42 months

  • Nail Polish:
    Unopened: 1 year from manufacture date.
    Opened: 1 year from manufacture date if tightly resealed each time after use.

  • Nail Polish Remover:
    Unopened: Indefinitely
    Opened: Lasts indefinitely if tightly sealed. Will tend to evaporate with time.

  • Perfume:
    Unopened: 1 to 2 years if stored in a temperature controlled environment.
    Opened: 1 to 2 years if stored in a temperature controlled environment.

  • Lipstick:
    Unopened: 2 years
    Opened: 2 years

  • Mascara:
    Unopened: 2 years
    Opened: 3 to 4 months, unless you have an eye infection, then replace immediately.

  • Oil Based Foundation:
    Unopened: 2 years
    Opened: 2 years

  • Water Based Foundation:
    Unopened: 3 years
    Opened: 3 years

  • Windex and Window Cleaners:
    Unopened: 2 years
    Opened: 2 years

  • Metal Polish:
    Unopened: 3 years
    Opened: 3 years

  • Wood Polish/Pledge:
    Unopened: 2 years
    Opened: 2 years

  • Powdered Laundry Detergent:
    Unopened: About 1 year if stored in a dry location.
    Opened: At least 6 months if stored in a dry location.

  • Liquid Laundry Detergent:
    Unopened: Up to 1 year
    Opened: 6 months

  • Bleach:
    Unopened: about 6 months
    Opened: about 3 months

  • Mattress:
    5 to 7 years
    Or when you find yourself waking up with aches and pains. Try flipping your mattress [some new ones don't require this] if you still feel pain, replace it. If you have a bad back a recent study found that sleeping on a new mattress minimizes pain in just 30 days.

  • Pillows:
    1 to 3 years
    Did you know that One-Tenth of the weight of a two-year-old pillow is dust-mite droppings? healthyhomecarpet.com

  • Sheets:
    5years
    Not because of health, but due to just plain wear and tear. A good rule of thumb, when the pilling or fraying begins, start shopping. You can go the normal Macy's route or try hunting for a bargain at bluefly.com which has notable designers such as Dwell, Frette and others.

  • Air Purifier Filters:
    6 months
    Replace filters every 6 months to avoid recirculating dust and other allergens.

  • Toothbrushes:
    3 months
    According to Oral-B clinical research has shown that a new toothbrush can remove up to 30% more plaque than one that's 3 months old.

With help from experts and product manufacturers, Real Simple has compiled a guide to expiration dates. These dates are offered as a rough guideline. The shelf lives of most products depend upon how you treat them. Edibles, unless otherwise indicated, should be stored in a cool, dry place. (With any food, of course, use common sense.) Household cleaners also do best in a dry place with a stable temperature. After the dates shown, beauty and cleaning products are probably still safe but may be less effective.

Click this link to see the Surprising Expiration Dates from RealSimple.com.

StillTasty, After All That Time

Got a fridge full of food but not sure what's still edible and what you'd regret an hour after eating? Website StillTasty saves money with useful advice on your foods' shelf-life and best storage practices.

The site offers several ways to determine the viability of your leftovers and dusty cabinet items, including a simple search, category browsing, and a forum where you can ask more specific questions. You may have been tossing leftovers left and right in those decadent days of 2007, but these days, every dollar counts, which makes StillTasty a nice little tool.

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

I'd Rather Be Shopping

Why pay full price if you don't have to? With this site, you can now stay on top of coupons for all your favorite online stores. Not only does this site offer great coupons for many online shops, but after checking out the About Us section, you'll find that they offer great customer service as well. If you have any problems using a coupon, you can e-mail them and they^D>'ll be happy to help you out!

On the main page, you'll find featured coupons, coupon categories, coupons of the day and popular coupons. If you look to the right, you'll find the Coupon of the Day, printable coupons and the area where you can sign up for their email list. Along the top of the page, you'll find these navigation tabs:

  • Today's Coupons: Clicking on this tab will bring you back to the main page from any other section.
  • Coupons by All Stores: Under this tab, you'll find a listing of coupons alphabetized by store. That's a great way to browse the stores if you're looking for specific ones.
  • How Coupons Work: This section explains how online coupons work. It's a great section for anyone to check out, especially if you've never used an online coupon before.
  • Shopping Articles: Here you'll find articles either written by or hand picked by the site owner. The articles pertain to online shopping and coupons.

If you're going to be doing any online shopping, it's likely you can find a coupon here to save yourself some money. Check it out!

Click this link to visit http://www.rather-be-shopping.com.

Coupons at FatWallet

Deal-finding website FatWallet.com has always had an excellent forum for saving cash, and while that makes it cool, the site's coupon search helps you avoid digging through forum posts and unreadable graphics to find good deals.

Using it is simple: Just head over to the FatWallet homepage or the coupons search page, enter the name of a store you'd like to save some cash, and see what results you can find. Sites have covered this territory before, but it's great to see a site with as rich of a database of coupons as FatWallet offer this kind of simplified coupon search.

Click this link to visit the coupon search page of FatWallet.com

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Watch Live TV Online

No doubt about it, the internet is the future for television broadcasting; it just seems to be taking awhile for the future to arrive. While many major US networks already allow US residents to watch previously aired content on the web, there is still a lack of live broadcasts and the content is geographically limited. TvChannelsFree.com, with nearly 3,000 categorized channels to choose from, offers only live TV and you can watch it from anywhere in the world. Search by country, most popular, theme, or channel name and start watching the channel of your choice. No registration is required, and the majority of the channels are of good quality and load quickly. The site is screen reader friendly, you may need to install a media player like QuickTime to enjoy all the content.

If you're looking for a way to watch live TV online, check out http://www.TvChannelsFree.com.

Inner-Live: Stream TV and News Channels Online

Here's another cool website for free, live TV streaming over the internet. Here you can stream live TV and news channels without using a satellite or TV tuner card. No need to register, download or install anything. All you need is a broadband internet connection. Go to the site, navigate to the channel of your choice and wait for it to load. By default the channel window is pretty small but if you want there is an option to switch to the full screen mode. The site is very screen friendly with easy-to-follow links.

Inner-Live is pretty comprehensive and lists most of the popular news and entertainment channels, including Discovery, ESPN sports, ABC News, CNN, Sky News, NBA TV, MSNBC etc. You can browse channels by country (about 40 countries), channel type (News, Music, Movies, Sport, Kids, Education / Science, Government, Arts, Lifestyle, Religious and so on), or both. One really handy feature is the integrated chat window, you can see whether anyone else is watching the same channel as you and chat with them.

Click this link to visit http://www.inner-live.com.

Additional Resources

Bee Line TV: http://www.BeelineTV.com
wwiTV.com: http://www.wwiTV.com

Sight-Free Dialing with the iPhone

I received the following email and wanted to share it with you.

Hello,

"I am a Software Engineering graduate from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and I started my own company called KayZee Solutions (http://www.KayZeeSolutions.com). The idea behind my company is to provide software solutions that enhance people's lives."

"I have developed a product for visually impaired people and would like to share it with as many people as possible. The product is called iHear Dialer and it's an application for the increasingly popular touch-screen iPhone by Apple. It allows its users to dial phone numbers without actually looking at the screen. The original idea was developed for visually impaired people since it is nearly impossible for them to use touch screen devices."

"I would like to share my application with as many people as possible and thought that you were a great place to start."

Regards,
Kevin Zych

You can read more about iHear Dialer and see a demo video on his website: http://www.kayzeesolutions.com/products-iHearDialer.html.
You can also view more product details directly on Apple's App Store by following this link.

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Syndication

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated digital content, such as blogs, news feeds or podcasts. Users of RSS content use programs called feed "readers" or "aggregators": the user subscribes to a feed by supplying to his or her reader a link to the feed; the reader can then check the user's subscribed feeds to see if any of those feeds have new content since the last time it checked, and if so, retrieve that content and present it to the user.

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YOU Can Contribute to Fred's Head!

Your input and support in the evolution of Fred's Head are invaluable! Please contact us if you have suggestions for updating an existing article or adding a new article. Email us at fredshead@aph.org.

Disclaimers

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) makes every attempt to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained in the Fred's Head articles; however, APH makes no warranty, guarantee, or promise, expressed or implied, concerning the content or accuracy of the information provided in Fred's Head. APH does not endorse any technique, product, device, service, organization, or other information presented in Fred's Head, other than products and services directly offered by APH.



The products produced by the American Printing House for the Blind are instructional/teaching materials and are intended to be used by trained professionals, parents, and other adults with children who are blind and visually impaired. These materials are not intended as toys for use by children in unstructured play or in an unsupervised environment.



The information and techniques contained in Fred's Head are provided without legal consideration (free-of-charge) and are not warranted by APH to be safe or effective. All users of this service assume the risk of any injury or damage that may result from the use of the information provided.



Information in Fred's Head is not intended as a substitute for professional advice or treatment. Consult your physician before utilizing information regarding your health that may be presented on this site. Consult other professionals as appropriate for legal, financial, and related advice.



Fred's Head articles may contain links to other websites. APH is not responsible for the content of these sites.



Fred's Head articles created by APH staff are (C) copyright American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. You must request permission from APH to reprint these articles. Email fredshead@aph.org to request permission.



Any submissions to Fred's Head should be free of copyright restrictions and should be the intellectual property of the submitter. By submitting information to Fred's Head, you are granting APH permission to publish this information.



Fair Use Notice: This website may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright holder(s). This site is operated on the assumption that using this information constitutes 'fair use' of said copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law.



Opinions appearing in Fred's Head records are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Printing House for the Blind.


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