Quick Tech Support for Windows 7 on Twitter

Microsoft is leaving no stone unturned in the promotion of Windows 7 and @MicrosoftHelps could be considered a part of that process. While Microsoft has already embraced Twitter like the other big firms and has many Twitter handles, @MicrosoftHelps was launched to provide real time support to Windows 7 users. Microsoft describes it as “the official Twitter account for Microsoft Customer Service.”

Initially it is meant for Windows 7 users and later on it will be expanded to Microsoft’s other business units. It’s certainly a nice initiative by Microsoft to let its customers have another medium, which might become the fastest way to get their Windows 7 issues resolved.

Click this link to start following Microsoft Helps on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MicrosoftHelps.

Listen to Live Concert Recordings Online

Wolfgang is an amazing rock website that sells numerous rock music related items (vintage rock posters, tickets, and backstage memorabilia as well as concert t-shirts in vintage and newly printed retro designs), publishes Crawdaddy, a magazine dedicated to rock music, offers a comprehensive schedule of artists now on tour, and lets users listen to rock concerts from the past for free!

Our focus obviously will be this last function of Wolfgang. By registering for a free account, you can enter the Concert Vault and browse over 3000 concert recordings! These recordings are of the greatest artists that music has seen. Over the years, these recordings have been recorded and re-mastered by the people. And now the Concert Vault has them for the public.

The Downloads page lists all recordings and lets the user download them either for free or by paying money (some recordings are free, others aren’t). There’s also a radio section where users can listen to the radio online and listen to amazing songs, Browsing for concerts can be done directly via the homepage of the Concert Vault.

As for searching for a particular artist: the top of Wolfgang’s page has a text entering field. Enter the name of the artist/band whose concert you want to listen to. Before clicking on ‘Search’ do make sure you’ve chosen the Concert Vault option instead of WolfGang.

Downloadable or not, you can always listen to a recording for free by clicking on the ‘Play’ button in the very beginning of each concert listing. Right after a short summary of the concert, the track listing is provided. Good descriptive summaries add to the excitement and help you put yourself in the concert. To listen to a song, simply click on it. A small online media player opens up which has a playlist made of all the songs of the concert you’ve chosen. When it starts, the song you clicked on starts playing. You can now listen to all the songs of that particular concert from within this online player.

If you’re wondering whether this website is offering these recordings for free by cheating the artists out of the money they deserve for their performances, then listen to what Wolfgang has to say: “The Concert Vault is fully licensed by BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC, and we pay these performance rights organizations every time you listen to a concert. The license fees make their way back to the performers that made the music. Download revenues are also shared with performers and publishers as appropriate. One of our top priorities will always be to make sure that the artists are compensated for their performances.”

Click this link to listen to live concert recordings: http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/concerts.

An Information Society and a Knowledge Based Economy

by Donna J. Jodhan

Yes! This is what is facing all of us today. Every man, woman, and child; we are living in an information society and a knowledge based economy. No shocker and no shaker. What exactly am I referring to? We are living in a society that is depending more and more on information in order to make ourselves more marketable to our economy. In short, we are depending more and more on the Internet to help us become more knowledgeable.

So what does all of this mean for a disabled person? How does this affect our lives as persons with disabilities? As I see it, it means that we as persons with disabilities have to work much harder to keep up. We need to become more vocal when it comes to what we need in order to live as normal a life as possible. We need to lobby harder and become better agents and conduits of change. How can we do this? By creating more awareness for ourselves; we need to make society aware of who we are, what we need, and why and we need to do it in a constructive and sustained way. We need to put more pressure on governments to make their websites accessible to all. We need to work with companies to ensure that their websites can easily be accessed by everyone including us. We need to go out there and educate others on why websites need to be made accessible to all. We need to tell everyone that it is not a nice to have when it comes to accessible websites. Rather, it is our right to have.

So often, governments tend to ignore our needs when it comes to making their websites accessible. For some odd reason they fail to consider us as persons who need to gain access to information just like the mainstream person. So we need to pressure them to fix this problem. Many companies often ignore our needs and in like manner we need to do the same. The need for information is only going to increase with time and the need for knowledge in order to function in our economy is only going to become more acute as well. These two situations are probably not going to go away so we might as well get used to it.

We already face very heavy challenges in our lives as disabled persons and an information society and a knowledge based economy are two things that are poised to make our lives even more difficult. A part of the solution is for us to recognize this and once we accept the inevitable, then we can start to work from there.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, an accessibility and special needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day. If you'd like to learn more about me, then you can visit some of my blog spots at:
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all: http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly Saturday postings on issues of accessibility: http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
blogs on various issues and answers to consumers concerns: http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htmYes! This is what is facing all of us today. Every man, woman, and child; we are living in an information society and a knowledge based economy. No shocker and no shaker. What exactly am I referring to? We are living in a society that is depending more and more on information in order to make ourselves more marketable to our economy. In short, we are depending more and more on the Internet to help us become more knowledgeable. So what does all of this mean for a disabled person? How does this affect our lives as persons with disabilities? As I see it, it means that we as persons with disabilities have to work much harder to keep up. We need to become more vocal when it comes to what we need in order to live as normal a life as possible. We need to lobby harder and become better agents and conduits of change. How can we do this? By creating more awareness for ourselves; we need to make society aware of who we are, what we need, and why and we need to do it in a constructive and sustained way. We need to put more pressure on governments to make their websites accessible to all. We need to work with companies to ensure that their websites can easily be accessed by everyone including us. We need to go out there and educate others on why websites need to be made accessible to all. We need to tell everyone that it is not a nice to have when it comes to accessible websites. Rather, it is our right to have. So often, governments tend to ignore our needs when it comes to making their websites accessible. For some odd reason they fail to consider us as persons who need to gain access to information just like the mainstream person. So we need to pressure them to fix this problem. Many companies often ignore our needs and in like manner we need to do the same. The need for information is only going to increase with time and the need for knowledge in order to function in our economy is only going to become more acute as well. These two situations are probably not going to go away so we might as well get used to it. We already face very heavy challenges in our lives as disabled persons and an information society and a knowledge based economy are two things that are poised to make our lives even more difficult. A part of the solution is for us to recognize this and once we accept the inevitable, then we can start to work from there.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, an accessibility and special needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day. If you'd like to learn more about me, then you can visit some of my blog spots at:
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all: http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly Saturday postings on issues of accessibility: http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
blogs on various issues and answers to consumers concerns: http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm

Site Where the Music Matches Your Mood

When we feel down and out, there's nothing like a sad song to help us drown in our tears. Some people give uplifting numbers a try in order to escape a bad moment they feel they couldn't get out of otherwise. Whatever your situation, I have a site for every mood, even the romantic one.

Stereomood.com is a sort of web-based emotional radio that will let you set your emotions to music. It's as simple as it sounds. All you do is choose a mood and away you go. If you feel broken-hearted, you can simply blast “One” by U2, if you feel unstoppable, you can play The Proclaimers “I’m On My Way”, all lovey-dovey, try “Unchained Melody”.

Music is such a part of our lives, there's no escaping its effect. This site gives us the chance to discover some new favorites based on what we're feeling at the time we visit.

Click this link and let your emotions guide you to new music at http://www.Stereomood.com.

Storing Cheese

Who doesn't like cheese? The biggest challenge can be finding a way to keep it from molding in the fridge. Cleanliness is the start.

Before handling cheese, be sure to wash your hands. If you buy cheese that is wrapped in cheese paper, keep the paper and wrap the leftover pieces in it until you are ready to use it. If you don't have cheese paper you can wrap softer cheeses, like mozzerella or cream cheese in wax paper. Harder cheeses like cheddar or parmesian, you can wrap in aluminum foil.

Clear a small space in your crisper drawer and place the cheese there. Cheese likes it when it is cold and humid. If it is too dry, the cheese will dry out and crack. Now, I'm off to grab a grilled cheese sandwich!

Fingernail Polish Keeps Your Keys Easily Identifiable

It seems the older we get, the more keys our life seems to require. If your key ring is starting to resemble that of a janitor, try this quick tip to keep them organized and easy to find with fingernail polish.

Instead of using plastic covers to color code your keys, which are costly, can slip around and add bulk to your key ring, why not use fingernail polish instead. A few coats later, you'll have lovely, lacquered keys that are quickly identifiable on the go.

This isn't a completely unheard of use for fingernail polish (a dab of fingernail polish on just about anything can help set similar-looking things apart), but it's a nice way to quickly tell similar looking keys apart without labeling them "front door" and making the lives of thieves easier.

Classic Cinema Online

Whether you're in the mood for some classic animation or some old-school spooky films to get you into the spirit of things, Classic Cinema Online has hundreds of films in dozens of categories. The movies are not audio described but are certainly worth a listen for their archaic dialogue and small budgets.

Classic Cinema Online has gathered together hundreds of films in categories ranging from Action to Westerns and even old cinema shorts and news reels. They routinely feature selections of movies based on the time of year, holidays, and other notable events. Even if you can't sit down and watch a film from yesteryear, browsing the awesome movie posters is worth the price, free admission.

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

Watch Full Length Horror Movies Online

Are you a fan of watching horror movies? If you are, then you should check out Free-Horror-Movies. This website streams various horror flicks using a DivX web player or a flash plugin. Their selection has reached more than 450 movies including the latest releases for 2009 such as Zombieland, Jennifer’s Body, and Paranormal Activity. Classic horror hits like the 1931 Dracula, the original Friday the 13th, and Dawn of the Dead are also available. You can search for a particular movie, browse collection by various categories (aliens, cannibals, classics, cults, monsters, vampires, serial killers, demons, ghosts, and many more) and alphabetically list movies too.

Click this link to be scared at http://www.free-horror-movies.com.

The Mercury Theatre on the Air

Now, if you want more classics, check out The Mercury Theatre.

The finest radio drama of the 1930’s was The Mercury Theatre on the Air, a show featuring the acclaimed New York drama company founded by Orson Welles and John Houseman. In its brief run, it featured an impressive array of talents, including Agnes Moorehead, Bernard Herrmann, and George Coulouris. The show is famous for its notorious War of the Worlds broadcast, but the other shows in the series are relatively unknown. This site has many of the surviving shows, and will eventually have all of them.

The show first broadcast on CBS and CBC in July 1938. It ran without a sponsor until December of that year, when it was picked up by Campbell’s Soup and renamed The Campbell Playhouse. All of the surviving Mercury Theatre shows are available from this page in RealAudio format (some are also in MP3 format). There are several Campbell Playhouse episodes available here as well, in both RealAudio and MP3 formats; the rest are being added gradually.

Click this link to visit The Mercury Theatre on the Air: http://www.mercurytheatre.info.

Shop Goodwill Online

Shop Goodwill is an online marketplace that auctions off Goodwill-donated items eBay-style. I've always enjoyed shopping at flea markets and thrift stores but find it difficult to get help and reading tags, especially on clothes. You can find lots of bargains if you have the time and are willing to rummage through tons of stuff to find them. It looks like Goodwill has some of their prized goods online and I've got to check this site out more often.

Goodwill Industries has listed items for sale from all across the nation in an online auction format at ShopGoodwill.com. Just like the brick-and-mortar counterparts, all proceeds from each item purchased go towards established community involvement programs such as education, training, and job placement.

If you feel like you've seen a lack of "cool" items in your local Goodwill recently, this might help explain it. The site lists everything from electronics to clothing, and lighting to collectibles, most of which is less vintage than you think. Sure you won't have the thrill of wading through aisles of polyester pants, or experiencing that dusty basement smell, but online bidding does save you time and money when it comes to finding what you want.

Click this link to start shopping at http://www.shopgoodwill.com.

Still Tasty: Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide

For thousands of your favorite foods, this site answers the question, "Keep it or toss it?" Search for specific items or browse by category to find its shelf life, how to store it, and what warning signs suggest it should not be consumed. The Shelf Talk section includes useful guides to expiration dates, safe defrosting, and keeping fruits luscious.

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

Math A Tube

This site offers a ton of links to math videos with supplementary support problems. There are many topics, and most include subtopics: everything from rounding to exponents to decimals to pre-algebra! It is a very cool place to find homework help or an alternative teaching approach for various math concepts from things as simple as adding whole numbers to more advanced topics such as geometry. The site is divided by clickable math topics. The site does have some advertisements, but they are fairly easy to overlook. *Be sure to test out this site ahead of time and make sure your school will allow access to the specific videos you wish to use. The videos themselves may be “hosted” on YouTube or other “blocked” sites.

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

Freeze Up Talking Category Game

If you're familiar with the word game Scattergories, the premise is similar. The game will give you a category and a letter and you must come up with an answer that fits. The game is timed and is intended for two to eight players. It talks and is completely usable by the blind.

Let's play Freeze Up. - the keep-your-cool countdown category game. Quick. Name an animal that starts with C. How about a fruit that starts with B or a flower that starts with T? Sounds easy, right? No clue? Losing time? Press the button to change the category or the letter. Think fast, but think smart, other players may challenge your answer. With the clock ticking, players must keep their cool and answer before their time's up and they're frozen out. The last player left in this fast-paced electronic category game is the Freeze Up champion. Features two challenging ways to play - nail-biting AUTO mode and self-paced MANUAL mode - 170+ think-quick categories, built-in timer and scorekeeper, crystal-clear speech, and fun sound effects. Fun for the entire family. Requires 3 AA batteries (not included).

Click this link to purchase the Freeze Up electronic game from Amazon.com.

Cassette to MP3

I don't know about you, but I have hundreds of old cassette tapes. I used to love those things! They were so portible and sounded so good! I recorded tons of songs, family events and just plain goofy stuff to cassette. Now I want to keep those memories alive and convert my old tapes to MP3 files.

The Ion Tape Express is a simple and straight-forward device that will do all the work for me. Put the cassette in, connect the device to your PC via the USB interface, and press "play". Voilà. The tunes are instantly converted to MP3 and can be taken into your iTunes library, your iPod or MP3 Player, burned onto CD, and virtually any other digital platform. Now, if you like to relive those days of old, just listen to the music off the device which, by the way, also functions as an ordinary walkman. You can power the device through USB, or with standard AA batteries. The Ion Tape Express is good to go with Mac, Windows XP, Vista and 7 operating systems.

Click this link to purchase the Ion Tape Express from the I Want One Of Those website.

Never Too Early for Your Baby to Hear Music

Or maybe a good audio book? It's been proven that babies do hear and respond to noises in the womb and do enjoy an nice tune every now and then. For those parents that want to provide their child with some soothing tunes while still in the womb, the Lullabelly iPod speaker belt is just for you.

The Prenatal Music Belt wraps comfortably around pregnant bellies and has a front pocket to store your mp3 player or other accessories. Simply plug your player into the Lullabelly into the built in speaker and let the concert begin. You can play soothing sounds or read your unborn child a story via an audio book. There's also a dual adapter included in the deluxe edition so mommy and baby can both listen as well as a speaker volume control so you can protect baby's sensitive ears.According to the site, the highest decibel Lullabelly can reach is the equivalent of a telephone ringing.

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

Music Literacy: Its Role in the Education of the Blind

This book is a fascinating historical journey tracing the emergence of various musical notation systems for the blind in Europe and the United States. It includes twenty-eight illustrations, a great addition to your library!

From the author:

"This book is a revision of my Master’s thesis of the same name. During three years of research, information was obtained from sources in Great Britain, France, and the U.S. Music education in institutional and public school settings is discussed. Illustrations show a variety of means by which literary and music materials were presented to the blind in the 19th century and the early 20th century, as well as writing instruments used to produce the symbols. The role of the American Printing House for the Blind in producing books and music is discussed. Factors influencing the delay in acceptance of the Braille codes in the U.S. are considered. An interview with Dr. Abraham Nemeth, the creator of the Nemeth Braille Mathematics Code who is also a pianist, was conducted to discuss the role of braille music in his education in the New York City public schools. The results of three surveys involving braille music are detailed. The surveys concern learning braille music, teaching braille music in institutions, and teaching braille music in the public schools. Music education of the blind in the public school system is discussed, and the influence of technology is considered."

Sylvia Clark is certified in both Literary and Music Braille by the Library of Congress. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a BA in Music History, and from the University of Texas-Pan American with a Master of Music, Thesis. MUSIC LITERACY: ITS ROLE IN THE EDUCATION OF THE BLIND is the text of her Master’s thesis, which includes twenty-eight illustrations. She has published articles in The American Harp Journal and The International Journal of Music Education.

Sold exclusively by the author, Sylvia Clark. To order, please write to musicliteracy@aol.com. Now listed with other educational books on the Products page of the braille music site http://www.opustec.com and on the Publications page of the braille music site http://www.papermusic.org.

Entombed Audio Adventure for the Blind

Entombed is an audio adventure where you battle to escape a deep and brutal dungeon. Having been thrown into the infamous pit, your only option is to trek deeper and deeper within hoping to find a passage that returns you to the surface. Along the way, you'll face menacing goblins, ogres, living statues and countless other fantasy creatures. Choose from several unqiue professions including fighters, mages, rangers, fortune tellers and more. Uncover secret rooms, magical equipment, and hidden features.

Click this link to download Entombed from blind-games.com.

Create a System Repair Disc in Windows 7

A handy feature of Windows 7 is the ability to create a bootable System Repair Disc that you can use when Windows will not start correctly. The disk includes the ability to load the Windows Recovery Environment, some recovery tools and the command prompt.

If Windows 7 will not start correctly, you can use the original operating system CD/DVD to start the Windows Recovery Environment. However, if you do not have the CD/DVD, you can create your own recovery disk.

To create a System Repair Disc in Windows 7:

1. Click Start, All Programs, Maintenance, and Create a System Repair Disc.
   
2. Insert a CD/DVD into your drive and click Create Disc.

,

Windows 7 will create a System Repair Disc.

Simon Trickster Hand Held Electronic Game

I love finding new electronic games that we can actually play. Some companies understand that flashing lights alone don't make a good game. People want sound and spoken feedback. This game has them all!

Can you keep up as you follow the colors bouncing from lens to lens? Now repeat the pattern! This handheld version of the legendary electronic memory game features two classic SIMON games, a TRICKSTER game and one completely new challenge! Keep the excitement going as long as you can with musical tones and fun verbal feedback! Its scaled-down size makes it perfect for travel and fun on the go. Game is accessible due to the different sounds used for various commands.

Click this link to purchase the Simon Trickster Hand Held game from Amazon.com.

Products Sold with Inaccessible Manuals

by Donna J. Jodhan

This is probably one of the most frustrating things for me; products that cater to the needs of blind and visually impaired persons being sold with manuals in inaccessible formats. Just a darn shame that manufacturers and vendors continue to sell us products without manuals in accessible formats.

There are some companies that have made the effort or gone the extra mile to provide accessible manuals but you know what? It should not be viewed as a nice to have; it is only logical and courteous that when a product is sold to us that manuals in readable formats be provided. How would it be if a product were to be sold to a mainstream person and that the manual were to be provided in Braille? Or not at all? I don't think that the mainstream person would put up with this. So why should we?

Over the years, I have bought timers, calculators, and other products that have not been accompanied by manuals in readable formats and my humble opinion is that there are sellers out there that are more interested in making a buck at our expense rather than ensuring that the products they sell contain manuals in readable formats. This to me should not be allowed to continue and the only way to put an end to it is for us to do something about it. As long as there is a printed manual, then there should also be an accompanying manual in an alternate format if the product in question is advertised as one that can be used by blind and visually impaired persons.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, an accessibility and special needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day. If you'd like to learn more about me, then you can visit some of my blog spots at:
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all: http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly Saturday postings on issues of accessibility: http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
blogs on various issues and answers to consumers concerns: http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm

USB Microphone Brings Back the Golden Days of Radio

I’m just a blogger, who occasionally uses his cell phone to post some audio with TwitWoop.com, so, I have no idea if this is anything useful but it looks like the perfect mic for all the podcasters out there

Evoking the microphones used by broadcasters in radio’s golden age, this is the spherical USB condenser microphone that transforms your home office into a recording studio. It captures clean digital sound, comparable to microphones used in professional studios, making it ideal for podcasts, voice or musical instrument recording, video conferencing, or voice-over-IP telephony.

It has two selectable polar patterns: cardioid, allowing it to pick up sounds directly in front at full volume (and sounds behind it at diminished volume) or omnidirectional, allowing it to pick up sounds at equal volume at 360º. A pivot mount on the bottom of the microphone allows you to position it 45 degrees forward or backward and a removable shock ring mount isolates the microphone from structural noise that can muddy sound. The aluminum tripod stand extends to 6 3/4" at full height. For Windows or Mac.

Click this link to purchase the Home Studio USB Spherical Microphone from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Ladies, Are You Wearing the Right Bra Size?

Going out of my comfort zone to answer this question that is very important to the ladies out there I would suspect. You'll want someone whom your comfortable with and who can read a measuring tape for this one.

Let's start with the obvious, I can figure this part out myself, thank you very much. If your bras leave red marks or are just plain uncomfortable, chances are you’re wearing the wrong size. Who says Fred's Head isn't full of useful tips?

Sandi Simon of the Bra Smyth stores, in New York and New Jersey, says that if you don’t have access to a specialty fitting store, then an at-home measurement can give you a good idea of whether your current bra is sized correctly.

There are two measurements you need to determine: band size and cup size. To find them, grab a tape measure and put on your best-fitting unpadded bra.

• Band size: With the tape measure, measure around the top of your rib cage, directly under your bust. Be sure to keep the tape evenly horizontal to get the most accurate number possible. When you have the measurement, round it off to the nearest whole number. If the number is even, add 4 inches; if it’s odd, add 5 inches. Your band size is the sum of this calculation. (So if you measured 32 inches, your band size is 36. If you measured 33 inches, your band size is 38.)
  
• Cup size: Place the tape measure around the fullest part of your bust, again making sure that it stays as even as possible around your body. You also want the tape to be snug without digging into your skin. Round that measurement to the nearest even number and calculate the difference in inches between this number and your band size. A difference of 1 inch equals an A cup; 2 inches equals a B cup; 3 inches equals a C cup; and 4 inches equals a D cup. So if you measured a 36 band in the first step and you measured a 38 here, your cup size is B.

Butter Your Food with Butter Boy

There is always someone who likes to roll his or her piece of corn in a whole stick of butter thereby ruining the stick for any other purpose. Use the Butter Boy for an easier way to butter your corn.

Bring Butter Boy to barbecues and picnics! Simply insert the butter into Butter Boy, remove the cap and you're ready to butter up the corn! Simply press the butter down to deliver more butter. It's that easy to use. Glides easily on warm corn.

• 4" Tall
  
• Plastic Construction
  
• Dishwasher Safe

Click this link to purchase Butter Boy at Wrapables Kitchen.

The Dishwasher Does More Than Dishes

Who knew that the dishwasher could clean so many things, other than dishes? Let's take a look at some items that are safe to put in and some that we think are all right but should never be put in a diswasher.

• Baseball caps can get bent in the washing machine but hold their shape in the dishwasher, especially inside a contraption like the Ball Cap Washer from Amazon.com. Don’t wash them with dishes; food can get trapped in the cloth.
  
• Action figures and other small toys can ride in a mesh lingerie bag on the top rack. Don’t wash Barbie or she’ll have a horrible hair day.
  
• Rain boots should have the liners removed and lie horizontally. Hook flip-flops on tines in the top rack.
  
• Ceramic cabinet knobs do well in the silverware basket, so if you feel like embarking on the process (remove, wash, replace), go for it.
  
• Hairbrushes and combs made of plastic can take a spin, but not wood or natural boar-bristle brushes.
  
• Fan grilles, switch plates, and vent covers are in if they’re plastic, aluminum, or steel. Enameled, painted, or plated should stay out.
  
• Shin guards, knee pads, and mouth guards, toss them all into the top rack.
  
• Light-fixture covers are fine in the top rack, as long as they’re not antique, enameled, or painted.
  
• Tools with metal or plastic handles will be fine. Garden tools may have come in contact with pesticides or animals, so don’t mix them with a load of dishes. Don’t wash those with wood handles.
  
• Potatoes can get nice and clean in the top rack with a rinse-only cycle (no detergent). Sound crazy? It makes mashed potatoes for 20 a lot quicker.

Now, let's look at some of the things that should never end up in a dishwasher.

• Cast-iron, enameled-cast-iron, and copper pots and pans are on the never list. Why? Cast iron rusts; enameled cast iron chips; and copper dents.
  
• Formal dishes and nice flatware can get worn with repeated washings. Rule of thumb: If it’s something you would cry over harming or losing, don’t put it in the washer. If you do put sterling silver in the dishwasher, use about a tablespoon of detergent and don’t mix it with stainless-steel flatware; a chemical reaction between the metals can discolor the silver.
  
• Wooden spoons can warp and crack. If you don’t mind replacing them frequently, throw them in; otherwise wash them in the sink.
  
• Good kitchen knives and steak knives aren’t cheap. Why risk dulling their blades?
  
• Crystal glasses are especially vulnerable. Food particles can etch them; heat can cause cracks. After hand washing (it’s usually safer than using the china/crystal setting), dry with a cloth that hasn’t been laundered with fabric softener, which can leave a film.
  
• Insulated mugs and containers feature vacuum seals, which can be destroyed if water seeps in.
  
• Brass items should never see the inside of a dishwasher. Hot water can remove the natural protective layer that forms on brass.
  
• Brass items should never see the inside of a dishwasher. Hot water can remove the natural protective layer that forms on brass.

GetSmart About Loans and Other Financial Information

GetSmart is a website that offers information on home loans, as well as other financial information that is written in an easy to understand format. The site is very easy to navigate with colored tabs for those of us with low vision.

GetSmart offers a quick "two minute" form that people can fill out that will instantly connect them with five lenders competing for their business. There are over 200 lenders that are connected with the GetSmart website, so this should increase the chance of getting good refinance rates! There are also helpful mortgage calculators and refinance calculators on the site. Some of the other useful features include the loan resources, FAQ, and testimonials. (These are the colored tab sections on the main page.) For those of you with student loans there is even a student loan section.

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

Talking Brix

Here's another item that I believe could be helpful to the blind. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how they could be used in a classroom or around the home. Use the comment section to reply.

Easy as 1-2-3, still affordable at 4-5-6! Simple communication has never been more affordable with AbleNet’s Talking Brix! Use one Brix for personal reminders, or attach as many as you like, creating simple, scalable communication grids.

Talking Brix are thin, light communicators with built-in magnets, perfect for carrying in a pocket, or placing around the room! For table-top users, Talking Brix use an ingenious tab and slot connector to link to other Brix. Create multi-message communicators in any arrangement you like. At a cost-conscious price, one, two, three or more messages are within your budget!

Each pack of 3 Talking Brix includes 1 each in Red, Blue, and Green. Shipping early 2010. Dimensions: 2.56” x 2.56” x 0.6” (L x W x H), Activation Area: 1.8”. Talking Brix feature:

• Connectable devices for customizable layouts
  
• Easy single-message recording on each Brix
  
• 10 seconds of recording time
  
• Power on/off switch
  
• Rechargeable battery (built-in)
  
• 1.8” Activation area
  
• Free Snap Switch Cap included

Click this link to purchase a three pack of Talking Brix communicators.

Record on Metal Objects

The wire recorder was invented by Danish engineer Valdemar Poulsen in 1898, it was the precursor to the cassette tape and video tape. It started showing up around the 1930’s in dictaphones and other lo-fi office equipment.

This DIY wire recorder kit lets you transform the sound of your voice (or anything else for that matter) into magnetic charges, and then play the sound back by swiping your hand. Here’s the cool thing, once you put this kit (from Gakken) together, you set the recording head on top of any metal surface that will hold a magnetic charge, drag the unit across the surface and speak into the microphone.

You can record on anything from a metal tabletop to a kitchen knife to the side of your 10 speed bike to store your ultra- secret messages. Once you have the recording in place, you just flip the playback switch and you’ll hear your lo-fi voice played back as you move the magnetic head along the surface. How cool is that!

There are a few issues with this kit. The first is that the instructions are only in Japanese and second, the only alternative to this are pictures of how to put the thing together. It would make a cool project to do with a sighted friend, child or as a group in a classroom.

Click this link to purchase the Poulsen's Wire Recorder Kit.

Our Friends On Wheels

I have several friends who use wheelchairs and wanted to share the following tips with you.

• Use the same manners you would with anyone else. Rude is rude.
  
• Ask before you help. Sometimes independence is more important than ease or speed.
  
• Please don’t lean or hang on the wheelchair without permission. How would you like it if someone hung on you?
  
• Speak to the person in the wheelchair, not to the person with him or her.
  
• Don't tower over someone. You may want to sit or kneel.
  
• Shake hands, give a squeeze on the shoulder, but never a pat on the head.
  
• A person who uses a wheelchair is a wheelchair user, not “confined to a wheelchair” or a “victim of a wheelchair”.
  
• Always ask before moving someone’s wheelchair, Whether or not he or she is in it.
  
• Be aware of the person's capabilities. Some users can walk with aid and use wheelchairs to save energy and move quickly.
  
• It is ok to use terms like "gotta run" and “went for a walk” when speaking to a person who uses a wheelchair. The wheelchair user probably uses the same words.
  
• It is okay to ask polite questions, much more okay than staring.
  
• A wheelchair gives mobility and freedom, it is not, in and of it self, sad or a tragedy.

Social Security Accessibility

The Social Security Administration must give the nation's 3 million blind or visually impaired recipients the option of receiving benefit notices in braille or by audio computer disc, a federal judge in San Francisco said on October 20, 2009.

Ruling in a nationwide class-action suit, U.S. District Judge William Alsup said that by sending notices only by mail and phone calls, the agency is violating a law that guarantees the disabled equal access to its programs. He ordered the government to make the additional choices available by April 15, 2010.

The case involves some of the 100 million notices the Social Security Administration sends each year to its 61 million beneficiaries, advising them of scheduled appointments, program changes, tax filings and possible benefit cuts.

About 250,000 Americans receive benefits because of blindness, and another 2.7 million blind or sight-impaired people get Social Security for other reasons. Under rules authorized by Congress in 1988 and 1990, they can choose to be notified of agency actions by mail, with a follow-up phone call, or by certified mail with a return receipt. Those who make no choice are contacted by mail without a phone call. Alsup said the current system may have been effective 20 years ago, but no longer provides the "meaningful access" the law requires, in light of advanced technology.

Alsup said the Social Security Administration refused to acknowledge that it was even covered by the anti-discrimination law until after the suit was filed in 2005, and "has been quick to find lame excuses for noncompliance."

The agency must inform all blind and visually impaired recipients by Dec. 31, 2009 that they will have the choice of getting notices in braille or by Microsoft Word CD in mid-April 2010, Alsup said. He said those who want another option, such as notification by e-mail, must be allowed to request it and show why they need it.

Article Source:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/20/MNQ21A8D2F.DTL&tsp=1

Blind Adrenaline, Do You Have Enough for These Games?

BlindBargains.com points us to another great gaming site for the blind.

Blind Adrenaline has added another great game, online Blackjack. Both standard and tournament mode games are available with the ability to create your own private and public tables. In addition to Blackjack, they offer Texas Holdem, Draw Poker, and Hearts.

The Blind Adrenaline Card Room offers multiplayer versions of these games, compatible with major screen readers or Windows text-to-speech. A free 14-day trial is available.

Click this link to visit http://www.blindadrenaline.com/cardRoom.

Dirpy Converts YouTube Video to Audio

Dirpy is a site that allows users to upload YouTube videos and extract the audio. This is ideal when all you need is that hard to find song/blurb/quote that can only be found on YouTube. I'm not sure what kind of permission rights come into play, but anything "common craft" should be just fine.

What makes Dirpy so good is how easy it is to use. Just upload a YouTube video (via a URL), adjust your settings and file size, and click download to Mp3. How cool is that! As of this article, Dirpy was operating in Beta, so aspects of the site may be down for brief periods of time for updates and maintenance.

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

Free Tutorials at Learnthat.com

Learnthat.com LLC was founded in 1999 to offer free web based training to users of all levels. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Learnthat.com also designs online courses and offers consulting on computer and professional education.

Learnthat.com offers a wide range of courses, from computer to business to just plain fun topics. They offer private course solutions with no advertising for companies who want a secure learning environment with the courses they choose to offer their employees.

The tutorials are very detailed and available in standard HTML, making them accessible to everyone. You can print, email, or share the tutorials w/ other people. The site is easy to navigate and a great place to learn.

Click this link to visit http://learnthat.com.

How to Clean Stainless Steel Appliances

Gleaming stainless steel appliances look lovely in the kitchen, but the downside is the ever-present fingerprint marks and smudges (especially around refrigerator and oven door handles). There’s no getting around the extra effort it takes to keep these appliances shining, but here’s how you can get rid of those pesky smudges easily.

First, do a quick wipe of the appliance (focusing on the hot spots like doors and handles) with a gentle liquid dish detergent & water mix, dry with a clean towel. After washing you’ll likely see the smudges and marks still hanging in there. You can buff out each smudge with a lint-free towel and some pressure, but try one of these items instead to bring back the shine and quickly remove fingerprints and smudges:

• Olive Oil (just a dab will do)
  
• Mineral Oil (Baby Oil), Just a dab will do
  
• Club Soda (especially good for removing streaks and heat stains)
  
• Rubbing Alcohol
  
• Vinegar (great for polishing too)

Directions For Use:

Apply directly to a lint-free cloth and wipe down surface, follow up with a clean dry cloth to bring appliance to a mark-free shine (microfiber cloths are nice to use for this but a clean towel works fine too). Avoid using cleaners or cleaning tools that are abrasive since they can mar the surface (even some soft-scrubbing creams can cause damage).

When cleaning the surface, wipe down the appliances along the grain of the stainless steel for best results. Don’t clean stainless steel with bleach (diluted or otherwise), this can damage the finish.

Don’t forget to open the refrigerator or oven door, you’ll likely see a mess of smudges along the edge of the door.

How to Clean Household Sponges

Did you know your household sponges should be cleaned at least every other day? They are nice for scrubbing and wiping up, but make sure to wash frequently to help prevent spreading grubbies around your home.

Methods for cleaning household sponges depend on what they’re used for and what chemicals they’re already holding.

Sponges Used For Kitchen Counters & Dishes:

• Toss the sponges in the dishwasher when you do a load of dishes. The dishwasher detergent and the heat should sterilize the sponge.
  
• You could also wash the sponges in hot soapy water with a good splash of vinegar, rinse well, then when still wet microwave for a couple of minutes. Bleach and water could be used as well rather than soap and vinegar.

Sponges Used For Wiping Up Toilets, Bathrooms, Showers & Floors:

• Soak in a bleach solution, then toss in your washing machine. If you’re going to wash them with other items, don’t mix with clothing, dish cloths or towels, wash only with other household cleaning rags.

Sponges Containing Ammonia:

• Don’t wash with bleach. Clean and rinse in hot soapy water, then wash in the washing machine.

More Cleaning Methods:

• Soak sponges in bleach and hot water (as long as the sponges haven’t been in contact with ammonia). Use one ounce of bleach per gallon of water.
  
• Soak sponges in vinegar and hot water. Bring water and vinegar to a boil, then add sponges. Boil for a few minutes, cover pot and remove from heat. Let sit for an hour.

Why I Learned to Ice Skate

by Donna J. Jodhan

Growing up in Canada often means that ice skating is par for the course but for blind and visually impaired kids? Many of you may think that it is not possible but I am here to tell you that it most definitely is.

Now, please do not go limp on me here! You're probably trying to figure out in your minds how or why would someone want to skate on ice if they are unable to see where they are going? Why would they want to put themselves through share torture? How on earth would they be able to retain their footing and keep from falling? These are all very logical and legitimate questions and I'll be very honest with you. I took the step to learn to ice skate in order to improve my confidence. Skating without much vision can be very daunting and scary and it was for me when I first started but I was determined to overcome my fears.

When I first learned to ice skate, I had some vision so it was not too bad for me and it has helped me tremendously to continue on now that I have lost most of my vision. I managed to complete four of six levels and learned to do such things as: Glide on one foot, skate backwards, skull, do cross cuts and hockey stops, and more. I still skate regularly but without much vision I have to use different techniques in order to stay on my blades.

Ice skating gives me the feeling of power, self-control, and togetherness. Up until five years ago, I used to skate on my own with limited guidance but now I skate by holding on to a friend’s arm. Ice skating brings me freedom! The feeling of pure bliss and exhilaration! I can be myself when I step on to the ice. I can fly high by feeling the wind in my face and smelling the fresh air and as Whitney Huston says in one of her songs: “Give me one moment in time. When I’m more than I thought I could be! When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away and the answer is all up to me.”

When I am on the ice, I am on the top of the world and sight or the lack of really does not matter to me. I know that when others see me ice skating they stop and stare but I do not really care. My friends often tell me that occasionally skaters bump into each other while staring at me. Let them! I am blind but I can skate and have fun just like them.

I even played ice hockey! No, not within the mainstream environment, but with a team of blind and sighted players. This hockey team has been in existence since the 1970s and has traveled to such places as Russia and Finland to play other teams of blind players. Click this link if you would like to learn more about this team: http://www.iceowls.ca.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, an accessibility and special needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day. If you'd like to learn more about me, then you can visit some of my blog spots at:
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all: http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly Saturday postings on issues of accessibility: http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
blogs on various issues and answers to consumers concerns: http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm

Are Agencies Really Acting in Our Best Interest?

by Donna J. Jodhan

This question has lingered in my mind for many years now and it is a very troubling one. I know that there are many persons with disabilities who continue to ask the same question and I am afraid that the reader may not like the answer. That is, if you are a person with a disability, you would most likely agree with me but for the mainstream reader, you may be either surprised or dare to call me a pessimist or even a grouch or maybe something stronger.

It does not matter which country we look at here, the answer would still be the same. As a generality, most persons with disabilities truly believe that agencies that are supposed to be working on behalf of their best interests, often really do not. Many have told me that they do not believe that agencies have the right to speak on their behalf and I do agree. However, what bothers me greatly are those agencies that deliberately turn away from providing appropriate and useful services for us. In my case, I am referring to agencies that go out there and make the appearance of advocating for blind and visually impaired persons.

As someone who has traveled to several countries, I have had the opportunity to see first hand how agencies interact with their clients and it seems to be a common theme that exists here in Canada and extends to the United States and beyond. To put it mildly, agencies really do not have much respect for their clients. They generally treat them like second class citizens; they do everything in their power to make clients dependent on them, and they do not seem able to generate employment opportunities for their clients, both internally and externally.

There are a few heated opinions that I, as both an accessibility consultant and a visually impaired person would like to bring to your attention on this day. I will note here that these opinions are not just mine but those of several friends and clients who have taken the time to share with me.

First, many agencies are being run by staff that are really not too savvy when it comes to understanding how they should be interacting with the real world. Their ideas and strategies are ancient and out of date and it is probably why so many fail in their attempts to be successful.

Second, many agencies seem unwilling to hire the appropriate staff to provide the necessary services. In addition, they seem very unwilling to hire persons with disabilities and I am not very sure why. They seem to prefer hiring under qualified persons to be a part of their team.

Third, too many of these agencies seem to feel that portraying an image of asking for handouts from both governments and the public at large is a better route to go rather than trying to be as independent as possible.

Fourth, too many of these agencies continue to be bogged down in red tape and because of this they are unable to take advantage of opportunities that could help them to be better positioned in a real world.

Fifth, When it comes to interacting with the outside world, many of these agencies seem to be at a loss. They often do not treat their volunteers with much respect, and they fail to realize that timely and courteous responses are what count.

So many times I have seen agencies in Canada fall into these traps and through personal experiences with some agencies in Britain and America, I have seen the same. They really do not understand how to interact with the rest of the world. They are caught up in red tape and internal politics and this prevents them from being able to blend in. Several clients have told me that some of these agencies even go as far as using their clients to gain funding from governments and others. That is, using creative paperwork to make others believe that they are providing certain services when in actuality they are not. So, what is the consensus here? Do agencies on the whole really act in our best interest?

I put this question to our esteemed panel of wise ones and the overwhelming consensus was as follows: It does not really matter which country we look at, it is the same. Most agencies that go out there and advocate for the needs of their clients do a very poor job. They fall short on being able to interact effectively with their clients, their staff, and the rest of the world. Their attitude of constantly seeking handouts from governments and the public often gets in the way of their image. Their executive bodies do not seem to have a clue as to how to design and develop plans that would make them more of a business-run entity rather than as an agency depending on the charity of others.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, an accessibility and special needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day. If you'd like to learn more about me, then you can visit some of my blog spots at:
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all: http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly Saturday postings on issues of accessibility: http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
blogs on various issues and answers to consumers concerns: http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm

PC To TV Video Converter

People with low vision often like to use the computer with the largest monitor possible. This is especially true when not using a screen magnification program. Why not use a TV as the computer's monitor? Can you imagine your desktop on a forty-some inch screen?

With this little converter, you can use a TV as a PC monitor to view presentations, games, pictures and movies or browse the Web.

• Video standards include: NTSC, NTSC-EIAJ, PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N.
  
• Resolutions supported: 640 x 480 (up to 85 Hz), 800 x 600 (up to 85 Hz) and 1024 x 768 (up to 75 Hz).
  
• Input ports include: HD15 (VGA).
  
• Output ports: Composite video (RCA), S-video and HD15 (VGA).
  
• Front panel controls: Zoom, Menu and onscreen display directional controls.
  
• Image controls: Horizontal and vertical size, brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, sharpness and onscreen display background.

Click this link to purchase the PC To TV Video Converter from Amazon.com.

Accessible Interface to YouTube

From the site:

"This website is designed to provide an accessible version of the popular video-sharing website YouTube. In addition to traditional accessible design practices such as semantic, well-structured markup, high-contrast colour schemes and standards compliance, newly-available technologies such as WAI-ARIA have been implemented to allow users of assistive technologies to benefit from rich functionality such as dynamic page updates.

Unlike the regular YouTube site, videos here don't auto-play. You can start them by hitting the Play button or, alternatively, by using a keyboard shortcut. The combination Alt+Z will play a loaded video (or pause one currently playing), while Alt+X will skip 15 seconds backward and Alt+C will skip 15 seconds forward. To begin viewing videos, use the search form at the top of the page.

It should be noted that this website has been built as a technical exercise, so certain functionality may operate differently from how you might expect. Similarly, screen reader users using an application which doesn't support WAI-ARIA live regions may have some trouble using dynamically-updated parts of the site. If you do not have Adobe Flash player installed, or if you have JavaScript disabled in your browser, this site will not work properly and you won't be able to watch videos from YouTube."

Click this link to visit the Accessible Interface to YouTube: http://tube.majestyc.net.

Google's Accessibility Site

Google offers accessibility features for many of their websites such as Gmail, Google Maps, and Youtube. Now, you can learn about these and other features from one location, through Google's accessibility resource page. It includes resources for many Google products as well as the latest blog posts across Google's network pertaining to accessibility.

From the site:

"Information access is at the core of Google’s mission, to make the world’s information universally accessible and useful. That’s why in addition to crawling, indexing and ranking billions of websites, images, videos and other content, we also work to make that content available in all languages and in accessible formats.

We want to make information available to everyone, and that includes people with disabilities, such as blindness, visual impairment, color deficiency, deafness, hearing loss and limited dexterity. We’ve found that providing alternative access modes like keyboard shortcuts, captions, high-contrast views and text-to-speech technology helps everyone, not just people with disabilities. For example, keyboard shortcuts help power users get things done more quickly without using a mouse, speech-to-text technology enables people to skim and search audio content, and custom product themes give people more opportunities to personalize."

Click this link to visit http://www.google.com/accessibility.

Growing Up with Sighted Parents

by Donna J. Jodhan

In a previous blog, I talked about blind persons being parents. I grew up with two wonderful sighted parents who allowed me to go out there and take the world by the tail or the bull by the horns. For the most part, it was a delicate balance of ensuring that I fitted in and at the same time being realistic enough to understand that being blind had its limitations.

The great thing was that my parents never really said no to my requests for adventure but they were naturally cautious and timid towards certain things. My dad allowed me to reach for the stars when it came to education but he was always leery when it came to my choice of career. My mom on the other hand was a bit more outgoing and made very sure that I fitted into the sighted world. With two loving brothers for company, a gentle granny who prodded me along, and wonderful cousins, I managed to grow up in a very unique type of environment.

It was not always easy for me at times and these were times when I wanted to be a bit too mainstream for my own good but I learned fast. These were the times when I was limited by my lack of sight and my parents had to step in and teach me about reality. Nevertheless, I soldiered on and as far back as I can remember it was always my goal to leave home as early as I could in order to be independent as I could be. It has paid off but not without tremendous sacrifice on the part of both me and my family.

Yes! I learned to ride a bicycle and had bike races with my dad along the beach. He taught me how to swim and fly a kite. We went fishing together. He and my brothers played football and cricket with me in the park. My mom and granny taught me how to cook and bake and even played doll's house with me. My dad was my constant source of knowledge while my mom and granny were my constant tutors of life. As for my brothers? Well, they were brothers all the way.

If you would like to learn more about how sighted parents can interact with their non-sighted children, then you can contact me directly at donnajodhan@sterlingcreations.ca and I would be delighted to give you some useful pointers.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, an accessibility and special needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day. If you'd like to learn more about me, then you can visit some of my blog spots at:
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all: http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly Saturday postings on issues of accessibility: http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
blogs on various issues and answers to consumers concerns: http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm

AFB eLearning Center on Aging and Visual Impairment

Developed and produced by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Senior Site, this web-based training program is for service providers who work with older adults experiencing vision loss. The material presented will benefit anyone working with adults with vision loss. The content is designed for professionals who are not trained in vision loss, as well as those who have either formal or informal training in blindness rehabilitation and seek a refresher on the many aspects, implications, and far-reaching effects that vision loss has on an individual, the family, and society.

The content in this training program is based on two premises:

1. Older persons with vision loss should have services and opportunities for learning to help them maximize independent living potential and quality of life.
   
2. These services should be provided by individuals who are knowledgeable, interested in the welfare of those whom they serve, and committed to the concept that older people with vision loss can learn and take charge of their lives.

The eLearning Center is divided into four modules, each of which includes several courses on specific topics related to the overall module topic. Each of the courses is a stand-alone course and includes references and resources that will help service providers apply new knowledge in carrying out the job. At the end of each course is a 10 question post-test. The post-test requires a 70% accuracy rate to receive a certificate of completion for the course. For an additional fee, continuing education hours for ACVREP will be available late fall, 2009 and for CRC in January, 2010.

The eLearning Center also includes a general section on Resources with information related to the history of services for older people with vision loss, conducting a public education campaign, the aging network, scenarios regarding family relationships, and social and legal issues that confront older consumers and the laws that protect them.

Experts from around the country have generously shared their knowledge and expertise in writing the content for the courses that related to the area in which they specialize. In addition, experts in aging and vision loss services and programs reviewed and edited the content.

Click this link to visit the AFB eLearning Center on Aging and Visual Impairment website.

Free Recorded Media for Visually Impaired People from the Braille Institute of America

From the site:

"Our digital catalog of audio and video content at Braille Institute includes instructional clips of classes, workshops and seminars designed to educate, inform and enrich the lives of people who are visually impaired. If you find these clips useful and you are a Southern California resident, we invite you to take the next step and sign up to participate in any of our numerous free programs offered through one of our five regional centers.

Simply find an audio or video clip that interests you and click to listen!

Click this link to visit the Free Recorded Media for Visually Impaired People page at the Braille Institute of America's website: http://brailleinstitute.org/recorded_media.

I Want to find some Freebook-s

There are a lot of places to find free ebooks on the Internet, but jumping from collection to collection can become very time-consuming.

Free Book-s is designed to save you the time of jumping from collection to collection. This is a search engine that scans many collections of ebooks to find free content that matches your search. I gave Free Book-s a test drive using "Star Trek" to see what kinds of results would be generated. I found Free Book-s returned very relevant results.

Free Book-s could be a good resource for locating ebooks to supplement the print resources you have for your courses or to completely replace print resources and make the classroom totally accessible.

Click this link to find FREE ebooks with http://www.freebook-s.com.

An Audio Pal for your Blog or Website

Audio Pal is a free service that allows you to quickly and easily record audio messages to post to your blog or website. You can record your Audio Pal message by phone, through your computer's microphone, or by uploading a recording. Messages are limited to sixty seconds so you must be succinct. After you've recorded your message, Audio Pal will play it back to you. If you like the recording, keep it. If you don't like your recording, click re-record. When you have a recording with which you're happy, enter your email address and an embed code will be sent to you almost immediately.

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

Text of Every Inaugural Address

Governing Dynamo has built a gallery containing the text of every US President's inaugural address. In addition to the text, the gallery includes a Wordle of every address and an image of the President who delivered that address. Finally, Governing Dynamo hosts a video overview of the Wordles in the gallery. The video contains audio clips of the addresses.

This gallery of inaugural addresses could be useful for anyone that teaches US History. You could have students evaluate the text and Wordles for reflection of the issues facing the United States when each President took office.

Click this link to visit Words of The Inaugural Address: http://www.governingdynamo.com/political-galleries/words-of-the-inaugural-address/2984755.

SELECT Versatile Video Magnifier

The Select is a desktop video magnifier for people with low vision. With the Select, you can easily read books and newspapers, write letters, manage your finances, do hobbies and much more. Featuring a flexible 3 in 1 camera, the Select is ideal for near, distance and self viewing.

• Easily view a classroom board
  
• Magnify your television screen
  
• View across the room and see any object
  
• Enjoy reading a novel, the latest newspaper article, or today's headlines
  
• Stay active by doing crosswords
  
• Reconnect with that long-time hobby
  
• Keep up with family and view the latest photos
  
• Read recipes
  
• Keep track of your finances

The Select Desktop Video Magnifier is designed to fit the individual end user with fully adjustable positioning of both monitor and camera. Position the auto focus camera for distance and side viewing, straight down for reading documents or even aimed back at the user as a mirror image. Provides choice of true color, enhanced black on white and reverse white on black contrast viewing. It magnifies 2X to 65X. All controls are conveniently placed on the bottom of the monitor for easy operation. The monitor is connected to an adjustable arm, which may be positioned above, level, to the left or right of the X - Y table to provide the customer with the most comfortable viewing angle. The Select X - Y table is unique in that it contains a small storage space for pens and papers.

• 3 in 1 Camera: Near, distance and self viewing.
  
• Color, Autofocus,Ball bearing table movement, Desktop viewing
  
• Reading Table: Movement pads, Unrestricted workspace, Storage compartment
  
• Glass Optics: Magnification range 2x to 65x
  
• Illumination: Light emitting diodes (LED's), Rated for 100,000 hours of use
  
• Power Supply: Input Voltage 100-240 V AC, Frequency 50-60 Hz
  
• Controls: Zoom in, Zoom out, Viewing Modes, Brightness, On/off, Electronic
  
• Locking Table Image Choices: Picture mode for enhanced viewing of images. High contrast text modes
  
• Video Output: LCD compatible
  

Click this link to purchase the SELECT Versatile Video Magnifier or call 800-560-7226.

BBC World News for Children

The amount of educational content available from the BBC is simply amazing. No matter how many times I visit the various BBC websites, it seems like there is always something new for me to learn.

These daily podcasts are roughly four to five minutes long and targeted to an audience of children seven to fourteen years old. The scripts from each podcast are made available for every new episode. This could be an excellent resource for anyone teaching current events. To keep kids reading, you could have them read the scripts while listening to the podcasts. Scripts could be copied from the site and transcribed into braille so all students could read along.

Click this link to subscribe or listen to the BBC World News for Children podcast at http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/wnc.

Educational Videos on The Smithsonian Channel

The Smithsonian Channel is a great collection of interesting and educational videos on a variety of topics. The collection is divided into seven primary categories including topics like History, America's War Stories, Pop Culture, Air and Space, and Nature.

The bulk of the videos are under five minutes, making them good resources for supplementing course lectures. Even if you can't see the video, the audio is easy to follow and easy to understand.

Click this link to visit The Smithsonian Channel at http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/site/smithsonian/video.

Shmoop: Study Guides and Teacher Resources

Shmoop provides free, accessible online study guides for history, civics, and a variety of literature genres. For the student who is studying on the go, they can access the guides on their laptops, their iPhones, or their Kindles. Blind students can read the text-based material on their notetakers and could save the material for braille production if needed.

At my last visit to the site, Shmoop added thirty-four more study guides. These additions included 21 novels, 11 biographies, and two topics in US History study guides. As a lover of US History, I'm particularly enthused about the new US History study guides which are about the Civil War. The study guides are writtin in a way that is appealing to students. They are easy to understand and really keep things clear and simple.

Click this link to study with http://www.shmoop.com.

Hosting Companies Missing the Point

by Donna J. Jodhan

So many hosting companies are just too busy trying to attract the wrong type of customer. Yes, and I say this because in their efforts to attract the technically savvy customer, they are managing to rob themselves of some very important ones. You got it! Those who are technically shy; those that did not grow up with the Internet. Those millions of aging baby boomers who have already started to make plans to make the Internet their place of business when they do finally retire. In addition, we have the millions of disabled consumers who continue to be challenged by complicated hosting panels and hosting companies that do not seem to be able to grasp that they should be starting to do what is common sense and logical.

Shocker or shaker you ask? Maybe so, maybe not! Maybe so to those of us who are technically shy or those of us who are persons with disabilities but a shocker to those keen observers who feel that hosting companies are choosing to keep their heads buried in the sand.

Many hosting companies continue to offer hosting panels which offers the customers many flashy features but at the same time they are terribly complicated, not very user friendly, and terribly inaccessible. Added to this is the attitude of many of these companies. They are not very helpful when it comes to providing phone support service and they are substituting online support for customer support via phone. They are doing this in order to cut overhead costs but in doing so, they are inadvertently shutting out millions of customers. As a general rule of thumb, there are millions of technically disabled persons along with physically disabled persons who are not comfortable using online support in order to communicate with support teams at hosting companies. Many of our technically disabled consumers grew up in the age of using the phone to communicate with companies and many of them are still in the stage of learning how to use online support systems.

Too many hosting companies are guilty of not remembering this. Their designers and developers are super great at designing and developing nifty hosting panels that do nifty things but they fail miserably when it comes to understanding why it is so important to make their hosting panels usable and accessible. There is a huge communications gap between designers and developers and their basic understanding of what is needed in order to make the technically disabled more able and comfortable to use their hosting panels and making their hosting panels more user friendly and accessible to persons with disabilities.

I have had first hand experience with working with programmers and for the most part their heads are primarily stuck to their screens where their main objectives are to design and develop finished products that can perform acrobatic-like tricks, loops, and mind-boggling iterations. That is all well and good if the end customer is a technically-abled person but when the end customer is one who is either technically-disabled or shy, or one who is a disabled person, all that hard work and panache often ends up being for naught. What we need to see is a major shift in thinking, designing, and developing on the part of hosting companies.

I would like to paint a very simple picture for hosting companies: First, you need to realize that your bread and butter consumers of tomorrow will probably be aging baby boomers, retirees, and seniors. They are the ones who will be diligently seeking ways to make the Internet their new world. Second, a large group of your consumers will continue to be those persons with disabilities; the blind and visually impaired, the hard of hearing, and those with learning, cognitive and dexterity challenges. Those with dexterity challenges are unable to use a mouse to communicate with their computer screen. Third, the majority of consumers will continue to demand hosting panels that are simple and easy to use and understand. They are not too keen on technical jargon. They just want the simplest way possible to communicate with their hosting panel and with you. Fourth, their preferred method of communicating with support staff would probably be by phone and they would demand to speak with staff that can understand them in their native language. Fifth, there is still a lot of business that will be generated by the mainstream user; those who are technically savvy. Sixth, if hosting companies are seeking to maximize their returns, then they will have to find ways to strike a perfect balance between mainstream and non-mainstream consumers.

The future will belong to those hosting companies that will be able to walk the plank of balance but for those that are unable or unwilling to find and define that balance; they are the ones that will probably find themselves gasping for survival. For make no mistake: aging baby boomers, seniors, and retirees are the ones who will be pushing the demand for simpler and more straightforward services.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, an accessibility and special needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day. If you'd like to learn more about me, then you can visit some of my blog spots at:
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all: http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly Saturday postings on issues of accessibility: http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
blogs on various issues and answers to consumers concerns: http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm

Audio Bible Studies in MP3 Format

Do you want to use your walk/run/ride time to study the Bible? Are you a college student who wants to listen to the lesson on your iPod? Maybe you know someone who has difficulty seeing to read even a large print study guide?  

Whatever your situation, these audio Bible study lessons will help you study the Holy Bible. The files are downloaded from the Baptist General Convention of Texas website. You’ll need an audio player that plays MP3 files (like an iPod or notetaker for the blind), or you can listen on a computer.

To purchase, receive a sample or for more information, call 866-249-1799 or click this link to send an email to baptistway@bgct.org.

This program is made possible by gifts through the Baptist General Convention of Texas Cooperative Program. Click this link to visit the Baptist General Convention of Texas website.

Love That Coffee: What Else Can I Do With It?

I am a coffee addict! I cannot get enough coffee and am known to drink up to a pot a day or more sometimes. Especially while I am writing!

I also enjoy those gourmet coffee's from the coffee shop, but I avoid them because of their high cost. A real budget breaker!

Did you know there are dozens of other ways you can use your coffee? For centuries people have been using coffee, coffee grounds and coffee beans for many other uses. Here are some of my favorites!

• Baking Substitute: Replace the water called for in your favorite cookie or brownie recipe with that amount in brewed coffee. The flavor is amazing.
  
• Steak Rub: Try rubbing some coffee grounds, or soaking a piece of meet for about a half hour in brewed coffee as a marinade. The flavor has got to be the most amazing thing you've ever tasted. A lot of high end restaurants are starting to offer this as a gourmet dish!
  
• Deodorizer: Use coffee grounds in a freezer or refrigerator in place of the traditional baking soda, to eliminate odors. Add a few drops of some vanilla extract to the grounds for a delicious scent.
  
• Put Coffee Beans in your Trash Can to neutralize odor: Put whole coffee beans in the bottom of your trash can. Insert the trash bag. The coffee neutralizes the odor. Leave the beans in when you change the bag. Replace the beans when they no longer smell.
  
• Crafts: Coffee beans make wonderful embellishments glued to the outside of a tin can, pencil holder or a candle. They smell good too.
  
• Fishing: You can keep the worms alive by dumping them into some coffee grounds. They will survive all day and for some reason the worms really like the coffee.
  
• Pests: Keep animals and pests out of your garden by mixing coffee grounds into the dirt around your plants and shrubs.
  
• Fertilizer: Coffee grounds are full of nutrients that your acidic-loving plants need. Just save your coffee grounds and then sprinkle them around your garden.
  
• Body Scrub: The coffee grounds work great to exfoliate skin, remove dead cells and give you fresh and healthy skin. Supposedly they work as a cellulite fighter because of the caffeine. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Article Source:
http://frugal.families.com/blog/love-that-coffee-what-else-can-i-do-with-it

Getting Started with Google Wave

The following information comes from Mashable.com and is reposted for your convenience.

Google Wave has arrived. The real-time communication platform has been one of the hottest and most anticipated products in the tech and social media space for months. Soon around 100,000 people will be messaging each other in one of Google’s most ambitious projects to date.

So what if you’re one of the lucky ones to get an invite, or just want to understand exactly how this new tool works? While we cover the basics in our Google Wave Guide and have explored its game-changing features, we haven’t really written about exactly how to use Google Wave and how to navigate it.

So that’s exactly what we did. While not comprehensive, our guide on getting started with Google Wave will help you quickly learn the interface and important keyboard commands that will open up the full potential of Wave. Don’t forget to check out our extensive Google Wave coverage when you’re done for more tips and insight.

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General Interface

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The Google Wave interface is divided essentially into four boxes: Navigation, Contacts, Inbox, and your current Wave. Here’s a rundown of each of these core pieces of Wave:

Navigation: This is not your standard left-hand navigation bar. Yes, it has similarities to Gmail, but navigating Wave is definitely a new experience. Each of the items essentially filters your inbox for waves that fit what you’re looking for. “Active” refers to waves that have new activity, “History” checks for old, archived waves, and “Settings” lets you manage things like your extensions. You can also add custom searches (i.e. waves that discuss your company) and add folders. Adding a wave to a folder is as simple as drag-and-drop.

Contacts: Your contacts are more prominent in Wave. That’s because you drag and drop them to add them to waves, rather than type in an email address or a username. You can search through your contacts and manage them via your Google account. It’s still a bit buggy – Wave will tell you some people don’t have accounts when they do – but overall it’s smooth.

Inbox: The inbox in the middle of the Google Wave interface doesn’t work like an email inbox. The key to navigating the inbox are search and search commands. It’s the easiest way to filter different waves. We have a list of key search commands below.

Wave Box: This is the box on the right hand of Wave. This is where conversations happen. Add participants, discuss what you’d like, and add multimedia through Google Wave gadgets and extensions (for more on Wave Extensions, check out Google Wave Extensions: An Inside Look).

This is the pure overview of the interface. However, if you want to learn more about the features and the terminology, we suggest checking out Google Wave: A Complete Guide. Google also created a quick YouTube video tutorial of Wave, courtesy of Wave’s mascot, Dr. Wave:

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Starting a Conversation

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Getting a conversation started in Google Wave is rather easy – it’s understanding all of the available conversation features that’s difficult. Let’s explore a few steps to get started with a new wave:

1. Click on the “New Wave” link. This will start a new conversation.

2. Drag and drop friends you’d like to have join your wave from your contacts box into the top of the wave.

3. Start typing.

Remember, Wave is different than email. You can reply to messages as threaded conversations and, more importantly, you can edit the text of anyone in the conversation. These options become available when you click on the downward facing arrow at the top of any message (a blip) within a wave.

Also note the top bar, with “Reply,” “Playback,” “Archive,” “Mute,” “Spam,” and “Read.” While most of these are self-explanatory, the feature you should be using liberally is “playback.” If you join a wave in progress, always start by playing back the wave to see how the conversation transpired.

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Wave Search Commands

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A big part of navigating through your Wave inbox are the search commands. They help you find public waves, your archived messages, or just waves related to work. Here are some of the most important commands to keep in mind:

is:read and is:unread: This will help you find all of the waves you have or have not read. is:active is the same as is:unread currently.

is:mute and is:unmute: The same type of deal – This helps you find conversations you may have muted or unmuted.

title:(keyword): This command helps you find waves with a specific word in their titles.

caption:(keyword): This helps you find waves with a keyword in the captions of attached images and files.

from:(address): This command will help you find waves from specific people. On the same token, from:me finds waves from you. to:(address) finds waves where it’s just you and the person you’re searching for.

past:(date), previous:(date), after:(date), and before:(date): These four commands help you search for waves in time periods, based on days, weeks, months, and years. Use “d” for day, “w” for week, “m” for month, and “y” for year. So, if you want to find something from before 3 months ago, you’d type “before:3m”. Yes, it’s complicated.

has: The has command will search for whether a wave has an attachment, a document, an image, or even a gadget (has:gadget).

There are actually a lot more commands. To read them all, we suggested checking out Google Wave’s advanced search terms list.

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Wave Navigation

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There are an abundance of keyboard shortcuts that make using Google Wave a more streamlined experience. Thanks to a list first created by Google’s Greg Dalesandre in the development version of Google Wave, we can bring you a full list of keyboard shortcuts, which we’ll update periodically.

First, here are the commands for Wave Navigation:

Up/Down Arrows: As you might expect, use the arrows to navigate messages.

Tab/Shift-tab: Same functionality as the Up/Down arrows (outside of edit mode).

Home/End: Moves you to the first or last message.

Space: Go to next unread message (note: it doesn’t have to be within the same wave).

Left/Right Arrows: Switch focus between digest panel and wave panel.

Page Up/Down: Currently doesn’t work properly due to a bug.

Ctrl-Space: Marks all messages as read.

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Messages in Wave

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Enter: Replies to messages. Your reply will appear just below the selected message. If it’s the first reply, it will not be indented (but otherwise it will be).

Ctrl-R: The same as enter.

Shift-Enter: Replies to messages at the end of a thread. Replies of this nature appear at the bottom with the same indentation in almost all cases.

Highlight Text + Enter: Creates an inline reply. Your reply will be indented inside the current message.

Ctrl-E: Edit a message.

Ctrl-Enter (while editing): Inserts an inline reply at the caret.

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Text Editing

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None of these commands will really come as a shock, but they’re still good to know.

Ctrl-B: Bolds text.

Ctrl-I: Italicizes text.

Ctrl-G: Adjust the color.

Ctrl-L: Currently links to another wave if you hightlight the text and put in the URL or Wave ID, but the keyboard shortcut will be changing soon according to Google.

Ctrl-C: Copies text.

Ctrl-X: Cuts text.

Ctrl-V: Pastes text.

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Structural Formatting

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Once again, not too many surprises here:

Ctrl-<#>: Changes the current line to a different-sized heading – 1 is biggest, 4 is smallest.

Ctrl-5: Adds bullets.

Ctrl-6: Normalizes text/removes bullets and headings. Does not remove italics, bold, or text edits.

Ctrl-7: Left alignment.

Ctrl-8: Right alignment.

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Much, Much More to Come

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Google Wave is far from a complete product. They will add new features, tweak the interface, and change entire chunks of it based on user feedback and the data they gather from this initial release. Because of that, we will continue to add to this guide and tweak it. It’s also why we suggest staying tuned to our Google Wave coverage for the many updates that are coming.

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More Google Wave Resources from Mashable

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- Google Wave: A Complete Guide

- Testing Google Wave: This Thing is Tidal

- The Top 6 Game-Changing Features of Google Wave

- Google Wave: 5 Ways It Could Change the Web

- Google Wave Extensions: An Inside Look

- Could Google Wave Redefine Email and Web Communication?

Typing on the iPhone/iPod Touch

Typing on the iPhone is something that people have complained loudly about since they were released. Recently, there was an external keyboard called the iTwinge anounced by Mobile Mechatronics. It fits over the part of the screen that shows your iPhone Keyboard and looks similar to a blackberry keyboard. Mobile Mechatronics claims that you’ll be able to type faster because of the tactile feedback of the keyboard.

The iTwinge was originally designed just for iPhone typing practice, but is now being sold as an add-on keyboard for regular use. I think the annoyance value for low vision users of having to stop and attach the keyboard before typing, then taking it off so you can see the screen when not typing, will stop it being useful for anything except entering large amounts of text. Is it good enough for someone who is blind to use, I don't have any idea at this point.

Click this link to learn more about the iTwinge iPhone Keyboard.

Printable Money and Large Checks

Printable Money

So you need to teach your students how to work with money? Do you have a hard time finding play money in stores? Why not simply print your own money!

Teaching and learning how to identify and use money is an important skill to learn at an early age. These printable worksheets, lesson plans, and interactive lessons will help students master concepts of counting money with coins and bills, whether they are just beginning to learn to count coins, or if they need additional practice. Worksheets are customizable for varying abilities and ages.

Early students are encouraged to learn money skills with this reproducible play money. This site offers play money in the form of coins or bills. Pages of play money can be printed, which could later be brailled for a blind student, or printed in large print for the visually impaired. Other lessons that can be found on this site include:

• Basic Money Skills Lessons
  
• Earning and Spending Money Lessons
  
• Saving and Investing Money Lessons
  
• Interactive Money Lessons

Click this link to get your own printable play money: http://www.moneyinstructor.com/play.asp.

Money with Your Picture

Motivating students can be difficult. Many teachers create reward programs where a student can receive special valtures for good work or for good behavior. Here's a fun website that will allow you to create either a $1 or $10 bill with your picture on it. Now when your students complete a task worth receiving a valture, you can hand them a bill with your picture on it that can later be turned in for a special prize. Creating the bills is easy:

1. Choose a money bill (dollar or yen)
   
2. Upload a photograph
   
3. Optionally, re-position the photograph
   
4. Download your final image
   
5. Print your bills

Click this link to create your personalized money.

Giant Checks

Ever wondered where they get those giant checks when they give away a million dollars? Would you like to have some large checks for your visually impaired students to practice on?

Click this link to visit the TrixiePixGraphics online store for large checks, Fake Newspapers, and other novelty gifts.

Talking Balance Coin Jar

Get Organized via Amazon.com. They have the Talking Balance Coin Jar! This jar will count your money as it is inserted and speak the total. Batteries not included.

Click this link to purchase the Talking Balance Coin Jar from Amazon.com.

Talking Lucky Lottery Number Picker

Our friends at BlindBargains.com have found a talking product that could be of great value to us all.

"Finally, a talking item I'm sure we all can use. Amazon.com has the Perfect Solutions Talking Lucky Lottery Number Picker. Press one of the five buttons on the unit to hear picks for Pick 3, Pick 4, Mega Millions, Powerball, or Hot Lotto. A male voice speaks your randomly-chosen lucky numbers and moves his mouth as well. If you win millions after buying this gadget, we'd like our cut."

That's right, don't forget about those of us who work on Fred's Head either. We'd be glad to split the pot three ways!

Click this link to purchase the Perfect Solutions Talking Lucky Lottery Number Picker from Amazon.com.

The Digital Peephole

It’s 11:30 PM. You’re all alone. Suddenly, a knock at the door! "Who could it be?" you wonder. Oh, two large pizzas just for you. That’s right, you remember that you ordered them about thirty minutes ago.

Better make sure it’s the pizza guy, though. It could be the frozen yogurt you also ordered too. Time to use the Digital Peephole Viewer.

The Digital Peephole Viewer installs just like a regular peephole and then the camera apparatus snaps into place. The result is a 1.3-megapixel CMOS lens that sends images of whomever’s on the other side of your door directly to a 2.5-inch LCD screen, no weird peephole angles either. It's not a perfect solution to the problem of identification at the front door, but it certainly is an improvement over the standard peephole.

Click this link to learn more about the Digital Peephole Viewer. NOTE: this page does contain Flash content.

How Big is My World?

by Donna J. Jodhan

In the normal scheme of things, my world should be as big as I want it to be but in today's society it is very difficult for me to define the size of my world. You see, my world is not really in my hands. For the most part and sadly so, my world remains in the hands of society and I can tell you that there are days where I wish I could change this; but I can't. Sad but true.

One of my favorite quotations is by Robert F. Kennedy: "Some men see things as they are and say why! I dream things that never were and say why not!" And this is the philosophy that I use every day of my life in order to define my world in my own way.

You may be wondering why I would say that my world is not in my hands but rather in the hands of society and I'll tell you why.

Society has inadvertently and continues to erect countless barriers for me and for others who are blind and visually impaired. They have erected daunting barriers for millions of persons with disabilities and have even gone the extra mile to do the same for seniors. In the case of persons with disabilities, and in particular persons who are blind and visually impaired, one of the most challenging barriers that I and my cofrères face is a barrier called Attitude.

This barrier is nothing new and has been around for too long and if I and my cofrères do not take steps to bring it down, then I am afraid that we will find ourselves inadvertently short changing tomorrow's generation of disabled kids of a better future. In short, if we do not start to pro-act in stead of react, we will be robbing our disabled kids of their rights to a future that ought to include them as contributing members to society.

All my life I have had to battle attitude barriers from society. As early as I can remember: My parents had to battle the system to allow me to obtain my formal education. Then as a university student I had to endure constant remarks from those professors who made no effort to hide their discontent about having a blind student in their class. In the workplace I and others have had to deal with the narrow mindedness of managers and co-workers alike who do not believe that blind and visually impaired persons can be productive and this is why I am so glad that I can now use the Internet as my workplace. Most of my clients are blissfully unaware that I am blind and frankly, they would probably not care as long as I was able to perform to their satisfaction.

I am not content to sit back and wait for things to happen and this is why I have managed to expand my world much more than many others like me. I challenged an ice skating school to teach me to ice skate. I have learned to play chess. I have written two books. I have hang glided, sailed, and even driven around in a parking lot. No, I am not showing off! Just trying to motivate others to expand their world. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it but to be possible one has to be realistic.

The attitude barrier needs to be addressed and if I want to be charitable which I am, I can say that 99.9% of the time, this barrier is erected by those who are limited by such things as: Cultural beliefs, fear of the unknown, fear of interacting with those who are different, and an unwillingness to learn new things and meet new people. I am going to give you three websites that you can visit in order to learn more about the world of blind and visually impaired persons. http://www.nfb.org, http://www.acb.org and http://www.afb.org.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, an accessibility and special needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day. If you'd like to learn more about me, then you can visit some of my blog spots at:
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all: http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly Saturday postings on issues of accessibility: http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
blogs on various issues and answers to consumers concerns: http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm