Everyone Likes to Play Games Including the Blind

by Alena Roberts

When you think of video games, you likely don’t think of the blind playing them, but this isn’t the case. From games that have been adapted to be playable by the blind, to mainstream games that the blind figure out how to play without modifications, the blind are definitely a part of the video gaming world.

I myself just started playing a game online called Kingdom of Loathing, and when I was a PC user, I played games all the time.

So the question is what kind of games are out there, and where can you get them. I think the best place to start is a visit to a site called audiogames.net. Their database includes hundreds of games, many of which are free. The categories also range from fun word and card games to first person shooter and strategy games. All the games that are listed on this site are designed to be playable by the blind.

As I mentioned, when I was using a PC I played lots of these games. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Spoonbill software offers many free card and puzzle games. All you have to do is email the developer with your request and he sends you the game.

L-Works Games offers arcade style and word games and the developer himself is visually impaired.

Finally, if you want to play with people online, a great option is All In Play. There is a subscription fee to play these games, but there is a free trial. Also, the games are playable by the blind and sighted so it’s a great option for families.

What are your favorite video games? If there was a game you wish was more playable for the blind, what would it be?

Article Source:
Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind

Windows Mail with JAWS

This guide, written by David Bailes explains Windows Mail, the email program for Windows Vista.

Windows Mail is similar in many ways to Outlook Express, which runs under Windows XP. Two of the main changes are:

• There are now Junk E-mail and Phishing filters, which are described in the Unwanted messages section.
  
• The Address Book in Outlook Express has been replaced by Windows Contacts, which is described in the Windows Contacts section.

Click this link to read the Windows Mail Guide.

Money Handling and Budgeting

Resource guide with an adapted practice checkbook that helps students learn vital money handling skills. Recommended ages: 11 years and up. Addresses These Topics:

• Coin and bill identification
  
• Counting money and making change
  
• Budgeting
  
• Basic employment strategies
  
• Banking skills (e.g., paying bills, acquiring loans, using savings accounts, etc.)
  
• Handling money in simulated and actual daily living situations

Money Handling and Budgeting:

Print Edition:
Catalog Number: 1-83080-00

Braille Edition:
Catalog Number: 1-83081-00

To Reorder Consumable Items

Complete Adapted Practice Checkbook only:
Catalog Number: 1-03501-00

Bound Practice Checks/Deposit Tickets only (pack of 5):
Catalog Number: 1-03502-00
Click this link to purchase Money Handling and Budgeting.

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

Share Files Over Miles

FilesOverMiles is a direct file sharing tool for quickly and securely sending files over the internet. There is no installation or sign up and transferred files are not stored anywhere.

To start, simply choose the file on your computer and FilesOverMiles will generate a web URL for the transfer. Copy the link and forward it to any one you want. When the recipient clicks the URL the file transfer will begin. Ans since, the file transfer is direct in that case both sender and receiver should be online.

Features include:

• Browser to browser p2p file transfer.
  
• Sent as many files as you like.
  
• Files are not stored during the transfer.
  
• The connection between users is secure and encrypted.
  
• No restrictions on file size or bandwidth.
  
• Both sender and receiver MUST be online.
  
• Free, no sign up needed.

Click this link to share files with http://www.filesovermiles.com.

Windows Explorer 7 Guide for JAWS

This guide, written by David Bailes, explains Windows Explorer on Windows 7. Its uses include browsing or searching the contents of disks, folders and libraries, opening files, deleting files and folders, renaming them, copying and moving them around, and creating new folders. One way of opening Windows Explorer is to press Windows Key+E, and other ways are described later in the guide. This is a must read for anyone who is using the JAWS screen reader!

Click this link to read the Windows Explorer (7) Guide.

The Pooch Power Shovel

If your backyard is starting to look like a minefield of dog poop, you’re going to need something a little stronger than a shovel. Something with power. Something like the Pooch Power Shovel.

This device is basically a dog poop sucking vacuum on a stick. You open it up, thread a bag through the nozzle, and suck up some dog business. The “good stuff” goes neatly into the biodegrable bag, which you can change without getting your hands dirty. No need to bend down or scoop; just push the button and the rechargeable battery does the work for you.

It doesn't matter if you own a single Chihuahua or multiple large breed canines, the robust motor and rechargeable battery can pick up a whole yard's worth of waste in one go. Plus, it removes the waste from virtually any surface without you ever having to get close to it.

Click this link to purchase the Pooch Power Shovel from SkyMall.

Taskbar (7) Guide for Users of JAWS

This is a guide to the taskbar on Windows 7 written by David Bailes.

The taskbar is a thin bar that normally runs across the bottom of the screen, and contains:

• The Start button, which opens the Start menu. From this menu you can open programs, Control Panel items, common locations, and files, and you can also shut down the computer, log off, etc.
  
• A group of taskbar buttons, which can be used for opening programs, and switching between open windows.
  
• The Notification area, which contains a clock and a number of icons which represent background programs or services.
  
• Show Desktop button. The large area of the screen which isn't taken up with the taskbar is known as the desktop, and normally contains a few shortcuts. Program windows are displayed in this area, and so either partially or completely hide the desktop. If you press this button (Windows Key + D), then all open windows are minimized, and the desktop becomes the focus.

The new features in the Windows 7 taskbar include:

• Jump Lists. For many programs, Windows 7 provides a Jump List, which contains recent or frequently opened items, and which allows you to quickly open one of these items.
  
• There are some new convenient keystrokes for using the taskbar buttons to open programs and switch between open windows.
  
• You can now maximize a window by simply pressing Windows Key + Up Arrow. When a program window opens, then by default it only takes up part of the desktop area. However some windows are read better by Jaws if they take up the whole desktop, which is known as being maximized. For a particular Start menu item or Taskbar button for a program, once the window has been maximized, then Windows normally remembers this, and you don't have to do it again.

You can learn more about the Taskbar by clicking this link to read the Windows 7 Taskbar Guide for people who use JAWS.

Technology Assistance Available from the Chicago Lighthouse National Help Desk

The Chicago Lighthouse’s National HelpDesk is an assistive technology support line that helps visually impaired people successfully resolve computer problems.

The Help Desk, operated by Ray Campbell, who is totally blind, has served people in 48 states, six Canadian provinces, China, South Africa and New Zealand. More than 2000 calls have been received.

The service was made possible in April 2005 when The Chicago Lighthouse successfully matched a $41,000 grant from The Boeing Company. 

If an issue can not be resolved over the phone, an on-site visit can be scheduled with customers residing in the Chicago metropolitan area.

For more information, contact:

Ray Campbell, Help Desk Technician
Toll Free: 888-825-0080 (voice/Relay)
Phone: 312-997-3651 (Voice/Relay)
Email: ray.campbell@chicagolighthouse.org
AIM Screen Name: tclhelp

Prius Offers Optional Noise to Alert Pedestrians

Most consumers want a car that's quiet on the road. But Toyota's Prius is too quiet at times, and an optional speaker system will help give the car some of the noise it's lacking.

According to the Associated Press, Toyota will start selling a $148 speaker system in Japan on August 30 that will play sounds under the hood to help it achieve the "same noise level as a regular car engine."

For now, Toyota will only be selling the speaker system in Japan, and the purchase is voluntary. But a Toyota rep told the AP that the company is considering bringing the feature to the United States and other markets.

Pedestrians have the biggest issue with the Prius. Many people simply can't hear the car coming, due to its ability to run in a nearly silent electric mode during most of its drive time.

Toyota isn't alone among automakers looking into how to increase the sound of their hybrids to keep pedestrians safe. Nissan, for instance, plans to include a safety sound system in its electric Leaf vehicle, coming in December.

Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that hybrid vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists than other vehicles.

How to Activate High Contrast on Windows

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Are you sick of your old, dull looking computer? Pimp it out! By changing to High Contrast you can give your computer a fresh new look.

Steps

Windows

1. Go to "Start".
2. Open "Control Panel".
3. Open "Accessibility Options".
4. Go to tab: "Display".
5. Check mark "Use High Contrast".
6. Press "Apply".

Mac

1. Press Ctrl, Alt/option, Apple, 8
2. And the colors will go negative EVERYTHING.

Tips

• You can also press Alt + Shift + Print Screen to turn on high contrast.
• You can change the look of "High Contrast", beside the check mark on the "Display" tab you will see a "Settings" button. Then choose your view from the drop-box.

Warnings

• This definitely works on XP and mac osx 10.4 and higher. It may work on the other Windows versions and macs with osx 10.3.9 and lower. It may not be present on XP Pro 64 bit.

Related wikiHows

• How to Upgrade a Processor
• How to Update Your Computer's BIOS
• How to Be a Computer Geek
• How to Back up a Computer

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Activate High Contrast on Windows. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

World's Largest Braille Library

The largest Braille library in the world sits at the end of a cul-de-sac, down the road from a Motel 6, in a city with only an average number of blind people.

It's mostly an accident of geography that Salt Lake City is home to the world's biggest Braille collection: The city's crossroads-of-the-West location is perfect for a 20-state lending library. But the distinction is also fitting, because in 1931 Utah Sen. Reed Smoot co-sponsored legislation that provided annual federal funding for the books. The Utah State Library for the Blind and Disabled celebrated its 75th anniversary Aug. 7.

Prior to the Pratt-Smoot Act, special books for the blind were limited and random. Today, a blind person can borrow books and tapes and recorders, mailed for free anywhere in the United States. In a cavernous room the size of a supermarket, the Utah State Library for the Blind and Disabled holds 100,000 books that have been transcribed into Braille, including a Bible that fills 23 volumes, each the size of the Salt Lake City Yellow Pages. More than 6,000 shelves also hold 400,000 "talking books," the logical evolution of the program set in motion by Smoot and Sen. Ruth Baker Pratt 75 years ago.

Today, only about 5 percent of people who are blind read Braille, and most of them have been blind from an early age, says the library's Braille production coordinator Jan Sonshine. The tactile language is difficult to learn, especially for those people who lose their sight later in life, says Sonshine, who tried to learn Braille as an adult, even though she is sighted. "By the time I figured out the second letter, I'd already forgotten what the first one was."

Sonshine uses a computer and Braille printing machines to produce a new book about every six weeks, a process that used to take at least nine months on old hand-operated machines.

Because most books are transcribed into Braille by the Library of Congress, the Utah library transcribes mostly locally written books. The same holds true for books on tape, which in Utah are read by volunteers that include inmates at the Utah State Prison. Volunteers also come to the library's offices, in the Utah State Library building on 1950 West, to read and record stories from the Utah's daily newspapers, which are then broadcast on the library's closed-circuit radio station. The library is always looking for more volunteers, volunteer coordinator James Shulfer says. When reader Pat Cox of Salt Lake City retired from the University of Utah's special education department, she was happy to find a volunteer opportunity that could be both helpful and fun. She loved to read to her children when they were little; now she has a new audience.

Every Friday morning she shuts herself inside a recording booth at the library and reads local news stories, obituaries, editorials and the comics. "I pull out all the stops," she says about her weekly rendition of the comic strip "Pickles." "I become Earl and Opal."

Patrons of the library must have a doctor's certification of disability, but over the years this has been broadened to include not just blindness but also disabilities that make it hard to hold a book, and now even learning disabilities such as dyslexia, director Bessie Oakes says.

The library's arsenal of reading aids includes large-print books, descriptive videos, talking computers and computers with "refreshable Braille" keyboards that transcribe computer text. Patrons also can bring in their own documents letters, research, utility bills that can be scanned into the computer. For patrons who have limited sight there is also a machine that enlarges print, as well as a computer that can magnify print so large that one letter of the alphabet fills an entire screen.

It's a laborious process to navigate the Internet this way, but as librarian Lisa Nelson notes, "anything to be able to read."

Article Source:
Daily Herald, Utah

Blind Soccer

What blind soccer players lack in sight, they more than make up for in footwork.

In blind soccer, there are five on each side, a goalie and four outfield players. The goalie can be sighted or visually impaired and must stay in his designated goalie box. His teammates, meanwhile, wear eye shields so as to take away any competitive advantage from those players that may have limited vision over those who have no sight whatsoever. There are no throw-ins, as there is a wall surrounding the shrunken (at least, by typical soccer standards) playing field, and each team has someone calling out instructions from behind one of the goals. The players can call each other either by name or by shouting “Yeah!” And when you’re approaching to engage another player to steal the ball, you must shout “Voy!”, Spanish for I go! That means that you’ve got to discern the voice of your teammates, since everyone on the pitch is yelling “Yeah!”, and have a sense of where you are with the ball (which contains ball bearings, to help with tactility on the foot) in relation to the goal.

People who take part are classified according to their level of sight, as B1, B2 or B3. Players in the B1 classification are considered blind (while those rated B2 and B3 are classified as visually impaired or partially sighted).

• B1 - Totally or almost totally blind; from no light perception up to light perception but inability to recognise the shape of a hand.
  
• B2 - Partially sighted; able to recognise the shape of a hand up to a visual acuity of 2/60 or a visual field of less than 5 degrees.
  
• B3 - Partially sighted; visual acuity from 2/60 to 6/60 or visual field from 5 to 20 degrees

While some partially sighted players play in pan disability teams, there are a number of VI specific clubs which play in a national league structure.

To recap:

• Solid surface
  
• Five players
  
• Sighted goalie can't leave goalie box
  
• Players wear blindfolds to even out all players (some players have limited sight or can see light and shapes)
  
• No offside rules
  
• Ball makes noise
  
• Players yell "yeah" and "voy" when they are near you
  
• Ball bounces less than average ball
  
• Guides stand behind the goalbox and shout instructions

IBSA, the International Blind Sports Federation, believe sports is the ideal means to promote the integration of disabled people in general and the blind in particular. "Sports can help them overcome their disability by strengthening their self-esteem and their ability to overcome difficulties and as an aid to normalisation in their living environment. In short, sports helps to bring about the complete fulfilment of blind and visually impaired athletes."

"To achieve our goals, we encourage all blind and visually impaired people to get involved in different sports and physical activities. You too can become a blind athlete and take part in competitions ranging from school sports to elite level championships for the blind and the Paralympic Games.

To learn more about IBSA, click this link: http://www.ibsa.es/eng/.

Amazon's Clearence Bin

Once again, our friends at BlindBargains.com have found a great resource for saving money. I checked out the site and was amazed at the items available. Here's what they had to say!

"Like many other grocery stores, Amazon inevitably ends up with a stockpile of products which are approaching their sell-by date or that are just taking up space on their virtual shelves. To clear out some of this excess, Amazon offers Warehouse Deals on grocery items, some at pretty drastic savings. The stock changes quite frequently and quantities are limited. For instance, we'd tell you about the 6-pack of Taco Bell Dinner Kits available for $9.99, but we bought the last one. There's currently 6 bottles of Wish-Bone Fat Free Ranch Dressing for $5.99 or a buck per bottle, but that may or may not be there by the time you read this. But there'll most certainly be new items to replace these, as the selection is ever-changing. Follow the link on this post and check back often to find the latest offers."

The only thing the site doesn't have that would make life even easier is either a Twitter or RSS feed to show when new items are added.

Click this link to visit the Warehouse Deals page at Amazon.com.

How to Add Your Facebook Stream to Windows Live Messenger

You can now add your Facebook updates directly to Windows Live Messenger and share your Facebook updates with anyone you choose. The following steps will get you up and running!

1. Select “Add (Manage Services)” in the right bottom side of the Messenger.
   
2. Select Facebook
   
3. After selecting “Facebook”, a popup window will open. Choose the options you want and then click “Connect with Facebook”.
   
4. Enter the username and password for your Facebook account to login from Windows Live Messenger
   
5. Windows Live Messenger asks you to allow WLM permission to connect to your Facebook account. Click "allow".

Now you are ready to use Facebook through Windows Live Messenger. Enjoy!

How to Understand the Application of Penalty Fees Under the Credit Card Act

How to Understand the Application of Penalty Fees Under the Credit Card Act (USA)

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
As of August 22, 2010, new rules came into effect to restrict the ability of credit card providers to charge excessive penalty fees under the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (known as the Credit CARD Act). While this is a good move aimed at protecting you, the responsibility for sensible credit card usage still rests with you, and it's important to understand both how the Act applies to you, and what you can do to keep your penalty fees under control.

Steps

1. Understand what the new rules mean for your card usage. Penalty fees are capped or constrained under the new rules, to prevent excessive charges from being passed on to you. Penalty fees include late and over-the-limit fees.
   • Penalty fees will be capped at $25 for most customers.
   • Penalty fees will not be permitted to be any bigger than the minimum payment due.
     • This means that if you are late paying a $15 minimum payment on your card, the late fee cannot be any more than $15.
     • It also means that if you go over your limit on your credit card by, say $10, the over-the-limit penalty fee cannot be more than $10.
   • Multiple penalty fees cannot be charged for the same violation.
   • Inactivity fees are banned. This means that if you decided not to use your credit card, you cannot be charged for this inaction.
2. Note that it is still possible to be charged higher penalty fees. This can occur where a consumer shows a "repeated" pattern of violations on very large minimum payments, or if the credit card issuer can show that charging a higher fee will offset its costs to chase up the violation that brought about the penalty.
   • If you are late or over your credit card limit two times in a period of six months, the card issuer can hike the second penalty fee to $35. If the card issuer can justify an even higher increase in the penalty rate to regulators, you risk an even higher rate.
   • For you, this means don't be a chronic late payer or over-spender of your limit. If you are, the bank still has plenty of leeway to charge you higher penalty fees.
3. Be aware that the Credit CARD Act does not address interest rate hikes imposed on consumers who violate the terms of their credit card agreements. This means that if you spend over your limit, while your penalty fee is limited, you might receive a permanent penalty increase on your interest rate under the terms and conditions of your credit agreement. And, worse still, this will remain the interest rate for your future purchases.
   • Review the terms and conditions of your credit card provider to see what applies to you by way of interest rate penalty increases.
4. Practice responsible credit card ownership. Credit cards are a great means to manage your money flow when used prudently and paid sufficiently, always on time. Credit cards let you earn bonus points and rewards, they give you the freedom to purchase when you need cash flow, and they allow you to "float" money for up to a month provided you're paying them up on time. Responsible credit card usage includes:
   • Paying at least the minimum balance on time. The $25 limit is still a lot to pay for something you could have done by paying the minimum amount on time. If you let this slip, say three times a year, that's $75 that could have been paying off debt, going into savings, or paying for something you'd rather enjoy.
   • Knowing your card limit and the extent that you've already charged it, at all times. This includes keeping track of regular payments that you've set up to be charged automatically.
   • Not falling into the mental trap of thinking you'll "get around to paying" a large lump sum down the road rather than paying the minimum amount by the due date required each month. If you don't pay up repeatedly, this can sufficient to represent a "pattern" of repeated violations but it also sets you up for a "pie-in-the-sky" attitude about owing money. If you can't pay it now, what makes it more likely that you can in a few months time?

Tips

• In addition to the fee restrictions, card issuers have been asked to review the rate hikes that were put into place prior to the Credit CARD Act, which came into effect on February 22, 2010.
• If you can't practice responsible credit card management, switch to a debit card until you're ready to try again. You won't get the same flexibility or rewards but you will get your financial limitations sorted.
• While some members of the banking industry fear that capping the penalty fees will lead to less credit availability,[1][2] some commentators believe that banks will simply find other ways to pass on more costs. Whatever the reality, the moral of the story is the same – watch out for your own financial interests by being a cautious and diligent credit card consumer.

Warnings

• Late payments harm your credit score, even if you're not concerned about the penalties.
• Credit card providers will tell you that you have the right to close an account if you don't like it. While true, this also means that you need to pay off the debt before it can be closed fully, and you might still take a credit score hit if things have gone wrong for you under that card. Don't rely on just closing the account when things get too hard; it's a false solution.

Things You'll Need

• Credit card agreement details

Related wikiHows

• How to Cut Up and Throw Away a Credit Card
• How to Cut Credit Card Debt
• How to Get a Credit Card when You Have a Low Income
• How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt
• How to Choose Your First Credit Card

Sources and Citations

• CNN Money, New credit card restrictions take effect, http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/22/pf/credit_card_rules/ – research source
• CBS Money Watch, Fed Approves New Credit Card Restrictions, http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/blog/daily-money/fed-approves-new-credit-card-restrictions/781/ – research source

1. ↑ CNN Money, New credit card restrictions take effect, http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/22/pf/credit_card_rules/
2. ↑ CBS Money Watch, Fed Approves New Credit Card Restrictions, http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/blog/daily-money/fed-approves-new-credit-card-restrictions/781/

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Understand the Application of Penalty Fees Under the Credit Card Act (USA). All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Surf the Web Anonymously with IP Privacy

Online privacy is a hot-button topic. There are numerous services that we use every day that keep track of our IP address. Unless you use dial-up Internet, your  IP address is like your real, physical address. It is a fixed address that is associated with you and can be pulled up by web masters. Most people wouldn’t feel comfortable walking around with their home address printed on their shirt, but that is what you’re doing when you browse the Internet.

The solution to this is to use a proxy web server. A proxy server acts as a barrier between you and the Internet. When you send a request for information, say, you visit fredshead.info, that request first goes to the proxy server and is then routed to the final location. This disguises your IP address. The only problem is that using a proxy can be a real pain in the butt for users who are not very familiar with how they work.

That’s where IP Privacy comes in. This utility enables one-click proxy web surfing.  When you first open the program, you will be greeted with the main screen, on which there are two big buttons. For now, we are only going to touch on the top button, labeled Enable Online Anonimity.

Above that button you will find a drop-down list. This, when opened, shows a list of proxy servers that IP Privacy has made available for you. Selecting a server will open a testing window. Press the Start button to begin testing the proxy server, it should only take a second.  If the test is successful press Done, if it is not successful press Cancel and select a different proxy.

By pressing the Start button you have already enabled anonymous online surfing.  Websites will no longer see you by your real IP address but will instead see you by the IP address of the proxy server. You can of course turn your anonymous surfing on or off by pressing the big Enable/Disable Online Anonimity button.

Now let’s talk about the second big button labeled Enable Privacy. Pressing this button enables global privacy settings for your computer’s web browsers. No matter what web browser you use, your privacy settings will apply. By default, the privacy settings block invasive Javascript that might be used to collect information from your computer. The settings can also be adjusted so that ActiveX is blocked.

Finally, IP Privacy has global web browser history settings. You can delete information from your web browser’s history including Internet history, typed URLs, temporary Internet files, Internet cookies, autocomplete forms, autocomplete passwords, and favorites. The history will be deleted at user-specified intervals. The default setting is every five minutes, but you can adjust it as you desire.

IP Privacy is an excellent privacy utility for any Windows computer. It takes a task that is hard for the typical user and makes it very simple to achieve.

Click this link to download IP Privacy from http://www.privacy-pro.com.

Technological Barriers in the Workplace

by Donna J. Jodhan

It is probably never going to go away but the truth is; disabled employees may always have to face some sort of technological barrier in the workplace. Why is this? Because the evolution of technology is moving at a much faster rate than the development of access technology for disabled users. This is a chronic challenge that disabled persons will probably always have to deal with both at home and in the workplace and it includes both hardware and software as well as access to information. This should not come as a shocker or shaker to anyone who has knowledge of this topic. I will focus my attention on three types of technological barriers: Hardware, software, and access to information.

In the case of hardware: The technological barriers may be a bit less in that keyboards are fairly user friendly to disabled persons but when it comes to using such things as touch screen technology and dealing with flashing indicators on phones for example, then these problems will continue to exist unless there are other hard coded ways to deal with them. Strides continue to be made in this area but as I mentioned above, three steps forward for mainstream technology computes into at best one step forward for access or adaptive technology for the disabled. If we're talking about the workplace, then the hardware to consider would range from computer keyboards to scanners, and from phones to PDAs. If I have missed out on mentioning of any other piece of hardware, then my apologies.

In the case of software: Many of the operating systems that are used today are for the most part accessible to persons with disabilities but the real challenge comes when so-called add-ons are included. Disabled persons, in particular blind and visually impaired persons, often run into problems because of incompatibility between the mainstream software in question and their access or adaptive software. This is mainly due to the graphical interfaces that mainstream software is made up of and the inability of screen reading software to decipher graphical interfaces.

An example would be: A piece of mainstream software that needs to be installed and the installation process is made up of a graphical interface. Another example would be when the disabled user tries to use the piece of mainstream software itself and the software is not very user friendly because of icons that need to be clicked on. Blind and visually impaired users are unable to use a mouse to click. Many employees in the workplace are often called upon to install or download software either from the Internet or from CDs. One thing that comes to mind for me is the difficulty that blind and visually impaired persons continue to face in environments that require them to communicate with screens that contain a lot of graphical information. Typically, in help desk and banking types of environments.

Access to information: In the case of blind and visually impaired users and the print disabled as a whole, The problem often occurs when they are unable to access information on the Internet. Some of the primary offenders of this situation come as a result of the following: Websites that are not user friendly or accessible, access or adaptive software that is unable to decipher website content that includes forms and downloads, and websites that do not provide information in alternate formats. I will note here that information provided in PDF format is not considered to be an alternate format.

To summarize: Disabled employees in the workplace will continue to face technological barriers for as long as access or adaptive technology is unable to keep up with evolution of mainstream technology. Technological barriers include access to hardware, software, and access to information. The print disabled in particular blind and visually impaired employees are the most affected.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell the world that yes indeed! Blind persons can certainly enjoy things by using their sense of touch. 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

My Signature is No Different

by Donna J. Jodhan

If there is anything in this world that puts me on an equal footing with the mainstream person it is this: Signatures that are almost impossible to decipher. It does not matter you can see or not, at the best of times it is almost impossible to decipher the majority of signatures.

When I had vision I learned how to sign my name and according to my mom it was somewhat legible if I took the time to concentrate when I was signing but now without enough vision it is almost impossible for anyone to decipher. There are signature guides that a blind person can use when signing their name but before using this they need to learn how to form their letters. These signature guides are very inexpensive and easy to make if you do not know where to purchase one.

Here’s how it works. It is made out of a piece of material that does not slip when placed on a sheet of paper; like rubber or sturdy cardboard. The shape of the signature guide is usually rectangular with a space in the middle. The bottom half of the guide is placed on the bottom line where the signature is to be written, the space is where the person is supposed to place their pen to sign, and the top half of the guide is meant to prevent the person from going above the space where their signature is supposed to be. The left and right bars of the signature guide are meant to help the person remain within the designated spot so that they do not start before and finish after the spot.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell the world that yes indeed! Blind persons can certainly enjoy things by using their sense of touch. 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

APH Signature Guide

Aids people who are visually impaired in writing their signatures. Small, pocket-size frame has an opening with an elastic band. The band provides a guide for writing and flexes to allow for the descenders of letters.

Revised guide is made of durable, flexible plastic with the same rubber backing as before to prevent sliding. Measures 4 1/2" x 2 1/4". Recommended ages: 8 years and up.

Catalog Number: 1-03530-01
Click this link to purchase the APH Signature Guide.

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

How to Buy College Textbooks for Less

As a blind or visually impaired student, you don't have the luxury of waiting to purchase your textbooks at the same time as the rest of your classmates. You may need to get that book recorded, enlarged or find a reader for assistance.

College is a big business, and one of the biggest moneymakers for any college are the required textbooks. Nothing hits your party pocketbook like a trip to the campus bookstore. To make matters worse, you get little or nothing when you try to resell your books (even the ones you never opened)!

Don't take out the extra loans. Justfollow this lesson to lessen the cost of your education.

1. If you haven't done so already, get connected with the Talking Book Library in your area. Make sure that you're all signed up and that you can receive books when you request them.
   
   
2. If you're not a member of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic click this link to sign up or call toll free: 866-732-3585.

   With more than 109,000 titles in their CV Starr Learning Through Listening Library, RFB&D is the number one producer in the world of audio textbooks for people who can't effectively read standard print.

3. Familiarize yourself with the Louis Database of Accessible Materials at the American Printing House for the Blind. Make sure you can effectively search this online resource and find the titles you need.
4. Register for classes as early as possible. Start researching courses as soon as you can, and solidify your schedule early. If you have to change classes at the last minute, it'll be hard to escape high textbook prices.
5. Find out what books you'll need for your classes. Go to the bookstore just to browse. Leave the wallet at home, but bring a pen and paper or recorder. Look for your classes and the new semester's required books. Ask the bookstore employees to assist you if needed.

   If your classes' book requirements are not in yet, inquire as to when they will be and come back on that date. You may also be able to get this information off the bookstore's website or your classes' web pages.

6. Write down or have someone read you the following information for each book:
   • the name and edition of the book
     
   • the name of the author
     
   • the book's International Standard Book Number (ISBN), found on or near the barcode on the back of the book
     
   • the price.
7. Take this information home, to the Disability Student Services office or to your school library if it has an accessible computer with online access and a telephone.
   
   
8. Begin your search. This will require the book's ISBN or International Standard Book Number. Call RFB&D or visit the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic's website to see if they have the books in their catalog.
   
   
9. Search Louis: the Database of Accessible Materials.
   
   
10. If the book is more of general reading than an actual textbook, call your local Talking Book Library to see if they have it. This works well for classic books from authors like Mary Shelley or H. G. Wells.
    
    
11. The search has ended for accessible versions of your books. Now, you're going to have to find someone to read the book to you or find some way to convert it into a format that you can use.
    
    
12. Try to find the books in the library. Check the catalogs of your school library and the local public library. If you can't find a book there, try to obtain the book via interlibrary loan. Depending on the library's borrowing policies, you may be able to check out books for the whole semester or at least for as long as you'll need them. You'll want to get on this early, though, because supplies will be limited. Ask for assistance if needed.
    
    
13. If you haven't found all your books at this point, you're going to have to buy them. Let's change our focus to purchasing the cheapest possible book.
    
    
14. Find out if any books are optional, and think twice about buying them. Some optional books are really quite necessary, while others aren't. Ask your professor or TA for advice if in doubt, and consider your own study habits. If you tend to ignore the optional materials anyway, then there's no point in wasting your money on it.
    
    
15. Search for books on the Internet. All you'll need is the book's ISBN. In the search box of your favorite search engine, enter only the ISBN number, without the dashes that separate the digits. You should come up with several exact matches; in the unlikely event that you don't, try searching by title. Verify that you have the correct book using the other information you wrote down or recorded. If a search engine search isn't very fruitful, try searching directly at online booksellers' sites.

    When the price matters more than the store, online textbook price comparison engines shine. When you don't care what truck your $200 Chemistry book fell off of or what far reaches of the world it has to travel from to get to you as long as it's dirt cheap, comparison engines are the perfect tool.

    BigWords.com is by far the most popular comparison engine. BigWords has expanded over the years to cover not just the buying and selling of textbooks but price comparisons for DVDs, music, games, and other consumer products. While Addall.com isn't as polished as BigWords', it does search forty-one book sites, ensuring that whether your book is on Half.com or Walmart.com you'll end up with a low price. Unfortunately, AddALL cannot do multiple comparisons like BigWords can.

    A great website for finding books at a great price is http://www.half.com. This is an affiliate of eBay but there are no auctions to mess with. You will need a Paypal account to buy books from this site.

    TextBookRevolt.com

    With this site, you'll be able to trade your current books for ones you need, easily. Just tell the site what books you have and what books you need. You'll then be able to make contact with people who are in your same situation. Just send them your books, and receive the ones you need. This sort of communal book trading will greatly decrease the amount of money you spend on books. All you'll have to do is share with others and you'll receive what you need. This concept of sharing books should be sending chills down the spines of many college bookstores. Signing up is free, and you'll instantly be eligible to become a part of the sharing process.
    
    Click this link to visit http://www.TextBookRevolt.com.

    Here's a great service for both bookbuyers and libraries. BWB solves libraries' problem of unwanted discards and donations by selling them online and passing on proceeds to the libraries and their nonprofit literacy partners. Buyers can select from 1.8 million used books and 500,000 new ones, knowing that the money will go to libraries and literacy promotion. Click this link to visit Better World Books at http://betterworldbooks.com.

    Another site for purchasing books is http://www.booksprice.com. Get the books you need for 50% off! Save even more by buying a pre-read copy in nearly new condition!

    ThriftHunting.com was created after the site's developer, an avid thrift shopper realized that he needed a simpler way of checking whether the books he was buying were a good deal or not. With that goal in mind, he developed a site that allows you to simply enter the ISBN or UPC code of an item into the search bar and then have Thrifthunting.com search well-known sites like eBay and Amazon for the lowest price. The original intention of the site was to allow the developer to check the lowest price to see if the item could be re-sold online after purchasing it at a thrift store. Thrifthunting is also a community for all those who love shopping at thrift stores and getting a bargain, so if you are into good deals, give the site a try.

    Free Textbooks from Orange Grove. When we came across this link to free college-level textbooks in .PDF format from Orange Grove, we were naturally skeptical, thinking they would probably not be accessible. But to our surprise, the website and books appear to be quite usable, downloadable as standard .PDF files. This page lists over 100 titles ranging from politics to history, all available for free. It's a part of the University Press of Florida.

    Chegg.com is a site with a very interesting business model. They rent textbooks rather than selling them. This makes getting a hold of textbooks much cheaper and you don't have to deal with selling them or holding on to them after you are done with the book. Chegg is the Netflix of textbooks. How it works is simple. You go to the site and select the textbooks you need. You pay the one-time rental price for each book and pay for them to ship it to you. You then keep the book until you are finished with it or you have the option to purchase the book later. When you are finished with the book, revisit the site and you can print out a shipping label for the books you want to send back and you ship them back to Chegg. It's as easy as that!

    Here's a great service for both bookbuyers and libraries. BWB solves libraries' problem of unwanted discards and donations by selling them online and passing on proceeds to the libraries and their nonprofit literacy partners. Buyers can select from 1.8 million used books and 500,000 new ones, knowing that the money will go to libraries and literacy promotion. Click this link to visit Better World Books at http://betterworldbooks.com. ?

    Here's another website that may be helpful: TextbooksRus.com. Not only does this website sell books for a lot less than you would normally buy them for, but they sell International Edition textbooks.

    What is an international edition? The website explains that textbook companies print textbooks not only for buyers in the United States, but for those in other parts of the world as well. These international editions are often identical to their American counterparts in content. The only differences might be that the cover looks different and the book is a paperback instead of a hardback book. Because people in other parts of the world won't pay the high prices on books that Americans pay, these books are generally much, much less than those sold in the United States. Textbooks R Us also reassures buyers that they will only sell international edition textbooks with identical content to their American counterparts. This could be perfect for anyone who is going to scan the book or have someone read the book aloud.
    
    

16. Continue to Shop around online. Just about any price you find online will be cheaper than the bookstore, but check as many sites as possible to find the cheapest priced book. Check out online auction marketplaces. While you won't be able to find as many books at auctions, you may be able to find some great deals. DirectTextBook.com is an online book price comparison site that lets you quickly compare book prices across 30 major book retailers including Amazon, eBooks.com, Powell’s,  Buy.com, Walmart, Book Closeouts and more. When you search for books it brings up all the options (new, used, ebook, rental) and presents them on one table. You can then scroll through the available prices for each format, select the book you want and go to the bookstores site to purchase it.
    
    
17. Check out local bookstores. You may be able to find a good deal locally, especially once you factor in shipping charges. Even if you can't quite match an online price locally, you'll be able to see the book before you purchase and you'll get the satisfaction of helping local merchants.
    
    
18. Consider used books. Used books are almost always cheaper than new ones, and if you can find a used version online in good condition it's probably a good bet. You may also be able to get used books at your campus bookstore, especially if you shop early or pre-order. Compare prices to find the best deal.
    
    
19. Inquire about earlier editions. If the current edition's used price is still too much, use the book name to find an earlier edition: enter the book title in the search box and remove any references to what edition it is. Before buying, ask your professor or TA if the earlier edition is acceptable. Sometimes it is not, and you don't want to have to pay for a book twice.
    
    
20. Scour your campus. Some colleges have student groups that sell used textbooks for older students or that otherwise facilitate buying and selling of books. Ask your friends, look at flyers around campus, and watch the student paper for deals. Don't forget to ask in the Disability Student Services office, maybe someone there has already taken the class and still has the book. Many blind students will leave their copy of books that have been recorded for the next student to use.

Resell your books. If you don't foresee that you'll need a book after the semester ends, or after you've had it scanned or recorded, try to resell it as soon as possible. Find out what your campus bookstore and local booksellers will pay, and consider putting up flyers around campus and/or selling it online. If your book is in high demand, you may be able to sell a book online within a day, and at a much higher price than you'll get at the bookstore.

Always include shipping costs in your calculations. You may be able to save money on shipping by purchasing several books from one merchant.

Don't forget about international editions. They're generally exactly the same as their American counterparts, except they often come only in paperback, and the pages may feel a bit different.

Using more than a few online book resellers might not be beneficial. Don't waste time and confuse yourself with multiple sites; focus on finding what you need, especially if the prices all appear to be about the same.

The best time to buy is between semesters, when people online are trying to get rid of their old books, but before people are buying new ones. It's usually between 2 and 4 weeks before classes start. If you track sale prices over time, you can see the dip, then a radical increase. Buy when the price is low, but you still have at least 2 weeks for shipping before school. If you want to sell, try selling the first week of school, or the week before when everyone is running around like madmen

The Encounter

Have you ever wondered what to do when you see a blind person on the street? Should you help them? Should you leave them alone?

This cartoon from the Nebraska Center for the Blind has all the answers!

Part 1

Part 2

ShowTribe.com: for Those Who Love TV

A community site for those who love watching TV, ShowTribe will let you interact with people who share your passion. Discuss all your favorite shows and (hopefully) find new ones to watch.

On the site, you can “pledge” to watch shows that others recommend to you, and your friends can keep track of what your watching, thanks to a live feed on Facebook.

The top trending shows of the hour are all highlighted on the main page, including the latest discussions that have taken place around them. They also have a full “Latest TV News” section, also displayed on the main page.

You are not required to sign up in order to join this community. You can simply authenticate who you are via Twitter, and start interacting with others immediately.

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

Three Places to Buy College Textbooks for Less

As if college weren't an expensive enough endeavor, textbook prices tend to range from shocking to outrageous. Save on your textbooks with these three websites to buy textbooks.

Amazon

No one should be surprised to find out that Amazon has their hand in the textbook business. The book superstore originally offered textbooks mixed in with the rest of their book offerings, both new and discounted through their third-party marketplace.

Now Amazon has a dedicated student/textbook section with enhanced textbook search and student-centric features. They even offer a free Amazon Prime membership to anyone with a valid student email address (even if you have an Amazon Prime account already, they will refund you the remaining balance and extend your Prime membership a year into the future). With careful shopping you can find textbooks anywhere from new with a slight discount to heavily-used and extremely discounted.

Click this link to visit Amazon.com's Student site.

AbeBooks

AbeBooks is a massive online marketplace for new, used, and rare books. They have a bustling textbook section with new and used books that average 50% off retail. They also have a 30-day return policy and an easy-to-use sell-back program—plug in the ISBNs, print off a free mailing label, and ship them back for cash in your pocket.

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

BIGWORDS

When you search for textbooks at BIGWORDS, they scan dozens of other textbook retailers and resellers to find you the absolute bargain basement prices. When the semester is over you can use the BIGWORDS engine in reverse to sell them all back or donate your textbooks through Better World Books to help fight illiteracy in developing nations.

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

Parents' Guide to Transition of Adult Children

This guide has tools for parents to prepare them for their child's transition from public school to postsecondary education & adulthood. Includes information about laws that protect parents' rights as well as the rights of adult children in college.

For more information visit this link: http://www.disability.gov/education/parent_resources/transition_planning/preparing_for_post-secondary_education.

Barcode Hero: Scan Barcodes on Your Phone and Have More Fun Shopping

Barcode Hero is a social barcode scanner that works with Facebook. Show off your collection and go shopping with friends, scan barcodes to compare prices, follow other shoppers to see their scans & recommendations in real-time, and share your own tips to help others discover the stuff you love.

Barcode Hero helps your in-store shopping by connecting you with helpful information and with other shoppers:

1. Visit any retail store
   
2. Scan a product barcode
   
3. Get smarter in seconds with recommendations from friends for similar products and comparison prices with product info from top online retailers
   
4. Earn sharable game-like achievements based on the products you scan

"We noticed that we and others were starting to use our smartphones in stores, often by using the mobile browser to visit online shopping sites. But those sites were never meant to help in-store shopping. We also enjoy trading product recommendations with friends, whether in person or online, but found it hard to remember those recommendations and pull them all together when it mattered most: on our shopping trips. We made Barcode Hero so that in-store shopping wouldn't have to be an offline experience, to bring the best of online shopping to you while you're in a store."

Barcode Hero works on any iPhone, from the original to the iPhone 4. iPhone 4 and 3GS are best for scanning barcodes, since they have autofocus cameras. The program is free, but of course you might find something you want to buy and that could get expensive.

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

How to Understand Text Language

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Have you ever wondered what the odd symbols such as ttyl, brb, lmao, and rofl mean? Perhaps you don't know how to respond when someone texts you this. Just say, "I'll text you later."

Steps

1. Get a friend (or salesperson at a phone service store) to teach you the basic steps.
2. Get to know the emoticon faces. There are a lot of smiley's out in the world. Some of the basics include: =], =[, :), :(, :0, ;D, :P, xD, :L. To figure out what the smiley is, you can rotate the screen or phone to see the exact face positioned vertically.
3. Practice using the common term abbreviations. Usually, the letters in text abbreviations are part of the word they represent. Examples include:
   • ttyl means talk to you later,
   • brb means be right back,
   • lol means laughing out loud,
   • rofl means roll on floor laughing.
   • to or too = 2
   • for = 4
   • you = u
   • your/you're = ur
   • are = r
   • be = b
   • be right back = brb
   • talk to you later = ttyl
   • tonight = 2nyt
   • see you later = c u l8r
   • take care = tc
   • goodnight = gudnyt
   • peace = (-<)
   • nothing much = nm
   • just chillin = jc
   • never mind = nvm
   • right = ryt/ rite/ ri
   • probably = prbly/ prob/ probs
   • ta ta for now=ttfn
   • back to homework=bth
   • what=wat/ wut/ ?
   • just wondering=jw
   • just kidding = jk
4. Explore and learn the phone menus (if it's new to you) to do text on your cellphone:
   • New Msg - write a new message,
   • Sent - stores copies of the messages you send,
   • Inbox - contains messages received,
   • Drafts - save messages to edit and send later.

Tips

• Don't let others make fun of you. Be confident like you understand what text symbols or messages mean -- even if you honestly don't know -- until you can ask a friend in private, or talk to the texter later (if it matters).

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Understand Text Language. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Buying and Selling Used Children's Items at KidzDorm.com

KidzDorm is a place for parents to sell or buy their kids new or used items. A service like this is more important than ever in these tough economic times, it gives parents a chance to generate an extra income right from home, and shoppers are getting their hands on what they need for less.

Items are sold in auctions and you can have as many simultaneous auctions as you wish. Auctions are categorized as Babies, Clothing and Accessories, Toys and Games, Books, so you're sure to find something you need. The site also lists featured auctions on its main page, and you can choose to have the ones that are ending soon listed together for easy reference. Additionally, people can add a “Wanted Ad” of their own, in case they need something specific.

Click this link to start shopping with http://www.KidzDorm.com.

Terror at Security Checkpoints

by Donna J. Jodhan

With more and more security checks being implemented at airports across North America and indeed at major airports around the world, it is becoming scarier for those of us who are blind and visually impaired.

I ran into a very scary episode recently at Toronto's major airport; Pearson International airport. When I got to the security checkpoint, I placed my carry-on bag along with my cane and jacket into the plastic box as instructed but the fun started after I walked through the tiny tunnel. For a better way to describe it, the tiny enclosure that one has to go through before a security agent pats you down.

Without any warning, I was told that my bag had to be searched because they found chemicals on it and in addition I had to be given an entire body search. Nothing too out of the ordinary with all of this except for: I felt completely helpless without my cane and I am quite aware that they had to x-ray my cane but what most mainstream persons of the sighted world do not understand is this: A cane is practically part of a blind person's physical being or make up. Take it away from them without warning and the blind person becomes extremely anxious and starts to develop feelings of helplessness and if not explained properly as to why it has been taken away then the blind person can often become extremely stressed. A feeling of nakedness without my cane is how I felt.

A cane gives me confidence. It enables me to find my way. It helps me to feel secure; somewhat like having a security blanket. Take it away from me and I am left to negotiate my way blindly as they would say and when a blind person has their cane taken away from them in unfamiliar territory it is thrice as bad. Add to all of this the stress of having to deal with unfriendly security agents and you have just created a powder keg for disaster.

If you would like to learn more about how and why blind persons use canes and where you can purchase one, please visit either http://www.independentliving.com or http://www.maxiaids.com.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell the world that yes indeed! Blind persons can certainly enjoy things by using their sense of touch. 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

Changing Voice Profiles with Jaws

The following tip comes from the Tech Access Weekly blog. It explains how to easily change your voice profiles in JAWS 11.

Click this link to play this audio tip.

Phone Disk: - iPad, iTouch, iPhone Disk Mode for Mac and PC

iPad, iTouch or iPhone Disk Mode is made easy with Phone Disk. Using your standard USB cable, this tiny program runs in the menu bar or system tray of your Mac or PC. When it finds an iPod Touch or iPhone it seamlessly mounts it to your file system so you can directly access its files using Windows Explorer, Finder and every other program.

Features include:

• Preview, open, edit and save images, documents and more directly on the device.
  
• Access the device directly through other programs such as a document editing program.
  
• Mount multiple iPhones and iPod Touches simultaneously
  
• Browse the iPhone in Finder and Windows Explorer
  
• Works with or without jail breaking the device. It's a simple application that runs in your system tray and won't clutter or slow your computer.
  
• Fully integrated with OSX and Windows
  
• Optionally, automatically launch program at startup.

Click this link to download Phone Disk: http://www.macroplant.com/phonedisk/.

Two iPad Applications for the Classroom

Docs Anywhere

As the name implies, Docs Anywhere allows iPad users a high degree of portability for their digital documents. Capable of reading Word, Excel, PowerPoint, .pdf files, rich text, plain text, HTML, and other file formats, it allows transfer between desktop and portable device using USB and iTunes. Teachers who prefer working on their home machines can very easily transport their work to the classroom on their iPads, which also provides e-mailing capabilities for an added dimension of file preservation.

Click this link to try Docs Anywhere: http://www.deedubsoftware.com/docsanywhere/.

Free Books

Any educators with a need for quick reference to 23,469 books (and counting!) should absolutely download this amazing resource. Completely free, not only does it provide access to classic novels, but autobiographies, letters, speeches, and other writings by significant historical figures and recognized geniuses, including the American presidents, works of philosophy by Seneca and other influential thinkers, Shakespeare’s plays, and more!! Because of this, even teachers who do not focus on English still benefit greatly from what Free Books offers.

Click this link to download Free Books: http://appshopper.com/books/free-books-23469-classics-to-go.

Listen to Your Favorite Blogs with BlogRadio

BlogRadio is a cool application that helps you listen to your favorite blogs!

1. Subscribe to blogs that you like using the BlogRadio Desktop Manager.
   
2. The text of the blog is converted to an audio file (with a natural voice).
   
3. When you're ready, run the Desktop Manager and start listening!

Click this link to give Blogradio a try: http://www.podblogr.com.

Talk to Your Friends on Facebook From Windows Live Messenger

With the release of Windows Live Essentials beta 2 Windows Live Messenger received a new feature which people have been craving for a while: the ability to chat with Facebook friends. This has been expected as in the previous beta there was some Facebook integration mostly having to do with status updates, but it did show contacts as well. The messenger also has connectivity with many other social networks truly making this a social hub.

Directly from Windows Live Photo Gallery you can upload to Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr, as well as the company's own SkyDrive. Then from Windows Live Messenger you can chat with all your friends on Facebook without needing to visit the site. The interface works the same as a regular instant message, so this will feel right at home.

A note on how to set up Facebook chat: If you have already connected Facebook to WLM, you will have to click on the Facebook icon on your contact list to edit the connection, and then make sure you place a check by the chat option. Click Connect with Facebook and it should update your contact list momentarily.

How Being Polite Can Be Insensitive to People with Disabilities

Growing up, we are taught that it is not polite to stare at someone with a disability. However, we are so paranoid that we will mess up and stare that we don’t dare even look at the person.  As a result, our well intended politeness inadvertently renders people with disabilities invisible. It is a tale of two extremes. Either people with disabilities are stared at or we don’t look at them at all.

You have probably witnessed or experienced first hand a child pointing at someone with a disability and asking the adult they are with, “What’s wrong with that person?” Typically the adult responds by grabbing the child’s hand as quickly as possible and then gives a powerful “shhhh”. Now the kid is scared half to death and we wonder where we get the message of how we are to treat people with disabilities.

So what could we do? Kids are curious so we should provide them with information and not frighten them.  In as simple terms as possible, do your best to explain your perception of the situation. For example, you might say that the person is using a wheelchair because their legs are too week or they have cerebral palsy and their legs don’t work like ours.

CHANGING OUR BEHAVIORS

Many of us are so afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing that we make the biggest mistake of all and say or do nothing, thus furthering the isolation that many people with disabilities experience. Here are a few suggestions that may improve the quality of our interactions.

Greet the person as you would any other person. We commonly greet one another with a handshake and just because someone has a disability should not deter us. In the event someone holds their left hand out to shake, follow their lead, as they may not have full use of their right hand. If the person is blind, wait for them to hold their hand out. If you are uncertain it is okay to wait and follow their lead.

Speak directly to the person with the disability. If the person uses an interpreter or aide, direct all of your conversation to the person, not to their interpreter or aide.

Do not speak louder or slower. If someone is blind there is no need to shout, remember, they are blind not deaf. This also applies to people with cognitive or developmental disabilities.

Refer to the disability only when it is relevant to the discussion.

Use of Common expressions. There is no need to worry if you use a common expression such as saying to a person who is blind, “see you later” or to someone who is a wheelchair user, “let’s go for a walk”.

Tell a person who is blind when you enter and exit a conversation.

Offer assistance but do not force help on anyone. Think “assist” not “insist”.

Do not lean on or take control of a wheelchair without the owner’s permission.

CHANGING LANGUAGE

One of the most important elements to keep in mind with our use of words is always keep the person first. In the list that follows you will notice that the person will always come before the descriptor. It is also best if you do not use the word “the” before descriptors, such as “the mentally ill or the deaf”, etc…

You may wonder why it is so significant to place the person first; after all, doesn’t it convey the same meaning? No, it does not. First, we'll give you the outdated or offensive, then the acceptable and  appropriate terms separated by a colon.

• Disabled, Handicapped: Person with a disability
  
• Retarded, Mentally ill: People with a developmental or cognitive disability
  
• Hearing impaired: People who are deaf or hard of hearing
  
• Visually impaired: People who are blind or partially sighted
  
• Confined to a wheelchair, Crippled: Wheelchair user or person who uses a wheelchair, physically disabled
  
• Midget: Little people, LP, person of short stature
  
• Normal: People without a disability, non-disabled

Approximately 19% of the U.S. population has a disability (US Census Bureau, 2008).  However, most disabilities are not obvious so you may not be aware of just how many people may be impacted by your words and action.

Most people are well intended and do not want to cause harm to anyone.  Yet sometimes unknowingly our words and actions do just that. What we intend to be polite may end up being insensitive. We end up making lots of people invisible and the saddest part is that we think we are being nice.

Article Source:
RoFx.Net

The SpamNEWS Blog

An antivirus program and a firewall are indispensable tools to keep your data safe and your computer running smoothly. However, no matter how careful you are, new computer viruses and malware find the most peculiar ways into your system.

Hackers can exploit holes in your software, you could run into a novel virus before the definitions of your antivirus tool are updated, or you might fall for one of many new phishing email messages. You will never be 100% safe.

One precaution you can take is to stay up to date with the latest threats. Learn about the traps before you’re stuck in the middle of one.

The spamNEWS blog provides frequent updates on anything that threatens your digital experience. Besides spam, you will also find updates on phishing attacks, security vulnerabilities, or Facebook scams.

This news blog relies on several sources for its information, including Sophos, Secunia, MessageLabs, and SecureWorks. It’s the perfect central news resource for the curious, but not overly worried among you.

spamNEWS RSS Feed

MyPhoneTap.com: Record Your Calls

My Phone Tap is a service you can use to record your calls. For example, if you work as part of a large team and you unfortunately have to miss an important conference call, you could easily have the call recorded and played back as many times as you need.

You could also listen to calls in which information such as dates or figures that you have forgotten were first brought up. You could also use it to review the location of that party that you were just invited to. How about that first call from the person you are currently dating?

This recording service works based on credits. The more calls you want to record, the more credits you'll need. It’s as simple as that.

Click this link to learn more about http://www.MyPhoneTap.com.

How to Delete Friends on Facebook

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Are you just tired of that friend who constantly bugs you with messages or just spams your Facebook wall? Do you want to "un-friend" him? Here's how.

Steps

Method 1

1. Log into http://facebook.com/.
2. Go to "Account" at the top right hand corner. You can view this any time on any page of Facebook.
3. Go to "Edit Friends". You will see that you are in the category of "Find Friends".
4. Click on the category of "All Connections", just above from "Find Friends". Here, you will be able to view all of your friends and all the groups that you are a fan of.
5. Find the friend that you would like to delete. Across from your friend's name, you will see a little tiny "X". Click on the "X" and it will ask you if you want to delete the connection permanently. Say "Yes", and it's done!

Method 2

1. Find the friend you want to de-friend.
2. Go to the top of the page, and select the button on the panel that says "Profile".
3. On the left panel, go to the box that says "Friends". Click on "See All".
4. Type your friend's name in the search box.
5. Click on your friend's name.
6. Scroll down and look on the left side of the page, right at the bottom. Select "Remove from Friends".
7. You'll get a confirmation. Hit "Remove from Friends".
8. You've removed your friend! Hit "Okay" to close the window. If not, it'll close in a few seconds.

Video

A quick video demonstration of using the tools to remove friends on Facebook (updated version of Facebook).

Tips

• A warning message will not be sent to your friends, so feel free to delete as many friends as you want.

• Another option is blocking, which is temporary and also prevents your friend from seeing your profile in any of their friends lists or search results. You can remove the block at any time, and your profile will reappear to them.

Warnings

• You will, however, be removed from your friend's friend list, too, so if he/she actually tries searching for you, they will figure out that you aren't their friend anymore.

Things You'll Need

• A Facebook account
• Facebook "Friends"
• Internet access

Related wikiHows

• Cancel a Pending Friend Request on Facebook
• How to Add Friends on Facebook
• How to Make a New Facebook Account
• How to Quit Facebook
• How to Permanently Delete a Facebook Account

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Delete Friends on Facebook. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

The Information Barrier

by Donna J. Jodhan

I don't think that this topic would come as a shocker or shaker to anyone within the blind and visually impaired community but sad to say, it just might within the sighted world. There are so many of our sighted friends and associates who still do not understand when we complain that information barriers still exist for us and that they are very mountainous. The majority of websites are still guilty of not granting us equal access to information. Companies and organizations still continue to send out information in printed formats that are still not accessible to us and reachable by us. Important emergency procedures are still not in alternate formats that we can read and manuals that come with equipment and appliances are still not being produced in alternate formats.

For some inexplicable reason, websites continue to offer forms and downloadable files in PDF formats and even our Federal government is guilty of the same. Many websites are still offering forms that are not totally accessible to us. We are already living in a world of darkness so to speak but the information barrier makes our world even darker. Everyone needs information in order to keep up with their surroundings, learn, and understand. We are living in an information based society and as blind and visually impaired persons it is imperative that we have equal access to information. Inadequate access to information on the Internet means that we are unable to independently garner knowledge and we need to depend on sighted assistance to help us. Inaccessible forms means that we are unable to take full advantage of e commerce opportunities and access information that requires us to complete forms in order to receive information. Inaccessible forms also mean that we are unable to apply for jobs and funding and as a result we need to again depend on sighted assistance.

If procedures, especially emergency procedures are not available to us, then we have to again depend on sighted assistance and in addition, we are often at the mercy of kindness and compassion on the part of others. Nowadays, there is no excuse for not being able to make information available in a format that we can read. Information is almost always developed electronically so why can't society in general take that extra little step to make it available to us? Via email, or in other alternate formats? It is time for us to make a committed effort to break down the information barrier.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell the world that yes indeed! Blind persons can certainly enjoy things by using their sense of touch. 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

New Gaming Trend! iPhone Games You Can Play With Your Eyes Closed

They might be for niche audiences, but the world's first audio-only iPhone game, Aurifi (or-if-EYE) was released a few weeks ago and the second one, Papa Sangre, is slated to be released in September.

What's behind this new trend in gaming?

It isn't new technology, which is fairly commonplace in the industry, says Aurifi developer Chris Walker of Punk Pie.

Walker said they mainly used Apple's Logic software and plug-ins to create the game, which contains several mini-games in which players use only audio-cues to complete tasks.

Instead, like many iPhone-app stories, it's mostly the new distribution system that's helping these sorts of apps come to life.

Before the iTunes store, designers had to come up with a concept, convince a developer, and secure a publisher. Nowadays, "if we can find a small amount of funding, we can execute the game," Walker says, which allows for a lot more adventurous developing.

Once they'd decided to create an audio only game, Punk Pie chose the iPhone because it was one of the first phones to support 3D audio, and has better market penetration than other phones.

Walker admits that the game is for niche audiences, but suspects audio-only will become a genre because "to be noticed at all in computer games now, it requires something different."

Aurifi has over 11,000 active users within its first 8 weeks, and is particularly popular among visually impaired users. That's not enough to make Walker the next app-store millionaire, but the app has pulled in thousands of dollars since launching.

Check out some sample music from the game here:

And stay tuned for Papa Sangre, an audio-only 3D thriller game, which is launching in the fall.

Article Source:
Business Insider

Vision Hotels: a UK Not-for-Profit Service for the Blind

Vision Hotels, which has four AA three-star hotels in Devon, West Sussex, Somerset and Cumbria, has been set up by Action for Blind People to provide accessible breaks, regardless of disability.

Each hotel has made simple adjustments - such as wet rooms, textured surfaces, talking alarm clocks and large button phones - to ensure guests can relax and enjoy their stay.

The individual hotels have been open for some time, but it is only now that they are being branded as Vision Hotels. They include the 47-bedroom Cliffden hotel in Teignmouth, Devon; the 37-bedroom Lauriston hotel, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset; 40-bedroom Russell hotel, Aldwick, West Sussex; and the 28-bedroom Windermere Manor, Windermere, Cumbria.

Bookings can be made by contacting the individual hotels directly or via the first fully accessible website and booking system at http://www.visionhotels.co.uk.

Super Compact Record Player

In this day of high-tech gadgets and MP3 players, it's nice to see an old favorite still has a chance to be cool. I have a deep love for record players, my parents got one for me when I was a very young child and I've owned one all my life. I have tons of records and wouldn't give them up for the world. I'm thinking I may have to have one of these too.

The Crosley Revolution turntable truly fits the word in every way. Where other turntables take up space, this one dances around a desk without ado. Where other record players must be kept in their designated place, the Revolution practically begs to join you on every journey. And where other turntables tangle you in a web of wires, the Revolution effortlessly pairs with any FM radio for cordless, clear sound.

It is a turntable of firsts-the first battery-powered Crosley turntable, the first with a platter smaller than a teacup saucer, and the first with a wireless transmitter for cord-free enjoyment. Users can tote this two-speed turntable with them to vinyl swaps or to a friend’s house. Featuring a USB hookup for easy analog-to-digital transfer, the Revolution will allow users to free their favorites from the grooves for digital enjoyment across a variety of devices. This small but mighty turntable also features a headphone jack, passive audio out, and a dynamic full range speaker. Includes a software Suite For Ripping And Editing Audio Content Belt Driven Turntable Mechanism plays 2 Speeds, 33 1/3 And 45 RPM Records.

Now if we could only do something for packing all those records around!

Click this link to visit the Crosley Radio website to purchase the Revolution turntable.

Giving And Receiving Directions; While Walking With A Sighted Guide

Instead of allowing others to grab onto you while you are walking with them, you will find that it is both safer and more comfortable for you to hold onto their arm. Let others know that this is your preference and demonstrate for them how this technique works.

Grasp their arm above the elbow gently but firmly. Walk slightly behind them so that you can follow their motions. Let them know that physical cues are usually all that are necessary to signal where they are going and that verbal explanations usually are not needed.

Tell others that if they think you might need assistance, they should simply ask if and how they can be helpful. Ask them not to make assumptions about your needs. By making this request, you are asking others for the same courtesy they would extend to anyone.

Let people know what type of information you wish to receive. Let them know that specific terms such as "right," "left," "north," and "west" are better than pointing or saying "over there." Ask clerks in stores to take you directly to the aisle and not to say "in aisle 4."

This tip is used by special permission from the Oregon Commission for the Blind: http://www.cfb.state.or.us.

Determining Compass Directions

Do you know how to determine north from south--and where the sun is not shining? Because moss grows far more profusely on the north side of a tree than on its south side, if a tree is close by, it is normally not too difficult to ascertain north from south. Useful information, don't you think, for the blind and sighted alike?

Contributor: Gerry Ellis

Instruction In Music from NLS

Audio-recordings available from the Talking Books Collection of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) include a set of cassette tapes with instructions to use when teaching or learning chording on a keyboard instrument. These tell you a bit about the keyboard and include some basic melodies you can play. The cassettes are recorded in a slow-speed format with four monophonic tracks each. Please note that specialized playback equipment is needed to listen to these recordings.

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
Toll Free: 800-424-8567
Email: nls@loc.gov
Web: http://www.loc.gov/nls

Contributor: Fred Gissoni

Riding Escalators

Riding escalators can be tricky. Putting your hand about 12 inches forward on the moving rail is a way to give yourself better stability--and it will also help you in getting information about when the escalator is approaching the top or bottom so you will be prepared to step off. This method also provides more stability than using the arm of a sighted person when riding an escalator.

Contributor: David Murrell

Online Blood Pressure Chart

Blood pressure is the force that the blood is putting on arterial walls and is one of the principal vital signs. This website, the Blood Pressure Chart does a simple job of storing your results and presenting them in a friendly manner. You can look at them on a nice graph or a table, share them either on a public profile (don't worry, you can turn it off), or send it to your doctor by email.

Blood Pressure Chart features:

• interactive graph that makes it easy to see the big picture (trends, effects of drugs, etc.)
  
• a table with all your information presented in a succinct manner
  
• Blood Pressure Chart can automatically calculate average values from multiple readings (reading is more accurate if you repeat it a few times and write down the average)
  
• statistics - average values and "distribution of stages" ("how often was pressure good, how often there was a prehypertension, etc.) for readings taken in the morning, in the evening and during the entire day.
  
• show your chart, table and statistics to a doctor on a public profile. This feature can be turned off for privacy reasons.
  
• send your records by email
  
• set up daily reminders
  
• import records from CSV files (MS Excel and OpenOffice Calc compatible)
  
• large fonts suitable for the elderly and those with low vision.

Click this link to visit http://bp-chart.com. NOTE: This website may not be compatible with screen reading technology.