Making it Work with Technology

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Making it Work with Technology

• NFBF Statewide Conference
• Parent Seminar
• May 26, 2006
• Donna Ross
• Administrative Resource Teacher
• FIMC-VI
• dross_at_fimcvi.org

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Portions of this presentation taken from

• International Braille Technology Center (IBTC),
  located at the National Center for the Blind,
  Baltimore, MD.
• Ike Presley, Overview of Technology for People
  Who are Blind or Visually Impaired, Professional
  Development, Project Manager at the American
  Printing House for the Blind (APH), provided many
  of the graphics.
• Steve Booths article, A Beginners Guide to
  Access Technology for Blind Students, Part One,
  Future Reflections, Winter/Spring, 2006.

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What Can Technology Do?

• It provides tools for
• accessing printed information,
• accessing electronic information,
• communicating through writing, and

• producing materials in alternate formats
• Large print
• Braille
• Audio

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Important

• Not all students with a visual impairment will
  need specialized technology.
• Some may need no tech, some low tech, and others
  high tech.
• Needs should be identified through a complete
  functional vision and learning media assessment.
• Less is better!!

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Low Tech

• Low Vision
• Bold-Line paper
• Raised green-lined paper
• Colored acetate sheets
• Felt pens and
• dark-writing pencils
• Large-print books
• Reading stands
• Goose neck lamps
• (increased lighting)

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Low Tech

• Magnification
• Glasses Contact Lenses
• Hand-held magnifiers

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Low Tech

• Magnification
• Video Magnifiers (CCTVs)
• for near and distant viewing

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Low Tech

• Magnification
• Telescopic Devices
• (distant viewing)

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Low Tech

• Blind (non-print readers)
• Braille texts
• Tactile graphics
• Abacus (math)

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Low Tech

• Blind (non-print readers)
• Braille writers/braille paper
• Slate n Stylus
• Real objects

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High Tech

• Personal computer (PC)
• For reading/listening writing
• With screen enlargement
• and/or speech
• Desktop
• Laptop
• Keyboarding Software

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High Tech

• Screen Access Software
• Software that translates information on the
  computer into speech
• JAWS
• Freedom Scientific
• Window-Eyes
• GW Micro

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High Tech

• Electronic Notetakers/Accessible PDAs

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High Tech

• Electronic Notetakers/Accessible PDAs
• Features
• Braille or QWERTY input
• Optional 18- or 32-character refreshable braille
  display
• Speech Output
• Print or emboss
• hard copy documents

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High Tech

• Auditory Print Access
• Scanner OCR
• Common use photo files
• OCR Optical Character Recognition
• Software used with conventional scanners which
  converts text to synthetic speech using a
  standard PC.

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High Tech

• Scanner OCR
• Makes most print materials accessible using
  synthesized speech
• Handouts
• Worksheets
• Tests
• Short stories
• Short text sections

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High Tech

• Auditory Print Access
• Books on Tapes/
• Talking Books
• Digital Talking Book Players
• APH Book Port
• RFBD Victor Readers

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High Tech

• Auditory Print Access
• Talking Calculators
• Talking Dictionaries

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High Tech

• Braille Embosser
• Print/Braille Tactile
• Graphics Embossers
• Embossing Software
• Duxbury
• Braille 2000
• Mega Dots

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High Tech

• Mountbatten Electronic Braille Writer and
  Embosser, with speech.
• Monty braille translation software

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High Tech Misc.

• Sonar Cane

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Remember

• Not all students with a visual impairment will
  need specialized technology
• Some may need no tech, some low tech, and others
  high tech
• Needs should be identified through a complete
  functional vision and learning media assessment.
• Less is better!!

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Helpful Websites

• International Braille Technology Center
• http//www.nfb.org/tech/ibtc.htm
• DBS Newsletters -
• http//dbs.myflorida.com/newsletter/index.sht
  mlAccess
• American Printing House
• http//www.aph.org/index.html
• Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
• http//www.tsbvi.edu (see National Agenda
  folder)
• Florida Instructional Materials Center VI
• http//www.fimcvi.org
• Free Braille Literary Books
• http//www.seedlings.org
• Special Education Technology British Columbia
• http//www.setbc.org
• American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
• http//www.afb.org

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Questions and Sharing