APH News: July 2013

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

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

• APH Sizzlin’ Summer Savings Sale
• Now Available on APH Shopping Site–Scholastic News® Subscriptions!
• Extended Warranty Options for the Braille Plus 18
• NEW! ReadWrite Stand
• NEW! Braille DateBook 2014
• APH Braille Book Corner

Save the Date!

APH Annual Meeting, “The Universe at Our Fingertips, STEMulating Products for Life,” October 17 – 19, 2013, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky!

Annual Meeting Hotel Registration Now Available

The Hyatt Regency is offering special rates to attendees of the 2013 APH Annual Meeting. Single and double occupancy rooms are $135, triple occupancy is $145, and quadruple occupancy is available for $155.

You can make your reservations online here: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/APH2013

Reservations are best made online, however, if additional reservation assistance is needed, please call 1-888-421-1442.

Look for information about our fantastic Annual Meeting 2013 agenda — coming to you soon!

BOP Writers Return to APH – With Reinforcements!

The Building on Patterns writing group just visited APH for a week. While on site they worked intensely on the next edition of BOP, which will begin with Pre-Kindergarten. Part of their study and work included a half-day workshop from Margo Waddell of the National Center for Family Literacy titled, "What Works for Early Language and Emergent Literacy Instruction." The group also spent half a day getting hands-on practice with the Unified English Braille Code, presented by Dr. Cay Holbrook, which will be taught in the BOP series.

Front Row: Deanna Scoggins, Paige Maynard, Anna Swenson, Jo Ellen Croft, Sue Schimmelpfennig
Back Row: Kristen Buhler, Izetta Read, Cay Holbrook, Kay Ferrell, Kate Dilworth, Dawn Wilkinson, Kathy Mullen, Robin Wingell, Susan Spicknall, Luanne Blaylock, Cathy Senft-Graves, Kate Herndon

APH Royalty Visits Alabama

On June 7 and 8, at the request of the Alabama School for the Blind (ASB) Alumni Association, APH Talking-Book narrator Madelyn Buzzard spoke at ASB in Talladega. While there, Madelyn toured the facilities and was presented with a plaque that proclaimed her “The Queen of the Talking Book Readers.”

APH Video Star Contest is Heating Up!

What are you doing this summer? Is becoming an APH Video Star part of your plans?

This summer you can become one of our Unforgettable APH Stars while winning cash prizes up to $150.00. All you need to do is to capture a 5 min. video using APH products.

• Will you be practicing sports using our Tennis Kit or a Sound Ball?
• Will you be creating Art with the Paint Pot Palette or the DRAFTSMAN?
• Maybe solving puzzles with the Sudoku Partner or Squid Magazine?
• How about reading your favorite books with the Refreshabraille 18 or Book Port Plus?

Whatever your plan is, we want to see you in action. The deadline to submit your videos for the Unforgettable APH Star 2013 Summer Contest is September 17, 2013. To read more about the contest, view videos, and review the guidelines, go to: sites.aph.org/contest. We wish you a great summer!

Lights, Camera, APH Quick Tips!

This month, APH is initiating a new feature: APH Quick Tips! These will be video snippets of tips about all things APH. From tactile graphics to museum happenings to APH history to departmental and product factoids, it will all be here! APH Quick Tips videos will feature staff members and other “movie stars!” Click the link below for the inaugural Quick Tips video and let us know what you think! And check back every week for a new tip! archive.aph.org/quick-tips

The 2013 APH Advisory Committees Commend APH and Make Recommendations

Each spring, the two APH Ex Officio Trustee Advisory Committees separately assemble in Louisville to review, counsel, and offer guidance to the company.

Here are the links to the current committees and their 2013 Reports for your review:

• Educational Products Advisory Committee, 2012-2013
• Educational Services Advisory Committee, 2012-2013
• Advisory Committees’ Report, 2013

APH Salutes the Braille Challengers!

Ian Receveur, student of Jane Bartley, taking the Proofreading portion of the Braille Challenge in Los Angeles!

The Braille Challenge® is an academic competition unlike any other. This two-stage contest is designed to motivate blind students to emphasize their study of braille, while rewarding their success with a fun-filled, but challenging, weekend of events. Sixty students from across the United States and Canada traveled to Los Angeles for the thirteenth annual finals of the Braille Challenge competition where they matched skills against the top Braille readers in the nation. The finalists, competing on five age levels, were chosen from over 1000 students who competed on the preliminary level.

APH was proud to be a part of the event once again, and Field Services Representative Kerry Isham was on hand to display APH products to the students, their families, and their teachers. Highlights of the exhibit included Webchase, Geometro shapes and more.

Congratulations to ALL of the contestants, including Kentuckiana’s own Mason Tilley and Ian Receveur, who represented us on the Sophomore and Apprentice levels, respectively. Californian Tiffany Zhao represented her home state well as the overall winner of the Challenge, and Indiana’s Mitchell Bridwell received special recognition as the “Braille Superstar”, with the highest reading comprehension score across all competitors. For a full listing of all the finalists and the national winner, please visit Braille Institute’s website at http://www.brailleinstitute.org/braillechallenge/

Around the House:

A New Face in the Research Department

Please join APH in welcoming our new braille literacy project leader, Dawn Wilkinson! Dawn comes to APH with nearly 15 years experience as a teacher of students with visual impairments and an Assistive Technology consultant. Dawn dove right in as soon as she walked in the door on her first day by participating in the intensive week-long Building on Patterns summer meeting. Welcome to APH, Dawn!

Summer Intern Making a Difference at APH: Natalie Punzak-Yale University Class of ‘16

This is the 14th year for the Bulldogs in the Bluegrass program, and APH has taken part for 13 of those years.

Natalie Punzak, a rising sophomore at Yale, is this summer’s special intern. She started the day after Memorial Day and will be at APH through August 2. The job description for her position says APH will take Natalie through all aspects of operation of a small public relations office, so she will be asked to do all the jobs that previous interns have done: newsletter articles, research, relating to congress, tours, posting to publicity sites, etc. Natalie is busy with many projects and we are very happy to have her with us!

Wanted: Test and Assessment Product Development Project Leader

This important APH position adapts, field tests, and produces test and assessment products for teachers and rehabilitation staff to use with students and adult consumers who are blind/visually impaired. The position collaborates and partners with schools, rehabilitation agencies, test developers, teachers, experts, APH peers, and others to develop/modernize products. The position is expected to utilize the best methods for conducting research, including, but not necessarily limited to, research design, statistical analysis, and the drawing of appropriate conclusions from the literature reviews and collected data. This is a key position at APH that provides support to other APH personnel, APH’s mission, the customers we serve and others in the area of test and assessment adaptation.

Please review the full posting and then to apply, submit your resume and cover letter with salary requirements to hrassistant@aph.org or mail to Attn: Human Resources Department, American Printing House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206.

A Cutting-Edge Device at APH

After showing the Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC) and others this marvelous machine, Research staff members (l-r) Andrew Moulton and Frank Hayden met with Public Affairs staff to demonstrate this cool piece of equipment.

Natalie Punzak, Public Affairs, Summer Intern 2013

Fifty years ago, the only place you could imagine a machine that could print out objects was in movies like Star Trek; today, these machines are a reality. We are proud to have the capability at APH to use stereo-lithography (3D printing) to immediately produce and modify prototypes. The 3D printer works by taking digital input from a computer design program to create three-dimensional parts through a layer-by-layer process.

One example of a product made with our 3D printed prototype is the Expanded Beginner’s Abacus. Andrew Moulton (Research) reverse engineered the Beginner’s Abacus and made adjustments, field-tested it, and then sent the sample out to have the mold made. We currently use 3D printers to make sample models – not final products – because the inexpensive plastic printing material is not as durable as our final products from a mold.

Frank Hayden (Research) raves about the printer and its uses: “The best thing about the Ultimaker (our 3D printer) is that it gives us the ability in-house to make a functioning part that we can place in the hands of a project leader, an expert reviewer, or in field test sites for the evaluation. Holding a part in your hand and actually using it communicates so much more information about the design than a mechanical drawing.”

This new 3D printing process saves us tons of time and money and keeps us technologically moving forward with products. Check out some time-lapsed videos of the printer in action on the YouTube channel “Andrew Moulton”!

Game Token (a part from the upcoming Games of Squares kit) Video 30 sec.; Real time 18 min.

APH Logo (demonstration/test part designed by Andrew Moulton using Rhino 3D CAD software) Video 59 sec.; Real time 34 min.

Rubber Ducky (demonstration/test part Designed by Andrew Dakin using the Haptic Device) Video 1 min 38 sec.; Real time 1 hr 26 min.

"O" Braille Bead (a 3x scale part from the upcoming Braille Beads kit) Video 38 sec.; Real time 18 min.

And just for fun, the Bottle Opener (demonstration/test part downloaded for free from the internet). Video 1 min 38 sec.; Real time 1 hr 41 min.

APH: Kentucky Derby Winner!

Becky Snider (left) and Rip Hatfield, chair of the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation Board (right).

APH was recently honored to receive the Kentucky Derby Festival‘s 2013 Charity of the Year award! The 30 charities that participated in the Derby Festival Marathon and Mini raised a total of $227,000. Through the Run to Independence marathon team, APH raised $24,000 to help bring more braille books to children. Thank you and we look forward to participating next year!

Oldies but Goodies: The "Established" APH Product Series

The Shape Board has been revised! Learn to discriminate, sort, and classify different geometric figures according to size, shape, color, or position on a pegboard. This board has proportional shapes that contrast brightly against the yellow pegboard and aids in understanding the concepts of up, down, right, and left.

This product consists of 25 geometric figures and a board with three columns of five pegs. It includes five different shapes (square, rectangle, triangle, circle, and pentagon) in small, medium, and large sizes. Instructions in print and braille are also included.

If you have any suggestions for other products you would like to see highlighted in this monthly feature, please send your comments to Monica Turner at mmturner@aph.org.

Treasures From the APH Libraries

The APH Barr Library supports research initiatives at APH, while the Migel Library is one of the largest collections of nonmedical information related to blindness in the world. Although the collections do not circulate, arrangements can be made to use the materials on-site. In addition, an ongoing digitization effort means APH will continue to make materials available through the online catalog at http://migel.aph.org.

Two of the many "Treasures from the APH Libraries" are described below.

From the Migel Library: Sturgis, Dinah. "The Kindergarten for the Blind." New England Magazine (1895): 433-52.

Before the development of the Perkin’s Institution’s Kindergarten for the Blind in 1887, there were few options for young students who were blind in New England. Children whose families could afford it typically had to find private instructors. The Kindergarten for the Blind offered students between the age of 5 and 9 a level of mental and scholastic development that was especially high. Rather than focus on tradesmanship, as many European schools did, the Kindergarten realized that a recently industrialized world called for a modern education. Along with the history and description that this article presents, though, is a candid look at the attitudes towards blindness of the time. Additionally, the heavily-illustrated article shows and discusses the Kindergarten’s “Four Laura Bridgmans,” one of whom is a young Helen Keller. “The Kindergarten for the Blind” has been digitized for the Internet Archive at http://archive.org/details/kindergartenforb00dina.

From the Barr Library: Hardy, Richard E. The Anxiety Scale for the Blind. New York: American Foundation for the Blind, 1968.

The Anxiety Scale for the Blind (ASB) is premised on the belief that a test designed specifically for the visually impaired would be more valuable than the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, which was a popular instrument used to test the sighted in the 1950s. The ASB was intended for use in residential high schools, but Hardy presents some modifications for appropriating his experimental tool in other environments. Comprised of 78 true/false items including, “I refuse to carry a cane because it makes me appear helpless,” and “I almost always trust the people who guide me,” the assessment begins with handing the test taker a roll of tickets. Depending on whether the answer to each statement was true or false, the individual places a ticket on the right or left side of the desk. The lasting impact of Hardy’s research is evidenced by the fact it has been cited in peer-reviewed articles as recently as 2013.

APH is working with the Lyrasis Consortium and Internet Archive to digitize portions of the M.C. Migel Library. Search the phrase “full text” to find these items at http://migel.aph.org. The digitized texts are available in a variety of formats, including DAISY, Kindle, EPUB, PDF, etc.

Contact Library staff: library@aph.org, 800-223-1839, ext. 705

Three New Catalogs Available: Products, Daily Life, Demo Disc

APH now has three new catalogs available: Instructional Products 2013-14, Daily Life 2013-14, and Demo Disc 2013.

• Instructional Products is a complete listing of APH products other than textbooks. Find new products in the areas of orientation & mobility, mathematics, early childhood, PE & recreation, assistive technology, and more. Available in print, on our website, and on our Demo Disc.
• Daily Life contains hundreds of products for students, parents, and adults. New products include such items as books for young children, digital talking book players, a painting kit, a book on adapting sports, and a mobility app for Android smartphones. Available on our website and our Demo Disc.
• Demo Disc is a CD-ROM containing all of our software demos, along with accessible catalogs in PDF and text file formats. Software demos can be turned into full copies of the software by calling APH Customer Service and giving us your credit card number.

To request your free Products Catalog or Demo Disc please email catalogs@aph.org or call 1-800-223-1839 M-F, 8am to 4:30pm EST. Visit our Catalog Download Center for PDF or text file copies of our catalogs.

Braille Plus 18 Videos — Chase Just Keeps ‘Em Coming!

We’ve added links to two MORE videos about aspects of APH’s Braille Plus 18 notetaker. These have been created by student Chase Crispin and his teacher LeAnna MacDonald. Visit our products video page to view these videos, which cover 1) connecting to Wi-Fi and 2) powering the unit on and off (a revised version of a previous video). Thanks again to Chase and LeAnna for taking time out of their very busy schedules to create these videos!

Social Media Spotlight

You may have noticed some new features in some of our Facebook statuses recently. Last week, Facebook introduced clickable hashtags. Hashtags are words or phrases preceded by the # sign, such as #books. Now, you can click these hashtags to bring up a list of all other public posts that use this same hashtag. We will be using this tool occasionally for blindness-related subjects like #braille or #accessibility.

To experiment with this new feature and to stay up-to-date with the latest blindness community news, as well as what we’re up to here at APH, LIKE our Facebook page!

"Like" APH at Our Facebook Page!

We invite you to visit our Facebook page and "Like" us! You can find APH at these social media sites: Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and at our blog, Fred’s Head from APH.

APH Welcomes New Ex Officio Trustees

Paul H. Olson, the North Dakota School for the Blind, replacing Carmen Grove Suminski.

Lori L. Foley, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, replacing Carmen Grove Suminski.

APH Travel Calendar

July

July 1-6, 2013
NFB 2013;
Orlando, FL

July 4-12, 2013
ACB 2013;
Columbus, OH

July 14-17, 2013
OSEP Directors Project Conference;
Washington, DC

July 15-16, 2013
NIP: Math with Susan Osterhaus;
Madison, WI

July 17, 2013
Webcast: APH Product Overview;
from APH to University of South Carolina, School of Education in Spartanburg, SC

July 19-21, 2013
National Family Conference;
Boston, MA

July 23-24, 2013
KSB Gateways;
Kentucky School for the Blind, Louisville, KY

July 24-25, 2013
NIP: APH Intervention Continuum (SLK, TC, & SAM) with Millie Smith;
NCDPI Summer Institute in Raleigh, NC

July 25-28, 2013
CHARGE Syndrome, 11th International;
Scottsdale, AZ

August

August 2-4, 2013
West Virginia AER 2013;
Terra Alta, WV

August 8, 2013
NIP Event – APH Communication Continuum: SLK, SAM and TC with Millie Smith;
Clarksville, TN

August 9, 2013
NIP Event – APH Communication Continuum: SAM with Millie Smith;
Nashville, TN

August 12-14, 2013
Advisory Commission on Textbook Specifications (ACTS);
Austin, TX

August 22-23, 2013
NIP Event: Woodcock-Johnson III – Tests of Achievement-Braille Adaptation/Training on Administering and Scoring with Lynne Jaffe
Ann Arbor, MI

August 27-29, 2013
NIP Event: Math Workshop with Susan Osterhaus
Grand Rapids, MI

September

September 19-21, 2013
Envisions 2013 Conference;
Minneapolis, MN

September 27, 2013
Human Development Institute: APH Products, Services, and Accessibility Workshop;
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

APH Sizzlin’ Summer Savings Sale

Load up a world of savings on selected APH products with APH’s Sizzlin’ Summer Savings Sale 2013, July 1—September 30. As always, first come, first served.

archive.aph.org/sale

Now Available on APH Shopping Site–Scholastic News® Subscriptions!

For decades, APH has been proud to offer braille and large print editions of Weekly Reader®. Now Weekly Reader® is Scholastic News® and you can order subscriptions via shop.aph.org! APH offers accessible editions of Scholastic News® at a cost comparable to regular print subscriptions. And Federal Quota funds may be used!

Note: To facilitate our internal processing, please order magazine subscriptions on separate orders from other APH products and books.

Note: Orders for the 2013-14 school year will be accepted until Friday, February 28, 2014.

Subscription Rates for the 2013-2014 School Year, Per Student

Questions About a Subscription? If you have questions about a subscription, please contact Nancy Glur in our Magazine Subscription Dept. at 1-800-223-1839 or nglur@aph.org

Scholastic News, Junior Scholastic, Science World, and Weekly Reader are registered trademarks of Scholastic, Inc.

Protect Your Investment!
Extended Warranty Options for the Braille Plus 18

Your Braille Plus 18 includes a one-year limited warranty, which covers parts and labor for unexpected repairs. APH also offers optional extended warranties. APH now offers an optional one or two year warranty that extends the included one-year warranty.

Note that accessories such as the power adapter are not covered by these warranties.

Extended Warranties Purchased at the SAME TIME as Your Braille Plus 18:

• One-Year Extended Warranty (total of 2 years of coverage: 1-07467-01 — $650.00
• Two-Year Extended Warranty (total of 3 years of coverage): 1-07467-02 — $1,200.00

Extended Warranties Purchased AFTER Your Purchase of Braille Plus 18 (Note: Must be purchased prior to the end of the included one-year warranty):

• One-Year Extended Warranty (total of 2 years of coverage): 1-07467-03 — $725.00
• Two-Year Extended Warranty (total of 3 years of coverage): 1-07467-04 — $1,300.00

Special Offer! Those customers who have already purchased a Braille Plus 18 may purchase the extended warranty at the lower “same time as purchase” price until Tuesday, July 23, 2013!

If you have previously purchased a Braille Plus 18, please contact customer service at 1-800-223-1839 to order your extended warranty. Customers who have already purchased a unit may not order an extended warranty over the web.

Note: Warranty does not apply in cases of customer modification, misuse, or abuse of APH products.

NEW! ReadWrite Stand

1-03206-00 — $99.00

This stand can be used by students and adults with visual impairments for both reading and writing tasks.

The ReadWrite Stand measures 18 x 14 1/8 inches and can be positioned in four distinct angles – 5º (at rest), 15º, 30º, and 45º. It weighs approx. 2 1/2 lbs. and has two built-in handles for portability. Its solid, sturdy surface accommodates both reading and writing tasks. It features a low-profile clip that secures reading/writing materials (e.g., worksheets) to the stand during use. An LED book light is provided and can be positioned by the user along the upper edge of the reading stand.

This bright blue reading/writing stand has a metal device mounted on the back that accommodates three additional angles apart from the resting angle of five degrees.

WARNING: Adult supervision is required for adjusting the brackets for use by small children. DO NOT place fingers underneath the spring-loaded hinges of the uppermost bracket.

Recommended ages: 5 years and up.

NEW! Braille DateBook 2014

1-07899-14 — $66.00

Optional Item

Additional Filler Paper and Tabs: 1-07897-00 — $11.00

Replacement Item

Calendar Pages, 2014: 1-07898-14 — $18.00

The Braille DateBook is an attractive planner-organizer designed specifically for braille users! Keep track of appointments, addresses, family schedules, class assignments, and more with the Braille DateBook from APH. Use it at your desk or on the go; it is sturdy, compact, and fits in a backpack or briefcase.

Includes

• Binder
• Calendar pages
• Blank filler pages and blank tabs
• A Saddle-Shaped Stylus
• Print and braille tips pamphlet

Recommended ages: 11 years and up.

Braille Editions of BANA Tactile Graphics Guidelines Now Available!

Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics, 2010
Braille: 5-35935-00 — $105.00
Print: 7-35935-00 — $56.00

Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics, 2010, Supplement
Braille: 5-35936-00 — $250.00
Print: 7-25936-00 — $109.00

The purpose of these guidelines and standards from BANA (Braille Association of North America) is to provide transcribers, educators, and producers with information about best practices, current methods, and design principles for the production of readable tactile graphics. The Supplement to the Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics includes 35 tactile graphic examples from the mathematics, science, and social studies disciplines.

APH offers a number of recreational books in braille (Quota funds can be used). Each of these titles was originally transcribed and produced by APH for the National Library Service which has graciously granted permission for this offering. As usual, these titles have been added to the APH Louis Database where you can find thousands of titles produced in accessible formats.

Note: all books are produced upon receipt of orders, therefore, please allow several weeks for delivery.

The Case of the July 4th Jinx
by Lewis B. Montgomery: T-N1920-80 — $14.00
When things start going wrong at the Fourth of July celebration, it feels like a jinx. Milo and Jazz — with some help from world-famous private eye Dash Marlowe — investigate whether the so-called jinx is really sabotage. Grades 2-4. *(AR Quiz No. 138559, BL 3.4 Pts 1.0)

Okay For Now
by Gary D. Schmidt: T-N1936-20 — $69.50
Maryville, New York; 1968. Eighth-grader Doug, who loves baseball, statistics, and drawing, manages to be upbeat and honorable — despite having an abusive father, a brother who has been accused of robbery, and another brother who has returned from Vietnam injured. Companion to The Wednesday Wars. Grades 4-8. *(AR Quiz No. 143203, BL 4.9 Pts 11.0)

Here on Earth: A Natural History of the Planet
by Tim Flannery: T-N1936-30 — $98.00
Biography of our species and the evolution of the planet. Examines the Medea hypothesis, which proposes species left unchecked will destroy their ecosystems, and the Gaia hypothesis, which asserts the Earth is a self-regulating system. Argues that humans can prevent environmental exploitation through cooperative, sustainable behavior.

Deadly Charm: The Story of a Deaf Serial Killer
by McCay Vernon and Marie Vernon: T-N1936-60 — $66.50
A forensic psychologist and a journalist describe the life of Patrick McCullough (1960-2001), the first deaf man to be identified as a serial killer. Details the problems McCullough had since childhood that led to rage-fueled murders of three people he knew. Some adult content.

Fallen
by Karin Slaughter: T-N1939-10 — $107.50
Georgia Bureau of Investigations Detective Faith Mitchell, her partner Will Trent, and trauma doctor Sara Linton join forces to find Faith’s mother, missing after a deadly hostage situation that leaves Faith a murder suspect — and the scapegoat for police corruption, bribery, and murder. Some adult content.

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