APH News: June 2016

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

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

• APH Spring Fever Sale
• New Downloadable Manuals Available
• PRICE DROP! VisioBook: Portable Electronic Magnifier and Distance Viewer
• NEW! Expandable Calendar Boxes Stabilizer
• NEW! Tactile Editing Marks Kit
• NEW! Plastic Binder Envelope for Braille
• RETURNED! Littlest Pumpkin Puzzle Set
• APH Braille Book Corner

Orbit Reader 20 Details

James Teh and Larry Skutchan examine a prototype of the Orbit Reader 20 during the March, 2016 announcement of the device at the CSUN conference.

After the recent announcement and feedback during the March CSUN conference about the release of the Orbit Reader 20™, a new refreshable braille display with an SD card slot and stand-alone functionality, it is clear the device warrants some additional description. In brief, the Orbit Reader 20 combines simplicity, functionality, and connectivity in a unique and low priced package to make reading braille more practical in many situations. The Orbit Reader 20 will be manufactured by Orbit Research and sold by the American Printing House for the Blind starting this fall.

Learn the exciting details of the Orbit Reader 20 in this special article authored by Larry Skutchan, APH’s Director of Technology Product Research.

Eagerly-Welcomed Advice from Our EOT Committees

There are two standing Ex Officio Trustee Advisory Committees that provide ongoing advice and counsel to APH. The Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC) focuses their efforts on the development, production, delivery, and performance of APH products; the Educational Services Advisory Committee (ESAC) shares their wisdom regarding services provided in support of APH products.

Each spring the two committees come to Louisville to spend a number of days meeting with APH staff members to hear reports, engage in interactive dialogs, and provide APH with a written report of commendations and recommendations.

Again this year, the two committees traveled to Louisville at the same time for their meetings. On the first day, both committees met with APH staff to hear reports, hold discussions, and provide input on a variety of topics such as the Future Directions of APH, possible Joint Position Statements on technology & beyond, Accessible Tests and Textbooks, Annual Meeting, REAL Plan, and more. Both committees had the opportunity to review the progress made by APH on their 2015 recommendations and to exchange ideas with APH staff.

The remainder of the agenda provided time for the committees to meet separately with key APH staff to discuss items of interest to their respective committees. EPAC members met with Project Leaders and others in the Research Department to learn about new and upcoming products and the processes involved in developing and producing APH products. ESAC met with staff from various departments to the new SRS database, Resource Services surveys, APH social media, distance training, accessible tests resources web pages, and more.

For 2016, a wonderful addition to the committee process was the participation by two APH Scholars, who gave us their "rubber meets the road" experience in both EPAC and ESAC sessions.

The committees each produced an outstanding report with generous commendations and thoughtful recommendations. We thank the dedicated members of EPAC and ESAC for their time and support!

Educational Products Advisory Committee, May 2016: Back Row: Eric Guillory (LA); Jim Olson (CO), Alternate; Doug Anzlovar (IL); Paul Olsen (ND); Front Row: Kristin Oien (MN); Collette Bauman (MI), Chair; Stephanie Bissonette (VT).

Educational Services Advisory Committee, May 2016: Back Row: Marty McKenzie (SC); Carolyn Laseter (UT); William Tubilleja (NC); Front Row: Karen Ross (MA), Chair; Robin King (LA).

APH Scholars: Pam Parker (WA) and Jodi Floyd (SC).

APH Welcomes Researchers from Korea

The NIMAC (National Instructional Materials Access Center) was pleased to host a team of four researchers from South Korea on April 12-13. The group is working to develop a national approach similar to NIMAS and NIMAC for serving students in Korea who are blind and visually impaired. They came to the U.S. to explore all aspects of establishing an accessible file format and running a national repository.

The researchers were Chungho Kim, Ph.D., XVision Technology, Professor Young-Il Kim, Chosun University, Professor Hyung-Doo Nam, Yonsei Law School, Minhee Son, XVision Technology. The group was joined on Wednesday by Larry Marotta, McGraw-Hill Senior Archive Coordinator, who provided input from a publishing perspective. The NIMAC staff who met with the researchers included to co-NIMAC Project Directors, Julia Myers and Nicole Gaines, as well as NIMAS staff Sheli Walker and Johanna Argo.

Hyung-Doo Nam has been a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul since 2005, he is also one of the most prominent copyright experts in Korea he has been a devoted advocate for providing textbooks in a timely manner to students who are blind and visually impaired.

Young-Il Kim is Professor in the Department of Special Education at Chosun University. Professors Hyung-Doo Nam and Young-Il Kim played a key role in revising both Korean copyright law and library law in 2009, to enable people with visual impairments to receive publisher-provided digital files of published works.

Chung-Ho Kim is Marketing Director and an owner of Xvision Technology, a Korean IT company that develops computer software and mobile applications for visually impaired people. Xvision Technology was selected by the government as the official participant in providing textbooks in braille and image description for the students who are attending non-BVI schools.

Minhee Son, XVision Technology, is a braille transcriber.

We were glad to host these distinguished visitors!

REVIEW THE AGENDA! “Tailoring the Reading Experience” Library Conference in Louisville, August, 2016

APH is proud to co-sponsor the conference "Tailoring the Reading Experience to Meet Individual Needs," August 11-12, 2016, in Louisville, Kentucky. This is a satellite meeting of the prestigious World Library and Information Congress 2016 (WLIC) sponsored by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). The Louisville satellite conference will immediately precede the full WLIC conference, which is being held in Columbus, Ohio.

Two Great Keynote Speakers!

Carolyn P. Phillips is nationally recognized in the field of assistive technology and disabilities. Phillips serves as Director and Principal Investigator of Tools for Life, Georgia’s Assistive Technology (AT) Act Program at Georgia Tech | AMAC.

Kevin Carey is Chair, Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) Group. The multifaceted Carey is a journalist, playwright, poet, broadcaster, and business innovator.

Check out our generous sponsors, and visit their booths at the conference for great product information!

Find out more about this exciting conference and REGISTER TODAY for Tailoring the Reading Experience!

We Want to Hear From You!

APH is interested in your feedback. This month we present two products released during the 2015-2016 academic year.

• Orientation and Mobility for Wheelchair Users With Visual Impairment or Blindness
• The Joy Player

Have You Visited APH’s New Accessible Tests Resource Center?

This new site was launched on March 4, 2016, with information under six categories, including Accessibility, Education Policy, Expanded Core Curriculum, NAEP and Major/Minor Consortia, Position Papers, and Resources. Since then, three more categories have been added: Assistive Technology; Tests; and Tools, Materials, and Supplies. Visit archive.aph.org/accessible-tests

As our site grows, you can be very helpful in expanding the test-related information available. On the left sidebar is a heading called “Contact.” You, your students, your colleagues, your test developers, and your assessment teams can be of great help by sharing your comments, concerns, questions, suggestions, issues to be addressed, resources, and research results. You may also contribute your own materials to the site such as presentations, webcasts, videos, and more. Your completed form goes directly to Debbie Willis, Accessible Tests Website Coordinator.

Score a Home Run with Quick Tips!

Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Baseball season is upon us and – Wait… This is an article about Quick Tips! What on Earth do Quick Tips have to do with baseball?

Nothing!

And THAT’S why we’re going to use this space to talk about those brief, educational and APH-centric videos INSTEAD of baseball. We only used that baseball headline to get your attention, and it worked, didn’t it? From now on, we won’t make any more baseball analogies; we’ll just talk Quick Tips.

So, are you caught up on your Quick Tip viewing? If not, check out the latest ones below!

• Creating Your Own Tactile Tangram Puzzles – Find out how to create your own!
• The EZ Fill Pouring Aid – The EZ Fill Pouring Aid alerts users when liquid fills to about an inch from the top.
• The ReadWrite mini – Get the advantages of the Read/Write Stand in a mini, more portable version!
• The Quick Tips Archive – Trying to find an old Quick Tip? Check the Archive!

That’s it for our most up-to-date major-league Quick Tips! We really hit it out of the park this month, didn’t we? We were batting 1000 on these newest videos, dontcha think? No striking out for us! Seriously, these Quick Tips didn’t come from left field!

Oops! Sorry! We just couldn’t help ourselves. We didn’t mean to throw you a curve ball! Anyway, see you next month, when we’ll try not to catch you off-base!

And – as usual – feel free to email kisham@aph.org with your ready-made videos or ideas!

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.

From the Migel Library: Rose, J. E. Out of Touch: A Story of St. Dunstan’s Research Department in Devising Aids for Men and Women Who Have Been Blinded and Additionally Disabled on War Service. London: British Information Services, 1950.

Following the Second World War, St. Dunstan’s (renamed “Blind Veterans UK” in 2012) faced an influx of veterans who had both been blinded, and had lost the use of their hands. With the increase of these “doubly-handicapped” soldiers, St. Dunstan’s instantly recognized the need to adapt. Typically, the first item given to a veteran at St. Dunstan’s was a tactile watch. But the watch was of little use to those who could not feel it. The research department was inspired to adapt and invent numerous assistive technologies. A terraced keyboard was created for touch-typing classes. A foot-operated loom was developed for weavers. Pedal-controlled phones, switchboards, dials, and change machines all gave shopkeepers and telephone operators more independence in their work. Talking books were especially important to those not able to use braille, so record players were created with foot controls, special dials, and changer units that could be loaded with several records at once. Some of the final items shown in the book were uniquely representative of the era. An adapted vacuum was created for women who had been wounded, and wanted to return to their lives as housewives. A battery-operated cigarette dispenser was made that would roll a lit cigarette directly into the smoker’s mouth. And St. Dunstan’s even adapted their rifle range, using a rifle on a swivel-stand. The barrel of the rifle could be placed through a metal ring that was connected to an oscillator, allowing the shooter to aim by using sound. Out of Touch was digitized Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/outoftouchstoryo00jero

From the Barr Library: Lewis, Larry L. New York : AFB Press, iOS in the Classroom: A Guide for Teaching Students with Visual Impairments, 2016.

iOS in the Classroom is an instructional manual for teaching students with visual impairments how to use an iPad that is equipped with iOS 9. In addition to showcasing the wide-ranging accessibility features, Lewis explores VoiceOver, Zoom, and how to incorporate external keyboards and refreshable braille displays with the iPad. Other topics discussed include: touch screen gestures, braille chord commands, tips for discovering and organizing content, and using the iPad for online exercises. While the author points out that some of the features and apps still fall short of meeting accessibility needs, this resource still empowers students with visual impairments to perform the same classroom tasks as their sighted peers and to use technology to succeed in academics.

APH is working with the 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

New APH Video Stars in the Horizon

Have you ever been torn when making a decision? Did you feel like you shouldn’t have to choose just one option? Did you second guess your decision after it was made? You are not alone. The judges of the Unforgettable APH Star Contest had to face tough decisions this month. Here are their (tough) choices:

The first place and $150 cash prize went to the “Bejeweled Double A’s”, Abbi and Avree. These two friends from Tennessee showed us how to throw a successful Braille Jewelry party in their ingenious video “Bejeweled with Braille.” Looks like they had a blast!

The second place and $75.00 cash prize went to team “Oooolivia” from Illinois. Olivia and Miss K showed us how easy it is to “Get Caught Playing Web Chase,” a tactile and colorful board game that anyone can play.

A familiar face from California, “Mario the Gr8t” and his tennis-mate, Neal, won The third place and $50 cash prize. In their video “30- Love (My) Tennis Kit”, Mario and Neal showed us how to have a great workout and lots of fun. They may have inspired many of us to play tennis this summer.

Finally, Alek Wolfe from Vermont received Honorable Mention with his video “Studio Recorder”. He skillfully showed us how easy it is to have a home recording studio using APH’s accessible software. All we know is he has a future as a sports broadcaster!

To view these awesome videos go to archive.aph.org/contest. And stay tuned so you can participate next time.

Not All Assessments are Created Equal: Field Testing Opportunity

Due to the nature of the proverbial beast, all assessments are not created equal. Assessments sometimes require an administrator with specific qualifications based on the educational and professional level of the individual. The qualifications are tiered to the level of difficulty of administration and analyzing results. This analysis is vital to developing an effective educational plan. Some assessments adapted for students who are blind and visually impaired require that they be administered by a psychologist (e.g., Woodcock-Johnson IV).

This is where YOU are so very important to APH. With your help we are able to continue our commitment to our mission to provide a high quality product that will insure students with visual impairments are able to receive testing materials comparable to those of their sighted peers. If you or someone you know might be available to field test assessments which require specific qualifications, visit this link, archive.aph.org/research/, and complete the APH Field Test form to be considered for upcoming field test opportunities. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Carolyn Zierer at czierer@aph.org. Please share and invite your colleagues!

Do You Know What Your Preschool Students Know?

The Boehm-3 Preschool Test of Basic Concepts Tactile Edition allows for an in-depth look at the transitional skills of young children with visual impairment as they move from understanding real objects to the representational two-dimensional graphics of everyday items.

Universal design in early learning promotes opportunities for all young children to access and process information and demonstrate what they have learned in an appropriately individualized manner. It is a critical component of a universally-designed framework that young children who are tactual learners have access to valid assessments for the purposes of guiding their instruction and monitoring their progress. The University of Northern Colorado is currently conducting a validity study of the Boehm-3 Preschool Test of Basic Concepts Tactile Edition. A validation study looks at whether a test actually measures what it says it will measure, and if the results are meaningful.

This assessment is designed for young children from ages 3 years to 5 years, 11 months, and includes familiar items as zippers, buttons, gingerbread cookies, and shapes. There are also opportunities for children to demonstrate their knowledge with small blocks and cars, or by moving their body.

Teachers of students with visual impairment (TVI) have found this low-stakes assessment to be easy to administer and useful to collect information on what students know in the beginning of the school year as well as the progress they have made. Informal scores and concept area explanations are ideal to share with parents and educational or IEP teams. One parent expressed, “Knowing exactly which concepts to work on with my child has made all the difference. I know that I can incorporate the concepts he needs, such as ‘middle’ into mealtime, dressing, and even play. It was so rewarding for his TVI and I to hear him answer new questions confidently at the end of this year.”

The Boehm-3 Preschool Test of Basic Concepts Tactile Edition validity study will continue to collect data throughout the fall of 2016. Participation in the study is possible even if you only have one student in the age range. We have also visited preschool settings with numerous students, such as the Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Blind Children’s Center in Los Angeles, California. If you would like to participate as an individual or an organization, please contact Cathy Smyth, at cathysmyth@yahoo.com.

Boehm-3 Preschool Test of Basic Concepts Tactile Edition is available for purchase on Federal Quota funds through the American Printing House for the Blind. Kay Ferrell, PhD and Catherine Smyth of the University of Northern Colorado contributed to its development.

Social Media Spotlight

New Pinterest Boards! Daily Living and Infants & Preschoolers

Are you following APH on Pinterest? Recently we expanded our Pinterest presence by adding two additional boards, Daily Living, that highlights resources for college students and adults who are blind and visually impaired, and Infants and Preschoolers, that provides resources for parents of young children who are blind or visually impaired. APH now has 25 Pinterest boards. Other recently created boards include our Deafblind and APH Sale Items boards.

To view all of our Pinterest content, follow us at www.pinterest.com/aphfortheblind.

"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, Google+, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest, and at our blog, Fred’s Head from APH.

APH Spring Fever Sale

Load up a world of savings on selected APH products with APH’s Spring Fever Sale 2016, April 1—June 30. As always, first come, first served.

archive.aph.org/sale/

New Downloadable Manuals Available

Get the manual you need instantly! APH offers a selected list of product manuals available for free download (archive.aph.org/manuals/). You may print or emboss these as needed. We will continue to package hard copies of these manuals with their products and sell hard copy replacements.

Newly added manuals include:

• BOP Second Grade UEB Teacher Supplements
• Tactile Editing Marks Kit
• Swirly Mats II CVI
• Swirly Mats II FVA

PRICE DROP! VisioBook: Portable Electronic Magnifier and Distance Viewer

1-03913-00 — $2,750.00

PRICE DROP! Now reduced $250! VisioBook® is a high quality, full-color, portable reading device for visually impaired users of all ages. Use VisioBook for magnification, distance viewing, and as a mirror!

VisioBook IS available with Quota funds!

Features

• Compact and light (less than 8 lbs!)
• 12-inch HD full-color widescreen monitor with LED-backlight
• Intuitive operation with clearly marked buttons, only 6 buttons and a zoom dial to operate
• Viewing modes: 5 reversible color combinations, full natural colors, automatic focus can be switched on and off
• Smart folding mechanism with 3 safe articulated joints
• Aesthetically pleasing space-saving design
• HD camera: 1366 x 720 pixels, for both close range and distance views
• External power adapter/battery charger
• Lithium-ion battery, 5+ hours operating time
• Only 2 inches thick when folded!
• Includes protective slipcase

Use your portable VisioBook everywhere!

• at school
• while traveling
• at work or home
• in the library

NEW! Expandable Calendar Boxes Stabilizer

1-08653-00 — $35.00

Note: Calendar Boxes sold separately.

Related Product

Expandable Calendar Boxes
White: 1-08651-00 — $140.00
Black: 1-08652-00 — $140.00

Delivery of calendar boxes to students with limited mobility made easy!

Based on feedback from a special education teacher who works in an active-learning classroom, the Calendar Box Stabilizer is a smooth platform created to support APH Expandable Calendar Boxes when two or more are connected.

Designed to rest on the majority of wheelchair trays, the stabilizer allows learning partners to present calendar boxes on a variety of surfaces (e.g., tabletops, floors) or hold them in the air before the student. The stabilizer is white on one side and black on the opposite side. For the visual ease of students—especially those students with cerebral/cortical visual impairment (CVI)—use the included white hook and loop material on the white side of the stabilizer and black hook and loop material on the black side.

Includes

• Stabilizers, black-white reverse (3)
• Black hook material, 48 inches
• White hook material, 48 inches
• Black loop material, 78 inches
• White loop material, 78 inches
• Instructions, large print (free brf download: archive.aph.org/manuals)

NEW! Tactile Editing Marks Kit

1-08896-00 — $59.00

Replacement Item

Tactile Editing Marks Label Pack: 61-152-111 — $26.55

Use the Tactile Editing Marks Kit with braille students to support the writing process.

From the early primary grades on, children learn about the stages of writing, including: planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Young students with visual impairments who use a braillewriter often require additional support with revising and editing, which can be cumbersome on a brailler. The use of tactile editing marks provides these beginning writers with a concrete way to indicate changes on their braille drafts as they revise and edit short pieces. Tactile editing marks enable students to write final correct copies of their work independently, just as their typically sighted peers do.

Tactile Editing Marks Kit

• provides beginning writers with a concrete understanding of the revision and editing processes
• increases younger students’ independence in producing final copies on the braillewriter
• enables some students who use electronic devices to note mechanical corrections, formatting needs, and content changes on their embossed drafts and transfer them to their electronic files
• provides a systematic way for teachers and students to share thoughts about writing

Includes

• Self-adhesive braille editing marks, 5 sheets
• 2-inch self-adhesive clear labels, 5 sheets
• 3-inch self-adhesive clear labels, 5 sheets
• Braille eraser
• 1/8-inch roll of Graphic Art Tape
• 1/16-inch roll of Graphic Art Tape
• 8-inch Wikki Stix, 2 pks.
• Teacher’s manual, large print
• Tactile editing marks chart, in large print and in braille

NEW! Plastic Binder Envelope for Braille

1-04297-00 — $29.00

Related Items

Floppy Braille Binders: 1-04295-00 — $16.00

Braille Pocket Folders: 1-04294-00 — $14.00

Super-Sized Folders: 1-04296-01 — $15.00

A colorful 3-pack of flexible, expandable folders sized to hold 11.5" x 11" braille sheets. The folders have a side tab that is 3-hole punched for use in a 3-ring binder and a flap that opens from the top and is held closed using three hook & loop coins. These folders can expand to over 5/8" thick and can accommodate up to 20+ sheets of braille.

The three colors in this pack are the same blue, green, and yellow shades used in APH’s Floppy Braille binders and Braille Pocket Folders.

RETURNED! Littlest Pumpkin Puzzle Set

1-08835-01 — $29.00

These puzzles were temporarily unavailable, but now they’re back! These puzzles are similar to the previous version, but are now made of a slightly different material. APH offers two fun pumpkin puzzles related to the On the Way to Literacy book The Littlest Pumpkin. The puzzles, sold as a set, depict the Littlest Pumpkin and another jack-o-lantern face. Orange and black foam puzzle pieces are reversible.

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 Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower, or, John Howland’s Good Fortune
by P.J. Lynch: T-N2124-70 — $18.50
Narrative account of the life of John Howland, the young servant who was indentured to Pilgrim John Carver. Describes how Howland embarked on the Mayflower, survived a fall from the ship, and helped his ill shipmates by scouting out a safe harbor. Grades 3-6. *(AR Quiz No. 177170, BL 5.5, Pts. 1.0)

Cuckoo Song
by Francis Hardinge: T-N2085-70 — $200.50
In post-World War I England, eleven-year-old Triss nearly drowns in a millpond known as "The Grimmer" and emerges with memory gaps, aware that something’s terribly wrong, and to try to set things right, she must meet a twisted architect who has designs on her family. Grades 6-9. *(AR Quiz No. 176919, BL 6.0, Pts. 19.0)

Let’s Cook!
by Susan McQuillan: T-N2093-20 — $58.00
A new collection of 50 healthful, fun recipes for parents and children from celebrity chefs Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, and the beloved Sesame Street gang.

Wrath and the Dawn
by Renée Ahdieh: T-N2091-10 — $134.00
In this reimagining of The Arabian Nights, Shahrzad plans to avenge the death of her dearest friend by volunteering to marry the murderous boy-king of Khorasan. But she discovers not all is as it seems within the palace. Some Adult Content.

Lost in the Sun
by Lisa Graff: T-N2091-20 — $100.50
As Trent Zimmerman struggles to move past a traumatic event that took place several months earlier, he befriends class outcast Fallon Little, who helps him to understand how he can move on. 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/