APH News

Exciting APH Product Specials Announced!

Read on to learn about these product specials!

• SPECIAL OFFER on Verbal View Tutorial Series!
• SAVE BIG on Electronics from APH Products!
• Close Out Sale! 2008 APH Calendars
• APH Braille Book Corner

APH Has Noted Scholar of Significance in Residence!

For the next six weeks, APH will have the good fortune to listen and learn from a most accomplished "Scholar in Residence," Dr. Phil Hatlen. Dr. Hatlen, recently retired Superintendent of the Texas School, professor, author, and lecturer, will honor us with his presence from March 6 until April 16. During his time with us Dr. Hatlen will work primarily on projects in conjunction with our Department of Research.

Discussing the APH Braille+ Mobile Manager

The Braille Plus Live Discussion for the month of March will take place on Friday, March 7th at 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time. This discussion will include the four Braille Plus tutorials available in our webcast archives. To participate in the Braille Plus Discussion please send an e-mail to Maria Delgado at: mdelgado@aph.org

About the Braille Plus

BANA Invites Dialogue in North Carolina

The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) will hold its semiannual meeting of its Board of Directors in Raleigh, NC, from May 13 through 15, 2008. In addition to a full agenda of business items and reports, the BANA Board will continue its practice of hosting an open forum designed to facilitate discussion of relevant braille topics. The open forum will be held on the evening of Wednesday, May 14, on the campus of the Governor Moorhead School in Raleigh. Consumers, teachers, and producers of braille are invited, and indeed encouraged, to take advantage of this opportunity to participate in a round-table discussion about braille and to engage in a dialogue with the members of the BANA Board. In the April edition of the APH News, we will provide details of the time and location of the open forum. We hope to see many of you there!

For more information about BANA, its activities, and its very active committees, please visit www.brailleauthority.org

Building Independence: An Essay

Those who have seen the previous announcements about our 150th Anniversary Essay Contest are already proofreading or sending in their work. If not, don’t despair! There is still enough time to write an award winning paper, but the clock is winding down. Entries are due on our doorstep by — no kidding — April 1.

Whether building an outline or drafting the paper about the role of APH products in independent living for people who are blind and visually impaired, it all starts with an idea. Capturing those thoughts in an essay could mean adding a new "building block" in a personal toolbox — such as a Perkins Brailler or Braille+ Mobile Manager. So what do you have to lose? Get behind your favorite writing instrument and give it your best shot!

The guidelines for eligibility and entry are posted on the APH web site at: sites.aph.org/essay.html. For additional copies of the entry form or more information, contact Becky Snider in the Public Affairs Department. Phone: 800-223-1839 or 502-895-2405, ext. 356 Fax: 502-899-2363 or email: rsnider@aph.org

Accessible Tests Department Survey Launch:
Types of Answer Documents Needed

The Accessible Tests Department has created a survey on types of answer sheets needed in instructional as well as standardized test settings. Since a wide variety of answer document formats is used, this research expressly addresses requests the department receives for accessible answer documents for students who are blind or visually impaired.

The survey, for regular education teachers, teachers of visually impaired students (TVIs), school psychologists, test administrators (TAs), and other educators and assessment professionals, is posted on the Accessible Tests section of the APH website and will be open for approximately two months. Your input is valuable and will be extremely useful in determining the most common formats needed.

Link to the survey: archive.aph.org/tests/answer_survey.html

For further information about this study or to request copies of the form in accessible media, see the Accessible Tests Department web page or contact Kerry Isham at kisham@aph.org

Final Days to Nominate a Legend for the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field

To learn more about the qualifications and process for submitting a nominee to join the 40 inductees, please visit: archive.aph.org/hall_fame/nominate.html

The annual nomination process will close Friday, March 21. Nominees who were first submitted in 2007 will remain active.

APH Director of Research Ralph Bartley snapped this photo in Texas, February 28, during a meeting with legendary Hall of Fame inductee Natalie Barraga and Texas School Superintendent and APH Ex Officio Trustee Bill Daugherty.

Wanted: CVI Field Reviewers

APH is looking for field reviewers who have an interest in examining, using and commenting on materials designed for students who have CVI. Several new products are almost ready for trial use. Professionals or parents who are in contact with children who have CVI will conduct evaluation. Each reviewer will be provided with the newly developed materials and a brief set of guidelines for use of the materials. After a period of field-testing, the reviewer will be asked to fill out a comment form and return the materials to APH. Your comments will be used to help the CVI Project Leader consider any final changes to the product. If you are interested in being a CVI product reviewer, please contact Christine Roman at: croman@cviresources.com

APH Calls for Field Testing of SAM

APH seeks 12 teams to field test SAM: Symbols and Meaning during the 2008-09 academic school year. This is a 9-month commitment.

SAM is a program to help build the conceptual foundation for successful symbol use including words, objects, tactual symbols, pictures, and graphics. It is for students with visual and multiple impairments and pre-school children with visual impairments who are just beginning to use symbols-the late sensorimotor, early preoperational stage of cognitive development.

Through games, the concept categories of people (the self and others), objects (tangible things), actions (body movements of the self and others), and places (where things are, context for groups of things) are introduced.

Each team is made up of a student, a classroom teacher, a teacher of the visually impaired, a parent, an occupational therapist and/or speech language pathologist (if student is receiving these services), and a diagnostician (optional).

Requirements:

• The team leader must participate in an online training conducted by author Millie Smith. This is a training of trainers workshop. The team leader will be responsible for training the other members of the team. Other team members are welcome to participate in the online training. The training is scheduled for the second week in August, 2008.
• The TVI or diagnostician conducts the pre assessment of the student.
• The team uses the product throughout the academic year.
• The TVI or diagnostician conducts the post assessment of the student.

Technology requirements for the online training:

• Broadband internet connection
• Windows® Operating System
• Administrative rights to download/use software and stream audio and video

Accessories:

• Computer microphone
• Computer speakers
• Projector (optional for larger groups)

Software:

• Windows Messenger
• Windows Media Player
• TC Conferencing

NOTE: Follow the steps below to download TC Conferencing.

1. Go to: archive.aph.org/advisory/webcast.html
2. In this page click the link that reads: "Live APH Webcast".
3. Click the "Download Here" button and install the software.

Questions? Please contact Research Associate Tristan Pierce
at tpierce@aph.org or 800/223-1839, ext. 380.

APH Calls for Art for the 17th Time!

InSights 2008 Competition for Artists Who are Blind or Visually Impaired

APH invites visually impaired and blind artists of all ages to submit artwork for its seventeenth annual international art competition, APH InSights 2008.

There are two deadlines this year: April 1 is the deadline for entries from preschool through high school; April 15 is the deadline for entries from adult artists. To enter, artists must meet this definition of blindness: corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, or a visual field limited to 20 degrees or less.

The rules and forms are also posted on the web site: archive.aph.org/ia2007/2008entry.html

Artists may also contact APH to request a copy of the entry form and rules by calling 800-223-1839, ext. 357, 502-895-2405, ext. 357, or by sending email to rwilliams@aph.org

Dits, Dahs, & Dots

The APH Museum presented a coding workshop, Dits, Dahs, & Dots, on Saturday, February 16, for the Girls Scouts of Kentuckiana.- "Dits and Dahs" are the sounds created by Morse Code. Dots, of course, are the dots of braille. Participants were split into two groups. APH’s Eleanor Pester and Deanna Scoggins led the braille station and APH’s Fred Gissoni and Kristen Lutes of the Thomas Edison House in Louisville presented at the Morse Code Station.

Attendees were able to use what they learned at Dits, Dahs, & Dots towards a variety of scout patches including one on disabilities awareness. After the program, participants toured the historic Thomas Edison House. While there, the scouts tried out a real telegraph machine, similar to the one used by Edison when he lived in Louisville. Leaders and scouts commented on enjoying the program, especially the Pop A Cell’s and the Braille Writers.

SLK NIP Event is OK in Oklahoma!

The Oklahoma School for the Blind was the site for our most recent National Instructional Partnerships (NIP) event, held February 12 – 13 in Muskogee. Approximately twenty teachers of the visually impaired, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and others gathered to spend two days with product consultant Millie Smith (TX) as she explained and demonstrated the materials in the APH Sensory Learning Kit. Millie’s dynamic presentation sparked lots of interest in the use of the kit and in the use of other APH products like the Expandable Calendar Boxes and Tactile Connections.

Thanks to Ex Officio Trustee Karen Kizzia and to Outreach Director Sherry Holder for partnering with APH to host the event. Thanks also to EOT Teresa Kruta (Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) who drove over from Oklahoma City to be with us for the training.

National Instructional Partnerships events are designed to showcase the use of APH products across the areas of the Core Curriculum and the Expanded Core Curriculum. If you are interested in hosting such an event it your area, please contact Janie Blome, 800-223-1839, ext 367, or email jblome@aph.org

The Carroll Center’s 8th Annual Braille Literacy Celebration and Northeast Regional Qualifying Event for the National Braille Challenge – And the Winner Is…

There were many winners as thirty-five students from the Northeast Region of the US, grades 1 through 12, gathered at the Carroll Center in Newton, MA on Sat, Feb 9, to participate in the center’s 8th Annual qualifying event for the National Braille Challenge. Students participated in a variety of "challenging but non-threatening" braille competition events that included spelling, braille reading comprehension, speed and accuracy, and more!

The National Braille Challenge, developed by the Braille Institute of California, serves as a means for students to "practice their test-taking abilities and to feel pride in using Braille as their primary mode of reading and written communication."

APH’s Sandi Baker was also present to talk with parents and professionals about some of the many APH products that promote braille literacy.

EOT Rachel Rosenbaum and Carroll Center Education Director Karen Ross can be congratulated on another successful Challenge event!

Expanding the Core in NM

New Mexico AER hosted another successful conference, and APH was there! APH’s Mary Nelle McLennan teamed with Dr. Rick Welsh to give the Friday morning keynote address, "Laughing Matters: Developing and Supporting Humor as a Skill for Learners Who Are Visually Impaired and the Professionals Who Work with Them", as teachers of the visually impaired from New Mexico and Arizona came together for their annual conference in Albuquerque, Feb 20 – 22.

Additional presentations from APHers included Mary Nelle’s "Developing Organizational Skills in Visually Impaired Learners: A Must for Successful Independence", and Sandi Baker’s two presentations on "Products from APH That Support the Expanded Core Curriculum".

APH Meets ICADI and OTs

International Conference on Aging, Disability, and Independence

During one pre-conference and two conference presentations, as well as a poster session – all conducted by APH’s Terrie Terlau and Rodger Smith, occupational therapists with interest in the field of low vision and other attendees at the International Conference on Aging, Disability, and Independence learned about APH products with specific relevance to the needs of elders experiencing vision loss. Held in St. Petersburg Florida, February 20-23, ICADI brought together occupational therapists, rehabilitation engineers, researchers, gerontologists, and university faculty and students from around the world. APH products relevant to the needs of elders with low vision were well received by this multi-national audience; Reclaiming Independence, MagneTachers, Sherlock, Money Talks, Talking Typer, and Armadillo Army were particularly popular with occupational therapists specializing in work with older persons with low vision. APH and ICADI staff worked together closely to ensure that relevant APH products came to the attention of this dynamic group of professionals.

New Textbook Coordinator for Accessible Textbooks

APH introduces Michael Haynes as the new Textbook Coordinator for Large Print! Michael has worked in the Accessible Textbooks Department for several years and brings solid experience and understanding of our goals and mission to this position.

Michael duties will include cataloging all new large print textbook orders, entering them to the database, ordering print copies from publishers, communicating with Ex Officio Trustees and APH staff, proofreading copy, and quality reviewing textbooks.

New Specialist for the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC)

APH welcomes Tiffany Bradford to the NIMAC team as NIMAC Metadata and Support Specialist. Tiffany’s MLS is from the University of Kentucky. Her past work experience includes Humana and the Louisville Free Public Library.

NBA Announces Important Conference

The National Braille Association will host a Professional Development Conference, April 3-5 at the Dallas (TX) Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria.

The conference will provide opportunities for networking and refreshing skills, learning more efficient methods to do our work, and all aspects of braille.

Also, don’t miss the pre-conference session, "Hands-On Training for Braille Translation Software with NIMAS Updates" on April 2-3.

Call the National Office at the number below or check www.nationalbraille.org for
updates of the schedule and registration details.

AFB Partners with National Association of the Deaf on Media Project

The American Foundation for the Blind has partnered with the National Association of the Deaf and its federally funded Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) to create guidelines for the description of educational media.

In 2007, AFB worked with service providers and experts in media description to formulate a set of draft guidelines for educational media description to increase the availability of predominantly visual curricula to children and youth who are blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind.

AFB encourages feedback on these guidelines and suggestions for items that may need more explanation. The draft guidelines can be reviewed at www.afb.org/descriptionguidelines.asp

For more information contact Dr. Kay Ferrell at Kay.Ferrell@unco.edu or Mary Ann Siller at siller@afb.net

APH Welcomes New Ex Officio Trustees

L. Daniel Hutto, the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, replacing Elmer L. Dillingham, Jr.

Reggie Clinton, the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, replacing Jane A. Breen.

Zenaida Figueroa, the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind of Puerto Rico, replacing Ruth Otero.

APH Travel Calendar

March

March 3-5, 2008
Association of Test Publishers: Innovations in Testing Conference;
Dallas, TX

March 4-5, 2008
NIP Event: Sensory Learning Kit;
Las Vegas, NV

March 5-6, 2008
ATP Test Security Summit (post-ATP Conference);
Grapevine, TX

March 7-8, 2008
Board Meeting of Midwest Conference of Rehabilitation Teachers;
St. Louis, MO

March 9-13, 2008
Exhibitor 2008;
Las Vegas, NV

March 10-15, 2008
CSUN;
Los Angeles, CA

March 12, 2008
"Focus" On Vision Impairment & Blindness;
Taunton, MA

March 13-15, 2008
Pacific NW AER;
Tacoma, WA

March 17-21, 2008
Legislative Visits on Capitol Hill;
Washington, DC

March 26-28, 2008
Kentucky AER;
General Butler State Park, Carrollton, KY

March 27-28, 2008
Carroll Center Braille + Training;
Boston, MA

March 28-30,2008
AER Lift Leadership Training;
Irving, TX

March 29, 2008
Perkins School Braille + Presentation;
Watertown, MA

April

April 2-5, 2008
CEC 2008;
Boston, MA

April 3-5, 2008
NBA Professional Development Conference;
Dallas, TX

April 4-5, 2008
Jo Taylor Leadership Institute;
Burlingame, CA

April 7-11, 2008
Legislative Visits on Capitol Hill;
Washington, DC

April 9-10, 2008
NIP Event: CVI – A Further Look at Assessment and Intervention;
Kansas City, KS

April 18-20, 2008
Stepping Into the Future;
Des Moines, IA

April 21-22, 2008
Power Up 2008 Conference and Expo;
Osage Beach, MO

April 23-25, 2008
Penn-Del AER Conference;
Grantville, PA

April 25-26, 2008
NIP Event: Making It Count – Math Skills for Students with Visual Impairment;
Fremont, CA

April 26-28, 2008
Outreach Forum;
Nashville, TN

May

May 5-7, 2008
VAVF 33rd Annual Florida Conference of Volunteers Serving the Visually Impaired;
Orlando, FL

May 7-9, 2008
Dakota AER/Vision Conference;
Grand Forks, ND

June

June 16-18, 2008
Texas Focus Conference;
Austin, TX

June 26-28, 2008
National Braille Challenge;
Los Angeles, CA

June 29-July 5, 2008
NFB National Convention;
Dallas, TX

2008 Federal Quota Census, Phase One Due March 15th!

At this time, forty (40) Federal Quota accounts have been submitted as complete for phase one of the 2008 Census. Many others have requested district and acuity additions, all of which have been added to the SRS tables, thus allowing Ex Officio Trustees and their assistants to continue to update their records for the year.

March 15th is the census phase one deadline, so mark your calendar! Also, continue to call and/or email Cindy Amback your census questions, etc., in order to keep the census moving forward. You can reach her by phone at 800-223-1839, extension 257, or by email at camback@aph.org

Most importantly, thank you for all you do to make this program a success!

SPECIAL OFFER on Verbal View Tutorial Series!

Buy all 7, get a 20% DISCOUNT

Great to have on hand in your Resource Center or School Library! The Verbal View tutorial series provides software training specifically designed for visually impaired users and emphasizes the use of the keyboard and some topics omitted from most books are discussed at length.

Verbal View Software Bundle:
D-10599-00 — $280 — Sold Separately — $350

• Verbal View of Windows® XP
• Verbal View of Word®
• Verbal View of Word® Advanced
• Verbal View of the Net and Web
• Verbal View of Web Documents
• Verbal View of Web Searches
• Verbal View of the Online Mail

Verbal View of Windows® XP: D-10500-00 — $50.00
Covers nearly every aspect of Windows XP, with extensive verbal descriptions of new features and programs, simple enough for the first-time computer user.

Verbal View of Word®: D-10510-00 — $50.00
Instead of focusing on the mouse and visual cues, this tutorial lets the user know how the keyboard and screen reader can be used to accomplish word processing tasks efficiently and elegantly.

Verbal View of Word® Advanced: D-10511-00 — $50.00
Goes beyond the basics and gives the blind writer the tools needed to perform nearly any editing, collaboration, or publishing task with Microsoft Word.

Verbal View of the Net and Web: D-10512-00 — $50.00
This tutorial covers such topics as, connecting to the internet and following links on web pages, reading web pages that may seem inaccessible, sending and receiving e-mail and accessing intranets, and much more.

Verbal View of Web Documents: D-10513-00 — $50.00
The prerequisite tutorial to the new Web Documents tutorial, Verbal View of the Net and Web, covers the internet and the Web and describes the various ways to connect to the Net. This new tutorial focuses more closely on the Web. Covers in detail, retrieving and using documents with common browsers such as Internet Explorer® and Firefox®.

Verbal View of Web Searches: D-10514-00 — $50.00
This tutorial builds on the information in Verbal View of the Net and Web by focusing on the benefits and uses of the Google® Search Engine. It explains why Google outshines its competitors, and how you will benefit when you become a daily googler!

Verbal View of Online Mail: D-10515-00 — $50.00
This tutorial builds on the information in Verbal View of the Net and Web, explaining how to use your computer to send email.

SAVE BIG on Electronics from APH Products!

Braille ‘n Speak® Scholar Talking PDA:

1-07320-01 — WAS $1,275 — NOW $375

Replacement Items
Serial Interface Cable: 1-07319-00 — WAS $33.00 — NOW $19.00
Tutorial Cassette: C-07320-01 — $2.50

Optional Items
Parallel Interface Cable: 1-07318-00 — WAS $98.00 — NOW $79.00
ImageWriter Cable: 1-07317-00 — WAS $32.00 — NOW $22.00

"Personal Digital Assistant" (PDA), a super entry level note taker. Small, portable unit with a rechargeable battery.

Features:

• Input with a braille-type seven-key keyboard
• Synthetic speech output
• Advanced word processor with file organizing
• Hard copy output in braille or print. Includes braille-to-print back translator
• Talking clock, countdown timer, stopwatch, phone directory, calendar, and scientific graphing calculator
• Soft leather carrying case
• Battery Charger / AC Adapter
• Earphone
• Serial Interface Cable for connection to a PC (9-pin female to mini-din 8 male)

‘K’ Sonar Sonic Perceptual Aid:
1-07000-00 — WAS $710 — NOW $300

Replacement Item
Headphones: 1-07001-00 — WAS: $45.00 — NOW $40.00

This small, affordable electronic device aids users who are blind or visually impaired with orientation and mobility. By listening to sounds produced by ‘K’ Sonar, users can determine not only the distance and location of an object, but some of the object’s features. Users can even learn to recognize certain objects.

Features:

• Attaches to the golf grip handle of a long cane.
• Headphones provide audio feedback, which changes in pitch to indicate the distance to the object being scanned.
• Two range modes: long range (about 16 feet) and short range (about 6 feet).

Includes:

• Headphones
• Rechargeable battery
• Power adapter
• Quick-start tape with sample sounds

Close Out Sale! 2008 APH Calendars
Going… Going…

Note: All sale items available while supplies last.

Product Number	Description	List Price	Sale Price
1-07899-08	Braille DateBook Calendar 2008	$63.00	$40.00
1-07898-08	Braille DateBook Calendar Tabs 2008	$15.00	$7.00
1-07900-08	EZ Track Calendar 2008	$29.75	$17.00
1-07901-08	EZ Track Calendar Insert Pages 2008	$25.75	$13.00
5-18971-08	APH InSights Calendar 2008	$7.50	$4.00

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 approximately 8 weeks for delivery.

The Year of the Dog
by Grace Lin, Braille: T-N1662-40 — $26.50
While Pacy’s Taiwanese American family prepares the Chinese New Year feast, Pacy hopes the Year of the Dog will be lucky for her. She does make a new best friend at school but "finding herself"– discovering her own talent–takes longer. Grades 3-6. *(AR Quiz #104901, BL 4.2, Pts. 3)

Killer Rocks from Outer Space: Asteroids, Comets, and Meteorites
by Steven N. Koppes, Braille: T-N1657-60 — $27.50
Describes the role that collisions with meteors, comets, and asteroids have played in the history of Earth and other planets in the solar system. Examines actions being taken to protect Earth from future collisions. Grades 5-8. *(AR Quiz #101039, BL 9, Pts. 4)

Dark Dreams: The Story of Stephen King
by Nancy Whitelaw, Braille: T-N1668-10 — $27.00
Biography of award-winning horror writer. Discusses King’s difficult childhood in Maine, a setting for many of his stories, as well as his adolescence, college years, marriage, and eventual success. Describes King’s struggles with censorship, fame, and the creative process. Senior High School to Adult. *(AR Quiz #103059, BL 8, Pts. 4)

Wish You Were Here: The Official Biography of Douglas Adams
by Nick Webb, Braille: T-N1634-80 — $124.50
Writer and personal friend of Adams pens an account of the man who created the Hitchhiker novels. Webb discusses Adams’s childhood, schooling, time with the BBC, marriage to Jane, birth of daughter Polly, fascination with gadgets, atheism, and creation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Adult.

The Little Book of Bridal Etiquette for the Twenty-First Century
by Martha A. Woodham, Braille: T-N1662-20 — $29.50
Concise guide to proper wedding conduct by Elegant Bride magazine etiquette columnist. Offers time-tested, practical advice for brides-to-be to avoid tackiness and social blunders. Discusses invitations, registration, guest lists, ceremonies, receptions, receiving lines, attire, and family issues. Includes marriage myths, budget tips, and cautionary tales of bad taste. Adult.

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