APH News

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

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

• APH Fall Harvest Sale
• Braille+ and Refreshabraille 18 Combo Kit
• Building on Patterns (BOP): Primary Braille Literacy Program First Grade Level, Unit 6
• Verbal View of Office Ribbon Bar Flash Cartridge
• CVI Complexity Sequences Kit
• Feel ‘n Peel Stickers: Nemeth Braille/Print Numbers 0-100
• EZ Track Calendar, 2011
• REVISED! Desk Board with 27 Cell Slate & Large Stylus
• APH Braille Book Corner

142nd Annual Meeting, "Products Across America"

Drs. LaRhea Sanford (top) and Rebecca Burnett, winners of Zickel Awards for the development of the FV/LMA

Why should you attend APH’s 142nd Annual Meeting October 14-16?

• To learn about the latest products available from APH and have the opportunity to provide input on products still in development.
• To enjoy the memorable keynote address of Jim Gibbons.
• To applaud LaRhea Sanford and Rebecca Burnett as they receive Zickel Awards for product development.
• To hear Dr. Tinsley’s report on the State of the Company.
• To celebrate the InSights Art Winners and Hall of Fame Inductees Morris Frank and M.C. Migel.
• To visit the exciting new Orientation and Mobility exhibit at the APH Museum.
• To learn from Nancy Niebrugge (CA) and Frank Simpson (NY) as they present the APH Advisory Committee Reports.
• To enjoy the following Ex Officio Trustees as they facilitate the general sessions and events: Karen Ross (MA), Stacy Grandt (WI), Linda Lyle (NM), Sally Giitinger (NE), Marty McKenzie (SC), Todd Reeves (PA), and Bobby Simpson (LA).
• To network with professional friends and attend a dozen related meetings.
• And much, much more!

Visit the Annual Meeting website for details or call Cindy Amback at 800/223-1839, ext. 257. Quick and easy registration available at the door!

COMING VERY SOON: APH Museum Exhibit on Orientation & Mobility (O&M)

O&M trainer Pete Wurtzburger watches as a student exits a bus (1965)

Other than literacy skills, one of the greatest steps taken by people with serious visual impairment over the last two centuries has been in the area of independent travel.

The Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind will open its latest exhibit, "How Do People with Vision Loss Get Around: Orientation and Mobility," right after the APH Annual Meeting. The exhibit begins with the first U.S. school to train dogs and their owners, The Seeing Eye, founded in 1929 by Dorothy Eustis and Morris Frank. From the first white cane safety laws in the 1930s to the development of "foot travel" techniques by Richard Hoover and Warren Bledsoe during WWII, the exhibit will explore the roots of modern O&M training. Long canes of many shapes and types, orientation aids, and a comprehensive collection of electronic travel aids from the AER Warren Bledsoe O&M Archives promise to make this an O&M "must-see."

By special arrangement with The Seeing Eye, one of the earliest remaining pieces of dog guide harness in the United States is also included. The opening reception on Saturday, October 16th from 3-5pm is open to any and all, and will feature vintage video, a behind-the-scenes tour of the exhibit, and a special re-dedication of the Bledsoe Archives by Hall-of-Famer Rick Welsh. For more information, contact museum director Mike Hudson at 502/899-2365 or mhudson@aph.org.

Field Evaluators Wanted

Graphic Aid for Mathematics (product revision)

This longtime classroom staple is checking into the "Product Revision Spa" for a makeover, and we are seeking teachers to evaluate the proposed changes and additions. Specifically, we want teachers who have experience using the kit in its existing form and, preferably, a number of blind and visually impaired students with whom to try out the revised materials.

The evaluation period will begin in early October and run approximately six weeks. If you would like to be considered for participation, please send an e-mail to Fred Otto (fotto@aph.org) and include the following information:

• Your name and position
• School or agency
• Mailing address
• Number of braille-reading students/number of low-vision students who would be using the materials
• Age or grade range of students
• Your preferred medium for reading and completing evaluation forms (print, braille, or Word 2007)

Please feel free to forward or circulate this request to teachers who might be helpful to this evaluation. Thank you!

The Migel Library OnLine!

Just in time for our annual meeting, APH is proud to announce that the APH Migel Library catalog is now available online and open for business! As of September 30, information on more than 14,000 titles in the Migel Library is available at http://migel.aph.org. You can search the collection, learn more about its history, read the library’s use polices, make an appointment to visit the library, and follow links to other major collections to research the blindness field. In addition, you’ll find links to a few titles to accessible scans of the original book. You can browse through 70 such titles from the Migel Library at our Internet Archive site: http://www.archive.org/details/aphmigel.

In the coming months, titles will continue to be digitized, additional finding aids for subtopics such as orientation & mobility and deaf-blindness will be created, and cataloging information will continue to be added and refined. In addition, new titles are constantly being added to the database.

The M.C. Migel Memorial Library was originally created in 1926 at the American Foundation for the Blind in New York. By the 1960s, it was considered one of the largest collections of material on non-medical aspects of blindness in the world. It moved to the APH campus in Louisville in 2009.

Book Port Plus Webcast Archives Now Available

The first three of a series of tutorials featuring the new Book Port Plus are available in the APH Webcast Archive. You can select to view the content in a number of different formats that include viewing an audiovisual presentation, listening to the audio only, viewing the Power Point only, or viewing the Power Point text with MS Word.

The presentations are entitled: "Getting Started," "Finding Titles and Sending New Content," and "Navigation."

For more information about these webcast presentations, please contact Maria Delgado at: mdelgado@aph.org

An "OM" Opportunity!

APH is seeking adults who are blind and interested in learning yoga. If yes, we will provide a tactile yoga mat and instructional DVD, CD, and MP3.

It is recommended that you attend local yoga classes while using these materials. The materials are meant for home practice between studio classes. For more information, contact tpierce@aph.org.

APH at BVA in DC

From left to right: Ken Perry, APH Programmer; John Spiegelhalter, Manager, Business Development; Bill Beavin, Vice President & CFO; Tony Grantz, Marketing & Special Projects

APH traveled to Washington, DC, in August to show our products at the annual Blinded Veterans Association National Convention. This year was very special because APH is now on the Government Federal Supply Schedule Contract. Since the convention was in DC, all of the VIST coordinators (Visual Impairment Services Team) attended along with veterans from all over the country.

APH Historic Studio One Makes History (Again!) with Wilson Webcast

Two historic events were rolled into one at the end of August: APH completed the first phase of our new webcast studio just in time to conduct our largest live webcast ever, as measured by the number of presenters involved.

Historic Studio One, also known as the Museum Conference Room, was actually the very first purpose-built recording studio at APH. Historic Studio One is where, in 1936, narrator Hal Sutton recorded APH’s first audio book—Gulliver’s Travels! The studio is once again filled with a buzz of activity now that we have updated this space. While it continues to serve as a conference room, it can also quickly be converted into a full-blown webcast studio. Renovations included fresh paint, replacement of sound-proofing panels, the addition of internet and audio-video connections, curtains for use as a video backdrop, and a gold logo on the glass door reading, "Historic Studio One." When used as a webcast studio, the room can include a master control computer, monitoring computer, video camera and lighting, microphones, video monitor screens, and a set consisting of curtains and draped tables.

Wilson Webcast Christens New Studio. APH’s largest interactive, educational webcast to date was conducted in Historic Studio One at the end of August. This three-day webcast featured the Wilson Reading System (WRS) and was conducted by over ten presenters. Thirty participants from twelve states took part in the training.

Ann Pearce, Literacy Specialist with Wilson Language, trained authorized participants to prepare them for field-testing adapted WRS materials. Also participating were staff and students from Kentucky School for the Blind, staff from the Perkins School for the Blind, and staff and students from California State University–Los Angeles.

Field Services Representative Maria Delgado is APH’s primary staff person who plans webcasts, but creating our webcast studio and preparing for the Wilson Reading System webcast involved staff from six departments, including: Field Services, Research, Communications, Public Affairs, Maintenance, and Computer Technology Services.

Watch for more from Historic Studio One, coming to your computer soon!

Presenters and APH staff who participated in the Wilson Training webcast are: 1st row Rosa Tu (Cal State), Dr Jane Erin (University of Arizona), Dr Cheryl Kamei Hannan (Cal State); 2nd row Ginger Backer (KSB), Mary McCarthy (Perkins), Jeanette Wicker (APH), Erika Acosta (Cal State), Maria Delgado (APH), Stephanie Brown (KSB), Roz Rowley (Perkins), Justine Carlone Rines (Perkins); 3rd row Lisa Okikawa (Cal State), Ann Pearce (Wilson Trainer), Ricky Irvine (APH).

Thank You Living Legacy Members

Too often, we learn too late when people have named us in their wills—leaving us no chance to say "Thank You." The 1858 Living Legacy Society honors those who have provided for APH’s future through a planned gift, such as a bequest in their will or a Charitable Gift Annuity. If you have included APH in your estate plan, we would like to recognize your faithful dedication and say "Thank you."

1858 Living Legacy Society members share a desire to guarantee long-term support and independence for America’s blind and visually impaired. Through their foresight and generosity, they help ensure the continued momentum of product development, materials, and services needed for education and life.

Please contact development@aph.org or 888/295-2405 for more information.

The Expanded Core Curriculum Forum

ECCadvocacy.org is a joint website of the American Foundation for the Blind and Perkins School for the Blind, dedicated to ensuring that children who are blind, visually impaired, and deafblind have access to equal and appropriate education through the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC).

ECCadvocacy.org is a grassroots forum and a central resource and gateway to more information about the Expanded Core Curriculum, a curriculum that provides students with the foundational skills they need to access the core curriculum and achieve independence throughout their lives. The site advocates for inclusion of the ECC as an integral part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) scheduled for re-authorization in 2011.

Whether you are a parent, teacher, administrator, or just someone concerned with providing effective education to all children, you are invited to join the community. http://www.eccadvocacy.org/eccforum.asp

"Like" APH at Our New Facebook Page, Now with More Features!

We’re excited to announce our brand new Facebook page — please visit and "Like" us! Our previous Facebook page has now been removed. The new page has added features, such as better integration with Twitter and Flickr photo sharing! You can find APH at these social media sites: Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and at our blog, Fred’s Head from APH.

You Can Tweet from Annual Meeting!

Are you coming to Annual Meeting? Do you use Twitter? Why not tweet your annual meeting experience! Tweet about people you meet, sessions you attend, the awards ceremony, whatever is meaningful to you. If you like, use a hashtag so we can keep up with one another. Please end your tweets with these characters: #APH10 so we can follow your tweets.

Want to know more about Twitter and find out what the heck a hashtag is? Check out these articles:

• http://pistachioconsulting.com/figuring-out-twitter/
• http://pistachioconsulting.com/twitter-hashtags-cable-tv/

APH Welcomes New Ex Officio Trustees

Cliff Hathaway, The Hope School, replacing Rebbecca A. Gwaltney.

Jennifer J. Lehrman, Elwyn, Inc., replacing Linda Steward.

Mathis Calvin, The New York State School for the Blind and The New York State Education Department, replacing Erin Meehan-Fairben and Deborah Stamp.

Marybeth Lauderdale, The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, replacing Reggie Clinton.

APH Travel Calendar

October

October 7-9, 2010
National Braille Association Professional Development Conference;
Raleigh, NC

October 7-9, 2010
FAHPERDS—Florida Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance;
Orlando, FL

October 8-9, 2010
APH Braille Plus and BookPort Training;
Portland State University in Portland, OR

October 9, 2010
Gazing At Options-What Does the Future Hold for Your Child;
KSB in Louisville, KY

October 14-16, 2010
APH 2010 Annual Meeting;
Galt House in Louisville, KY

October 22-24, 2010
12 State Vision Midwest Conference;
Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI

October 27-29, 2010
Texas Division for Blind Services Conference;
San Marcos, TX

October 28-30, 2010
ATIA 2010 Chicago;
Schaumburg, IL

November

November 7-9, 2010
MAHPERD (Maine AHPERD);
Samoset Resort, Rockport, ME

November 8-12, 2010
APH Appropriation with Various Legislators as Scheduled;
Washington, DC

November 10-12, 2010
MACRT ASERT Professional Development Conference;
Daytona Beach, FL

November 11-12, 2010
VTAHPERD (Vermont AHPERD);
Killington Grand Hotel, Killington, VT

November 14-16, 2010
KAHPERD (Kentucky AHPERD);
Embassy Suites, Lexington, KY

November 18-19, 2010
North Carolina Assistive Technology Expo 2010 (NC AT Expo 2010);
Raleigh, NC

December

December 1-4, 2010
TAHPERD’S 87th Annual Convention (Texas AHPERD); Galveston, Texas

December 4-8, 2010
National Staff Development Council’s (NSDC’s) 42nd Annual Conference;
Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, GA

December 25-27, 2010
NIMAS Meetings;
Orlando, FL

Fall Harvest Sale

Load up a world of savings on selected APH products with APH’s Fall Harvest Sale 2010, October 1—December 31. As always, first come, first served.

archive.aph.org/sale

NEW! Braille+ and Refreshabraille 18 Combo Kit

1-07444-00 — $2,899.00 + shipping

Replacement Item:

Braille+ and Refreshabraille 18 Combo Case: 1-07448-00 — $45.00

Optional Items:

Refreshabraille 18 Leather Case: 1-07447-00 — $32.00
Braille+ Mobile Manager Leather Case: 1-07449-00 — $32.00

Related Products:

Braille+ Mobile Manager: 1-07450-01 — $1,395.00 + shipping
Refreshabraille 18: 1-07445-01 — $1,695.00 + shipping

Carry your Braille+ Mobile Manager and Refreshabraille 18 units together and save by buying the Combo Kit!

APH’s Braille+™ Mobile Manager is a powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use notetaker designed specifically for users who are blind and visually impaired. It can be held in your hand like a PDA or used on your lap or desk like a laptop.

The Refreshabraille 18™ from APH is an ideal refreshable braille display and braille keyboard for the Braille+ and other mobile devices such as notebooks, mobile phones, and PDAs. It connects to your mobile device via USB cable or wireless Bluetooth®. Supports common screen readers like Window-Eyes® and JAWS® for the PC; VoiceOver for the Mac®, iPhone®, and iPod® Touch; and Talks® and Mobile Speak® for mobile phones and PDAs.

The new Combo Case houses and protects both the Braille+ and Refreshabraille 18 units, turning these two independent tools into one. The case opens like a book, revealing the Braille+ on one side and the Refreshabraille 18 on the other. Openings make it easy to connect accessories or power, and when folded, this case protects both units. Includes a strap for easy portability.

Includes

• Black leather Combo Case with detachable strap
• Braille+ Mobile Manager unit and accessories
• Refreshabraille 18 unit and accessories
• Print and Braille Quick Start Guides for both units

NEW! Building on Patterns (BOP): Primary Braille Literacy Program First Grade Level, Unit 6

Print Kit (Teacher’s Materials in print): 8-78460-U6 — $135.00
Braille Kit (Teacher’s Materials in braille): 6-78460-U6 — $135.00

Replacement Items:

Unit 6 Teacher’s Edition:
Print: 8-78461-U6 — $65.00
Braille: 6-78461-U6 — $65.00

Unit 6:

• Student Textbook: 6-78463-U6 — $17.00
• Assessment Check-up Forms (print & braille): 8-78466-U6 — $16.00
• Lesson Monitoring Sheets: 8-78463-U6 — $19.50
• Worksheet Pack: 6-78464-U6 — $17.00

Building on Patterns (BOP) is a complete primary literacy program designed to teach beginning braille users all language arts–reading, writing, and spelling.

Note: Building on Patterns: First Grade replaces Patterns Reading: Preprimer, Primer, and First Reader Levels. Other levels of Building on Patterns will be available in the future.

The Building on Patterns series addresses phonemic awareness (ability to hear and interpret sounds in speech), phonics (the association of written symbols with the sounds they represent), comprehension, fluency, and oral vocabulary, all of which have been identified as important for reading instruction.

This program also addresses specific skill areas needed by the child who is blind, such as language development, sound discrimination, tactual discrimination, and concept development. Braille contractions are introduced from the beginning along with sound and letter associations.

Features

• Braille taught and presented in a logical manner
• Ideas for incorporating technology
• Tactile graphics for teachers to explore with the student
• Flexible activities designed to fit individual needs
• Lesson overviews for planning ahead
• Five-day lesson sequences
• Suggested concept development activities for parents
• Read-aloud books accompany the lesson (suggestions provided)
• Appropriate braille library books (suggestions provided)
• Lesson Monitoring Sheets
• Unit Check-ups/Assessment

BOP First Grade lessons require students to read selections themselves with emphasis on decoding skills, comprehension, and fluency. Creative writing, related to the reading selections, is included with each lesson. Spelling is based upon phonics skills. Worksheet packs, lesson monitoring sheets, and unit assessment packs are consumables and are available separately.

Recommended ages: 6 to 7 years and up.

Prerequisite: Building on Patterns: Kindergarten or equivalent skills.

NEW! Verbal View of Office Ribbon Bar Flash Cartridge

D-10519-FC — $50.00

Related Products:
Verbal View of Office Ribbon Bar CD-ROM: D-10519-00 — $50.00

Verbal View from APH is a series of comprehensive tutorials covering a variety of computer software topics.

Verbal View™ of Office Ribbon Bar® now comes on your choice of either a CD-ROM or a National Library Service (NLS) Player-compatible flash cartridge, this tutorial comes in multiple digital formats including DAISY, html, Microsoft Word®, and text.

The programs in the Microsoft Office® 2007 Suite work better together because they now share a common file format and a common user interface. The interface is called the "Ribbon," and it has been the source of frustration and confusion to many blind computer users. With the information in this tutorial, the blind user will understand and confidently interact with this important new interface.

The DAISY version plays on any Digital Talking Book player that supports DAISY 3.0 including APH’s Book Port™ Plus, BookSense, Pocket, Victor Reader® Stream, and the National Library Service DTB player. The CD includes a DAISY reading program, APH’s Book Wizard Reader®, that you may use to read the book on a Windows PC.

For more information about the National Library Services digital talking book player, please visit http://www.loc.gov/nls/digital.html

NEW! CVI Complexity Sequences Kit

1-08156-00 — $50.00

Replacement Items:

CVI Complexity Sequences Guidebook:

• Large Print: 7-08156-00 — $10.00
• Braille: 5-08156-00 — $10.00

Card sequences for use by students with CVI who have had success with 2-dimensional materials.

APH’s CVI Complexity Sequences Kit includes cards that present sequences of images designed to refine the ability to identify a target in the presence of increasing amounts of background information. These cards may be used individually or as a sequence and should be presented against a black or plain, light-absorbing background.

Designed to assist individuals with CVI improve ability to:

• Recognize or identify simple, colored, 2-dimensional images presented in isolation
• Recognize or identify images presented with increasing numbers of background elements
• Identify a key image based on the salient features of that image
• Recognize or identify images presented in a variety of locations and with increasing numbers of background elements

Includes

• Ten sets of eight Sequence Cards stored in vinyl pouches
• Blackout window to isolate the target image
• Guidebook in large print and on CD in brf, html, dtb, and text formats
• Three-ring binder

Note: Braille Guidebook available separately.

Recommended ages: Preschool and up.

NEW! Feel ‘n Peel Stickers: Nemeth Braille/Print Numbers 0-100

1-08876-00 — $24.00

Related Products

Feel ‘n Peel Stickers:

• Assorted Stickers Kit (over 2,300 stickers): 1-08843-00 — $77.00
• Assorted Stickers II Kit (over 2,300 stickers): 1-08864-00 — $96.00

These multi-use tactile stickers are printed and embossed on clear, durable plastic.

Feel ‘n Peel Stickers: Nemeth Braille/Print Numbers 0-100 are intended for the creation and adaptation of science and math related materials.

Includes

• 4 sheets of Nemeth Braille/Print Number Stickers 0-9 (multiple stickers of each number are provided on each sheet of 169 stickers)
• 4 sheets of Nemeth Braille/Print Number Stickers 10-100 (one sticker per number on each sheet of 91 stickers)
• Suggested Uses Guide, Large Print
• Suggested Uses Guide, Braille

Recommended ages: Preschool and up.

WARNING: Choking Hazard–Small Parts. Not intended for children ages 5 and under without adult supervision.

NEW! EZ Track Calendar, 2011

with binder: 1-07900-11 — $32.50
Calendar inserts only, no binder: 1-07901-11 — $28.50

Related Products

EZ Track:

• Address Book: 1-07910-00 — $30.00
• Financial Record Keeper: 1-07920-00 — $40.00
• Medical Record Keeper: 1-07930-00 — $31.00

EZ Track Calendar: A Low Vision Appointment Book and Calendar

This calendar offers a systematic and organized way of keeping track of appointments, holidays, and other events.

Each large print page holds four days, with enough room to write notes and appointments. The calendar comes with a three-ring binder.

REVISED! Desk Board with 27 Cell Slate & Large Stylus

1-00060-01 — $105.00

Board now made with durable white plastic!

After writing four lines, open the slate and slide it down until the pegs fit into the next set of holes, and continue writing (up to 28 lines).

Includes

• Desk board with clip for holding paper
• 27 cell slate
• Large handle stylus

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 Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose
by Mary Hooper: T-N1757-10 — $61.00
London, 1670. Homeless fifteen-year-old Eliza is arrested for stealing food. Bailed out by bawdy-house owner Ma Gwyn, Eliza is helped by Ma’s daughter Nell, who becomes the mistress of King Charles. Eliza’s fortune improves, and she eventually finds her birth mother. Fiction, Senior High and older readers. *(AR Quiz #11939, BL 6.5, Pts. 14.0)

The Jewish Americans: Three Centuries of Jewish Voices in America
by Beth S. Wenger: T-N1773-70 — $104.00
Companion piece to a 2008 PBS television series uses first-person accounts to examine the history, social integration, ethnic relations, and cultural assimilation of Jews in America from 1654 to 2008. Profiles individuals such as Abraham Kohn, a 1840s peddler who voiced the initial disappointment felt by many Jewish immigrants.

Wolf: Legend, Enemy, Icon
by Rebecca L. Grambo: T-N1775-10 — $30.00
Explores the evolution of the wolf-human relationship. Covers early civilizations’ reverence of the wolf, the wolf as a symbol of evil in the Middle Ages, and its near extinction in modern times. Describes the wolf’s life cycle and its predatory nature, which incites both fear and admiration in humans.

Happy for No Reason: Seven Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out
by Marci Shimoff: T-N1774-60 — $82.00
Author presents a holistic approach to finding lasting happiness. Describes a seven-step program corresponding to personal power, mind, heart, body, soul, purpose, and relationships–as well as twenty-one associated "happiness habits" and exercises. Includes inspirational accounts and tips on applying principles to daily life. Foreword by Jack Canfield.

Coltrane: The Story of a Sound
by Ben Ratliff: T-N1775-50 — $77.00
New York Times jazz critic analyzes the performance style of saxophonist John Coltrane (1926-1967), from his 1946 recordings as a navy bandsman and 1950s improvisational experimentation to his 1961 breakthrough song, My Favorite Things. Discusses Coltrane’s openness to other cultures and influence on other musicians. Biography, Strong Language, Adult Reader.

*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/