Yesterday I had the opportunity to do a training with the Refresh A Braille 18 from APH. Well, the Technology gods were not smiling on me on that day. Imagine everything that could go wrong and more. I started the day off forgetting my computer, strike 1. I drove 82 miles and two hours to do this training so there was no turning around and going back...onward with a positive outlook, right?!
Strike 2- the room where the training took place was less then adequate...no wireless and the wire that was provided to connect us was too short. So I could not bring the computer close to the participants, we all had to stand around a cluttered desk. Oh did I mention that the computer also lacked blue tooth and the cord provided for the Refresh A Braille was also very short. Oh and someone turned on the heat (it was 90 degrees outside) so we all were perspiring and I am being kind when I say that. Thank goodness someone had the sense to turn on the AC!
Strike 3, when everything was finally set up, the Refresh A Braille wouldn't respond. The tech person and I tried everything we could think of to trouble shoot the problem, nothing worked. Several hours later and more frustration I still had to drive back 82 miles and and two hours through the Ocala National Forest.
Okay so the Technology gods didn't smile on me that day but it was still a great opportunity to do a tech. training. After all I am a tech. geek in training and these things happen, I must learn from my experiences . Needless to say, I called APH to find out what went wrong...What I found out was that we needed to update the drivers for JAWS 12...d'oh!
Thank you Pamela from APH you were a lifesaver!
Speaking of refreshable braille. I just received my Braille Sense plus with qwerty key board. It is charging as I blog. I am going to read through the manual this evening and begin my new adventure tomorrow
earning my ears at Disney's Magic Kingdom
feeling like a 5 year old, even for a short time
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
eye heart the i pad
Yes, it's true, I love my i pad....I am still using the first i Pad and am still amaze at all it can do for someone who is blind or visually impaired. What really surprises me, however, are that the teachers with whom I work. They are still are not aware of these accessibility features that the i Pad has to offer. Even better these features come built into the device, that means no extra software to buy!
VoiceOver as you can guess speaks to you telling you what is on the screen. It is controlled by one's finger(s) to touch the screen in order initiate a command- ask me about the split tap or the three finger right flick sometime!
For the low vision user there is also zoom which also uses one's fingers to enlarge or move around the image on the screen and the white on black to change the contrast. The only thing about the white on black is that you can't change the colors...what you see is what you get.
The best part of the i pad is the blue tooth capabilities that connects to a wireless braille display. I had a chance to use this feature a couple of weeks ago and I was so thrilled..it also reminded me that I need a refresher course in grade two braille-that's another story. If you want to use the i pad and the refreshable braille display, check out Chase Crispin, a 5th grade student who is blind. With the assistance of his teacher of the visually impaired, LeAnne MacDonald, they made a you tube video on how to use the i phone and Refresh a Brailler 18, the link is
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjQSU88j1kj&feature=related.
Let me just say, prepared to be dazzled! This young man is an excellent teacher!
VoiceOver as you can guess speaks to you telling you what is on the screen. It is controlled by one's finger(s) to touch the screen in order initiate a command- ask me about the split tap or the three finger right flick sometime!
For the low vision user there is also zoom which also uses one's fingers to enlarge or move around the image on the screen and the white on black to change the contrast. The only thing about the white on black is that you can't change the colors...what you see is what you get.
The best part of the i pad is the blue tooth capabilities that connects to a wireless braille display. I had a chance to use this feature a couple of weeks ago and I was so thrilled..it also reminded me that I need a refresher course in grade two braille-that's another story. If you want to use the i pad and the refreshable braille display, check out Chase Crispin, a 5th grade student who is blind. With the assistance of his teacher of the visually impaired, LeAnne MacDonald, they made a you tube video on how to use the i phone and Refresh a Brailler 18, the link is
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjQSU88j1kj&feature=related.
Let me just say, prepared to be dazzled! This young man is an excellent teacher!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Welcome Leanne Grillot
I am sure that everyone knows now that we have a new Program Specialist for the Deaf and Blind for the Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS). Prior to taking the position at DOE, Leanne worked as the Itinerant Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility Specialist for Flagler County. Besides wearing those two hats, Leanne was also the districts LATS(Local Assistive Technology Specialist) and the person who handled the students who were deaf and hard of hearing within the county. Let's see that's how many hats?? I believe 4!
On a personal note, I've been fortunate enough to have worked in the" trenches" with Leanne since she started in Flagler County in 2006. She contacted Outreach Services SRD, as we were known back in those days, to assist her with trainings or technical assistance or to discuss and brainstorm ideas that related to her students who were blind or visually impaired. The last time I visited her county, at her request, a few months before she took her new job, I was amazed at all she had accomplished for her students who were both deaf/hard of hearing and blind/visually impaired. I know that Flagler County really misses her .
I look forward to working with her in a new capacity and I think she is going to do wonderful job in her new position! Thank you Leanne for your services to the students who are blind and visually impaired in the State of Florida
On a personal note, I've been fortunate enough to have worked in the" trenches" with Leanne since she started in Flagler County in 2006. She contacted Outreach Services SRD, as we were known back in those days, to assist her with trainings or technical assistance or to discuss and brainstorm ideas that related to her students who were blind or visually impaired. The last time I visited her county, at her request, a few months before she took her new job, I was amazed at all she had accomplished for her students who were both deaf/hard of hearing and blind/visually impaired. I know that Flagler County really misses her .
I look forward to working with her in a new capacity and I think she is going to do wonderful job in her new position! Thank you Leanne for your services to the students who are blind and visually impaired in the State of Florida
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