From fnugg at online.no Wed Oct 2 08:59:07 2013 From: fnugg at online.no (fnugg at online.no) Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 10:59:07 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] International Day of Older Persons and artist Hy Snell Message-ID: <524BE05B.6000106@online.no> Hi, October 1st was the International Day of Older Persons. The following news video about 94 year old Hy Snell I think will be of interest. Artist's lack of sight doesnt stop his 'vision' Hy Snell's lack of sight doesn't stop his artistic vision. http://www.digtriad.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=2707732030001&odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cfeatured Regards, Lisa From fnugg at online.no Wed Oct 2 09:04:57 2013 From: fnugg at online.no (fnugg at online.no) Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 11:04:57 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Bramblitt, Mendoza Message-ID: <524BE1B9.9050801@online.no> * *Kids learn from artist John Bramblitt, an artist who is blind, in the Art Beyond Sight program at First Tuesdays at the Dallas Museum of Art. *FIRST TUESDAYS *Kids 5 and younger can meet blind artist John Bramblitt and his guide dog, Echo, and do activities in keeping with this month's theme, Use Your Senses, as they create art on Oct. 1 at the Dallas Museum of Art. They can play with scented play dough, listen to the sounds of nature and explore different textures from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and sketch with scented pencils and meet Arturo, the museum's family mascot, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There'll be a demonstration by Bramblitt from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., stories with Ann Marie Newman from 11:30 a.m. to noon, a family tour from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. and story time with the Dallas Public Library from 1 to 1:30 p.m. No registration needed. General admission is always free. 1717 N. Harwood St., Dallas. 214-922-1200begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 214-922-1200 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting . dma.org. http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/columnists/nancy-churnin/20130926-5-free-family-fun-activities-this-weekend-and-beyond.ece?nclick_check=1 Irving Arts Center presents artist George Mendoza on Saturday The *Irving Arts Center* presents legally blind artist, athlete and author *George Mendoza* at 1 p.m. Saturday for an artist talk. His talk will be followed by Family Fun activities from 2 to 4 p.m. The activities will be inspired by his exhibit, Colors of the Wind, which runs through Nov. 10 in the Main Gallery. The two events are part of the center's *Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Live* event, where museums nationwide offer free admission and activities to encourage visits to museums. Visit smithsonianmag.com/museumday. http://www.dallasnews.com/news/20130925-irving-arts-center-presents-artist-george-mendoza-on-saturday.ece From fnugg at online.no Wed Oct 2 09:16:58 2013 From: fnugg at online.no (fnugg at online.no) Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 11:16:58 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Promoting Access to the Arts for All, Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month, CALLING ALL Message-ID: <524BE48A.40809@online.no> Forwarding: Promoting Access to the Arts for All Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month CALLING ALL CALENDAR ENTRIES This is our final call for entries to be included in the Art Beyond Sight Calendar! Send us your organization?s name, event date, time, location, and contact if pre-registration is required. The calendar is available on our website: http://www.artbeyondsight.org/ change/aw-calendar.shtml. Building an Inclusive Society Last October marked the 10th year anniversary of Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month. We celebrated a decade?s worth of efforts made by museums, schools, cultural institutions, libraries, and service organiza- tions in increasing art education for the disabled. This year, we are thrilled to be celebrating art education and creativity for people with vision loss and other disabilities once again. Greetings to all newcomers and long-time participants! NEED MORE? BROCHURES? Simply send an email to Marie Clapot, Program Director, at marie.clapot at artbeyondsight.org, indicating the number of brochures needed as well as your mailing address. PRESS COVERAGE? Contact Art Beyond Sight for direct quotes from its staff to include in your press release ? or simply give Art Beyond Sight?s phone number to local press reporters ? (212) 334 -8723. You can also print our factsheets and include them in your press kits. The factsheets can be found at: http:// www.artbeyondsight.org/change/aw-pressroom.shtml October 2013 Email Alert 1 SPOTLIGHT Michelle Lopez is the senior program coordinator of Queens Museum of Art. Having served children and families on the autism spectrum as an ABA Instructor, counselor and trainer, she is now working with Queens Museum of Art?s ArtAccess library programs and coordinates the Autism Initiatives program, which is a multi-year partnership with the Queens Library. Through this program, families can access bilingual studio art classes held at the various Queens Library branches. Programs have included classes such as Photography Class, Beautiful Oops, and The Magic Tree House series. The Magic Tree House , a 6-week series, provided students of all reading levels with the chance to make art inspired by the themes in books 1-4 of the book series. INTERVIEW WITH MICHELLE LOPEZ ART BEYOND SIGHT: Why did you become involved with ArtAccess/Autism Initiatives? MICHELLE LOPEZ: Art access is the part of our education department that focuses on special needs, so I was interested in working with it because of my art therapy background. In terms of Autism Initiatives, back when I was in school I gained experience from working at a preschool with children on the autism spectrum. I didn?t know exactly what I wanted to do at the time but that?s when I became interested in autism. When I started working at the Queens Museum of Art, we had a grant for the new New Yorkers program, which is a program for adults and the immigrant community. So at the time, most of the programs were for adults but the coordinator wanted to make programs for families as well, including programs for early childhood. It just so happened that one of the families of the program had a child on the autism spectrum ? this family invited other friends and family of the autism community and the number of classmates increased thereafter. The coordinator of this new program wasn?t familiar with working with those on the autism spectrum. That?s when I came to help out ? it ended up becoming a popular and successful class. And at the same time, the Queens Library was looking to gain training for working with families and children with special needs ? that?s when I decided to focus more on autism and became involved with Autism Initiatives. ABS: What is the goal of Autism Initiatives? ML: The goal overall is to create more inviting institutions for families on the autism spectrum. Thankfully, looking at how things are now, it looks like a lot of the museums have gone on that journey, starting their own au- tism initiatives. I think now, were really thinking about the relationship of community spaces for individuals on the autism spectrum so that they can develop relationships with these institutions. Another goal is to offer prac- tical tools to help families understand how to use a museum. These families can then pass these tools onto others. Last but not least, another goal would be teaching these families to use this cultural network to their advantage. The focus of Autism Initiatives has shifted from children to families in recent years. Due to this, our main focus is socialization because sometimes educators can feel intimidated and vice versa. So a primary goal is socialization. ABS: What are some programs that have been created through Autism Initiatives? ML: We first started with photography classes, then DJ classes, to traditional art making classes and art-making classes inspired by books. We?ve also done composing, lighting classes ? whatever is of interest of the educators. Programs are often educator driven so it usually comes down to the educator. If the educator is passionate about a specific topic, the participants are more willing to learn about it because it is presented to them in an exciting way. Because every child is interested in having a positive experience, we will really initiate any program that an educator is willing to teach as long as they are open to opening up their curriculum in this manner. MICHELLE LOPEZ ABS: What kind of skills do you focus on enriching in the classroom? Through programs such like the Magic Tree House series? ML: A series like the Magic Tree House series happens over 6 weeks, so we start with socialization skills. Children learn to greet each other and to reinforce the action of acknowledging their peers. For the Magic Tree House series in particular, we were also trying to wean children off of picture books. Since many children are visual learners, they tend to need that . The great thing about the Magic Tree House series is that there is a set beginning, middle, and end to the story line, and they always focus on science or social study based needs ? subjects part of a school?s core curriculum. One thing I?d like to emphasize is that it?s not that children can?t learn, it?s that you want to get them to learn. The idea is to introduce them to themes that will come up in the book and get them interested in those themes. If the theme is mummies, we will introduce them to the idea of Egypt so when they read the books in class or with their parents, they begin to see certain words come to life because of the previous reenactments in class. This applies to children whether they can read or not. We want children to be eventually able to do this on their own. We show parents that the vocabulary of a visual thinker can be built by adding images to words ? and images can be added to words by playing around with material found at home. The ultimate goal is to help them be independent in their reading and get them interested in topics. ABS: Who do you think adults benefit from participating in programs like the Open Studio program? (The Open Studio is a program for adults only) ML: First and foremost, the adults come on Sunday and they register for every class individually. We don?t want a large group to book during that time because we want adults to live independently. For instance, there might not be enough space for an adult to register due to group booking. We want adults to feel like attending this class is entirely up to them ? they book the class and they attend. We also charge a dollar in order to help them understand money management. Usually, 2-4 participants come to each class. The adults choose what they want to do because, they?re adults. If they want to make cards, have a conversation, whatever it is they want to do, it is up to them. We have participants that come every week and work on one art piece for a long period of time with their own materials. The idea here is not to teach them to make artwork but allow them to ask for what materials they want in making it. If they want to make the sky look more profound, Mitra, the art therapist, can make suggestions. The direction these adults want to take is ultimately up to them. We want to provide them with a studio space where they can make decisions. Adults can also benefit from Open Studio because it provides a social community. The adults look forward to seeing each other, sharing new sketches, and interacting with one another. ABS: Can you describe the process of collaborating with teaching artists and/or art therapists in developing new programs/How do you go about developing a program together to successfully help those with autism? ML: We collaborate and develop a program by teaching art therapists how to incorporate more entry points into their lessons. For instance, just talking to the kids won?t suffice because children of the autism spectrum are usually visual learners. At the same time, some of them are not entirely visual ? some need to take action and do. So throughout the process of developing a program, we make it clear that the communication to the kids needs to be clear, which includes giving participants space and/or more time. We enjoy adapting to the different personalities and teaching styles of art therapists and teaching artists, but we also make sure to let them know to pace each lesson. ART BEYOND SIGHT 589 Broadway New York, NY 10012 Four years ago, I started working with a photographer named Sol Aramendi. I still work with her and she currently runs education programs for adult learners who deal with identity issues due to immigration. At the time, she was interested in working with those with autism so she taught a student participant the technical aspects of using a camera. For the first camera class session, we had participants take a look at the camera and play around with it. Some participants are really skilled with the digital camera and might be less open to sugges- tions so teaching one lesson in several different ways within one class session is important. Some participants may get stuck on one detail and others might only be observing the camera as a whole. Adding contrast within one class session is important. For instance, Sol may have participants take 5 pictures from up close and 5 from far away. This is an ideal method as opposed to teaching a specific way for one week and introducing another method the next week because doing so would make some participants feel like they?re being corrected, when the teacher is really just trying to introduce a range of skills. ABS: What?s the most rewarding part about working children of the autism community? ML: I?m seeing that institutions are taking on autism initiatives of their own and I?m pleased to see how far this community has grown, as well as how many more opportunities there are now. When I used to work in a home with a family who had an autistic child, I remember seeing how difficult it was for the parent and how they had no courage to go out into society. Seeing how kids enjoy learning about all kinds of subjects, as opposed to when I first started in the field, it seemed that child was ?supposed to have? a single interest. Now, there are a range of topics that can be introduced to a child. Again, in terms of using a camera, a child can learn not just how to use it but how to make beautiful images. All in all, being able to see how far educators have come, how much the community has grown, and how educators are taking more chances is very rewarding. Lastly, seeing changes in special education reform, seeing major changes in schools, and seeing institutions realize that these children can?t be taught social skills in an isolated space. ABS: What is the most challenging part of working with the autism community? ML: The most challenging aspect of working with children from this community is that there?s still a long way to go. Providing sensory experiences is important for every learner but it really shouldn?t stop there. We need to set the expectations higher and trust in the process. It?s also a bit frustrating that some educators and teachers are meeting these children for the first time in a standard classroom seeing and thinking ?How do I teach a group of 30 kids 5 of them having special needs? How do I engage these 5 children?? or, ?What?s the point of having these 5 kids in the larger group seeing?? These kinds of responses can be frustrating. Last but not least, art business is not about special needs or marginalized groups, so funding for museum space is challenging. Finding a funder or funding source committed for the long term is tricky. We would love to pay for a great educator but often can?t due to the lack of funding. ABS: In what ways do you think museums can further accommodate those affected by autism? ML: I think we have to stop thinking about the autism community as a particular population. We should really be thinking about the whole. Truth is, museums are not accessible to all people and programming is important, but you don?t need to know whether a visitor has a specific disorder. Rather, there should be more ways to enrich a visitor?s experience ? for example, providing images or some tactile objects for children who are nonverbal by making sure that they can participate and walk around the same way as other visitors. There are many great programs for those with autism within a museum, but if a staff member or another museumgoer shushes an autistic child, the child?s experience is ruined. You would never invite someone to your house, put out food on the table, and suddenly yell at them, ?Don?t eat the food!? The museum is everyone?s house and it?s up to each individual to be courteous. If someone with autism walks through a museum door, the museum must accept them as the way they are. It?s not anyone?s job to change them. ART BEYOND SIGHT 589 Broadway New York, NY 10012 We are standing on the plains to the east of the Colorado Rockies looking west. On our left is Colorado's boarder with New Mexico and on the right is our boarder with Wyoming. The distance from New Mexico to Wyoming is 280 miles. This sculpture is 140 inches wide so 1/2 inch represents 1 mile. Vertically the scale is 1 1/2 inches equals 1000 feet. The bottom of the picture is sea level. Denver is placed at one mile high and the snow capped mountains top out right around 14,000 feet in elevation. The city icons are somewhat indicative of population, Denver is the largest, Trinidad is the smallest and the others range inbetween those two extremes. Around the edge of the image are six state symbols including the state flower, flag, bird, insect, fish, and mammal. These bas relief are carved in slate. The large image is carved from: sky - blue limestone lightly textured mountain caps - sparkling white marble glassy smooth mountains - red travertine heavily textured plains - smooth green onyx, the rivers are rounded indents running as they would across the plains and I-70 is a squared indent. Ann Cunningham specializes in creating tactile pictures. These have been featured in her exhibits, her children's books and as tactile interpretations of museum's collections. For more information, visit her website: http:// www.acunningham.com http://www.sensationalbooks.com ART BEYOND SIGHT 589 Broadway New York, NY 10012 Images from Colorado by Ann Cunningham: From fnugg at online.no Wed Oct 2 08:54:31 2013 From: fnugg at online.no (fnugg at online.no) Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 10:54:31 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] photography, nano-wrinkles Message-ID: <524BDF47.6040208@online.no> The photo deemed too controversial for an art festival A VISION-IMPAIRED artist feels his "wings have been clipped" after his photographic entry of a naked, mature-aged woman was withdrawn from the Bundaberg Arts Festival for being too controversial. http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/too-prude-for-nude/2037634/ Smartphones help the visually impaired navigate their daily lives It may seem difficult or impossible for someone who can't see to use the touchscreen of an iPhone or Android smartphone to use the devices, but it's easier than you might expect. The iPhone for example has an assistant mode for taking pictures that tells the visually impaired person how many heads are in a photograph and where those heads are the frame allowing a perfectly aligned photograph. Android devices have a feature called TalkBack that adds spoken, audible, and vibration feedback to the smartphone. http://www.slashgear.com/smartphones-help-the-visually-impaired-navigate-their-daily-lives-30299574/ Visually impaired challenge lab site Math can be tough for many college students. For the visually impaired, the software MyMathLab from Pearson can be tough to navigate to do the work needed to pass math. It's particularly tough when their screen-reading software isn't compatible. "I was able to do a couple of the assignments, but I still had a few issues," said visually impaired NE student Joseph King. "Then I got to a certain point, and it just got to be too much. I had to drop the class until they come up with accessible software or a different solution." http://collegian.tccd.edu/?p=14167 Fingers Can Sense Nano-Wrinkles on Seemingly Smooth Surface How sensitive are our fingers? Apparently they can detect even nano-wrinkles on a seemingly smooth surface. The findings have important implications for the development of technologies for the visually impaired. Before now, scientists have been unsure exactly how sensitive our sense of touch really is. In order to find that out, they tested the smallest pattern that a finger could distinguish. When a finger is drawn over a surface, vibrations occur in the finger. People feel these vibrations differently on different substances and the fiction properties of the surface control how hard we press on the surface as we explore it. A high friction surface requires us to press less to achieve the optimum friction force. "This is the breakthrough that allows us to design how things feel and are perceived," said Mark Rutland, one of the researchers, in a news release. "It allows, for example, for a certain portion of a touch screen on a smartphone to be designed to feel differently by vibration." http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/9507/20130917/fingers-sense-nano-wrinkles-seemingly-smooth-surface.htm From fnugg at online.no Wed Oct 2 13:16:52 2013 From: fnugg at online.no (fnugg at online.no) Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 15:16:52 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Pete Eckert , Ann Cunningham, Message-ID: <524C1CC4.9000505@online.no> Hi, Very nice talk by Pete Eckert about his work. Regards, Lisa Blind Artist Pete Eckert uses Light Painting to Expose his Vision Pete Eckert is a blind photographer that uses light painting to stencil his muses into otherwise opaque photographs; but he hasn't always been blind, and he hasn't always been a photographer. http://garakami.com/20130715/blind-artist-pete-eckert-uses-light-painting-to-expose-his-vision/ Colorado Center for the Blind celebrates turning 25 Artist Ann Cunningham describes her new tactile art installation to celebrants at CCB's 25 birthday party as they feel their way around it. http://www.ourcoloradonews.com/news/colorado-center-for-the-blind-celebrates-turning/article_220ecd00-1fd5-11e3-b9d1-001a4bcf887a.html Blind artist James Newton uses sock monkeys to recreate famous artworks, pop culture icons http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-15/artworks-and-pop-culture-icons-recreated-with-sock-monkeys/4957942 Bits 'n' Pieces: Blind painter's watercolor vision rewarded http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/aug/30/blind-painters-watercolor-vision-awarded/#.UkwYrr44WRt Deaf and blind artist wins award A DEAF artist has been commended for his intricate work based on Chester Zoo -- made all the more remarkable because he has been blind since he was a teenager. Minerva Hussain has Usher syndrome, which started to affect his sight when he was 18, gradually getting worse until he was left with just peripheral vision. But the 44-year-old uses photographs, a magnifying glass and his memory to create vivid, incredibly detailed and tactile work that the viewer can see with their fingers as well as their eyes. http://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/10623118.Deaf_and_blind_artist_wins_award/ Exhibit features artists inspired by Japanese painter A painting of downtown Los Angeles in the evening by Al Setton, who painted scenes inspired by the late Henry Fukuhara, a watercolorist. Fukuhara, who was sent to the Manzanar internment camp during World War II, recreated scenes of those tumultuous times and led a group of artists back to Manzanar some 60 years after the war had ended. Artists continue to gather annually at the site of the camp. http://www.theacorn.com/news/2013-08-15/On_the_Town/Exhibit_features_artists_inspired_by_Japanese_pain.html From Lisa.Yayla at statped.no Thu Oct 10 14:13:06 2013 From: Lisa.Yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 16:13:06 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Verbal Description audio tour for The Armory Show Message-ID: Hi forwarding from Marie Clapot Dear colleagues, We wanted to share the news with you. Art Beyond Sight and the New-York Historical Society have collaborated to produce a Verbal Description audio tour for The Armory Show at 100: Modern Art and Revolution, a major new exhibition at New-York Historical from October 11, 2013 to February 23, 2014 (see press release below and attached). Please pass along to anyone who might be interested and go check it out! Thank you, ABS Team OCTOBER 10, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUDIO TOUR OFFERS ACCESS TO ART AND HISTORY FOR BLIND Art Beyond Sight and the New-York Historical Society have collaborated to produce a Verbal Description audio tour for The Armory Show at 100: Modern Art and Revolution, a major new exhibition at New-York Historical from October 11, 2013 to February 23, 2014. The exhibition revisits the famous 1913 New York Armory Show on its 100th anniversary, which introduced the American public to European avant-garde painting and sculpture and inspired seismic shifts in American culture, politics, and society. The audio tour uses Verbal Description and sound effects to provide people who are blind or visually impaired access to 15 works of art from the original Armory show along with their historical context. Verbal Description is a way of using words to represent the visual world, helping listeners to form mental images of what they cannot see, while also providing a new perspective for people with sight. "Art Beyond Sight and the New-York Historical Society have a long history of cooperating to make the museum's permanent and temporary exhibitions accessible to New Yorkers who are blind or visually impaired," said Dr. Nina Levent, Executive Director of the Art Beyond Sight Institute. The audio tour was written, produced, and narrated by Lou Giansante in consultation with the exhibition's curators Kim Orcutt and Marilyn Kushner. For more than 25 years, Art Beyond Sight (formerly Art Education for the Blind) has created ways to give people with sight loss equal access to the world's visual culture and opportunities to experience the life-enhancing power of art. The New-York Historical Society offers timed ticketing for the exhibition The Armory Show at 100. Visitors can buy advance tickets online at the museum's web site, www.nyhistory.org. CONTACT: Dr. Nina Levent, Executive Director Art Beyond Sight Institute director at artbeyondsight.org 212 334 8721 The Armory Show at 100: Modern Art and Revolution Art Works in the Verbal Description Audio Tour Robert W. Chanler, Leopard and Deer J. Alden Weir, The Factory Village Arthur Davies, A Line of Mountains John Sloan, Sunday, Women Drying Their Hair Guy Pene Du Bois, Waiter! Morton L. Schamberg, Study of a Girl Abastenia St. Leger Eberle, White Slave Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, The Beheading of St. John the Baptist Paul C?zanne, View of Domaine St. Joseph Vincent Van Gogh, Mountains of Saint-Remy John Marin, Woolworth Building #28 Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase Constatin Brancusi, Madesmoiselle Pogany Henri Matisse, Blue Nude Robert Chanler, Parody of the Fauve Painters Marie Clapot Program Director//Lab for Learning Art Beyond Sight 589 Broadway, 3rd fl. New York, NY 10012 t: (212) 334-8723 http://www.artbeyondsight.org/ https://www.facebook.com/ArtBeyonSightLab http://projectaccessforall.org/ -Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services- From fnugg at online.no Mon Oct 14 13:34:22 2013 From: fnugg at online.no (fnugg at online.no) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 15:34:22 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Smartphones Message-ID: <525BF2DE.1050006@online.no> Disruptions: Visually Impaired Turn to Smartphones to See Their World Luis Perez loves taking photographs. He shoots mostly on an iPhone, snapping gorgeous pictures of sunsets, vintage cars, old buildings and cute puppies. But when he arrives at a photo shoot, people are often startled when he pulls out a long white cane. In addition to being a professional photographer, Mr. Perez is almost blind. "With the iPhone I am able to use the same technology as everyone else, and having a product that doesn't have a stigma that other technologies do has been really important to me," said Mr. Perez, who is also an advocate for blind people and speaks regularly at conferences about the benefits of technology for people who cannot see. "Now, even if you're blind, you can still take a photo." http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/disruptions-guided-by-touch-screens-blind-turn-to-smartphones-for-sight/?_r=1 Seeing color through inner vision /Blind artist's new exhibit focuses on the creative senses/ A new collection of artwork by blind artist George Mendoza has come to the Irving Arts Center (IAC) and will run through November 10. On Sept. 28, Mendoza came to the IAC in person and gave a lecture on his artwork and his outlook on building a successful life while dealing with blindness. http://www.irvingrambler.com/index.php/newsx/1635-seeing-color-through-inner-vision TSLA to display School for the Blind artwork NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee School for the Blind artwork will be displayed at the Tennessee State Library and Archives this month. This is the fourth year TSLA has displayed art from the school to commemorate "Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month," an annual event sponsored by Art Education for the Blind, a New York-based nonprofit organization. The exhibit is free and is located in the lobby of TSLA's building in downtown Nashville. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/03/5790192/tsla-to-display-school-for-the.html Assassinating Thomson and his own experiences as a legally blind artist living with only 10 per cent vision, he simultaneously paints a group portrait of the audience as he sees it from the stage. A symbol of the play's theme about the individual ways we see the world, you can buy the painting from the Calgary-based artist at the end of the show. Oct, 8-19 Firehasll Arts Centre Tickets: $20 at firehallartscentre.ca http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Assassinating+Thomson/8991697/story.html Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/03/5790192/tsla-to-display-school-for-the.html#storylink=cpyTSLA to display School for the Blind artwork Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/03/5790192/tsla-to-display-school-for-the.html#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/03/5790192/tsla-to-display-school-for-the.html#storylink=cpy From fnugg at online.no Mon Oct 14 13:46:28 2013 From: fnugg at online.no (fnugg at online.no) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 15:46:28 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] =?windows-1252?q?Sacramento=92s?= =?windows-1252?q?_blind_photographer_honored_by_United_Nations?= Message-ID: <525BF5B4.4020909@online.no> Sacramento?s blind photographer honored by United Nations ad more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/01/5786507/sacramentos-blind-photographer.html#storylink=cpy Sacramento photographer Pete Eckert, who went blind 15 years ago, is going international. His electrified image, ?Electro Man,? is one of six new United Nations postage stamps honoring the work of international artists with disabilities. The stamps, entitled ?Break Barriers - Open Doors,? were issued last month for a United Nations summit on disability and development in New York. Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/01/5786507/sacramentos-blind-photographer.html#storylink=cpy http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/01/5786507/sacramentos-blind-photographer.html Pete Eckert website http://www.peteeckert.com/ Glass artist exhibit at Artist Exposure Gallery ?The Color of Nature,? a new solo exhibit by glass artist Joe Davis, of Kingston, opens with an artist's reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 21, at the Artist Exposure Gallery, located at 26 Howland St. in Plymouth. The artist himself is color-blind. The show explores the ?art of looking? at nature, a lost art that Davis argues is the reason why we have lost our connection with nature itself, because no one takes the time to look anymore. Many great artists have long been considered to have been color blind, including Van Gogh and Picasso. http://www.wickedlocal.com/plymouth/newsnow/x1002426799/Glass-artist-exhibit-at-Artist-Exposure-Gallery Blind artist to ?paint music? for Vision Awareness Days (w/ video) From my Inbox to you, from Voice of the Blue Ridge director Jan Smyth: John Bramblitt is a nationally known artist/painter who lost his vision as a young man but developed a unique painting technique and now creates amazing paintings. He will be in Roanoke June 25?29th as part of Vision Awareness Days. If you?re not familiar with his work, I encourage you to check out his website: http://bramblitt.net. John will be conducting several workshops, both with children and adults and has several speaking engagements lined up, including one at the medical school on ?Healing Through Art?. http://blogs.roanoke.com/arts/2013/06/blind-artist-to-paint-music-for-vision-awareness-days-w-video/ *Legally-blind Cartoonist Leads Creative Kiwi Army* *WHAKAPAPA: an art exhibition proving to Australians there is more to New Zealand than the All Blacks, Tolkien tourism and Flight of the Conchords.* *BRENT HARPUR *is a legally-blind, New Zealand born cartoonist, art teacher and entertainer. To celebrate his second year living and working in Melbourne, Brent is curating */Whakapapa/*, an exhibition bringing together the culturally-diverse works of sixteen NZ artists. This will be the first time many of these artists have exhibited and performed their work in Australia. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1306/S00231/legally-blind-cartoonist-leads-creative-kiwi-army.htm Hero nomination a ?boost? for Dundee artist Derek O?Rourke took up painting just three years ago but has already wowed art lovers across the country. But the Dundonian?s artistic talent is even more astonishing, as Mr O?Rourke is registered blind. http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/hero-nomination-a-boost-for-dundee-artist-1.102611 From Lisa.Yayla at statped.no Tue Oct 15 13:05:30 2013 From: Lisa.Yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 15:05:30 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month Alert 3 Message-ID: Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month CALLING ALL CALENDER ENTRIES This is our final call for entries to be included in the Art Beyond Sight Calendar! Send us your organization's name, event date, time, location, and contact if pre-registration is required. The calendar is available on our website: http://www.artbeyondsight.org/change/aw-calendar.shtml. October 2013 Email Alert 3 Promoting Access to the Arts for All Building an Inclusive Society ECHOLOCATION seeing with sound Written By Amanda Treco Personally, I would never ride a bike in New York City traffic, but some people will not be so easily deterred. Daniel Kish confidently swerves through city streets with ease. This is even more intriguing because Kish was born blind. Today, he has the ability to avoid traffic, hike and bike through the mountains and play various sports without the help of any tradition aids or devices for the visually impaired or blind. Kish, the Executive Director of World Access for the Blind. taught himself to "see" using palate clicks when he was still a young child. This is called echolocation. Kish has taught others, both old and young, this technique and has often been successful. It might sounds outlandish that humans can learn to see with their ears just like bats, whales, dolphins or shrews, but most humans blind or sighted, can actually learn the echolocation technique to sense objects in their surroundings by using echoes produced by palate clicks. Training can begin in childhood, through the use of games to improve sensitivity to sound. Researchers have found that training in echolocation can improve awareness and broaden spatial and perceptual horizons to include things that people never thought they had the ability to sense without sight. "The Exotic Sensory Capabilities of Humans" published by The Psychologist in 2013, describes how a skill as unusual as echolocation actually has, "the very adaptive use to acclimate to changes in context and availability of perceptual information for a common function." The article, "Human Echolocation: Blind And Sighted Persons' Ability to Detect Sounds Recorded In The Presence Of A Reflecting Object" published in Perception, discusses how people with sight tend to use light to build spatial conceptions, which is why it might be more difficult for people with sight to understand that spatial perception is based on the sounds in their environment. By clicking his or her tongue, a person can learn to identify objects and textures in their surroundings by using the echoes made from the clicks. Although humans don't have a hearing system as precise and specialized as bats do, there is still the potential to learn how to build spatial conceptions using echolocation. Dr. Thomas Stoffregen, a Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota, describes the difference between bats and humans' abilities in using echolocation by explaining how, "low frequency sound provides less information about the shapes and sizes of things. High frequency sound (e.g., ultrasound) provides precise information about shape and size, but it does not travel very far; it is rapidly absorbed by the air. It's a trade-off. Bats sold the trade-off by, in effect, shouting really loud all the time. Blind people who use echolocation (humans cannot make or hear ultrasound) don't need to shout or tap as often as bats, but they cannot achieve the same level of perceptual precision." Since low frequency sounds travel around 300 meters per second, we manage to distinguish between the distances of sounds, even if we remain unaware of how we perceive this difference. Despite the fact that humans' abilities are not quite as precise as a bat or dolphin, in "Humans Can Learn to "See" With Sound", for National Geographic News, the scientist Juan Antonio Mart?nez states that even though there are echolocation devices such as flash sonar devices that can aid sight, the palate clicking technique is the most effective method of echolocation. The reasoning, according to Mart?nez is that "such devices are worse than natural echolocation at present, because they don't reproduce the complete haptic [touch] perception of the echoes." The fact that humans who seemingly do not have access to all five of the commonly recognized senses actually have the capability to navigate through this world without relying on the help of technological devices is quite a liberating revelation. "Humans can learn to see with their ears, just like bats, whales, dolphins or shrews..." REFERENCES Ravilious, Kate. "Humans Can Learn to "See" With Sound, Study Says." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 6 July 2009. Web. 29 July 2013. Rosenblum, Lawrence D., and Michael S. Gordon. "The Exotic Sensory Capabilities Of Humans." The Psychologist 25.12 (2012): 904-907. PsychINFO. Web. 29 July 2013. Schenkman, Bo N., and Mats E. Nilsson. "Human Echolocation: Blind And Sighted Persons' Ability to Detect Sounds Recorded In The Presence Of A Reflecting Object." Perception 39.4 (2010): 483-501. PsycINFO. Web. 29 July 2013. "Speed of Sound." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2013. INTERVIEW WITH DR. THOMAS STROFFREGEN Dr. Thomas Stoffregen is a Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. He is interested in perception and action, human factors, control of posture and orientation, and ecological psychology. He has participated in research on echolocation. In his article, "On Specification and the Senses" in which he collaborated with a Professor of Human Movement Science, Beno?t G. Bardy, Stoffregen challenges the "assumption that perception is divided into separate domains of vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell". I interviewed him to find out more about experiences and thoughts on the topic of echolocation. ABS: What does the work on action and perception, particularly intermodal perception, have to do with echolocation? DR. STOFFREGEN: Echolocation is a form of perception. When a blind person taps their long cane (that is what it is called, not a cane) on the ground, they are using action (arm movements) to improve their perception. Logically, echolocation is the same: when an animal generates sounds that bounce off the environment and return to the ear, the act of sound generation is being used to improve perception. Intermodal perception is more complex. Bats use echolocation while in flight. Body movement, such as flight, creates changes in perception. Think about walking; as you set your feet on the sidewalk, the soles of your feet are stimulated by that physical contact, and the force and timing of those "sole pulses" are related to how fast and hard your are walking. As the bat maneuvers, the wings beat, the body twists and turns--all these actions stimulate skin, joints, and the vestibular system (inner ear). If those systems are not stimulated, it means the bat is stationary. Echolocation provides information about *relative* motion; in the "sound field", "me moving toward bug" is equal to "bug moving toward me". Stimulation of the body (as described above) tells the bat whether (and how) it is moving. So, the intermodal relation between sound and "feel" allows the bat to know *who* is moving, which is pretty important. ABS: What do you think are the limitations of echolocation? DR. STOFFREGEN: Low frequency sound provides less information about the shapes and sizes of things. High frequency sound (e.g, ultrasound) provides precise information about shape and size, but it does not travel very far; it is rapidly absorbed by the air. It's a trade-off. Bats sole the trade-off by, in effect, shouting really loud all the time. Blind people who use echolocation (humans cannot make or hear ultrasound) don't need to shout/tap as often as bats, but they cannot achieve the same level of perceptual precision. ABS: Can you speculate on the potential of echolocation for the future? DR. STOFFREGEN: Several groups of researchers are working to develop echolocation-like systems for vehicles so that, for example, self-driving cars may be able to navigate, avoid collisions, etc. Other people are developing bat-like echolocation systems to aid the blind. Not all blind people use echolocation, and no humans can use ultrasound. So, a gizmo that generates ultrasound and can process the echoes could provide a useful navigation aid. Imagine, directed and written by Andrzej Jakimowski in 2012, starring Edward Hogg, Alexandra Maria Lara and Melchior Derouet centers around a blind teacher, Ian (Hogg), who breaks the rules by integrating the use of echolocation into his lessons to help his students learn to move with ease through their lives. This romantic drama is a must see, while also providing a unique and powerful illustration of how echolocation works. ART BEYOND SIGHT 589 Broadway New York, NY 10012 FILM ON ECHOLATION -Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services- From Lisa.Yayla at statped.no Tue Oct 15 13:07:42 2013 From: Lisa.Yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 15:07:42 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month Alert 3 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Forgot to mention, forwarding - from Marie Clapot Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month CALLING ALL CALENDER ENTRIES This is our final call for entries to be included in the Art Beyond Sight Calendar! Send us your organization's name, event date, time, location, and contact if pre-registration is required. The calendar is available on our website: http://www.artbeyondsight.org/change/aw-calendar.shtml. October 2013 Email Alert 3 Promoting Access to the Arts for All Building an Inclusive Society ECHOLOCATION seeing with sound Written By Amanda Treco Personally, I would never ride a bike in New York City traffic, but some people will not be so easily deterred. Daniel Kish confidently swerves through city streets with ease. This is even more intriguing because Kish was born blind. Today, he has the ability to avoid traffic, hike and bike through the mountains and play various sports without the help of any tradition aids or devices for the visually impaired or blind. Kish, the Executive Director of World Access for the Blind. taught himself to "see" using palate clicks when he was still a young child. This is called echolocation. Kish has taught others, both old and young, this technique and has often been successful. It might sounds outlandish that humans can learn to see with their ears just like bats, whales, dolphins or shrews, but most humans blind or sighted, can actually learn the echolocation technique to sense objects in their surroundings by using echoes produced by palate clicks. Training can begin in childhood, through the use of games to improve sensitivity to sound. Researchers have found that training in echolocation can improve awareness and broaden spatial and perceptual horizons to include things that people never thought they had the ability to sense without sight. "The Exotic Sensory Capabilities of Humans" published by The Psychologist in 2013, describes how a skill as unusual as echolocation actually has, "the very adaptive use to acclimate to changes in context and availability of perceptual information for a common function." The article, "Human Echolocation: Blind And Sighted Persons' Ability to Detect Sounds Recorded In The Presence Of A Reflecting Object" published in Perception, discusses how people with sight tend to use light to build spatial conceptions, which is why it might be more difficult for people with sight to understand that spatial perception is based on the sounds in their environment. By clicking his or her tongue, a person can learn to identify objects and textures in their surroundings by using the echoes made from the clicks. Although humans don't have a hearing system as precise and specialized as bats do, there is still the potential to learn how to build spatial conceptions using echolocation. Dr. Thomas Stoffregen, a Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota, describes the difference between bats and humans' abilities in using echolocation by explaining how, "low frequency sound provides less information about the shapes and sizes of things. High frequency sound (e.g., ultrasound) provides precise information about shape and size, but it does not travel very far; it is rapidly absorbed by the air. It's a trade-off. Bats sold the trade-off by, in effect, shouting really loud all the time. Blind people who use echolocation (humans cannot make or hear ultrasound) don't need to shout or tap as often as bats, but they cannot achieve the same level of perceptual precision." Since low frequency sounds travel around 300 meters per second, we manage to distinguish between the distances of sounds, even if we remain unaware of how we perceive this difference. Despite the fact that humans' abilities are not quite as precise as a bat or dolphin, in "Humans Can Learn to "See" With Sound", for National Geographic News, the scientist Juan Antonio Mart?nez states that even though there are echolocation devices such as flash sonar devices that can aid sight, the palate clicking technique is the most effective method of echolocation. The reasoning, according to Mart?nez is that "such devices are worse than natural echolocation at present, because they don't reproduce the complete haptic [touch] perception of the echoes." The fact that humans who seemingly do not have access to all five of the commonly recognized senses actually have the capability to navigate through this world without relying on the help of technological devices is quite a liberating revelation. "Humans can learn to see with their ears, just like bats, whales, dolphins or shrews..." REFERENCES Ravilious, Kate. "Humans Can Learn to "See" With Sound, Study Says." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 6 July 2009. Web. 29 July 2013. Rosenblum, Lawrence D., and Michael S. Gordon. "The Exotic Sensory Capabilities Of Humans." The Psychologist 25.12 (2012): 904-907. PsychINFO. Web. 29 July 2013. Schenkman, Bo N., and Mats E. Nilsson. "Human Echolocation: Blind And Sighted Persons' Ability to Detect Sounds Recorded In The Presence Of A Reflecting Object." Perception 39.4 (2010): 483-501. PsycINFO. Web. 29 July 2013. "Speed of Sound." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2013. INTERVIEW WITH DR. THOMAS STROFFREGEN Dr. Thomas Stoffregen is a Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. He is interested in perception and action, human factors, control of posture and orientation, and ecological psychology. He has participated in research on echolocation. In his article, "On Specification and the Senses" in which he collaborated with a Professor of Human Movement Science, Beno?t G. Bardy, Stoffregen challenges the "assumption that perception is divided into separate domains of vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell". I interviewed him to find out more about experiences and thoughts on the topic of echolocation. ABS: What does the work on action and perception, particularly intermodal perception, have to do with echolocation? DR. STOFFREGEN: Echolocation is a form of perception. When a blind person taps their long cane (that is what it is called, not a cane) on the ground, they are using action (arm movements) to improve their perception. Logically, echolocation is the same: when an animal generates sounds that bounce off the environment and return to the ear, the act of sound generation is being used to improve perception. Intermodal perception is more complex. Bats use echolocation while in flight. Body movement, such as flight, creates changes in perception. Think about walking; as you set your feet on the sidewalk, the soles of your feet are stimulated by that physical contact, and the force and timing of those "sole pulses" are related to how fast and hard your are walking. As the bat maneuvers, the wings beat, the body twists and turns--all these actions stimulate skin, joints, and the vestibular system (inner ear). If those systems are not stimulated, it means the bat is stationary. Echolocation provides information about *relative* motion; in the "sound field", "me moving toward bug" is equal to "bug moving toward me". Stimulation of the body (as described above) tells the bat whether (and how) it is moving. So, the intermodal relation between sound and "feel" allows the bat to know *who* is moving, which is pretty important. ABS: What do you think are the limitations of echolocation? DR. STOFFREGEN: Low frequency sound provides less information about the shapes and sizes of things. High frequency sound (e.g, ultrasound) provides precise information about shape and size, but it does not travel very far; it is rapidly absorbed by the air. It's a trade-off. Bats sole the trade-off by, in effect, shouting really loud all the time. Blind people who use echolocation (humans cannot make or hear ultrasound) don't need to shout/tap as often as bats, but they cannot achieve the same level of perceptual precision. ABS: Can you speculate on the potential of echolocation for the future? DR. STOFFREGEN: Several groups of researchers are working to develop echolocation-like systems for vehicles so that, for example, self-driving cars may be able to navigate, avoid collisions, etc. Other people are developing bat-like echolocation systems to aid the blind. Not all blind people use echolocation, and no humans can use ultrasound. So, a gizmo that generates ultrasound and can process the echoes could provide a useful navigation aid. Imagine, directed and written by Andrzej Jakimowski in 2012, starring Edward Hogg, Alexandra Maria Lara and Melchior Derouet centers around a blind teacher, Ian (Hogg), who breaks the rules by integrating the use of echolocation into his lessons to help his students learn to move with ease through their lives. This romantic drama is a must see, while also providing a unique and powerful illustration of how echolocation works. ART BEYOND SIGHT 589 Broadway New York, NY 10012 FILM ON ECHOLATION -Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services- From Lisa.Yayla at statped.no Tue Oct 22 08:04:29 2013 From: Lisa.Yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 10:04:29 +0200 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Annual Art Beyond Sight TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CRASH COURSE Message-ID: Forwarding epost- Marie Clapot Teleconference Crash Course ELEVENTH Annual Art Beyond Sight TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CRASH COURSE Monday October 28th, 2013 (Note: All times given are Eastern Daylight Time.) Number to call: (712) 432-0220; Conference code: 232-2013 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.: Welcome, Elisabeth Axel, President and Founder, Art Beyond Sight and Cynthia Overton, Principal Research Analyst, Workforce Program, American Institutes for Research 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.: International Forum: Tactile Images Moderator: Nina Levent, Art Beyond Sight Speakers: Aymeric Vildieu, Alain Mikli International; Annette Lee-Esparaz, Touch the Artist Vision; Santiago Gonzalez D'Ambrosio, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sof?a; Johanna Contreras, Royal Ontario Museum 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.: Educator Roundtable: What makes a successful educator? Moderator: Marcus Weisen, International Expert, Heritage and Museums Accessibility Speakers: Amanda Blake, Dallas Museum of Art; Francesca Rosenberg, The Museum of Modern Art; Deborah Jaffe, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Maribeth Flynn, Independent Consultant 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.: Morning Reflections NOON-1:00 p.m.: Docent and Volunteer Roundtable: How to be effective when leading accessible tours? Moderator: Joan Pursley, Art Beyond Sight Participating Docents: Jean Felsted, Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University; Donnie Willburn, Seattle Museum of Art; Georgina McGarvey and Alan Frugoni, Grounds for Sculpture; John Nordloh, Field Museum, Chicago; Marian Pellengill, Indianapolis Museum of Art and Maria Wilson, Brooklyn Museum 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.: Mobility Devices in Museums and Performing Art Centers Moderator: Beth Zierbart, Smithsonian Institute Speakers: Gary Talbot, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; Kleo King, United Spinal Association; Gordon Sasaki, The Museum of Modern Art; Christopher Noel, NYC Parks and Recreations 2:00 -3:00 p.m.: Museum Roundtable: Managing Docents and Volunteers, Handling Difficult Situations Moderator: Hannah Goodwin, Museum of fine Arts Boston Speakers: Catie Anderson, The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum; Rebecca Bradley, San Francisco Fine Arts Museum; Frank Vagnone, Historic House Trust of New York City 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.: Graduate Students and Interns Roundtable: How to Optimize the Internship Experience? Perspectives from Graduate Students and Access Coordinators Moderator: Kym S. Rice, The George Washington University Speakers: Sally McCance, Denver Art Museum; Lucas Livingston, Art Institute of Chicago; Krista Flores, Smithsonian Institution Grad Students: Kristina Johnson, Gabrielle Buzgo, Patrick Dickerson 4:00 - 4:30 p.m.: Afternoon Reflections and Suggestions of Topics for Future Teleconferences Notes: (1) Each session features 15 minutes for Q&A/discussion at the end of the hour. (2) You can find an updated program online at: http://www.artbeyondsight.org/change/aw-crashcourse.shtml Art Beyond Sight and this teleconference crash course are supported in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. -Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services- From Lisa.Yayla at statped.no Wed Nov 27 10:26:57 2013 From: Lisa.Yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 11:26:57 +0100 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Tactile drawing aesthetics and a blind woman's drawings of sounds Message-ID: Hi, Got this information from Prof. Kennedy. Soon in publication in the British Journal of Visual Impairment: Tactile drawing aesthetics and a blind woman's drawings of sounds John M Kennedy University of Toronto The Abstract reads: This paper makes four points. First, in making raised, tangible outline pictures, blind people can invent sophisticated treatments for topics they select themselves. Second, their drawings can be realistic. Thirdly, they can also be metaphoric, in showing sounds for example. Fourthly, their outline drawings use line for surface edges, and they incorporate aspects of perspective such as profiles. These points are illustrated by three drawings by EW, a blind woman. They are sketches of a couple waltzing, a guitar player and a samba band. The account of line and profiles given here for the blind, the essay argues, applies also to Palaeolithic art, as in Herzog's "Cave Of Forgotten Dreams" and Cook's "Ice Age Art: The Arrival Of The Modern Mind." Best regards, Lisa -Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services- From Lisa.Yayla at statped.no Wed Nov 27 10:39:01 2013 From: Lisa.Yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 11:39:01 +0100 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] New book: Psychology of Touch and Blindness Message-ID: Hi, Sending information about Prof. Heller's new book, Psychology of Touch and Blindness This book reviews the considerable body of research that has been done to evaluate the touch skills of blind people. With an emphasis on cognitive and neuroscientific approaches, it encompasses a wide-ranging discussion of the theoretical issues in the field of touch perception and blindness. The volume includes chapters on sensory aspects of touch, perception in blind individuals, multimodal relations and their implications for instruction and development, and new technology, including sensory aids and virtual touch. A distinctive feature of the book is the inclusion of the practical applications of research in this area. A significant characteristic of research on touch and imagery in congenitally blind individuals is that it speaks to the basic nature of spatial imagery and the importance and necessity -- or lack thereof -- of specific visual sensory experience for the acquisition of knowledge about space, spatial layout, and picture perception. As such, the book will not only appeal to researchers and professionals with an interest in touch and blindness, but also to a wider audience of cognitive psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists working in the field of perception. Selected Table of Contents 1. Introduction: Historical and Philosophical Background. 2. Cognitive Neuroscience of Touch. 3 The Haptic Perception of Objects and their Properties. 4. Illusions. 5. Intermodal Relations. 6. Development of Haptic Perception over the Life-Span. 7. Blindness: General Introduction Patt ern Perception, Imagery, Spatial Orientation, and Mobility. 8. Picture Perception and Blind People. 9. Braille and New Technology. 10. Haptics in Learning Reading, Handwriting and Mathematics. 11. Tactile Interfaces and Applications. 12. General Conclusions: Implications of Current Research for Theory and Applications. About the Authors Morton A. Heller is Professor Emeritus and the former chair of the Psychology Department at Eastern Illinois University. He has edited four books on touch and blindness. Dr. Heller has served on the Editorial Board of Perception, and is an action editor for the journal. He has interests in spatial perception and drawing in blind and sighted people, the relationship between the senses of vision and touch, spatial memory, and illusions in touch and vision. Edouard Gentaz is Professor of Developmental Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the University of Geneva and Director of Research at the CNRS Laboratory of Psychology and Neurocognition at Grenoble. His research, which has theoretical and applied dimensions, focuses in particular on the development of sensori-motor and cognitive abilities in typical populations and in blind people. He is the author or co-author of more than 80 articles in refereed journals and several books. Regards, Lisa -Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services- From Lisa.Yayla at statped.no Thu Nov 28 07:51:45 2013 From: Lisa.Yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 08:51:45 +0100 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] tools and programs Message-ID: Morning all! Hope you all are well. Right now I am looking at huge evergreens bending in the wind here in Oslo. The weather is abnormally warm for the season and against all reason am wishing for a little snow. Well perhaps the reason this post is a bit more spirited than usual is that opening the browser this morning was introduced to new tools and programs for tactile graphics. Find that very uplifting but at the same time a bit of a wakeup call to me that the shakers and movers in this field are really shaking and moving. At Irie AT Tactile Graphics http://irie-at.com/content/tactile-graphics# Tactile Picture Books Project http://www.tactilepicturebooks.org/ Wish all the best for you and yours. Best, Lisa -Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services- From Lisa.Yayla at statped.no Tue Dec 17 12:04:04 2013 From: Lisa.Yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2013 13:04:04 +0100 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] EASI Free Webinar: Accessible Digital Images Message-ID: Forwarding EASI Free Webinar: Accessible Digital Images Dec. 19 at 11 Pacific, noon Mountain, 1 Central and 2 PM Eastern Presenter: Julie Noblitt, Community Manager at the DIAGRAM Center Digital images, especially STEM images (including mathematical equations), can present a significant challenge to students with print disabilities. How can content providers and platforms ensure that digital images are truly usable by everyone? In this session, we will discuss the emerging ecosystem of tools, standards, and research designed to ensure that images are accessible to all online. Julie Noblitt is Community Manager at the DIAGRAM Center, an OSEP-funded R&D center devoted to making it easier, faster, and cheaper to create and use accessible images for students with print disabilities. Register for the Diagram Center Webinar Dec. 19 http://easi.cc/clinic.htm#december EASI Free Webinar: Accessible Digital Images Dec. 19 at 11 Pacific, noon Mountain, 1 Central and 2 PM Eastern Presenter: Julie Noblitt, Community Manager at the DIAGRAM Center Digital images, especially STEM images (including mathematical equations), can present a significant challenge to students with print disabilities. How can content providers and platforms ensure that digital images are truly usable by everyone? In this session, we will discuss the emerging ecosystem of tools, standards, and research designed to ensure that images are accessible to all online. Julie Noblitt is Community Manager at the DIAGRAM Center, an OSEP-funded R&D center devoted to making it easier, faster, and cheaper to create and use accessible images for students with print disabilities. Register for the Diagram Center Webinar Dec. 19 http://easi.cc/clinic.htm#december ----------------------- Check out EASI's New Synchronous Clinics: http://easi.cc/clinic.htm EASI Home Page http://www.rit.edu/~easi -Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services- From dandrews at visi.com Wed Dec 25 13:55:27 2013 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2013 07:55:27 -0600 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Seasons Greetings Message-ID: The staff and management of nfbnet.org, our 30 plus web sites, and our 230 plus lists, would like to wish you and your family and significant others a very happy Holiday Season! May the next year be a happy and prosperous one for you and yours. We look forward to serving you in 2014 and beyond. David Andrews, SysOp and List Owner Steve Jacobson Mike Freeman From Lisa.Yayla at statped.no Fri Dec 27 07:38:39 2013 From: Lisa.Yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2013 08:38:39 +0100 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Audio Description Training in the Big Apple! Message-ID: Forwarding: REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Audio Description Training in the Big Apple! Audio Description Associates, LLC and the American Foundation for the Blind announce AUDIO DESCRIPTION TRAINING February 26-28, 2014 In Conjunction with AFB's 2014 Leadership Institute at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge - Brooklyn, NY Audio Description (AD) makes visual images accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. Using words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative, media describers convey the visual image from television and film that is not fully accessible to a significant segment of the population (more than 21 million Americans experience significant vision loss). The implementation of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act has spawned a virtual cottage industry for the development of description for broadcast television. BE A PART OF IT! Who Should Attend - Anyone interested in: - working as freelance description writers for broadcast television - working as a describer in a local performing arts program - working as a describer for visual art exhibitions - Experienced audio describers desiring an updated refresher course. NOTE: freelance writers for broadcast television projects can often be based anywhere in the world-computer equipment capable of accommodating high-speed downloads is a must. Topics Include 1) audio description history and theory 2) the "Four Fundamentals of Audio Description" 3) active seeing/visual literacy-developing skills in concentration and observation 4) the art of "editing" what you see 5) vivid language: "The Visual Made Verbal"? 6) "Speak the speech, I pray you"--using the spoken word to make meaning Program The interactive sessions (limited use of lecture, questions/discussion throughout, generous use of media, and individual and group writing exercises) are designed to provide immediate feedback and "give and take," allowing for adaptation according to a sense of participants' grasp of the material. In addition, experienced users of description are a part of the faculty, providing an important perspective throughout the sessions. This three-day intensive program will begin at 8:30 am on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 and conclude at 4:00 pm on Friday, February 28, 2014. Participation is strictly limited. The Institute will issue certificates to all successful participants confirming completion of this professional description training program. Institute Director Joel Snyder-- One of the first audio describers, Dr. Snyder began describing theater events and media in 1981; he is the President of Audio Description Associates with clients around the world (see www.audiodescribe.com for more information) and Director of the American Council of the Blind's Audio Description Project. As Director of Described Media for the National Captioning Institute, he led a staff that produced description for nationally broadcast films and network series including "Sesame Street" broadcasts and DVDs. Snyder has trained describers in 36 states and the District of Columbia; internationally, he has introduced description techniques in 35 countries. Tuition - $395.00 (plus Saturday, March 1 AFB Leadership Conference events and Access Awards: $545) Lodging Book a room at the marvelous New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge for just $189/night with our special group rate. This rate is good from Wednesday, February 26, through Monday, March 3, so stay a while and explore the city that never sleeps! This discounted rate disappears on February 1, 2014, so make your reservation today. If you would prefer to make your reservation by phone, call 1-888-436-3759 and let the operator know that you are attending the conference. To Apply Simply click on the AFB Leadership Institute website to apply on-line (by close-of-business on Friday, February 21, 2014); or contact Joel Snyder at jsnyder at audiodescribe.com -- 301 920-0218. JOEL SNYDER, Ph.D. President Audio Description Associates, LLC "The Visual Made Verbal" ? 6502 Westmoreland Avenue Takoma Park, MD 20912 jsnyder at audiodescribe.com -- 301 920-0218 Cell: 301 452-1898 -- Fax: 208 445-0079 For more information about audio description, please visit: www.audiodescribe.com Director, Audio Description Project American Council of the Blind jsnyder at acb.org -- 202 467-5083 www.acb.org/adp Audio Description Associates | 6502 Westmoreland Avenue | Takoma Park | MD | 20912 -Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services- From Lisa.Yayla at statped.no Fri Dec 27 07:38:52 2013 From: Lisa.Yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2013 08:38:52 +0100 Subject: [Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] NASA Seeking Summer Interns for 2014 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Forwarding: December 12, 2013 To Prospective NASA Student Interns with Disabilities, NASA is looking to increase the number of students with disabilities pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers through our internship programs. Disability means both physical and mental disabilities. NASA has a two-percent hiring goal for employment of people with disabilities and internships are a good way to get experience. Students can apply for summer 2014 internships right this very minute! The deadline for submitting applications is Saturday, March 1, 2014, and we will begin extending offers to students as early as Thursday, January 16, 2014. We encourage you to apply early because the best opportunities are likely to be filled early. Plus, your likelihood of being selected decreases the longer you wait. You can register for an account anytime at the One Stop Shopping Initiative (OSSI): NASA Internships, Fellowships, and Scholarships (NIFS) at http://intern.nasa.gov/. Summer 2014 internships run from Monday, June 2, 2014, until Friday, August 8, 2014, for college students and from Monday, June 23, 2014, until Friday, August 1, 2014, for high school students. All student interns get paid. For example, last Summer, at Goddard college students received a stipend of $6000 and high school students $1800. As an intern, you are responsible for your own housing. NASA internships for college and high school students are also offered during Spring, Fall and Year Long Sessions through the OSSI website. NASA has internships for high school students and for rising freshmen through doctoral students in STEM fields. A rising freshman is a high school student who has been accepted to an accredited institution of higher learning, i.e., a college or university, at the time of the internship. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for college and 3.0 for high school; however, applicants must understand that the competition for internships is keen. High school students must be at least sixteen years old at the time the internship begins. Internships are available at all NASA centers nationwide. Students can submit a completed application whether they apply to an opportunity or not. However, applying to opportunities has the advantage of allowing applicants to be considered by mentors who work in disciplines of interest and at a particular center. Applicants may apply to as many as fifteen opportunities. For example, an opportunity having to do with the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will be at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland because SDO is located there. Not applying to an opportunity means that prospective interns will be hoping that a mentor happens to read their applications rather than directing their applications to mentors in fields and at centers of interest. Students who are selected for summer internships will receive an offer letter by E-mail sometime after January 16, 2014. They will then have five days to either accept or reject the offer through their OSSI: NIFS account. The offer will automatically expire after five days if no action is taken. Please feel free to contact me for more information or help with applying. Frequently Asked Questions About OSSI:NIFS for Student Applicants ? What does NASA do? In aeronautics, NASA enables a safer, more secure, efficient, and environmentally friendly air transportation system. In human exploration, NASA operates the International Space Station (ISS) and prepares for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. In science, NASA explores the Earth-Sun system, our own solar system, and the universe beyond. In engineering, NASA designs the aircraft, spacecraft, and scientific instruments that make all of this possible. ? In what fields are NASA's internship opportunities? NASA has internships in aerospace, chemical, environmental, materials, mechanical, civil, electrical, thermal, systems, optical, robotic and computer hardware and software engineering. Engineers also work in the fields of composites, cryogenics, microelectronics, signal processing, high performance computing , and nanotechnology . Our computer engineers develop artificial intelligence systems, and conduct research into data information and visualization systems technology . NASA computer scientists develop models that help us learn about gravitational astrophysics, study the Earth's oceans, study the Earth's atmosphere, and study the biospheres of other planets. Earth and planetary scientists study the physics and chemistry of the Earth's oceans, the Earth's atmosphere, and the biospheres of other planets and exoplanets, using these models. Astrophysicists use satellites, aircraft, balloons and sounding rockets to conduct research into high energy astrophysics, astroparticle physics, stellar physics, heliophysics, and cosmology. Some of the other areas of study at NASA are radiation, space weather, geodynamics, planetary magnetospheres, geospace physics, and climatology. Remote sensing is crucial to all of this research. Our engineers and scientists work with radio, thermal, infrared, optical, ultraviolet, X-ray, gamma ray, laser, particle, acoustic and many other types of sensors and detectors. ? Where are NASA internship opportunities located? Internship opportunities are located at NASA centers and field installations all over the country: Ames Research Center, Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California; Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Los Angeles County, California; Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio; Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York City, New York; Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland; Independent Verification and Validation Facility, Fairmont, West Virginia; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California; Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas; Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida; Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia; Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama; Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, Louisiana; NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC; NASA Shared Services Center at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Stennis Space Center, near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia; White Sands Complex, Las Cruces, New Mexico; and White Sands Test Facility, Las Cruces, New Mexico. ? The OSSI Frequently Asked Questions link is https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/faq/index.cfm?subAction=VIEW ? What does OSSI:NIFS stand for? OSSI:NIFS is the One Stop Shopping Initiative for NASA Internships, Fellowships, and Scholarships. ? Is there an OSSI:NIFS help desk? The help desk E-mail is < MSFC-DL-HelpdeskMSFC at mail.nasa.gov>. The help desk phone is 1-866-419-6297. The help desk hours of operation are 24/7. ? How do I apply? Here is how to apply. The application is online. You need to go to . Then click on internships. Next click on the register-as-a-student Button. You then need to continue by registering, completing your interest profile, and application. Then, you must search for specific internship opportunities at specific NASA centers and field installations and apply for them. Letters of recommendation are uploaded by the recommender. Your application will not be completed until at least one letter of recommendation is uploaded. This means that you will not be able to apply to, although you will be able to view, specific opportunities until you have at least one letter of recommendation uploaded to the OSSI:NIFS system. The "getting Started" link, visible after you login, should help you as you go through the aforementioned process. Nothing is accepted by snail mail. ? Are NASA internships for college and high school students also offered during Spring, Fall and Year Long Sessions? Yes ? Are the website and the application process the same for all NASA internships, regardless of the time of year? Yes ? Will specific opportunities for the Summer be identified as early as Nov 1, or do others get added later? Specific opportunities get posted to OSSI as of November 1 of each year for the following Summer and are added all of the time by mentors through late May of each year. ? I am not currently a student because I either graduated or am taking some time out from school; am I eligible to apply? You must be accepted to an accredited institution of higher learning, i.e., a college or university, at the time of the internship. So, if you don't plan to continue with your formal education next Summer or Fall, I'm sorry to tell you that you would not be eligible to apply for a NASA internship. ? Can good letters of recommendation really help me land a NASA internship? You will have a better chance of being selected for an internship if you have your recommenders tailor their letters for the specific opportunities that you will be applying to. This is because your recommenders will be explaining to the mentors why your skills will be a good match. ? How long does a recommender have to submit her/his letter of recommendation? Recommenders receive an E-mail from the OSSI:NIFS system after an applicant enters a recommenders name and other information. This E-mail gives instructions and a link for uploading the letter to an applicant's account. The link is specific with a user name and password. Warning! The link is disabled 20 calendar days after it is sent to the recommender. The applicant must enter the recommender's information again after the 20 calendar days has expired. ? How do I upload a transcript? What if I want to update the transcript? After logging into your account, click on ?My Applications.? Then, click on ?Education.? Go to your college, and click on the ?Upload? button, and upload a transcript. Then, save the record. If you want to update the transcript, repeat the aforementioned process, and the old transcript will be overwritten by the new transcript. This change will affect all of the internship opportunities that you applied or will apply to. ? Does a qualifying disability include both physical and mental disabilities? Yes. ? How do I disclose my disability status if I am a student with a disability? There is a place in the online application process to voluntarily disclose disability status. It is located under "My Applications." Then, click on "General Information." This information is used in order to determine the degree to which members of each disability, ethnic, and racial group are reached by this internship/fellowship program. Additionally, NASA uses information about disability status to provide reasonable accommodation if requested. NASA requests that the student select the appropriate responses. While providing this information is optional, you must select decline to answer if you do not want to provide it. Mentors will not be able to view this information when considering students for opportunities. For more information, please visit the following website: http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html ? Why can't I find any internship opportunities specifically for students with disabilities? There are no NASA internships specifically for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities compete with other students for our internships. We are making a concerted effort to recruit students with disabilities into our mainstream internship programs. ? Why do I see so few internship opportunities when I search for them? The OSSI:NIFS system only displays internship opportunities that request students at the grade level that you entered, i.e. the grade level that you will be at the time the internship begins. The way to work around this is to search for opportunities before you log in at < https://intern.nasa.gov/ossi/web/public/guest/searchOpps/>. A pre-login search will eliminate the grade-level limitation on your search. When you find an opportunity that you wish to apply to, open it and apply. You will be prompted to log in at this point. Do so, and you will be able to apply or add it to your saved opportunities of interest. ? When can students start applying for and what is the deadline for applying for Summer 2014 internships? Students can apply for summer 2014 internships right now! The deadline for submitting applications is Saturday, March 1, 2014, and we will begin extending offers to students as early as Thursday, January 16, 2014. ? What is the minimum GPA in order to qualify for a NASA internship? A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for college students and 3.0 for high school students. However, applicants must understand that the competition for internships is keen. ? What is the minimum age for an intern? High school students must be at least sixteen years old at the time the internship begins. There is no upper age limit for college students. ? When and for how long do Summer 2014 internships run? Summer 2014 internships run from Monday, June 2, 2014, until Friday, August 8, 2014, for college students and from Monday, June 23, 2014, until Friday, August 1, 2014, for high school students. ? Do I get paid? Yes, all student interns get paid. For example, at Goddard last Summer, college students received a stipend of $6000 and high school students $1800. ? What do I do for housing? You will not be assigned housing. You must find it on your own. We do have lists of places that other students have stayed. However, we do not recommend specific housing. You will be expected to find and pay for your own housing out of your stipend. ? Do I need to be a United States citizen to apply? Yes. Having a green card does not qualify someone as a U.S. citizen for purposes of this program. Please go to the following link to learn about internship opportunities for foreign citizens: https://intern.nasa.gov/content/internship-information/one-stop-shopping-initiative-ossi-student-online-a/non-us-opportunities/index.html ? I'm having browser problems; what should I do? We can offer some suggestions on what to do without knowing what browser of OS the student is using. First, if they are using IE 9 or higher, please click on the Compatibility View, located on the Address bar. If they are using IE 8, please click on the Compatibility View, located under tools on the menu bar. This should correct the display. If they are using Firefox 5, try typing in the entire institution name and then tab down to get the address to fill completely. If neither of these work, please use the OSSI Information Center (OIC) to submit the technical inquiry at the following link: https://intern.nasa.gov/content/help/ossi-information-center-oic/index.html ? I'm having trouble selecting a college; what should I do? When selecting a college, don't put anything in the edit field for the school, and just click search. You will then see a section at the bottom of the page that allows you to select a school, city, and state. Put in the city and state. Again, leave the school field blank. The website will give you a list of schools in that city and state as links. Just click on the school that you want, and it should be entered as your school in the original edit field. ? I'm a high school student, and I don't have a college to enter yet: what should I do? Just write in a college that you think that you would like to attend. You will be asked for your high school later on in the application process. ? Should I apply to all opportunities which look interesting to me at the same time, or sequentially by my priority interest? The choice is yours. You can apply to a maximum of 15. ? If I apply to multiple internship opportunities at the same time, would I only receive an offer from one? You may get an offer from more than one opportunity. However, once you accept an offer. You cannot accept anymore offers. You are committed. ? Do all internship opportunities reply at the same time if I apply for them concurrently? No. ? Does NASA only have Summer internships? NASA internships for college and high school students are also offered during Spring, Fall, and Year-Long Sessions. the OSSI system < http://intern.nasa.gov> is the site to look for and apply to all NASA internships. The process is the same for all our internships. ? Are NASA internships only for students with disabilities? No. Students with disabilities compete with other students for internships. Disclosure of one's disability, during the application process, is only seen by the Office of Education. The mentors, who select their students, do not have access to this information. We use information about a student's disability to provide reasonable accommodation in a timely manner if reasonable accommodation is requested. ? For whom does NASA have internships? NASA has internships for high school students and for rising freshmen through doctoral students in STEM fields. A rising freshman is a high school student who has been accepted to an accredited institution of higher learning, i.e., a college or university, at the time of the internship. ? Where are NASA internships located? Internships are available at all NASA centers and field installations nationwide. Students can submit a completed application whether they apply to an opportunity or not. However, applying to opportunities has the advantage of allowing applicants to be considered by mentors who work in disciplines of interest and at a particular center. Applicants may apply to as many as fifteen posted opportunities. For example, an opportunity having to do with the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will be at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland because SDO is located there. Not applying to an opportunity means that prospective interns will be hoping that a mentor happens to read their applications rather than directing their applications to mentors in fields and at centers of interest. ? I applied to various opportunities. Will there be an interview before an offer is made? No. There will not be an interview before an offer is made. However, a mentor may contact you if she or he wishes for more information or to discuss your application. ? What happens if I am selected for an internship? Students who are selected for summer internships will receive an offer letter by E-mail sometime after Thursday, January 16, 2014. They will then have five days to either accept or reject the offer through their OSSI: NIFS account. The offer will automatically expire after five days if no action is taken. Offers will be made from January 16, 2014, until all internship positions will have been filled. This continuous process may take until late May. So, you may receive an offer at any time during this period. ? What happens if I am not selected for an internship? You will receive an E-mail after all interns are selected for the session to which you applied, i.e., Summer, Fall, Spring, year long. This E-mail will notify you that you were not selected. Please feel free to contact me for more information or help with applying. Kenneth A. Silberman, Esq. U.S. Supreme Court, Maryland, & Patent Bars B.A., M.Eng., J.D. NASA Engineer & Registered Patent Attorney Office of Education, Code 160 NASA/GSFC Mailstop 160, Bldg. 28, Rm. N165, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA Voice: (301) 286-9281 Fax: (301) 286-1655 E-mail: kenneth.a.silberman at nasa.gov -Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services-