[CT-NFB] FW: NEAT Newsletter - November Edition

Fri Nov 20 20:00:04 UTC 2020

FYI: 

Best, 

Marchele Davis

Affiliate: Secretary/Southern Chapter President

National Federation of the Blind of CT 

(203)314-5298

From: The NEAT Center <info at neatmarketplace.org> 
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2020 11:43 AM
To: mdiggs2 at peoplepc.com
Subject: NEAT Newsletter - November Edition

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November 2020 

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November is known nationally as the National Novel Writing Month.  This month NEAT highlights assistive technology for writing.  

Upcoming NEAT Events

Apple Pencil And iPad: Better Together
November 20

What's New In JAWS For Windows Screen Reader 2021
November 18

Alternative Typing Options In Windows 10
 December 3

What Web Browser Should I Use?
December 8

Connected And Hands-Free: How Smart Home Technology Provides Touch-Free Control
 December 10

Tele-Engagement For Effective Clinical Intervention
December 15

Gaming With Motor Disabilities: How Accessibility Adds Inclusive And Therapeutic Values
 December 16

NEAT NEWS

The NEAT Lending Library, Writing Supports That Work

The NEAT Lending Library has many tools to support your writing needs.  The program is by membership only and it has a wealth of devices and programs to assist to trial and explore for yourself or those that you work with. There are many things available such as Clicker Sentences, Inspiration, Livescribe Aegir Smartpen, and much, much more.

 <https://oakhillct.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f7e0f16a5f7c18d91a8f45407&id=6311968d05&e=6410f64b0e> Click Here for More Information <https://oakhillct.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f7e0f16a5f7c18d91a8f45407&id=f44ff8d21e&e=6410f64b0e>  and Become A Member Today!

Boardmaker Online To Be Replaced By Boardmaker 7 

-Update by:
Elena Fader
AAC Assistive Technology Specialist

Expedition Education for exploration of topics related to STEM, geography, history, & more!

ATTENTION: Boardmaker Online is set has switched over to Boardmaker 7 as of November 17, 2020.  Current Boardmaker subscribers must follow certain steps to ensure a smooth transition...

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OAK HILL CENTERS NEWS

The New Senior Director of Oak Hill Centers

 <https://oakhillct.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f7e0f16a5f7c18d91a8f45407&id=10110be29b&e=6410f64b0e> 

-Written By:

Jennifer Alexander
NEAT Services Engagement Coordinator 
NEAT Center at Oak Hill

Nicole Feeney recently became the Senior Director of Oak Hill Centers.  The Oak Hill Centers (OHC) consist of the New England Assistive Technology Center (NEAT), Oak Hill Adaptive Sports and Fitness Center, the Center for Relationship & Sexuality Education (CRSE), Easterseals Camp Hemlocks, and Camp Harkness.  She can now lead OHC with her creativity and skills as an innovative leader.

Nicole Feeney is one of a kind in the world of Assistive Technology Specialists!  For many years, her background as a Special Education Teacher has brought a new level of insight and high quality of standards to the world of assistive technology.  She has presented at many conferences throughout the United States demonstrating assistive technology programs and devices.  She has always been innovative and passionate about working with people of all abilities.  Watch Nicole highlight the NEAT team in an interview with Channel 3 Facebook Live at <https://oakhillct.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f7e0f16a5f7c18d91a8f45407&id=bbef72f784&e=6410f64b0e>  https://www.facebook.com/WFSB3/videos/oak-hill-interview/2632060927056767/.

During her role as the Director of NEAT Assistive Technology Services, she grew her team by adding more assistive technology specialists and other professions to adequately support people with disabilities, their families, and other professionals in and out of the state.  Her degree of grace and energy spilled over to her team of professionals empowering so that they will not settle for anything less than excellence.  

Nicole absolutely defines what it means to be a great leader and she not only models Oak Hill's mission but encourages others to do so as well. 

NEAT NEWS

Dictation on Windows 10

-Written by: 
Adam Kosakowski
Assistive Technology Specialist

For novel writing month, it’s the perfect time to think about all the ways a novel could be written. No longer is typing alone a necessity! With the options now available, dictation has become a writing method any writer can pick up. Dictation can be used on any platform within a huge variety of apps and programs. It can be used on the fly when someone gets inspired or during a writing session. In addition, it can be used on a small scale, just with difficult to spell words, all the way to writing entire paragraphs in one go and beyond. Dictation is flexible and can fit the varying needs of any writer, including writers with disabilities!

To learn more about dictation and how it can fit your writing needs or the needs of the people you care for, please watch this webinar that I held!

 <https://oakhillct.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f7e0f16a5f7c18d91a8f45407&id=7f5a20fd99&e=6410f64b0e> Click Here To Watch

Don’t Forget About Read&Write for iPad

NEAT NEWS

 <https://oakhillct.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f7e0f16a5f7c18d91a8f45407&id=698f7960c4&e=6410f64b0e> 

-Written by: 
Jamie Martin
Assistive Technology Specialist

Many school districts have introduced their students and teachers to the literacy tools of Read&Write for Google Chrome. This extension has allowed students to better access learning materials by providing tools for text-to-speech, reading comprehension, note-taking, dictation, word prediction, and more. Whether they are in classrooms or participating in distance learning from home, students can use Read&Write to increase independence and academic success.

Often, users of Read&Write for Google Chrome do not realize their subscriptions include access to the iPad version of Read&Write. Read&Write for iPad is an app that functions as an alternate onscreen keyboard, and it can be particularly useful for writing activities that students need to complete in word processors like Google Docs and Microsoft Word. After activating the keyboard in the iPad’s settings, it can replace Apple’s iPadOS keyboard while working in any app that requires text input. While Read&Write for iPad is not as robust as the Chrome extension, it does bring tools like text-to-speech, word prediction, dictation, and an advanced spell checker to users who might prefer using a mobile device over a Chromebook or traditional laptop computer.

Read&Write for iPad can be downloaded from the App Store. After signing into an existing Read&Write account (or paying a one-time in-app purchase fee), users need to set it up in the “Keyboard” section of the iPad’s settings. For more information, and to see the app in action, check out this  <https://oakhillct.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f7e0f16a5f7c18d91a8f45407&id=a5693dec81&e=6410f64b0e> video. 

OAK HILL CENTERS NEWS

Hand Exercises to Improve Writing

- Oak Hill Adaptive Sports and Fitness Center

Our hands are important to us and we want to keep them fit.  Too often we forget one of the most important parts of our body, our hands.  Take time to care for your hands.  Click below to start exercising your hands today. 

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SMART TECH NEWS

Facebook Portal TV: The New, Popular Tool to Fight Social Isolation

 <https://oakhillct.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f7e0f16a5f7c18d91a8f45407&id=14fd705e6a&e=6410f64b0e> 

-Written by:
Kristopher Thompson 
Smart Technology Specialist

Video chatting is all the rage during the pandemic.  As people stay at home to slow the spread of the virus, Facebook Portal TV is finding an audience among older adults.  It is a feature-packed webcam that sits on top of your television, then transforms the screen into a hands-free video-calling device.  Since it comes with Amazon Alexa built-in, it also offers control of smart home devices.  And the camera shutter and mute button give peace of mind to anyone with privacy concerns.  The Facebook Portal TV is one of the many new technologies that will be featured in our Smart Home On Wheels (SHOW) in the coming months. 

To see more about the Facebook Portal TV visit their website at  <https://oakhillct.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f7e0f16a5f7c18d91a8f45407&id=12173cc475&e=6410f64b0e> https://portal.facebook.com/ for more information.

Stay tuned for virtual tour dates!

BLIND SERVICES NEWS

The Start Of A Novel 

 <https://oakhillct.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f7e0f16a5f7c18d91a8f45407&id=f01fa6e7c6&e=6410f64b0e> 

-Written by:
Steve Famiglietti
Blind Vocational Services Manager

At a NEAT event in May of 2019, I met a gentleman that, at that time, had no computer to use and was isolated from family and friends and he had no way to communicate with them.  

This gentleman obtained a new laptop and the Job Access With Speech program (commonly known as “JAWS”) for the Windows screen reader, with the help of special funds from Oak Hill the help of Services for the Blind.  He is now receiving computer instructions from me and has learned to navigate the computer to type documents in Microsoft Word and send and receive email messages using Microsoft Outlook.  

Sending and receiving email messages has allowed him the ability to communicate with family and friends again.  He has also started to use the Zoom conferencing platform to attend church services and other meetings virtually.  He will be learning to use Facebook in the coming weeks to advertise a book that he has written.  

Although many individuals are blind or have low vision, they too, like many have done in the past and others will do in the future be able to tell related stories like mine.  They will be able to say I can become an author of a novel and I can make it visible to all. 

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Stay tuned for new episodes of the NEAT Podcast in the near future!

Click below to listen to our previous episodes.

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Contact us

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Oak Hill's NEAT Center

Building Location
33 Coventry St
Hartford, CT 06112

Mailing address
120 Holcomb St
Hartford, CT 06112

866-526-4492
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