[il-talk] Fw: Blindness Symposium To Be Held March 6, At Notre Dame

[Syed Yousufuddin]

Bill,

Thanks much for posting this info. I am definitely planning to attend this event. I totally concur with Kelly's concerns, but at the same time I don't have to be a rocket scientist to figurre out those trivial things. I would either call them or shoot an email to get required information.


 
> From: kellytalk at gmail.com
> To: il-talk at nfbnet.org
> Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:39:36 -0600
> Subject: Re: [il-talk] Fw: Blindness Symposium To Be Held March 6, At Notre Dame
> 
> It sounds interesting. The organizers don't seem that visitor friendly 
> though. they don't say how close this event is from the train or bus 
> station and if it is not within walking distance, what transportation is 
> available or will be provided from these locations to the conference site. 
> Also, they don't say if food is available for lunch and an evening meal at 
> or near the conference site or near the transportation.
> 
> Kelly
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bill Reif" <billreif at ameritech.net>
> To: <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 11:38 AM
> Subject: [il-talk] Fw: Blindness Symposium To Be Held March 6, At Notre 
> Dame
> 
> 
> This sounds like quite an event coming up.
> 
> Bill
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Parker at Vip conduit" <Vipcomm at mchsi.com>
> To: "Accessible Devices" <a-d at accessible-devices.com>
> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 10:57 AM
> Subject: Accessible Devices Blindness Symposium To Be Held March 6,At Notre
> Dame
> 
> 
> This message is quite lengthy as it contains a great deal of information
> about the
> Symposium.
> in celebration of the bicentenary of the birth of Louis Braille
> The Notre Dame Disability Studies Forum presents
> Friday, March 6, 2009
> 9:00 a.m.–5:45 p.m.
> McKenna Hall, University of Notre Dame
> Keynote
> Marc Maurer, ND ’74
> President of the National Federation of the Blind
> Speakers
> Edward Wheatley
> Edward L. Surtz Professor of Medieval Literature, Loyola
> University, Chicago
> Adolph Kiefer, Shelley Kiefer, and David Gatz
> Kiefer Products
> Georg Bodammer
> Venture Manager, Siemens, Munich
> Paul Down
> Associate Professor of Industrial Design
> Fernando Carvalho
> (MFA Candidate in Industrial Design) University of Notre Dame
> Essaka Joshua
> Special Professional Faculty, Departments of Philosophy and
> English, University of Notre Dame
> The Notre Dame Disability Studies Forum is hosting speakers
> from arts-based and technology-based disciplines to discuss the
> culture and technology surrounding blindness and partial sight.
> Technology Fair
> Exhibitors include: Bosma Enterprises, Easter Seals Crossroads
> Assistive Technology Center, Eye Can See, GW Micro, Hadley
> School for the Blind, Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library,
> RFB&D, Sendero Group, and Social Security Administration
> This event is part of a year-long series of talks hosted by the
> Notre Dame Disability Studies Forum.
> For registration, contact Essaka Joshua at
> ejoshua at nd.edu
> .
> There is no fee and all are welcome.
> in celebration of the bicentenary of the birth of Louis Braille
> The Notre Dame Disability Studies Forum presents
> Friday, March 6, 2009
> 9:00 a.m.–5:45 p.m.
> McKenna Hall, University of Notre Dame
> Schedule
> 8:30 a.m.
> Coffee and light snacks available
> throughout the morning
> McKenna Atrium
> 9-9:15 a.m.
> Introduction and welcome
> Essaka Joshua, Special Professional
> Faculty, Departments of Philosophy
> and English, University of Notre
> Dame, and John McGreevy, Dean of
> the College of Arts and Letters
> McKenna Auditorium
> 9:15–10:15 a.m.
> Research Paper
> Edward Wheatley, Surtz Professor
> of Medieval Literature, Loyola
> University, Chicago
> “Stumbling Blocks Before the Blind:
> Constructions of a Disability in
> Medieval England and France”
> McKenna Auditorium
> 10:15–10:45 a.m.
> Coffee Break
> McKenna Atrium
> 10:45–11:45 a.m.
> Keynote Speaker
> Marc Maurer, ND ’74, President of
> the National Federation of the Blind
> McKenna Auditorium
> 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
> Student Discussion With Marc
> Maurer Facilitated by James Fetter,
> PhD candidate in Political Science,
> University of Notre Dame
> McKenna Auditorium
> 12:30–1:30 p.m.
> Lunch break
> (Coffee is available in the McKenna
> Dining Room throughout the
> afternoon.)
> 1:30–5:45 p.m.
> Blindness Technology Fair
> Exhibits in McKenna Dining Room
> Product demonstrations in McKenna
> Hall, Room 112–114
> 1:30–2 p.m.
> Research Paper
> Georg Bodammer, Venture Manager,
> Siemens, Munich, Germany
> “A Prototype Cognitive Aid System for
> the Blind and Partially Sighted”
> McKenna Hall, Room 210–214
> 2–2:15 p.m.
> Coffee Break
> McKenna Dining Room
> 2:15–3:15 p.m.
> Research Paper
> Essaka Joshua, Special Professional
> Faculty, Departments of Philosophy
> and English, University of Notre Dame
> “‘Blind Vacancy:’ Sighted Culture and
> Voyeuristic Historiography in Mary
> Shelley’s Frankenstein”
> 3:15–3:30 p.m.
> Coffee Break
> McKenna Dining Room
> 3:30–4:15 p.m.
> Research Paper and Panel Q&A
> Paul Down, Associate Professor of
> Industrial Design, and Fernando
> Carvalho, (MFA Candidate in
> Industrial Design), University of
> Notre Dame
> “Finding Independence through
> Low-Tech Design”
> Panel includes Adolph Kiefer,
> Shelley Kiefer, and David Gatz,
> Kiefer Products
> McKenna Hall, Room 210–214
> Because the greater South Bend, Indiana, area is reasonably close to
> Chicagoland, southern Michigan, Indianapolis, and Ohio, a significant 
> number
> of persons will potentially find it feasible to attend. The highest 
> profile
> facets of this event are the
> keynote address by Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National
> Federation of the Blind; and the presence of Olympic gold medal-winning
> swimmer and entrepreneur Adolph Kiefer. Dr. Maurer will be on center
> stage roughly from 10:45 A.M. to 12:30 P.M and will speak directly to
> the enormous gap that remains in respect to employment of the blind in
> 21st century America. Kiefer will participate while a paper on a new
> swimming
> navigational aid for the blind is presented at 3:30 in the afternoon.
> Another noteworthy fact is that this upcoming symposium has been
> created at Notre Dame and is being administered by an ND
> special professional, Dr. Essaka Joshua, who conducts and supervises
> academic
> research in the area of disability studies. So this will be first and
> foremost an academic conference put on by one of North America's most
> prestigious institutions of higher learning. To that end, papers about the
> literary and
> historical significance of blindness through the ages will be formally
> presented by scholars from universities both in the USA and in Europe.
> Athletically-minded attendees and parents of blind swimmers will be able to
> see first-hand a brand-new, highly affordable navigational aid called
> AdapTap that blind swimmers may use to keep their bearings in the often
> confusing and fast-moving
> environment of a swimming pool. Attached to this message are both a flier
> and a poster describing the formal part of this symposium. These are
> official promotional pieces created at Notre Dame, and both the flier and
> poster are suitable for immediate handout or mounted display. They are
> accessible to blind computer users as well, if opened in any version of
> Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat identified as 7.x or later, in conjunction
> with either JAWS for Windows or Window-Eyes screen reading software.
> In addition, there is a second aspect to the March 6 symposium, intended to
> line up with the practical needs of teachers or members of the blind
> community: Following Dr. Maurer's time in the spotlight and a brief lunch
> break, the afternoon will feature a technology fair that
> runs concurrently with the last three paper presentations. As a
> part of that tech fair, we will present four focused seminars of
> practical and educational significance to special education teachers,
> vocational rehabilitation professionals, blind persons, and family members
> or friends of blind persons. The lineup for these presentations, as it
> stands now, is as follows:
> 2:00 PM:
> Select members from the leadership team of GW Micro, developers of the
> Window-Eyes
> screen reading program and distributors of the Braille Sense notetaker, the
> SenseNav
> GPS
> system, and the SenseView closed circuit TV, show off the benefits and new
> features
> related to their increasingly robust and popular products.
> 3:00 PM: The Sendero Group, featuring accessible GPS solutions and
> other leading-edge portable technology for the blind.
> Enter a drawing for a chance to win a signed copy of “Crashing Through,” 
> the
> inspirational
> true story of Sendero’s president and adventurer-in-chief Michael May.
> This book, authored by Robert Kurson, was published by Random House in 2007
> and is
> available in Braille, CD, cassette tape, and Internet download.
> 4:00 PM: Wade Wingler of the Easter Seals Crossroads Assistive
> Technology Center in Indianapolis. Wade discusses the new INDATA
> Project making technology affordable for members of the disabled
> community who earn a low income and/or who do not qualify for direct
> state funding assistance.
> 5:00 PM: Hadley School for the Blind, based in Winnetka, Illinois.
> Hadley has provided distance learning opportunities in Braille, in
> large print, and now online, for nearly 90 years to blind citizens of
> more than 100 countries.
> In addition to the presenters listed above, we are expecting
> demonstration/informational booths to be staffed by adec Inc., Bosma
> Enterprises, Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, Cross Roads-Easter Seals,
> Envision
> America, Eye Can See, GH LLC, GW Micro, Hadley School
> for the Blind, the Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library, the National
> Federation of the Blind of Indiana, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic,
> Sendero Group, the Social Security Administration, United States 
> Association
> of Blind
> Athletes (USABA), among others.
> Last but not least, we hope to get a sneak peek at some experimental
> navigational technology not yet released to the general public that is 
> being
> developed and tested in
> the nations that make up the European Union. At least one of these
> experimental devices never has been seen before in North America. Attached
> to this message is a detailed description of these and all other exhibitors
> who have agreed thus far to participate. The description is formatted so
> that it should open in any version of Microsoft Word released since the 
> year
> 1998.
> Both the academic conference and the technology fair will be open at
> no charge to the general public. But because space in the auditorium and
> demonstration rooms is limited, registration is strongly encouraged.
> If you wish to attend, or if you have a question relating specifically to
> the academic portion of the March 6 program, please send a message to
> BlindnessSymposium at gmail.com
> .
> For more information about the technology fair portion of the afternoon's
> proceedings, you are encouraged to write personally to one or both of the
> co-coordinators: Kane Brolin
> kbrolin65 @ gmail.com
> or Lori Miller
> Lori @ asmodean.net
> .
> Sincerely,
> Kane Brolin
> Office: (5..., Ext. 1
> Mobile: (574)386-8868
> EXIBITOR DESCRIPTIONS
> Take part in hands-on demonstrations, ask questions, and get the latest 
> info
> from
> more than fifteen
> companies and not-for-profit organizations that will showcase their 
> products
> and
> services for people with vision loss.
> Exhibits will be held continuously from 1:30-5:45 PM on
> Fri., March 6, 2009
> , in the dining room of McKenna Hall on the campus of The University of
> Notre Dame,
> with select presentations happening simultaneously in Rooms 112 and 114 of
> the same
> building.
> Presentation Line-up:
> 2:00: GW Micro,
> 3:00: Sendero Group,
> 4:00: Cross Roads,
> 5:00: Hadley School for the Blind,
> List of Exhibitors:
> · ADEC, Inc. This not-for-profit corporation based in in northern
> Indiana
> since 1952 is the result of collaboration between disabled persons and
> their families,
> community leaders, and like-minded organizations.
> Its mission is to ensure that children and adults with disabilities can 
> live
> happy
> and productive lives and can participate fully in their communities.
> ADEC sponsors a variety of training and work-centered programs for disabled
> citizens.
> ADEC is committed to breaking down barriers, both physical and attitudinal,
> through
> active community education, advocacy, and support.
> http://adecinc.com/php/about/index.php
> Bosma Enterprises. This Indianapolis-based organization
> operates as a unique non-profit hybrid, relying on a combination of 
> private
> gifts,
> corporate and foundation contributions, and profit-driven contracts to
> create jobs
> and fund training and outreach programs.
> Bosma prepares people who are blind to meet the challenges they choose to
> take on
> and also prepares the business community to integrate people who are blind
> into their
> business plans.
> http://bosma.org/about_us.htm
> Chicago Lighthouse.
> Since its founding in 1906, the Chicago Lighthouse has evolved from
> providing basic
> food, clothing and shelter assistance into helping people who are blind,
> visually
> impaired or multi-disabled to live more independently.
> Vocational training and competitive job placement have been a primary focus
> of this
> agency for nearly a century.
> The
> Birth-To-Three Family intervention Program initiates early intervention
> services
> to infants, toddlers and their families. As far back as the 1950s, the
> Lighthouse’s
> Adult Living Skills program has been known as one of the first in the 
> nation
> to teach
> independent living skills to adults who
> are blind and developmentally disabled. The Lighthouse is a fixture on
> Roosevelt Road in the heart of the Illinois Medical district of Chicago’s
> West Side.
> http://www.thechicagolighthouse.org/defaultabout.asp?page=history
> Cognitive Aid System for the Blind People (CASBLIP).
> The main aim of this collaborative research project is to develop a system
> capable
> of interpreting and managing real world information from different sources
> to assist
> blind or visually impaired users.
> The system would present users with enhanced image and audio maps of their
> surroundings
> to meaningfully improve their independence and overall quality of life.
> Partners in this endeavor include the German conglomerate Siemens Ag, the
> University
> of Bristol (Great Britain), La Universidad
> Politécnica de Valencia (Spain), and La Universidad de la Laguna (Spain).
> Individualized demonstrations of one of CASBLIP’s experimental products 
> may
> be arranged
> in advance by writing to Dr. Georg Bodammer:
> Georg.Bodammer at siemens.com
> .
> He is willing to hold such a demonstration either at Notre Dame on March 
> 6-7
> or in
> the Greater Chicago area the following week.
> For a broader view of the objectives and different components of CASBLIP,
> refer
> to
> http://www.casblip.upv.es/
> Easter Seals Crossroads Assistive Technology Center. Based in Indianapolis
> , this organization works nationwide to help persons with all manner of
> disabilities
> lead fulfilled and productive lives.
> The center’s director Wade Wingler will showcase technology-related
> initiatives that
> have been made possible through state and federal grants and by the recent
> passage
> of the Indiana Assistive Technology Act (INDATA).
> These programs, many of which are free to disabled Hoosiers, include device
> loans
> and exchanges, alternative equipment financing, technology training, and
> computer
> reutilization.
> http://centerforassistivetechnology.org/resources/42
> En-Vision America. This company, headquartered in Normal, Illinois,
> is dedicated to creating unequaled value in the lives of its customers. It
> applies
> new and creative technology to everyday problems of the visually impaired.
> It is
> En-Vision America
> ’s goal to make its customers more independent in performing the essential
> tasks
> of life that most take for granted.
> Check out the I.D. Mate Omni, an accessible bar code scanner, as well as 
> the
> ScripTalk
> Station for reading prescription labels.
> http://www.envisionamerica.com/products.php
> Eye Can See.
> Tom Blackman demonstrates the KNFB Mobile Reader and shows off a broad 
> array
> of Freedom
> Scientific products, including the latest editions of the PAC Mate 
> notetaker
> and
> JAWS for Windows screen reader for the PC.
> Go to
> http://www.knfbreader.com/
> or
> http://freedomscientific.com/
> .
> GH, LLC. Using a content-independent media conversion process,
> this company offers a full range of accessible media formats and
> software applications, including DAISY Digital Talking Books, an
> Accessible Testing System, Braille, and Tactile Graphics, that enable
> people with print disabilities to improve their educational
> experience, become more competitive in the workplace, and lead more
> enjoyable lives.
> http://www.gh-accessibility.com/
> GW Micro.
> The leadership team representing this innovative Hoosier company, based in
> Fort Wayne,
> demonstrate the latest capabilities of their Window-Eyes speech and Braille
> access
> software for the PC, as well as portable products such as the SenseView
> CCTV, Braille
> Sense Plus notetaker and its companion
> GPS navigation system.
> http://www.gwmicro.com/
> Hadley School for the Blind.
> For nearly 90 years, this Illinois-based institution has provided distance
> learning
> opportunities for blind high school students, adults, and their families in
> a wide
> variety of courses ranging from Braille and personal wellness to the
> fundamentals
> of business, literature, math, science, and foreign languages.
> http://hadley.edu/default.asp
> Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library.
> This institution is affiliated with the National Library Service for the
> Blind and
> Physically Handicapped, a division of the Library of Congress.
> NLS administers the free program that lends recorded and braille books and
> magazines,
> music scores in braille and large print, and specially designed playback
> equipment
> to residents of the United States who are unable to read or use standard
> print materials
> because of visual or physical impairment.
> NLS administers the program nationally while direct service to eligible
> individuals
> and institutions is the responsibility of cooperating libraries in the
> various states,
> the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. 
> Service
> is also
> extended to eligible American citizens residing abroad.
> http://www.loc.gov/nls/aboutnls.html
> National Federation of the Blind of Indiana.
> With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is one
> of the
> largest and most influential membership organizations of blind people in 
> the
> United States. The NFB
> improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research,
> technology,
> and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. The
> NFB has affiliates in all fifty states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico
> , and over seven hundred local chapters.
> http://www.nfb.org/nfb/About_the_NFB.asp?SnID=1264837192
> Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. This not-for-profit organization, 
> based
> in Princeton,
> NJ
> , produces and distributes a wide array of recorded books and study
> materials for
> the use of students and adults who have proven physical or mental 
> challenges
> that
> make it difficult to learn through conventional reading techniques.
> RFB&D materials are offered via CD-ROM, Internet download, and cassette 
> tape
> to qualifying
> patrons, and their literature ranges from popular fiction to advanced
> postgraduate
> research materials.
> RFB&D is capable of producing customized recordings for students and
> institutions
> with specialized needs.
> Much of their catalogue is made available free of charge to qualifying
> patrons.
> http://www.rfbd.org/
> Saint Joseph County [Indiana] Election Board.
> For Americans, the right to vote is a critical lynchpin that keeps our
> democratic
> republic stable and keeps our leaders accountable to the people.
> Up to now, however, blind and otherwise disabled persons have not had any
> practical
> means to cast a truly private ballot without assistance.
> But this is changing, thanks to new technology that soon will bring
> accessible voting
> machines to an election precinct near you.
> We expect to have at least one prototype of such a machine that visitors 
> can
> try
> out at this year’s tech fair.
> To get general info about voting machines accessible to the disabled, go to
> http://votingmachines.procon.org/viewanswers.asp?questionID=309
> Sendero Group. This company developed the first accessible GPS and talking
> map software.
> GPS
> products "Powered by Sendero" software provide access to detailed street
> and business
> location information. The blind traveler can now be a co-pilot , not just a
> passive
> passenger in a car.
> Sendero staff, most of whom are visually impaired, know from personal and
> professional
> experience that orientation and mobility skills and tools for blind folks
> are key
> to enjoyment and success in all walks of life.
> For a brief multimedia sneak preview of how Sendero’s gps product can
> empower blind
> navigators, go to
> http://www.senderogroup.com/public/gps/
> .
> Social Security Administration.
> Because many blind persons and others struggling with severe long-range
> disabilities
> receive benefits from the SSA in lieu of job-related income or while 
> working
> their
> way into a productive livelihood, information from this federal agency
> proves vitally
> important in helping disabled Americans to understand what is available to
> them and
> how changing federal regulations figure to affect their lives.
> http://ssa.gov/
> United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA). USABA’s mission is to
> enhance the lives of blind and visually impaired children and adults by
> providing
> the opportunity for participation in sports and physical activity.
> This
> community-based organization of the United States Olympic Committee has
> touched
> the lives of more than 100,000 persons through programs in cycling, judo,
> powerlifting,
> skiing, swimming, wrestling, and more.
> It endeavors at all times to create an environment that fosters the wide
> acceptance
> of blind and visually impaired people in American society at large.
> http://usaba.org/Pages/usabainformation/aboutus.html
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> il-talk mailing list
> il-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/il-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> il-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/il-talk_nfbnet.org/kellytalk%40gmail.com 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> il-talk mailing list
> il-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/il-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for il-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/il-talk_nfbnet.org/syedy2003%40hotmail.com

_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live™ Hotmail®…more than just e-mail. 
http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_hm_justgotbetter_howitworks_022009