[Md-sligo] FW: 2012 Saturday Adaptive Tech sessions and a look back at 2011

[Brown, Debbie]

-----Original Message-----
From: MCPL DRCINFO [mailto:drcinfo at montgomerycountymd.gov] 
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 5:21 PM
To: Brown, Debbie
Subject: 2012 Saturday Adaptive Tech sessions and a look back at 2011

Because our 4th Saturday is on Christmas Eve, there will be no Saturday Adaptive Technology Session (SATS) this month. Please mark your calendars for the January through July sessions listed below - all are from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.:

 

January 28: Audible pedestrian signals (Charlie Crawford, Patrick Sheehan and others) at the Silver Spring Library: what are audible pedestrian signals, where they are, and status of future placement.

 

February 25: Learning disabilities software packages at the Davis Library (Moira Williams of Envision Technology and Speri Silverman, MCPS).

 

March 24: Hearing enhancement technologies (speakers and library to be announced).

 

April 28: Bookstream Beta vs Firefly Beta - A new way of reading your text - in the Cloud (presented by Kamran Rasul; library to be announced).

 

May 19 ( a week early to avoid Memorial Day): Downloading books from Overdrive on the Library's website -- what's available and what to do.

 

June 23: Topic to be determined.

 

July 28: Back to school overview, a showcase of technologies for K-12 students.

 

We're always happy to hear your suggestions, so please email drcinfo at montgomerycountymd.gov with your topic ideas. SATS are coordinated through the Montgomery County Public Libraries' Disability Resource Center Library Advisory Committee. They are held on the 4th Saturday of the month and are free and open to the public. By way of celebration and an opportunity to say thanks to our speakers and participants, here's a list of the past year's SATs. Particular thanks go to our facilitators, Kamran Rasul and Jeanie Dunnington, without whom these programs wouldn't happen. Here's a look back at 2011's SATs:

 

January -- Hand-held devices that read aloud menus, product labels, and books.  See and compare the Intel Reader and K-NFB Reader, and discuss others (Presented by Kamran Rasul).

 

February -- Technology support services in higher education, the role adaptive technology services provide for disability support services/academic support centers in colleges and universities. Presented by Kamran Rasul, Assistive Technology Specialist at American University, Korey Singleton, ATI Manager Assistive Technology Initiative at George Mason University, and Dan Newsome, Coordinator for Adaptive Technology Lab at Maryland University's McKeldin Library. 

 

March -- Low tech gadgets for low vision, a discussion with hands-on examples of simple ways to help you keep on doing what you want to do (presented by Jeanie Dunnington). 

 

April -- Accessibility features for Windows users who have visual, learning and mobility disabilities are built into Microsoft's Windows 7, Office 2010, and Internet Explorer 8/9 (presented by Ed Leary, Microsoft).

 

May - Memorial Day weekend - no session.

 

June -- Guide demo (speaker unable to come so the session turned into a general discussion of adaptive tech; session on Guide was held in August).

 

July -- A possible alternative to a smart phone. Voice Assist is a subscription service that provides hands-free texting and other services for regular and cell phones (presented by Carl Schmitt).

 

August --  Guide, session II. Hands-on demo of this  software package with built-in prompts, magnification and speech that uses menus and a few keystrokes to help you easily navigate e-mail, the Internet, and word processing (presented by Jeanie Dunnington). 

 

September - The National Book Festival on the Mall, to explore and advocate for accessibility for people with print disabilities (organized by Francie Gilman). 

 

October - A demo and discussion of Kindle vs. iPAD accessibility features and pros and cons as e-readers, presented by Kamran Rasul).

 

November -- App show and tell -- Android and Apple apps on parade, led by Charlie Crawford and Kamran Rasul.

 

Best holiday wishes to you all, and may 2012 bring you much joy and little frustration, with both technology and humans.

 

Francie

Francie Gilman

Librarian

Disability Resource Center 

Rockville Library 

21 Maryland Ave., Suite 100 

Rockville, MD 20850 

Voice 240-777-0959 

TTY 240-777-0902