[nabs-l] My Latest Project

Kelly Cusack yllekann at gmail.com
Fri Aug 25 23:18:20 UTC 2017 

Hi again, Vanna,

     Sorry for the delay; it took a while to reach everyone involved with the project.  We all think this is a great opportunity, and we are ready to proceed.

Thank you again,
Kelly

On Aug 23, 2017 3:52 AM, Vanna Song via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Hi Kelly, 
>
> The newsletter belongs to World Learning. One of their departments is 
> crafting and implementing a toolkit called TAAP. It stands for Transforming 
> Agency, Access, and Power. The toolkit aims to guide program developers on 
> integrating inclusion in to their programs. The next step, I will put you 
> in contact with my former supervisor. You can give her all the information 
> she and the others need. 
>
> Vanna 
>
> On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 8:53 PM Kelly via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: 
>
> > Hello, Vanna, 
> >      My friends and I would be honored to have our project in your 
> > newsletter.  Thank you so much for your support!  Inclusion is what we are 
> > trying to achieve here, so this is an amazing opportunity. 
> > 
> >      To what organization does the newsletter belong?  What is the next 
> > step? 
> > 
> > Thank you once more for this opportunity! 
> > Kelly 
> > 
> > > On Aug 22, 2017, at 21:43, Vanna Song via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> 
> > wrote: 
> > > 
> > > Hi Kelly, 
> > > 
> > > would you like your project to be featured in an issue of a biweekly 
> > > newsletter of one of my former host organizations that deals with 
> > > inclusion of all types including disability? 
> > > 
> > > Vanna 
> > > 
> > >> On 8/21/17, Kelly via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: 
> > >> Chris: 
> > >>     Based on Disney's Wallie, Cozmo is a small robot that resembles a 
> > model 
> > >> car, with tank treads and a tiny, front-mounted forklift. 
> > >>     Although it was originally designed as a STEM toy for young 
> > children, 
> > >> its manufacturer (Anki), has recently expanded the product's 
> > capabilities. 
> > >> Specifically, the Cozmo app now includes a code lab, which is used to 
> > >> program the robot to talk, recognize faces, and search for and interact 
> > with 
> > >> objects.  The code lab offers a simple introduction to programming, but 
> > the 
> > >> real educational value is in Cozmo's SDK (software development kit). 
> > >> Through the combined use of the app and SDK, students can learn and 
> > practice 
> > >> the Python programming language. 
> > >>     Since Cozmo is relatively new, there is not a lot of widespread 
> > >> classroom use as of now.  However, several universities have begun to 
> > >> integrate the robot into their computer science classes. 
> > >>     Personally, I care about this issue because STEM learning robots are 
> > >> the future of computer science education for students of all ages.  By 
> > >> working to make this software accessible, we could set an example for 
> > other 
> > >> companies now so that we can all use similar tools in the future. 
> > >> Here is an article about Cozmo's SDK that you may find useful, as well 
> > as 
> > >> Cozmo's home page: 
> > >> 1. 
> > >> 
> > https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/version-1468272030-2/amp/ 
> > >> 2. https://anki.com/en-us/cozmo 
> > >> 
> > >> Thank you very much for your interest!  Please feel free to contact me 
> > again 
> > >> if you have any additional questions. 
> > >> Kelly 
> > >> Sent from my iPhone 
> > >> 
> > >>> On Aug 17, 2017, at 23:02, Chris Nusbaum via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org 
> > > 
> > >>> wrote: 
> > >>> 
> > >>> Kelly: 
> > >>> 
> > >>> Could you tell us a little more about what this Cosmo Robot does and 
> > what 
> > >>> it 
> > >>> is used for in the context of STEM education? I would also be curious 
> > to 
> > >>> know if anyone has actually used this program in the classroom and, if 
> > >>> so, 
> > >>> what experiences you have had. Perhaps this is something which needs 
> > >>> attention from NABS or the Federation, but I think we would need to 
> > know 
> > >>> some further information before we get behind a petition or campaign. 
> > >>> 
> > >>> Thank you for your efforts to increase accessibility in the STEM 
> > fields! 
> > >>> 
> > >>> Chris 
> > >>> 
> > >>> -----Original Message----- 
> > >>> From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kelly via 
> > >>> NABS-L 
> > >>> Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2017 1:30 AM 
> > >>> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org 
> > >>> Cc: Kelly <yllekann at gmail.com> 
> > >>> Subject: [nabs-l] My Latest Project 
> > >>> 
> > >>>>> Hello, everyone, 
> > >>>>>>>    Recently, one of my friends discovered an amazing computer 
> > >>> programming learning tool developed by Anki, called the Cozmo robot. 
> > >>>>>>> 
> > >>>>>>>    We were excited of course (the robot is very fun to play with 
> > >>> after all, and we have always wanted to learn computer programming), 
> > but 
> > >>> when we downloaded the app that is used to control it, we were dismayed 
> > >>> and 
> > >>> frustrated to find that it is totally inaccessible with VoiceOver. 
> > >>>>>>> 
> > >>>>>>>    We then wrote to Anki customer care to inform them of the issue, 
> > >>> and received a form letter giving no indication that they had read or 
> > >>> processed our email. 
> > >>>>>>> 
> > >>>>>>>    So we drafted this petition in hopes that, if we gather enough 
> > >>> support, the developers will realize that accessibility is a concern 
> > >>> which 
> > >>> must be taken seriously.  We did this not just for the many blind and 
> > >>> visually impaired people who could be enjoying and learning from the 
> > >>> Cozmo 
> > >>> application and others like it, but also for all app developers, so 
> > that 
> > >>> they may understand the barriers created by inaccessible software. 
> > >>>>>>> 
> > >>>>>>>    If you support STEM education and learning opportunities for the 
> > >>> blind, accessible software development, and/or equal opportunities for 
> > >>> all 
> > >>> children to learn programming, we invite you to sign our petition by 
> > >>> clicking the link below or simply copying and pasting the URL into your 
> > >>> address bar, then filling out the form.  Your information will be kept 
> > >>> private and is only used by change.org . 
> > >>> 
> > https://www.change.org/p/anki-make-stem-education-through-the-cozmo-app-acce 
> > >>> ssible-to-all 
> > >>>>>>> 
> > >>>>>>> Thank you in advance for your support of our project! 
> > >>>>>>> Kelly 
> > >>> _______________________________________________ 
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