From dandrews920 at comcast.net Thu Feb 1 02:44:57 2024 From: dandrews920 at comcast.net (David Andrews) Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:44:57 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Fwd: Information for the $10, 000 Flight for Sight travel grants Message-ID: > >Flight for Sight is a nonprofit that is giving >away a second round of three $10,000 travel >grants to individuals or teams with someone who >is blind or has low vision. The mission is to >explore the world, engage with others, and >educate people about blindness and low vision. > >You can learn more here: >https://www.flightforsight.net/ >Also, here is a direct link to the application: >https://www.flightforsight.net/apply/ > >For questions you can email the Executive >Director, Mike Walsh at Mike at FlightforSight.net. > >Also for quick access to links go here: >https://linktr.ee/flightforsight > > >-- > >Mike Walsh > >Founder and Executive Director > >Flight for Sight > >+1 (608) 609-8919 > > >Want to learn more? Have an idea for a trip? >Schedule >a time to chat. > > >flightforsight.net > >linktr.ee/flightforsight > >Flight for Sight logo. It is the shape of an eye with a blue ou > > >Receive the Flight for Sight >Newsletter! >Engage with us on >YouTube, >Instagram, >and Facebook! >Learn how you can >help and be a part of the community! >Listen to our story on the >That >Real Blind Tech Show podcast! > -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Main Flight for Sight logo.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 133357 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Flight for Sight grant marketing.png Type: image/png Size: 121094 bytes Desc: not available URL: From nabs.president at gmail.com Fri Feb 2 01:10:06 2024 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (nabs.president at gmail.com) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2024 20:10:06 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] NABS Town Hall Sunday, February 4th at 7:00 PM ESP Message-ID: <05cb01da5574$8ff61f50$afe25df0$@gmail.com> Happy Thursday, NABS Nation! It was great to see many of you at Washington Seminar this week! Thank you to everyone who attended our events either in person or virtually. I'm looking forward to seeing even more of you at Midwest Seminar during the weekend of March 22nd-24th. As we get into the month of February, we are looking to switch things up a bit. We will be holding the first NABS Town Hall this Sunday, February 4th at 7:00 EST. We will be trying out this new format as an alternative to our usual committee call times. This will be a great way to hear all about what is going on with the different committees and task forces in the National Association of Blind Students. Find out what's coming up, how to get involved, and get your questions answered. As we try out new things in NABS, we want to hear your feedback! Please fill out this form after the meeting on Sunday to help us learn what structure you prefer. Form: https://forms.gle/ordTzPSz8AoWLv7U9 Click here for the NABS Zoom room. Agenda Welcome (7:00) Advocacy Recap and Updates (7:05) Building our Community with the Membership Committee (7:25) Putting the Fun in Fundraising (7:45) Content Creation: Sharing Stories and Resources (8:05) Questions, Comments and Collaboration (8:05) Closing Remarks (8:25) Feel free to reach out with any questions and I hope to see you all on the call! Lauren Altman President National Association of Blind Students Pronouns: she/her Email: nabs.president at gmail.com Phone: (973) 9307473 Lauren Altman President National Association of Blind Students Pronouns: she/her Email: nabs.president at gmail.com Phone: (973) 9307473 From hunkinmarvin5 at gmail.com Fri Feb 2 01:17:33 2024 From: hunkinmarvin5 at gmail.com (hunkinmarvin5 at gmail.com) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2024 11:47:33 +1030 Subject: [NABS-L] server academy Message-ID: <00e701da5575$9a769c10$cf63d430$@gmail.com> Hi. Found this utube channel on my blind shell classic 2 phone and now did sign up for a free account. Well video based tutorials and courses. So has any one used this service and if so, how accessible is it with screen readers, their quizzes, virtual labs, etc. Did try searching, but trawled about 40 or more pages, could not find any info and looked at their faqs. Could not find any info. Any experiences with this service. Marvin. From lrcapp13 at gmail.com Fri Feb 2 18:09:43 2024 From: lrcapp13 at gmail.com (Lizzy Cappelli) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2024 13:09:43 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Backpack for Work Message-ID: Hello NABS, I hope you are all well. I am wondering if anyone has recommendations for a nice-looking backpack for work. I have my university backpack, but would love something more professional when commuting to work. Kindest regards, Lizzy From katelynmacmusic at gmail.com Sat Feb 3 21:04:24 2024 From: katelynmacmusic at gmail.com (Katelyn MacIntyre) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2024 16:04:24 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] =?utf-8?q?Valentine=E2=80=99s_Telegrams!?= Message-ID: Hi students! In case you haven’t heard, tomorrow, February 4, is the last day to order your Valentine’s Day Telegrams this season! Share the love with your family and friends and spread joy with a song or five! :-) There are several fellow students and recent alumni on the delivery crew. All info is here: www.nfb-pad.org/telegrams Thank you for your support of the NFB Performing Arts Division!! ~Katelyn MacIntyre, M.M. www.katelynmac.com www.facebook.com/KatelynMacMusic @KatelynMacMusic President, National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division From elizabeth.sprecher103 at gmail.com Sat Feb 3 23:40:01 2024 From: elizabeth.sprecher103 at gmail.com (Elizabeth Sprecher) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2024 16:40:01 -0700 Subject: [NABS-L] Fwd: [Colorado-Talk] Scholarship Seminar References: Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hunterkuester2 at gmail.com Sun Feb 4 14:00:00 2024 From: hunterkuester2 at gmail.com (Hunter Kuester) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Calling All Students! Midwest regional seminar registration has launched. March 22nd-24th Message-ID: Happy February NABS, As the grips of winter soften it is time once again for blind students to migrate to the city of Chicago Illinois for the 2024 Midwest Regional Student Seminar hosted by the National Association of Blind Students. Come be a part of the action and shape this weekend of networking, resource sharing, collaboration, and so much more. We encourage you to embrace the quest of the educational journey and experience the now with us. Join us at the Holiday Inn O’Hare located at: 5615 N Cumberland Avenue Chicago, Il 60631 on March 22nd through March 24th. You can register at the link pasted below in this message. Registration does close on March 1st, so do not delay. Rooms can be booked at this website, http://www.hiohare.com/ and enter our code, Nfb. You can also reserve a room by phone (800-465-4329) or (773-693-5800). When calling use our room block code National federation of the blind student. Room rates for a room with 2 queen beds are $119.00 per night. Rooms should be booked by March 8th. If you need help finding a roommate please reach out to myself with that request before the March 8th deadline. The national Association of Blind Students prioritizes the health and safety of all of it’s members at our events. For the safety of all participants we do ask if you are feeling ill please remain home. These policies are consistent with the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois on in person gatherings. We are also committed to keeping all members safe as such we follow the code of conduct recommended by the National Federation of the Blind which requires all participants to be 18 years of age for this residential program. Alternative payments: We in no way shape or form want the $100 registration fee to be a deterrent for any student’s attendance. If the $100 registration fee stands in the way of your participation please reach out to NABS treasurer Hunter Kuester at 920-285-8530 or hunterkuester2 at gmail.com . Please recognize that both the $100 registration fee and a complete registration form must be completed by March 1st to ensure your attendance into this transformative weekend. If you have any questions about hotel logistics, registration or anything else regarding Midwest please reach out to Hunter Kuester at 920-285-8530 or Hunterkuester2 at gmail.com. https://nabslink.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&action=preview&id=2 Keep it classy, Hunter Kuester From aevans.nfb at gmail.com Sun Feb 4 22:24:17 2024 From: aevans.nfb at gmail.com (Asia Quinones-Evans) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2024 17:24:17 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book Message-ID: <000001da57b8$e49cef20$add6cd60$@gmail.com> I was hoping anyone can tell me if you have had experiences in class where you may have to read certain passages from your text book. I know this is usually done in elementary school but my college professor is wanting us to read definitions out of the Glossary and sections of the text book during class. I have a copy of my text book on my Victor Reader 3 but for some reason it will not let me skip back to the chapter after I go to the Glossary . Or if it does I have to press rewind then skip back chapters. I have called Humanware about this and they are working on it. I also have the braille copy of the book on my Mantis but again it is hard to search sections when the BRF does not line up with the actual text book. I have bookmarked the start of the Glossary but I do not know how to search for a term just in the Glossary not the entire book. An example would be that the professor tells us the page number the text is on that we will read out loud and review. Is this something I just can not participate with or will I just have to try pushing through it to participate? This book is from American Counsel of Exercise so they do not give out free copies of the publishers pdf to get an electronic copy for my computer. Has any other student delt with this situation and how did you get through it? Yours Truly, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: (440) 670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back From kunyeul18 at gmail.com Sun Feb 4 22:35:07 2024 From: kunyeul18 at gmail.com (Kun Lee) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2024 14:35:07 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Super Bowl roulette fundraiser Message-ID: Hello NABS. We are excited to announce a unique and fun way to support the National Association of Blind Students – our Super Bowl Roulette Fundraiser! What is Super Bowl Roulette? Super Bowl Roulette offers a thrilling way to engage with the Super Bowl while supporting a great cause. Here’s how it works: • The Setup: A Super Bowl roulette spreadsheet will be created, with numbers 0-9 across both the top (NFC - National Football Conference) and the side (AFC - American Football Conference). • Participation: Purchase a square for $5 to be randomly placed on our sheet. • Winning: Winners are determined by the last digit of each team’s score at the end of each quarter and the final score. For example, if the NFC score is 13 and the AFC score is 10, the winning combination is NFC 3 and AFC 0. Prizes: • Quarterly Wins: $25 per quarter. • Final Score Win: A grand prize of $50. How to Participate and Send Payment: • Using our Donation Link: Make your payment through our donation portal here (https://nabslink.org/donate-now). • Via Zelle: Send payments to nabs.president at gmail.com. • Via PayPal: send your payment to NABSPayments. Remember to use the comment or note function to mention that your payment is for the Super Bowl Roulette. Your involvement not only adds excitement to your Super Bowl experience but also immensely supports the initiatives of the National Association of Blind Students. We usually sell out quickly, so don't miss your chance! Should you have any questions or need more information, feel free to reach out to hunterkuester2 at gmail.com. Your support means a lot to us and the community we serve. Thank you for being part of this exciting event. Let's make this Super Bowl an unforgettable experience! From nabs.president at gmail.com Sun Feb 4 23:27:16 2024 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (nabs.president at gmail.com) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2024 18:27:16 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] FW: NABS Town Hall Sunday, February 4th at 7:00 PM ESP In-Reply-To: <05cb01da5574$8ff61f50$afe25df0$@gmail.com> References: <05cb01da5574$8ff61f50$afe25df0$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <00b901da57c1$b10e73f0$132b5bd0$@gmail.com> Just a reminder that our first ever Town Hall will be taking place tonight at 7:00 EST. Hope to see many of you there! Lauren Altman President National Association of Blind Students Pronouns: she/her Email: nabs.president at gmail.com Phone: (973) 9307473 From: nabs.president at gmail.com Sent: Thursday, February 1, 2024 8:10 PM To: NABS-L at nfbnet.org Subject: NABS Town Hall Sunday, February 4th at 7:00 PM ESP Happy Thursday, NABS Nation! It was great to see many of you at Washington Seminar this week! Thank you to everyone who attended our events either in person or virtually. I'm looking forward to seeing even more of you at Midwest Seminar during the weekend of March 22nd-24th. As we get into the month of February, we are looking to switch things up a bit. We will be holding the first NABS Town Hall this Sunday, February 4th at 7:00 EST. We will be trying out this new format as an alternative to our usual committee call times. This will be a great way to hear all about what is going on with the different committees and task forces in the National Association of Blind Students. Find out what's coming up, how to get involved, and get your questions answered. As we try out new things in NABS, we want to hear your feedback! Please fill out this form after the meeting on Sunday to help us learn what structure you prefer. Form: https://forms.gle/ordTzPSz8AoWLv7U9 Click here for the NABS Zoom room. Agenda Welcome (7:00) Advocacy Recap and Updates (7:05) Building our Community with the Membership Committee (7:25) Putting the Fun in Fundraising (7:45) Content Creation: Sharing Stories and Resources (8:05) Questions, Comments and Collaboration (8:05) Closing Remarks (8:25) Feel free to reach out with any questions and I hope to see you all on the call! Lauren Altman President National Association of Blind Students Pronouns: she/her Email: nabs.president at gmail.com Phone: (973) 9307473 Lauren Altman President National Association of Blind Students Pronouns: she/her Email: nabs.president at gmail.com Phone: (973) 9307473 From redwing731 at gmail.com Mon Feb 5 18:41:49 2024 From: redwing731 at gmail.com (redwing731 at gmail.com) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 10:41:49 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book In-Reply-To: <000001da57b8$e49cef20$add6cd60$@gmail.com> References: <000001da57b8$e49cef20$add6cd60$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <2f5901da5862$fc6fb6f0$f54f24d0$@gmail.com> Hi all! I have experienced having to read text aloud in class before. Luckily in my case, I already had my stuff in a format I could use with my braille display at the time. I was able to read that text in braille without accessibility problems. The last teacher I had who required me to do this was a wealth of resources and I'd work with her again if I could. I can't help you with the technology itself because I don't have a Victor Reader Stream or the kind of braille display that you're using. I can give you work arounds regarding your school's resources because often times, they can help with work arounds that no one else can assist you with. Ok, sure, community colleges are better with resources than universities in general, but there are some common resources that you might want to take advantage of if you haven't done so yet. Your school's disabilities department If you haven't done so yet, go to whoever works your case at your school's disabilities services, whatever they are called for you because their job is to help sort out issues like this one. I know that everyone has a different viewpoint about accessible course paperwork, websites, ECT, but I believe that to make something fully accessible, it also has to be functional to the user. Since you're running into bugs of this kind, let these people know about your problems and what your teacher is also requiring you to do with your textbook. Hopefully, they'll be able to help come up with a better workaround for this particular book. OK, working with your school's disabilities department has some drawbacks, but they're still worth giving a try. For one thing, The laws are in favor of making your school's disabilities department do all of the work when it comes to education and advocating, but there are still some drawbacks with these laws in place. I think the laws are best for the trickiest cases, and sometimes, the law will totally come in handy, but the people at your school's disabilities department are not experts in the field of things like braille and blindness tech. They specialize in making it accessible and to work out bugs that you run into like this one. From my experience, your school's disabilities department is also not a room or office that's full of a bunch of experts in what's actually accessible and what's claiming to be accessible and actually isn't accessible after all. Even so, they still might be able to have a workaround that you don't have access to especially in working around the bugs. Even if they don't, they can still help you if you have tried to contact your professor and your professor either doesn't help you or that he, she, or they ghosts you and doesn't contact you back. Keep in mind that even they don't always or often know what works for you and what doesn't. Your professor If I were you, I'd contact your professor as well and let them know about your problem because they might come up with an alternative workaround that even your disabilities department might not come up with. I believe in using all or as many of my resources as I can including but not limited to the professor when finding workarounds because your professor might have extra resources, documents, or access to info that can really help you such as someone in the library who can get you a good electronic copy for you to borrow for term. Even if your professor doesn't have resources, someone else might have some good ones. I'm not saying this will happen to you, but it's worth a shot. Other book places Sometimes, but not always, you can get your required book from other places. Have you tried looking for it on Bookshare, Audible.com, BARD, Learning Alley, Kindle, ECT? It can't hurt because sometimes, you can find your book on one of these other places. From my experience, I have only found my books on these other places a few times, but my school also had its own publishing house that's specific to my school. It even went so far as to offer most of my school's textbooks to its student body instead of outsourcing in less it wasn't possible for a particular book or resource. If your school doesn't have such a publishing house, I think you'll have a better shot at finding your textbook on one of these other resources. Ok, the risk for not finding it is rather high, but because it does happen, it's still worth a shot because you won't know without performing searches there. Unfortunently, you might be stuck with buying an electronic copy just to work around these bugs. I'm giving you ideas that you can try first before having to buy that copy because if you don't have to buy it and you manage to come up with a good workaround, then awesome! I hope this will happen to you! I also hope this helps! Kendra -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Asia Quinones-Evans via NABS-L Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 2:24 PM To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book I was hoping anyone can tell me if you have had experiences in class where you may have to read certain passages from your text book. I know this is usually done in elementary school but my college professor is wanting us to read definitions out of the Glossary and sections of the text book during class. I have a copy of my text book on my Victor Reader 3 but for some reason it will not let me skip back to the chapter after I go to the Glossary . Or if it does I have to press rewind then skip back chapters. I have called Humanware about this and they are working on it. I also have the braille copy of the book on my Mantis but again it is hard to search sections when the BRF does not line up with the actual text book. I have bookmarked the start of the Glossary but I do not know how to search for a term just in the Glossary not the entire book. An example would be that the professor tells us the page number the text is on that we will read out loud and review. Is this something I just can not participate with or will I just have to try pushing through it to participate? This book is from American Counsel of Exercise so they do not give out free copies of the publishers pdf to get an electronic copy for my computer. Has any other student delt with this situation and how did you get through it? Yours Truly, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: (440) 670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa. edu From alishag.important2018 at gmail.com Mon Feb 5 19:14:09 2024 From: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com (Alisha Geary) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 13:14:09 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? Message-ID: <9530F749-0B59-4645-98E1-C414E6AE4C9E@gmail.com> Hi guys! I’m applying to Strayer University. They use Canvas for their online classes. Any accessibility hiccups or annoyances I should know about? Any thoughts or reviews? Thanks! Kind regards, Alisha Geary Freelance digital Copywriter 2019-current Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) 2020-current Member of the Professional Writers Alliance (PWA) 2020-Current Email: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com Phone: 6292483844 Social media: https://blindcopywriter.com/links From ninam0814 at gmail.com Mon Feb 5 19:16:36 2024 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 19:16:36 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? In-Reply-To: <9530F749-0B59-4645-98E1-C414E6AE4C9E@gmail.com> References: <9530F749-0B59-4645-98E1-C414E6AE4C9E@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi. I use Canvas at my school. I've had good luck with the iPhone app and using the site with Jaws and Voiceover. Hope this helps. :) ________________________________ From: NABS-L on behalf of Alisha Geary via NABS-L Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 2:14:09 PM To: NABS-L at nfbnet.org Cc: Alisha Geary Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? Hi guys! I’m applying to Strayer University. They use Canvas for their online classes. Any accessibility hiccups or annoyances I should know about? Any thoughts or reviews? Thanks! Kind regards, Alisha Geary Freelance digital Copywriter 2019-current Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) 2020-current Member of the Professional Writers Alliance (PWA) 2020-Current Email: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com Phone: 6292483844 Social media: https://blindcopywriter.com/links _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ninam0814%40gmail.com From nomi.otoole at gmail.com Mon Feb 5 19:18:17 2024 From: nomi.otoole at gmail.com (nomi.otoole at gmail.com) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 14:18:17 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? In-Reply-To: <9530F749-0B59-4645-98E1-C414E6AE4C9E@gmail.com> References: <9530F749-0B59-4645-98E1-C414E6AE4C9E@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi. When I attended community college back in 2019 I didn’t find any issues with it. I am in the university now, but they don’t use canvas. They use something else but personally, I think canvas will be accessible. Noemie O'Toole > On Feb 5, 2024, at 2:15 PM, Alisha Geary via NABS-L wrote: > > Hi guys! I’m applying to Strayer University. They use Canvas for their online classes. Any accessibility hiccups or annoyances I should know about? Any thoughts or reviews? Thanks! > > Kind regards, > Alisha Geary > Freelance digital Copywriter 2019-current > Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) 2020-current > Member of the Professional Writers Alliance (PWA) 2020-Current > Email: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com > Phone: 6292483844 > Social media: https://blindcopywriter.com/links > > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nomi.otoole%40gmail.com From slnmonjaraz at gmail.com Mon Feb 5 19:20:52 2024 From: slnmonjaraz at gmail.com (Selene Monjaraz) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 13:20:52 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? In-Reply-To: <9530F749-0B59-4645-98E1-C414E6AE4C9E@gmail.com> References: <9530F749-0B59-4645-98E1-C414E6AE4C9E@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hello Alisha, My current university uses canvas. Depending on how much vision you have, and whether you use a screen reader, or not, even the type of screenreader, you may have some issues when you have to type in the discussion forums. It’s slightly annoying, but still doable to navigate in and out of the frames And edit things to be visually appealing. Everything is fully accessible as long as it’s contained within the platform. Some instructors might link to external sites or use completely different platforms for their classes altogether but everything on campus everything from the forums to the built-in tests are really intuitive and accessible. Good luck ^_^ Selene Monjaraz On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 1:15 PM Alisha Geary via NABS-L wrote: > Hi guys! I’m applying to Strayer University. They use Canvas for their > online classes. Any accessibility hiccups or annoyances I should know > about? Any thoughts or reviews? Thanks! > > Kind regards, > Alisha Geary > Freelance digital Copywriter 2019-current > Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) 2020-current > Member of the Professional Writers Alliance (PWA) 2020-Current > Email: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com > Phone: 6292483844 > Social media: https://blindcopywriter.com/links > > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/slnmonjaraz%40gmail.com > From nikkidadlani at gmail.com Mon Feb 5 19:23:20 2024 From: nikkidadlani at gmail.com (nikkidadlani at gmail.com) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 11:23:20 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? In-Reply-To: <9530F749-0B59-4645-98E1-C414E6AE4C9E@gmail.com> References: <9530F749-0B59-4645-98E1-C414E6AE4C9E@gmail.com> Message-ID: <008d01da5868$c85333f0$58f99bd0$@gmail.com> Hi, Hope you are well! Congrats on applying to university! Accessibility issues with canvas are minimal. Most aspects of the experience are fully accessible, whether you use the mobile apps or the website on a computer. Further, the layout is quite logical, and looking through assignments, grades, modules and the like does not present any issues at all. The only somewhat inaccessible aspect of Canvas relates to when peers or professors annotate submissions. Here, as a screen reader user I have noticed that it is difficult to view an annotation, especially if color is used. Additionally if specific comments are made on a specific part of a submission (for example, a comment to a specific sentence in an essay) it is hard to find where in the submission the comment itself was made. Other than this issue, from my experience, Canvas is fully accessible. Best of luck to you! Nikki Dadlani -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Alisha Geary via NABS-L Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 11:14 AM To: NABS-L at nfbnet.org Cc: Alisha Geary Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? Hi guys! I’m applying to Strayer University. They use Canvas for their online classes. Any accessibility hiccups or annoyances I should know about? Any thoughts or reviews? Thanks! Kind regards, Alisha Geary Freelance digital Copywriter 2019-current Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) 2020-current Member of the Professional Writers Alliance (PWA) 2020-Current Email: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com Phone: 6292483844 Social media: https://blindcopywriter.com/links _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nikkidadlani%40gmail.com From braillemasterjustin at gmail.com Mon Feb 5 19:24:02 2024 From: braillemasterjustin at gmail.com (Justin Heard) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 14:24:02 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? In-Reply-To: References: <9530F749-0B59-4645-98E1-C414E6AE4C9E@gmail.com> Message-ID: If you have issues with the discussion boards, I recommend typing your post in word, then copy and pasting it into the edit box. I found typing on the website to be slow and annoying. Justin Heard On 2/5/2024 2:20 PM, Selene Monjaraz via NABS-L wrote: > Hello Alisha, > My current university uses canvas. Depending on how much vision you have, > and whether you use a screen reader, or not, even the type of screenreader, > you may have some issues when you have to type in the discussion forums. > It’s slightly annoying, but still doable to navigate in and out of the > frames And edit things to be visually appealing. > Everything is fully accessible as long as it’s contained within the > platform. Some instructors might link to external sites or use completely > different platforms for their classes altogether but everything on campus > everything from the forums to the built-in tests are really intuitive and > accessible. > Good luck ^_^ > > Selene Monjaraz > > > On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 1:15 PM Alisha Geary via NABS-L > wrote: > >> Hi guys! I’m applying to Strayer University. They use Canvas for their >> online classes. Any accessibility hiccups or annoyances I should know >> about? Any thoughts or reviews? Thanks! >> >> Kind regards, >> Alisha Geary >> Freelance digital Copywriter 2019-current >> Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) 2020-current >> Member of the Professional Writers Alliance (PWA) 2020-Current >> Email: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com >> Phone: 6292483844 >> Social media: https://blindcopywriter.com/links >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/slnmonjaraz%40gmail.com >> > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/braillemasterjustin%40gmail.com From kaden.e.colton at gmail.com Mon Feb 5 19:53:07 2024 From: kaden.e.colton at gmail.com (Kaden Colton) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 13:53:07 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hey, The graduate school I attend uses Canvas. I found Canvas to be decently accessible with JAWS and VoiceOver. I have noticed with the in page links in the mobile app to be a bit funky. When I click on a specific week to jump to, it'll get me close to the week I wanted to move to, but not to the specific week. > Regards, Kaden Colton Pronouns: None/Kaden > On 5/02/2024, at 13:19, nomi.otoole--- via NABS-L wrote: > > Hi. When I attended community college back in 2019 I didn’t find any issues with it. I am in the university now, but they don’t use canvas. They use something else but personally, I think canvas will be accessible. > Noemie O'Toole > >> On Feb 5, 2024, at 2:15 PM, Alisha Geary via NABS-L wrote: >> >> Hi guys! I’m applying to Strayer University. They use Canvas for their online classes. Any accessibility hiccups or annoyances I should know about? Any thoughts or reviews? Thanks! >> >> Kind regards, >> Alisha Geary >> Freelance digital Copywriter 2019-current >> Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) 2020-current >> Member of the Professional Writers Alliance (PWA) 2020-Current >> Email: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com >> Phone: 6292483844 >> Social media: https://blindcopywriter.com/links >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nomi.otoole%40gmail.com > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kaden.e.colton%40gmail.com From isaacmcburney35 at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 01:22:02 2024 From: isaacmcburney35 at gmail.com (Isaac McBurney) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 19:22:02 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Disability Office Problems Message-ID: <5B2A21B5-5E18-442E-A806-1B3788E93C5A@gmail.com> Hey NABS Students, I hope you are all doing well. For my Children’s Literature class, we have to read some PDFs from various journals through our library’s website. Some of these have worked well with VoiceOver on my iPad, but the two most recent ones didn’t work so well. It decided to read all three columns of text at the same time which isn’t very helpful when you’re trying to listen for complete sentences. I sent them to the disability office last Tuesday, and heard nothing back, so I decided to call them on Friday. They said they would work on it, and then sent me back a PDF that was somehow worse than before. I explained that this wouldn’t work with my screen reader, sending a screen recording along with it to show what it was doing, and they have yet to respond. The entire team changed last semester, so this is part of the issue as everyone is still learning stuff, but this shouldn’t be an excuse to not provide accessible materials to me and another blind student who I know is having a lot of issues with them too. They also weren’t very helpful with providing accessible book information, and wouldn’t convert another student’s textbooks to an accessible format, so it was done by another professor. So my questions are: what is the best path forward for this? What should I do to help them resolve this, because it really isn’t working. Is there anyone you would suggest I talk to at the college or otherwise, and has anyone had a similar experience? I thank you for your guidance, as this is only my second semester in college. I hope you have a great day! Thank you, Isaac McBurney (He/Him/His) | Special Education, UMKC 2027 Board Member, Missouri Association of Blind Students (isaacmcburney35 at gmail.com | 816-398-9541 | Linktree ) From nomi.otoole at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 01:27:14 2024 From: nomi.otoole at gmail.com (nomi.otoole at gmail.com) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 20:27:14 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Disability Office Problems In-Reply-To: <5B2A21B5-5E18-442E-A806-1B3788E93C5A@gmail.com> References: <5B2A21B5-5E18-442E-A806-1B3788E93C5A@gmail.com> Message-ID: <1D97462B-D689-474D-A20B-1F53770D222E@gmail.com> Hello, I would strongly recommend that you physically go to the disability services office because they would be willing to assist you better. If not, I would definitely have one of your classmates help you if possible. Luckily, I haven’t ran into any of this happening to me this semester, but I would recommend, you go to the disability office or have a classmate help you another option is talking to the professor about getting the documents in a word document. That’s what I did and everything is accessible. From slnmonjaraz at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 02:03:10 2024 From: slnmonjaraz at gmail.com (Selene Monjaraz) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 20:03:10 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Disability Office Problems In-Reply-To: <5B2A21B5-5E18-442E-A806-1B3788E93C5A@gmail.com> References: <5B2A21B5-5E18-442E-A806-1B3788E93C5A@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hello, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. This was actually a huge problem for me last year. My disability office was really understanding about my disability, but they didn’t quite know how to help me. Honestly, I felt like they were leaning into the whole, “you need to be independent,” thing a bit too hard. There’s a fine line between independence and support. The most obvious thing is to show/tell them exactly what you need and how to do it. That should not be our job as first year students because it adds pressure on top of classes but it’s an unfortunate reality. If you’re not sure how those accommodations are usually Done for you, I would talk to students and staff at other universities about how they do things. I’m studying elsewhere, but my home college has some really good disability resources. I’ve never even heard of before and actually changed how I take notes and do conversions. First thing like someone else said go to your disability office and maybe meet with them about how they can get you those accommodations. If they remain unresponsive, I would talk to your professors and maybe even reach out to your affiliate but hopefully you won’t have to go that far. Yes, you can talk to your professors about them making things accessible as well but you’re right that the disabilities office it’s literally their job to accommodate you so do give them a bit of grace with the transition, but don’t let them slide. Best of luck, Selene Monjaraz On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 7:24 PM Isaac McBurney via NABS-L wrote: > Hey NABS Students, I hope you are all doing well. > > For my Children’s Literature class, we have to read some PDFs from various > journals through our library’s website. Some of these have worked well with > VoiceOver on my iPad, but the two most recent ones didn’t work so well. It > decided to read all three columns of text at the same time which isn’t very > helpful when you’re trying to listen for complete sentences. I sent them to > the disability office last Tuesday, and heard nothing back, so I decided to > call them on Friday. They said they would work on it, and then sent me back > a PDF that was somehow worse than before. I explained that this wouldn’t > work with my screen reader, sending a screen recording along with it to > show what it was doing, and they have yet to respond. The entire team > changed last semester, so this is part of the issue as everyone is still > learning stuff, but this shouldn’t be an excuse to not provide accessible > materials to me and another blind student who I know is having a lot of > issues with them too. They also weren’t very helpful with providing > accessible book information, and wouldn’t convert another student’s > textbooks to an accessible format, so it was done by another professor. > > So my questions are: what is the best path forward for this? What should I > do to help them resolve this, because it really isn’t working. Is there > anyone you would suggest I talk to at the college or otherwise, and has > anyone had a similar experience? I thank you for your guidance, as this is > only my second semester in college. I hope you have a great day! > > Thank you, > Isaac McBurney (He/Him/His) | Special Education, UMKC 2027 > Board Member, Missouri Association of Blind Students > > (isaacmcburney35 at gmail.com | 816-398-9541 | Linktree < > https://linktr.ee/IsaacMcBurney?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=6b804ce5-9e1f-49ce-b10e-933ab21379f6 > >) > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/slnmonjaraz%40gmail.com > From aevans.nfb at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 02:29:35 2024 From: aevans.nfb at gmail.com (Asia Quinones-Evans) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 21:29:35 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book In-Reply-To: <2f5901da5862$fc6fb6f0$f54f24d0$@gmail.com> References: <000001da57b8$e49cef20$add6cd60$@gmail.com> <2f5901da5862$fc6fb6f0$f54f24d0$@gmail.com> Message-ID: I appreciate all of this information. I keep in very close contact with my Accessibility department and my professor. The biggest issue I am coming across is that the pages in my BRF file from Book Share does not line up with the actual textbook pages. I do get a lot of my books off of Bookshare for my classes. If they do not have it I like to send in a book request and majority of the time they get it. since this book is from American Council of exercise there are very few ways to get an electronic format of the book. The two devices that I mentioned in my earlier email I have downloaded the BRF of the textbook onto both of those devices. I have contacted Humanware about the strange issue with the Victor and I know my accessibility department cannot do anything about it. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to complete this kind of activity in class. When the professor request us to read a certain passage from the textbook it is literally on a specific page in the middle of the page. So of course a sided individual can find it very easily with scanning but it is a bit more difficult for a blind person to find it. I thought I could participate with finding some of the words in the glossary but I'm having difficulty searching the word that I want just in the glossary not throughout the entire book. Yours truely, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: 440-670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 1:43 PM Kendra via NABS-L wrote: > Hi all! > I have experienced having to read text aloud in class before. Luckily in my > case, I already had my stuff in a format I could use with my braille > display > at the time. I was able to read that text in braille without accessibility > problems. The last teacher I had who required me to do this was a wealth of > resources and I'd work with her again if I could. I can't help you with the > technology itself because I don't have a Victor Reader Stream or the kind > of > braille display that you're using. I can give you work arounds regarding > your school's resources because often times, they can help with work > arounds > that no one else can assist you with. Ok, sure, community colleges are > better with resources than universities in general, but there are some > common resources that you might want to take advantage of if you haven't > done so yet. > > Your school's disabilities department > If you haven't done so yet, go to whoever works your case at your school's > disabilities services, whatever they are called for you because their job > is > to help sort out issues like this one. I know that everyone has a different > viewpoint about accessible course paperwork, websites, ECT, but I believe > that to make something fully accessible, it also has to be functional to > the > user. Since you're running into bugs of this kind, let these people know > about your problems and what your teacher is also requiring you to do with > your textbook. Hopefully, they'll be able to help come up with a better > workaround for this particular book. OK, working with your school's > disabilities department has some drawbacks, but they're still worth giving > a > try. For one thing, The laws are in favor of making your school's > disabilities department do all of the work when it comes to education and > advocating, but there are still some drawbacks with these laws in place. I > think the laws are best for the trickiest cases, and sometimes, the law > will > totally come in handy, but the people at your school's disabilities > department are not experts in the field of things like braille and > blindness > tech. They specialize in making it accessible and to work out bugs that you > run into like this one. From my experience, your school's disabilities > department is also not a room or office that's full of a bunch of experts > in > what's actually accessible and what's claiming to be accessible and > actually > isn't accessible after all. Even so, they still might be able to have a > workaround that you don't have access to especially in working around the > bugs. Even if they don't, they can still help you if you have tried to > contact your professor and your professor either doesn't help you or that > he, she, or they ghosts you and doesn't contact you back. Keep in mind that > even they don't always or often know what works for you and what doesn't. > > Your professor > If I were you, I'd contact your professor as well and let them know about > your problem because they might come up with an alternative workaround that > even your disabilities department might not come up with. I believe in > using > all or as many of my resources as I can including but not limited to the > professor when finding workarounds because your professor might have extra > resources, documents, or access to info that can really help you such as > someone in the library who can get you a good electronic copy for you to > borrow for term. Even if your professor doesn't have resources, someone > else > might have some good ones. I'm not saying this will happen to you, but it's > worth a shot. > > Other book places > > Sometimes, but not always, you can get your required book from other > places. > Have you tried looking for it on Bookshare, Audible.com, BARD, Learning > Alley, Kindle, ECT? It can't hurt because sometimes, you can find your book > on one of these other places. From my experience, I have only found my > books > on these other places a few times, but my school also had its own > publishing > house that's specific to my school. It even went so far as to offer most of > my school's textbooks to its student body instead of outsourcing in less it > wasn't possible for a particular book or resource. If your school doesn't > have such a publishing house, I think you'll have a better shot at finding > your textbook on one of these other resources. Ok, the risk for not finding > it is rather high, but because it does happen, it's still worth a shot > because you won't know without performing searches there. Unfortunently, > you > might be stuck with buying an electronic copy just to work around these > bugs. I'm giving you ideas that you can try first before having to buy that > copy because if you don't have to buy it and you manage to come up with a > good workaround, then awesome! I hope this will happen to you! I also hope > this helps! > > Kendra > > -----Original Message----- > From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Asia Quinones-Evans > via NABS-L > Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 2:24 PM > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans > Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book > > I was hoping anyone can tell me if you have had experiences in class where > you may have to read certain passages from your text book. I know this is > usually done in elementary school but my college professor is wanting us to > read definitions out of the Glossary and sections of the text book during > class. I have a copy of my text book on my Victor Reader 3 but for some > reason it will not let me skip back to the chapter after I go to the > Glossary . Or if it does I have to press rewind then skip back chapters. I > have called Humanware about this and they are working on it. I also have > the > braille copy of the book on my Mantis but again it is hard to search > sections when the BRF does not line up with the actual text book. I have > bookmarked the start of the Glossary but I do not know how to search for a > term just in the Glossary not the entire book. An example would be that the > professor tells us the page number the text is on that we will read out > loud > and review. > > > > Is this something I just can not participate with or will I just have to > try > pushing through it to participate? This book is from American Counsel of > Exercise so they do not give out free copies of the publishers pdf to get > an > electronic copy for my computer. Has any other student delt with this > situation and how did you get through it? > > > > Yours Truly, > > > > Asia Quinones-Evans > > > > Phone: (440) 670-6509 > > > > Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com > > > > Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back > > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa > . > edu > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/aevans.nfb%40gmail.com > From nomi.otoole at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 02:59:45 2024 From: nomi.otoole at gmail.com (nomi.otoole at gmail.com) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 21:59:45 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <25441822-A398-446A-B138-05FC6E4565B8@gmail.com> Hi Asia. Like others have suggested I would definitely talk to the disability services at your school and see what they can do in order to make it more accessible for that matter. Noemie O'Toole > On Feb 5, 2024, at 9:30 PM, Asia Quinones-Evans via NABS-L wrote: > > I appreciate all of this information. I keep in very close contact with my > Accessibility department and my professor. The biggest issue I am coming > across is that the pages in my BRF file from Book Share does not line up > with the actual textbook pages. I do get a lot of my books off of Bookshare > for my classes. If they do not have it I like to send in a book request and > majority of the time they get it. since this book is from American Council > of exercise there are very few ways to get an electronic format of the > book. The two devices that I mentioned in my earlier email I have > downloaded the BRF of the textbook onto both of those devices. I have > contacted Humanware about the strange issue with the Victor and I know my > accessibility department cannot do anything about it. I was just wondering > if anyone has any advice on how to complete this kind of activity in class. > When the professor request us to read a certain passage from the textbook > it is literally on a specific page in the middle of the page. So of course > a sided individual can find it very easily with scanning but it is a bit > more difficult for a blind person to find it. I thought I could > participate with finding some of the words in the glossary but I'm having > difficulty searching the word that I want just in the glossary not > throughout the entire book. > > Yours truely, > > Asia Quinones-Evans > > Phone: 440-670-6509 > Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com > > > Live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back > > >> On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 1:43 PM Kendra via NABS-L wrote: >> >> Hi all! >> I have experienced having to read text aloud in class before. Luckily in my >> case, I already had my stuff in a format I could use with my braille >> display >> at the time. I was able to read that text in braille without accessibility >> problems. The last teacher I had who required me to do this was a wealth of >> resources and I'd work with her again if I could. I can't help you with the >> technology itself because I don't have a Victor Reader Stream or the kind >> of >> braille display that you're using. I can give you work arounds regarding >> your school's resources because often times, they can help with work >> arounds >> that no one else can assist you with. Ok, sure, community colleges are >> better with resources than universities in general, but there are some >> common resources that you might want to take advantage of if you haven't >> done so yet. >> >> Your school's disabilities department >> If you haven't done so yet, go to whoever works your case at your school's >> disabilities services, whatever they are called for you because their job >> is >> to help sort out issues like this one. I know that everyone has a different >> viewpoint about accessible course paperwork, websites, ECT, but I believe >> that to make something fully accessible, it also has to be functional to >> the >> user. Since you're running into bugs of this kind, let these people know >> about your problems and what your teacher is also requiring you to do with >> your textbook. Hopefully, they'll be able to help come up with a better >> workaround for this particular book. OK, working with your school's >> disabilities department has some drawbacks, but they're still worth giving >> a >> try. For one thing, The laws are in favor of making your school's >> disabilities department do all of the work when it comes to education and >> advocating, but there are still some drawbacks with these laws in place. I >> think the laws are best for the trickiest cases, and sometimes, the law >> will >> totally come in handy, but the people at your school's disabilities >> department are not experts in the field of things like braille and >> blindness >> tech. They specialize in making it accessible and to work out bugs that you >> run into like this one. From my experience, your school's disabilities >> department is also not a room or office that's full of a bunch of experts >> in >> what's actually accessible and what's claiming to be accessible and >> actually >> isn't accessible after all. Even so, they still might be able to have a >> workaround that you don't have access to especially in working around the >> bugs. Even if they don't, they can still help you if you have tried to >> contact your professor and your professor either doesn't help you or that >> he, she, or they ghosts you and doesn't contact you back. Keep in mind that >> even they don't always or often know what works for you and what doesn't. >> >> Your professor >> If I were you, I'd contact your professor as well and let them know about >> your problem because they might come up with an alternative workaround that >> even your disabilities department might not come up with. I believe in >> using >> all or as many of my resources as I can including but not limited to the >> professor when finding workarounds because your professor might have extra >> resources, documents, or access to info that can really help you such as >> someone in the library who can get you a good electronic copy for you to >> borrow for term. Even if your professor doesn't have resources, someone >> else >> might have some good ones. I'm not saying this will happen to you, but it's >> worth a shot. >> >> Other book places >> >> Sometimes, but not always, you can get your required book from other >> places. >> Have you tried looking for it on Bookshare, Audible.com, BARD, Learning >> Alley, Kindle, ECT? It can't hurt because sometimes, you can find your book >> on one of these other places. From my experience, I have only found my >> books >> on these other places a few times, but my school also had its own >> publishing >> house that's specific to my school. It even went so far as to offer most of >> my school's textbooks to its student body instead of outsourcing in less it >> wasn't possible for a particular book or resource. If your school doesn't >> have such a publishing house, I think you'll have a better shot at finding >> your textbook on one of these other resources. Ok, the risk for not finding >> it is rather high, but because it does happen, it's still worth a shot >> because you won't know without performing searches there. Unfortunently, >> you >> might be stuck with buying an electronic copy just to work around these >> bugs. I'm giving you ideas that you can try first before having to buy that >> copy because if you don't have to buy it and you manage to come up with a >> good workaround, then awesome! I hope this will happen to you! I also hope >> this helps! >> >> Kendra >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Asia Quinones-Evans >> via NABS-L >> Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 2:24 PM >> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org >> Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans >> Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book >> >> I was hoping anyone can tell me if you have had experiences in class where >> you may have to read certain passages from your text book. I know this is >> usually done in elementary school but my college professor is wanting us to >> read definitions out of the Glossary and sections of the text book during >> class. I have a copy of my text book on my Victor Reader 3 but for some >> reason it will not let me skip back to the chapter after I go to the >> Glossary . Or if it does I have to press rewind then skip back chapters. I >> have called Humanware about this and they are working on it. I also have >> the >> braille copy of the book on my Mantis but again it is hard to search >> sections when the BRF does not line up with the actual text book. I have >> bookmarked the start of the Glossary but I do not know how to search for a >> term just in the Glossary not the entire book. An example would be that the >> professor tells us the page number the text is on that we will read out >> loud >> and review. >> >> >> >> Is this something I just can not participate with or will I just have to >> try >> pushing through it to participate? This book is from American Counsel of >> Exercise so they do not give out free copies of the publishers pdf to get >> an >> electronic copy for my computer. Has any other student delt with this >> situation and how did you get through it? >> >> >> >> Yours Truly, >> >> >> >> Asia Quinones-Evans >> >> >> >> Phone: (440) 670-6509 >> >> >> >> Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com >> >> >> >> Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa >> . >> edu >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/aevans.nfb%40gmail.com >> > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nomi.otoole%40gmail.com From kimmbell01 at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 04:44:23 2024 From: kimmbell01 at gmail.com (kim drudge) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 23:44:23 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I go to a community college and their Canvas platform is accessible with JAWS. I'm not really good with using Canvas with VoiceOver, but the discussions, modules, and grades are accessible. I'm still learning about looking at grades but it's good. Kim On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 2:54 PM Kaden Colton via NABS-L wrote: > Hey, > > The graduate school I attend uses Canvas. I found Canvas to be decently > accessible with JAWS and VoiceOver. I have noticed with the in page links > in the mobile app to be a bit funky. When I click on a specific week to > jump to, it'll get me close to the week I wanted to move to, but not to the > specific week. > > > > Regards, > Kaden Colton > Pronouns: None/Kaden > > > On 5/02/2024, at 13:19, nomi.otoole--- via NABS-L > wrote: > > > > Hi. When I attended community college back in 2019 I didn’t find any > issues with it. I am in the university now, but they don’t use canvas. They > use something else but personally, I think canvas will be accessible. > > Noemie O'Toole > > > >> On Feb 5, 2024, at 2:15 PM, Alisha Geary via NABS-L > wrote: > >> > >> Hi guys! I’m applying to Strayer University. They use Canvas for their > online classes. Any accessibility hiccups or annoyances I should know > about? Any thoughts or reviews? Thanks! > >> > >> Kind regards, > >> Alisha Geary > >> Freelance digital Copywriter 2019-current > >> Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) 2020-current > >> Member of the Professional Writers Alliance (PWA) 2020-Current > >> Email: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com > >> Phone: 6292483844 > >> Social media: https://blindcopywriter.com/links > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> NABS-L mailing list > >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org > >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > >> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nomi.otoole%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > NABS-L mailing list > > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kaden.e.colton%40gmail.com > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kimmbell01%40gmail.com > -- Kim Drudge Behind a great man is a strong woman. From noahcarver494 at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 05:43:15 2024 From: noahcarver494 at gmail.com (Noah Carver) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2024 00:43:15 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <50F40656-93B6-4A3C-A268-8267D147AB07@gmail.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From redwing731 at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 05:55:48 2024 From: redwing731 at gmail.com (redwing731 at gmail.com) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2024 21:55:48 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book In-Reply-To: References: <000001da57b8$e49cef20$add6cd60$@gmail.com> <2f5901da5862$fc6fb6f0$f54f24d0$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <323301da58c1$23c49870$6b4dc950$@gmail.com> Hi Asia! You didn't mention your professor, have you been able to ask them for workarounds? I know that your tech is buggy and I agree that they are strange bugs. I'm also glad you were able to talk to Human whare about them! Does your tech have any print screens on them? I know your Victor reader doesn't have one since I have a friend who also uses a victor reader. Does your braille display have a print screen on it? I was thinking that if it did, you could take your braille machine to your professor, show them your navigation and search problem to them and ask your professor for ideas or resources. You can also let them know that your school's disabilities office can't help you but that this is a major problem and that you'd like to be able to get around this one and participate in this activity. Your professor might have some helpful resources, like the website to your book seller, electronic copies that you can borrow for this kind of assignment, or they can help spot you with your page. Speaking of pages, even if you can't get much help with the formatting of your book or anything like that, have you thought about having a sighted person, even if it happens to be your professor locate the info you need to read aloud? Have you also been able to ask your professor to send you the info they want you to read aloud in class so you can find it outside of class? Have you thought of having them send that info ahead of class so you can find it? I know the pages don't line up, but for this task, I somehow don't think you can truly do it without sighted help if your book has a visual route. Since you got it on Bookshare, have you thought of putting a copy on your computer, taking it to a sighted person, have them spot the info, particularly if you know or have access to that info, let them look for it for you, but also either bookmark it for you or tell you what the Bookshare page it's on so you can bookmark it yourself? Once you can do something like this, you should be able to go directly to your bookmarked info and quickly navigate to that info. The trick is the navigation and the search, but if you can do all of that before you actually need it, then you can actually read aloud in class. Kendra -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Asia Quinones-Evans via NABS-L Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 6:30 PM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book I appreciate all of this information. I keep in very close contact with my Accessibility department and my professor. The biggest issue I am coming across is that the pages in my BRF file from Book Share does not line up with the actual textbook pages. I do get a lot of my books off of Bookshare for my classes. If they do not have it I like to send in a book request and majority of the time they get it. since this book is from American Council of exercise there are very few ways to get an electronic format of the book. The two devices that I mentioned in my earlier email I have downloaded the BRF of the textbook onto both of those devices. I have contacted Humanware about the strange issue with the Victor and I know my accessibility department cannot do anything about it. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to complete this kind of activity in class. When the professor request us to read a certain passage from the textbook it is literally on a specific page in the middle of the page. So of course a sided individual can find it very easily with scanning but it is a bit more difficult for a blind person to find it. I thought I could participate with finding some of the words in the glossary but I'm having difficulty searching the word that I want just in the glossary not throughout the entire book. Yours truely, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: 440-670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 1:43 PM Kendra via NABS-L wrote: > Hi all! > I have experienced having to read text aloud in class before. Luckily > in my case, I already had my stuff in a format I could use with my > braille display at the time. I was able to read that text in braille > without accessibility problems. The last teacher I had who required me > to do this was a wealth of resources and I'd work with her again if I > could. I can't help you with the technology itself because I don't > have a Victor Reader Stream or the kind of braille display that you're > using. I can give you work arounds regarding your school's resources > because often times, they can help with work arounds that no one else > can assist you with. Ok, sure, community colleges are better with > resources than universities in general, but there are some common > resources that you might want to take advantage of if you haven't done > so yet. > > Your school's disabilities department > If you haven't done so yet, go to whoever works your case at your > school's disabilities services, whatever they are called for you > because their job is to help sort out issues like this one. I know > that everyone has a different viewpoint about accessible course > paperwork, websites, ECT, but I believe that to make something fully > accessible, it also has to be functional to the user. Since you're > running into bugs of this kind, let these people know about your > problems and what your teacher is also requiring you to do with your > textbook. Hopefully, they'll be able to help come up with a better > workaround for this particular book. OK, working with your school's > disabilities department has some drawbacks, but they're still worth > giving a try. For one thing, The laws are in favor of making your > school's disabilities department do all of the work when it comes to > education and advocating, but there are still some drawbacks with > these laws in place. I think the laws are best for the trickiest > cases, and sometimes, the law will totally come in handy, but the > people at your school's disabilities department are not experts in the > field of things like braille and blindness tech. They specialize in > making it accessible and to work out bugs that you run into like this > one. From my experience, your school's disabilities department is also > not a room or office that's full of a bunch of experts in what's > actually accessible and what's claiming to be accessible and actually > isn't accessible after all. Even so, they still might be able to have > a workaround that you don't have access to especially in working > around the bugs. Even if they don't, they can still help you if you > have tried to contact your professor and your professor either doesn't > help you or that he, she, or they ghosts you and doesn't contact you > back. Keep in mind that even they don't always or often know what works for you and what doesn't. > > Your professor > If I were you, I'd contact your professor as well and let them know > about your problem because they might come up with an alternative > workaround that even your disabilities department might not come up > with. I believe in using all or as many of my resources as I can > including but not limited to the professor when finding workarounds > because your professor might have extra resources, documents, or > access to info that can really help you such as someone in the library > who can get you a good electronic copy for you to borrow for term. > Even if your professor doesn't have resources, someone else might have > some good ones. I'm not saying this will happen to you, but it's worth > a shot. > > Other book places > > Sometimes, but not always, you can get your required book from other > places. > Have you tried looking for it on Bookshare, Audible.com, BARD, > Learning Alley, Kindle, ECT? It can't hurt because sometimes, you can > find your book on one of these other places. From my experience, I > have only found my books on these other places a few times, but my > school also had its own publishing house that's specific to my school. > It even went so far as to offer most of my school's textbooks to its > student body instead of outsourcing in less it wasn't possible for a > particular book or resource. If your school doesn't have such a > publishing house, I think you'll have a better shot at finding your > textbook on one of these other resources. Ok, the risk for not finding > it is rather high, but because it does happen, it's still worth a shot > because you won't know without performing searches there. > Unfortunently, you might be stuck with buying an electronic copy just > to work around these bugs. I'm giving you ideas that you can try first > before having to buy that copy because if you don't have to buy it and > you manage to come up with a good workaround, then awesome! I hope > this will happen to you! I also hope this helps! > > Kendra > > -----Original Message----- > From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Asia > Quinones-Evans via NABS-L > Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 2:24 PM > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans > Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book > > I was hoping anyone can tell me if you have had experiences in class > where you may have to read certain passages from your text book. I > know this is usually done in elementary school but my college > professor is wanting us to read definitions out of the Glossary and > sections of the text book during class. I have a copy of my text book > on my Victor Reader 3 but for some reason it will not let me skip back > to the chapter after I go to the Glossary . Or if it does I have to > press rewind then skip back chapters. I have called Humanware about > this and they are working on it. I also have the braille copy of the > book on my Mantis but again it is hard to search sections when the BRF > does not line up with the actual text book. I have bookmarked the > start of the Glossary but I do not know how to search for a term just > in the Glossary not the entire book. An example would be that the > professor tells us the page number the text is on that we will read > out loud and review. > > > > Is this something I just can not participate with or will I just have > to try pushing through it to participate? This book is from American > Counsel of Exercise so they do not give out free copies of the > publishers pdf to get an electronic copy for my computer. Has any > other student delt with this situation and how did you get through it? > > > > Yours Truly, > > > > Asia Quinones-Evans > > > > Phone: (440) 670-6509 > > > > Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com > > > > Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back > > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chem > eketa > . > edu > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/aevans.nfb%40gmail > .com > _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu From redwing731 at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 12:19:22 2024 From: redwing731 at gmail.com (redwing731 at gmail.com) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2024 04:19:22 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <3e0e01da58f6$b84c2cd0$28e48670$@gmail.com> Hi all! Canvis is accessible on an iphone as well. I used it before I graduated from my local community college. I looked at grades and I used it for exploration as well. I don't know if it's accessible on a Mack computer, but I know it's accessible on an iphone with Voice Over. I also used it on a computer but my computer is a Window's computer, so I used JAWS on it. Speaking of which, Canvis is accessible with both JAWS and NVDA. Kendra -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of kim drudge via NABS-L Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 8:44 PM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: kim drudge Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? I go to a community college and their Canvas platform is accessible with JAWS. I'm not really good with using Canvas with VoiceOver, but the discussions, modules, and grades are accessible. I'm still learning about looking at grades but it's good. Kim On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 2:54 PM Kaden Colton via NABS-L wrote: > Hey, > > The graduate school I attend uses Canvas. I found Canvas to be > decently accessible with JAWS and VoiceOver. I have noticed with the > in page links in the mobile app to be a bit funky. When I click on a > specific week to jump to, it'll get me close to the week I wanted to > move to, but not to the specific week. > > > > Regards, > Kaden Colton > Pronouns: None/Kaden > > > On 5/02/2024, at 13:19, nomi.otoole--- via NABS-L > > > wrote: > > > > Hi. When I attended community college back in 2019 I didn’t find > > any > issues with it. I am in the university now, but they don’t use canvas. > They use something else but personally, I think canvas will be accessible. > > Noemie O'Toole > > > >> On Feb 5, 2024, at 2:15 PM, Alisha Geary via NABS-L > >> > wrote: > >> > >> Hi guys! I’m applying to Strayer University. They use Canvas for > >> their > online classes. Any accessibility hiccups or annoyances I should know > about? Any thoughts or reviews? Thanks! > >> > >> Kind regards, > >> Alisha Geary > >> Freelance digital Copywriter 2019-current Member of the American > >> Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) 2020-current Member of the > >> Professional Writers Alliance (PWA) 2020-Current > >> Email: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com > >> Phone: 6292483844 > >> Social media: https://blindcopywriter.com/links > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> NABS-L mailing list > >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org > >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info > >> for > NABS-L: > >> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nomi.otoole%40gmai > l.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > NABS-L mailing list > > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info > > for > NABS-L: > > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kaden.e.colton%40g > mail.com > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kimmbell01%40gmail > .com > -- Kim Drudge Behind a great man is a strong woman. _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/redwing731%40gmail.com From capellemc at fastmail.com Tue Feb 6 12:22:21 2024 From: capellemc at fastmail.com (Capelle, Michael C.) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2024 06:22:21 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? In-Reply-To: <3e0e01da58f6$b84c2cd0$28e48670$@gmail.com> References: <3e0e01da58f6$b84c2cd0$28e48670$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <000501da58f7$227facd0$677f0670$@fastmail.com> It is very accessible on the computer, and on IOS. I like it a lot, and it is very easy to navigate. -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Kendra via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 6:19 AM To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list' Cc: redwing731 at gmail.com Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? Hi all! Canvis is accessible on an iphone as well. I used it before I graduated from my local community college. I looked at grades and I used it for exploration as well. I don't know if it's accessible on a Mack computer, but I know it's accessible on an iphone with Voice Over. I also used it on a computer but my computer is a Window's computer, so I used JAWS on it. Speaking of which, Canvis is accessible with both JAWS and NVDA. Kendra -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of kim drudge via NABS-L Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 8:44 PM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: kim drudge Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Canvas accessibility? I go to a community college and their Canvas platform is accessible with JAWS. I'm not really good with using Canvas with VoiceOver, but the discussions, modules, and grades are accessible. I'm still learning about looking at grades but it's good. Kim On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 2:54 PM Kaden Colton via NABS-L wrote: > Hey, > > The graduate school I attend uses Canvas. I found Canvas to be > decently accessible with JAWS and VoiceOver. I have noticed with the > in page links in the mobile app to be a bit funky. When I click on a > specific week to jump to, it'll get me close to the week I wanted to > move to, but not to the specific week. > > > > Regards, > Kaden Colton > Pronouns: None/Kaden > > > On 5/02/2024, at 13:19, nomi.otoole--- via NABS-L > > > wrote: > > > > Hi. When I attended community college back in 2019 I didn’t find > > any > issues with it. I am in the university now, but they don’t use canvas. > They use something else but personally, I think canvas will be accessible. > > Noemie O'Toole > > > >> On Feb 5, 2024, at 2:15 PM, Alisha Geary via NABS-L > >> > wrote: > >> > >> Hi guys! I’m applying to Strayer University. They use Canvas for > >> their > online classes. Any accessibility hiccups or annoyances I should know > about? Any thoughts or reviews? Thanks! > >> > >> Kind regards, > >> Alisha Geary > >> Freelance digital Copywriter 2019-current Member of the American > >> Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) 2020-current Member of the > >> Professional Writers Alliance (PWA) 2020-Current > >> Email: alishag.important2018 at gmail.com > >> Phone: 6292483844 > >> Social media: https://blindcopywriter.com/links > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> NABS-L mailing list > >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org > >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info > >> for > NABS-L: > >> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nomi.otoole%40gmai > l.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > NABS-L mailing list > > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info > > for > NABS-L: > > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kaden.e.colton%40g > mail.com > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kimmbell01%40gmail > .com > -- Kim Drudge Behind a great man is a strong woman. _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/redwing731%40gmail.com _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/capellemc%40fastmail.com From isabelrosario76 at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 18:00:00 2024 From: isabelrosario76 at gmail.com (Isabel Rosario) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2024 13:00:00 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] NABS TikTok Video Submission Initiative Message-ID: Hello NABS, We're thrilled to roll out an exciting opportunity for all our members – the NABS TikTok Video Submission Initiative! This is your chance to shine and share your unique experiences with a broader audience. About the Initiative: Our goal is to celebrate the diverse talents and stories of blind students. Whether your medium is a vlog, dance, talk, or something entirely different, we want to provide you with a platform to express and share. Why Participate: • Showcase Your Creativity: Let the world see your talents and experiences. • Inspire Others: Your unique story can encourage and connect with people far and wide. • No Submission Deadlines: We welcome your videos anytime, giving you the freedom to create at your own pace. How to Get Involved: Create Your Video: We're looking for content that is empowering, respectful, and expressive. Fill Out Our Online Form: Click here https://forms.gle/Ts5DujVNth8k5rVM9 (https://forms.gle/Ts5DujVNth8k5rVM9) to provide your details – your name, email, video title, and a brief description. Email Us Your Video: Send it to hunterkuester2 at gmail.com and ktisalycia98 at icloud.com, with your video title as the subject. Please Note: • It will take us about two weeks to a month to review and upload your video. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated as we handle each submission with care. This is more than a campaign; it's a testament to the strength, diversity, and resilience of our community. We can't wait to see your stories, talents, and experiences come to life on our TikTok pl atform. Please come join us @nabslink. Best regards, Isabel Rosario Co-chair|NABS Content Creation Committee NABS Now podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/47rJlZrFHD4EIqvgLRNhHM 203-993-3045 From hunterkuester2 at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 22:42:17 2024 From: hunterkuester2 at gmail.com (Hunter Kuester) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2024 16:42:17 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Calling All Students! Midwest regional seminar registration has launched. March 22nd-24th In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Good afternoon NABS, I’m writing this message with clarification regarding registration. All of the same information applies as my previous email. Please use this registration link for the Midwest regional student seminar. https://nabslink.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=2 if you have already registered or paid for your registration, please send me an email and I will verify whether we were able to receive it. I do apologize for this confusion. Best, Hunter Kuester. Hunter Kuester Student: university of Wisconsin-Stout Treasurer National Association of Blind Students President Wisconsin Association of Blind Students Board Member National Federation of the Blind of Wisconsin Cell: (920)-285-8530 #WeLiveHospitality On Sun, Feb 4, 2024 at 8:00 AM Hunter Kuester wrote: > Happy February NABS, > > As the grips of winter soften it is time once again for blind students to > migrate to the city of Chicago Illinois for the 2024 Midwest Regional > Student Seminar hosted by the National Association of Blind Students. Come > be a part of the action and shape this weekend of networking, resource > sharing, collaboration, and so much more. We encourage you to embrace the > quest of the educational journey and experience the now with us. Join us at > the Holiday Inn O’Hare located at: 5615 N Cumberland Avenue Chicago, Il > 60631 on March 22nd through March 24th. > > You can register at the link pasted below in this message. Registration > does close on March 1st, so do not delay. > > Rooms can be booked at this website, > http://www.hiohare.com/ > and enter our code, Nfb. You can also reserve a room by phone > (800-465-4329) or (773-693-5800). When calling use our room block code > National federation of the blind student. > > Room rates for a room with 2 queen beds are $119.00 per night. Rooms > should be booked by March 8th. If you need help finding a roommate please > reach out to myself with that request before the March 8th deadline. > > The national Association of Blind Students prioritizes the health and > safety of all of it’s members at our events. For the safety of all > participants we do ask if you are feeling ill please remain home. These > policies are consistent with the National Federation of the Blind of > Illinois on in person gatherings. We are also committed to keeping all > members safe as such we follow the code of conduct recommended by the > National Federation of the Blind which requires all participants to be 18 > years of age for this residential program. > > Alternative payments: We in no way shape or form want the $100 > registration fee to be a deterrent for any student’s attendance. If the > $100 registration fee stands in the way of your participation please > reach out to NABS treasurer Hunter Kuester at 920-285-8530 or hu > nterkuester2 at gmail.com . Please recognize that > both the $100 registration fee and a complete registration form must be > completed by March 1st to ensure your attendance into this transformative > weekend. > > > > If you have any questions about hotel logistics, registration or anything > else regarding Midwest please reach out to Hunter Kuester at 920-285-8530 > or Hunterkuester2 at gmail.com. > > > https://nabslink.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&action=preview&id=2 > > Keep it classy, > > Hunter Kuester > From gene.sh.kim at gmail.com Tue Feb 6 22:55:02 2024 From: gene.sh.kim at gmail.com (Gene Kim) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2024 14:55:02 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Fwd: [NFBC-Info] NFB of California scholarship In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The deadline for the 2024 California state scholarship for blind and low vision students is approaching quickly. See below for more info and share widely. Applicants should submit all materials by Sunday, February 18. Cheers, Gene ---------- Forwarded Message --------- From: skylar covich via NFBC-Info Date: Sat, Jan 20, 2024 at 8:45 AM Subject: [NFBC-Info] NFB of California scholarship To: Cc: skylar covich Hello, The NFB of California invites applications for a college scholarship. The deadline is Sunday February 18, and winners must attend the state convention from March 14 to 17 in Sacramento. The form is here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17wAYk_dh-8gClYCIWTF1gOr5CAyb7zBFnPk_CaSyZrg/viewform?edit_requested=true Materials needed include proof of visual impairment/blindness, proof of enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate program, a resume, a reference letter and essay questions. So please start preparing your application well ahead of the deadline. You can email me at covich7 at gmail.com with any questions. All the best, Skylar Covich Gene Kim Lisamaria Martinez NFB of California Scholarship Committee -- Skylar J. Covich, Ph.D., Political Science Connection Point (Access Technology team) Lead, Braille Institute _______________________________________________ NFBC-Info mailing list NFBC-Info at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBC-Info: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org/gene.sh.kim%40gmail.com From aevans.nfb at gmail.com Wed Feb 7 01:45:08 2024 From: aevans.nfb at gmail.com (Asia Quinones-Evans) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2024 20:45:08 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book In-Reply-To: <50F40656-93B6-4A3C-A268-8267D147AB07@gmail.com> References: <50F40656-93B6-4A3C-A268-8267D147AB07@gmail.com> Message-ID: <001b01da5967$48538e70$d8faab50$@gmail.com> I appreciate your response. I will try this when I get my Mantis back from a cleaning and repair. Yours Truly, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: (440) 670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back From: Noah Carver Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 12:43 AM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book Hi Asia, Hope this message finds you well. On your Mantis, have you tried navigating to the glossary bookmark before using the find function? I could be wrong, but if memory serves, using the find function in this way should Search from your cursor position to the end of the document and should therefore roughly be equivalent to searching only the glossary. However, if this is not the case, please disregard this input. Hope this helps. Sincerely, Noah -- Noah Carver Candidate, B.M. '26 | Applied Music (Performance) -- Voice Eastman School of Music | University of Rochester +1 (207) 557-9143 noahcarver494 at gmail.com Sent from my iPhone using dictation. All errors brought to you by Apple. On Feb 5, 2024, at 9:30 PM, Asia Quinones-Evans via NABS-L > wrote: I appreciate all of this information. I keep in very close contact with my Accessibility department and my professor. The biggest issue I am coming across is that the pages in my BRF file from Book Share does not line up with the actual textbook pages. I do get a lot of my books off of Bookshare for my classes. If they do not have it I like to send in a book request and majority of the time they get it. since this book is from American Council of exercise there are very few ways to get an electronic format of the book. The two devices that I mentioned in my earlier email I have downloaded the BRF of the textbook onto both of those devices. I have contacted Humanware about the strange issue with the Victor and I know my accessibility department cannot do anything about it. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to complete this kind of activity in class. When the professor request us to read a certain passage from the textbook it is literally on a specific page in the middle of the page. So of course a sided individual can find it very easily with scanning but it is a bit more difficult for a blind person to find it. I thought I could participate with finding some of the words in the glossary but I'm having difficulty searching the word that I want just in the glossary not throughout the entire book. Yours truely, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: 440-670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 1:43 PM Kendra via NABS-L > wrote: Hi all! I have experienced having to read text aloud in class before. Luckily in my case, I already had my stuff in a format I could use with my braille display at the time. I was able to read that text in braille without accessibility problems. The last teacher I had who required me to do this was a wealth of resources and I'd work with her again if I could. I can't help you with the technology itself because I don't have a Victor Reader Stream or the kind of braille display that you're using. I can give you work arounds regarding your school's resources because often times, they can help with work arounds that no one else can assist you with. Ok, sure, community colleges are better with resources than universities in general, but there are some common resources that you might want to take advantage of if you haven't done so yet. Your school's disabilities department If you haven't done so yet, go to whoever works your case at your school's disabilities services, whatever they are called for you because their job is to help sort out issues like this one. I know that everyone has a different viewpoint about accessible course paperwork, websites, ECT, but I believe that to make something fully accessible, it also has to be functional to the user. Since you're running into bugs of this kind, let these people know about your problems and what your teacher is also requiring you to do with your textbook. Hopefully, they'll be able to help come up with a better workaround for this particular book. OK, working with your school's disabilities department has some drawbacks, but they're still worth giving a try. For one thing, The laws are in favor of making your school's disabilities department do all of the work when it comes to education and advocating, but there are still some drawbacks with these laws in place. I think the laws are best for the trickiest cases, and sometimes, the law will totally come in handy, but the people at your school's disabilities department are not experts in the field of things like braille and blindness tech. They specialize in making it accessible and to work out bugs that you run into like this one. From my experience, your school's disabilities department is also not a room or office that's full of a bunch of experts in what's actually accessible and what's claiming to be accessible and actually isn't accessible after all. Even so, they still might be able to have a workaround that you don't have access to especially in working around the bugs. Even if they don't, they can still help you if you have tried to contact your professor and your professor either doesn't help you or that he, she, or they ghosts you and doesn't contact you back. Keep in mind that even they don't always or often know what works for you and what doesn't. Your professor If I were you, I'd contact your professor as well and let them know about your problem because they might come up with an alternative workaround that even your disabilities department might not come up with. I believe in using all or as many of my resources as I can including but not limited to the professor when finding workarounds because your professor might have extra resources, documents, or access to info that can really help you such as someone in the library who can get you a good electronic copy for you to borrow for term. Even if your professor doesn't have resources, someone else might have some good ones. I'm not saying this will happen to you, but it's worth a shot. Other book places Sometimes, but not always, you can get your required book from other places. Have you tried looking for it on Bookshare, Audible.com, BARD, Learning Alley, Kindle, ECT? It can't hurt because sometimes, you can find your book on one of these other places. From my experience, I have only found my books on these other places a few times, but my school also had its own publishing house that's specific to my school. It even went so far as to offer most of my school's textbooks to its student body instead of outsourcing in less it wasn't possible for a particular book or resource. If your school doesn't have such a publishing house, I think you'll have a better shot at finding your textbook on one of these other resources. Ok, the risk for not finding it is rather high, but because it does happen, it's still worth a shot because you won't know without performing searches there. Unfortunently, you might be stuck with buying an electronic copy just to work around these bugs. I'm giving you ideas that you can try first before having to buy that copy because if you don't have to buy it and you manage to come up with a good workaround, then awesome! I hope this will happen to you! I also hope this helps! Kendra -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L > On Behalf Of Asia Quinones-Evans via NABS-L Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 2:24 PM To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans > Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book I was hoping anyone can tell me if you have had experiences in class where you may have to read certain passages from your text book. I know this is usually done in elementary school but my college professor is wanting us to read definitions out of the Glossary and sections of the text book during class. I have a copy of my text book on my Victor Reader 3 but for some reason it will not let me skip back to the chapter after I go to the Glossary . Or if it does I have to press rewind then skip back chapters. I have called Humanware about this and they are working on it. I also have the braille copy of the book on my Mantis but again it is hard to search sections when the BRF does not line up with the actual text book. I have bookmarked the start of the Glossary but I do not know how to search for a term just in the Glossary not the entire book. An example would be that the professor tells us the page number the text is on that we will read out loud and review. Is this something I just can not participate with or will I just have to try pushing through it to participate? This book is from American Counsel of Exercise so they do not give out free copies of the publishers pdf to get an electronic copy for my computer. Has any other student delt with this situation and how did you get through it? Yours Truly, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: (440) 670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa . edu _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/aevans.nfb%40gmail.com _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/noahcarver494%40gmail.com From aevans.nfb at gmail.com Wed Feb 7 01:54:51 2024 From: aevans.nfb at gmail.com (Asia Quinones-Evans) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2024 20:54:51 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book In-Reply-To: <323301da58c1$23c49870$6b4dc950$@gmail.com> References: <000001da57b8$e49cef20$add6cd60$@gmail.com> <2f5901da5862$fc6fb6f0$f54f24d0$@gmail.com> <323301da58c1$23c49870$6b4dc950$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <002001da5968$a3a7e090$eaf7a1b0$@gmail.com> You provided a very helpful well thought out email. The organization that provides the book is called American Counsel of Exercise and you have to have admin access to get on their website. There are videos that I need to watch for the class and no one has access to them because only the professor has access to it due to having the correct certifications to teach the course. This is the same when I took my First aid and CPR class. My Mantis does not have a print screen on it. It is just the keyboard and the braille cells. I am working with accessibility to see if the ACE organization will give out a free accessible format of the book but I do not think this is possible. My professor does not always have a set of reading sections but goes off what she thinks we need to concentrate on that day. So what I tend to hear in class every few minutes while she is talking about where to find information is pages flipping to find it either in the glossary or in the chapter we are working on that day. I really do not think that I can participate in this activity but I am working on some items. Yours Truly, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: (440) 670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Kendra via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 12:56 AM To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list' Cc: redwing731 at gmail.com Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book Hi Asia! You didn't mention your professor, have you been able to ask them for workarounds? I know that your tech is buggy and I agree that they are strange bugs. I'm also glad you were able to talk to Human whare about them! Does your tech have any print screens on them? I know your Victor reader doesn't have one since I have a friend who also uses a victor reader. Does your braille display have a print screen on it? I was thinking that if it did, you could take your braille machine to your professor, show them your navigation and search problem to them and ask your professor for ideas or resources. You can also let them know that your school's disabilities office can't help you but that this is a major problem and that you'd like to be able to get around this one and participate in this activity. Your professor might have some helpful resources, like the website to your book seller, electronic copies that you can borrow for this kind of assignment, or they can help spot you with your page. Speaking of pages, even if you can't get much help with the formatting of your book or anything like that, have you thought about having a sighted person, even if it happens to be your professor locate the info you need to read aloud? Have you also been able to ask your professor to send you the info they want you to read aloud in class so you can find it outside of class? Have you thought of having them send that info ahead of class so you can find it? I know the pages don't line up, but for this task, I somehow don't think you can truly do it without sighted help if your book has a visual route. Since you got it on Bookshare, have you thought of putting a copy on your computer, taking it to a sighted person, have them spot the info, particularly if you know or have access to that info, let them look for it for you, but also either bookmark it for you or tell you what the Bookshare page it's on so you can bookmark it yourself? Once you can do something like this, you should be able to go directly to your bookmarked info and quickly navigate to that info. The trick is the navigation and the search, but if you can do all of that before you actually need it, then you can actually read aloud in class. Kendra -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Asia Quinones-Evans via NABS-L Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 6:30 PM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book I appreciate all of this information. I keep in very close contact with my Accessibility department and my professor. The biggest issue I am coming across is that the pages in my BRF file from Book Share does not line up with the actual textbook pages. I do get a lot of my books off of Bookshare for my classes. If they do not have it I like to send in a book request and majority of the time they get it. since this book is from American Council of exercise there are very few ways to get an electronic format of the book. The two devices that I mentioned in my earlier email I have downloaded the BRF of the textbook onto both of those devices. I have contacted Humanware about the strange issue with the Victor and I know my accessibility department cannot do anything about it. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to complete this kind of activity in class. When the professor request us to read a certain passage from the textbook it is literally on a specific page in the middle of the page. So of course a sided individual can find it very easily with scanning but it is a bit more difficult for a blind person to find it. I thought I could participate with finding some of the words in the glossary but I'm having difficulty searching the word that I want just in the glossary not throughout the entire book. Yours truely, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: 440-670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 1:43 PM Kendra via NABS-L wrote: > Hi all! > I have experienced having to read text aloud in class before. Luckily > in my case, I already had my stuff in a format I could use with my > braille display at the time. I was able to read that text in braille > without accessibility problems. The last teacher I had who required me > to do this was a wealth of resources and I'd work with her again if I > could. I can't help you with the technology itself because I don't > have a Victor Reader Stream or the kind of braille display that you're > using. I can give you work arounds regarding your school's resources > because often times, they can help with work arounds that no one else > can assist you with. Ok, sure, community colleges are better with > resources than universities in general, but there are some common > resources that you might want to take advantage of if you haven't done > so yet. > > Your school's disabilities department > If you haven't done so yet, go to whoever works your case at your > school's disabilities services, whatever they are called for you > because their job is to help sort out issues like this one. I know > that everyone has a different viewpoint about accessible course > paperwork, websites, ECT, but I believe that to make something fully > accessible, it also has to be functional to the user. Since you're > running into bugs of this kind, let these people know about your > problems and what your teacher is also requiring you to do with your > textbook. Hopefully, they'll be able to help come up with a better > workaround for this particular book. OK, working with your school's > disabilities department has some drawbacks, but they're still worth > giving a try. For one thing, The laws are in favor of making your > school's disabilities department do all of the work when it comes to > education and advocating, but there are still some drawbacks with > these laws in place. I think the laws are best for the trickiest > cases, and sometimes, the law will totally come in handy, but the > people at your school's disabilities department are not experts in the > field of things like braille and blindness tech. They specialize in > making it accessible and to work out bugs that you run into like this > one. From my experience, your school's disabilities department is also > not a room or office that's full of a bunch of experts in what's > actually accessible and what's claiming to be accessible and actually > isn't accessible after all. Even so, they still might be able to have > a workaround that you don't have access to especially in working > around the bugs. Even if they don't, they can still help you if you > have tried to contact your professor and your professor either doesn't > help you or that he, she, or they ghosts you and doesn't contact you > back. Keep in mind that even they don't always or often know what works for you and what doesn't. > > Your professor > If I were you, I'd contact your professor as well and let them know > about your problem because they might come up with an alternative > workaround that even your disabilities department might not come up > with. I believe in using all or as many of my resources as I can > including but not limited to the professor when finding workarounds > because your professor might have extra resources, documents, or > access to info that can really help you such as someone in the library > who can get you a good electronic copy for you to borrow for term. > Even if your professor doesn't have resources, someone else might have > some good ones. I'm not saying this will happen to you, but it's worth > a shot. > > Other book places > > Sometimes, but not always, you can get your required book from other > places. > Have you tried looking for it on Bookshare, Audible.com, BARD, > Learning Alley, Kindle, ECT? It can't hurt because sometimes, you can > find your book on one of these other places. From my experience, I > have only found my books on these other places a few times, but my > school also had its own publishing house that's specific to my school. > It even went so far as to offer most of my school's textbooks to its > student body instead of outsourcing in less it wasn't possible for a > particular book or resource. If your school doesn't have such a > publishing house, I think you'll have a better shot at finding your > textbook on one of these other resources. Ok, the risk for not finding > it is rather high, but because it does happen, it's still worth a shot > because you won't know without performing searches there. > Unfortunently, you might be stuck with buying an electronic copy just > to work around these bugs. I'm giving you ideas that you can try first > before having to buy that copy because if you don't have to buy it and > you manage to come up with a good workaround, then awesome! I hope > this will happen to you! I also hope this helps! > > Kendra > > -----Original Message----- > From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Asia > Quinones-Evans via NABS-L > Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 2:24 PM > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans > Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book > > I was hoping anyone can tell me if you have had experiences in class > where you may have to read certain passages from your text book. I > know this is usually done in elementary school but my college > professor is wanting us to read definitions out of the Glossary and > sections of the text book during class. I have a copy of my text book > on my Victor Reader 3 but for some reason it will not let me skip back > to the chapter after I go to the Glossary . Or if it does I have to > press rewind then skip back chapters. I have called Humanware about > this and they are working on it. I also have the braille copy of the > book on my Mantis but again it is hard to search sections when the BRF > does not line up with the actual text book. I have bookmarked the > start of the Glossary but I do not know how to search for a term just > in the Glossary not the entire book. An example would be that the > professor tells us the page number the text is on that we will read > out loud and review. > > > > Is this something I just can not participate with or will I just have > to try pushing through it to participate? This book is from American > Counsel of Exercise so they do not give out free copies of the > publishers pdf to get an electronic copy for my computer. Has any > other student delt with this situation and how did you get through it? > > > > Yours Truly, > > > > Asia Quinones-Evans > > > > Phone: (440) 670-6509 > > > > Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com > > > > Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back > > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chem > eketa > . > edu > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/aevans.nfb%40gmail > .com > _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/aevans.nfb%40gmail.com From ninam0814 at gmail.com Wed Feb 7 14:34:48 2024 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2024 14:34:48 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Disability Office Problems In-Reply-To: <5B2A21B5-5E18-442E-A806-1B3788E93C5A@gmail.com> References: <5B2A21B5-5E18-442E-A806-1B3788E93C5A@gmail.com> Message-ID: Good morning, I’m sorry you are going through this. It certainly sounds frustrating. I would set up a meeting with the disability coordinator, in person if possible. Is the iPad your only technology you are using in school? Do you have access to any kind of computer? I would discuss what technology options they have in the office, such as conversions into a word doc or another format. They are most likely unsure of what would work for the tech you use, as everyone uses different technology. I’d encourage you to ask around and research options (I’m not as familiar with using an iPad for class readings.) and also set up a meeting. It’s unfortunate that you have to do some of the legwork here, but many times, we have to do some research in order to offer solutions to the office if they do not have the necessary knowledge. I’d also communicate with your professor regarding extensions or other options so you are not penalized. Good luck. From: NABS-L on behalf of Isaac McBurney via NABS-L Date: Monday, February 5, 2024 at 20:23 To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org Cc: Isaac McBurney Subject: [NABS-L] Disability Office Problems Hey NABS Students, I hope you are all doing well. For my Children’s Literature class, we have to read some PDFs from various journals through our library’s website. Some of these have worked well with VoiceOver on my iPad, but the two most recent ones didn’t work so well. It decided to read all three columns of text at the same time which isn’t very helpful when you’re trying to listen for complete sentences. I sent them to the disability office last Tuesday, and heard nothing back, so I decided to call them on Friday. They said they would work on it, and then sent me back a PDF that was somehow worse than before. I explained that this wouldn’t work with my screen reader, sending a screen recording along with it to show what it was doing, and they have yet to respond. The entire team changed last semester, so this is part of the issue as everyone is still learning stuff, but this shouldn’t be an excuse to not provide accessible materials to me and another blind student who I know is having a lot of issues with them too. They also weren’t very helpful with providing accessible book information, and wouldn’t convert another student’s textbooks to an accessible format, so it was done by another professor. So my questions are: what is the best path forward for this? What should I do to help them resolve this, because it really isn’t working. Is there anyone you would suggest I talk to at the college or otherwise, and has anyone had a similar experience? I thank you for your guidance, as this is only my second semester in college. I hope you have a great day! Thank you, Isaac McBurney (He/Him/His) | Special Education, UMKC 2027 Board Member, Missouri Association of Blind Students (isaacmcburney35 at gmail.com | 816-398-9541 | Linktree ) _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ninam0814%40gmail.com From ninam0814 at gmail.com Wed Feb 7 16:16:01 2024 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2024 16:16:01 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Accessibility of Covidence Software? Message-ID: Good morning students, Just out of curiosity, what have your experiences been with the systematic review software Covidence? I may have the opportunity to use this software in my doctoral program. I have access to Voiceover on a MacBook and Jaws on Windows. If it hasn’t worked for you, have you found a similar software that is accessible? Thank you for any info. From redwing731 at gmail.com Wed Feb 7 20:15:06 2024 From: redwing731 at gmail.com (redwing731 at gmail.com) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2024 12:15:06 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book In-Reply-To: <002001da5968$a3a7e090$eaf7a1b0$@gmail.com> References: <000001da57b8$e49cef20$add6cd60$@gmail.com> <2f5901da5862$fc6fb6f0$f54f24d0$@gmail.com> <323301da58c1$23c49870$6b4dc950$@gmail.com> <002001da5968$a3a7e090$eaf7a1b0$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <06a801da5a02$587b21f0$097165d0$@gmail.com> Hi Asia! Normally, I'd say that you could participate in this kind of activity, but giving what you said here, they stacked the cards against you in a way that's so unfair that they unwittingly blocked you completely out of reading aloud in class in this particular class. They also unwittingly pulled an illegal move against you because it's also against the American's with Disabilities Act. I wouldn't worry about the American's with Disabilities Act just yet because of the work that's going on to fix this problem. I'm wondering, does your grade require participation points with this activity? If so, you can talk to your professor and explain why you're currently not able to take part in this activity, especially since you can't realistically keep up with the requirements of the specific kind of word search and section search at this time with what you currently don't have available to you. You can also point out how unfair this activity has been slanted against you as the result of this particular resource that your professor requires you all to use in class and probably your class homework. Sure, it's also important to point out that your team is working on a solution to solve this problem, but until that happens, you'll need to argue your case in favor of alternative activities or assignments instead. No, it doesn't mean that you can't take notes on what the other students read aloud to you and the rest of the class. This does not mean you can't ask your professor for other ways of getting the same info or opportunities to actually work with your professor or other students outside of class since from what it sounds like, the info is required to pass the class, let alone the fact that there might be participation points involved. I would go so far as to bring up options on how to pass this class without being able to read aloud in class yourself, especially if participation points are on the line because those points can be a large enough amount to make a day and night difference on your ability to pass or fail the class. As an aside, you can inform your professor that it's illegal to make the course work inaccessible to disabled students, especially if your professor gets more of them in the future, and in less your professor retires next year, they will surely get more disabled students in the future. You'll need to let your professor know that you are also still willing to work with them to get around the problem before escalating it farther. This is the fair way to tackle it after all because bugs of this kind happen way to often, particularly because the gaps in the law also don't allow us to make the most of what's out there in the internet of things. Let's face it, your professor probably doesn't know about the American's with Disabilities Act which in my book, that should be a required part of any teaching degree, but I don't think it's included in the core education, which should be changed to include that info in my book. Until that happens, if it ever does, we have to deal with the result of teachers not getting that missing peace of education that should be there. I for one, believe that if this education was there, teachers would do a better job at working around these problems as they're building their courses, even when it's not their job to be the experts. I think they would build accessibility into their courses from the ground up instead of having to build it in later. I think they would benefit greatly from this education in general because it effects their whole entire career just as well as it benefits us because it also effects our own college career. In any case, I think you got a good and fair argument against being able to read aloud in class, giving the wall that's totally blocking your ability to actually carry it out in a functional way. I hope it doesn't take all term to fix the problem! I also hope this helps! Kendra -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Asia Quinones-Evans via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 5:55 PM To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list' Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book You provided a very helpful well thought out email. The organization that provides the book is called American Counsel of Exercise and you have to have admin access to get on their website. There are videos that I need to watch for the class and no one has access to them because only the professor has access to it due to having the correct certifications to teach the course. This is the same when I took my First aid and CPR class. My Mantis does not have a print screen on it. It is just the keyboard and the braille cells. I am working with accessibility to see if the ACE organization will give out a free accessible format of the book but I do not think this is possible. My professor does not always have a set of reading sections but goes off what she thinks we need to concentrate on that day. So what I tend to hear in class every few minutes while she is talking about where to find information is pages flipping to find it either in the glossary or in the chapter we are working on that day. I really do not think that I can participate in this activity but I am working on some items. Yours Truly, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: (440) 670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Kendra via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 12:56 AM To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list' Cc: redwing731 at gmail.com Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book Hi Asia! You didn't mention your professor, have you been able to ask them for workarounds? I know that your tech is buggy and I agree that they are strange bugs. I'm also glad you were able to talk to Human whare about them! Does your tech have any print screens on them? I know your Victor reader doesn't have one since I have a friend who also uses a victor reader. Does your braille display have a print screen on it? I was thinking that if it did, you could take your braille machine to your professor, show them your navigation and search problem to them and ask your professor for ideas or resources. You can also let them know that your school's disabilities office can't help you but that this is a major problem and that you'd like to be able to get around this one and participate in this activity. Your professor might have some helpful resources, like the website to your book seller, electronic copies that you can borrow for this kind of assignment, or they can help spot you with your page. Speaking of pages, even if you can't get much help with the formatting of your book or anything like that, have you thought about having a sighted person, even if it happens to be your professor locate the info you need to read aloud? Have you also been able to ask your professor to send you the info they want you to read aloud in class so you can find it outside of class? Have you thought of having them send that info ahead of class so you can find it? I know the pages don't line up, but for this task, I somehow don't think you can truly do it without sighted help if your book has a visual route. Since you got it on Bookshare, have you thought of putting a copy on your computer, taking it to a sighted person, have them spot the info, particularly if you know or have access to that info, let them look for it for you, but also either bookmark it for you or tell you what the Bookshare page it's on so you can bookmark it yourself? Once you can do something like this, you should be able to go directly to your bookmarked info and quickly navigate to that info. The trick is the navigation and the search, but if you can do all of that before you actually need it, then you can actually read aloud in class. Kendra -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Asia Quinones-Evans via NABS-L Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 6:30 PM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book I appreciate all of this information. I keep in very close contact with my Accessibility department and my professor. The biggest issue I am coming across is that the pages in my BRF file from Book Share does not line up with the actual textbook pages. I do get a lot of my books off of Bookshare for my classes. If they do not have it I like to send in a book request and majority of the time they get it. since this book is from American Council of exercise there are very few ways to get an electronic format of the book. The two devices that I mentioned in my earlier email I have downloaded the BRF of the textbook onto both of those devices. I have contacted Humanware about the strange issue with the Victor and I know my accessibility department cannot do anything about it. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to complete this kind of activity in class. When the professor request us to read a certain passage from the textbook it is literally on a specific page in the middle of the page. So of course a sided individual can find it very easily with scanning but it is a bit more difficult for a blind person to find it. I thought I could participate with finding some of the words in the glossary but I'm having difficulty searching the word that I want just in the glossary not throughout the entire book. Yours truely, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: 440-670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back On Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 1:43 PM Kendra via NABS-L wrote: > Hi all! > I have experienced having to read text aloud in class before. Luckily > in my case, I already had my stuff in a format I could use with my > braille display at the time. I was able to read that text in braille > without accessibility problems. The last teacher I had who required me > to do this was a wealth of resources and I'd work with her again if I > could. I can't help you with the technology itself because I don't > have a Victor Reader Stream or the kind of braille display that you're > using. I can give you work arounds regarding your school's resources > because often times, they can help with work arounds that no one else > can assist you with. Ok, sure, community colleges are better with > resources than universities in general, but there are some common > resources that you might want to take advantage of if you haven't done > so yet. > > Your school's disabilities department > If you haven't done so yet, go to whoever works your case at your > school's disabilities services, whatever they are called for you > because their job is to help sort out issues like this one. I know > that everyone has a different viewpoint about accessible course > paperwork, websites, ECT, but I believe that to make something fully > accessible, it also has to be functional to the user. Since you're > running into bugs of this kind, let these people know about your > problems and what your teacher is also requiring you to do with your > textbook. Hopefully, they'll be able to help come up with a better > workaround for this particular book. OK, working with your school's > disabilities department has some drawbacks, but they're still worth > giving a try. For one thing, The laws are in favor of making your > school's disabilities department do all of the work when it comes to > education and advocating, but there are still some drawbacks with > these laws in place. I think the laws are best for the trickiest > cases, and sometimes, the law will totally come in handy, but the > people at your school's disabilities department are not experts in the > field of things like braille and blindness tech. They specialize in > making it accessible and to work out bugs that you run into like this > one. From my experience, your school's disabilities department is also > not a room or office that's full of a bunch of experts in what's > actually accessible and what's claiming to be accessible and actually > isn't accessible after all. Even so, they still might be able to have > a workaround that you don't have access to especially in working > around the bugs. Even if they don't, they can still help you if you > have tried to contact your professor and your professor either doesn't > help you or that he, she, or they ghosts you and doesn't contact you > back. Keep in mind that even they don't always or often know what works for you and what doesn't. > > Your professor > If I were you, I'd contact your professor as well and let them know > about your problem because they might come up with an alternative > workaround that even your disabilities department might not come up > with. I believe in using all or as many of my resources as I can > including but not limited to the professor when finding workarounds > because your professor might have extra resources, documents, or > access to info that can really help you such as someone in the library > who can get you a good electronic copy for you to borrow for term. > Even if your professor doesn't have resources, someone else might have > some good ones. I'm not saying this will happen to you, but it's worth > a shot. > > Other book places > > Sometimes, but not always, you can get your required book from other > places. > Have you tried looking for it on Bookshare, Audible.com, BARD, > Learning Alley, Kindle, ECT? It can't hurt because sometimes, you can > find your book on one of these other places. From my experience, I > have only found my books on these other places a few times, but my > school also had its own publishing house that's specific to my school. > It even went so far as to offer most of my school's textbooks to its > student body instead of outsourcing in less it wasn't possible for a > particular book or resource. If your school doesn't have such a > publishing house, I think you'll have a better shot at finding your > textbook on one of these other resources. Ok, the risk for not finding > it is rather high, but because it does happen, it's still worth a shot > because you won't know without performing searches there. > Unfortunently, you might be stuck with buying an electronic copy just > to work around these bugs. I'm giving you ideas that you can try first > before having to buy that copy because if you don't have to buy it and > you manage to come up with a good workaround, then awesome! I hope > this will happen to you! I also hope this helps! > > Kendra > > -----Original Message----- > From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Asia > Quinones-Evans via NABS-L > Sent: Sunday, February 4, 2024 2:24 PM > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans > Subject: [NABS-L] Reading out loud in class with a text book > > I was hoping anyone can tell me if you have had experiences in class > where you may have to read certain passages from your text book. I > know this is usually done in elementary school but my college > professor is wanting us to read definitions out of the Glossary and > sections of the text book during class. I have a copy of my text book > on my Victor Reader 3 but for some reason it will not let me skip back > to the chapter after I go to the Glossary . Or if it does I have to > press rewind then skip back chapters. I have called Humanware about > this and they are working on it. I also have the braille copy of the > book on my Mantis but again it is hard to search sections when the BRF > does not line up with the actual text book. I have bookmarked the > start of the Glossary but I do not know how to search for a term just > in the Glossary not the entire book. An example would be that the > professor tells us the page number the text is on that we will read > out loud and review. > > > > Is this something I just can not participate with or will I just have > to try pushing through it to participate? This book is from American > Counsel of Exercise so they do not give out free copies of the > publishers pdf to get an electronic copy for my computer. Has any > other student delt with this situation and how did you get through it? > > > > Yours Truly, > > > > Asia Quinones-Evans > > > > Phone: (440) 670-6509 > > > > Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com > > > > Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back > > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chem > eketa > . > edu > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/aevans.nfb%40gmail > .com > _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/aevans.nfb%40gmail.com _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu From isabelrosario76 at gmail.com Thu Feb 8 23:47:52 2024 From: isabelrosario76 at gmail.com (Isabel Rosario) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2024 18:47:52 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] New Episode Alert! Uniting Voices for Change on NABS Now Podcast Message-ID: Hello NABS, We are thrilled to announce the release of our latest episode, "Echoes of Advocacy & Empowerment: United Voices for Change," In this episode we delve into the heart of collective action and advocacy with Dr. Justin Young, a governmental affairs specialist. Join us as we explore the impactful narratives from the National Federation of the Blind Washington Seminar, highlighting the powerful convergence of voices advocating for meaningful legislative change. Discover how unity, empowerment, and collective action pushes our movement forward. From where it all began to our three current legislative priorities today, members of the Federation gather in Washington DC to meet with our elected officials at the nation's capital to advocate for change. Tune in now to gain insights, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of the crucial work being done to shape a better future for all. Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast platform and let the echoes of advocacy and empowerment resonate within you. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3pVo733C83NOCJhUyv0Vsa Best regards, Isabel Rosario Co-chair|NABS Content Creation Committee NABS Now podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/47rJlZrFHD4EIqvgLRNhHM 203-993-3045 From knitangelpm at yahoo.com Fri Feb 9 11:46:52 2024 From: knitangelpm at yahoo.com (Portia Mason) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2024 11:46:52 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Software that is accessible for statistics question References: Message-ID: Hello everyone! I am currently enrolled in statistics. We are using Alex. I am a totally blind student at a community college here in California. And I’m wondering if there are other totally blind students that are using this software to do your assignments? Which screen reading software were you able to use it on and how accessible is it? Are you able to use it on your Mac? Or are you able to use it effectively using jaws? Thank you in advance. Portia L Mason, She/Her 😇Get Outlook for iOS From jyoung at nfb.org Fri Feb 9 14:01:31 2024 From: jyoung at nfb.org (Young, Justin) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2024 14:01:31 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] New Episode Alert! Uniting Voices for Change on NABS Now Podcast In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Isabel and all, Thanks for inviting me to participate on the NABS Now Podcast to discuss Washington Seminar. It was a great conversation and I hope all who were able to participate in the 2024 Washington Seminar had a blast. Always happy to help when/where possible. Justin Justin T. Young, Ed.D Government Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the Blind 410-659-9314, ext. 2210 jyoung at nfb.org -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Isabel Rosario via NABS-L Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2024 6:48 PM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Isabel Rosario Subject: [NABS-L] New Episode Alert! Uniting Voices for Change on NABS Now Podcast Hello NABS, We are thrilled to announce the release of our latest episode, "Echoes of Advocacy & Empowerment: United Voices for Change," In this episode we delve into the heart of collective action and advocacy with Dr. Justin Young, a governmental affairs specialist. Join us as we explore the impactful narratives from the National Federation of the Blind Washington Seminar, highlighting the powerful convergence of voices advocating for meaningful legislative change. Discover how unity, empowerment, and collective action pushes our movement forward. From where it all began to our three current legislative priorities today, members of the Federation gather in Washington DC to meet with our elected officials at the nation's capital to advocate for change. Tune in now to gain insights, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of the crucial work being done to shape a better future for all. Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast platform and let the echoes of advocacy and empowerment resonate within you. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3pVo733C83NOCJhUyv0Vsa Best regards, Isabel Rosario Co-chair|NABS Content Creation Committee NABS Now podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/47rJlZrFHD4EIqvgLRNhHM 203-993-3045 _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/jyoung%40nfb.org Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website. From spopplestone.nfb at gmail.com Fri Feb 9 20:23:35 2024 From: spopplestone.nfb at gmail.com (Shane Popplestone) Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2024 20:23:35 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Join the Ohio Association of Blind Students for our first business meeting of 2024! Message-ID: Hello all, Join the Ohio Association of Blind students for our first business meeting of 2024. When, Tonight, February 9, 2024 starting at 8:00 PM eastern. Where: the Ohio Association of blind students zoom room. join the meeting from your iPhone, IPad or Computer: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83171167510?pwd=OEtLd25EMzMxODR3akhnZ00zYlg3Zz09 Meeting ID: 831 7116 7510 Passcode: 6227 Call in via phone One tap mobile +13092053325,,83171167510#,,,,*6227# US +13126266799,,83171167510#,,,,*6227# US (Chicago) Dial by your location • +1 309 205 3325 US • +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) • +1 646 876 9923 US (New York) Meeting ID: 831 7116 7510 Passcode: 6227 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbAsbb7xbf An agenda will be coming in a couple of hours either from me or from our secretary. Weather your a current ohio student, or just want to see what we're up to, I hope to see you all their! Shane Popplestone President of the Ohio Association of blind students Co-chair of the ohio newsline committee member of the Grater Akron Chapter member of Ohio Association of Guide Dog users spopplestone.nfb at gmail.com 234-716-2208 You can live the life you want! -- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com From ljmaher03 at outlook.com Fri Feb 9 20:30:02 2024 From: ljmaher03 at outlook.com (Louis Maher) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2024 20:30:02 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Announcement For A Zoom Conference On How The Blind Can Do STEM In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The Science and Engineering Division of the National Federation of the Blind and the National Association of Blind Students are presenting a joint Zoom conference on how blind college and graduate students, and blind professionals, are succeeding in courses and Careers to do with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Zoom conference link will be the standard NABS Zoom link shown at the bottom of this message. The call will occur at 8 PM EST through 9 PM EST on Sunday, February 25, 2024. Topics will be of interest for blind students in middle school, high school, college and graduate school and professionals. Parents of blind school-aged children and educators are also welcome. For a listing of the scheduled speakers, topics, talk descriptions, and speaker introductions, see the attached file. If you have any questions, please contact Louis Maher (713-444-7838, ljmaher03 at outlook.com). ----- Join Zoom Meeting: February 25, 2024, 8 PM EST Zoom Links https://zoom.us/j/4678833687#success Meeting ID: 467 883 3687 One tap mobile +13017158592,,4678833687# US (Germantown) 13126266799,,4678833687# US (Chicago) -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Zoom info: Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83171167510?pwd=OEtLd25EMzMxODR3akhnZ00zYlg3Zz09 Meeting ID: 831 7116 7510 Passcode: 6227 Yours Truly, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: (440) 670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; Blindness is not what holds you back -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Agenda February 9, 2024.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 13136 bytes Desc: not available URL: From oriolefan38 at gmail.com Sat Feb 10 01:30:00 2024 From: oriolefan38 at gmail.com (Zachary Ledford) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2024 18:30:00 -0700 Subject: [NABS-L] Washington Seminar Recap with UTABS! Message-ID: Hello NABS! The Utah Association of Blind Students is meeting tomorrow, February 10th at 7 PM Mountain, 9 PM Eastern and you are invited! We will be reviewing events and moments that occurred during this year's Washington Seminar. Come share thoughts on the legislative efforts the NFB continues to pursue. Below is the meeting information! Join UTABS Saturday February 10, 2024 at 7 PM Mountain, 9 PM Eastern! Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/8061136194# One tap mobile: +17207072699,,,8061136194# One tap mobile: +17207072699,,,8061136194# Best wishes, Zachary Ledford B.S. Candidate, Health and Kinesiology | University of Utah President, Utah Association of Blind Students | National Federation of the Blind of Utah ledford.zachary38 at gmail.com From students at nfbflorida.org Sat Feb 10 18:00:00 2024 From: students at nfbflorida.org (FABS Secretary) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2024 13:00:00 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Join us on January 18th! Message-ID: Good day everyone! I hope y'all are having an amazing weekend so far. This is a reminder that we are having a student business meeting next Sunday, February 18th at 6pm on Zoom. We hope to see you there! Elijah Grant Secretary - Florida Association of Blind Students Treasurer - Greater Broward Chapter, National Federation of the Blind of Florida Associate of Arts in Information Technology Candidate - Broward College Click here to email the Florida Association of Blind Students. Social Media Links Check us out on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on Instagram "The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back." -National Federation of the Blind One-Minute Message From dana.mohsen.azim at gmail.com Sat Feb 10 23:53:44 2024 From: dana.mohsen.azim at gmail.com (dana.mohsen.azim at gmail.com) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2024 15:53:44 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Blackboard Issue Message-ID: <001001da5c7c$61c68070$25538150$@gmail.com> Hello all, Quick Blackboard question. In one of my college courses, my professor has posted content folders where we can download separate files. However, when I click on one of the folders, It opens the alternative formats dialog , and it gives me the link where I can select which files to download in alternative format. However, when clicking on the link to select a different file it does not work and I'm left with an epub file that contains the list of files that are in the content folder. Any tips? Using chrome and NVDA. Thanks, dana From nesmaaly123 at gmail.com Sun Feb 11 02:54:13 2024 From: nesmaaly123 at gmail.com (nesmaaly123 at gmail.com) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2024 20:54:13 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Blackboard Issue In-Reply-To: <001001da5c7c$61c68070$25538150$@gmail.com> References: <001001da5c7c$61c68070$25538150$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <000f01da5c95$989ed700$c9dc8500$@gmail.com> Hi all, I don't know if BB has changed from Dec 22, I don't think so, but when I used it, if I remember correctly, each file has a alt format link to them. However, I didn't do much in the way of the online site, I used the app a lot due to BB's accessibility. If anyone has anymore questions, you can feel free to email off list and I will do my best to help Best, Nesma -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Dana Mohsen via NABS-L Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2024 5:54 PM To: NABS-L at nfbnet.org Cc: dana.mohsen.azim at gmail.com Subject: [NABS-L] Blackboard Issue Hello all, Quick Blackboard question. In one of my college courses, my professor has posted content folders where we can download separate files. However, when I click on one of the folders, It opens the alternative formats dialog , and it gives me the link where I can select which files to download in alternative format. However, when clicking on the link to select a different file it does not work and I'm left with an epub file that contains the list of files that are in the content folder. Any tips? Using chrome and NVDA. Thanks, dana _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nesmaaly123%40gmail.com From kaden.e.colton at gmail.com Sun Feb 11 21:27:19 2024 From: kaden.e.colton at gmail.com (Kaden Colton) Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2024 22:27:19 +0100 Subject: [NABS-L] Resources for Exploring Disability & Chaplaincy Message-ID: <92E9FCDD-809A-4B5B-ABF0-00B3CC8B15CB@gmail.com> Hello, everyone! I was wondering if anyone had resources or ideas on where to look for chaplaincy students andwho would like to support disabled students in higher education enviornments. I have been looking at a lot of the literature available through my school’s library and online database for the intersecting topics of disability and chaplaincy, particularly for disabled students who are in higher education and may be religiously unaffiliated. Would anyone have suggtions on where I could look next?  Regards, Kaden Colton Pronouns: None/Kaden From jsoro824 at gmail.com Sun Feb 11 21:30:59 2024 From: jsoro824 at gmail.com (Joe Orozco) Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2024 16:30:59 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] A Call to Serve: Federal Hiring 101 for Blind and Low Vision Students Message-ID: Are you a blind or low vision student weighing career options? Consider joining the federal workforce, and make it a point to join this rare opportunity to learn how to navigate the hiring process as an applicant with a disability. Why Choose the Federal Government? • Strong Commitment to Accessibility: The federal government is a leader in promoting accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. Many agencies have dedicated assistive technology programs and resources, including screen readers, adaptive software, and ergonomic workstations, tailored to support their blind and visually impaired employees. •Protected Employment & Reasonable Accommodations: Federl legislation ensures equal employment opportunities and require federal agencies to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. This means you can confidently advocate for your specific needs and receive support to perform your job effectively. • Stability and Security: Enjoy job security with competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits packages including health insurance, dental, vision, retirement savings plans, and generous paid time off. • Diverse Opportunities: Explore a wide range of career paths across various agencies, from STEM fields to public policy, administration, and more. Find a role that matches your skills and interests. • Work-Life Balance: Many agencies offer flexible work arrangements, telework options, and opportunities for professional development, helping you achieve a healthy work-life balance. • Serve Your Community: Be part of something bigger than yourself and contribute to the well-being of your community and the nation. But, you can’t enjoy the rewards of this meaningful work environment if you don’t get hired. If you’ve ever visited USAJobs.gov, you understand the process can feel overwhelming. Demystify the process, and earn your place in the honorable ranks of people making a difference. Learn more, and register now to learn how you too can be a part of the few who answered the call to serve your country. Please forward to friends and colleagues who could also benefit: https://nfbv.org/federal This presentation is proudly hosted for students nationwide by Project RISE, a program of the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia. Through Project RISE, we work with blind and low vision students ages 14 to 21 interested in building a foundation for future careers in fun, interactive, and empowering activities. Designed to gently but firmly move students outside their comfort zone, our experiences give students the advantage they need in a competitive and ever changing job market. If you are a Virginia resident, learn more about getting involved at: https://nfbv.org/rise From dandrews920 at comcast.net Tue Feb 13 16:38:14 2024 From: dandrews920 at comcast.net (dandrews920 at comcast.net) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2024 10:38:14 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] FW: Colorado Center for the Blind Summer Residential Posting In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <029d01da5e9b$0aeac1f0$20c045d0$@comcast.net> Interested in working with Blind youth this summer? The Colorado Center for the Blind is now accepting applications from positive blind role models to work as residential counselors and classroom instructors in our 2024 summer program. Our Summer for Success seven-week program and our No Limits to Learning four-week program will give students the opportunity to explore career paths, college/university readiness, and confidence building through challenge recreation activities Applicants must be 21 years or older and available June 10 through August 14, 2024. Applicants must be competent in the skills of blindness, well-rounded, flexible, possess excellent oral and written skills, and willing to lead by example. Applicants must be excited to work with blind students ages 14 -21. Fun, challenge recreation activities are an exciting aspect of the position and staff will have the opportunity to go rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, ziplining, attend martial arts classes, and much more. All summer staff will attend the national convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Orlando, FL from July 3-8, 2024! Staff members will be required to take part in a thorough training/on-boarding process prior to departing for the National Convention. Prior to the start of our traditional summer programming, summer staff members will serve as residential counselors for local high school students attending an astronomy camp during the week of June 17. More Information To learn more about our summer program, please navigate to the following link (Summer Residential Webpage) Looking to apply? Please send a letter of interest to Chaz Davis at cdavis at cocenter.org . In your letter, indicate why you are qualified and what area you would like to teach: home management, cane travel, Braille or Technology Wanting to know more about the application process? Please contact Chaz Davis, Director of Youth Services at (303) 778-1130 ext. 212 Chaz Davis, MSW Director of Youth Services Pronouns: he/him/his Colorado Center for the Blind Phone: 303.778.1130 Ext: 212 Fax: 303.778.1598 2233 W. Shepperd Ave. Littleton, CO 80120 The Colorado Center for the Blind is a training center and community of blind and low vision people, proudly affiliated with the National Federation of the Blind. We believe blind people can do anything. Every day, we encourage and challenge each student-and they come to understand their potential as they build the skills and confidence to live the life they want. Because when you believe in yourself and experience a thriving community of positive blind people, nothing can hold you back from pursuing your dreams. cocenter.org From sol.sky.luna at gmail.com Tue Feb 13 19:20:58 2024 From: sol.sky.luna at gmail.com (Sara Luna) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2024 13:20:58 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Explore Federation philosophy with the membership committee Message-ID: Hey NABS nation, The membership committee would like to invite y’all to check out the launch of a new initiative. Have you wondered what Federation philosophy is all about? Do you want a refresher on the positive model of blindness? Are you free this Sunday the 18th at eight Eastern? If you’ve answered, yes, too, these questions, then, our upcoming federation philosophy meeting is just for you! After many requests, the membership committee is taking on hosting bi monthly calls on exploring the ins and outs of Federation philosophy. So, whether your brand new to the organization or, a seasoned federationist, everyone is welcome to attend, and, lend your perspective. Once again our Federation philosophy meeting will be this Sunday the 18th at, eight Eastern. The zoom link is. https://zoom.us/j/4678833687 Sara Luna, She, her, hers. Second Vice President National Association of Blind Students. Board member, National Federation Of The Blind of Illinois. From natasha.ishaq2001 at gmail.com Tue Feb 13 20:30:31 2024 From: natasha.ishaq2001 at gmail.com (Natasha Ishaq) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2024 15:30:31 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Calling All Disability & Accessibility Advocates! Message-ID: Hello All, I am reaching out on behalf of Teach Access Inc, an organization I am currently working with, to share an exciting opportunity for disability an accessibility advocates across the country: Calling all students! This spring, we’re launching our Student Ambassador Advocacy Sprints! These are a series of adapted design sprints aimed at supporting the creation of student-led awareness and advocacy projects. All undergraduate or graduate students are welcome to attend these free virtual sprints, which will involve working with a team of peers to ideate ways to advocate for accessibility, disability, and inclusive design at their campuses. Even if you’ve never attended a Teach Access student program before, feel free to register and join us for our first Advocacy Sprint this upcoming Friday, February 16, from 1pm to 2:30pm ET (10am to 11:30am PT): The Student Ambassadors Advocacy Sprints will be held on Zoom from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm ET (10 am to 11:30 am PT). Dates and registration links below: - *Advocacy Sprint 1* - Friday, February 16, 2024 - Click here to register for February’s Advocacy Sprint - *Advocacy Sprint 2* - Friday, March 15, 2024 - Click here to register for March’s Advocacy Sprint - *Advocacy Sprint 3* - Friday, April 19, 2024 - Click here to register for April’s Advocacy Sprint Best, Rolando, Natasha, Emily, and Hannah We absolutely need blindness representation and advocates. Best, Natasha Ish From gene.sh.kim at gmail.com Wed Feb 14 06:50:38 2024 From: gene.sh.kim at gmail.com (Gene Kim) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2024 22:50:38 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Don't need money for college as a Californian? Skip this message! Message-ID: The deadline for the 2024 NFBCA scholarship is quickly approaching. Completed applications (including essay responses, transcript, reference letter, resume, and proof of enrollment) are due this Sunday, February 18 at 11:59 PM. Please spread the word far and wide! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17wAYk_dh-8gClYCIWTF1gOr5CAyb7zBFnPk_CaSyZrg/viewform?edit_requested=true Cheers, Gene From hunterkuester2 at gmail.com Wed Feb 14 18:24:50 2024 From: hunterkuester2 at gmail.com (Hunter Kuester) Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2024 12:24:50 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] 2024 Midwest regional student seminar Hosted by the National Association of Blind Students Message-ID: Happy Valentines day NABS, What better way to embrace the love of our vibrant community than to share one of NABS’s most valuable opportunities for students to network, learn, and interact with fellow blind students at the 2024 Midwest regional student seminar hosted by the National Association of Blind Students! Where: Holiday Inn O’Hare Area 5615 N Cumberland Avenue. Chicago, IL 60631 When: March 22nd-24th How to participate: https://nabslink.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=2 Picture this a weekend in the bustling city of Chicago where blind students assemble to partake in vibrant workshops, networking galore, and so much more!. It isn’t just a seminar, rather a celebration of empowerment! Connect with like minded students who understand your journey. Come Embrace the quest, and experience the now. It is more than just seizing opportunity, it’s about savoring every moment of your journey. Hear inspiring stories from students who have conquered challenges, dive into interactive workshops, and expand your network. All students mark your calendar for March 22nd through march 24th as the National association of blind students transform what it means to be blind. file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/32/02/ADA03B03-BE28-45C9-9803-720E6F136CFE/AUDIO_1436.mp3 If you have any Questions about registration or the seminar please reach out to Hunter Kuester at Hunterkuester2 at gmail.com or by phone at 920-285-8530. Keep it classy, Hunter Kuester From ammar.tarin at gmail.com Thu Feb 15 16:00:21 2024 From: ammar.tarin at gmail.com (Ammar Tarin) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2024 09:00:21 -0700 Subject: [NABS-L] February NABS Notes Message-ID: Hey Students! As we begin a new semester, and with Washington Seminar Behind us, It is time once again for the February NABS Notes. Questions on the Midwest Regional Seminar? Or just want to find out what each of our awesome committees are doing? Continue reading to find that and so much more! NABS Notes – February 2024 We’re back! Welcome to the February addition of the NABS Notes! With Washington Seminar behind us, we now turn to one of the most exciting times of the year for NABS! Stay tuned to learn about everything that has been going on, and is going to be happening in NABS! In this addition you will find: •Midwest Regional Seminar •Latest NABS Now Podcast •Committee Updates •NABS Social Media Midwest Regional Seminar As the grips of winter soften it is time once again for blind students to migrate to the city of Chicago Illinois for the 2024 Midwest Regional Student Seminar hosted by the National Association of Blind Students. Come be a part of the action and shape this weekend of networking, resource sharing, collaboration, and so much more. We encourage you to embrace the quest of the educational journey and experience the now with us. Join us at the Holiday Inn O’Hare located at: 5615 N Cumberland Avenue Chicago, Il 60631 on March 22nd through March 24th. Registration does close on March 1st, so do not delay. You could find the registration link here. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Hunter Kuester at hunterkuester2 at gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago! February NABS Now Podcast In this episode entitled "Echoes of Advocacy & Empowerment: United Voices for Change," we delve into the heart of collective action and advocacy with Dr. Justin Young, a governmental affairs specialist. Join us as we explore the impactful narratives from the National Federation of the Blind Washington Seminar, highlighting the powerful convergence of voices advocating for meaningful legislative change. Discover how unity, empowerment, and collective action pushes our movement forward. From where it all began to our three current legislative priorities today, members of the Federation gather in Washington DC to meet with our elected officials at the nation's capital to advocate for change. Tune in now to gain insights, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of the crucial work being done to shape a better future for all. You could listen to the podcast on our Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Or by checking out our Anchor page Committee Updates Content Creation Committee TikTok is officially live and can be found at NABS link. In addition, Mastodon has also been created and is also found at NABS link. Our February episode of the NABS NOW Podcast is featuring Justin Young a member of the legislative and government affairs team at the national headquarters, and the discussion is about Washington seminar, and how students can get involved in legislative priorities each year. We are also launching a Facebook student spotlight that you can nominate a student or yourself to be highlighted on our social media platforms. You can find the link to the nomination form here. If you have any questions, or just want to find a way to get more involved, please contact chair hunter Kuester at hunterkuester2 at gmail.com. Membership Committee The membership committee is working on different ways to engage our membership in fun and informative meetings. In January we hosted a general membership call with a very fun improv game that had our participants really thinking on their toes. In February we are planning to host a blindness philosophy meeting during our regular committee meeting time on Sunday the 18th at eight Eastern. So, if you’re wondering what federation philosophy is all about or would like a refresher please come by. The committee would also like to remind everyone that their membership status expired at the end of 2023 so if they haven’t already done so, they should fill out our 2024 membership form and send their five dollar dues to renew their membership. Want to get more involved? Contact Sara Luna at sol.sky.luna at gmail.com. Fundraising Committee Fundraising Has been hard at work. We wrapped up our auction and 50/50 raffle at Washington Seminar. The one fundraiser that is still going and you will most definitely want to get in on is Super Bowl roulette. What is Super Bowl roulette? You might be asking yourself. Super Bowl Roulette offers a thrilling way to engage with the Super Bowl while supporting a great cause. Here’s how it works: The Setup: A Super Bowl roulette spreadsheet will be created, with numbers 0-9 across both the top (NFC - National Football Conference) and the side (AFC - American Football Conference). Participation: Purchase a square for $5 to be randomly placed on our sheet. Winning: Winners are determined by the last digit of each team’s score at the end of each quarter and the final score. For example, if the NFC score is 13 and the AFC score is 10, the winning combination is NFC 3 and AFC 0. Prizes: Quarterly Wins: $25 per quarter. Final Score Win: A grand prize of $50. How to Participate and Send Payment: Using our Donation Link: Make your payment through our donation portal here . Via Zelle: Send payments to nabs.president at gmail.com . Via PayPal: send your payment to NABSPayments. Remember to use the comment or note function to mention that your payment is for the Super Bowl Roulette. Your involvement not only adds excitement to your Super Bowl experience but also immensely supports the initiatives of the National Association of Blind Students. We usually sell out quickly, so don't miss your chance! Should you have any questions or need more information, feel free to reach out to hunterkuester2 at gmail.com . Your support means a lot to us and the community we serve. Thank you for being part of this exciting event. Let's make this Super Bowl an unforgettable experience! Want to be involved in planning more activities like this? Contact Joshua Olukanni at joshuaolukanni2002 at gmail.com. Advocacy Committee In the month of January we successfully rapped up planning and executing our NABS winter seminar during Washington seminar! This was a great event, with a lot of participation from students from across the country. In February we are excited to hold the next iteration of our NABS bi-monthly advocacy series, which will be held later this February, information coming soon. Please stay tuned, and if you have any questions, please contact chair Manahil Jafri, manahiljafri at gmail.com. NABS Social Media In order to catch all the latest news from NABS, make sure you Like NABS on Facebook Join the NABS Facebook group , Follow NABS on TikTok and Subscribe to the NABS mailing list -- Respectfully, Ammar Ahmed Tarin Board Member, National Association of Blind Students Board Member, National Federation of the Blind of Arizona President, Arizona Association of Blind Students Ammar.tarin at gmail.com 480-580-7874 Live the life you want. From students at nfbflorida.org Thu Feb 15 18:00:00 2024 From: students at nfbflorida.org (FABS Secretary) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:00:00 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Join us this Sunday! Message-ID: Happy Friday everyone! As a general reminder, we have a student division meeting happening this Sunday at 6pm. As usual, here is the Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/96868427038 We look forward to seeing y'all on Sunday! Elijah Grant Secretary - Florida Association of Blind Students Treasurer - Greater Broward Chapter, National Federation of the Blind of Florida Associate of Arts in Information Technology Candidate - Broward College Click here to email the Florida Association of Blind Students. Social Media Links Check us out on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on Instagram "The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back." -National Federation of the Blind One-Minute Message From nabs.president at gmail.com Thu Feb 15 22:25:26 2024 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (nabs.president at gmail.com) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2024 17:25:26 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Employment Opportunity: BISM Gold Star Program Message-ID: <007b01da605d$e036be40$a0a43ac0$@gmail.com> Hi all, Please see below for an awesome summer job opportunity! Staff Application Announcement BISM Gold STAR Summer Program Staffing Position Open! BISM is excited to introduce the Gold STAR Program! This fully residential program will provide blind and low vision students with a 4-week Work Based Learning Experience (e.g. customized employment and training plan). Students will reside in apartment style housing with their Blind peers while working in a professional environment and receiving nonvisual skills training from competent Blind professionals. The work experience will provide students with a first-hand perspective of professional environments and the responsibilities that come with a career. The nonvisual skills (i.e. Braille, Technology, Orientation & Mobility, Independent Living, and Job Readiness) will introduce the students to a roadmap for independence. As a Gold STAR Program Staffer, your role will be to serve as an instructor, leader, and mentor to the students. Applications should be submitted by April 1, 2024. Interviews will be conducted via Zoom and are anticipated to take place in mid-April. All offers of employment will be contingent upon a successful comprehensive background check. Program location: Baltimore, Maryland (you do not need to reside in Maryland to apply as a staffer) Program Dates: July 13 to August 9, 2024 (including weekends) Staff Training: TBD based on staff availability Pay for 4-week staffing: $3,000 to $3,500 You can find the position responsibilities and additional details in the application link here . If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to Juhi Narula at jnarula at bism.org or 410-737-2642. Lauren Altman President National Association of Blind Students Pronouns: she/her Email: nabs.president at gmail.com Phone: (973) 9307473 From sol.sky.luna at gmail.com Fri Feb 16 06:21:20 2024 From: sol.sky.luna at gmail.com (Sara Luna) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:21:20 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] NABS membership process Message-ID: Hello everyone, It is time once again to update your NABS membership status. If you were a member last year your membership expired on December 31st 2023. If you are new to NABS, now is a great time to become an official member as, your membership will be active to December 31st 2024. The process is vary similar for new and returning members. Everyone has to fill out our 2024 membership form and, pay $5 dues to become an active member. The membership form can be found here, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdniSodOsoPv76rhs1XjyMov93vaFokMF5uJ0Uj8jhAOPuDIg/viewform To pay the $5 dues the options are, PayPal, to, @NABSPayments or, by visiting, https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/NABSPayments?locale.x=en_US Zell to, nabs.president at gmail.com Credit or debit card through our Donate Now, page. https://nabslink.org/donate-now Regardless of which payment method you choose, please indicate that you are submitting membership dues. Once your membership form and $5 dues are received, the process is as follows. If you were not an active member in the passed two years, the board of directors will review your application and, vote on your membership status, using our membership criteria. You will be notified of the decision regardless of the outcome. If you were an active member in the passed two years, you will not need to be voted in again. You will be notified through email when your form and dues have been processed. If you have any questions about the membership process, reach out to NABS board member, Manahil Jafri at, manahiljafri at gmail.com Peace Sara Sara Luna, She, her, hers. Second Vice President National Association of Blind Students. Board member, National Federation Of The Blind of Illinois. From schoi at nfbmo.org Sat Feb 17 18:08:33 2024 From: schoi at nfbmo.org (Seyoon Choi) Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2024 12:08:33 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] YOu're Invited: Missouri Association of Blind Students Monthly Membership Meeting, Thursday Feb 22 at 7PM Central Message-ID: > Hello students, I hope you are doing well during this fine school year. Come and enjoy a wonderful conversation about all things baking and afterwards, a nice recipe that you can enjoy with your family and friends. You will be able to give your perspective and hear other perspectives about baking also. You will also get some great tips on how to bake as a blind and visually impaired person as well. The meeting will be on Thursday, February 22nd on zoom. Join Zoom Meeting : One tap mobile +13126266799,97716217767# US (Chicago) +16469313860,97716217767# US Seyoon Choi (he/him/his) Board Member | National Federation of the Blind of Missouri Chair | Technology Empowerment Committee Treasurer | Missouri Association of Blind Students Nfbmo.org Co-Chair | National Association of Blind Students Content Creation Committee Nabslink.org MSW Candidate | Saint Louis University 2024 schoi at nfbmo.org (314) 650-8306 -- **Private voting is a right, it should not require sight. ** The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. From students at nfbflorida.org Sat Feb 17 23:00:00 2024 From: students at nfbflorida.org (FABS Secretary) Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2024 18:00:00 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Join us this Sunday! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hello again! Just a general reminder that our meeting is tomorrow night! See y'all then! Elijah Grant Secretary - Florida Association of Blind Students Treasurer - Greater Broward Chapter, National Federation of the Blind of Florida Associate of Arts in Information Technology Candidate - Broward College Click here to email the Florida Association of Blind Students. Social Media Links Check us out on Facebook Follow us on TikTok Follow us on Instagram "The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back." -National Federation of the Blind One-Minute Message On Thu, Feb 15, 2024 at 1:00 PM FABS Secretary wrote: > Happy Friday everyone! > > As a general reminder, we have a student division meeting happening this > Sunday at 6pm. > As usual, here is the Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/96868427038 > > We look forward to seeing y'all on Sunday! > > Elijah Grant > Secretary - Florida Association of Blind Students > Treasurer - Greater Broward Chapter, National Federation of the Blind of > Florida > Associate of Arts in Information Technology Candidate - Broward College > Click here to email the Florida Association of Blind Students. > > Social Media Links > Check us out on Facebook > > Follow us on TikTok > Follow us on Instagram > "The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the > characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the > expectations > of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind > people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness is not > what holds > you back." > -National Federation of the Blind One-Minute Message > > From yassirbohorquez at gmail.com Sun Feb 18 04:02:15 2024 From: yassirbohorquez at gmail.com (Yassir Bohorquez) Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2024 23:02:15 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Join us on January 18th! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <18A70F77-A5D0-4EF4-A086-7FF3616F43E6@gmail.com> Just wanted to send the link for tomorrow's meeting. We hope you can join us tomorrow at 6:00 PM eastern time via zoom. We are going to recap on what occured at washington seminar for florida, along with discussing midwest seminar, and more. Hope to see you all there tomorrow. All are welcome. Link will be found at the bottom. Jose Bohorquez Vice president: Florida Association of blind students Link: https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/96868427038 > On Feb 10, 2024, at 1:01 PM, FABS Secretary via NABS-L wrote: > > Good day everyone! I hope y'all are having an amazing weekend so far. This > is a reminder that we are having a student business meeting next Sunday, > February 18th at 6pm on Zoom. We hope to see you there! > > Elijah Grant > Secretary - Florida Association of Blind Students > Treasurer - Greater Broward Chapter, National Federation of the Blind of > Florida > Associate of Arts in Information Technology Candidate - Broward College > Click here to email the Florida Association of Blind Students. > > Social Media Links > Check us out on Facebook > > Follow us on TikTok > Follow us on Instagram > "The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the > characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the > expectations > of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind > people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness is not > what holds > you back." > -National Federation of the Blind One-Minute Message > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/yassirbohorquez%40gmail.com From icecreamlover76 at outlook.com Sun Feb 18 12:01:06 2024 From: icecreamlover76 at outlook.com (Terri Stimmel) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 06:01:06 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course Message-ID: Hello everyone, As I have mentioned here before, I am attending a local, community college in my area. I don't believe that they have worked with too many blind people. Although, they do work with people who have different disabilities. I get the feeling though, that a lot of the people they work with, have such disabilities as, autism, and things of that nature. Anyway, I am currently taking a computer concepts course. It is a basic course, from what I understand. It will cover such things as, Microsoft Word, and all of those products. As well as maybe a couple of other things. But it isn't anything too crazy! This is a course that I have to take. It is one of the requirements. So what I was wondering is, is there anyone here who has dealt with this sort of class, in the last few years, or so? How did you get through this class? What were some things that needed to be done? Either, things that you needed from the professor? Or, things that the disability services office needed to do? I have a pretty decent professor. He wants to make this class work for me. And, he is even trying to help me, a little before class. Also, I am able to use my own laptop. They are not having me use one of the computers in the classroom. We use Canvas, quite regularly, to upload our assignments. That is the easy part. I am really struggling with this class. I don't know how to perform a lot of the tasks that he is asking of us. And, he doesn't know what to do, either. I have been trying to research things, and find the answers. That way, we can both learn together. However, trying to do this, while managing my other three classes, is turning out to be rather difficult. And of course, the disability services office, does not have too many answers. Which really doesn't surprise me, because they do not have the experience. Any thoughts, and advice on all of this, would be very much appreciated! Thank you, Terri From steve.jacobson at outlook.com Sun Feb 18 16:10:18 2024 From: steve.jacobson at outlook.com (Steve Jacobson) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 16:10:18 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Terri, I have not taken a class like this in a while and can't say much about what you should expect from your Disability Services Office. However, since I have had to take training courses where I've had to sort through similar issues, I have a couple of things to offer that might be helpful. Probably the biggest issue that you will face if you have not already had to face it, is that such courses are usually very dependent upon using the mouse to carry out actions. It is likely that this is not going to be effective for you. Much of what can be done on a Windows or Apple computer can be done using a keyboard, but the level of knowledge of using the keyboard to perform actions instead of a mouse may not be there with your professor or by your DSS office. Whether this is right or wrong is not really the question, it simply is likely the case and we have to find ways around that to succeed. So much of how you approach this is dependent upon your individual characteristics that it is hard to know what will be most effective. One extreme approach, which I have used in the past, is to try to learn everything you can from such a course without regard to accessibility. This would mean you would need a "reader" to describe screens to you and to do the mouse clicking so you can learn the concepts as they are taught to everybody else. This actually works better than you might think because there are concepts that will be taught that are not dependent upon the mouse. If you learn how others are dealing with the course, later you can take the time to find out how to more accessibly carry out the same tasks. In addition, you will be able to concentrate on finding accessible ways of doing the particular things you actually want or need to do, rather than trying to find ways of doing everything accessibly even though some of it you may never use again. This approach may not feel right, but it actually can work. A less extreme approach would be to get a syllabus or schedule of what will be covered when in your class. This would allow you or your Disability Service office to get a list of keyboard shortcuts for the particular software that you could study before you have to deal with it in your course. Microsoft has many lists of keyboard shortcuts and equivalents on their website as does Apple. The problem with this approach is that you may not understand what some of these keyboard shortcuts do until the equivalent topic is covered in your class. This also means extra work and study on your part. Also, by sharing the list, some of us may be able to help you anticipate software that is not very accessible so you can work around that to get through this course. Part of this process will also have to be for you to learn more about the assistive technology that you are using. If, for example, you have not used a computer before but have used a note-taking device, you will have to figure out if you are going to use a screen reader and which screen reader. There are some functions within a screen reader that won't be known at all by your professor that can help you. For example, JAWS for Windows has some ability to analyze Microsoft Word formatting which can help you find problems of which you might not be aware. Finally, as you start to learn how all this works, you will find that you will be able to guess at ways certain mouse functions can be done on the keyboard. In addition, asking occasional questions of other students, those you may know or those on this list, might give you quick answers that will get you past problem points. I hope some of this is helpful. Best regards, Steve Jacobson -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Terri Stimmel via NABS-L Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2024 6:01 AM To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org Cc: Terri Stimmel Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course Hello everyone, As I have mentioned here before, I am attending a local, community college in my area. I don't believe that they have worked with too many blind people. Although, they do work with people who have different disabilities. I get the feeling though, that a lot of the people they work with, have such disabilities as, autism, and things of that nature. Anyway, I am currently taking a computer concepts course. It is a basic course, from what I understand. It will cover such things as, Microsoft Word, and all of those products. As well as maybe a couple of other things. But it isn't anything too crazy! This is a course that I have to take. It is one of the requirements. So what I was wondering is, is there anyone here who has dealt with this sort of class, in the last few years, or so? How did you get through this class? What were some things that needed to be done? Either, things that you needed from the professor? Or, things that the disability services office needed to do? I have a pretty decent professor. He wants to make this class work for me. And, he is even trying to help me, a little before class. Also, I am able to use my own laptop. They are not having me use one of the computers in the classroom. We use Canvas, quite regularly, to upload our assignments. That is the easy part. I am really struggling with this class. I don't know how to perform a lot of the tasks that he is asking of us. And, he doesn't know what to do, either. I have been trying to research things, and find the answers. That way, we can both learn together. However, trying to do this, while managing my other three classes, is turning out to be rather difficult. And of course, the disability services office, does not have too many answers. Which really doesn't surprise me, because they do not have the experience. Any thoughts, and advice on all of this, would be very much appreciated! Thank you, Terri _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/steve.jacobson%40outlook.com From sol.sky.luna at gmail.com Sun Feb 18 17:21:33 2024 From: sol.sky.luna at gmail.com (Sara Luna) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 11:21:33 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Join our meeting to discuss Federation philosophy! Message-ID: Hey everyone!!! Just a reminder that, tonight, you can join the membership committee in a riveting discussion on federation philosophy! So, if you’re a new member to the organization, or, a long time, federationist, come lend your voice to our inpending discussion on how we define blindness! The meeting is tonight, the 18th at, eight Eastern. Hope to see y’all there! Link https://zoom.us/j/4678833687 Peace Sara Sara Luna, She, her, hers. Second Vice President National Association of Blind Students. Board member, National Federation Of The Blind of Illinois. From noahcarver494 at gmail.com Sun Feb 18 19:22:30 2024 From: noahcarver494 at gmail.com (Noah Carver) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 14:22:30 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kschaber at my.chemeketa.edu Sun Feb 18 23:00:14 2024 From: kschaber at my.chemeketa.edu (Kendra Schaber) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 23:00:14 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi all! Regarding learning tech skills on your own, I have not had luck with learning how to use braille displays or screen readers with videos that are posted on line. The people who puts those videos together targets teachers and educaters who are sighted. YouTube itself is awesome! The people who uses YouTube to teach blindness tech does not realize that there are just as many independent blind people who are in college and who are teachers themselves as there are blind students who are in the k through 12th educational system. This major gap affects everyone who is needing to learn this tech, or any part of it, while in college. I needed to share this info so that you can avoid this trap in your research. Unfortunately, for us bvisual but blind college students, the best work around is to seek training on the stuff that you need. If that’s not accessible, a sighted reader and computer driver is a good work around. Kendra Get Outlook for iOS ________________________________ From: NABS-L on behalf of Steve Jacobson via NABS-L Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2024 8:10:18 AM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Steve Jacobson Subject: Re: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course Terri, I have not taken a class like this in a while and can't say much about what you should expect from your Disability Services Office. However, since I have had to take training courses where I've had to sort through similar issues, I have a couple of things to offer that might be helpful. Probably the biggest issue that you will face if you have not already had to face it, is that such courses are usually very dependent upon using the mouse to carry out actions. It is likely that this is not going to be effective for you. Much of what can be done on a Windows or Apple computer can be done using a keyboard, but the level of knowledge of using the keyboard to perform actions instead of a mouse may not be there with your professor or by your DSS office. Whether this is right or wrong is not really the question, it simply is likely the case and we have to find ways around that to succeed. So much of how you approach this is dependent upon your individual characteristics that it is hard to know what will be most effective. One extreme approach, which I have used in the past, is to try to learn everything you can from such a course without regard to accessibility. This would mean you would need a "reader" to describe screens to you and to do the mouse clicking so you can learn the concepts as they are taught to everybody else. This actually works better than you might think because there are concepts that will be taught that are not dependent upon the mouse. If you learn how others are dealing with the course, later you can take the time to find out how to more accessibly carry out the same tasks. In addition, you will be able to concentrate on finding accessible ways of doing the particular things you actually want or need to do, rather than trying to find ways of doing everything accessibly even though some of it you may never use again. This approach may not feel right, but it actually can work. A less extreme approach would be to get a syllabus or schedule of what will be covered when in your class. This would allow you or your Disability Service office to get a list of keyboard shortcuts for the particular software that you could study before you have to deal with it in your course. Microsoft has many lists of keyboard shortcuts and equivalents on their website as does Apple. The problem with this approach is that you may not understand what some of these keyboard shortcuts do until the equivalent topic is covered in your class. This also means extra work and study on your part. Also, by sharing the list, some of us may be able to help you anticipate software that is not very accessible so you can work around that to get through this course. Part of this process will also have to be for you to learn more about the assistive technology that you are using. If, for example, you have not used a computer before but have used a note-taking device, you will have to figure out if you are going to use a screen reader and which screen reader. There are some functions within a screen reader that won't be known at all by your professor that can help you. For example, JAWS for Windows has some ability to analyze Microsoft Word formatting which can help you find problems of which you might not be aware. Finally, as you start to learn how all this works, you will find that you will be able to guess at ways certain mouse functions can be done on the keyboard. In addition, asking occasional questions of other students, those you may know or those on this list, might give you quick answers that will get you past problem points. I hope some of this is helpful. Best regards, Steve Jacobson -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Terri Stimmel via NABS-L Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2024 6:01 AM To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org Cc: Terri Stimmel Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course Hello everyone, As I have mentioned here before, I am attending a local, community college in my area. I don't believe that they have worked with too many blind people. Although, they do work with people who have different disabilities. I get the feeling though, that a lot of the people they work with, have such disabilities as, autism, and things of that nature. Anyway, I am currently taking a computer concepts course. It is a basic course, from what I understand. It will cover such things as, Microsoft Word, and all of those products. As well as maybe a couple of other things. But it isn't anything too crazy! This is a course that I have to take. It is one of the requirements. So what I was wondering is, is there anyone here who has dealt with this sort of class, in the last few years, or so? How did you get through this class? What were some things that needed to be done? Either, things that you needed from the professor? Or, things that the disability services office needed to do? I have a pretty decent professor. He wants to make this class work for me. And, he is even trying to help me, a little before class. Also, I am able to use my own laptop. They are not having me use one of the computers in the classroom. We use Canvas, quite regularly, to upload our assignments. That is the easy part. I am really struggling with this class. I don't know how to perform a lot of the tasks that he is asking of us. And, he doesn't know what to do, either. I have been trying to research things, and find the answers. That way, we can both learn together. However, trying to do this, while managing my other three classes, is turning out to be rather difficult. And of course, the disability services office, does not have too many answers. Which really doesn't surprise me, because they do not have the experience. Any thoughts, and advice on all of this, would be very much appreciated! Thank you, Terri _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/steve.jacobson%40outlook.com _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu From aachase1 at gmail.com Sun Feb 18 23:45:19 2024 From: aachase1 at gmail.com (Alan A. Chase) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 18:45:19 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] EYE Retreat Message-ID: The Envisioning Youth Empowerment Retreat is excited to announce the opening of Student Applications for the 16th annual EYE Retreat July 28 to August 3, 2024 at Governor Morehead School. The “EYE Retreat” is a weeklong summer camp for students with visual impairments to learn career and college readiness skills by building peer mentoring relationships with successful adults with visual impairments!. COLLEGE TRANSITION • Self-Advocacy • Assistive Technology • Public Transportation • Social Skills • Independent Living Skills • Accessible Sports & Recreation CAREER EXPLORATION • Entrepreneurship • Business Plans • Soft Skills • Leadership • Ethics Student Application Applications are due June 15, 2024. Please share the attached flyer. *Dr. Alan A. Chase* From rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com Mon Feb 19 00:39:15 2024 From: rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com (andrew edgcumbe) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 19:39:15 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] finding vollunteer opportunities Message-ID: Hi My name is Andrew from Ontario Canada. While I am not a student as such myself for me i am still in my 30's. but my struggle is being able to find stuff to do with my time to be useful and stuff like that. I am having a hard time finding opportunities that places that will give me chance to honestly let me do things that i would like to be doing. The thing about it is I want to find a purpose in life and to be useful through some vollunteer opportunities and stuff like that. I have tried to get into vollunteer in nursing homes but the nursing homes said i need a worker in order to be there. Some animal places i tried said they wouldn't even take hearing or visually impaired people and stuff like that the one i asked actually said that. and it is like quite a few places never got back to me when it comes to vollunteering and stuff like that. From elizabeth.sprecher103 at gmail.com Mon Feb 19 00:45:13 2024 From: elizabeth.sprecher103 at gmail.com (Elizabeth Sprecher) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 17:45:13 -0700 Subject: [NABS-L] finding vollunteer opportunities In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <3F5A16F1-FC44-4A4E-9C6E-87911AA1F9C3@gmail.com> Hi, Maybe an idea would also be to look for volunteer opportunities in community centers, and maybe churches, if you are kind of religious. Yeah that’s all I can think of. Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 18, 2024, at 5:40 PM, andrew edgcumbe via NABS-L wrote: > > Hi > > My name is Andrew from Ontario Canada. > While I am not a student as such myself for me i am still in my 30's. > > but my struggle is being able to find stuff to do with my time to be > useful and stuff like that. > I am having a hard time finding opportunities that places that > will give me chance to honestly let me do things that i would like to > be doing. > The thing about it is I want to find a purpose in life and to be > useful through some vollunteer opportunities and stuff like that. > I have tried to get into vollunteer in nursing homes but the nursing > homes said i need a worker in order to be there. > Some animal places i tried said they wouldn't even take hearing or > visually impaired people and stuff like that the one i asked actually > said that. > > and it is like quite a few places never got back to me when it comes > to vollunteering and stuff like that. > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/elizabeth.sprecher103%40gmail.com From rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com Mon Feb 19 00:50:46 2024 From: rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com (andrew edgcumbe) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 19:50:46 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] finding vollunteer opportunities In-Reply-To: <3F5A16F1-FC44-4A4E-9C6E-87911AA1F9C3@gmail.com> References: <3F5A16F1-FC44-4A4E-9C6E-87911AA1F9C3@gmail.com> Message-ID: Yes i tried but my struggle has been I met with churches and stuff but to me what i been finding any meetings I have had about this sort of thing has not gotten anywhere for me at all. To me it is like how we can we help you not how can you help us type of thing and to me my area seems to be harder on anybody with a disability and stuff like that. On 2/18/24, Elizabeth Sprecher wrote: > Hi, > Maybe an idea would also be to look for volunteer opportunities in community > centers, and maybe churches, if you are kind of religious. Yeah that’s all I > can think of. > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Feb 18, 2024, at 5:40 PM, andrew edgcumbe via NABS-L >> wrote: >> >> Hi >> >> My name is Andrew from Ontario Canada. >> While I am not a student as such myself for me i am still in my 30's. >> >> but my struggle is being able to find stuff to do with my time to be >> useful and stuff like that. >> I am having a hard time finding opportunities that places that >> will give me chance to honestly let me do things that i would like to >> be doing. >> The thing about it is I want to find a purpose in life and to be >> useful through some vollunteer opportunities and stuff like that. >> I have tried to get into vollunteer in nursing homes but the nursing >> homes said i need a worker in order to be there. >> Some animal places i tried said they wouldn't even take hearing or >> visually impaired people and stuff like that the one i asked actually >> said that. >> >> and it is like quite a few places never got back to me when it comes >> to vollunteering and stuff like that. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/elizabeth.sprecher103%40gmail.com > From buhrow at nfbcal.org Mon Feb 19 02:47:00 2024 From: buhrow at nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 18:47:00 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] finding vollunteer opportunities In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <202402190247.41J2l090018186@nfbcal.org> hello Andrew. It can be difficult to find one's place as a blind person in society. Instead of just banging your head against the proverbial closed doors of churches, nursing homes and the like, I suggest sitting down with yourself and thinking about what it is that you like to do and what it is you're good at. And, while you're at it, think about how you contribute to your family life today. Then, when you have a list, you can begin to think about how to take some of the items on that list and do them outside of family life. It's worth noting that most volunteers, whether blind or sighted, don't get their volunteer jobs by coming in the front door of where ever it is they volunteer and asking for a volunteer job. Instead, they do one of two things. Of course, there are exceptions, but I think these two cases cover a majority of folks who volunteer. The first way is for them to decide they want to be part of a particular group or organization. So, they join it as a member, or, they make sure they are present when the group meets. As they participate in the activities of the group, they observe how it works and who does what and, this is important, watch for opportunities where they might be able to lend a hand. When they see such an opportunity, they step in and do the thing that needs doing. The second thing many people do is a variation on the first. That is, instead of deciding what group or organization they're going to be a part of, they decide they want to do a particular thing. Then, having decided on the thing they want to do, they begin searching for groups and organizations that do that thing and join them, thus leading them back to the task of joining the group and figuring out where their talents can be helpful in furthering the cause of the group as a whole. This process is made somewhat more complicated as a blind person because not only does the blind person have to fit into the group they want to join, but they have to convince the group that their talents and skills will help the group thrive. Just talking about one's skils as a blind person won't cut it; the blind person must demonstrate those skills, sometimes over and over again, to convince their peers they really can do the thing they say they can. I have done this many times over the years, most times with great success, but sometimes with a result that is a complete failure or is not satisfactory. The most important thing I've learned through these experiences is that I will never succeed if I make my blindness my colleagues' problem. That is to say, if I'm volunteering for an organization, performing a job, or otherwise engaging in a civic activity, I cannot ask those I work with to solve the problems I encounter due to blindness. That isn't to say I can't ask for help, but it means I need to know what to ask for and to be specific about what I ask for, rather than asking open ended questions of them like: how do you think I might be able to do this job? They don't know, and if I ask that question, they will become overwhelmed, feel bad and shut down, thus removing my opportunity to work with them. Instead, I could ask something like: explain to me what you are doing and how you do it? Then, I can take that information and translate it into a process I can follow. I notice you're asking how to find volunteer positions, but you haven't told us what you want to do and what you're good at or what you enjoy doing. In other words, what do you bring to the party when you volunteer? If you tell us that, we might be able to offer more ideas on how to get involved with some organization. Good luck with this process and I hope these insights are helpful. And, when you land that volunteer job, tell us about it! Sincerely, -Brian From rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com Mon Feb 19 03:03:49 2024 From: rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com (andrew edgcumbe) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 22:03:49 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] finding vollunteer opportunities In-Reply-To: <202402190247.41J2l090018186@nfbcal.org> References: <202402190247.41J2l090018186@nfbcal.org> Message-ID: Hi Brian Thanks for writting in on this topic. Well All you said not all but to me it all is very confusing to me. I just have such a struggle thinking through what it is i really like or would like to do. I know i like animals as well but in that case I have not been able to because tthe answers i received is they don't want to they don't take hearing or vision impaired people as vollunteers. Honestly it has been very hard for me to think through things with just myself the more I think i tend to feel very confused and very to point my head is spinning. Often times it seems like I tend to find that it is like a fog like my head gets very fogged up very easily. I tend to get very discourraged and feeling down like very down and it gets to point that i tend to loose my selfesteene and stuff like that. I tend to find that for me it is very difficault to know what I want at same time. I tend to find that with me that i am more of a doer then just a heavy thinker. I never was a ackidemick person at all matter a fact. I tend to find that with me it is like i have allot of darkness in my head when i say that it is like I tend to struggle with knowing for sure if i truly have a purpose or not at all. and I never been been able to find a purpose and quite often it is very hard for me to want to get out of bed and stuff like that. On 2/18/24, Brian Buhrow wrote: > hello Andrew. It can be difficult to find one's place as a blind person in > society. > Instead of just banging your head against the proverbial closed doors of > churches, nursing > homes and the like, I suggest sitting down with yourself and thinking about > what it is that you > like to do and what it is you're good at. And, while you're at it, think > about how you > contribute to your family life today. Then, when you have a list, you can > begin to think about > how to take some of the items on that list and do them outside of family > life. > It's worth noting that most volunteers, whether blind or sighted, don't get > their > volunteer jobs by coming in the front door of where ever it is they > volunteer and asking for a > volunteer job. Instead, they do one of two things. Of course, there are > exceptions, but I > think these two cases cover a majority of folks who volunteer. The first > way is for them to > decide they want to be part of a particular group or organization. So, they > join it as a > member, or, they make sure they are present when the group meets. As they > participate in the > activities of the group, they observe how it works and who does what and, > this is important, > watch for opportunities where they might be able to lend a hand. When they > see such an > opportunity, they step in and do the thing that needs doing. The second > thing many people do > is a variation on the first. That is, instead of deciding what group or > organization they're > going to be a part of, they decide they want to do a particular thing. > Then, having decided on > the thing they want to do, they begin searching for groups and organizations > that do that thing > and join them, thus leading them back to the task of joining the group and > figuring out where > their talents can be helpful in furthering the cause of the group as a > whole. > This process is made somewhat more complicated as a blind person because > not only does the > blind person have to fit into the group they want to join, but they have to > convince the group > that their talents and skills will help the group thrive. Just talking > about one's skils as a > blind person won't cut it; the blind person must demonstrate those skills, > sometimes over and > over again, to convince their peers they really can do the thing they say > they can. > I have done this many times over the years, most times with great success, > but sometimes with > a result that is a complete failure or is not satisfactory. The most > important thing I've > learned through these experiences is that I will never succeed if I make my > blindness my > colleagues' problem. That is to say, if I'm volunteering for an > organization, performing a > job, or otherwise engaging in a civic activity, I cannot ask those I work > with to solve the > problems I encounter due to blindness. That isn't to say I can't ask for > help, but it means I > need to know what to ask for and to be specific about what I ask for, rather > than asking open > ended questions of them like: how do you think I might be able to do this > job? They don't > know, and if I ask that question, they will become overwhelmed, feel bad and > shut down, thus > removing my opportunity to work with them. Instead, I could ask something > like: explain to me > what you are doing and how you do it? Then, I can take that information > and > translate it into a process I can follow. > > I notice you're asking how to find volunteer positions, but you haven't > told us what you > want to do and what you're good at or what you enjoy doing. In other words, > what do you bring > to the party when you volunteer? If you tell us that, we might be able to > offer more ideas on > how to get involved with some organization. > > Good luck with this process and I hope these insights are helpful. And, > when you land > that volunteer job, tell us about it! > > Sincerely, > > -Brian > From buhrow at nfbcal.org Mon Feb 19 04:05:59 2024 From: buhrow at nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 20:05:59 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] finding vollunteer opportunities In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <202402190405.41J45xq5023212@nfbcal.org> hello Andrew. Okay, so you like animals. I'll use that as an example. Perhaps there is an animal shelter near to you. Most animal shelters that I'm aware of have a great need for volunteers. Now, I know you said they say they don't take blind volunteers, but maybe if you go in there and you say something like, I'd really like to help out. Maybe I could help clean the aquariums, or take out the garbage, or answer the phones and help field calls. Maybe that shelter has a community day where the community is invited to come and visit the shelter and learn about it. You could go and talk with the folks who work there and find out what they do and, maybe, how they do it. Then, you can think about the jobs you learn about and decide on one that you think you could do. Then, you could go back to that shelter and tell them you'd like to help with that specific job. It needs to be a simple thing, at least in the beginning, so they can get to know you and to know how you work. If they say no, then you might ask if they have a related job that needs doing. If they still say no, you might ask if they know of any other animal care facilities that you might talk with. The point I'm trying to make here is that persistence and creativity is key here. If you ask enough people in enough ways the same question, eventually, you get the answer you want. It is possible to be polite and persistent at the same time. I'm not sure what to tell you about your dark feelings except encourage you to find a counsellor who can help you work through them. I know that can be very difficult, but I think it is very important you work on that aspect of yourself, first. I'm not a resident of Canada, so can't really speak to what professional assistance might be available. Hope that helps. -Brian From rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com Mon Feb 19 04:30:47 2024 From: rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com (andrew edgcumbe) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2024 23:30:47 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] finding vollunteer opportunities In-Reply-To: <202402190405.41J45xq5023212@nfbcal.org> References: <202402190405.41J45xq5023212@nfbcal.org> Message-ID: mind you it would not be practical to go that particular animal shelter because 45 minutes away i know you were using that as an example. Just that my mind doesn't work the way I want it and I am not the most creative and to be honest i find it very hard to communicate what I want and very hard to very hard to communicate what i want to do even in the simple. I just find that i get easily frusterated very easily about something then i tend to back down. The hard part for me is trying to find any counciling serves that can council blind people as sometimes i hope it can lead to something that can help me with even my daily life and i had even difficaulty when it comes to hobbies and stuff and just feeling part of things even when it comes to hobbies. i will use card games for example I find that people or i been in cases where people have not given me my turn at a bord game or card game and stuff like that. in fact I had been in a day program just to get out of the house but basically they were not giving me turns at like crockinal and they never gave me chance to play yuker or whatever and sometimes come across people quite often that seem very un interested in showing me the game or seems that way and i guess i just struggle with just being able to be included in games and stuff like that i know that is a different thing then vollunteering but i never gotten exposure to many games. On 2/18/24, Brian Buhrow wrote: > hello Andrew. Okay, so you like animals. I'll use that as an example. > Perhaps there is > an animal shelter near to you. Most animal shelters that I'm aware of have > a great need for > volunteers. Now, I know you said they say they don't take blind volunteers, > but maybe if you > go in there and you say something like, I'd really like to help out. Maybe > I could help clean > the aquariums, or take out the garbage, or answer the phones and help field > calls. Maybe that > shelter has a community day where the community is invited to come and visit > the shelter and > learn about it. You could go and talk with the folks who work there and find > out what they do > and, maybe, how they do it. Then, you can think about the jobs you learn > about and decide on > one that you think you could do. Then, you could go back to that shelter > and tell them you'd > like to help with that specific job. It needs to be a simple thing, at > least in the beginning, > so they can get to know you and to know how you work. If they say no, then > you might ask if > they have a related job that needs doing. If they still say no, you might > ask if they know of > any other animal care facilities that you might talk with. The point I'm > trying to make here is > that persistence and creativity is key here. If you ask enough people in > enough ways the same > question, eventually, you get the answer you want. It is possible to be > polite and persistent > at the same time. > > I'm not sure what to tell you about your dark feelings except encourage you > to find a > counsellor who can help you work through them. I know that can be very > difficult, but I think > it is very important you work on that aspect of yourself, first. I'm not a > resident of Canada, > so can't really speak to what professional assistance might be available. > > Hope that helps. > -Brian > > From rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com Mon Feb 19 05:12:30 2024 From: rollercoasterman86 at gmail.com (andrew edgcumbe) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2024 00:12:30 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] finding vollunteer opportunities In-Reply-To: References: <202402190405.41J45xq5023212@nfbcal.org> Message-ID: I just get very discourraged and start to feel like I will never be able to do anything and I find sometimes that sometimes the area has been kind of hard on on people with disabilities. I have had support workers that have tried to help with things in the past and tried to help me with vollunteer stuff but I have had met people with poor attitudes to point when i have asked about friendly visiting in nursing homes it pretty much got thrown out and at that point i was speciffic and i got told i shouldn't be doing anything in a nursing home by a chaplin and she went to one i was applying to. I have been trying my hardest and still it gets very hard On 2/18/24, andrew edgcumbe wrote: > mind you it would not be practical to go that particular animal > shelter because 45 minutes away i know you were using that as an > example. > > Just that my mind doesn't work the way I want it and I am not the > most creative and to be honest i find it very hard to communicate what > I want and very hard to very hard to communicate what i want to do > even in the simple. > I just find that i get easily frusterated very easily about something > then i tend to back down. > > The hard part for me is trying to find any counciling serves that can > council blind people as sometimes i hope it can lead to something > that can help me with even my daily life and i had even difficaulty > when it comes to hobbies and stuff and just feeling part of things > even when it comes to hobbies. > i will use card games for example I find that people or i been in > cases where people have not given me my turn at a bord game or card > game and stuff like that. > > > in fact I had been in a day program just to get out of the house but > basically they were not giving me turns at like crockinal and they > never gave me chance to play yuker or whatever and sometimes come > across people quite often that seem very un interested in showing me > the game or seems that way and i guess i just struggle with just > being able to be included in games and stuff like that i know that is > a different thing then vollunteering but i never gotten exposure to > many games. > > On 2/18/24, Brian Buhrow wrote: >> hello Andrew. Okay, so you like animals. I'll use that as an example. >> Perhaps there is >> an animal shelter near to you. Most animal shelters that I'm aware of >> have >> a great need for >> volunteers. Now, I know you said they say they don't take blind >> volunteers, >> but maybe if you >> go in there and you say something like, I'd really like to help out. >> Maybe >> I could help clean >> the aquariums, or take out the garbage, or answer the phones and help >> field >> calls. Maybe that >> shelter has a community day where the community is invited to come and >> visit >> the shelter and >> learn about it. You could go and talk with the folks who work there and >> find >> out what they do >> and, maybe, how they do it. Then, you can think about the jobs you learn >> about and decide on >> one that you think you could do. Then, you could go back to that shelter >> and tell them you'd >> like to help with that specific job. It needs to be a simple thing, at >> least in the beginning, >> so they can get to know you and to know how you work. If they say no, >> then >> you might ask if >> they have a related job that needs doing. If they still say no, you >> might >> ask if they know of >> any other animal care facilities that you might talk with. The point I'm >> trying to make here is >> that persistence and creativity is key here. If you ask enough people >> in >> enough ways the same >> question, eventually, you get the answer you want. It is possible to be >> polite and persistent >> at the same time. >> >> I'm not sure what to tell you about your dark feelings except encourage >> you >> to find a >> counsellor who can help you work through them. I know that can be very >> difficult, but I think >> it is very important you work on that aspect of yourself, first. I'm not >> a >> resident of Canada, >> so can't really speak to what professional assistance might be available. >> >> Hope that helps. >> -Brian >> >> > From icecreamlover76 at outlook.com Mon Feb 19 13:51:29 2024 From: icecreamlover76 at outlook.com (Terri Stimmel) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2024 07:51:29 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hello everyone, First of all, I really appreciate the thoughts, and suggestions, regarding my struggles with the computer concepts course. This has all been helpful to me. Also, Noah mentioned that it might be helpful to know some things about me. As well as what is expected from this class. That way, maybe people might be able to help me a bit better. So, I thought that I would share as much information as I could. I will start out with a bit about myself. I am 47, and am in my second semester, at my local community college. This is my second time attempting college. The first time I tried this was back in 2004. That was a horrible experience! I really never thought that I would want to ever try going to college, again. However, I surprised myself. After volunteering with a crisis chat service for a while, I decided that I would like to attempt to become a social worker. I don't even know if this will be possible, at my age. Or, even where I live. But, I figured I would try. If I don't end up doing this type of work, then maybe I might discover something else I really enjoy. I live in Missouri. I have lived out here for about 10 years now. I don't really feel this state has all that much to offer, when it comes to working with blind individuals. But, this has just been my personal experience. I am totally blind, and have been this way since birth. I am currently using a laptop with windows 11, and, the latest version of Jaws. I also have Microsoft Office installed. I do have some experience using NVDA. Although, I have more experience using Jaws. And, I use it more often. I also have an iPad. But, I haven't tried using this for school. I have considered it though. Just to see if some results might be different. Although, I do know that for this class, we are not encouraged to use tablets, and the like. The school uses Canvas. Which I do find pretty easy to use. I don't really have any issues with it. Also, I did get the package to learn how to use Powerpoint, and such. The one that is sold by the people who gave us NVDA. However, I have not had a chance to try and really look over any of it. Now that I have shared all that, here is what we are supposed to be covering in class. Microsoft 365, set up. Opening word, setting up an account, and, word ribbon. Assignment, Microsoft Word screenshot upload practice. Beginner's guide to Microsoft Word, APA outline example. Assignment, create APA timplet. Microsoft PowerPoint, I don't think he lists all the assignments yet, for this. Also, this is the last thing that he has listed, for now. But, he has said that we will learn to use Microsoft Excel. As well as learning to use, or create databases. However, I do not know quite what this means, because he hasn't gone into more detail about it. I hope this might be of help? If you all need more information, please just let me know. I will certainly see what I can do. What sorts of questions might I need to ask my disability services office, in order to get help in this class? Any other thoughts, and suggestions are much appreciated. Thank you, Terri On 2/18/2024 5:00 PM, Kendra Schaber via NABS-L wrote: > Hi all! > Regarding learning tech skills on your own, I have not had luck with learning how to use braille displays or screen readers with videos that are posted on line. The people who puts those videos together targets teachers and educaters who are sighted. YouTube itself is awesome! The people who uses YouTube to teach blindness tech does not realize that there are just as many independent blind people who are in college and who are teachers themselves as there are blind students who are in the k through 12th educational system. This major gap affects everyone who is needing to learn this tech, or any part of it, while in college. I needed to share this info so that you can avoid this trap in your research. Unfortunately, for us bvisual but blind college students, the best work around is to seek training on the stuff that you need. If that’s not accessible, a sighted reader and computer driver is a good work around. > Kendra > > > > Get Outlook for iOS > ________________________________ > From: NABS-L on behalf of Steve Jacobson via NABS-L > Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2024 8:10:18 AM > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > Cc: Steve Jacobson > Subject: Re: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course > > Terri, > > I have not taken a class like this in a while and can't say much about what you should expect from your Disability Services Office. However, since I have had to take training courses where I've had to sort through similar issues, I have a couple of things to offer that might be helpful. > > Probably the biggest issue that you will face if you have not already had to face it, is that such courses are usually very dependent upon using the mouse to carry out actions. It is likely that this is not going to be effective for you. Much of what can be done on a Windows or Apple computer can be done using a keyboard, but the level of knowledge of using the keyboard to perform actions instead of a mouse may not be there with your professor or by your DSS office. Whether this is right or wrong is not really the question, it simply is likely the case and we have to find ways around that to succeed. > > So much of how you approach this is dependent upon your individual characteristics that it is hard to know what will be most effective. One extreme approach, which I have used in the past, is to try to learn everything you can from such a course without regard to accessibility. This would mean you would need a "reader" to describe screens to you and to do the mouse clicking so you can learn the concepts as they are taught to everybody else. This actually works better than you might think because there are concepts that will be taught that are not dependent upon the mouse. If you learn how others are dealing with the course, later you can take the time to find out how to more accessibly carry out the same tasks. In addition, you will be able to concentrate on finding accessible ways of doing the particular things you actually want or need to do, rather than trying to find ways of doing everything accessibly even though some of it you may never use again. This approach may not feel right, but it actually can work. > > A less extreme approach would be to get a syllabus or schedule of what will be covered when in your class. This would allow you or your Disability Service office to get a list of keyboard shortcuts for the particular software that you could study before you have to deal with it in your course. Microsoft has many lists of keyboard shortcuts and equivalents on their website as does Apple. The problem with this approach is that you may not understand what some of these keyboard shortcuts do until the equivalent topic is covered in your class. This also means extra work and study on your part. Also, by sharing the list, some of us may be able to help you anticipate software that is not very accessible so you can work around that to get through this course. > > Part of this process will also have to be for you to learn more about the assistive technology that you are using. If, for example, you have not used a computer before but have used a note-taking device, you will have to figure out if you are going to use a screen reader and which screen reader. There are some functions within a screen reader that won't be known at all by your professor that can help you. For example, JAWS for Windows has some ability to analyze Microsoft Word formatting which can help you find problems of which you might not be aware. > > Finally, as you start to learn how all this works, you will find that you will be able to guess at ways certain mouse functions can be done on the keyboard. In addition, asking occasional questions of other students, those you may know or those on this list, might give you quick answers that will get you past problem points. > > I hope some of this is helpful. > > Best regards, > > Steve Jacobson > > -----Original Message----- > From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Terri Stimmel via NABS-L > Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2024 6:01 AM > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > Cc: Terri Stimmel > Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course > > Hello everyone, > > > As I have mentioned here before, I am attending a local, community college in my area. I don't believe that they have worked with too many blind people. Although, they do work with people who have different disabilities. I get the feeling though, that a lot of the people they work with, have such disabilities as, autism, and things of that nature. > > > Anyway, I am currently taking a computer concepts course. It is a basic course, from what I understand. It will cover such things as, Microsoft Word, and all of those products. As well as maybe a couple of other things. But it isn't anything too crazy! This is a course that I have to take. It is one of the requirements. > > > So what I was wondering is, is there anyone here who has dealt with this sort of class, in the last few years, or so? > > How did you get through this class? > > What were some things that needed to be done? Either, things that you needed from the professor? Or, things that the disability services office needed to do? > > > I have a pretty decent professor. He wants to make this class work for me. And, he is even trying to help me, a little before class. > > Also, I am able to use my own laptop. They are not having me use one of the computers in the classroom. We use Canvas, quite regularly, to upload our assignments. That is the easy part. > > > I am really struggling with this class. I don't know how to perform a lot of the tasks that he is asking of us. And, he doesn't know what to do, either. I have been trying to research things, and find the answers. > That way, we can both learn together. > > > However, trying to do this, while managing my other three classes, is turning out to be rather difficult. And of course, the disability services office, does not have too many answers. Which really doesn't surprise me, because they do not have the experience. > > > Any thoughts, and advice on all of this, would be very much appreciated! > > > Thank you, > > > Terri > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/steve.jacobson%40outlook.com > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/icecreamlover76%40outlook.com From hayleyroveda at gmail.com Mon Feb 19 14:02:12 2024 From: hayleyroveda at gmail.com (Hayley Roveda) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2024 07:02:12 -0700 Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi! I will say that as far as all that Microsoft stuff goes. It is all very accessible in my experience. One thing I would ask your teacher about and your disability access center as well is about going through the keyboard commands for Microsoft with you. Also, Microsoft has very good documentation of all of its commands. A Google search will bring you to it for whatever application you’re using. All of Microsoft applications have ways to do with the keyboard everything that can be done with a mouse. Your teacher might even know some of them. Excel can be tricky to do non-visually sense it’s a special layout, but it is totally doable. I hope this class goes smoothly! *Hayley Roveda* On Mon, Feb 19, 2024 at 6:54 AM Terri Stimmel via NABS-L wrote: > Hello everyone, > > > First of all, I really appreciate the thoughts, and suggestions, > regarding my struggles with the computer concepts course. This has all > been helpful to me. > > > Also, Noah mentioned that it might be helpful to know some things about > me. As well as what is expected from this class. That way, maybe people > might be able to help me a bit better. So, I thought that I would share > as much information as I could. > > > I will start out with a bit about myself. > > I am 47, and am in my second semester, at my local community college. > This is my second time attempting college. The first time I tried this > was back in 2004. That was a horrible experience! I really never thought > that I would want to ever try going to college, again. > > > However, I surprised myself. After volunteering with a crisis chat > service for a while, I decided that I would like to attempt to become a > social worker. I don't even know if this will be possible, at my age. > Or, even where I live. But, I figured I would try. If I don't end up > doing this type of work, then maybe I might discover something else I > really enjoy. > > > I live in Missouri. I have lived out here for about 10 years now. I > don't really feel this state has all that much to offer, when it comes > to working with blind individuals. But, this has just been my personal > experience. > > > I am totally blind, and have been this way since birth. > > I am currently using a laptop with windows 11, and, the latest version > of Jaws. > > I also have Microsoft Office installed. > > > I do have some experience using NVDA. Although, I have more experience > using Jaws. And, I use it more often. > > > I also have an iPad. But, I haven't tried using this for school. I have > considered it though. Just to see if some results might be different. > Although, I do know that for this class, we are not encouraged to use > tablets, and the like. > > > The school uses Canvas. Which I do find pretty easy to use. I don't > really have any issues with it. > > > Also, I did get the package to learn how to use Powerpoint, and such. > The one that is sold by the people who gave us NVDA. > > However, I have not had a chance to try and really look over any of it. > > > Now that I have shared all that, here is what we are supposed to be > covering in class. > > > Microsoft 365, set up. Opening word, setting up an account, and, word > ribbon. > > Assignment, Microsoft Word screenshot upload practice. > > > Beginner's guide to Microsoft Word, APA outline example. > > Assignment, create APA timplet. > > > Microsoft PowerPoint, I don't think he lists all the assignments yet, > for this. > > > Also, this is the last thing that he has listed, for now. But, he has > said that we will learn to use Microsoft Excel. As well as learning to > use, or create databases. > > However, I do not know quite what this means, because he hasn't gone > into more detail about it. > > > I hope this might be of help? > > If you all need more information, please just let me know. I will > certainly see what I can do. > > > What sorts of questions might I need to ask my disability services > office, in order to get help in this class? > > > Any other thoughts, and suggestions are much appreciated. > > > Thank you, > > > Terri > > On 2/18/2024 5:00 PM, Kendra Schaber via NABS-L wrote: > > Hi all! > > Regarding learning tech skills on your own, I have not had luck with > learning how to use braille displays or screen readers with videos that are > posted on line. The people who puts those videos together targets teachers > and educaters who are sighted. YouTube itself is awesome! The people who > uses YouTube to teach blindness tech does not realize that there are just > as many independent blind people who are in college and who are teachers > themselves as there are blind students who are in the k through 12th > educational system. This major gap affects everyone who is needing to learn > this tech, or any part of it, while in college. I needed to share this info > so that you can avoid this trap in your research. Unfortunately, for us > bvisual but blind college students, the best work around is to seek > training on the stuff that you need. If that’s not accessible, a sighted > reader and computer driver is a good work around. > > Kendra > > > > > > > > Get Outlook for iOS > > ________________________________ > > From: NABS-L on behalf of Steve Jacobson > via NABS-L > > Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2024 8:10:18 AM > > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list < > nabs-l at nfbnet.org> > > Cc: Steve Jacobson > > Subject: Re: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course > > > > Terri, > > > > I have not taken a class like this in a while and can't say much about > what you should expect from your Disability Services Office. However, > since I have had to take training courses where I've had to sort through > similar issues, I have a couple of things to offer that might be helpful. > > > > Probably the biggest issue that you will face if you have not already > had to face it, is that such courses are usually very dependent upon using > the mouse to carry out actions. It is likely that this is not going to be > effective for you. Much of what can be done on a Windows or Apple computer > can be done using a keyboard, but the level of knowledge of using the > keyboard to perform actions instead of a mouse may not be there with your > professor or by your DSS office. Whether this is right or wrong is not > really the question, it simply is likely the case and we have to find ways > around that to succeed. > > > > So much of how you approach this is dependent upon your individual > characteristics that it is hard to know what will be most effective. One > extreme approach, which I have used in the past, is to try to learn > everything you can from such a course without regard to accessibility. > This would mean you would need a "reader" to describe screens to you and to > do the mouse clicking so you can learn the concepts as they are taught to > everybody else. This actually works better than you might think because > there are concepts that will be taught that are not dependent upon the > mouse. If you learn how others are dealing with the course, later you can > take the time to find out how to more accessibly carry out the same tasks. > In addition, you will be able to concentrate on finding accessible ways of > doing the particular things you actually want or need to do, rather than > trying to find ways of doing everything accessibly even though some of it > you may never use again. This approach may not feel right, but it actually > can work. > > > > A less extreme approach would be to get a syllabus or schedule of what > will be covered when in your class. This would allow you or your > Disability Service office to get a list of keyboard shortcuts for the > particular software that you could study before you have to deal with it in > your course. Microsoft has many lists of keyboard shortcuts and > equivalents on their website as does Apple. The problem with this approach > is that you may not understand what some of these keyboard shortcuts do > until the equivalent topic is covered in your class. This also means extra > work and study on your part. Also, by sharing the list, some of us may be > able to help you anticipate software that is not very accessible so you can > work around that to get through this course. > > > > Part of this process will also have to be for you to learn more about > the assistive technology that you are using. If, for example, you have not > used a computer before but have used a note-taking device, you will have to > figure out if you are going to use a screen reader and which screen > reader. There are some functions within a screen reader that won't be > known at all by your professor that can help you. For example, JAWS for > Windows has some ability to analyze Microsoft Word formatting which can > help you find problems of which you might not be aware. > > > > Finally, as you start to learn how all this works, you will find that > you will be able to guess at ways certain mouse functions can be done on > the keyboard. In addition, asking occasional questions of other students, > those you may know or those on this list, might give you quick answers that > will get you past problem points. > > > > I hope some of this is helpful. > > > > Best regards, > > > > Steve Jacobson > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Terri Stimmel via > NABS-L > > Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2024 6:01 AM > > To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org > > Cc: Terri Stimmel > > Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course > > > > Hello everyone, > > > > > > As I have mentioned here before, I am attending a local, community > college in my area. I don't believe that they have worked with too many > blind people. Although, they do work with people who have different > disabilities. I get the feeling though, that a lot of the people they work > with, have such disabilities as, autism, and things of that nature. > > > > > > Anyway, I am currently taking a computer concepts course. It is a basic > course, from what I understand. It will cover such things as, Microsoft > Word, and all of those products. As well as maybe a couple of other things. > But it isn't anything too crazy! This is a course that I have to take. It > is one of the requirements. > > > > > > So what I was wondering is, is there anyone here who has dealt with this > sort of class, in the last few years, or so? > > > > How did you get through this class? > > > > What were some things that needed to be done? Either, things that you > needed from the professor? Or, things that the disability services office > needed to do? > > > > > > I have a pretty decent professor. He wants to make this class work for > me. And, he is even trying to help me, a little before class. > > > > Also, I am able to use my own laptop. They are not having me use one of > the computers in the classroom. We use Canvas, quite regularly, to upload > our assignments. That is the easy part. > > > > > > I am really struggling with this class. I don't know how to perform a > lot of the tasks that he is asking of us. And, he doesn't know what to do, > either. I have been trying to research things, and find the answers. > > That way, we can both learn together. > > > > > > However, trying to do this, while managing my other three classes, is > turning out to be rather difficult. And of course, the disability services > office, does not have too many answers. Which really doesn't surprise me, > because they do not have the experience. > > > > > > Any thoughts, and advice on all of this, would be very much appreciated! > > > > > > Thank you, > > > > > > Terri > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > NABS-L mailing list > > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/steve.jacobson%40outlook.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > NABS-L mailing list > > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu > > _______________________________________________ > > NABS-L mailing list > > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/icecreamlover76%40outlook.com > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/hayleyroveda%40gmail.com > From nomi.otoole at gmail.com Mon Feb 19 21:09:06 2024 From: nomi.otoole at gmail.com (=?utf-8?Q?Naomi_O=E2=80=99Toole?=) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2024 16:09:06 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4439B62E-DE57-4968-B0E4-3EFD1D21B91C@gmail.com> aHello, firstly, I would ask for an associate to help with navigating the course, and reaching out to your professor. They are the best bet to getting you proper help. :) 2. Ask if there's a work around for this course, if someone is willing to walk you through the courses material. Hope this helps. Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 19, 2024, at 8:54 AM, Terri Stimmel via NABS-L wrote: > > Hello everyone, > > > First of all, I really appreciate the thoughts, and suggestions, regarding my struggles with the computer concepts course. This has all been helpful to me. > > > Also, Noah mentioned that it might be helpful to know some things about me. As well as what is expected from this class. That way, maybe people might be able to help me a bit better. So, I thought that I would share as much information as I could. > > > I will start out with a bit about myself. > > I am 47, and am in my second semester, at my local community college. This is my second time attempting college. The first time I tried this was back in 2004. That was a horrible experience! I really never thought that I would want to ever try going to college, again. > > > However, I surprised myself. After volunteering with a crisis chat service for a while, I decided that I would like to attempt to become a social worker. I don't even know if this will be possible, at my age. Or, even where I live. But, I figured I would try. If I don't end up doing this type of work, then maybe I might discover something else I really enjoy. > > > I live in Missouri. I have lived out here for about 10 years now. I don't really feel this state has all that much to offer, when it comes to working with blind individuals. But, this has just been my personal experience. > > > I am totally blind, and have been this way since birth. > > I am currently using a laptop with windows 11, and, the latest version of Jaws. > > I also have Microsoft Office installed. > > > I do have some experience using NVDA. Although, I have more experience using Jaws. And, I use it more often. > > > I also have an iPad. But, I haven't tried using this for school. I have considered it though. Just to see if some results might be different. Although, I do know that for this class, we are not encouraged to use tablets, and the like. > > > The school uses Canvas. Which I do find pretty easy to use. I don't really have any issues with it. > > > Also, I did get the package to learn how to use Powerpoint, and such. The one that is sold by the people who gave us NVDA. > > However, I have not had a chance to try and really look over any of it. > > > Now that I have shared all that, here is what we are supposed to be covering in class. > > > Microsoft 365, set up. Opening word, setting up an account, and, word ribbon. > > Assignment, Microsoft Word screenshot upload practice. > > > Beginner's guide to Microsoft Word, APA outline example. > > Assignment, create APA timplet. > > > Microsoft PowerPoint, I don't think he lists all the assignments yet, for this. > > > Also, this is the last thing that he has listed, for now. But, he has said that we will learn to use Microsoft Excel. As well as learning to use, or create databases. > > However, I do not know quite what this means, because he hasn't gone into more detail about it. > > > I hope this might be of help? > > If you all need more information, please just let me know. I will certainly see what I can do. > > > What sorts of questions might I need to ask my disability services office, in order to get help in this class? > > > Any other thoughts, and suggestions are much appreciated. > > > Thank you, > > > Terri > >> On 2/18/2024 5:00 PM, Kendra Schaber via NABS-L wrote: >> Hi all! >> Regarding learning tech skills on your own, I have not had luck with learning how to use braille displays or screen readers with videos that are posted on line. The people who puts those videos together targets teachers and educaters who are sighted. YouTube itself is awesome! The people who uses YouTube to teach blindness tech does not realize that there are just as many independent blind people who are in college and who are teachers themselves as there are blind students who are in the k through 12th educational system. This major gap affects everyone who is needing to learn this tech, or any part of it, while in college. I needed to share this info so that you can avoid this trap in your research. Unfortunately, for us bvisual but blind college students, the best work around is to seek training on the stuff that you need. If that’s not accessible, a sighted reader and computer driver is a good work around. >> Kendra >> >> >> >> Get Outlook for iOS >> ________________________________ >> From: NABS-L on behalf of Steve Jacobson via NABS-L >> Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2024 8:10:18 AM >> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list >> Cc: Steve Jacobson >> Subject: Re: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course >> >> Terri, >> >> I have not taken a class like this in a while and can't say much about what you should expect from your Disability Services Office. However, since I have had to take training courses where I've had to sort through similar issues, I have a couple of things to offer that might be helpful. >> >> Probably the biggest issue that you will face if you have not already had to face it, is that such courses are usually very dependent upon using the mouse to carry out actions. It is likely that this is not going to be effective for you. Much of what can be done on a Windows or Apple computer can be done using a keyboard, but the level of knowledge of using the keyboard to perform actions instead of a mouse may not be there with your professor or by your DSS office. Whether this is right or wrong is not really the question, it simply is likely the case and we have to find ways around that to succeed. >> >> So much of how you approach this is dependent upon your individual characteristics that it is hard to know what will be most effective. One extreme approach, which I have used in the past, is to try to learn everything you can from such a course without regard to accessibility. This would mean you would need a "reader" to describe screens to you and to do the mouse clicking so you can learn the concepts as they are taught to everybody else. This actually works better than you might think because there are concepts that will be taught that are not dependent upon the mouse. If you learn how others are dealing with the course, later you can take the time to find out how to more accessibly carry out the same tasks. In addition, you will be able to concentrate on finding accessible ways of doing the particular things you actually want or need to do, rather than trying to find ways of doing everything accessibly even though some of it you may never use again. This approach may not feel right, but it actually can work. >> >> A less extreme approach would be to get a syllabus or schedule of what will be covered when in your class. This would allow you or your Disability Service office to get a list of keyboard shortcuts for the particular software that you could study before you have to deal with it in your course. Microsoft has many lists of keyboard shortcuts and equivalents on their website as does Apple. The problem with this approach is that you may not understand what some of these keyboard shortcuts do until the equivalent topic is covered in your class. This also means extra work and study on your part. Also, by sharing the list, some of us may be able to help you anticipate software that is not very accessible so you can work around that to get through this course. >> >> Part of this process will also have to be for you to learn more about the assistive technology that you are using. If, for example, you have not used a computer before but have used a note-taking device, you will have to figure out if you are going to use a screen reader and which screen reader. There are some functions within a screen reader that won't be known at all by your professor that can help you. For example, JAWS for Windows has some ability to analyze Microsoft Word formatting which can help you find problems of which you might not be aware. >> >> Finally, as you start to learn how all this works, you will find that you will be able to guess at ways certain mouse functions can be done on the keyboard. In addition, asking occasional questions of other students, those you may know or those on this list, might give you quick answers that will get you past problem points. >> >> I hope some of this is helpful. >> >> Best regards, >> >> Steve Jacobson >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Terri Stimmel via NABS-L >> Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2024 6:01 AM >> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org >> Cc: Terri Stimmel >> Subject: [NABS-L] College computer concepts course >> >> Hello everyone, >> >> >> As I have mentioned here before, I am attending a local, community college in my area. I don't believe that they have worked with too many blind people. Although, they do work with people who have different disabilities. I get the feeling though, that a lot of the people they work with, have such disabilities as, autism, and things of that nature. >> >> >> Anyway, I am currently taking a computer concepts course. It is a basic course, from what I understand. It will cover such things as, Microsoft Word, and all of those products. As well as maybe a couple of other things. But it isn't anything too crazy! This is a course that I have to take. It is one of the requirements. >> >> >> So what I was wondering is, is there anyone here who has dealt with this sort of class, in the last few years, or so? >> >> How did you get through this class? >> >> What were some things that needed to be done? Either, things that you needed from the professor? Or, things that the disability services office needed to do? >> >> >> I have a pretty decent professor. He wants to make this class work for me. And, he is even trying to help me, a little before class. >> >> Also, I am able to use my own laptop. They are not having me use one of the computers in the classroom. We use Canvas, quite regularly, to upload our assignments. That is the easy part. >> >> >> I am really struggling with this class. I don't know how to perform a lot of the tasks that he is asking of us. And, he doesn't know what to do, either. I have been trying to research things, and find the answers. >> That way, we can both learn together. >> >> >> However, trying to do this, while managing my other three classes, is turning out to be rather difficult. And of course, the disability services office, does not have too many answers. Which really doesn't surprise me, because they do not have the experience. >> >> >> Any thoughts, and advice on all of this, would be very much appreciated! >> >> >> Thank you, >> >> >> Terri >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/steve.jacobson%40outlook.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/icecreamlover76%40outlook.com > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nomi.otoole%40gmail.com From dandrews920 at comcast.net Tue Feb 20 17:18:59 2024 From: dandrews920 at comcast.net (dandrews920 at comcast.net) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2024 11:18:59 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] FW: [Athen] Fwd: Recruiting for Digital Math Focus Groups In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <007d01da6420$ebbe9dc0$c33bd940$@comcast.net> From: athen-list On Behalf Of Michael Cantino Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 11:15 AM To: athen-list at u.washington.edu Subject: [Athen] Fwd: Recruiting for Digital Math Focus Groups Hello, We are conducting a research study approved by Florida State University’s and the University of South Carolina’s IRB Boards to explore how individuals with visual impairments, both high school students in grades 9-12 and college students, use technology to participate in math learning. The technology includes both mainstream technology (e.g., tablets, computers) and specialized assistive technology for people with visual impairments (e.g., braille notetakers, video magnifiers, JAWS, VoiceOver). We are asking for your help to advertise our study. We are seeking four groups of individuals: * High school students with visual impairments in grades 9-12 enrolled in an academic math (e.g., algebra, geometry) who use technology at school and work with a teacher of students with visual impairments. * College students with visual impairments at 2 or 4 year colleges/universities who have had a math class within the last 2 years and who use technology at college. College students may have had a visual impairment in high school or acquired it post-high school. * Teachers of students with visual impairments who have 3 years or more of teaching experience and have one or more high school students who use technology in math class. * General education math teachers who have a student with a visual impairment in grades 9-12 with a visual impairment in their academic math class (e.g., algebra, geometry) and who have taught math at the high school level for 3 years or more. Individuals who wish to participate can go to the recruitment form or copy and paste this link into your web browser: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dnDem4QNP6Y5GqW Please share the attached flier that explains the study in more detail with those who may wish to participate. Thank you, Michael Tuttle, PhD, Florida State University L. Penny Rosenblum, PhD, Vision for Independence / University of Arizona Tina S. Herzberg, Ph.D., University of South Caroline Upstate Adelaide Kelly-Massoud, EdD, Perkins School for the Blind, College Success @ Perkins Leslie Thatcher, Perkins School for the Blind, College Success @ Perkins Tina S. Herzberg, Ph.D. she/her/hers Professor and Coordinator of Special Education – Visual Impairment Program USC Upstate; College of Education, Human Performance, and Health; HEC 3039 800 University Way Spartanburg, SC 29303 Office: 864-503-5572 Fax: 864-503-5574 herzberg @uscupstate.edu Visit: Project INSPIRE: Increasing the STEM Potential of Individuals who Read Braille Use this form to be notified of future Project INSPIRE courses and other activities. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: RECRUITING FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 22892 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ athen-list mailing list athen-list at mailman12.u.washington.edu http://mailman12.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list From ALewis at nfb.org Tue Feb 20 17:37:35 2024 From: ALewis at nfb.org (Lewis, Anil) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:37:35 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] FW: [Athen] Fwd: Recruiting for Digital Math Focus Groups In-Reply-To: <007d01da6420$ebbe9dc0$c33bd940$@comcast.net> References: <007d01da6420$ebbe9dc0$c33bd940$@comcast.net> Message-ID: Dave: Please refer these to nfb.org/research and ask them to complete our research request form. Or you can forward these requests to research at nfb.org. Thanks, Anil Mr. Anil Lewis, M.P.A. Executive Director  National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute (410) 659-9314 ext. 2374 (Voice) -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of dandrews920--- via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 12:19 PM To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org; mn.bvi at mailmanlists.us Cc: Andrews, Dave Subject: [NABS-L] FW: [Athen] Fwd: Recruiting for Digital Math Focus Groups From: athen-list On Behalf Of Michael Cantino Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 11:15 AM To: athen-list at u.washington.edu Subject: [Athen] Fwd: Recruiting for Digital Math Focus Groups Hello, We are conducting a research study approved by Florida State University’s and the University of South Carolina’s IRB Boards to explore how individuals with visual impairments, both high school students in grades 9-12 and college students, use technology to participate in math learning. The technology includes both mainstream technology (e.g., tablets, computers) and specialized assistive technology for people with visual impairments (e.g., braille notetakers, video magnifiers, JAWS, VoiceOver). We are asking for your help to advertise our study. We are seeking four groups of individuals: * High school students with visual impairments in grades 9-12 enrolled in an academic math (e.g., algebra, geometry) who use technology at school and work with a teacher of students with visual impairments. * College students with visual impairments at 2 or 4 year colleges/universities who have had a math class within the last 2 years and who use technology at college. College students may have had a visual impairment in high school or acquired it post-high school. * Teachers of students with visual impairments who have 3 years or more of teaching experience and have one or more high school students who use technology in math class. * General education math teachers who have a student with a visual impairment in grades 9-12 with a visual impairment in their academic math class (e.g., algebra, geometry) and who have taught math at the high school level for 3 years or more. Individuals who wish to participate can go to the recruitment form or copy and paste this link into your web browser: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dnDem4QNP6Y5GqW Please share the attached flier that explains the study in more detail with those who may wish to participate. Thank you, Michael Tuttle, PhD, Florida State University L. Penny Rosenblum, PhD, Vision for Independence / University of Arizona Tina S. Herzberg, Ph.D., University of South Caroline Upstate Adelaide Kelly-Massoud, EdD, Perkins School for the Blind, College Success @ Perkins Leslie Thatcher, Perkins School for the Blind, College Success @ Perkins Tina S. Herzberg, Ph.D. she/her/hers Professor and Coordinator of Special Education – Visual Impairment Program USC Upstate; College of Education, Human Performance, and Health; HEC 3039 800 University Way Spartanburg, SC 29303 Office: 864-503-5572 Fax: 864-503-5574 herzberg @uscupstate.edu Visit: Project INSPIRE: Increasing the STEM Potential of Individuals who Read Braille Use this form to be notified of future Project INSPIRE courses and other activities. Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website. From mkvnfb94 at gmail.com Tue Feb 20 19:25:54 2024 From: mkvnfb94 at gmail.com (Mariya Vasileva) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2024 14:25:54 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Advice on saving money while receiving Social Security and working Message-ID: <4A4DF742-D004-4F45-AFC5-E92D4CBAF88D@gmail.com>  Sent from my iPhone Hi All, I am in need of advice on a very important topic. I am currently working for the lighthouse, and I absolutely love what I do. At the same time, I am receiving Social Security, because I am under the monthly cap for recipients who are employed. This puts me in a very odd predicament because I am not able to save money because of Social Security‘s monthly limits on how much money should be in one account at a time per month. Therefore, I am in need of advice from anyone on this list as to how to go about saving money for any future situations while still receiving Social Security. I know that saving cash is not the safest route because of not many people doing that nowadays, and it’s not very safe. I also know that I can’t have too many accounts, because of Social Security‘s income limits. If you guys know of any alternative ways to save money in this type of situation, I would greatly appreciate all the help that I can get. Sincerely, Mariya Vasileva From kschaber at my.chemeketa.edu Tue Feb 20 20:07:21 2024 From: kschaber at my.chemeketa.edu (Kendra Schaber) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2024 20:07:21 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Advice on saving money while receiving Social Security and working In-Reply-To: <4A4DF742-D004-4F45-AFC5-E92D4CBAF88D@gmail.com> References: <4A4DF742-D004-4F45-AFC5-E92D4CBAF88D@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi Maria! Have you ever heard of the ABLE account? I know it’s another account but it’s the only legal and real way that anyone on SSI can actually save money beyond the unfair limits that we’re held down low under by the outdated laws that govern the whole entire Social Security Administration. I think the website with info about these accounts is found at able.gov, but you can also google up the search term, ABLE account as well. I hope this helps! Kendra Get Outlook for iOS ________________________________ From: NABS-L on behalf of Mariya Vasileva via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 11:25:54 AM To: NABS-L at nfbnet.org Cc: Mariya Vasileva Subject: [NABS-L] Advice on saving money while receiving Social Security and working Sent from my iPhone Hi All, I am in need of advice on a very important topic. I am currently working for the lighthouse, and I absolutely love what I do. At the same time, I am receiving Social Security, because I am under the monthly cap for recipients who are employed. This puts me in a very odd predicament because I am not able to save money because of Social Security‘s monthly limits on how much money should be in one account at a time per month. Therefore, I am in need of advice from anyone on this list as to how to go about saving money for any future situations while still receiving Social Security. I know that saving cash is not the safest route because of not many people doing that nowadays, and it’s not very safe. I also know that I can’t have too many accounts, because of Social Security‘s income limits. If you guys know of any alternative ways to save money in this type of situation, I would greatly appreciate all the help that I can get. Sincerely, Mariya Vasileva _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu From dandrews920 at comcast.net Tue Feb 20 22:43:00 2024 From: dandrews920 at comcast.net (dandrews920 at comcast.net) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2024 16:43:00 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] FW: [Athen] Fwd: Recruiting for Digital Math Focus Groups In-Reply-To: References: <007d01da6420$ebbe9dc0$c33bd940$@comcast.net> Message-ID: <029d01da644e$3084b0c0$918e1240$@comcast.net> Sorry, I do know better! Dave -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Lewis, Anil via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 11:38 AM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Lewis, Anil Subject: Re: [NABS-L] FW: [Athen] Fwd: Recruiting for Digital Math Focus Groups Dave: Please refer these to nfb.org/research and ask them to complete our research request form. Or you can forward these requests to research at nfb.org. Thanks, Anil Mr. Anil Lewis, M.P.A. Executive Director National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute (410) 659-9314 ext. 2374 (Voice) -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of dandrews920--- via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 12:19 PM To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org; mn.bvi at mailmanlists.us Cc: Andrews, Dave Subject: [NABS-L] FW: [Athen] Fwd: Recruiting for Digital Math Focus Groups From: athen-list On Behalf Of Michael Cantino Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 11:15 AM To: athen-list at u.washington.edu Subject: [Athen] Fwd: Recruiting for Digital Math Focus Groups Hello, We are conducting a research study approved by Florida State University’s and the University of South Carolina’s IRB Boards to explore how individuals with visual impairments, both high school students in grades 9-12 and college students, use technology to participate in math learning. The technology includes both mainstream technology (e.g., tablets, computers) and specialized assistive technology for people with visual impairments (e.g., braille notetakers, video magnifiers, JAWS, VoiceOver). We are asking for your help to advertise our study. We are seeking four groups of individuals: * High school students with visual impairments in grades 9-12 enrolled in an academic math (e.g., algebra, geometry) who use technology at school and work with a teacher of students with visual impairments. * College students with visual impairments at 2 or 4 year colleges/universities who have had a math class within the last 2 years and who use technology at college. College students may have had a visual impairment in high school or acquired it post-high school. * Teachers of students with visual impairments who have 3 years or more of teaching experience and have one or more high school students who use technology in math class. * General education math teachers who have a student with a visual impairment in grades 9-12 with a visual impairment in their academic math class (e.g., algebra, geometry) and who have taught math at the high school level for 3 years or more. Individuals who wish to participate can go to the recruitment form or copy and paste this link into your web browser: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dnDem4QNP6Y5GqW Please share the attached flier that explains the study in more detail with those who may wish to participate. Thank you, Michael Tuttle, PhD, Florida State University L. Penny Rosenblum, PhD, Vision for Independence / University of Arizona Tina S. Herzberg, Ph.D., University of South Caroline Upstate Adelaide Kelly-Massoud, EdD, Perkins School for the Blind, College Success @ Perkins Leslie Thatcher, Perkins School for the Blind, College Success @ Perkins Tina S. Herzberg, Ph.D. she/her/hers Professor and Coordinator of Special Education – Visual Impairment Program USC Upstate; College of Education, Human Performance, and Health; HEC 3039 800 University Way Spartanburg, SC 29303 Office: 864-503-5572 Fax: 864-503-5574 herzberg @uscupstate.edu Visit: Project INSPIRE: Increasing the STEM Potential of Individuals who Read Braille Use this form to be notified of future Project INSPIRE courses and other activities. Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website. _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/dandrews920%40comcast.net From louvins at gmail.com Tue Feb 20 23:09:25 2024 From: louvins at gmail.com (Joshua Hendrickson) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:09:25 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Advice on saving money while receiving Social Security and working In-Reply-To: References: <4A4DF742-D004-4F45-AFC5-E92D4CBAF88D@gmail.com> Message-ID: In California, its called the stable account. I like Kendra have an able account. Check them out. You can save money with an able or stable account and not have to worry about getting penalized by social security. Good luck. On 2/20/24, Kendra Schaber via NABS-L wrote: > Hi Maria! > Have you ever heard of the ABLE account? I know it’s another account but > it’s the only legal and real way that anyone on SSI can actually save money > beyond the unfair limits that we’re held down low under by the outdated laws > that govern the whole entire Social Security Administration. I think the > website with info about these accounts is found at able.gov, but you can > also google up the search term, ABLE account as well. I hope this helps! > Kendra > > > Get Outlook for iOS > ________________________________ > From: NABS-L on behalf of Mariya Vasileva via > NABS-L > Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 11:25:54 AM > To: NABS-L at nfbnet.org > Cc: Mariya Vasileva > Subject: [NABS-L] Advice on saving money while receiving Social Security and > working > > > Sent from my iPhone > Hi All, I am in need of advice on a very important topic. I am currently > working for the lighthouse, and I absolutely love what I do. At the same > time, I am receiving Social Security, because I am under the monthly cap for > recipients who are employed. This puts me in a very odd predicament because > I am not able to save money because of Social Security‘s monthly limits on > how much money should be in one account at a time per month. Therefore, I am > in need of advice from anyone on this list as to how to go about saving > money for any future situations while still receiving Social Security. I > know that saving cash is not the safest route because of not many people > doing that nowadays, and it’s not very safe. I also know that I can’t have > too many accounts, because of Social Security‘s income limits. If you guys > know of any alternative ways to save money in this type of situation, I > would greatly appreciate all the help that I can get. > Sincerely, > Mariya Vasileva > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/louvins%40gmail.com > -- Joshua Hendrickson Joshua Hendrickson From jacobryanham at gmail.com Wed Feb 21 02:06:13 2024 From: jacobryanham at gmail.com (Jacob Ham) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2024 21:06:13 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Myths About the Blind for Academic Lecture Message-ID: Hi all, I'm giving a lecture to a number of occupational therapy students soon, and want to dedicate some time to dispelling myths about the blind and instill some knowledge useful to rehabilitation workers. What are some misconceptions you've encountered about blindness, either from general others, or from healthcare professionals? I'd love to hear experiences about doctors, therapists, nurses, VR counselors, physical & occupational therapists, and other 'blindness professionals'. Below is a list of what I've come up with so far: myth: blind means a total lack of sight fact: blindness is a spectrum. many blind people have some amount of vision myth: blind people have heightened senses to compensate for poor vision fact: blind people's senses are just the same as anyone else barring another disability (if this were true, there would be situations where blindness is advantageous because of the heightened senses) myth: blind people don't or can't have sex fact: blind people engage in sex and relationships. As a group, blind people contain as much diversity in identity as any other segment of the population and include individuals of all races, sexualities, and gender identities. myth: all blind people use a cane fact: blind people use a number of mobility strategies which include canes, dogs, or residual vision. Individuals may use one or more of these strategies depending on context, myth: the white cane is the only cane that indicates blindness fact: blindness mobility and ID canes come in a variety of colors, and many people choose to personalize theirs. Laws protecting blind pedestrians from cars vary from state to state as to whether the cane must be white. myth: blind people can't or don't use the internet fact: blind people have many assistive technologies that enable computer and smartphone use, including internet access without vision These I came up with off the top of my head, but I'd love to hear y'alls input as well. Best, Jacob Ham From ninam0814 at gmail.com Wed Feb 21 12:17:25 2024 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 12:17:25 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Myths About the Blind for Academic Lecture In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Good morning. Some that come to mind for me include that blind people do not care about fashion / their appearance, that blind people can't live independently, that blind people can't independently do self care e.g. shaving. These seem relevant to that field. If you could throw something in about asking consent before any kind of touch even during instruction, that'd be great too. Good luck. ________________________________ From: NABS-L on behalf of Jacob Ham via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 9:06:13 PM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Jacob Ham Subject: [NABS-L] Myths About the Blind for Academic Lecture Hi all, I'm giving a lecture to a number of occupational therapy students soon, and want to dedicate some time to dispelling myths about the blind and instill some knowledge useful to rehabilitation workers. What are some misconceptions you've encountered about blindness, either from general others, or from healthcare professionals? I'd love to hear experiences about doctors, therapists, nurses, VR counselors, physical & occupational therapists, and other 'blindness professionals'. Below is a list of what I've come up with so far: myth: blind means a total lack of sight fact: blindness is a spectrum. many blind people have some amount of vision myth: blind people have heightened senses to compensate for poor vision fact: blind people's senses are just the same as anyone else barring another disability (if this were true, there would be situations where blindness is advantageous because of the heightened senses) myth: blind people don't or can't have sex fact: blind people engage in sex and relationships. As a group, blind people contain as much diversity in identity as any other segment of the population and include individuals of all races, sexualities, and gender identities. myth: all blind people use a cane fact: blind people use a number of mobility strategies which include canes, dogs, or residual vision. Individuals may use one or more of these strategies depending on context, myth: the white cane is the only cane that indicates blindness fact: blindness mobility and ID canes come in a variety of colors, and many people choose to personalize theirs. Laws protecting blind pedestrians from cars vary from state to state as to whether the cane must be white. myth: blind people can't or don't use the internet fact: blind people have many assistive technologies that enable computer and smartphone use, including internet access without vision These I came up with off the top of my head, but I'd love to hear y'alls input as well. Best, Jacob Ham _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ninam0814%40gmail.com From jacobryanham at gmail.com Wed Feb 21 13:27:43 2024 From: jacobryanham at gmail.com (Jacob Ham) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:27:43 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Myths About the Blind for Academic Lecture In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: thanks nina these are great! On Wed, Feb 21, 2024 at 7:19 AM Nina Marranca via NABS-L wrote: > Good morning. Some that come to mind for me include that blind people do > not care about fashion / their appearance, that blind people can't live > independently, that blind people can't independently do self care e.g. > shaving. These seem relevant to that field. If you could throw something in > about asking consent before any kind of touch even during instruction, > that'd be great too. Good luck. > ________________________________ > From: NABS-L on behalf of Jacob Ham via > NABS-L > Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 9:06:13 PM > To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list > > Cc: Jacob Ham > Subject: [NABS-L] Myths About the Blind for Academic Lecture > > Hi all, > > I'm giving a lecture to a number of occupational therapy students soon, and > want to dedicate some time to dispelling myths about the blind and instill > some knowledge useful to rehabilitation workers. What are some > misconceptions you've encountered about blindness, either from general > others, or from healthcare professionals? I'd love to hear experiences > about doctors, therapists, nurses, VR counselors, physical & occupational > therapists, and other 'blindness professionals'. Below is a list of what > I've come up with so far: > > myth: blind means a total lack of sight > fact: blindness is a spectrum. many blind people have some amount of vision > myth: blind people have heightened senses to compensate for poor vision > fact: blind people's senses are just the same as anyone else barring > another disability (if this were true, there would be situations where > blindness is advantageous because of the heightened senses) > myth: blind people don't or can't have sex > fact: blind people engage in sex and relationships. As a group, blind > people contain as much diversity in identity as any other segment of the > population and include individuals of all races, sexualities, and gender > identities. > myth: all blind people use a cane > fact: blind people use a number of mobility strategies which include canes, > dogs, or residual vision. Individuals may use one or more of these > strategies depending on context, > myth: the white cane is the only cane that indicates blindness > fact: blindness mobility and ID canes come in a variety of colors, and many > people choose to personalize theirs. Laws protecting blind pedestrians from > cars vary from state to state as to whether the cane must be white. > myth: blind people can't or don't use the internet > fact: blind people have many assistive technologies that enable computer > and smartphone use, including internet access without vision > > These I came up with off the top of my head, but I'd love to hear y'alls > input as well. > > Best, > Jacob Ham > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ninam0814%40gmail.com > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/jacobryanham%40gmail.com > From helpdesk at imagemd.org Wed Feb 21 13:59:03 2024 From: helpdesk at imagemd.org (Bridges Help Desk) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:59:03 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Advice on saving money while receiving Social Security and working Message-ID: Mariya, I echo the recommendations about ABLE accounts. They are inexpensive, flexible savings accounts for individuals with a Social Security-eligible disability that also you to save up to $100,000 while maintaining eligibility for government support programs. Here are some fast facts about how an ABLE account can help you (assuming that you live in California and that you became disabled before your 26th birthday): 1. Up to $100,000 in ABLE account funds will NOT be counted as a resource for any means-tested program (such as SSI, SNAP, FAFSA, etc.). 2. Deposit limits a. You may deposit up to $18,000 this year in your ABLE account. b. As a working individual, you may deposit up to an ADDITIONAL $14,580 (the additional amount is your annual GROSS earned income or $14,580, whichever is less. c. In other words, you may deposit up to $32,580 into an ABLE account this year -- assuming that your gross earned income equals or exceeds $14,580. d. Please note that gifts from others may be deposited into your ABLE account, and those gifts will not be counted as income (as they are for SSI recipients). However, the TOTAL annual ABLE account contribution is capped at $18,000 plus the account owner's gross earned income up to $14,580 -- for a maximum of $32,580. e. For more details about contributions into an ABLE account, check out this article: *How Much Money Can Go into an ABLE Account? * 3. Spending ABLE account money a. You may spend ABLE Account funds on a wide variety of items, including food, housing, transportation, tuition. personal care, medical expenses, etc. b. Full more details on these “qualified expenses,” please check out this article: *How Can ABLE Account Funds Be Spent? * c. Withdrawals are NOT considered income for SSI or SSDI so long as the withdrawal is used for a qualified expense 4. Tax treatment of ABLE accounts a. Investment growth (interest, dividends, etc.) are NOT taxable b. Withdrawals are NOT taxable income so long as withdrawals are used for qualified expenses c. Some states offer state income tax deductions for ABLE Account contributions, but California does not. Here are some additional resources from our Bridges Resource Library that provide more details about ABLE Accounts: · *All About ABLE Accounts * · *ABLE Accounts – Frequently Asked Questions * Please feel free to reach out to the Free Maryland Bridges Technical Assistance Center and our Helpdesk for more information. Carlton -- *Free Helpdesk for Maryland Blind/Low Vision Transition Students, Families, Educators, and Community Allies * Maryland Bridges Technical Assistance Center *Check out our website * *Send us an email * *Text*: Send to *(410) 357-1546* *Voice mail: **(410) 357-1546** [*leave a detailed message and we will return your call] *Contact us through our accessible web form * *Like our Facebook page * Follow us on Twitter @BridgesHelpdesk *Subscribe to our YouTube channel * Tap into our Instagram feed This unique project is being coordinated through The IMAGE Center of Maryland, a center for independent living in Towson, and it is funded by a grant from the Maryland Department of Education Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services. From ljmaher03 at outlook.com Wed Feb 21 14:47:51 2024 From: ljmaher03 at outlook.com (Louis Maher) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 14:47:51 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Reminder: Announcement For A Zoom Conference On How The Blind Can Do STEM In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The Science and Engineering Division of the National Federation of the Blind and the National Association of Blind Students are presenting a joint Zoom conference on how blind college and graduate students, and blind professionals, are succeeding in courses and Careers to do with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Zoom conference link will be the standard NABS Zoom link shown at the bottom of this message. The call will occur at 8 PM EST through 9 PM EST on Sunday, February 25, 2024. Topics will be of interest for blind students in middle school, high school, college and graduate school and professionals. Parents of blind school-aged children and educators are also welcome. For a listing of the scheduled speakers, topics, talk descriptions, and speaker introductions, see the attached file. If you have any questions, please contact Louis Maher (713-444-7838, ljmaher03 at outlook.com). ----- Join Zoom Meeting: February 25, 2024, 8 PM EST Zoom Links https://zoom.us/j/4678833687#success Meeting ID: 467 883 3687 One tap mobile +13017158592,,4678833687# US (Germantown) 13126266799,,4678833687# US (Chicago) -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Announcement For A Zoom Conference On How The Blind Can Do STEM 2024-02-25 (0).docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 27465 bytes Desc: Announcement For A Zoom Conference On How The Blind Can Do STEM 2024-02-25 (0).docx URL: From ninam0814 at gmail.com Wed Feb 21 15:25:29 2024 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 15:25:29 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Accessibility of SPSS? Message-ID: Hi all, I know that I have heard previous stories about the inaccessibility of SPSS. However, is this still the case? I would have access to Macs or windows computers with Voiceover or jaws. But I’m curious if anyone could please share their recent experiences? I’ve only used R in the past. Thanks so much. From ty.lashley14 at icloud.com Wed Feb 21 17:09:25 2024 From: ty.lashley14 at icloud.com (Tyion Lashley) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 12:09:25 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Accessibility of SPSS? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1717B659-C130-4864-ABAA-CD085FEA42BF@icloud.com> Hello Nina, It is my understanding that SPSS still has a lot of accessibility issues. Tee > On Feb 21, 2024, at 10:26 AM, Nina Marranca via NABS-L wrote: > >  > > Hi all, > I know that I have heard previous stories about the inaccessibility of SPSS. However, is this still the case? I would have access to Macs or windows computers with Voiceover or jaws. But I’m curious if anyone could please share their recent experiences? I’ve only used R in the past. Thanks so much. > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ty.lashley14%40icloud.com From icecreamlover76 at outlook.com Wed Feb 21 17:54:43 2024 From: icecreamlover76 at outlook.com (Terri Stimmel) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:54:43 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Travel around campus Message-ID: Hello everyone, So, I am struggling to get around on my college campus. Please understand, this is not a big campus at all. But, it is pretty spread out. I think there are maybe six buildings in all. This is just a guess though, really. And, some of them I will never need to visit. A couple of the buildings, one of which is pretty important, is up a big hill, and also across a busier road. The disability services office has actually looked into putting a light there, and having one of those accessible walk alerts installed. I don't know though if they will be able to do this, or not. And, I haven't heard anything about it in a while. I am totally blind, and am a cane user. I have pretty decent mobility skills. I have had some mobility training. A gentleman from the office from where my rehab counselor is from, has met with me twice, at the campus, to try and help me. And, I do believe that I am able to get one more visit with him. I will need to make sure of this, though. I do think that I am not remembering routes as well as I once was. Maybe this is due to my age? I am not really sure what is going on there. But every time I go to classes, I just can't really seem to remember where I am going. There aren't a lot of landmarks outside. But in the buildings, some of the hallways are just layed out oddly. Even sighted friends, and staff have told me that they still get confused. There are benches in some areas, that I am able to use as reference points. But getting around outside is really difficult for me. The hallways seem to have little turns in them, and seem to be somewhat curved, at times. It's really difficult to explain. And, every building seems to have multiple entrances. Right now, I have friends that help me navigate, when they can. This has been a huge help for me. I use my cane, and they just give me verbal directions, when I need them. However, the disability services, office, feels that I need to do more on my own, and not rely on others as much. I am not at all against this. It is just a struggle though. And, I don't know how to make this situation any better. Or, much different. Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation? If so, what were some things that worked for you? Any thoughts, and suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thank you, Terri From buhrow at nfbcal.org Wed Feb 21 18:51:25 2024 From: buhrow at nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 10:51:25 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Travel around campus In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <202402211851.41LIpPwi000840@nfbcal.org> hello Terri. I don't know if these suggestions will be helpful, but they are things I find helpful when I am learning a new campus, or if I find I have trouble remembering things about a particular campus, or route to a specific place on a campus. 1. If possible, go to campus on a day when you don't have classes and do a practice walk or two to your classroom locations. If you get lost, back track until you get to yor starting location and start the route again. As you travel, either when you'r lost, or when you know where you are, pay attention to things you encounter, i.e. the presence of benches, the texture of pavement, the width of walks, the presence or absence of curbs, the presence or absence of traffic sounds and the general direction of those traffic sounds. Don't stress if you can't remember every detail, just take in as much detail as you can. Some of it will go away, but over time, as you do the routes more frequently, details wil come back and pieces of what you encounter will begin to fit together. I think of this part of learning a place as the island effect. I learn the details of a specific location, but don't know where to place it in the mental map I keep of most locations I visit. As I visit the same place more frequently, these snapshots, or islands, begin to grow larger in my head as I begin to put them together and form a more "continental" view of the place. Eventually, I'll be able to hold a pretty complete map of the campus in my head and be able to locate myself on that map at any given time. The details I remember from my first explorations become clues to helping me locate myself on that map if I find myself lost at some point in the future. The reason for going when you don't have classes is to reduce the pressure of trying to do this while also rushing to get to class on time. It takes time to do this exploration and it's helpful if it can be done when not being forced to worry about other things. 2. If you can find a friend to do some of this exploration with who knows the campus and who can give you additional contextual details as you walk around, that would be helpful. This is something you can do with a mobility instructor, but if that resource is limited, willing friends can be very helpful here too. Just explain to them the purpose of what you're doing, so they know to give you information and not just navigate you to your location. 3. I think you could use AIRA or Be My Eyes for some of this work as well, but I don't have any real experience with actually doing it except to say that, again, it's important to make it clear to them that you don't want them to just navigate you to your location, but to provide aancillary information as you travel, under your own direction, answering your questions as you go. 4. Learning the complexities of a large campus takes time, so be gentle with yourself. I find that I'll learn a route to a given location from a given location, but, over time, I begin to change that route slightly, as I discover new paths, and this helps me build my mental map, as I described earlier. 5. If the external walkways are public streets, you may be able to get tactile maps of the area you'r interested in learning from the San Francisco Lighthous's TMAP project. https://lighthouse-sf.org/tmap/ There, you can either order a tactile map of the area you're interested in learning, or, if you have access to a tactile embosser, you can download and emboss your own maps. You don't hafve to be a braille reader for this to be extremely helpful. I hope these ideas are helpful and, happy exploring! -Brian From broanna49 at gmail.com Wed Feb 21 19:28:32 2024 From: broanna49 at gmail.com (Roanna Bacchus) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 14:28:32 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Travel around campus Message-ID: <65d64ee4.050a0220.b1529.1a3f@mx.google.com> Ask for mobility training ahead of time. Your local rehab agency should provide you with mobility instruction on campus. Have a family member or friend that you trust go to the campus with you to review your routes. This is what worked for me. Roanna Bacchus  On Feb 21, 2024 12:54 PM, Terri Stimmel via NABS-L wrote: > > Hello everyone, > > > So, I am struggling to get around on my college campus. Please > understand, this is not a big campus at all. But, it is pretty spread > out. I think there are maybe six buildings in all. This is just a guess > though, really. And, some of them I will never need to visit. A couple > of the buildings, one of which is pretty important, is up a big hill, > and also across a busier road. > > > The disability services office has actually looked into putting a light > there, and having one of those accessible walk alerts installed. I don't > know though if they will be able to do this, or not. And, I haven't > heard anything about it in a while. > > > I am totally blind, and am a cane user. I have pretty decent mobility > skills. I have had some mobility training. A gentleman from the office > from where my rehab counselor is from, has met with me twice, at the > campus, to try and help me. And, I do believe that I am able to get one > more visit with him. I will need to make sure of this, though. > > > I do think that I am not remembering routes as well as I once was. Maybe > this is due to my age? I am not really sure what is going on there. > > But every time I go to classes, I just can't really seem to remember > where I am going. > > > There aren't a lot of landmarks outside. But in the buildings, some of > the hallways are just layed out oddly. Even sighted friends, and staff > have told me that they still get confused. There are benches in some > areas, that I am able to use as reference points. But getting around > outside is really difficult for me. > > > The hallways seem to have little turns in them, and seem to be somewhat > curved, at times. It's really difficult to explain. And, every building > seems to have multiple entrances. > > > Right now, I have friends that help me navigate, when they can. This has > been a huge help for me. I use my cane, and they just give me verbal > directions, when I need them. > > > However, the disability services, office, feels that I need to do more > on my own, and not rely on others as much. I am not at all against this. > It is just a struggle though. And, I don't know how to make this > situation any better. Or, much different. > > > Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation? > > If so, what were some things that worked for you? > > > Any thoughts, and suggestions would be very much appreciated. > > > Thank you, > > > Terri > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/broanna49%40gmail.com From natasha.ishaq2001 at gmail.com Thu Feb 22 17:25:30 2024 From: natasha.ishaq2001 at gmail.com (Natasha Ishaq) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2024 12:25:30 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Accessibility of SPSS? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Nina, I tried to use SPSS just last year for my research and thesis. It is not accessible. I ended up using R as an alternative. Since you are already familiar with R, I recommend using that instead of SPSS. Hope this helps! Best, Natasha On Wed, Feb 21, 2024 at 10:26 AM Nina Marranca via NABS-L wrote: > > > Hi all, > I know that I have heard previous stories about the inaccessibility of > SPSS. However, is this still the case? I would have access to Macs or > windows computers with Voiceover or jaws. But I’m curious if anyone could > please share their recent experiences? I’ve only used R in the past. Thanks > so much. > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/natasha.ishaq2001%40gmail.com > From schoi at nfbmo.org Fri Feb 23 00:21:59 2024 From: schoi at nfbmo.org (Seyoon Choi) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2024 18:21:59 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Reminder of Tonights' Missouri Association of Blind Students "All About Baking" Event at 7 PM Message-ID: <2A482AAA-7CCC-4497-94DD-CA6E416600A7@nfbmo.org> > Students, I hope you are doing well during this fine school year. Come and enjoy a wonderful conversation about all things baking and afterwards, a nice recipe that you can enjoy with your family and friends. You will be able to give your perspective and hear other perspectives about baking also. You will also get some great tips on how to bake as a blind and visually impaired person as well. The meeting will be on Thursday, February 22nd on zoom. In addition, we do have a baking recipe for you to reference, attached.  Join Zoom Meeting : One tap mobile +13126266799,97716217767# US (Chicago) +16469313860,97716217767# US Seyoon Choi (he/him/his) Board Member | National Federation of the Blind of Missouri Chair | Technology Empowerment Committee Treasurer | Missouri Association of Blind Students Nfbmo.org Co-Chair | National Association of Blind Students Content Creation Committee Nabslink.org MSW Candidate | Saint Louis University 2024 schoi at nfbmo.org (314) 650-8306 -- **Private voting is a right, it should not require sight. ** The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Chocolate Chip Cookies.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 14555 bytes Desc: not available URL: From mkvnfb94 at gmail.com Fri Feb 23 02:22:10 2024 From: mkvnfb94 at gmail.com (Mariya Vasileva) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2024 21:22:10 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Advice on saving money while receiving Social Security and working In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <00F21E50-E2E1-406A-9FE3-C0A7C8C077AF@gmail.com> Hi all, I appreciate the advice. Thank you so much for reaching out. Sincerely, Mariya Vasileva Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 20, 2024, at 6:10 PM, Joshua Hendrickson via NABS-L wrote: > > In California, its called the stable account. I like Kendra have an > able account. Check them out. You can save money with an able or > stable account and not have to worry about getting penalized by social > security. Good luck. > >> On 2/20/24, Kendra Schaber via NABS-L wrote: >> Hi Maria! >> Have you ever heard of the ABLE account? I know it’s another account but >> it’s the only legal and real way that anyone on SSI can actually save money >> beyond the unfair limits that we’re held down low under by the outdated laws >> that govern the whole entire Social Security Administration. I think the >> website with info about these accounts is found at able.gov, but you can >> also google up the search term, ABLE account as well. I hope this helps! >> Kendra >> >> >> Get Outlook for iOS >> ________________________________ >> From: NABS-L on behalf of Mariya Vasileva via >> NABS-L >> Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 11:25:54 AM >> To: NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> Cc: Mariya Vasileva >> Subject: [NABS-L] Advice on saving money while receiving Social Security and >> working >> >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> Hi All, I am in need of advice on a very important topic. I am currently >> working for the lighthouse, and I absolutely love what I do. At the same >> time, I am receiving Social Security, because I am under the monthly cap for >> recipients who are employed. This puts me in a very odd predicament because >> I am not able to save money because of Social Security‘s monthly limits on >> how much money should be in one account at a time per month. Therefore, I am >> in need of advice from anyone on this list as to how to go about saving >> money for any future situations while still receiving Social Security. I >> know that saving cash is not the safest route because of not many people >> doing that nowadays, and it’s not very safe. I also know that I can’t have >> too many accounts, because of Social Security‘s income limits. If you guys >> know of any alternative ways to save money in this type of situation, I >> would greatly appreciate all the help that I can get. >> Sincerely, >> Mariya Vasileva >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kschaber%40my.chemeketa.edu >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for >> NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/louvins%40gmail.com >> > > > -- > Joshua Hendrickson > > Joshua Hendrickson > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mkvnfb94%40gmail.com From spopplestone.nfb at gmail.com Fri Feb 23 13:45:58 2024 From: spopplestone.nfb at gmail.com (Shane Popplestone) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:45:58 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] join the Ohio Association of Blind students tonight at 8:00 PM eastern, for our Message-ID: Hello all, Please Join Ohio students for a social meeting tonight at 8:00 PM eastern, 5:00 PM pacific. This is an informal meeting where We'll catch up on the semester, talk about tips and tricks, and generally unwind from the week! Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83171167510?pwd=OEtLd25EMzMxODR3akhnZ00zYlg3Zz09 Meeting ID: 831 7116 7510 Passcode: 6227 hope to see you tonight! Shane Popplestone President of the Ohio Association of blind students Co-chair of the ohio newsline committee member of the Grater Akron Chapter member of Ohio Association of Guide Dog users spopplestone.nfb at gmail.com 234-716-2208 You can live the life you want! -- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com From natasha.ishaq2001 at gmail.com Fri Feb 23 17:18:10 2024 From: natasha.ishaq2001 at gmail.com (Natasha Ishaq) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:18:10 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Calling all New Jersey NFB Members Message-ID: Hello All, The New Jersey Association of Blind Students (NJABS) is back with a new look and feel! Natasha Ishaq has been appointed the new student committee chairperson. You can meet Natasha and other blind students from across New Jersey during our first call of the year on Sunday February 25 at 8PM EST! Learn about how to get more involved in our exciting new projects, share your ideas, and network with fellow blind students! You can read more about Natasha below and find the Zoom information you’ll need to join the call. Please contact Natasha with any questions by emailing nfbnjabs at gmail.com. You can also text or call her at 609-917-8236. Natasha graduated from The College of New Jersey last May with a degree in anthropology and will be attending law school this fall. She is both academically and professionally involved in accessibility awareness and advocacy. While Natasha has some previous leadership experience as a board member of the 2019 NJABS student board, she has become more actively involved in the NFB of New Jersey after receiving a national scholarship in 2022. She looks forward to serving as the first chair of the new NJABS committee and revamping the student division as a whole. Zoom Information: https://zoom.us/j/6477660103?pwd=MUl1dnZQU1JxMkhUemdCSHZUM21HUT09 Meeting ID*:* 647 766 0103 Passcode*:* 460994 Thank you! Warm Regards, Natasha Thanks, Natasha Ish From dandrews920 at comcast.net Fri Feb 23 21:25:51 2024 From: dandrews920 at comcast.net (dandrews920 at comcast.net) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2024 15:25:51 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Calling all New Jersey NFB Members In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <000b01da669e$e2119540$a634bfc0$@comcast.net> There is also a New Jersey Student List. You can subscribe by sending e-mail to njabs-talk-subscribe at nfbnet.org and leave everything blank. Dave -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Natasha Ishaq via NABS-L Sent: Friday, February 23, 2024 11:18 AM To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org Cc: Natasha Ishaq Subject: [NABS-L] Calling all New Jersey NFB Members Hello All, The New Jersey Association of Blind Students (NJABS) is back with a new look and feel! Natasha Ishaq has been appointed the new student committee chairperson. You can meet Natasha and other blind students from across New Jersey during our first call of the year on Sunday February 25 at 8PM EST! Learn about how to get more involved in our exciting new projects, share your ideas, and network with fellow blind students! You can read more about Natasha below and find the Zoom information you’ll need to join the call. Please contact Natasha with any questions by emailing nfbnjabs at gmail.com. You can also text or call her at 609-917-8236. Natasha graduated from The College of New Jersey last May with a degree in anthropology and will be attending law school this fall. She is both academically and professionally involved in accessibility awareness and advocacy. While Natasha has some previous leadership experience as a board member of the 2019 NJABS student board, she has become more actively involved in the NFB of New Jersey after receiving a national scholarship in 2022. She looks forward to serving as the first chair of the new NJABS committee and revamping the student division as a whole. Zoom Information: https://zoom.us/j/6477660103?pwd=MUl1dnZQU1JxMkhUemdCSHZUM21HUT09 Meeting ID*:* 647 766 0103 Passcode*:* 460994 Thank you! Warm Regards, Natasha Thanks, Natasha Ish _______________________________________________ From steve.jacobson at outlook.com Sat Feb 24 15:22:50 2024 From: steve.jacobson at outlook.com (Steve Jacobson) Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2024 15:22:50 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] NFB of Minnesota Joyce and Tom Scanlan Scholarships still Available In-Reply-To: <00a701da6733$a3c01b00$eb405100$@nfbmn.org> References: <00a701da6733$a3c01b00$eb405100$@nfbmn.org> Message-ID: There is still time to apply for a National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota 2024 Joyce and Tom Scanlan scholarship. Applications are being accepted until April 15. What's In It for you? This year we will be awarding two $2,000 scholarships to qualified applicants who are legally blind and attending school next fall in Minnesota. In addition to the monetary award, winners will have the opportunity to attend the Annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind during July 3-8 at our expense in Orlando, Florida, this year. At the convention, scholarship winners will have the chance to meet other blind students from throughout the country and gain valuable insights into succeeding as blind people. Additionally, both winners are required, at our expense, to attend the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota convention in the fall, dates and location still to be determined. The scholarships will be presented at the banquet of our state convention. Who can Apply and How? Candidates must be students who are legally blind and attending a post-secondary school full-time or part-time in Minnesota. In order to apply for a scholarship, complete the online application at https://nfbmn.org/scholarship-program. Be sure to include the additional required documents and send them to scholarships at nfbmn.org. A Microsoft Word version of this information and application can also be requested through the same email address. What Else is Needed Besides an Application? The following documents must also be supplied: 1. Personal essay from applicant - NFB scholarships are awarded on the basis of scholastic excellence and community/campus service and leadership. In your essay, discuss your academic and career goals as well as your academic, community, and/or employment experiences. Tell us about yourself and why you are a deserving recipient of the scholarship. Since the awards are restricted to legally blind people, the committee will also be interested in the techniques you use to succeed as a student who is blind. If you are a part time student, tell us how your part time status supports your educational goals. 2. Two letters of recommendation - you can send these via email to scholarships at nfbmn.org 3. Transcripts - current official transcript from institution now attending and transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions attended. If you have not yet completed one year of college study, submit a transcript from the high school you previously attended. Is There an Interview? All applicants will be contacted by a member of the scholarship committee shortly after the application deadline of April 15. A telephone interview will enable you to tell the committee more about yourself and your goals for the future. What is the Deadline? Your application, essay, letters of recommendation, and transcript(s) must be received by April 15. What if There are Questions? If you or anyone else should have any questions regarding these awards, please contact the Scholarship Committee, at scholarships at nfbmn.org or call us at (612)872-9363. Are There Other Scholarships? Additionally, the National Federation of the Blind offers 30 national scholarships each year. This is a completely separate program with a separate application process. The application deadline for that program is March 31, and arranging for an interview with our state president before the national deadline is required. If you would like more information about the national scholarships, visit http://www.nfb.org/scholarships To learn more about us and what we do here in Minnesota, please visit http://www.nfbmn.org Sincerely, NFB of Minnesota Scholarship Committee From isabelrosario76 at gmail.com Sat Feb 24 16:00:00 2024 From: isabelrosario76 at gmail.com (Isabel Rosario) Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Get ready for Spotlight Saturday Message-ID: Get ready for Spotlight Saturday with the National Association of Blind Students! Join us in celebrating exceptional #blind students nationwide for their outstanding contributions to academia, professions, communities, and state affiliates. Nominate a deserving student today! whether it's a peer, instructor, or even yourself! Let's shine a light on remarkable talent. Submit your nominations here: https://forms.gle/yG3XjwkMtubSi64A6 #SpotlightSaturday #NABS #CelebratingExcellence Best regards, Isabel Rosario Co-chair|NABS Content Creation Committee NABS Now podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/47rJlZrFHD4EIqvgLRNhHM 203-993-3045 From hunterkuester2 at gmail.com Sat Feb 24 18:59:36 2024 From: hunterkuester2 at gmail.com (Hunter Kuester) Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2024 12:59:36 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Unleash your potential at the 2024 Midwest regional student seminar hosted by NABS Message-ID: Calling all students, Embark on a quest through self discovery, untapped potential, networking, interactive workshops and so much more at the 2024 Midwest regional seminar in Chicago Illinois. Embrace the quest, and experience the now with us from March 22nd through March 24th at the Holiday Inn O’Hare area located at 5615 N. Cumberland Ave Chicago, Il. Engage in interactive workshops, student stories, educational and career mentorship, and even a keynote address by Former National Federation of the Blind Board member Denise Avant! You do not want to miss this unparalleled weekend of growth. Registration closes March 15th. To register and save your spot at this year’s seminar please click this link: https://nabslink.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=2 If you have any questions about registration or hotel logistics please reach out to Hunter Kuester at 920-285-8530, or hunterkuester2 at gmail.com Keep it classy, Hunter Kuester From dhsu44 at gatech.edu Sat Feb 24 20:45:03 2024 From: dhsu44 at gatech.edu (Hsu, Debbie) Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2024 20:45:03 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Recruiting students (18+) and working professionals for a study Message-ID: Hello, My name is Debbie. I am part of a team of master’s students at Georgia Institute of Technology conducting a research study to explore how people with vision impairments use technology for knowledge learning daily. We are conducting 40 to 60-minute interviews to learn about the experiences of blind people when engaging in learning activities. We aim to understand any challenges and frustrations that blind people face when learning new skills. We are looking for participants who are legally or completely blind. Participants must be 18 years or older – students or working professionals. The interviews will be conducted virtually on Zoom or MS Teams. Participants will not be compensated. If you are interested in participating, feel free to reach out to me via email (dhsu44 at gatech.edu). If you have questions about the interview process or want additional information about our project, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thank you for considering our request; we look forward to the possibility of collaborating with you! Best Regards, Debbie From dana.mohsen.azim at gmail.com Mon Feb 26 01:21:24 2024 From: dana.mohsen.azim at gmail.com (dana.mohsen.azim at gmail.com) Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2024 17:21:24 -0800 Subject: [NABS-L] Bookshare Question Message-ID: <000001da6852$1dc49380$594dba80$@gmail.com> Hello all, I am currently studying in the U.S. and want to get Bookshare.. The website says it's free for U.S. students. Is it referring to students who are studying in the U.S, or is it referring to American students? Thank you, dana From mauraloberg at gmail.com Mon Feb 26 03:42:05 2024 From: mauraloberg at gmail.com (Maura Loberg) Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2024 21:42:05 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Parchment Message-ID: Hello all, a few weeks ago, I was trying to send my transcripts over to a graduate program using Parchment, which is an electronic transcript delivery service. I noticed it was very inaccessible, and a technology instructor could not figure it out as a blind person, so I know that it isn't operator error. I ended up getting the transcripts where they needed to go using a human reader, but I was wondering if anyone else has struggled with this service? If so, I'd love to write a resolution for the federation to make it a priority this year. Thanks! Maura J. Loberg, she/her/hers Psychology B.A. Nebraska Wesleyan University | Class of 2024. From nomi.otoole at gmail.com Mon Feb 26 04:04:46 2024 From: nomi.otoole at gmail.com (=?utf-8?Q?Naomi_O=E2=80=99Toole?=) Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2024 23:04:46 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Parchment In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <04F1445F-D96D-4745-9092-CBB8070E185C@gmail.com> Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 25, 2024, at 10:43 PM, Maura Loberg via NABS-L wrote: > > Hello all, a few weeks ago, I was trying to send my transcripts over to a graduate program using Parchment, which is an electronic transcript delivery service. I noticed it was very inaccessible, and a technology instructor could not figure it out as a blind person, so I know that it isn't operator error. I ended up getting the transcripts where they needed to go using a human reader, but I was wondering if anyone else has struggled with this service? If so, I'd love to write a resolution for the federation to make it a priority this year. Thanks! > Maura J. Loberg, she/her/hers > Psychology B.A. > Nebraska Wesleyan University | Class of 2024. > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/nomi.otoole%40gmail.com hello hello I haven’t had this issue myself using parchment for school to send transcripts, but I will say their website is quite confusing for those with the screen reader usage like myself From njackson at nfb.org Mon Feb 26 16:52:33 2024 From: njackson at nfb.org (Jackson, Delores Nikki) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2024 16:52:33 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] BISM Gold STAR Program Message-ID: Have you ever wanted to gain experience in the working world before formally entering it? Or wished you could get paid for learning instead of the other way around? Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM) is excited to introduce the Gold STAR Program! This fully residential program will provide participants with a 4-week Work Based Learning Experience. Students will reside in apartment style housing with their peers while working in a professional environment and receiving nonvisual skills training from competent Blind professionals. This work experience will provide you as a student with a first-hand perspective of professional environments and the responsibilities that come with a career. Additionally, the nonvisual skills (i.e. Braille, Technology, Orientation & Mobility, Independent Living, and Job Readiness) will help you learn how to become independent while maintaining a job. Program Dates: July 13 to August 9, 2024 (including weekends) Ages Eligible: 16 to 21 Location: Baltimore, MD If you are interested in attending this program, please complete the Gold STAR 2024 Interest Form here. With any questions or concerns, reach out to Juhi Narula at 410-737-2642 or jnarula at bism.org. Nikki Jackson Employment Program Coordinator 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230 410-659-9314, extension 2404 | njackson at nfb.org [National Federation of the Blind] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Youtube] The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want. Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website. From stanley7709 at gmail.com Tue Feb 27 11:27:32 2024 From: stanley7709 at gmail.com (Steve Cook) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 06:27:32 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] March Events Message-ID: <025101da696f$f484ef50$dd8ecdf0$@gmail.com> Feel free to share this message with everyone!! Below are the vents for the month of March that everyone is invited to! Friday, March 1, 2024 at 8:00 PM eastern Maestro (2023) movie audio described Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 11:00 AM Eastern Menus 4 All app demonstration We have representatives from Menus 4 All to demo their app and take questions Friday, March 8, 2024 at 8:00 PM Eastern Shawshank Redemption [US] (1994) audio described movie Friday, March 22, 2024 at 8:00 PM Eastern Trivia Night: To pre-register only for Trivia Night, send David Bundy a message at bundy at pobox.com NFB of SC Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8032543777?pwd=QTVQd2RzN3l6QnNmZ0FmSnp6NG8vQT09 Meeting ID: 803 254 3777 Passcode: 124578 One tap mobile +19292056099,,8032543777# 🍀 **Feeling Lucky? Join the St. Patrick’s Day Golden Jackpot! 🌈** Unlock the chance to win big while supporting a worthy cause! The National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina Sports and Rec Division is excited to announce our inaugural St. Patrick’s Day Jackpot event, where your $20 entry could lead to a pot of gold. By participating, you're not only entering to win fantastic cash prizes—$750 for first place and $250 for second place—but you're also contributing to the creation of an annual sports camp at our Rocky Bottom Retreat and Conference Center in the beautiful Upstate of South Carolina. We need your help to make this dream a reality. With a goal of selling 100 tickets, your support is crucial in ensuring the success of this fundraiser and the establishment of a cherished tradition for the blind and visually impaired community. Spread the word to friends, family, and businesses alike, inviting them to join in the excitement and make a difference. Purchasing tickets is easy! Simply visit our PayPal link [here](https://www.paypal.me/sportrecnfbsc), ensuring to include your name, email, and phone number in the memo section with a note specifying it’s for the St. Patrick’s Day Jackpot. Alternatively, connect with one of our local Sports and Rec Division members or mail a check or money order to Federation Center for the Blind at 119 S. Kilbourne Rd., Columbia, SC 29205. Don’t miss out on your chance to win big and support a cause close to our hearts. May the luck of the Irish be with you! 🍀 You do not have to be in South Carolina to participate. We’re looking for National support and we have pushed the drawing date back to March 23, 2024 in order to help us with ticket sales the drawing will take place at our statewide leadership conference for our Nfb C state affiliate . You do not have to be present to win. Lori Anne Coley 803-316–9838 President: NFBSC Sports & Rec Division Maestro Leonard Bernstein, at the age of nearly 70, plays a sequence on a piano from his opera A Quiet Place while being interviewed in his home. [7] After he finishes, he shares brief details regarding the significant impact left on him by Felicia, his wife of many years, and mentions seeing her ghost. In 1943, Leonard—then the 25-year-old assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic —makes his conducting debut at short notice when guest conductor Bruno Walter falls ill. His exceptional performance enjoys a rapturous reception from the audience and catapults him to fame. Despite being in an intermittent relationship with clarinetist David Oppenheim, he falls for aspiring actress Felicia Montealegre at a party and the two begin dating. He breaks up with David, who is heartbroken but reluctantly accepts Leonard's choice. Leonard and Felicia ultimately marry and have three children: Jamie, Alexander, and Nina. Throughout their marriage, they are seen supporting each other in their careers. By the mid-1950s, the Bernsteins live a highly affluent life in the public eye, with Leonard having composed several successful operas and Broadway musicals, including Candide and West Side Story. Felicia combats concerns raised about Leonard's affairs with men, insistent that she holds rein over him as his wife. As the years pass, however, Leonard's dalliances—as well as his alcohol and substance abuse—take a deep toll on their marriage. These issues are compounded when Jamie hears whispers of her father's infidelity. Leonard attempts to deny the rumors as fueled by "jealousies". One Thanksgiving, after Leonard returns home to their apartment in The Dakota late from a bender, he and Felicia have an explosive argument where she insists that he has hate in his heart, and will "die a lonely old queen" if he continues on his current path. [8] Despite the breakdown of their relationship, the couple remains married through Leonard's composition of Mass in 1971. In 1973, Leonard conducts Mahler 's Resurrection Symphony in a legendary performance at Ely Cathedral, England. Amidst the uproarious reception, Felicia reconciles with Leonard, insistent that "there's no hate in [his] heart". Felicia is diagnosed with breast cancer which has metastasized to the lung; despite surgeries and an aggressive chemotherapy regimen, her condition deteriorates, and she dies in Leonard's arms in 1978. Overcome with grief, Leonard and the children abandon their lavish home shortly afterward. Leonard is shown once again in 1987, teaching the art of conducting and still partying, as well as having affairs with his much younger male students. Returning to the interview, Leonard admits that he misses Felicia terribly, before his mind flashes back to an image of her, back in their youth, walking into their yard. Cast[ edit ] list of 21 items Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein Matt Bomer as David Oppenheim Vincenzo Amato as Bruno Zirato Greg Hildreth as Isaac Michael Urie as Jerry Robbins Brian Klugman as Aaron Copland Nick Blaemire as Adolph Green Mallory Portnoy as Betty Comden Sarah Silverman as Shirley Bernstein Yasen Peyankov as Serge Koussevitzky Zachary Booth as Mendy Wager Miriam Shor as Cynthia O'Neal Maya Hawke as Jamie Bernstein Scott Ellis as Harry Kraut Gideon Glick as Tommy Cothran Josh Hamilton as John Gruen June Gable as Old Lady Sam Nivola as Alexander Bernstein Alexa Swinton as Nina Bernstein Kate Eastman as Ellen Adler Shawshank Redemption In early 1947, Portland, Maine, banker Andy Dufresne arrives at Shawshank State Prison to serve two consecutive life sentences for murdering his wife and her lover. He is befriended by Ellis "Red" Redding, a contraband smuggler serving a life sentence, who procures a rock hammer and a large poster of Rita Hayworth for Andy. Assigned to work in the prison laundry, Andy is frequently raped by prison gang "the Sisters" and their leader, Bogs Diamond. In 1949, Andy overhears the captain of the guards, Byron Hadley, complaining about being taxed on an inheritance and offers to help him shelter the money legally. After an assault by the Sisters nearly kills Andy, Hadley beats and cripples Bogs, who is subsequently transferred to another prison; Andy is not attacked again. Warden Samuel Norton meets Andy and reassigns him to the decrepit prison library to assist elderly inmate Brooks Hatlen, a front to use Andy's financial expertise to manage financial matters for other prison staff, guards from other prisons, and the warden himself. Andy begins writing weekly letters to the state legislature requesting funds to improve the library. Brooks is paroled in 1954 after serving 50 years, but he cannot adjust to the outside world and eventually hangs himself. The legislature sends a library donation that includes a recording of The Marriage of Figaro ; Andy plays an excerpt over the public address system and is punished with solitary confinement. After his release from solitary, Andy explains to a dismissive Red that hope is what gets him through his sentence. In 1963, Norton begins exploiting prison labor for public works, profiting by undercutting skilled labor costs and receiving bribes. Andy launders the money using the alias "Randall Stephens". In 1965, Andy and Red befriend Tommy Williams, a young prisoner incarcerated for burglary. A year later, Andy helps him pass his General Educational Development (GED) exam. Tommy reveals to Red and Andy that his cellmate at another prison had claimed responsibility for the murders of which Andy was convicted. Andy brings the information to Norton who refuses to listen. When Andy mentions the money laundering, Norton sends Andy to solitary confinement and has Hadley fatally shoot Tommy under the guise of an escape attempt. After Andy refuses to continue the money laundering, Norton threatens to destroy the library, remove Andy's protection by the guards, and move him to worse conditions. Andy is released from solitary confinement after two months, and tells a skeptical Red that he dreams of living in Zihuatanejo, a Mexican town on the Pacific coast. He asks Red to promise, once he is released, to travel to a specific hayfield near Buxton and recover a package that Andy buried there. Red worries about Andy's mental well-being, especially when he learns Andy asked a fellow inmate for a rope. At the next day's roll call, the guards find Andy's cell empty. An irate Norton throws a rock at a poster of Raquel Welch hanging on the cell wall, revealing a tunnel that Andy had dug with his rock hammer over nearly two decades. The previous night, Andy used the rope to escape through the tunnel and prison sewage pipe, taking Norton's suit, shoes, and ledger, containing evidence of the money laundering and corruption at Shawshank. While guards search for him, Andy poses as Randall Stephens, withdraws over $370,000 [a] of the laundered money from several banks, and mails the ledger to a local newspaper. State police arrive at Shawshank and take Hadley into custody, while Norton commits suicide to avoid arrest. The following year, Red is paroled after serving 40 years but struggles to adapt to life outside prison and fears that he never will. Remembering his promise to Andy, he visits Buxton and finds a cache containing money and a letter asking him to come to Zihuatanejo. Red violates his parole by traveling to Fort Hancock, Texas, and crossing the border into Mexico, admitting that he finally feels hope. He finds Andy sanding an old boat on a Zihuatanejo beach, and the two reunited friends happily embrace. Cast[ edit ] A standing caucasian man with short white and grey hair, wears glasses and a blue coat: He faces left towards the camera smiling. An African American man with a beard and short hair, both a mix of white and grey, and wearing an earring in each ear: He is smiling towards the camera. Tim Robbins in 2012 (left) and Morgan Freeman in 2006 list of 7 items Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne: A banker sentenced to life in prison in 1947 for the murder of his wife and her lover [3] Morgan Freeman as Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding: A prison contraband smuggler who befriends Andy [4] [5] Bob Gunton as Samuel Norton: The pious and cruel warden of Shawshank penitentiary [3] William Sadler as Heywood: A member of Red's gang of long-serving convicts [4] [6] Clancy Brown as Byron Hadley: The brutal captain of the prison guards [7] [8] Gil Bellows as Tommy Williams: A young convict imprisoned for burglary in 1965 [4] [9] James Whitmore as Brooks Hatlen: The elderly prison librarian, imprisoned at Shawshank for over five decades [10] list end From ctate2076 at att.net Tue Feb 27 13:04:01 2024 From: ctate2076 at att.net (Camille Tate) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:04:01 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Bookshare Question In-Reply-To: <000001da6852$1dc49380$594dba80$@gmail.com> References: <000001da6852$1dc49380$594dba80$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <6E9A1045-4D6D-4CDA-93E1-83AB192DAFAE@att.net> Books share is free to all students, K – 12 and post secondary, attending a college or university, or even certain training programs in the United States. I would suggest you reached to your school's disabilities office, because they can obtain the free membership for you. Or, you can fill out the application form, making sure you have all the information for the school you currently attend. But you must be attending some sort of educational program in the United States. Sincerely, Camille Tate President, Melbourne Space Coast Chapter , National Federation of the Blind, FL 2nd Vice President, National Federation of the Blind, FL Email: ctate2076 at att.net Phone: 321 372 4899 Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 25, 2024, at 8:20 PM, Dana Mohsen via NABS-L wrote: > > Hello all, > > > > I am currently studying in the U.S. and want to get Bookshare.. > > The website says it's free for U.S. students. Is it referring to students > who are studying in the U.S, or is it referring to American students? > > > > > > Thank you, > > dana > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ctate2076%40att.net From mkvnfb94 at gmail.com Tue Feb 27 22:40:44 2024 From: mkvnfb94 at gmail.com (Mariya Vasileva) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 17:40:44 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Bookshare Question In-Reply-To: <6E9A1045-4D6D-4CDA-93E1-83AB192DAFAE@att.net> References: <6E9A1045-4D6D-4CDA-93E1-83AB192DAFAE@att.net> Message-ID: Hello Dana, I will also mention that after you finish school, you can pay a $50 once a year membership if you would still like to use bookshare outside of the US. I know that because I know people from outside of the US that have utilized bookshare before. Sincerely, Marya Vasileva Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 27, 2024, at 8:05 AM, Camille Tate via NABS-L wrote: > > Books share is free to all students, K – 12 and post secondary, attending a college or university, or even certain training programs in the United States. I would suggest you reached to your school's disabilities office, because they can obtain the free membership for you. Or, you can fill out the application form, making sure you have all the information for the school you currently attend. But you must be attending some sort of educational program in the United States. > Sincerely, > > Camille Tate > > President, Melbourne Space Coast Chapter , National Federation of the Blind, FL > 2nd Vice President, National Federation of the Blind, FL > > Email: ctate2076 at att.net > > Phone: 321 372 4899 > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Feb 25, 2024, at 8:20 PM, Dana Mohsen via NABS-L wrote: >> >> Hello all, >> >> >> >> I am currently studying in the U.S. and want to get Bookshare.. >> >> The website says it's free for U.S. students. Is it referring to students >> who are studying in the U.S, or is it referring to American students? >> >> >> >> >> >> Thank you, >> >> dana >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NABS-L mailing list >> NABS-L at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ctate2076%40att.net > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/mkvnfb94%40gmail.com