[Nfb-editors] Arizona - April, News & Views
Robert Newman
newmanrl at cox.net
Fri Apr 3 02:29:21 UTC 2015
Bob Kresmer, president NFBA
Toll free (888) 899-6322
Vehicle Donations Take the Blind Further, and may qualify you for a tax
deduction. Donate your unwanted car to the National Federation of the Blind
today!
For more information, please visit:
www.carshelpingtheblind.org<http://www.carshelpingtheblind.org> or call
1-855-659-9314
_____
From: Nfbaz-news [mailto:nfbaz-news-bounces at az.nfb.org] On Behalf Of Debi
Black via Nfbaz-news
Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2015 5:05 PM
To: nfbaz-news at az.nfb.org <mailto:nfbaz-news at az.nfb.org>
Subject: [Nfbaz-news] April NFBA Newsletter
National Federation of the Blind of Arizona
News and Views
April, 2015
In This Issue
Greetings from Our President
Word on the street
Guess Who Just Took Another Trip Around the Sun
Phoenix Seminar Recap
New NFB Connect App
Arizona is about to Ring the BELL for the 2nd Time and We Need You
The NFBA Membership Team is Hitting the Road
Valley Metro Regional Transit Plan Survey
Attention Guidedog Committee Members and Enthusiasts
Student Division Goalball Tournament
Video On Demand TV Programming for Children Now Accessible
GE Makes Braille Overlay for Electric Range
How Secure is Your Info in a Cellphone
Bringing 3D Printing into the Classroom
I Too Was Bamboozled
Boy, was I Bamboozled
New Alphabetical Magazine Listing in Newsline
Survey about Mobile Apps
The Bookshelf, 2 Selections
East Valley Chapter News
Phoenix Chapter Annual Picnic
Happenings in Tucson
Random Tid Bits
Flick, Swipe, and Tap, Kid Friendly Software Games for the iPhone
Gadgets and Gizmos, FingerReader for the Blind
Trivia Challenge
, A Computer Poem
The recipe box, Zesty Meatloaf
A New Game for PC Users
Think tank
A round of applause
Debbies list
Stay connected
Grins and groans the usual endings
Navigation
To navigate quickly to the different articles in this newsletter using JAWS,
System Access, NVDA, or Window Eyes, press the letter H to move through the
headings.
Greetings from Our President
Hello, fellow Federationists,
Spring is a busy time in the NFB of Arizona. We held our first annual
Phoenix day at the capitol, are about to conduct a quote, road show quote,
leadership and philosophy seminar by the membership recruitment and
engagement committee at each of our chapters, conduct our second annual NFB
Bell program for very young blind students, Plan the STEM2U event for
elementary and high school students and parents in Phoenix, select NFB
scholarship winners, conduct chapter picnics, hold an NFB of Arizona Blind
Students division goalball tournament in Tucson, conduct fundraiser events,
get ready for the NFB national convention, and many other doings.
We have lots of new members who need mentoring, and lots of experienced
members who can make them both welcome and knowledgeable. You can volunteer
to your chapter president to help build up the chapter, division, and
affiliate!
Here is what we will discuss in this message:
Jernigan assistance for first timers to attend national convention deadline
coming up fast!
NFB national convention update regarding registrations for convention and
hotel room.
Unified English Braille will become effective soon.
Extensive JAWS training available from NFB Independence Market.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math for young people event scheduled
for Phoenix.
* It is almost convention time again! Preregistration is now open
for our seventy fifth annual national convention, to be held July 5 to 10,
at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, Florida. You will not want to miss this
historic gathering, which will celebrate seventy five years of raising
expectations of blind Americans. Learn a little more about our national
convention in
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4197&qid=765402>
a new video featuring NFB President Mark Riccobono. And preregister now at,
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4198&qid=765402>
http://lx-web.nfb.org/convention/preregistration.php.
The rooms at the Rosen Centre hotel for the 2015 convention of the National
Federation of the Blind are going fast. I encourage you to make your
reservations before the room block is gone. The phone number is 800 204
7234.
* Time is ticking. Are You Ready for the New Braille Code Changes for
Arizona?
Over the years, the literary Braille code has been updated through the work
of the Braille Authority of North America, better known as BANA. In less
than 9 months, on January 4, 2016 which happens to be Louis Braille's
birthday, the entire country will be launching UEB (Unified English
Braille). We wanted to assure all parents, students, and consumers that we
are working hard across the state of Arizona to get everyone ready for the
roll-out of UEB.
Here is some information on why Unified English Braille is important for
everyone and some of the basic changes most Braille readers will see while
reading:
* As technology evolves we need to be sure that Braille moves forward along
with changes in print. For this reason UEB was implemented to better
represent the printed word we see in literature. Print readers use bolding,
underlining and italics regularly along with unique combinations for letters
and numbers. UEB allows for the representation of these print forms more
precisely than our current Braille code.
* Many current rules in literary Braille are very confusing and present
challenges for those preparing materials even when using Braille translation
software such as Duxbury.
* Nine contractions are eliminated as a part of UEB. These were: by, into,
to, dd, ble, com, ation, ally and o'c. These particular contractions often
can lead to confusion by a Braille reader, hence, UEB eliminates them to
make things more streamlined.
* Some contractions such as to, into and by also have changes in how they
are used, again to help make the ease of reading and preparing Braille
materials more efficient for everyone.
Most Braille readers will be able to move into reading and writing UEB with
minimal effort. However, we strongly encourage everyone to review the
resources shown later in this article for additional information. Be assured
that teachers of students with visual impairments, rehabilitation staff,
transcribers, and other professionals across the state of Arizona are
working very hard in order to be up to speed with UEB before the
implementation date of January 4, 2016. Producers of textbooks and other
materials are also gearing up for UEB.
Two audio presentations are available on the Arizona Braille Consortium UEB
(ABC-UEB) web site that we would strongly suggest that you listen to. These
will give you a more in depth understanding behind the reason for UEB and
the upcoming rule changes. Find links to these at:
<http://azueb.coe.arizona.edu/> http://azueb.coe.arizona.edu/.
Take a look at these fantastic resources and prepare yourself for an
exciting change that will unify Braille globally!
BANA, Unified English Braille
<http://www.brailleauthority.org/ueb.html>
http://www.brailleauthority.org/ueb.html
Arizona Braille Consortium UEB (ABC-UEB)Information Page
<http://azueb.coe.arizona.edu/> http://azueb.coe.arizona.edu/
The Hadley School for the Blinds Transition to UEB course.
<http://hadley.edu/UEBTransition.asp> http://hadley.edu/UEBTransition.asp
UEB Reader (Free).
<http://www.brailleauthority.org/pressreleases/pr-2014-10-15.html>
http://www.brailleauthority.org/pressreleases/pr-2014-10-15.html
Unified English Braille Version of the McDuffy Braille Reader primer for
adults.
<https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-announces-release-unified-english
-braille-version-mcduffy-braille-reader>
https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-announces-release-unified-english-
braille-version-mcduffy-braille-reader
A Brief Overview of Unified English Braille (UEB) webinar (Free).
<http://www.afb.org/store/pages/ShoppingCart/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=e
UEBoverview&ruling=Yes>
http://www.afb.org/store/pages/ShoppingCart/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=eU
EBoverview&ruling=Yes
The Arizona Braille Consortium UEB (ABC-UEB) is here for you to answer
questions, take your comments, etc. Please email us at,
<mailto:abcueb at gmail.com> abcueb at gmail.com.
* The Jernigan grant program is still available to help first timers attend
our national convention, but the deadline is April 15. If you are
interested, you must contact Bob Kresmer by the 12th, so we can create the
proper application for the grant funds. The three biggest ticket items you
need to cover when attending an NFB national convention are the roundtrip
transportation, the hotel room for a week, and the food (which tends to be
higher priced than at home). We attempt to award additional funds to
families, but, whether a family or an individual is granted a scholarship,
this fund can only help; it will not pay all the costs. Last year most of
the sixty grants were in the range of $400 to $500 per individual.
We recommend that you find an Arizona NFB member as your personal
convention mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is
able to share money saving tips with you and tips on navigating the
extensive agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most
out of the amazing experience that is convention week.
Who is eligible?
Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an NFB
national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply.
How do I apply for funding assistance?
1. You write a letter giving your contact information, and your local NFB
information, your specific amount requested, and then explain why this is a
good investment for the NFB. The points to cover are listed below.
2. You contact your state president in person or by phone to request his or
her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when to expect
your request letter by email, and mention the deadline.
3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your state president. He
or she must add a president’s recommendation and then email both letters
directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee. Your
president must forward the two letters no later than April 15, 2015.
Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points:
* Your full name, and all your telephone numbers and label them – cell
phone, home, office, other person (if any).
* Your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address.
* Your state affiliate and state president; your chapter and chapter
president, if you attend a chapter.
* Your personal convention mentor and provide that persons phone
number.
* Your specific request: Explain how much money you need from this
fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you consult with other
members to make a rough budget for yourself.
The body of your letter should answer these questions:
How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want to
attend a national convention? What would you receive; what can you share or
give? You can include in your letter to the committee any special
circumstances you hope they will take into consideration.
* The NFB of Arizona will host a STEM2U event in Phoenix during the
2015-16 school year. Here is a recap of the STEM2U event held in Boston.
* In March, we hosted our second NFB STEM2U regional program, this
time in Boston in collaboration with the Museum of Science. NFB STEM2U
Boston served sixteen juniors (students in grades 3-6), who attended with
their parents, and ten apprentices (high school students). Students spent
all day Friday learning about the engineering design process by working on
an engineering design challenge. Students then applied their knowledge to
the various activities that they participated in on Saturday. These
activities included engineering a bobsled, extracting and examining DNA,
learning about electricity through hands on exploration of the Theater of
Electricity, and free exploration of the Museum of Science. While the
students were engaged with their activities, their parents learned about the
tools and techniques that blind people use when learning and working in STEM
disciplines, how to make informal STEM learning opportunities more
meaningful for their blind children, best practices in formal STEM education
for blind students, and how to connect with the various networks and
resources available to them through the National Federation of the Blind.
* Extensive JAWS training available from NFB Independence Market :
Recently JAWS® users gained access to new training materials developed by
Freedom Scientific. The new training bundle contains over fifty hours of
training on the use of JAWS for Windows with various productivity
applications, such as Windows 7, Windows 8, Microsoft Office 2010 and 2013,
and more. Lessons also include learning how to browse the internet and read
PDF files with JAWS. This JAWS training bundle is now exclusively available
from the NFB Independence Market on an NLS cartridge.
This portable training medium offers many advantages. Since the training
content is on an NLS cartridge, legally blind individuals can obtain
playback equipment from their library for the blind at no charge. It no
longer matters if students live in an urban or a rural area. They can study
from the comfort of their own home or any other convenient location.
Students set their schedule and learn at their own pace. It is easy to start
and stop training, jump to, or repeat specific lessons. Purchasing the
training bundle is less expensive per hour than paying for one on one
training. It is evident that the training bundle on the NLS cartridge is a
great JAWS training solution for both individuals and agencies.
For more information about the JAWS training materials on the NLS cartridge
or other products and literature available from the NFB Independence Market
please email us at <mailto:independencemarket at nfb.org>
independencemarket at nfb.org or call us at, 410 659 9314, extension 2216. You
may also browse our catalog and ecommerce site
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4207&qid=765402>
online.
Thanks for reading all the way through, and if you have suggestions, please
let us know!
Bob Kresmer
1 888 899 6322.
Word on the Street
Allison Hilliker just got a promotion at work. She is excited to take on new
technical support challenges at Benetech. Way to go Allison!
Got any news to share with us? Send it in to:
news at az.nfb.org <mailto:news at az.nfb.org>
We look forward to sharing your news with our extended family here within
the NFB of Arizona.
Guess Who Just Took another Trip around the Sun?
Happy birthday to the following people who have birthdays in April!
April 2, Donald Porterfield, from Tucson.
April 10, Lori Kirsop, from Youngtown.
April 12, Annie Schlesinger, from Tucson.
April 13, Matt Mazak, from Mesa.
April 16, Sami McGinnis, from Mesa.
April 28, Rocky Smith, from Tempe.
April 30, Brad Kuhn, from Phoenix.
Please help us build our birthday list, by sending your first and last name,
date of birth, (year optional), and the city you live in to:
news at az.nfb.org <mailto:news at az.nfb.org>
Phoenix Seminar Recap
By Donald Porterfield
My Federation Family:
I am pleased to announce the Arizona affiliate of the National Federation of
the Blind has successfully completed its first Phoenix Seminar. The Phoenix
Seminar is our version of the Washington Seminar which the NFB holds every
year to push its legislative priorities with members of Congress. On
Tuesday, March 17th, over 90 people came to the state Capitol building and
met with members of the Arizona legislature to help push the legislative
priorities of blind Arizonans.
With this being our first seminar there were a few minor issues. We learned
some things not to do in the future and some things that worked well.
However, the event proved to be a tremendous success. We were able to meet
with most of our legislators and educate them about issues affecting blind
Arizonans. We were able to talk to them about the importance of finding
additional funding for Vocational Rehabilitation in order to provide
services to more blind and disabled people in the state. We were able to
talk to them about the importance of requiring colleges and institutions of
higher education only to purchase and deploy accessible technology so that
blind students are given the equal opportunity at an education that is
already mandated by the law. More importantly, we were able to show that
the NFBA is a strong grassroots advocacy group.
We are now in the process of summarizing the results of the meetings and
hope to identify legislators who are willing to sponsor or co sponsor
legislation to support our priorities. I am looking forward to working with
all of you on continuing to improve the lives of blind Arizonans.
In closing, I would like to thank the members of the legislative committee:
Amy Porterfield, Bob Kresmer, Eve Sanchez, Garrett Mooney, Sharonda
Greenlaw, Sami Hamed, Allan Curry and Mary Hartle Smith for helping plan and
coordinate the seminar. Additionally, I would also like to thank Megan
Homrighausen, Alyssa Bracamonte, Roxanne Torres, and Lynn Kresmer for their
important contributions in planning and helping make sure the seminar was as
success.
Lets go build a federation!
New NFB Connect App
Dear Fellow Federationists:
Great news! There is now another easy way to stay connected with the
National Federation of the Blind (NFB) if you have an iPhone, iPad, or other
iOS device. Our new mobile app, NFB Connect, is finally here! You can find
it in the Apple App Store, or just use the following link on your iOS device
to download it directly:
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nfb-connect/id968434124>
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nfb-connect/id968434124.
With NFB Connect, you can quickly and easily read the latest news about the
NFB, find information about upcoming events, access the Braille Monitor and
other publications, listen to presidential releases, find the NFB in your
community, learn about ways to support the National Federation of the Blind,
and more!
Note: We are aware of an issue that prevents the quote, Chapters and
Regional Info quote, feature from functioning properly on some devices and
are working diligently to fix the problem.
Download the free NFB Connect app today, and do not forget to use the
Feedback button to let us know how you are using it and to suggest new
features.
Feedback regarding the app can also be sent via email to,
<mailto:mobileapp at nfb.org> mobileapp at nfb.org. We are particularly interested
in gauging the demand for an NFB Connect app for Android devices. Please
share your interest in an Android app or any other feedback by emailing,
<mailto:mobileapp at nfb.org> mobileapp at nfb.org.
Arizona is about to Ring the BELL for the 2nd Time, and We Need You
By Amy Porterfield
The NFB BELL program is now recruiting mentors and volunteer support
positions for this years Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning
program. The following outlines what we need to give our new generation,
that type of encouragement and support they will use to live the lives they
want. The NFB Bell program will run from June 1 through June 12 and will be
held in Tucson at SAAVI, 3767 East Grant Road, Tucson AZ 85711, and will
take place week days from 9:00 to 3:30. Currently we need, mentors who can
commit their time daily to demonstrating high expectations through reading
and writing Braille, using access technology, playing interactive games and
sports, and performing all manner of household tasks. If you are
interested in a paid mentor position, please send résumés to,
<mailto:aporterfield at saavi.us> aporterfield at saavi.us. If you would like to
volunteer an hour, day, or provide any type of contribution, please send
me an email at, <mailto:aporterfield at saavil.us> aporterfield at saavil.us. We
could use a variety of contributions ranging from prepping materials for
lessons, helping to set up lunch or snack, making phone calls, or any other
creative idea you may have that will help make this summer exciting and fun
for our bell ringers. For more information, please call Amy Porterfield at,
520 396 8707, and lets talk about how you can help our young blind leaders
live the lives they want.
The NFBA Membership Team is Hitting the Road
By Amy Porterfield
The NFBA membership committee is made up of a cross section of our fabulous
affiliate and includes members from all chapters and divissions, as well as
long invested federationists, and ennergized new members filled with hope
ennnergy and love. Starting April 18th in our East Valley chapter, Our
membership team along with Bob Kresmer, NFBA President, and Donald
Porterfield, First Vice President and Legislative Director, will visit each
Arizona chapter to share and interactive presentation with new and existing
members. designed to share philosephy, information and knowledge, and to
just have some old fashioned fun, these presentations will serve as a
springboard for uniting our affiliate in raising our expectations for the
blind living in Arizona. We are looking forward to sspending time with each
of you, and by all means
Bring a friend.
Valley Metro Regional Transit Plan Survey
Submitted by Mary Hartle Smith
We Need Your Input!
The Regional Paratransit Plan will review current Dial A Ride DAR) services
of the East Valley, Northwest Valley, Phoenix, Glendale, Southwest Valley,
Paradise Valley and Peoria. The study will assess the status of
implementation of recommendations from the 2007 Regional Paratransit Study
and consider opportunities for greater consistency of service policies. It
will also look at procedures for providing transfers between DAR regions.
Current DAR riders are invited to participate by taking a survey on their
experience with current services. Please go to:
<http://surveymonkey.com/s/paratransit2015>
http://surveymonkey.com/s/paratransit2015
If you would like the survey in another format or if you would like to be
included in the plan updates please contact, Dolores Nolan at
<mailto:dnolan at valleymetro.org> dnolan at valleymetro.org or 602 523 6070.
Surveys will be collected until April 15, 2015.
Attention Guide Dog Committee Members and Enthusiasts
By Eve Sanchez
In the wake of HB 2179, we must show an organized and united front.
Representative Bob Thorpe has not forgotten about the bill, but has
expressed interest in working with those concerned to do it right. That
means us. In the future, we will likely be hearing from Mr. Thorpe and feel
that we should be ready to discuss a course of action.
Whether we have a division or not at the moment is not the
question. We have people who are concerned and able to work together to come
up with a plan. I do have an agenda for this and would like all that are
interested in becoming seriously involved in a historical issue, to
participate. The Arizona affiliate has been making history within the realm
of legislation this year, so let’s keep the ball rolling. But please not in
front of my dog as she has a weakness for balls.
Seriously, I would like us to meet on April 26th at 7:00pm. This
is a Sunday night, so hopefully it will not conflict with jobs and school. I
will make all attempts at contacting all that are on my list of interested
persons, but please spread the word if you think someone might miss out. To
participate, call, 605 475 6777. You will then be prompted to enter the code
of 6322pound.
Be ready to share any ideas you might have as to how the issue
could be addressed. At this point, there are no stupid ideas. We will
brainstorm together and what may seem like a stupid idea might be just what
we need to be steered towards the final solution. Remember that it is up to
us to protect our rights and once the civil rights’ of one group is
compromised (service animal users), it will not take long before others are
affected as well.
Student Division Goalball Tournament
By Garret Mooney
The Arizona Association of Blind Students is holding their very first
goalball tournament, and we would like your help to make it as fun and
successful as possible. The tournament will be held on Saturday, May 9th, at
Tucsons very own Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind. Pre-registration is
required by May 1st for any teams or individual players wishing to
participate in the tournament. Any individual players wanting to participate
will be placed in a pool, and selected to join a team made up from other
pool members.
Registration will take place from 7:00 to 8:00 on tournament day, along with
an introduction to goalball for any players new to the game taking place
from 8:00 to 8:30. The tournament will be geared for students who are middle
school, high school, and college aged students. Any spectators are welcome
to join the fun. Team registration will cost 12 dollars, and individual
registration will be 6 dollars. Registration is non refundable and will also
include a lunch for all players. Tickets for spectators will be 3 dollars at
the door, but will not include lunch. Players are welcome to bring their own
knee and elbow pads, but supplies will be available for those who need them.
Team shirts are not required to join the tournament.
Please Email Garret Mooney at,
<mailto:azabs.nfb at gmail.com> azabs.nfb at gmail.com for any questions, and we
hope to see you there.
<http://www.az.nfb.org/goalball_individual> Click here to register a single
individual
<http://www.az.nfb.org/goalball_team> click here to register a team
Video On Demand TV Programming for Children Now Accessible
press at ed.gov <mailto:press at ed.gov>
Submitted by Mark Feliz
The U.S. Department of Education today announced the availability of free,
video on demand childrens television programming for thousands of students
who
are blind, visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing.
Dozens of children’s and family TV episodes may now be viewed online
featuring closed captioning and descriptions through the Education
Departments
Accessible Television Portal project.
Among the shows: Ocean Mysteries, Magic School Bus, Bill Nye the Science
Guy, Daniel Tigers Neighborhood, Expedition Wild and Peg Plus Cat.
The portal is part of the Department funded
Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP). It includes video on demand
content provided at no cost by the major television networks, as well as
producers and distributors like PBS Kids, Sesame Workshop, Cartoon Network,
Sprout (NBC), the Fred Rogers Company, Scholastic Media, Litton
Entertainment, Out of the Blue and Fremantle Television.
quote, In the digital age, the capability exists to deliver a higher level
of personalized programming for students who were underserved in the past,
quote, said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Quote, This type of
large scale collaboration between the Education Department and so many major
television networks, producers
and program distributors will allow greater access to television programming
for all students. quote.
To view the content, teachers and school personnel, parents, and other
professionals working with qualified students can visit,
<http://www.dcmp.org/> http://www.dcmp.org
and apply for access to the portal.
Once approved, accessible content can be used with, and by, students in the
classroom and at home via the Web, mobile phones and tablets, mobile apps,
and set top boxes. The portal itself is fully accessible to those with
sensory impairments. Children with disabilities can locate any featured
program without difficulty.
Initially, the site will include 73 episodes of 19 different children’s
television programs. Additional content from other producers will be added
over the next two years.
Melody Musgrove, director of the Education Departments Office of Special
Education Programs, which manages the portal, said teachers and parents
routinely use television to introduce, reinforce and expand upon school
lessons.
quote, The Accessible Television Portal was created to open up these
learning opportunities for the population of children with unique learning
needs, quote, Musgrove said. Quote, The general population takes for granted
the entertainment and education provided by quality television. Children
with disabilities deserve access to that same programming. With the
technology we have available to us, there is no reason for them to be left
out. Quote.
quote, I am very excited about the prospect of our diverse mix of
programming on CBS and ABC being made available to children who, otherwise,
would not have the opportunity to fully experience it, quote, said Meg
LaVigne, president of Litton Television.
DCMP provides services to benefit thousands of students - early learning
through grade 12, who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing or
deaf blind.
These services include a library of free loan described and captioned
educational media, a learning center of information related to educational
media access, a gateway to Internet resources related to accessibility, and
guidelines for adding descriptions and captions to media.
The Department funded DCMP is administered by the National Association of
the Deaf. More information is available at,
<http://www.dcmp.org/> www.dcmp.org.
GE Makes Braille Overlay for Electric Range
Submitted by Alan Dicey
The simplicity of the GE ArtistryT Series of appliances, an affordable suite
of appliances targeted to first time homebuyers and Millennials, lends
itself to a unique market segment: the visually impaired.
Working with students from the Kentucky School for the Blind, GE engineers
and designers in Louisville, Kentucky developed an accessory kit of Braille
overlays for the new Artistry electric range controls that helps the
visually impaired use its cooktop and oven functions.
According to an American Foundation for the Blind article, stoves are the
least accessible class of appliances.
Many ranges today have smooth, push buttons on a back control panel. The ADA
compliant Artistry range offers front control knobs that are within reach,
and a straightforward design that lends itself to a Braille accessory kit
for the blind or visually impaired.
quote, Both my parents taught special education, quote, says Lee
Lagomarcino, a GE product manager who initially championed the project and
observed Kentucky School for the Blind students interacting with ranges.
quote, As we developed the Artistry electric range, we knew its simplicity
made it more universally appealing and ideal for a Braille application.
Quote.
High, low, and off heat settings were added to the Braille overlay on the GE
ArtistryT range controls to help the visually impaired use the cooktop
functions.
Student input leads to product concept.
Students from the Kentucky School for the Blind helped the GE team determine
what was needed, a high, medium, and low heat setting for the cooktop, and a
low, 350 degree and broil option for the oven.
With those readily accessible features to serve as a baseline, the oven can
be adjusted to a recipe as needed.
A focus group of students at the school came up with ways to make ranges
more user friendly, using puffy paint and brightly contrasting colors to
showcase their ideas.
GE took those ideas and turned them into the custom designed Braille kit.
Students also tested the initial designs for ease of use.
Kentucky School for the Blind Program Coordinator Paula Penrod said, quote,
Many times, manufacturers will introduce a new product, then seek comments
from consumers with disabilities. Consumers who are blind and visually
impaired have unique needs when using appliances. By working with GE during
the production stage, our students were able to demonstrate the type of
Braille modifications that would be most helpful.
We appreciate GE for seeking our students input on the front end of the GE
Artistry range project. Quote.
As a thank you to the Kentucky School for the Blind and its students for
their help, GE donated a full suite of Artistry kitchen appliances to the
schools campus on Frankfurt Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky.
Pricing and availability.
The GE Artistry electric ranges and Braille kits are available in black and
white and can be purchased nationwide where GE appliances are sold.
For help locating a dealer, go to,
<http://www.geappliances.com/> www.GEAppliances.com and use the Dealer
Locator tool
or call the GE Answer Center at, 1 800 626 2000.
The estimated retail price of the Artistry electric range is $599, and the
Braille kit is $15.75. (Retailers Pub number 4 A034 fits the black Artistry
range model, ABS45DFBS , and pub number 4 A024 fits the white Artistry range
model ABS45DFWS.).
In addition to the braille kits for ranges, GE offers a standard braille kit
for common buttons on its microwave ovens. The kit (pub number 4 A212) can
be ordered where GE appliances are sold.
As a group, stoves are the least accessible class of appliances we
evaluated. The vast majority have flat, inaccessible oven controls.
How Secure is Your Info in a Cellphone
By Robert D. Sollars
How many of you are like me, besides old, I can remember the days of
landlines (99% of all households had one), pagers (not just for drug dealers
at the beginning), and fax machines were miracle workers! I still remember
back in the mid to late eighties getting an urgent page and having to drive
back to town to answer a clients call promptly.
Then along came the cell phone or cell brick. Now we were free to go
anywhere at any time and still stay in touch or return an important call.
That was then, when all you could do was dial, and literally nothing else!
Now we have smart phones that can sometimes outsmart us, and hooligans who
use them to their advantage.
So along with the convenience of having someone being able to reach us 24 7
(oh joy now the boss can call at 3AM for a problem), we now have the issue
of security for our phones. Yet another worry about security in this
unsecure world.
The most common smartphones are like mini computers. Think of all the
information that we maintain on our phones: contacts, email messages, text
messages, photos, videos, passwords and web browsing history. Additionally,
many of us sync our phones and computers thus causing more issues!
One of the biggest and most disconcerting security issues with our phones is
the downloading of an app. And the major issue with them is that they may
contain malware. which allows access to them at any time without notifying
you.
One of the most popular apps is the flashlight. Not that many of us will use
it, but it is a prime example of what can be in an app. IF you read the
installation and licensing agreement before it gets installed you may be
surprised. It allows the app and its manufacturer, to take pictures and
download YOUR data at any time, and it does not have to notify you that it
was done, or is being done!
There are other apps out there that can and will track you wherever you go.
And a few years ago there was actually a stalker app. It was not called
that, or even supposed to be used for that purpose. However some ner’do
wells used it that way.
Now we found that sophisticated hackers and the US Marshals Service can sit
blocks away and download everything from your phone and you will never know
it. The Marshal’s Service says to fight crime, and I think you figure out
what a hacker wants.
You have to be very aware of WiFi networks that are open and free in
Starbucks, McDonalds, and other such places. They are open to anyone and
allow someone to easily capture your phone signal and grab your info.
Personally, I would never do any banking or shopping with my phone. It is
more dangerous than doing it from home on your PC or laptop. Imagine that,
something that is less secure than your PC or laptop! But it is definitely
true, unless you take the necessary precautions in security.
So how do you protect your phone from these miscreants? Keep the security
software up to date and current! And you have to remember to check the
agreement before downloading or accepting the software or application, no
matter how innocuous it may seem.
A great application for the iOS market that will assist to identify current
security and privacy risk within installed applications is, Trust Rookie
Systems. Launched this application, which will scan installed applications
for risks affecting your privacy and security, and provide you a resolution
to the issue. TrustR can be used for the iPhone, IPod Touch and iPad.
An application for the Android market that will scan your applications is,
Lookout. Just as TrustR, this application will scan every app on your
Android for spyware or malware. It will also examine every app you download
to keep your phone secure from additional risks.
Each platform has security risks, however, reports show the Android market
to have increased in malware issues over the past few years exponentially.
Knowledge is power. Learn how to protect your phone and your private data.
Research can be easily conducted with a quick Google search. And if you do
not find anything there to tickle your fancy, call a local trusted computer
shop, i.e. Data Doctors.
If you would like to ask a question, or get security advice, contact Robert
at, 480 251 5197.
Bringing 3D Printing into the Classroom
By Kevin Yang
Reprinted from the Future Reflections Magazine, Winter 2015
Special Note:
The Yangs are an impressive Arizona family! Kevin is a graduating high
school senior, and he just notified us that he has been accepted to start
his freshman year at Stanford University.
>From the Editor: Until recently, the cost of equipment and materials for 3D
printing has kept this technology out of reach for most parents and teachers
of blind children. Furthermore, the printing process has been too slow and
complicated to be practical. Nonetheless, 3D printing has the potential to
become an invaluable tool for the blind community. In this article, Kevin
Yang describes his familys program to put 3D printed materials into the
hands of blind students.
My name is Kevin. I am seventeen, and my dad has been blind for sixteen
years. As a child, I was always accompanied by my dad, running around the
house playing hide and seek, banging random keys on the piano, and putting
on puppet shows. I forced him to listen to my comedy stand ups, which
actually were just stand ups, minus the comedy. I could not have asked for
more.
My dad has a PhD in material science and is working to create a full page
Braille display. In 2003 he developed a novel idea for creating cheaper and
more efficient refreshable Braille cells. With the help of my mom, he
created a very large scale model based on his Braille cell idea. I was only
six at the time, and for me it was like getting a new toy. However, the
implications of that first 3D model symbolized the disparities between my
father and me.
It was clear to me that my mom could translate my fathers words into a
physical 3D object, but I could not. When my dad tried to describe his
sophisticated idea to my six year old mind, all I heard was gibberish. It
was incredible to me how my mom was able to understand.
Years later, as a temperamental fifteen year old, I found that describing 3D
concepts with mere words left much to be desired. Information is almost
always lost in the translation, and this frustrated me to no end. I had many
ideas for improving upon my dads current designs. Verbally I tried to
explain how this was that, and that would do this. My dad did not get it.
Granted, sometimes I did not even get what I was trying to say myself! Even
with the help of tactile graphics, I still was not able to describe to him
accurately what I was thinking. It was my dads turn to feel confused.
What we needed was what we had years ago, a 3D model. The 3D model of the
Braille cell my mom built not only showed me what my dad was thinking, it
also allowed my mom to show my dad how certain parts of the cell might need
rehashing. Our solution to the issue of communicating 3D concepts was to
create 3D models of them. As a result, I took up 3D modeling.
Although the learning process took some time, 3D modeling opened up many
doors. It facilitated the transfer of my ideas into computer aided designs.
With the help of 3D printing services, my ideas turned into real, holdable,
physical objects.
The first time my dad felt a 3D model of one of my ideas, his eyes actually
seemed to brighten. With a touch, he understood what I had in vain been
trying to describe with words.
Fast forward to 2014. The topic of 3D models came up casually at a family
dinner in January. We wondered if there was any website or service that used
3D printing to create tactile materials for blind students. After dinner we
Googled the topic, and sadly found out that no such site existed. To us this
was shocking news. With dropping prices for 3D printers and a growing number
of 3D designers, a website tailored to educational 3D models ought to exist.
Just as quickly as Google returned the dismal results, LibraryLyna was
founded.
With our experience from 3D modeling Braille cell concepts, my father and I
began working on a 3D printing hub for teachers and blind students. We
designed LibraryLyna with accessibility in mind, from the screen reader
accessible framework to menus that are split into logical categories and
metadata descriptions of models to give an idea of what might be expected
from a print. Moreover, all models available have been handpicked to
guarantee high quality. And there are no distracting ads. The website is
completely funded by users through donations.
Since January 2014, LibraryLyna has grown to host 144 3D models in the
categories of chemistry, biology, and mathematics. Recently we launched a
service for teachers of the visually impaired. If a teacher has an idea for
a 3D model that he or she cannot purchase or create, it can be requested on
our
website. We will design and print the model for free. The only caveat is
that the teacher needs to write a report on how the model was used in the
classroom and whether it was effective.
The goal of LibraryLyna is to increase the graduation rate for blind
students. We hope to accomplish this by increasing the number and range of
tactile materials available.
How does the process actually work? The 3D models that are available at
librarylyna.com are what are called STL files. This file type can be
compared to a PDF file. When a Word file is published into a PDF, the PDF is
in its final form and cannot be edited. The same is true with our STL files.
These files are in their final form and cannot be edited or changed. All
editing occurs at LibraryLyna with trained 3D modelers so that the process
is optimized for end user ease of use. Downloading an STL file from
LibraryLyna is as easy as finding the model and clicking the quote, download
quote,
button. After downloading a desired model, the user sends the STL file to a
3D printing slicing application. Examples of this application include
MakerWare for MakerBot 3D printers and XYZware for XYZ 3D printers. These
applications receive the file and automatically prepare it to be printed. At
this step, all the user has to do is connect a supported 3D printer with a
USB cable and hit the quote, print quote, button.
If a 3D printer is not readily available, users can take the file that they
downloaded from our website and send it directly to a 3D printing service
such as Shapeways, i.materialise, or Sculpteo. These services take care of
the 3D printing process and ship the 3D printed model directly to the user.
The downside of this process is that it is more expensive, per print. After
approximately twelve prints, the cost of a 3D printer is financially
smarter.
Wait! Is not 3D printing complicated and expensive? 3D printers are becoming
more and more domestic. I like to compare them to computers. During the
early nineteen forties, when computers were still in their infancy, no
rational person
would spend a couple hundred thousand dollars to buy one. No individual
thought that he or she could tackle the messy electric switches, mechanical
relays, and electronic circuitry involved. But lo and behold, after years of
refinement, computers can now be found in homes, libraries, and schools. 3D
printers are the same. In 1992 the first stereolithographic 3D printer was
used to build parts layer by layer. It was exorbitantly expensive to the
ordinary consumer. However, as of 2014, many types of 3D printers are
available for no more than five hundred dollars, about the current price of
many computers. Moreover, 3D printers, like computers of the current age,
have become very easy to use. One touch processing allows end users with no
experience to print predesigned models.
Today 3D printing is completely feasible for the classroom and home. It is
the future of education.
Dr. Marc Maurer, Immediate Past President of the National Federation of the
Blind, has said, quote, Equal access to education 100 percent of the time is
what
we want and what we intend to get. Quote. We hope that blind students will
never
be at a disadvantage compared to their sighted peers due to a lack of
tactile material.
LibraryLyna is proud to be at the forefront of reforming the education
industry with 3D printing for blind students. Imagine having a 3D model to
demonstrate every single STEM concept, from kindergarten through twelfth
grade, at the click of a mouse or the touch of a key! The era of 3D printing
is now!
Feel free to contact me with questions, requests, or assistance. Here is my
contact information.
Email: <mailto:kevinyang at librarylyna.com> kevinyang at librarylyna.com
Phone: 480 316 0382.
Website: < <http://www.librarylyna.com/> http://www.LIBRARYLYNA.COM>
Twitter: < <http://twitter.com/librarylyna> http://twitter.com/librarylyna>
Facebook: < <https://facebook.com/librarylyna>
https://facebook.com/librarylyna>
I Too Was Bamboozled
By Megan Homrighausen
I was reading a story about a boy who figured out he was going blind in the
Kernel Book, Wall to Wall Thanksgiving. The Story was called, Boy, Was I
Bamboozled, by Bruce Gardner. He tried to deny his blindness the way I did.
He did things that I used to do, like pretending to read magazines, or being
afraid to ask where things were out in public, such as asking, quote, Where
is the bathroom? Quote. I did this type of thing, too, for the fear of
being found out that yes, I am blind.
I use to hate it when people would tell me that I was blind, because in my
mind, I was not. I thought I just could not see that well. At one point, I
had the opportunity to learn Braille, but totally disregarded it. I thought
reading large print would be less of a spectacle, and I fought hard to
appear as a sighted person.
Looking back now, I am glad, though, that I went through what I had to go
through to learn what I know now. Do not get me wrong, if I would have
understood blindness at the time, of course I would have changed my way of
thinking and studied my Braille and probably would have benefited from it.
I have been told before, quote, Oh my gosh, it would be horrible to be
blind! I do not know how I would do it. Quote. Take it from me, you can do
it if you really want to get something done. If you really want to, you can
be blind with a positive attitude and the right skills to keep you
independent.
Boy Was I Bamboozled
By Bruce Gardner
Editors note:
Here is a very thought provoking article that was written by Bruce Gardner,
in the Kernel Book, Wall to Wall Thanksgiving, which Megan refers to in the
article above. We would like to hear your thoughts about these two
articles. Please send your comments to,
news at az.nfb.org <mailto:news at az.nfb.org>
I remember when I first learned that I was going blind. I was about eight
years old when my friend said, quote, Look at the jack rabbit under the
mesquite tree. Quote. I said, quote, What mesquite tree? Quote. Not only
could I not see the rabbit, I could not see the tree.
My mother called us all in and sat us in a row on the couch to play a game.
She held up flash cards, and one at a time we tried to see how far away she
could stand and have us still read the cards. I could not read the flash
cards without holding them up to my face.
When she took me to the eye doctor to be examined he said, quote, Well, it
is another one. Quote. I was the third in our family of nine children to be
diagnosed as having macular degeneration. I had no central vision and could
therefore see no details, but only light and dark, general shapes and
movement.
I grew up being embarrassed and ashamed of my blindness. We avoided the word
blind because of its negative connotations. Visually impaired was much
better. After all, lots of people wore glasses and had imperfect vision, and
that was okay. But if you crossed that invisible line into the realm of
blindness, then all the myths were heaped upon you. Therefore, growing up I
was not blind, I just could not see. Boy, was I bamboozled!
My parents had already spent years and large sums of the familys scarce
resources taking my two older brothers to countless specialists searching
for a cure. By the time I was diagnosed, hope for a cure was wearing thin.
Therefore, I was not taken to as many eye specialists as were my older
brothers.
But, I do vividly remember as a little boy going to one eye specialist and
hearing the doctor tell my parents that there was nothing he could do for my
eyes. The doctor said that because my blindness was undoubtedly hereditary,
they should make sure that I never got married or had children.
I remember my mother sobbing and her feeling that somehow it was her fault
that I was blind. The clear message from the doctor was that it would have
been better if I had not been born. And of course, I absorbed that message.
Boy, was I bamboozled!
As a boy I watched the show quote, Mister Magoo. Quote. I outwardly laughed
at the bumbling blind man, but inside I hurt. Blind people were fumbling,
bumbling Mister Magoos or helpless dependents, who sold pencils on the
street corner. Half of me refused to admit that I was blind, because
blindness meant helplessness.
The other half of me would reply, quote, Oh, you think you are not blind!
Well then, look across the room and identify who just walked in. And pick up
that book and read it if you are not blind. Do not kid yourself. You are
blind. You are nothing more than a fumbling, bumbling Mister Magoo. Quote.
Of course I did not want anyone to know of my blindness, so I would do crazy
things to appear quote, normal. Quote. It was like playing quote, blind mans
bluff. Quote. I would pretend to be reading a magazine in the barber shop or
a doctors office and turn the pages after the appropriate passage of time,
or loiter in lobbies outside what I hoped were the rest rooms (sometimes in
increasing discomfort) in order to identify a man, and then observe which
door he went through so I could follow him into the correct rest room.
It was unthinkable for me to ask for directions for fear the rest room was
close by when I asked, because then they would know that I could not see. I
would rather be thought of as unfriendly or stuck up and rude than let
people know I did not see or recognize them. Boy, was I bamboozled!
I was in third grade when I learned I was going blind. From third grade
until seventh grade I did not do any reading. My mother read to me at home,
and my teachers did not call on me to read at school. I did not see how
words were spelled but only heard how they were pronounced. Since words are
often not spelled the way they are pronounced, my spelling is, shall we say,
creative.
In seventh grade I got a magnifying glass that was strong enough for me to
read a little. The focal point was about the length of my nose, so when I
read I could only see about a word at a time. That is, if it was a short
word. If it was a longer word, I could not see both ends at the same time.
I would get my nose black when I read because I had to be so close to the
paper. Of course, reading in this manner was extremely slow and tiring.
Needless to say, I should have been taught Braille, but I was not given that
opportunity.
After all, I still had a little vision and could quote, read quote, print.
Never mind the fact that with Braille I could have read ten times faster and
for extended periods of time. To read Braille would have meant admitting
that I was blind, and that was unthinkable. Boy, was I bamboozled!
In high school I signed up for advanced placement English. I was in all
respects qualified for the advanced course. However, the teacher told me
that I could not take the class because I was blind. She said that there was
simply too much reading and that I would not be able to keep up.
She told me that I should take the bare minimum of English classes. She knew
nothing about talking books or Braille. She was well intentioned, but
uninformed. She was also convincing. So, I followed her advice and took the
minimum of English classes in both high school and college. In fact, I even
took a philosophy class in college because it gave English credit without
being an quote, English quote class. Boy, was I bamboozled!
It was not until I was in law school that I realized how unwise I had been.
More English courses would have helped me a great deal, both in law school
and in the practice of law.
Thankfully, when I was 21 the National Federation of the Blind found me and
helped me learn the truth about blindness. I now know that with opportunity
and training, blindness need not be a tragedy. I now know that it is
respectable to be blind.
I will forever be grateful to the National Federation of the Blind for
sharing with me the truth about my blindness and helping to heal the hurt
and remove the shame of a little blind boy who had been bamboozled.
New Alphabetical Magazine Listing in Newsline
By NFB Newsline Team
Submitted by Bob Kresmer
Dear Subscribers, With winter blanketing much of the country
in cold white stuff and the Great Lakes frozen over, it is a good time to
stay safe and warm and have a look at a new feature we have for you: The
Magazines list has added a new section called All Magazines Listed
Alphabetically to make it easier to find specific magazines when you are not
sure of the category. As our magazine list has grown, we wanted to provide
you a place in which you could peruse our entire list of magazines quickly
and easily. To find the Magazines list, press 7 off the Main Menu. You will
then be given the option to peruse All Magazines Listed Alphabetically by
pressing 1, or look through the list by category by choosing among the
categories offered. If it has been a while since you have had a look at our
magazines list, check them out by pressing 7 off the Main Menu. You will see
popular titles like Parade, Reader's Digest, ESPN the Magazine and Rolling
Stone. Like recipes? Interested in the latest in home tips and family
information? Check out our family interest magazines such as Everyday with
Rachel Ray, Family Circle, Family Fun, Ladies Home Journal and Better Homes
and Gardens. Want to be kept up to date on the latest technology?
NFB NEWSLINE has titles like Wired, Mac World, and PC World. Are you more of
a science aficionado? We have Popular Science, Science News, Smithsonian,
and Air and Space Smithsonian. Want to know the latest in health and
wellness? Have a look at Fitness, Web MD the Magazine, or Diabetes Forecast.
Do you like to keep up with politics? You can find the latest in Time
Magazine, Mother Jones, or The New Republic. For the latest trends in
fashion, lifestyle and entertainment, you can read US Weekly, Self, Vogue,
Teen Vogue, Glamour or Vanity Fair. If you are a Randolph Sheppard vendor,
you may want to have a look at Vending Times. Are you an active senior with
a busy lifestyle? We've got A A R P Bulletin and A A RP the Magazine,
National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) and Conde Nast
Traveler. How about books and literature? NFB NEWSLINE has The New Yorker,
Poets and Writers, and New York Review of Books. Want to keep up with the
latest in finance and the economy? Our magazines include the Economist and
Vending Times. Are you curious about developments and events going on with
blindness organizations? Take a look at the Braille Monitor, Braille Forum,
and Future Reflections. Interested in a magazine you do not see among our
featured magazines? We are always working to expand our publication lists!
Email us at, N F B News <mailto:line at nfb.org> line at nfb.org or call, 410 505
5896 and let us know
what you would like to see added.
Survey about Mobile Apps
We are conducting a study about your usage of different mobile Apps (that
is, programs or software that run on mobile devices) and your opinions of
such Apps. If you are a blind, low vision or partially sighted individual in
any country who currently uses apps, you are being invited to take part in
this online survey. The survey will remain open from March 10 through April
24, 2015.
Kindly note that this study has been approved by Texas Tech Human Research
Protection Program, Office of Research Services, Texas Tech University,
Lubbock, Texas, USA, 79409.
If you have any questions about this study, please contact Dr. Nora Griffin
Shirley at, 806 742 0225. Thank you for taking part in this important study.
Your participation is greatly appreciated.
Here is the link to the survey:
<https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GXPM6XC>
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GXPM6XC
The Bookshelf, 2 Selections
Do you love to curl up with a good book? Been meaning to read that best
seller? Here are two book selections that you may wish to read! If you
have a book that you absolutely loved and want to share your thoughts about
it with us, please send in your write up to:
news at az.nfb.org <mailto:news at az.nfb.org>
Happy reading!
Book #1, A Walk to Remember
DB49104
Written by Nicholas Sparks
Read by John Polk
Reading time 5 hours 9 minutes
Genre: Romance
Fifty seven year old Landon thinks back to 1958, the year that changed his
life. Pious, a Bible carrying Jamie Sullivan asks seventeen year old Landon
to co star with her in the Christmas play written by her preacher father.
As they spend time together, Landon is shocked to realize that he is falling
in love. Bestseller. 1999.
<https://nlsbard.loc.gov/nlsbardprod/download/book/srch/DB49104> Download A
walk to remember
Book #2, Pompeii: A Novel
DB57646
Written by Robert Harris
Read by Gordon Gould
Reading Time 10 hours 40 minutes
Genre: Suspense Fiction. Historical Fiction. Bestsellers.
Italy, A.D. 79. Pliny the Elder, sends engineer, Marcus Attilius Primus, to
Pmpeii to investigate a water flow problem. Attilius examines the aqueduct,
uncovers an embezzlement scheme, discovers the imminent eruption of the
volcano Vesuvius, and attempts to rescue his new love. Some vilence and
some strong language. Bestseller. 2003.
<https://nlsbard.loc.gov/nlsbardprod/download/book/srch/DB57646> Download
Pompeii: a novel
East Valley Chapter News
By Megan Homrighausen
We have a lot to talk about this month!
Our Day At The Capital!
Our day at the Capitol was a big success! We talked with several Senators
and Representatives about HB2217, which would provide adiquite funding to
Vocational Rehabilitation Services. We also discussed ensuring equal access
for instructional materials for students in higher education. Everyone did a
great job, and I am proud of all those who came and supported us there.
The Road Show Is Right Around The Corner!
Our Road Show is coming up, and the East Valley is proud to be the first
Chapter to host it. We will be talking about what it means to be a
Federationist. We will be playing games and breaking up into small groups to
help new members and remind old members alike, why they are in the
Federation. We will also be serving cookies and fruit. So come on over and
see what this Road Show is all about!
Pot Luck Pool Party!
Our Pot Luck Pool Party is coming up in May, in place of our Chapter
Meeting, so everybody grab your suits! You are all invited.
Lost Constitution.
The East Valley Constitution is missing! We cannot find it anywhere. We
asked several members if they knew what had happened to it, and we just got
a bunch of I do not knows.
We thought to ourselves, that we better make a new one so, that is just what
we did.
We are in the process of revising it now, and it looks great. It is just the
way we want it, and we will be presenting it to the State Board by the end
of next month.
Please join us at Fiesta Mall on the 3rd Saturday of each month, (except for
the month of May), at 1:00 to 3:30 PM at 1445 West Southern Avenue, 1st
floor, to the right of Best Buy. After our meeting we gather for an informal
dinner at Old Chicago, at 1656 South Alma School Road. Please contact me
if you have any questions at, 480 510 6196, or
<mailto:megan.homrighausen at yahoo.com> megan.homrighausen at yahoo.com
Phoenix Chapter Annual Picnic
Date: April 4, 2015
Place: Encanto Park
2605 North 15th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ
Come on out! Bring a dish to share with everyone! Lets have some fun!
Whatever you plan to bring, please let our Social Chair, Steve Sesma, know.
His number is, 623 204 6797.
Happenings in Tucson
By Amy Porterfield
The NFB Tucson Chapter has been celebrating our commitment to live the life
we want by learning how to save lives with our CPR training that took place
in our March meeting. We have been celebrating our ability to generate new
opportunities with our annual fund raiser at the Rillito Race Track. To
date we have raised almost $4,000. We are planning our annual teacher
appreciation event for our teachers at the school for the blind, Organizing
our annual senior graduation dinner for our upcoming blind high school
graduating class, and conspiring for a fun filled pick nick: packed full of
traditional and not so traditional picnick games and surprises.
Here are some of the exciting and fun activities that you can participate in
at the Tucson regular chapter meetings.
* Peer mentoring in various kinds of technology or Braille.
* Meet members of our Local and State government.
* Engaging blindness philosophy discussion over our favorite kernel
book stories.
* Introduction to a new alternative tool or tech product.
* Connection with what our National center is up too and how we can do
our part.
* Legislative and advocacy updates and training.
* Delicious snacks.
* Competitive Dutch auctions.
* Fabulous fellowship.
* Much, much more.
Please come on down and see us.
Random Tid Bits
By Charles Rivard
In the Middle Ages wearing spectacles signified knowledge and learning.
Painters of the time often included spectacles when portraying famous
persons even when depicting people who lived before the known invention of
spectacles. On numerous paintings the religious teacher Sofronius Eusebius
Hieronymus (340 to 420 AD) is portrayed with a lion, a skull and a pair of
reading glasses. He is the patron saint of spectacle makers.
It actually is true that eating carrots can help you see better. Carrots
contain Vitamin A, which feeds the chemicals that the eye shafts and cones
are made of. The shafts capture black and white vision. The cones capture
color images.
Healthy eyes are so sensitive to light that a candle burning in the dark can
be detected a mile away. The human eye can distinguish about 10 million
different colors. There currently is no machine that can achieve this
remarkable feat.
Roman tragedian Seneca is said to have read quote, all the books in Rome,
quote, by
peering through a glass globe of water. A thousand years later, presbyopic
monks used segments of glass spheres that could be laid against reading
material to magnify the letters, basically a magnifying glass, called a
reading stone. They based their invention on the theories of the Arabic
mathematician Alhazen (roughly 1000 AD). Yet, Greek philosopher Aristophanes
(c. 448 BC to 380 BC) knew that glass could be used as a magnifying glass.
Nevertheless it was not until roughly 150 AD that Ptolemy discovered the
basic rules of light diffraction and wrote extensively on the subject.
Venetian glass blowers, who had learned how to produce glass for reading
stones, later constructed lenses that could be held in a frame in front of
the eye instead of directly on the reading material. It was intended for use
by one eye; the idea to frame two ground glasses using wood or horn, making
them into a single unit was born in the 13th century.
In 1268 Roger Bacon made the first known scientific commentary on lenses for
vision correction. Salvino D'Armate of Pisa and Alessandro Spina of Florence
are often credited with the invention of spectacles around 1284 but there is
no evidence to conclude this. The first mention of actual glasses is found
in a 1289 manuscript when a member of the Popozo family wrote: quote, I am
so
debilitated by age that without the glasses known as spectacles, I would no
longer be able to read or write. Quote. In 1306, a monk of Pisa mentioned in
a
sermon: quote, It is not yet 20 years since the art of making spectacles,
one of
the most useful arts on earth, was discovered. Quote. But nobody mentioned
the inventor.
Flick, Swipe, and Tap, Kid Friendly Software Games for the iPhone
By Charles Rivard
The name of the developer is a bit misleading, because these games are not
for kids only. They are very popular with kids and adults alike.
The series of games I will cover in this article are a series of games
called Blindfold Games, because sound is your only cue during play. Whether
you are blind or sighted, you have no advantage during play.
Kid Friendly Software began with an experimental project, Blindfold Racer.
It is an audio racing game in which you must navigate a race course
containing obstacles. Do not hit them, and do not hit the fences along the
edges of the track. The faster you successfully complete the course, the
higher your score. In the next round, the track is differently laid out,
and there will be more and different obstacles to avoid. Progressively more
difficult tasks give great replay to their first game. The game became a
very popular game for blind players due to a lack of auto racing games for
the iPhone. Based upon the success of their first attempt, Kid Friendly has
created a number of other games, some of which are listed below.
Blind Friendly Sudoku! Several people requested this game at one of the
National conventions of the Blind, and so, it was developed. Basically
Sudoku is a number puzzle. You are presented with a 9 by 9 grid that
contains cells containing numbers that you cannot change. Your task is to
fill all of the blank cells with numbers ranging from 1 through 9 in such a
way that there are no repeated numbers in any column, horizontal row, or 3
by 3 box. It has become the modern day Rubicks Cube. If you think it is
easy, think again. These are real brain busters, and you can choose from
easy ones, moderately difficult ones, and very difficult ones. There is
also, produced upon request, a Blindfold Sudoku for beginners to the game,
which is a separate app. I suggest that you try this first to get the idea.
It is a 4 by 4 grid.
Blindfold Blackjack is just what you would think it is. You can split
pairs, double down, and other such options. You try to beat the dealer and
build your total.
Blindfold Crazy Eights: Play against the computer and try to win a game of
Crazy Eights. After each play, the computer tells you how many cards are
left in his hand. Play games to a winning score ranging from 100 to 500
points.
Blindfold Solitaire: Try to successfully build the four suits from ace
through King in a speaking version of the traditional game of Solitaire.
Blindfold Video Poker: This is one of my favorites! Play a Las Vegas style
5 card stud poker machine. Place your bet. The 5 cards are shown either on
wheels or dealt onto the table. Reject those you do not want to keep and
they are replaced with others. Payoffs are for Jacks or better, two pair,
full house, 3 or four of a kind, and so on.
The last game I would like to tell you about is Blindfold Wildcard. This is
a game like Uno, that you play against the computer. If you buy the starter
pack, which I highly suggest that you do, you can modify the game slightly
by using options not available if you do not buy the starter pack, such as
playing up to 500 points, naming and playing against up to 3 computer
opponents, and changing between three skill difficulties.
All of these games are free of charge, with restrictions. Some of the games
have the option of purchasing more chips to play with in variously priced
packages. It is, however, not necessary to buy them. You are given a few
chips each day to work with. Also, some of these games offer more options
for a price, such as a different kind of Solitaire game or the ability to
play a game of Crazy Eights in which you draw until a play can be made,
rather than just drawing one and stopping if you cannot make a play.
All of these games will work on an iPhone 5 or higher, using firmware 8.0 or
higher, and you will get great fun with them.
Gadgets and Gizmos, FingerReader for the Blind
By Stephan Savoia of AP
FingerReader is a ring visually impaired people can wear that reads to them
in real time. It can read papers, books, magazines, newspapers, computer
screens and other devices.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing an
audio reading device to be worn on the index finger of people whose vision
is impaired, giving them affordable and immediate access to printed words.
The so called FingerReader, a prototype produced by a 3D printer, fits like
a ring on the finger, equipped with a small camera that scans text. A
synthesized voice reads words aloud, quickly translating books, restaurant
menus and other needed materials for daily living, especially away from home
or office.
quote, Reading is as easy as pointing the finger at text. Special software
tracks the finger movement, identifies words and processes the information.
The device has vibration motors that alert readers when they stray from the
script, quote, said Roy Shilkrot, who is developing the device at the MIT
Media Lab.
Reading medical forms.
For Jerry Berrier, 62, who was born blind, the promise of the FingerReader
is its portability and offer of real time functionality at school, a doctor
office and restaurants.
quote, When I go to the doctor office, there may be forms that I wanna read
before I sign them,quote, Berrier said. He said there are other optical
character recognition devices on the market for those with vision
impairments, but none that he knows of that will read in real time.
Berrier manages training and evaluation for a federal program that
distributes technology to low income people in Massachusetts and Rhode
Island who have lost their sight and hearing. He works from the Perkins
School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts.
quote, Everywhere we go, for folks who are sighted, there are things that
inform us about the products that we are about to interact with. I wanna be
able to interact with those same products, regardless of how I have to do
it, quote, Berrier said.
Pattie Maes, an MIT professor who founded and leads the Fluid Interfaces
research group developing the prototype, says the FingerReader is like
reading with the tip of your finger and it is a lot more flexible, a lot
more immediate than any solution that they have right now.
quote, Developing the gizmo has taken three years of software coding,
experimenting with various designs and working on feedback from a test group
of visually impaired people. Much work remains before it is ready for the
market, quote, Shilkrot said, including making it work on cellphones.
Shilkrot said developers believe they will be able to affordably market the
FingerReader but he could not yet estimate a price. The potential market
includes some of the 11.2 million people in the United States with vision
impairment, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Access to text not available in Braille.
quote, Current technology used in homes and offices offers cumbersome
scanners that must process the desired script before it can be read aloud by
character recognition software installed on a computer or smartphone, quote,
Shilkrot said. The FingerReader would not replace Braille, the system of
raised dots that form words, interpreted by touch. Instead, Shilkrot said,
quote, the new device would enable users to access a vast number of books
and other materials that are not currently available in Braille. quote,
Developers had to overcome unusual challenges to help people with visual
impairments move their reading fingers along a straight line of printed text
that they could not see. Users also had to be alerted at the beginning and
end of the reading material. Their solutions? Audio cues in the software
that processes information from the FingerReader and vibration motors in the
ring.
quote, The FingerReader can read papers, books, magazines, newspapers,
computer screens and other devices, but it has problems with text on a touch
screen, quote, said Shilkrot.
quote, That is because touching the screen with the tip of the finger would
move text around, producing unintended results. Disabling the touch screen
function eliminates the problem, quote, he said.
Berrier said affordable pricing could make the FingerReader a key tool to
help people with vision impairment integrate into the modern information
economy.
quote, Any tool that we can get that gives us better access to printed
material helps us to live fuller, richer, more productive lives, quote,
Berrier said.
Trivia Challenge
Here are some trivia questions to work your brain! Send your answers to,
news at az.nfb.org <mailto:news at az.nfb.org> ! If you are correct, we will
publish your name in the next issue! Good luck!
Arts and Literature:
What nationality was Chopin?
Entertainment:
When was the first ever Elvis concert?
Geography:
Where are the Dolomites?
History:
How many wives did Henry the Eighth have?
Sports and Leisure:
Who won a Gold Medal for Spain in cycling in the 1992 Olympics?
Science and Nature:
What does the female praying mantis do after she has made love?
A Computer Poem
A computer was something on TV
>From a science fiction show of note
A window was something you hated to clean
And ram was the cousin of a goat.
Meg was the name of my girlfriend
And gig was a job for the nights
Now they all mean different things
And that really mega bytes.
An application was for employment
A program was a TV show
A cursor used profanity
A keyboard was a piano.
Memory was something that you lost with age
A CD was a bank account
And if you had a 3 inch floppy
You hoped nobody found out.
Compress was something you did to the garbage
Not something you did to a file
And if you unzipped anything in public
You would be in jail for a while.
Log on was adding wood to the fire
Hard drive was a long trip on the road
A mouse pad was where a mouse lived
And a backup happened to your commode.
Cut you did with a pocket knife
Paste you did with glue
A web was a spiders home
And a virus was the flu.
I guess I will stick to my pad and paper
And the memory in my head
I hear nobodys been killed in a computer crash
But when it happens they wish they were dead.
The Recipe Box, Zesty Meatloaf
By Suzy Barnes
(From Suzys Concoctions
Ingredients:
1 pound, ground chuck, or lean beef
1 package, onion soup mix
1/3 cup, chopped bell pepper
1 cup, chunky salsa, drained
1 egg
1/3 cup, rolled oats, or toasted bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon, salt
1/8 teaspoon, black pepper
1 tablespoon, spicy, or yellow mustard
Directions:
Set oven to 350 degrees.
In coffee cup, use fork to beat egg, in order to break yellow. In large
bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix with hands, and form into a loaf.
Place in a greased loaf pan. (I used an oval Pyrex baking dish.) Bake for
about an hour. If you like a tomato sauce topping, remove from oven after
45 minutes and spread about 2 tablespoons of catsup, or BBQ sauce on top,
and bake the additional 15 minutes. After removing from oven, drain off
grease in a pie tin or shallow bowl.
Note: If you opt to use chopped onion rather than onion soup mix, increase
salt to 1 1/2 Teaspoons. This is not a family sized meatloaf. This is good
for two people, with enough left for a great meatloaf sandwich!
Enjoy and best dishes!
A New Game for PC Users
By Tony Sohl
Here is a fun and adicting game called, Super Egg Hunt Plus!
<http://www.l-works.net/> http://www.l-works.net
Run around the grid and collect as many eggs as you can without having
Mister Chicken peck you. Try to run through a chicken coop and avoid
chickens, or remove them from the game by getting the boost mode. Race
against the clock and collect as many eggs in 60 seconds as you can.
There are many other levels, and in order to get them you uhave to unlock
them by getting trophies and racking up points! Have fun!
Think Tank
By Debi Chatfield
Thank you to everyone who submitted answers to the March brainteasers. Many
of you were very close, but close only counts in horseshoes! Congratulations
to Janna Peyton for answering one brainteaser correctly!
In case you missed them, here are the March brain teasers and their answers.
1. What 9 letter English word is still a word each time you take away a
letter?
Answer: Startling, starting, staring, string, sting, sing, sin, in, I.
2. What question can you never answer with a, yes?
Answer: Are you awake?
Now, here are the super duper brain teasers for April. Are you smarter than
a 5th grader? Hmmm?
1. What is always coming, but never arrives?
2. What two things can you never eat for breakfast?
Please submit the answers to these brain teasers to:
<mailto:news at az.nfb.org> news at az.nfb.org
We will let you know if you are correct, and if so, we will publish your
name in the May newsletter. Have fun trying to solve these puzzles!
A Round of Applause
Thanks go out to you, our extended family here in the National Federation of
the Blind! You participate and spend time attending monthly meetings, raise
necessary funds to support our valuable programs, reach out to others
needing the information and resources we offer, and get to know and give
support to one another, so that we may continue to learn and grow. Our goal
is to be independent, productive members of society, and through your
efforts and working together, we are truly changing what it means to be
blind! So, a big thank you to you all, and keep up the good work!
Debbies List
No, this is not Craigs List, but it is the next best thing! If you have
something to sell, or announce, send us your ad, and we will post it, as
long as there is space available in the newsletter. Send your ads to:
news at az.nfb.org <mailto:news at az.nfb.org>
** a Useful, Stylish New Idea!
When you go out for a walk, or running to class, are you looking for a way
to easily carry your water bottle and cellphone, in a way that would be both
stylish and practical? Are you looking for something that can hold many
items, yet is not heavy on its own? Well look no further than the
Invisibag! This is a stretchable belt like strap that clips easily around
your waist. It contains two zipperred pockets, one for a conventional water
bottle, and one that is the perfect size for your smartphone. With the
water bottle pocket you will be able to carry around a water bottle, without
the need to carry a purse or backpack, as it simply hangs from your belt.
The cellphone pocket allows you to carry your cellphone in a safe, secure
environment. You can feel your cellphone vibrating, yet it is difficult to
steal as one must open the zipperred pocket to get the cellphone out. And
when you're done using it for the day, just take all your items out and let
it sit around your waist. it is so light you will not even notice.
As these are imported products, you will not find them anywhere on the U.S.
market. I personally handle all the importing and costs myself. I'm asking
only $20 per each one.
Please send me an email at,
<mailto:techluver at techluver.co.za> techluver at techluver.co.za if anyone is
interested.
Harrison Tu
** Are you having trouble with your computer? Did you just purchase that
must
have app, but have a question? Perhaps, you have some tips to share? If
so, please join the BlindTech e-mail list.
To join, send a message with subscribe in the subject line to:
blindtech-request at freelists.org <mailto:blindtech-request at freelists.org>
alternatively, you may visit:
http://www.freelists.org/list/blindtech
** Here is why BC and TechnoTiger.com can make you smile at your computer!
>From march of 1988 to November 1993, I worked at the Rehabilitation Research
and Training Center, RRTC, at Mississippi State University, and my main
duties were to train rehabilitation professionals to use and apply speech,
Braille, and large print computer access technology to a variety of job
situations. From November of 1993 to February of 2002, I supervised and
worked with the other computer access technology trainers at the Department
of Veterans Affairs Southeastern Blind Rehab Center in Birmingham, Alabama
to train over 350 Blind veterans from throughout the Southeast to use
computers.
Since I started Techno Tiger.com in 2002, I have trained Blind people from
the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, State of Georgia Vocational
Rehabilitation for the Blind, the Valdosta City School system, Mississippi
State University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, and the State
of Florida Division of Blind Services.
If you need technology training, I am your trainer!
Check out my website at,
<http://www.technotiger.com/> www.TechnoTiger.com
and give me a call at,
229 251 7089.
** Join a Free Voice Chat Site Community on the Web!
Would you like to meet other blind or visually impaired individuals from
across the country and around the world? Do you like challenging interactive
games, old time radio, learning about adapted cooking techniques, a monthly
book club, product presentations, chess instruction, computer tech help,
Bible Study, a blindness support group, a weekly talent show, iPhone
discussions, and much more? Join our free chat community at:
www.Out-Of-Sight.net <http://www.out-of-sight.net/> .
Stay Connected
Sending this newsletter to friends? Tell them they can receive this monthly
newsletter by subscribing to:
Nfbaz-news-subscribe at az.nfb.org <mailto:Nfbaz-news-subscribe at az.nfb.org>
If you have any changes in your contact info for the state roster, chapters,
or divisions, please write to:
news at az.nfb.org <mailto:news at az.nfb.org>
and we will send your info to the appropriate people and make the necessary
corrections.
Contact our President, Bob Kresmer at:
888 899 6322, or write to:
<mailto:krezguy at cox.net> krezguy at cox.net
If you would like to submit an announcement or article for publication in
this monthly newsletter, please send your submission to:
<mailto:news at az.nfb.org> news at az.nfb.org
Grins and Groans - The Usual Endings
Submitted by Bob Kresmer
What do you call two spiders who just got married?
Newlywebs.
Why is the letter A like a flower?
It gets followed by a bee.
Debi Chatfield
Editor
More information about the NFB-Editors
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