[Nfbwv-talk] TECHNOLOGY EXPO AT NFBWV STATE CONVENTION

[Ed McDonald]

Fellow Federationists,

Below is a news release concerning the Technology Expo and Workshop planned 
for our upcoming NFBWV State Convention in Bridgeport. It should give you a 
pretty good idea of what's in store, and we hope many of you will plan to 
attend.

Needless to say, the release has been written for "public 
consumption"--intended primarily for audiences outside the NFB. We hope to 
attract some blind persons--from students to senior citizens--who are not 
part of the Federation. We also want to reach out to VI teachers, 
rehabilitation counselors, and other such professionals in the blindness 
field who may wish to learn more about any or all of these technologies.

Thus, we invite all of you to help spread the word by sharing this 
information with anyone you think might be interested. We will, of course, 
be making it available to news media throughout the state.

Let's all do what we can to help make this a successful event.

Thanks,

Ed


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


The National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia (NFBWV) will present 
"Get Your Hands on It," an expo and workshop on affordable technology for 
people who are blind or have low vision.  This half-day event is open to all 
interested persons and takes place Friday, September 12, at the Best Western 
Bridgeport Inn, Bridgeport, WV, starting at 8:30 AM.

There will be opportunities for persons with visual impairments to get a 
"hands-on" introduction to a variety of affordable technologies that enable 
them to use Windows and iOS devices by non-visual means.  Apple products 
such as the iPhone and iPod come equipped with VoiceOver, a feature that 
makes it possible to use the device with synthetic speech.  There are also 
several free and low-cost programs that use speech and/or magnification to 
read the screen on windows-based computers.

Representatives from the West Virginia Library Commission's Talking Book 
services will be on hand to offer assistance with downloading and reading 
audio books from a variety of sources.

There will also be demonstrations of a new app that enables Apple users to 
"read" print documents.  The KNFB Reader app uses the iPhone camera to take 
a picture of the document and convert the text to speech.

In addition to all of these "high-tech" options, the West Virginia Assistive 
Technology System (WVATS) will make available a variety of "low-tech" 
devices for people to examine and try out.

"We are surrounded by a cornucopia of accessible technology, and much of it 
is available for free or at very affordable prices," expo coordinator Brad 
Hodges said.  "The only barrier which holds us back is knowledge.  Our 
technology expo and workshop will help you gain both the knowledge to begin 
using Windows and Apple access technology for yourself, and help instill the 
confidence to see you climb all the way up the learning curve to success," 
Hodges added.

The event begins at 8:30 AM with a "breakfast briefing." Attendees may bring 
a continental breakfast to the expo room for an overview of the technology 
presentations scheduled for the morning.  Then the room full of work 
stations will be open for individuals to "get your hands on" this technology 
and learn some basics about how it works.

During the noon hour, a "lunch and learn" will conclude the event with a 
panel discussion on the past, present, and future of access technology for 
blind and visually impaired individuals.

For more information contact Hodges at 304-523-0369.

"Get Your Hands on It" is the opening event of the 2014 convention of the 
National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia.  NFBWV is a state 
affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind, the nation's oldest and 
largest organization of blind persons.  More information about this and 
other NFBWV activities is available at www.nfbwv.org.

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.


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