[blindkid] technology journey

[Marianne Denning]

You are exactly right!  These are not only skills that will help her
in school but in her profession.  Technology and the appropriate
skills help level the playing field for those of us who are blind.  I
grew up before computers and assistive technology were available and
had to rely heavily on sighted people help me with many tasks.  There
are times when a reader is still ver helpful but I can do so much for
myself.  Dr. Denise Robinson is awesome and we need about 1000 more of
her.

A TVI is asked to wear way too many hats.  It really takes an
assistive technology specialist to teach the skills our students need.
There is also no certification for technology specialists and I am not
sure certification is necessary but it may be a discussion worth
having too.

The advantage of Dr. Denise and others is that instruction takes place
through virtual instruction.  It doesn't matter if you live in New
York City or as far north in Alaska as you can go, virtual instruction
is available.



On 8/28/15, hpscheffer--- via blindkid <blindkid at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I've been for a while pondering on a big issue I see seems way too common
> with kids on this list. I like to share with those who are willing to
> listen/read our story.
>
>
> My daughter now in 10th grade, had as lots of your kids, a Braille Note with
> which she did most her work on and the Perkins to do math with. She did a
> little computer work with Jaws, but just the very basic from elementary to
> middle school. I got excited when the iPad came out which such great access
> as is Voice Over and iOS computers, which she quickly learned on her own. We
> thought this would be good and sufficient. She was keeping up and moving
> forward, her teachers and school were happy with what she was doing and knew
> she was smart, and doing extremely great. However, at the middle of 7th
> grade, I asked my daughter what the rest of the class was working on, and
> she said "oh they are all doing a power point presentation, but I can do
> something else instead. This was a big red light for me. I started
> questioning "why at this technology age would she not be able to do the
> same", I got onto a quest, I found our schools curriculum on the schools
> website and started comparing what others were doing and what she was no,
> this is a great resource for parents.
>
>
> Her VI teacher, as great as she was, did not know enough about Jaws to teach
> her, I started to research what a blind student could do on a computer and
> got lots of great information. I thought I should be able to find someone
> somewhere that would know enough to train the VI teacher and then she could
> train my daughter. Well, as I learned more, I realized this would be
> impossible since it would take too long, how about bypassing the VI and just
> get someone to train my daughter 1 on 1?. I found Dr. Denise Robinson, and
> we started exchanging emails and got the real picture of really how much can
> be done with Jaws on a laptop. No more carrying around the Perkins, sheets
> of paper, Braille Note, iPad. All she would need was just a laptop and a
> braille display? yes, all she would need from now on was "access" and not
> modifications! Of course there are books in braille she would still need,
> just like her peers, (she has all 36 volumes of Math ll, as well as other
> hard copies.
>
>
> After a technology assessment, which I requested, it was clear she was not
> up to par with her peers. The EC department finally approved lessons with
> Dr. Robinson, this was not an easy journey, it was long and arduous but I
> knew it was either that or below standard education and a limited future and
> dependency. I was not going to settle just because it was easier. Thankfully
> her VI was on board since she had her best interest at heart, she has
> learned a lot as well and is an amazing team player!
>
>
> Fast forward to 10th grade now, she does "ALL" her work on her laptop, math
> (plots, lines…etc), english, biology, does beautiful power point
> presentations, inserts pictures, music, gets her homework from the school
> learning platform "Canvas", sends in her work to teachers, teachers send her
> work by emails, and she does all the same work as her peers, and I mean all
> the same! She uses Jaws and sometimes NVDA paired with APH braille display,
> also her iPhone and sometimes her iPad for other specific work. She has
> books on her computer and her Braille Note, but the BN stays at home to do
> homework with.
>
>
> The world opened up for her in ways we never imagined, she loves knowing
> what she knows now, yes it was a lot of extra work, but considering the
> alternative we and her were happy to put in the time and fight to get to
> where she is now.  She will go to college and use all the skills she has
> learned and is still learning, to be completely independent. She sends
> requests to web designers to make them accessible to screen readers, as many
> are not, I hope sometime soon everyone will make the changes needed. I wish
> this could be enforced.
>
>
> A Braille Note and an iPad will not make it for their future and their
> independence. Surely there is much technology on the way to make life easier
> for everyone, but this will not happen without proficient computer skills.
>
>
> Don't want to make this too long, so this is in a nutshell what I wanted to
> share, I hope it starts the conversation of the need of more training in the
> technology age for VI's and our kids.
>
>
> Heidi
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053