Okay, it is new and improved. It features a re-designed web page. And, the latest episode is out.
The “it” in this case, is the
Disability 411 podcast,
On whose latest episode your humble blogger makes his debut as a regular contributor. In this episode, D411 host Beth Case also announces some other guest contributors, putting me in some good company.
The other contributers are Day Al-Mohamed, of the
Day in Washington podcast,
Jacquie Brennan, from the
Disability Law Lowdown podcast,
And Chris Wright, a web designer, musician, and all-around idea generator for Beth.
Chris is also offering to do screen reader accessibility evaluations of web sites at no charge to D411 listeners (or readers, for those who choose to read the transcript instead of listening to the podcast). To contact him, send an email to
chrisw1@bestweb.net
and put “web site evaluation” in the subject line. Also, make sure you mention that you’re a fan of D411.
Do check out the D411 site's new logo and web page. It also includes disability news headlines, as well as some of Beth's favorite resource links.
For my beginning D411 contribution, I offer a review of
The Short Bus, A Journey beyond normal
By
Jonathan Mooney.
I first heard about this book a few months ago when the author emailed me through this blogsite and offered to send me a review copy. I replied to Mr. Mooney and asked if he had a review copy that was accessible to a computer screen reader and explained some formats that would work. Unfortunately, I never heard back from Mr. Mooney. I had checked out his web site and read a part of the introduction. I was really eager to read more, but that didn’t happen for a while.
I didn’t have access to check for the book’s availability through the
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Disabled (NLS),
because more than five years ago, I had quit listening to those modified talking books on 4-track cassettes. I had grown tired of listening to books in that format due to what I felt was excessive space needs and effort to listen to books in what I felt was an antiquedated media format in a digital age.
The good news is that since getting my Victor Reader Stream, and its ability to play the protected digital files from the
NLS Downloadable Book and Magazine Service,
I’ve re-established my membership with the library. And, yes, The Short Bus was available as a download. It was actually the first NLS book that I downloaded and listened to on this accessible media player.
Jonathan Mooney is an author and speaker who has captured the essence of his own experience as a child with a learning disability, and turned it into a quest to explore how others with differing disabilities live their lives. Mooney was a boy who was dyslexic and didn’t learn to read until he was 12 years old. Along his way through the public school system, he heard many things, most notable of which was that he would do well to graduate high school and that college was all but out of the question. Like so many other people with disabilities, Mooney tapped into his strengths and survived, surpassing those glum predictions of his academic future. Not only was he able to parlay his atheletic skills into a scholarship to Loyola Marimount, but he later went on to graduate with honors from Brown University.
In the introduction, Mooney talks about how he began one presentation with an empathetic statement of, “Normal people suck.” In those three words, Mooney gives an indication of his approach to change his presentation to fit the situation and effectively reach out and connect with particular members of his audience.
The book’s title states exactly what the book is about. Mooney draws upon his childhood memories of when he rode that iconic symbol for kids in special education to school. However, what he has done now is make it a familiar means of recognition, and a very bold statement maker it is, as his means of transportation in this coast-to-coast journey exploring how people of different ages across the country manage their various disabilities. All the while he illustrates the defining personality of each person he visits, allowing us to see them for their abilities and not just their disabilities.
That takes care of explaining the title, for the most part, but that word “Normal” is there for a very specific reason. Children with disabilities are classified and treated as being outside the norm and Mooney examines the educational and social constructs for this. He also offers a brief history about many of the discussed disabilities and, peppered throughout the text, offers a good representation of the disability rights movement here in the United States.
More than just examining the definition of what it means to be classified outside the boundaries of “normal,” what each person he presents does, is present their own method of challenging what it is to be normal. Each of these people are presented, despite any limitations their disabilities impose, as normal people. They interact with their family, their community, and pursue life with zeal. That pursuit can be seen in the way the 8-year old deaf-blind girl understand so much more than what many perceive, or maybe how she plays a trick on her brother. Or it might be found in the older, transgender man named Cookie who has a deep understanding of art and paints a mural on the inside of Mooney’s bus, even though one of his darkest recollections was when he was six and his teacher called him stupid. Or, maybe it is in the heart of the boy who uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy, but has an undying love for roller coasters. It can be found in any of the variety of people Mooney meets up with. Pick any one of them and you’ll find out a new definition of what normal is.
The book is written in a style that is easy and comfortable to read, like sitting down with an old friend. While the language is direct and sometimes coarse, it usually fits the context. For anybody who works in the disability service field, The Short Bus should make a stop on your reading list. It is a good read covering a range of disabilities and profiles some strong people with attitudes that allow them to pursue life. While I had to wait a few months to get a copy I could read, it was definitely worth the wait.
There is a lot more than just my review of that book on D411. Go to the D411 home page and check out its new design and grab the latest episode.
Showing posts with label Jonathan Mooney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jonathan Mooney. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Initial impressions of the pilot site for NLS digital talking book downloads
In case you missed it, a little while back, The excessive cheering I’ve noticed in the blind community got to be too much and I had to find out for myself what this hot, new, accessible media player was all about. I treated myself to a Victor Reader Stream so that I could see for myself if this product was worth all the hoopla.
But, this post isn’t about my affection for this powerful piece of assistive technology. What I want to share here today is news about the
digital talking book pilot program
of the
National Library Service for the Blind an Physically Handicapped.
After all, being able to play these books on the Stream was the final, convincing argument that prompted me to get mine.
This library service, or NLS, as it is commonly referred to, makes books available in an accessible, modified format to approved patrons who have a verified disability which keeps them from being able to read regular pring books. The NLS is a division of the United States Library of Congress, and is supported with federal funding.
For background, more than five years ago, I had quit ordering books from the state talking book library, which includes books from the NLS. The main reason for this was that I was discouraged about the slow speed with which they were adopting digital media. I was tired of fumbling around with those 4-track cassettes and keeping the tapes in sequence for each book I read while I saw digital audio springing up all over the web. It didn’t make sense to me that the patrons of the NLS library still had to fool with these tapes when the rest of the world was quickly making the switch to digital media. Another reason was that when traveling for extended length, I would often pack along three or four books just to ensure I didn’t run out of reading material. I felt it was excessively cumbersome to pack along all these plastic boxes of tapes in addition to the heavy HandiCassette player I had for playback. It just seemed that the digital age was leaving accessible media for the blind far behind.
Instead of the tapes, I chose to listen to books on CD. It wasn't that the CDs were any less of a hassle to tote and keep organized, but I would rip the CDs into mp3 format and listen to the books on my computer. Being that I use a home computer and not a laptop, though, this meant I was only able to listen to the books while on the computer. This was a little restrictive in that sense, but I liked it better than the 4-track tapes. It still didn't give me the portability I longed for, though. And, this is where I jump to the present, and also, to the Stream.
The Stream is one of a small group of authorized, accessible media players that will playback books from the NLS, which was one of the reasons I made the leap and purchased it. (For the other authorized players, read the comment left to this post by Wayne.) I had checked out the web site for the pilot digital talking book program and read that there were more than 10,000 titles already converted to digital format and available for download. That was enough to sway my decision and convince me to make the Stream purchase.
However, because the books will only play on one of these devices that the NLS doesn't issue, means that only people who have purchased one of these accessible media players can use this digital book program. That is true, at least for now. when the NLS goes fully digital and this is no longer a pilot program, to ensure access to all, the NLS will have to provide some form of digital book players to consumers for playing the protected audio files. But for now, they have this ever-growing collection of titles already in a digital format and there is an authorization process to validate the players, so this makes these digital talking book files available today to anybody with one of these players.
The authorization key is emailed to the owner and is specific to that one, unique player. This authorization process requires the NLS to coordinate communication by email with the manufacturer, as well as the user. Once authorized, that player can play any of the digital audio files from the NLS site, which includes magazines. Users are limited to 30 downloads in any 30-day period.
Initially, I must say I’m very impressed with the NLS pilot site. It is searchable by author, title, subject, or NLS catalog number. The entire process has run seamlessly for me and authorizing the Stream to play these files was a simple procedure.
The first book I downloaded from the NLS site was one I have wrote about here previously,
The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal
By
Jonathan Mooney.
(I’ll write more here later with my review of that book.)
Playback on the Stream was a breeze. Even the time when I didn’t lock the keys and accidently bumped some key that stopped the book while I was more than half way through the ten hour work. I pressed play again and it took me back to the beginning of the book. Within seconds, I was able to get right back to the spot I had previously been. The NLS books are designed to allow users to skip by sections or chapters. That is how I was able to move back to where I had been so easily.
There are some aspects of the digital book program that will seem comfortably familiar to anybody who has previously spent any time listening to NLS books on tape. They will quickly recognize the familiar names and voices of narrators from previous talking books. The NLS catalog numbers of these digital books are also numerically identical for these books as their recorded cassette brethren, except these are preceded by the designation DB instead of RC. That makes sense…these are digital books and the taped version are recorded cassettes. Keeping the numbers the same only serves to simplify the process.
I’ve got to hand it to the folks at the NLS; they’ve done something really good here. My former frustration with the outdated, analog 4-track cassettes is today supplanted with an immense joy generated by their digital talking book program. I am once again throwing myself into reading for pleasure.
But, this post isn’t about my affection for this powerful piece of assistive technology. What I want to share here today is news about the
digital talking book pilot program
of the
National Library Service for the Blind an Physically Handicapped.
After all, being able to play these books on the Stream was the final, convincing argument that prompted me to get mine.
This library service, or NLS, as it is commonly referred to, makes books available in an accessible, modified format to approved patrons who have a verified disability which keeps them from being able to read regular pring books. The NLS is a division of the United States Library of Congress, and is supported with federal funding.
For background, more than five years ago, I had quit ordering books from the state talking book library, which includes books from the NLS. The main reason for this was that I was discouraged about the slow speed with which they were adopting digital media. I was tired of fumbling around with those 4-track cassettes and keeping the tapes in sequence for each book I read while I saw digital audio springing up all over the web. It didn’t make sense to me that the patrons of the NLS library still had to fool with these tapes when the rest of the world was quickly making the switch to digital media. Another reason was that when traveling for extended length, I would often pack along three or four books just to ensure I didn’t run out of reading material. I felt it was excessively cumbersome to pack along all these plastic boxes of tapes in addition to the heavy HandiCassette player I had for playback. It just seemed that the digital age was leaving accessible media for the blind far behind.
Instead of the tapes, I chose to listen to books on CD. It wasn't that the CDs were any less of a hassle to tote and keep organized, but I would rip the CDs into mp3 format and listen to the books on my computer. Being that I use a home computer and not a laptop, though, this meant I was only able to listen to the books while on the computer. This was a little restrictive in that sense, but I liked it better than the 4-track tapes. It still didn't give me the portability I longed for, though. And, this is where I jump to the present, and also, to the Stream.
The Stream is one of a small group of authorized, accessible media players that will playback books from the NLS, which was one of the reasons I made the leap and purchased it. (For the other authorized players, read the comment left to this post by Wayne.) I had checked out the web site for the pilot digital talking book program and read that there were more than 10,000 titles already converted to digital format and available for download. That was enough to sway my decision and convince me to make the Stream purchase.
However, because the books will only play on one of these devices that the NLS doesn't issue, means that only people who have purchased one of these accessible media players can use this digital book program. That is true, at least for now. when the NLS goes fully digital and this is no longer a pilot program, to ensure access to all, the NLS will have to provide some form of digital book players to consumers for playing the protected audio files. But for now, they have this ever-growing collection of titles already in a digital format and there is an authorization process to validate the players, so this makes these digital talking book files available today to anybody with one of these players.
The authorization key is emailed to the owner and is specific to that one, unique player. This authorization process requires the NLS to coordinate communication by email with the manufacturer, as well as the user. Once authorized, that player can play any of the digital audio files from the NLS site, which includes magazines. Users are limited to 30 downloads in any 30-day period.
Initially, I must say I’m very impressed with the NLS pilot site. It is searchable by author, title, subject, or NLS catalog number. The entire process has run seamlessly for me and authorizing the Stream to play these files was a simple procedure.
The first book I downloaded from the NLS site was one I have wrote about here previously,
The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal
By
Jonathan Mooney.
(I’ll write more here later with my review of that book.)
Playback on the Stream was a breeze. Even the time when I didn’t lock the keys and accidently bumped some key that stopped the book while I was more than half way through the ten hour work. I pressed play again and it took me back to the beginning of the book. Within seconds, I was able to get right back to the spot I had previously been. The NLS books are designed to allow users to skip by sections or chapters. That is how I was able to move back to where I had been so easily.
There are some aspects of the digital book program that will seem comfortably familiar to anybody who has previously spent any time listening to NLS books on tape. They will quickly recognize the familiar names and voices of narrators from previous talking books. The NLS catalog numbers of these digital books are also numerically identical for these books as their recorded cassette brethren, except these are preceded by the designation DB instead of RC. That makes sense…these are digital books and the taped version are recorded cassettes. Keeping the numbers the same only serves to simplify the process.
I’ve got to hand it to the folks at the NLS; they’ve done something really good here. My former frustration with the outdated, analog 4-track cassettes is today supplanted with an immense joy generated by their digital talking book program. I am once again throwing myself into reading for pleasure.
Friday, January 25, 2008
The Short Bus looks to be an interesting read
I received an email this week from an author and professional speaker, inviting me to review his new book, The Short Bus, which the email said was about ADHD/LD.
I must admit that I feel a bit humbled, but nonetheless honored to be asked to do this. I have written the author, Jonathan Mooney, a reply email, letting him know that I would like a review copy of The Short Bus, but asked if he had one which is accessible via screen reader.
I also took the time to check out Mr. Mooney’s web site,
www.jonathanmooney.com
And was tickled to find a link to read an
excerpt from The Short Bus.
After reading the brief passage, I can’t wait to get a full copy of this book. Mr. Mooney writes in a very personable and straight-talking style, grabbing the reader and taking him along on his own journey. The Short Bus is his memoir about growing up in the special education system. He has undertaken a 35,000-mile journey across America in a real short bus to carry out a grass roots promotion of his book. Along the way, he met “more than a dozen people who have been diagnosed as disabled or different.” Their diagnoses ranged from dyslexia to Downs syndrome to autism. He is able to write effectively about meeting these people and the impact they have on his perspective, dredging up memories of what it is like to be different in a society where being normal is the norm. Along the way, he takes the reader in with his humor and empathetic understanding of what it is like to have grown up riding that short bus the first time around.
And, remember, I’m saying this having just read that short excerpt. Mr. Mooney, I sincerely hope that you get back to me soon about this matter. After reading that excerpt, I’d love to read more.
About the author:
“My name is Jonathan Mooney and I am a proud member of the community of people with disabilities. I am extremely dyslexic and have been labeled ADHD. I did not learn to read until I was 12 years old and dropped out of school for a year in sixth grade. I was given a 50/50 chance of graduating from high school. I was told I would end up in jail. Yet I shocked the skeptics by graduating from Brown University in 2000 with an honors degree in English Literature. I am the author of a book called Learning Outside the Lines (Simon and Schuster), and over the last eight years I have lectured in 48 states and three countries on empowering students with cognitive differences. I have lectured at Harvard’s Graduate school of Education, the University of Pennsylvania, Teachers College Columbia University and thousands of K-12 schools.”
I must admit that I feel a bit humbled, but nonetheless honored to be asked to do this. I have written the author, Jonathan Mooney, a reply email, letting him know that I would like a review copy of The Short Bus, but asked if he had one which is accessible via screen reader.
I also took the time to check out Mr. Mooney’s web site,
www.jonathanmooney.com
And was tickled to find a link to read an
excerpt from The Short Bus.
After reading the brief passage, I can’t wait to get a full copy of this book. Mr. Mooney writes in a very personable and straight-talking style, grabbing the reader and taking him along on his own journey. The Short Bus is his memoir about growing up in the special education system. He has undertaken a 35,000-mile journey across America in a real short bus to carry out a grass roots promotion of his book. Along the way, he met “more than a dozen people who have been diagnosed as disabled or different.” Their diagnoses ranged from dyslexia to Downs syndrome to autism. He is able to write effectively about meeting these people and the impact they have on his perspective, dredging up memories of what it is like to be different in a society where being normal is the norm. Along the way, he takes the reader in with his humor and empathetic understanding of what it is like to have grown up riding that short bus the first time around.
And, remember, I’m saying this having just read that short excerpt. Mr. Mooney, I sincerely hope that you get back to me soon about this matter. After reading that excerpt, I’d love to read more.
About the author:
“My name is Jonathan Mooney and I am a proud member of the community of people with disabilities. I am extremely dyslexic and have been labeled ADHD. I did not learn to read until I was 12 years old and dropped out of school for a year in sixth grade. I was given a 50/50 chance of graduating from high school. I was told I would end up in jail. Yet I shocked the skeptics by graduating from Brown University in 2000 with an honors degree in English Literature. I am the author of a book called Learning Outside the Lines (Simon and Schuster), and over the last eight years I have lectured in 48 states and three countries on empowering students with cognitive differences. I have lectured at Harvard’s Graduate school of Education, the University of Pennsylvania, Teachers College Columbia University and thousands of K-12 schools.”
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