2010 TAER conference: Presenting and being presented to

Last week, I was in San Antonio to attend the annual conference of the
Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired,
Or TAER. I was there to present with the VI professionals from the school district where I do assistive technology training with the blind and visually impaired students.

Being I didn’t arrive until Thursday evening, I missed hearing the keynote by Jonathan Mosen. Thanks to his lovely wife Julia, I was able to get a digital copy of his brilliant speech on Twitter.

Our presentation was simple, but robust. We discussed how I had come to the district with expertise in various assistive technologies 18 months ago, what we have done in that time with four students in particular, and how this training has been tied into other aspects of the students’ education. We highlighted this with a slide show of the students using the mix of technologies to execute a scavenger hunt.

The scavenger hunt was different for each student, with the design of an O&M lesson focused on their individuality. One student who is an aspiring singer and guitarist, was given the task of making a trip to a music store in a local strip mall, comparing prices of different items, and, finally, executing a purchase. Another young man, whose goal in life is to pursue adventure, had his outing presented in a Mission Impossible theme. He was given a clue by his VI teacher of where to go for his next clue. It was on a particular computer in the library, where he was to find a document with his name on it, and read it using his
Serotek
Jump drive version of the System Access screen reader. That clue then directed him to locate an assistant principal who handed him a Victor Reader Stream, which was loaded with one audio note directing him where to go next. His later escapades involved him using his magnifier, telescope, and Braille, all culminating in a trip to a local toy store, where he also finished off the excursion with a purchase.

Our presentation was received by an overflow crowd which exceeded the seating capacity of the room. Our worst critiques were that there weren’t enough chairs, but many others were asking for us to make this presentation again at next year’s conference.

When we finished our presentation, we took questions from the audience. One of the most requested items was information about Serotek’s
Keys for K-12 program.

We happily directed the interested parties to the proper web site and I expect that there will be an uptick in requests from Texas. It is such a service to our youth that Serotek is providing and I will continue to shout this from the hilltops until I go hoarse.

Following the workshop, we went to the luncheon in the hotel’s ballroom. The food was very good, but took a second place to the activities that went on during the meal. The packed room exploded with applause each time an award was presented to a small cast of award recipients. I was very impressed with the various recipients for the student scholarship, the parents award, and educators who were recognized. These were all very noteworthy people who had accomplished much.

During the awards presentation, one moment made me take pause. One of my group was called up as a presenter and two of the others stood up behind me. Then the words flowed out, describing things I’ve achieved and I was called up to receive the
Julia L. Young award.

This award is in honor of Julia L. Young, who provided leadership in the development of the visually handicapped children's program of the Texas Commission for the Blind and gave direction and guidance to that program for many years. The award is presented to an individual who has done outstanding work with children who are visually impaired in Texas. Examples include: special education teachers, regular classroom teachers, caseworkers, therapists, volunteer workers, and other individuals providing direct services to children with visual impairments.

I am a man who is very quick witted and can speak off the cuff on most occasions, but they really surprised me on this one and left me speechless. Given the recipients of the other honors that day, I am definitely humbled and felt myself to be in rare company. Thank you for finding what I do worthy of this recognition.

But, this post is not about me. It is about the dedicated professionals in TAER and the kids they serve. Thank you for inviting me to be part of the program this year and sharing of yourselves with me. The bottom line is like I said when accepting my award, “Its all about the kids.” These children are the future and it is in our best interest to teach them the best that we can.

Accessible Event makes meetings and seminars open to all participants, no matter their disability

I’ve been waiting on the following unveiling for a while and am impressed by the results, not to mention, the potential this offers for the future.

The folks at
Serotek
Have rolled out their latest accessibility tool.

As its name implies,
Accessible Event
Makes meetings, seminars, conferences, and other events where participation is contingent on the accessibility to all the participants, truly open to everybody.

You can check out the June 23
press Conference ,
which is, of course, presented as an Accessible Event.


And, if that isn’t enough and you’d like another demonstration of how this neat tool works, check out the Serotek demo of a
staff meeting.

This is a service Serotek is offering to people who have a need to make their program accessible. It is something that I can see a distinct need for for at colleges, universities, and even public schools. There are also the distinct commercial applications at trade shows and conventions. If you’re a presenter and want to sure accessibility, check out Accessible Event. It will provide the ultimate delivery of your message to all audience members.

Merging technologies is an accessibility solution to consider

Today, I’m sharing a technology pairing that is working well for both myself and the students I train on assistive technology.

For Christmas, I received an HP netbook, one of those slimmed down, ultralight notebook computers. It has a 16 GB solid state hard drive, making boot up and shutdown go faster than on a computer with a conventional hard drive. It weighs in a just under 2.5 pounds and has a 10-inch display screen. What It comes with is a 1 gig processor and 1 Gb of RAM, with 2 USB slots and an SD card reader. I also enjoy the built-in B/G WiFi and count this as a big addition to my personal computing experience.

What it doesn’t have is either a CD or DVD drive, which probably accounts for the trimmed weight and compact size. It does come with a recovery CD of the Windows XP Home operating system, just in case it ever crashes. To install the CD, though, will require using an external, USB disk drive. I don’t have one of these, but hope I won’t ever need one.

One of the best things on this HP model versus other makes is that the keyboard is 92% of the size of regular HP notebooks. That fuller size, versus mashed-together keyboards on other makes, really helps screen reader users who require a keyboard for operating the machine.

I’d heard that one could run a screen reader on these netbook computers and wanted to put that to the test. Being I’m a
JAWS
user by practice, I slapped the latest version of it on there and authorized it. It takes a little while for JAWS to start when booting up, but once it does, the machine runs along very well. My biggest hangup is getting used to the JAWS laptop configuration on this while using the desktop configuration at home. I recently purchased a USB keypad to let me use the more comfortable desktop configuration on this. I haven’t hooked that up yet, but will in the next few days.

Yes, with JAWS, This is a perfect road machine for me. When I travel and need a computer, I’ve got one that won’t break my back to carry. Neither did it break the bank, costing only $399. It does the primary tasks I want when away from home—surfing the net, email, and document writing. Any heavier jobs I wouldn’t usually do away from home anyways.

Still, I’ve also installed several of Jim Kitchens’
Kitchensinc games,
As well as some from other gamemakers, For my own entertainment. I use these myself, but also with the students I teach on assistive technology. I’ve yet to meet a blind or visually impaired student who knew that there were computer games made for folks who couldn’t see the screen. There are learning aspects to many of the games, but even for those which are just fun, these easily fall into the extended core curriculum.

The primary drawback of this netbook is that the battery only gives it about three hours of juice. I understand that HP is supposed to offer a supplemental 6-cell battery that will last longer than the current 3-cell model.

Aside from working well, this sleek, little thing looks great. My wife liked mine so much, she bought herself one, too.

Just this week, one of my students also received his own HP netbook, identical to mine. However, instead of using JAWS, he is using the thumb-drive version of
Serotek’s System Access Mobile,
Which is also running great for him.

My final comment on these netbooks is that, for blind students who need technology with a screen reader, they offer a very affordable alternative to the expensive, stand-alone electronic notetakers like the Pacmate or Voicenote, which run into the thousands of dollars. Granted, adding a screen reader like JAWS adds to the cost, but if you enroll your student in Serotek’s
KK-12 program,
That doesn’t need to be the case. The student will get a computer that gives the power of a full computer in a lightweight and easily-toted netbook that looks good to his/her peers. That also includes full Windows functionality, not the Windows Mobile version like on Pacmate. If there are additional programs that the student needs to run on the product, the compatibility will be near 100% on these as compared to to an “iffy” chance for compatibility on products like the Pacmate or Voicenote.

This post isn’t meant to slam those stand alone notetakers, but the more mainstream we can make products for our students, the better off they will be. Accessibility doesn’t need to come in a proprietary product., which has so often been the case in the past. Granted, Windows Mobile is better than a proprietary operating system, but it still isn't the full Windows package that one can get on a netbook.

SeroTalk at ATIA: bringing wide array of assistive technologies together

This information has been out on the web for about a week and I’m a little late writing about it, but the richness of the resources offered makes this worth even a delayed posting.

A week ago, the assistive technology professional trade group ATIA held its annual conference in Orlando. While attending there, Serotek’s
SeroTalk Blog
Set up recording equipment at a table to interview professionals from whichever company wanted to sit down and chat up their latest offerings.

What they put together was a compendium of resources that only rarely occurs—
35 Interviews from ATIA 2009.
Not only are there almost all of the usual big names in blindness-related assistive technology, (one obvious name is missing, see if you can figure out which one) but there were also several others that weren’t as well known. The blindness-related products run the gamut from screen readers to magnifiers, to the latest offerings from APH, and even some federal, state, and regional blindness resources.

What makes this collection stand out even more, though, is that while it was hosted by Serotek, a blindness-related technology company, they also included the following interviews that weren’t necessarily related to blindness:

• * Dynavox discussing their interactive AAC speech generating devices


• * InfoGrip talking to listeners about keyboards, tracballs, and switches


• * Resna.org sharing about assistive technology act programs across the U.S.


• * UltraThera giving a Demo of PointScribe Software for Helping Persons to Improve Handwriting


• * ProxTalker sharing about their AAC devices to help people who can’t speak


• * Quilsoft giving a Demo of WordQ Predictive Text and SpeakQ Speech Recognition software


• * Jim Fruchterman Discussing a Project Called Raising The Floor to Create Universal Access


• * Talker Inc Augmentative Communications Device for the Speech-Impaired

Drive on, Serotek! Keep on bringing the different communities together and making things happen in the world of assistive technology.

On paydays and light bulbs

I’ve been working with a group of kids now for a period of roughly two months. Most of what I’ve been doing is teaching them how to use the JAWS screen reader, although I know there are many other fine points I’m overlooking if I say that’s all I’ve been doing with them. I have also demonstrated for each of them what the Victor Reader Stream is, and how this versatile media player can assist them in day-to-day activities. I’ve also introduced them to DVS movies and computer games for the blind, mostly those from Jim Kitchens’
Kitchensinc
Web Site.

There is more to come and I'm learning as well as the kids are. I am learning the keystroke commands for Serotek's
System Access Mobile
screen reader so that I can teach them how to use this as well. As the students turn in their application forms, they are getting their own jump drive versions of the System Access Mobile screen reader as part of Serotek's Keys for K-12 program.

The experience of teaching and empowering these young minds is incredible. I don’t think the students realize just how much they give back to me, but they pay me in denominations beyond words or anything of monetary value. It is so beautiful when the lesson we’ve been working on comes together for the student and that light bulb clicks for them. It just warms my heart each time this happens and I’ve been getting warm-hearted a lot lately. Its like the assistive technology professional I work with tells me, Today was payday and you just got paid.”

I was working with one of my elementary school boys yesterday on a lesson involving editing a document. He was learning where to place the curser to insert a letter in a word. Instead of putting it on the letter in front of which he wanted to insert the text, he would put the cursor on the letter he wanted the text to follow. Needless to say, he was getting a little frustrated. He was undaunted though, and kept trudging through the lesson, putting the pieces into place and finally finished the document just like it needed to be. It was beautiful to see that whole process happen.

While he was doing this, I was sitting back, coaching him, just grinning ear-to-ear as I witnessed learning in action. I told him that he was learning what to do as well as what not to do and attempted to illustrate with the story of Thomas Edison. I asked him if he knew who Edison was and he replied, Isn’t he the man who invented electricity, or was that Ben Franklin?” Then he went back to editing his document.

I grinned and then shared the story about how many times Edison had to work at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked Edison how it felt to fail so many different times, his reply to the reporter was, “ I didn’t fail those times. I just learned that many ways that the bulb didn’t work, which led me to figure out how to make it the right way.” (I wasn’t sure of the exact quote, but was paraphrasing in an attempt to illustrate the learning aspect for my student.)

Then, this boy told me, “Yeah, but he was just inventing the light bulb. He wasn’t trying to write a document like I am.”

Ka-ching! I just got paid again.

If you can’t tell, I love this job.

Updated: Serotek makes System Access Mobile free to K-12 students

The folks at
Serotek
Have done it again! They are offering another piece of their powerful System Access Network at no cost to a slice of the population that might otherwise not have access to it.

With their new
Keys for K-12
Program, Serotek is allowing blind students in grades K-12 to have at no cost, a license for using the company’s System Access Mobile that is carried on a thumb drive. Serotek is supplying everything but the thumb drives, which are available at a low cost from most retailers of electronics.

It is very benevelant of Serotek to do this, especially in light of the company previously donating the license costs that allows any blind person to use their
System Access To Go
screen reader at no cost via the
Accessibility Is A Right
foundation.

From the official KK12 web site:

“For children in the 21st century, using a computer is as basic as learning to read or riding a bike. Serotek Corporation is introducing a program today that will put blind children on the same page with their sighted peers -- giving them the ability to use a computer anytime, anywhere, with help from Keys for K-12 (kk12.)”

“Keys for K-12 is a free license to carry the System Access Mobile capabilities on a portable thumb drive. With the SA Mobile Software, your student can plug his or her flash drive into any computer, anywhere, and have instant access -- through text-to-speech and/or magnification -- to all Windows-based applications already there.”

“At school, the library, Grandma's house or a sleepover, a blind child can access the same information on the computer as any sighted student who can see the screen.”

“A licensed copy of System Access Mobile sells for $499.00, and now students K-12 can have it for free!”

For more information, including student application procedures, go the the official KK12 site linked above.

Update: 07/11/08

One might ask, “Why does Serotek do this?” For a good understanding of the reasons why this innovative assistive technology company operates in this giving and compassionate manner, read company president and founder
Mike Calvo’s recent blog post.

I have followed Mike’s ascent in the assistive technology field for some time now, to see him rise to his current point of prominence , and continue to be impressed by this intelligent and caring man. His star continues to rise and I predict that it will do so for some time to come. Read that post and you'll also understand why I say that .

New program turns World of accessible computing for the blind on its ear

Last year, I wrote about
Serotek's
breakthrough technology called System Access To Go ,. This new advance in screen reader service gave blind people the worl of accessible computing that was not tied to any specific computer, but would work on any internet connected computer that had sound. It was heralded throughout the blind community as a true difference maker for blind people everywhere. With the press release I received today, and posted below, is proof of just how revolutionary Serotek's vision is. This is truly a tool of empowerment.

Now, all a blind computer user needs to do is go to any internet connected computer, go to the AIR website, and press alt+a. Voila! Accessible computing is here for the masses. What a gift this is. Now all we have to do is get the word out and support this organization.

Read on...

Media Contact:

Janelle Schulenberg

Tacet Consulting

612-720-1068

janelle@tacetconsulting.com

Nonprofit Launched to Bring Free Accessibility Worldwide

The AIR Foundation committed to ‘accessibility is a right’


Orlando, Florida – January 31, 2008 – The AIR Foundation, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. was announced today at a press conference held during the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) 2008 National Conference at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The mission of the foundation is to promote universal accessibility so that every blind and low-vision person in the world has access to digital information over the Internet and Worldwide Web.

The foundation’s executive director, Art Schreiber, also announced that the organization’s first offering will be free usage of a Web 2.0 accessible screen reader. The product is provided through an exclusive license in perpetuity granted to The AIR Foundation from Serotek Corporation, the leading provider of Internet and digital information accessibility software and services. The screen reader is called SA To Go and is powered by Serotek’s award-winning System Access software which provides immediate text to speech, magnified visual, and Braille access to digital information presented through the Web or other means, while the user is directly connected to the Internet. The software does not remain resident on the user’s computer when the connection to the Internet is interrupted or terminated. Users can obtain access to the free software by calling 877-369-0101 or visiting
www.AccessibilityIsaRight.org.

“The basic tenet of The AIR Foundation is that accessibility is a fundamental human right, regardless of financial or geographic constraints” said Art Schreiber, executive director of The AIR Foundation, “by allowing the blind and visually impaired to have equal access to computer and Internet information through the free use of an advanced screen reader like SA To Go, we have already taken great strides toward our mission.”

The AIR Foundation will solicit funds and contract development of product enhancements including availability in other languages. The organization’s first priority is to make SA To Go available in Mandarin Chinese.

“SA To Go is highly intuitive and requires minimal training to use,” said Serotek CEO, Mike Calvo, “the user not only has access to information displayed on Web pages, but to Web-based applications such as Internet telephone service, and to applications resident on the host computer. The user can also access PDF files, fill out forms, and otherwise interact with information with the same facility as a sighted person.”

The AIR Foundation will operate through the generosity of organizations donating their time, expertise, and funds. It invites other nonprofits, assistive technology vendors, mainstream hardware and software companies and anyone interested in promoting accessibility as every person’s right, to align with the AIR team.

The AIR Foundation

The AIR Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate, teach, and deliver information accessibility tools. We focus on the accessibility needs of blind and low-vision people. Our mantra is “accessibility is a right” and we work with corporations and agencies worldwide to deliver free accessibility to all. For more information, call 877-369-0101 or visit
www.AccessibilityIsaRight.org.

Serotek Corporation

Serotek Corporation is a leading technology company that develops software and manufactures accessibility solutions. Committed to the mission of providing accessibility anywhere, Serotek launched the first online community specifically designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Since then, Serotek has introduced several powerful, affordable solutions that require minimal training and investment. For more information, visit
www.serotek.com.

Happy New Year...Best of 2007

Happy belated New Year!

With the holiday break, travel, and a long-running cold affecting the writing and publication of Access Ability for the last several weeks, I am now back and can now declare that I wish you a happy new year.

To mark the New Year, I will offer what most sites do at the end of the year—a look back at 2007. In this, I will also discuss what I thought were the most useful and breakthrough products.

First, I want to offer a heartfelt thank you to all of the Access Ability readers. I placed a counter on the site in January 2007 and since that time; the site has received nearly 10,000 visitors. Yes, I do look at my traffic referrals and understand that many readers come by way of search returns for specific information. However, I also know that I have some regular readers in several states and in countries outside of the US, and appreciate each of you. I am also encouraged and enthused by the comments and email I have received. With that in mind, I promise to work diligently in 2008 to continue what has been built here at Access Ability.

Now, here are my recommendations for the best products of 2007.


Best accessible hardware: Olympus DS50 digital recorder

The line of the Olympus DS 30, 40, and 50 digital recorders hit the marketplace early last year with a flurry of press releases, which were soon followed by various blog posts touting the out-of-the-box accessibility of the devices. Many people raved about these accessible, digital recorders and, as I soon found out, the praise was well deserved.

I waited a few weeks before wading into this purchase, carefully reading the reviews that were coming out. Once I made that plunge, though, I was left asking only one question—Why did I wait so long?

I’m impressed with the ease of operation of this lightweight recorder. There are audible tones to acknowledge the various buttons being depressed and audio feedback of the several menu items. It works superbly in different recording settings and is easy to upload the files to the computer. This device has impressed me like no other in several years. The fact that it is an off-the-shelf product that is accessible by design, and not some specialty blind product, is a particularly encouraging sign that manufacturers are taking notice that accessibility is achievable and doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

The unit comes with some proprietary software to transfer the files, which I found to be the most inaccessible part of the experience. First, you have to find the serial number and enter it to allow the software to run. Then, the software was unstable on my computer, often crashing before I could use it. It is much easier to just attach the included USB cable and transfer the files to the computer using Windows Explorer.

Still, this is the most enjoyable piece of technology I’ve purchased in many years. The product definitely lives up to the promised accessibility and all of the features work as advertised.

If interested, there are a couple of very useful tutorial podcasts on the
Blind Cool Tech
Web site that can teach blind users the various functions of this remarkable product. These tutorials include a recent addition that shows how to set the clock and calendar independently, a feature that many thought would definitely require a sighted person to perform.


Best accessible software application: Goldwave Audio Editor.

I know, I know…
Goldwave
isn’t a new product, but I discovered it this year, so it makes my 2007 list. I began playing around with the demo of this powerful, yet affordable audio editing program last spring. I remember that I had just submitted a lengthy digital recording to the Disability 411 podcast and I remember feeling like I should have been able to do more on the editing side before I sent it in. Beth welcomed the guest submission and also reassured me that she would do the time-consuming editing work. However, that feeling of having only done a so-so job prompted me to look around at an accessible audio editing application.

On the
Blind Geek Zone
web site, I found a well-produced and straightforward audio tutorial on how to use Goldwave with JAWS. Rick even included a self-extracting JAWS script to make it work with JAWS keystroke commands. Within a few days, I felt like a semi-professional music editor. With more time and practice using this software under my belt today, I feel very accomplished at the abilities I’ve developed with this application.

Goldwave comes in a fully functioning demo mode, allowing the user to execute 3,000 commands before expiring. (If you don’t already know, that’s a lot of audio editing!) I never used all of these allotted commands in the demo mode. I was so impressed after using the program for only a few days that I gladly shelled out the $45 registration fee to get the full version. Since that time, I’ve used the program countless times.

With the ability to precisely edit audio files to minute detail, and the fact that it is completely accessible to blind computer users makes me marvel at the quality of this program. It only takes a little time to learn the basics for editing with Goldwave and this makes it rank high in my book.


Best assistive technology innovation: System Access To Go screen reader.

A couple of years ago, I loved the fact that JAWS could be run from a USB flash drive. This gave the power of a screen reader to go, which, in theory, could run on any computer. The only trick was that there was one particular file that had to be installed on the computer. To get the network administrators to allow the blind computer user to place this unrecognized file on their protected system was often a challenge, thus limiting the portability that JAWS was attempting to innovate.

Then, in 2007,
Serotek
introduced the true portability of computer access with System Access To Go. This breakthrough software allows a blind computer user the ability to go to any internet-connected computer and with a few keystrokes, to begin to use the software. The product was introduced to the public with an open beta period, during which anybody could sign up for a free account to test drive the screen reader. Serotek continues to demonstrate the insight of its target users by offering month-to-month service or the option to purchase on a 48-month payment plan.

Not only did Serotek make assistive technology truly user-based, instead of computer-based, but they have also done so at prices that show that assistive technology doesn’t have to break the budget of people who are often on fixed incomes. The screen reader giants such as Freedom Scientific, the maker of JAWS, would be wise to be wary of this company and its abilities.

Hats off to Mike Calvo and Matt Campbell for pulling off this innovation, whose ripple effects I believe will be felt in the assistive technology world for some time to come. Additionally, I have a strong feeling that Mike and Matt will continue to bring about further innovation in the assistive technology field.

Okay, that’s my list for 2007. I know there were other innovations and updates to existing products, but these three are the ones I actually experienced and was the most impressed with.

Now, let’s bring on 2008!

Serotek unveils breakthrough in assistive technology

Wouldn’t it be nice if a blind computer user could walk up to any computer just like any sighted person and begin using it?

That is now a reality with the latest offering from
Serotek,
As long as that computer has internet access and sound.

That’s it. There is no need for any other screen reading software. Serotek's System Access To Go, or SATOGO, does it all for you.

To make it even a sweeter deal, this landmark breakthrough in assistive technology is absolutely free, at least for now.

When sitting down at any computer, all that the blind person needs to do is open the “Run” command by pressing the Windows key+R. At this, the person will type in www.satogo.com and within seconds, Serotek’s System Access To Go will launch and begin speaking. This allows the blind computer user to use virtually any public computer.

There has been a lot of chatter on blind technology web sites over the last few days, saying that Serotek had a breakthrough technology to unveil. The announcement was made last night on the Main Menu program on
ACB Radio.
I usually spend most evenings off the computer and with my family, but last night I made it a point to have ACB Radio tuned in, specifically to find out what this announcement was.

I must admit, I am pretty floored with what the folks at Serotek are offering. I think this innovative application opens a lot of doors, because for now, the program is in a Beta launch and Serotek is making the use of this web technology available free of cost.

There is a registration process to gain access to the application. This gives the user access to the SATOGO program, but also includes 30 days of access to the full features of Serotek’s System Access, one of their flagship offerings. When that 30 day period concludes and you can no longer use their full System Access suite, the continued use of SATOGO will continue free for some time to come. In the future, this will most likely go to a subscription plan, but it is free in the Beta phase.

However, if you are just curious and want to check it out, go to
www.satogo.com
and type in the word “demo” in the password field. This will give you 10 minutes of access to the program. Take it for a test ride and see what you think.