blind_html [Fwd: Fred's Head Companion - American Printing House for the Blind]
- From: Nimer <nimerjaber1@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: blind_html@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:55:48 -0700
I like the texting and the walking websites provided here.
Nimer J
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Fred's Head Companion - American Printing House for the Blind
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:53:30 -0600 (CST)
From: Fred's Head Companion <fredshead@xxxxxxx>
Reply-To: Fred's Head Companion <fredshead@xxxxxxx>
To: nimerjaber1@xxxxxxxxx
Fred's Head Companion - American Printing House for the Blind
<http://www.fredshead.info/>
Link to Fred's Head Companion <http://www.fredshead.info/>
Rehabilitation Services
<http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Er/FredsHeadCompanion/%7E3/498629509/rehabilitation-services.html>
Posted: 10 Feb 2009 01:03 PM CST
If you are looking for rehabilitation services, the best place to locate
your nearest rehabilitation center is the AFB website:
http://www.afb.org/services.asp. If you would like to learn more about
what a rehabilitation center does, then read on.
A rehabilitation center is a place where a blind or visually impaired
adult can go to learn the skills they need in order to live
independently. Other services are also usually offered, such as
counseling or vocational training.
The most important skills needed to live independently are *Orientation
and Mobility* skills. These are the skills that let you know where you
are and allow you to navigate effectively from one place to another.
Other services that a rehab center provides are:
* *Communication skills:* alternate communication options such as
braille, digital or tape recorder use, handwriting guides.
* *Manual skills:* develop tactual perception and hand-to-foot
coordination.
* *Day-to-day activities:* personal management, home management,
meal preparation, cleaning techniques.
* *Computer training:* how to operate a computer and specialized
software such as screen readers.
* *Visual skills:* training to maximize the use of any remaining vision.
Each person comes to the Center with a different set of needs and
proficiencies. Tests are given to assess these things. Once an
individual's skills and requirements have been determined, a unique
curriculum is devised to teach that person the skills that they need.
National Rehabilitation Information Center
Welcome to the NARIC Web site, a gateway to an abundance of disability-
and rehabilitation-oriented information organized in a variety of
formats designed to make it easy for users to find and use. For the past
25 years NARIC staff members have been dedicated to providing direct,
personal, and high-quality information services to anyone throughout the
country. As a leader in providing interactive information to the
disability and rehabilitation community, NARIC's Web site continues this
tradition by putting the information into the hands of the users through
online publications, searchable databases, and timely reference and
referral data.
NARIC began as a small collection of research reports housed in a
one-room office at Catholic University. The core mission of the Center
is to collect and disseminate the results of research funded by the
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).
Over a quarter of a century, that mission has expanded to providing
information services and document delivery to the disability and
rehabilitation communities across the United States.
There are more than 75,000 resources collected on this site, including
organizations, agencies, Internet resources, reports, and research
projects. Use the list to find resources targeted to your information needs.
Click this link to visit the National Rehabilitation Information Center:
http://www.naric.com <http://www.naric.com>.
Online Sources for Accessible Computer Games for the Blind
<http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Er/FredsHeadCompanion/%7E3/536658871/online-sources-for-accessible-computer.html>
Posted: 10 Feb 2009 12:50 PM CST
For most gamers, the process of setting up a game and starting to play
is pretty straight forward: install the game, skim over the
instructions, and start playing. Unfortunately, people with disabilities
find this process considerably harder.
The difficulty starts at the store. A disabled purchaser has no idea if
a game is accessible to them or not. There are no ratings on the box
that will indicate if the game is closed captioned or supports
alternative input devices. In many cases, game ratings in the popular
media do not address the accessibility issue, so for many purchasers,
buying a game is very much a gamble.
After the game is installed, the player needs to often customize the
settings to support their system and adaptive hardware. This is often
not addressed in the documentation and most help desks have little
experience dealing with these problems.
Once in the game, further problems can occur. The difficulty level may
not be controllable, making it impossible for a person with mobility
problems to play. Vital information may be given in cut scenes without
closed captioning, making it impossible for the deaf to succeed in the
game.
Unfortunately, many games fail to address the needs of a disabled gamer,
and as a result prevent them from playing. The solution to this problem
is to make games more accessible. The Wikipedia defines accessibility as
"a general term used to describe how easy it is for people to get to,
use, and understand things."
On a regular basis, the American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
receives requests from individuals seeking sources of accessible
computer games. We did some looking around and found various commercial
suppliers, as well as Internet sources, from which these can be
purchased--or, in some cases, downloaded for free.
The first place to look for games for the blind is audiogames.net
<http://www.audiogames.net>. This site keeps track of all the games that
are accessible to the blind or visually impaired. This is also the place
to find Audyssey, an electronic magazine that keeps readers up-to-date
on the latest games.
Top 25 Sites for Blind Gamers
7-128 Software has published a list of the 25 best sites for blind
gamers. The list is based on market research and is based on several
criteria including number of games, site longevity, popularity, and
informational value. Not surprisingly, PCS Games is number 1, largely
due to their complete list of accessible game developers and games. Each
site includes an annotated description.
Click this link to view the Top 25 Sites for Blind Gamers list from
7-128 Software <http://7128.com/top25/top25sitesblind2007.html>.
Puzzle Daily Brain Teaser
I can be cracked,
I can be made.
I can be told,
I can be played.
What am I?
Answer:
A Joke!
Click here to visit this game filled site: http://www.braingle.com
<http://www.braingle.com>.
The ADA Game
So, you're upset because your city just isn't with it when it comes to
the ADA? How can you make a difference? Find out if you really can bring
on changes to make the ADA stronger in your community by playing The ADA
Game.
This free, online game is available to play at anytime and simulates how
advocacy can promote positive changes in communities. Players take on
the role of advocates for disability rights and work together to improve
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in their
virtual communities.
After a successful login to the ADA Game, you can earn points by
correctly answering questions about the ADA. The more points you earn,
the more actions you can take to improve the accessibility of your
virtual city. A maximum of five multiple-choice questions per day can be
answered.
* Work together with other advocates to improve ADA compliance and
build a more accessible community
* check your statistics to see how well you and your city are doing
* visit the message board to chat with fellow advocates, plan
strategies, and discuss ADA-related issues
* take actions that promote disability awareness and advocate for
accessibility.
Click here to visit the ADA Game home page, and good luck!
<http://www.adagame.org>
There are few software programs for the blind and some of them are
cumbersome and difficult to use. But through a UNC computer science
course called Enabling Technology, UNC students are developing programs
for blind people from age 2 up. For the very young children, the
programs help them learn directions and sounds. For older people, the
programs can help them complete graduate research papers. Hark The Sound
is a really simple sound game intended for young kids who are visually
impaired, and is free for educational and fun use.
The object of the game is to name a sound or tune that is presented as a
prompt. A typical round in Name That Animal goes like this:
1. You hear "Can you name this animal?"
2. Then an animal sound is played, for example a dog barking.
3. You use the left or right arrow keys on the keyboard to move
through and hear the possible answers. In this case they might be
"Cat", "Dog", "Elephant", and "Horse".
4. In some games, the down arrow key will give a hint about the
correct answer.
5. When you hear the correct answer, you press the up arrow key to guess.
6. If the chosen answer is correct, you will hear a reward sound
which might be a crowd cheering, or a musical fan fare. If the
answer is incorrect, you will hear "Try again.".
7. The process then repeats playing another one of the sounds for the
four animals.
8. When all the animals in the group have been played, the game
begins another round with four more animals.
There are fifteen games that follow this same pattern of game play.
These games include:
* Braille Letters: The question is "Can you name this Braille
letter?". The prompts are the dots of a letter. The answers are
the letter along with a word that begins with that letter to make
it easier to hear.
* Braille Whole Word Contractions: The question is "Can you name
this Braille whole word contraction?" The prompts are the dots in
a Braille letter that is a whole word contraction. The word is the
answer.
* Counting: Counting repeated animal sounds for numbers one through
nine.
* Multiplication drills: The full multiplication table up to 12
times 12. The question is "What is this product?". The prompts are
products like "2 times 3" and the answers are numbers from 0
through 144.
* Name That Animal: Animal sounds are the prompts. The animal's
names are the answers.
* Name that capital's State: A challenging game of State Capitals.
The question is "Can you name the state whose capital is...", the
prompts are the names of capital cities. The answers are the names
of the 50 states.
* Name that Classical Tune: Midi versions of famous classical music
are the prompts. The composer's name and the name of the work are
included in the answer.
* Name that color: The question is "What color is this?", the
prompts are common objects, and the answers are their colors.
* Name That Country Music Tune: Country music classics rendered in
Midi. Composer and name are the answer.
* Name that holiday: Identify holidays from hints.
* Name that Kids Tune: Midi tunes like "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes".
* Name that Rock and Roll Tune: Classic rock and roll tunes rendered
in Midi with the artist and title for the answer.
* Name that Sound: Environmental sounds, such as "clock ticking" and
"glass breaking" are the prompts
* Spelling Words: The prompt is a word spelled out. The answer is
the word pronounced.
* State Nick Names: A challenging game to identify the nick name for
a state given its name.
To get more information about this game, including specific instructions
on how to install and customize the game, follow the link below.
Click here to visit the Hark The Sound Information and Download page:
http://www.cs.unc.edu/Research/assist/Hark/
<http://www.cs.unc.edu/Research/assist/Hark/>
San Francisco's KQED Public Broadcasting completed a TV show on video
games that are accessible for everyone for their multimedia series on
the environment, science and nature entitled QUEST.
It's a very interesting look at accessibility issues in gaming, and the
KQED people did a nice job with it. Check it out. Click this link to
download an MP3 of the QUEST program
<http://kqed02.streamguys.us/anon.kqed/radio/quest/2007/03/2007-03-09-quest.mp3>.
WalkScore: How walkable is a Place?
<http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Er/FredsHeadCompanion/%7E3/536608387/walkscore-how-walkable-is-place.html>
Posted: 10 Feb 2009 11:19 AM CST
Here's a website with some interesting information for people who are
blind or visually impaired. If you're buying a house, or new to a
neighborhood, you can run its address through this site to discover, or
show people, how near it is to various amenities - grocery stores,
schools, coffee shops, movie theaters, parks, libraries, etc. Some of
the Google map info it uses is a little odd - it overlooked a super
WalMart near my house and pointed me to grocery stores and clothing
stores considerably further away - but for the properties I'm very
familiar with, it was mostly accurate.
Click this link to visit http://www.walkscore.com
<http://www.walkscore.com>.
Road to Independence: a Fun Approach to Learning how to Live with Low
Vision
<http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Er/FredsHeadCompanion/%7E3/536532884/road-to-independence-fun-approach-to.html>
Posted: 10 Feb 2009 09:31 AM CST
This educational program is designed to introduce low vision
individuals, family members, and professionals to the wide range of
strategies, approaches, and devices available to help low vision persons
continue living independently. Its unique board-game approach helps to
make learning fun, and engages its "players." It uses an oversized game
board, with large, easy-to-recognize icons (one for each of the ten
categories), and oversized dice and playing pieces.
This learning system is ideal for low vision support groups and outreach
programs. It has also been used to train low vision professionals, case
managers and home healthcare workers. It is currently being used by the
Oklahoma League for the Blind, in their on-site, low vision outreach
program for seniors living in retirement communities.
Road To Independence
Designer and Principal: Charles Schwartz
Phone: 847-269-5707
Email: schwartzcharles@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:schwartzcharles@xxxxxxxxxxx>
For an overview, please refer to the Vision World Foundation's website:
http://www.visionworldfoundation.net/exibir_texto.asp?cod_texto=80
<http://www.visionworldfoundation.net/exibir_texto.asp?cod_texto=80>.
TextAway Makes Sending and Receiving Cell Phone Text Messages Accessible
<http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Er/FredsHeadCompanion/%7E3/290896540/textaway-makes-sending-and-receiving.html>
Posted: 10 Feb 2009 09:05 AM CST
Text Messaging, it's everywhere. Anyone who has a cell phone with
internet access seems to be text messaging their friends, family
members, coworkers, how can we as blind and visually impaired people get
in on this craze? Most cell phones are not accessible when it comes to
internet features.
The TextAway service offers more features than just simply sending text
messages. TextAway enables you to route replies to the sender's email,
meaning you can send a message using the site and then receive a
response from someone's phone directly in your email or on your
accessible phone. For registered users, there is the ability to store
and manage mobile contacts and SMS preferences, the ability to create a
mobile phone or a TextAway Inbox, as well as the ability to send mobile
invitations with an RSVP function. If you just need to send a quick
message, no login or registration is necessary.
Click this link to visit http://www.textaway.com <http://www.textaway.com>.
Send Text Messages from a Website
There was a time when you had to pay an arm and a leg to send text
messages to cell phones. Well Cellphonemessagesender.com relegates that
painful period of expensive text to cell phone fees to the dust bin of
history where it belongs. Send a text message on your computer to cell
phone users of almost any USA cell phone provider, and do it absolutely
free! That's right, free text messaging, and there's no catch. "We don't
give out your cell phone number to anyone, is there is absolutely no
spam to worry about. We even offer anonymous free text messaging, so
your privacy is protected even when you send a message to a cell phone."
Click this link to send FREE text messages with
http://www.CellPhoneMessageSender.com
<http://www.cellphonemessagesender.com>.
Table Top Cassette Tape Recorder/Player
<http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Er/FredsHeadCompanion/%7E3/536511276/table-top-cassette-tape-recorderplayer.html>
Posted: 10 Feb 2009 08:55 AM CST
Listen to Talking Books or commercial cassettes as well as record tapes
with this portable table-top unit. Features:
* Digital Pitch Control (DPC): Increase or decrease rate of
listening without unpleasant change in voice pitch
* Play and record on 2 or 4 tracks. Play and record at 1 7/8 inches
per second or15/16 ips (Talking Book speed)
* Built in mono speaker and microphone
* Stereo playback through optional headphones
* Tactile symbols on controls and touch checking of tape movement
* AC power cord built in
* Rechargeable battery pack
* Manual in print and on cassette
* Print and braille quickstart instructions
* One year limited warranty.
Recommended for all ages.
Dimensions: 9 3/8 x 11 1/8 x 3 inches
Weight: about 4 1/4 lbs.
Table Top Cassette Tape Recorder/Player (Model 5198A):
Catalog Number: 1-07150-00
International Models (no adapter needed):
Table Top Recorder/Player, European Version (Model 5198AS):
Catalog Number: 1-07150-02
Two-Year Extended Warranty for Table Top Recorder/Player:
Catalog Number: 1-07151-00
Must be ordered within 90 days of ordering machine.
Accessories for the Table Top Recorder/Player
Optional Carrying Case with Shoulder Strap:
Catalog Number: 1-07010-00
Replacement Nickel-Metal Hydrite Battery:
Catalog Number: 1-07071-00
Replacement Instructional Cassette:
Catalog Number: 1-07152-00
Click here to purchase these items through our Quick Order Entry page:
http://shop.aph.org/quickentry.asp <http://shop.aph.org/quickentry.asp>
If you need assistance, click this link to read the Fred's Head
Companion post "Purchasing Products From The APH Website Is Easy"
<http://fredsheadcompanion.blogspot.com/2005/11/purchasing-products-from-aph-website.html>.
American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, Kentucky 40206-0085
Toll Free: 800-223-1839
Phone: 502-895-2405
Fax: 502-899-2274
E-mail: info@xxxxxxx <mailto:info@xxxxxxx>
Web site: http://www.aph.org
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