blind_html [Fwd: Fred's Head Companion - American Printing House for the Blind]
- From: Nimer <nimerjaber1@xxxxxxxxx>
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- Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:49:25 -0700
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Subject: Fred's Head Companion - American Printing House for the Blind
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:15:11 +0000
From: 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/>
How to Play Hearts
<http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/FredsHeadCompanion/%7E3/cnLHwB93Rco/how-to-play-hearts.html>
Posted: 25 Feb 2009 12:41 PM PST
Hearts is a trick-taking game in which the object is to accumulate as
few points as possible.
Steps:
1. Shuffle and deal in a clockwise direction a standard deck of 52
playing cards with no jokers.
2. Give each player 13 cards.
3. Take three cards from your hand and lay them facedown on the table
before the first hand is played. Pass them to the player on your left.
4. Pick up the three cards that were passed to you by the person on
your right.
5. Lead the 2 of clubs if you're holding it. Otherwise, play a club
when it's your turn, going clockwise around the table.
6. Pick up the trick if your card was the highest-numbered card in
the suit that was led - which means that you won the trick.
7. Lead the next trick if you won the first one. This time, you can
lead with any suit.
8. Follow suit if you didn't win the first trick. That is, play the
suit that someone else leads.
9. Play a heart (or another card of a different suit) only if a
player leads a suit that you don't have.
10. Lead with a heart only after someone plays a heart because he or
she couldn't follow suit.
11. Continue playing until all 13 tricks have been played.
12. Count up the points - 1 for each heart and 13 for the queen of
spades - from the tricks you took.
13. Write your score and the other players' scores on a notepad or
braille paper.
14. Let the person to your left deal the next hand.
15. Repeat Steps 3 through 13.
16. End the game when one person has reached or exceeded 100 points.
The player with the lowest score at that point wins.
There is no trump in hearts. Aces are ranked highest and 2s are ranked
lowest.
"Shoot the moon" - win all the hearts and the queen of spades - and all
the other players get 26 penalty points apiece and you get zero.
Variations of the game generally concern the manner of passing the three
cards before each hand is played - alternating passing the cards to your
left, across from you and to your right and keeping them yourself.
A heart cannot lead a round until another heart has been discarded.
Discard a heart only if you do not have the suit that was led.
Big Screen Hearts
If you'd rather play an electronic version and have some vision, this
might be for you.
This classic game with big screen play is so much fun players won't be
able to put it down. Hearts captures competitive play for a single
player with three virtual opponents and easy to follow player icons.
Automatic light, electronic card shuffle, and auto scoring are just some
of the features. One reviewer had this to say about the game:
"When I bought this for a low price, I knew it was a Radica and I own
several other of their handheld electronic games and really like them. I
have a knee issue which requires me to challenge myself, off my feet,
and all these games are perfect. I didn't know how to play Hearts until
I went back to the computer and practiced there. I am so proud now that
I can play this game ! Hearts is not difficult to learn. I am an adult
and this is a card game. Play Hearts on your computer and if you like
it, you'll love the take along ( about 4 x 6 in.) version of the game.
The cards are big and easy to read. The controls are easy to use and the
game is lighted. It has been fine for me to learn Hearts, but if you
already know the game, you'll love it. Good for older people or low
vision, too." Click this link to purchase Big Screen Hearts from
Amazon.com
<http://www.amazon.com/Radica-I6039-Big-Screen-Hearts/dp/B000IY4ID8%3FSubscriptionId%3D0A9EKZJ2TM221T0TF7R2%26tag%3Dtoysunder-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000IY4ID8>.
Free Software For Office 2007 From Microsoft
<http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/FredsHeadCompanion/%7E3/uua7WGHky4M/free-software-for-office-2007-from.html>
Posted: 25 Feb 2009 11:55 AM PST
This site could contain the Ultimate List of software created by
Microsoft for Office 2007.
Microsoft Office has been around in one form or another for a very long
time. Long enough that many people know its functions inside and out in
any version. For them, this site is an Office power user's dream. For
the rest of us, there are some interesting additions to the current
Office version. I assume that the software works since it was created by
Microsoft, screen reader accessibility may vary from program to program.
Access, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Power Point, Visio and Word all have
software listed. I'm not familiar with many of them but there are some
interesting listings; Facebook and Flickr for Outlook, a Sudoku add-in
for OneNote, and a Creative Commons Add-in that embeds a Creative
Commons license into a Word, PowerPoint, or Excel document.
Check it out if you have Office 2007, you might find something useful or
fun.
Click this link to visit the Microsoft website to download free programs
for Office 2007
<http://bhandler.spaces.live.com/blog/cns%2170F64BC910C9F7F3%211822.entry>.
A Walk in the Woods: Resources of Hiking Trails Designed for the Blind
or Visually Impaired
<http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/FredsHeadCompanion/%7E3/Lchs1dnP2I4/walk-in-woods-resources-of-hiking.html>
Posted: 25 Feb 2009 07:44 AM PST
It's a beautiful day: a pleasant breeze is blowing, the air is warm and
dry, and the National Weather Service *promises* that it will be
beautiful all day. All in all, it's a perfect day to be outdoors!
Walking outdoors, just for the sake of walking, is a transforming
experience. The warmth of the sun on your skin, the breeze blowing
through your hair, the sound of the breeze rustling through the trees
and the songs of the birds, the scents of the outdoors-- freshly-cut
grass, sweet wildflowers, and that musky smell of last year's leaves
decaying on the ground-- being surrounded by this wonderful atmosphere
puts you in touch with Nature, reminds you that you too are a natural
being, reminds you that you are alive and connected to this wild and
wonderful planet.
Nothing compares to hiking along a backcountry or forest trail miles and
miles from civilization, but it requires lots of time and planning. For
those people who can't spare the time and resources necessary to prepare
for a trek on a wild trail through rough country, there are plenty of
options, including interpretive trails that have been specially designed
for the blind or visually impaired person.
One interesting example of this type of trail is the "Lion's Tale Trail"
located on Virginia's George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.
Originally known as the "Braille Trail" in the 1970's, washed out and
destroyed by Hurricane Fran in 1996, the trail was reopened and renamed
in 1999. This trail is only a half mile long, but it packs a lot of
useful experiences into that space. Each interpretive stop has a sign
printed with high contrast lettering and imprinted with Braille and a
headset provides audio highlights of each stop along the trail. Sighted
visitors are encouraged to wear darkened goggles as they walk the trail,
in order to appreciate the sensory experience. The "hands on"
interpretive stops include "sniff boxes" that feature samples of local
vegetation and an opportunity to plunge one's hands or feet into cold
running water of a stream. The audio descriptions about Virginia forest
ecology also teach you interesting facts about plant life, what life
exists in a rotten log, and why river stones are round. The trail itself
is paved with gravel, with wooden treads embedded in the gravel to alert
you that a stop is near.
Another example is located at the Plano Outdoor Learning Center, in
Plano, Texas. This trail was specifically designed for students; the
stops along the trail are called "learning stations" and there is a
teacher's guide available to help design lesson plans tailored to this
trail. The trail has sixteen of these learning stations which provide
opportunities for students to gain an awareness of the variations of
size, shape and texture of different types of trees, and to examine
various small animal habitats. This trail also has an audio component
for additional description. This trail features a low wooden edge on one
side to allow students to navigate easily with a cane. Spaces in the
edge announce that a stop is coming up.
There are two trails in the United States that came about as a result of
young men seeking projects to become Eagle Scouts. Near Tampa, Florida,
F. Robert Webb improved a trail at Hillsborough County Community
College's Environmental Studies Center at English Creek. This trail uses
a guide rope to assist with navigation. Knots in the rope alert you to
an upcoming "sensory box." These boxes contain specimens for visitors to
touch and smell, adding to the experiences from walking the trail. Hard
and pointy pinecones, soft and feathery ferns, and fragrant examples of
fennel and wax myrtle are placed in the boxes just before your visit.
Call 813-757-2104 to make an appointment to visit this trail.
The other Eagle Scout project came about when Brad Stewart saw a need
for a special trail in the town park of Vernon, Connecticut. Brad
decided to create a trail that would allow the visually impaired to
confidently hike unassisted. Vernon's Braille Trail features an 800-foot
path through the woods. This trail also uses a guide rope for
navigation, and eight of the rope's support posts have signs in both
Braille and large-type print that tell of local history, with references
to the local species of plants and animals. This trail uses knots in the
rope to signal hikers that they were approaching one of the signs. Since
the project's completion, many people-- including special-needs
organizations, student groups, and individuals-- have all taken
advantage of the trail. An ongoing project will extend the trail through
larger sections of the park.
Another example of an interpretive trail is the Button Bush Trail
located near Eastham, Massachusetts. This quarter-mile trail is a big
loop that starts at the Salt Pond Visitor Center, runs through the
forest and over Buttonbush Pond as it circles back to the Visitor
Center. Located in the Cape Cod National Seashore Park, the trail's
designers incorporated a nautical theme: they attached round floats to
the guide rope to act as attention-getters for the information stations.
A different type of design is the "fragrance garden" concept. This is a
much more tame and deliberate attraction than a walk in the woods, but
is still a pleasant way to spend some time on a nice day. In a fragrance
garden, aromatic herbs and textured plants are carefully selected and
planted so that they are easy to reach with the nose and the fingers.
Usually there will be a railing around the planting beds and braille
identification for the various plants. Examples of fragrance gardens are
found in the Meining Memorial Park in Sandy, Oregon, The Barnwell
Cultural Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, and the Ramat Hanadiv Memorial
Gardens in Jerusalem, Israel.
What are you waiting for? It's a beautiful day! Get yourself outside as
quickly as you can! Need to know where to go and how to get there? Try
the list of websites that follows this article. If what you need isn't
there, call your local tourism bureau to get information about trails,
parks and gardens in your area. They will either have the information
you need or will direct you to the appropriate source. In the United
States, each state has a Parks Department or Department of Natural
Resources that administers the State Parks. National Parks in the U.S.
are taken care of by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest
Service. Don't delay! Get out into this wild, wonderful world today!
End of lecture. Here is a list of some useful websites:
LocalHikes at http://www.localhikes.com lets you search by state to find
trails near your area. Each review gives basic info (distance, hike
time, difficulty, etc.), ranger contact, and trail reviews where available.
USDA Forest Service. The home page of the United States Forest Service
gives you access to information about any national park in the US.
http://www.fs.fed.us/
Trailweb. This is a good source of information about trails in the US.
It also has information about planning, equipment, and packing for
extended hiking trips. http://www.trailweb.com/
The American Hiking Society. In addition to helping locate trails, this
website has a lot of information about preserving and maintaining
trails, hiking clubs, and major hiking events. http://www.americanhik
ing.org/ <http://www.americanhiking.org/>
Yahoo directory of websites about hiking: http
://dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Outdoors/Hiking/
<http://dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Outdoors/Hiking/>
The following organizations assist people with disabilities with outdoor
recreation:
* HOPE Network (Harmarville Outreach Programs and Education Network)
www.hopenetwork-pa.org <http://www.hopenetwork-pa.org>
412-826-2771
* Three Rivers Adaptive Sports
www.traspa.org <http://www.traspa.org>
412-848-8896
* National Center on Accessibility, Indiana University
www.ncaonline.org <http://www.ncaonline.org>
National Parks
Most national parks (www.nps.gov) <http://www.nps.gov> have paved trails
that provide a representative sample of natural attractions. The Staple
Bend Tunnel Trail near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, part of the Allegheny
Portage Railroad National Historic Site, has a 2.5 mile accessible trail
with a number of scenic overlooks that leads to the first railroad
tunnel built in the United States. A 4.5-mile accessible section of the
New Portage Trail on the Altoona side of the historic site is also planned.
Free Disabled National Park Pass
The park pass that is given free, the America the Beautiful National
Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass
<http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm>, is a lifetime pass to the National
Parks. The pass is given in person to the disabled individual at the
park they wish to access. The pass is given to all permanent residents
of the United States and actual US citizens that have a permanent
disability that is able to be documented.
* A licensed physician statement
* A Veteran's Administration statement (or by any Federal Agency)
* A document by the State (like a vocational rehabilitation agency)
* SSDI statement (Social Security Disability Income)
* SSI statement (Supplemental Security Income)
The free access National Park pass will let the pass holder into any
National Park free and will give a half off discount to the bearer for
some of the "Expanded Amenity Fees". These fees can include camping and
swimming. There are some cases where other fees may or may not be
enforced; the pass holder will have to check with the National Park they
would like to access to see what the pass will allow. Click this link to
read a PDF document that includes a list of places that have the
national pass <http://store.usgs.gov/pass/PassIssuanceList.pdf>. The
free access National Park pass for the disabled cannot be transferred to
another party or be sold to someone. It is specifically designed to be
carried and used by the person that was documented to get the access
pass. It will also not allow any discount to special recreation permit
fees or to concession fees.
ADA Changes: The New Definition of Disability
<http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/FredsHeadCompanion/%7E3/JA70gElPLvg/ada-changes-new-definition-of.html>
Posted: 25 Feb 2009 07:13 AM PST
By Tim Moore
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
<http://www.fredshead.info/2006/02/americans-with-disabilities-act-ada.html>
was enacted in 1990 and became effective on July 26, 1992 to protect
those with major disabilities in the workplace. Since then, much has
changed, especially the definition of the term ^D<'disability^D>'. On
January 1, 2009, the definition of ^D<'disability^D>' was changed
drastically.
In the initial ADA, a disability was defined as a mental or physical
impairment that ^D<"substantially limits^D>" a ^D<"major life
activity^D>". Major life activities were activities such as walking,
hearing, seeing or breathing. Due to this strict definition, many
employers used the law to prove that their employees were not truly
disabled ^D<'under the law^D>', even when the employee was experiencing
a disability that limited work and life activities. One case in
particular was Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. v. Williams.
In this case, Ella Williams lost even though she had carpal tunnel
syndrome because she could still perform activities such as bathing
herself and brushing her teeth. In 2002 the court determined that the
term disabled must be ^D<"interpreted strictly to create a demanding
standard for qualifying as disabled.^D>"
In the new definition of disability, the ADA states ^D<"an impairment
that substantially limits one major life activity need not limit other
major life activities in order to be considered a disability.^D>" This
new definition was created in hopes of providing greater protection for
disabled employees.
There were other major changes as well, including an expanded list of
major life activities. Now the list includes ^D<"major bodily
functions^D>", including reproduction, excretion and digestion. In
addition, applicants are now considered disabled even if their
disability is in remission or episodic. They are considered disabled
even if the use of medications, prosthetic limbs or hearing aids helps
their condition. Now, applicants are considered disabled based on
whether or not they need medication and other medical help. For
instance, if someone has seizures but takes medication for this episodic
condition that keeps it under control, they are still considered
disabled because they have seizures even if they are not taking their
medicines. The only amendment to this rule is a visual impairment that
can be corrected with corrective lenses.
These changes will bring forth many changes in the workplace: more
provisions for the disabled, more training for supervisors and managers,
and more training and understanding for employees. Where once companies
could question whether or not an employee was truly disabled, now they
must focus solely on accommodating these disabilities. Finally, the
focus is moved away from employers trying to prove that an employee is
not disabled, to the employer taking care of their employees.
Reference: Tim Moore is a former Examiner for the Social Security
Administration. He has a website that provides information on the SSD
and SSI disability system and which also provides a Social Security
Disability FAQ <http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/questions.html>.
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