How to make your Signature Electronic and insert it into a Document

Learn all the skills to create a perfect electronic signature so you can insert it into any document that needs to be emailed, created in Word or other documents. Once the signature is created, you can use it anywhere you need on computer programs. The fastest way to achieve a professional document quickly, especially when your signature is required.

Watch YouTube video: How to make your Signature Electronic and insert it into a Document

For text lesson in full detail of lesson, go to: How to make your Signature Electronic and insert it into a Document

Cooking, Math and Making Learning Fun

Some students have difficulties with math, but when you can apply it to something they love, the understanding kicks in. I use cooking as one of my strategies to learn math skills. They get to eat their results, which is always a big hit.

I have nesting spoons and cups so the students can easily tell which is the correct measurement. For any child that needs a tactile reminder, I have brailled nesting tools, which can be bought at places like ILA or LS&S. We practice with simple measurements using rice or beans.

If you are fortunate enough to get a child young, have them read 1+1=2 and they do the math in braille, then have them measure 1 cup + 1 cup of beans to put in a bowl and have them repeat it with 1 tsp + 1 tsp = 2 tsp and 1 TB+ 1 TB = 2 Tbs. Then they go to the computer and type it out and listen to it while reading from a braille display.

By integrating academic instruction with life, they will see why they are learning certain information in school, so by the time they start to add, subtract, divide and multiple fractions and using higher math skills, they will have gained a great foundation with real life materials...teaspoons, tablespoons and cups, angles, plane, shapes and so on.

What do you do when you Lose Sight Later in Life

Spending lots of time with family and friends over the holidays usually has a person tagging me with questions about someone they know who has just lost sight recently. If the child is younger than 30, they move back in with parents as they try and figure out life and older or married, they become dependent on the person they are living with as they try and figure out life.

The statement I use, I know is bold because no one really likes to leave what he or she know, despite the fact they cannot do what they used to do. However, the people who choose this path of learning blind skills change their lives forever, into the path of being able to do whatever they want.

The statement I use is: They need to go to a training center for the blind, if they truly want to gain the skills they need to be independent. Yes, they can cruise the Internet....with a friend because they do have the skills to do so themselves with talking software, and they can read, or someone read to them about information, but it is slow and arduous and many lose hope because they are not finding the right answers.

There are several good training centers for the blind and most states have them, but if you want to gain all the skills needed to live and learn how to go anywhere you need to go and most importantly gain the confidence and skills you need to get a job and live your dreams as a visually impaired person, go to Louisiana Center for the Blind

I have seen dejected people go in and confident, happy people come out. The difference can be felt because the change is so dramatic.

So what do you do when you lose sight later in life, and you would really like to do it independently? Go to a training center for the blind, but if you would really like to gain more than just basic skills, the Louisiana Center for the Blind is the place to make it happen.

After you get out, continue your education with more lessons at this site: Lessons for blind
Lessons for low vision

Singing the National Anthem for her school

This young lady is demonstrating just one of her many talents. Watch on Youtube: Singing the National Anthem for her school

Dr. Robinson teaches using Virtual Instruction

I (or a teacher) initialize a code at the very beginning of the lesson and then tell the code to the student. The student inputs the code on their computer and I can bring their computer up on my screen, no matter the distance. Some students use Skype, others just use the phone so we can chat while giving the lesson. This lesson is one of my students completing an assignment using excel for her math class. Watch video on Youtube: Dr. Robinson teaches using Virtual Instruction

Duxbury braille translation-Computer tricks, Spanish & English Translation

Type documents in Word and quickly translate them into Duxbury, a braille to print, print to braille translation program. Learn how to double space and insert codes and so much more. Watch video on Youtube: Duxbury braille translation-Computer tricks, Spanish & English Translation

Lesson to go with the video: Duxbury braille translation-computer tricks, Spanish and English Translation

Test your Color Vision

Have you ever been walking with someone or in a classroom and they pointed out a picture or something to look at, but you could not tell what it was, as they described it? Well, you may not have poor vision but poor color distinction or possibly color blind.

Here is a simply test you can do right at home with your computer. Go to the Colorblind Home Page and test yourself. There is nothing that can be done for color blindness, but being aware of it will help in figuring out better strategies in learning. Different colors give different contrast whether color blind or not. Better contrast will lead to better learning.

For low vision, high contrast lessons, click on Low Vision Lessons

iPhone with Voice Over-use same tricks for iTouch & iPad

All the tricks you use on the iphone you can use for the iPad and iTouch too. Voice over helps any blind person use the iphone independently. Watch video on Youtube

Download full lessons at iTools

iPhone with Refreshabraille-basics in moving around quickly and easily

The techniques used with the iPhone can be used with the iPad and iTouch also. You can control the iPhone with your braille display. Watch Video on Youtube.

Lessons on at iTools

Low Vision-paying bills MyReader CCTV

As you start to lose vision, or you are already low vision, it is difficult to pay the bills because of the tiny font. The MyReader is a special type of CCTV-closed circuit television, that enables so many abilities. This is just one. Watch on Youtube

Using Video for an Assessment Tool for Blind Students

A picture is worth a thousand words. How many times have you as a teacher sat in a meeting and showed the team all the paperwork you have collected on the student, or as a parent looked at the paperwork and had no real ability to put all that paperwork into meaning.

A video of the child's progress is very powerful. You can lay out the paperwork, THEN say, here is a video of where Susie was when the school year started. Here is where she was in October and here is she now in December a few days before our conference. Immediately, people on the team can see the progress and what all that data means.

I have used this tool for years. Where people will toss aside all the paperwork because they do not really understand, they thrive on the videos. So I place the paperwork in their files so I can continue to collect it, guiding me in their goals; it is the videos that the parents want to see for clear understanding of their child's progress.

Another great benefit in videotaping is the children watch or listen to themselves also. They can hear their braille reading and then work to improve in the areas they are the weakest. They can hear the flow of their typing on any technology. As a teacher, you can see this also, and then write goals to assist them along on their journey.

Before you begin, make sure you get signed permission from parents and school, then watch the magic happen.

Jaws lesson on selecting words, sentences and moving around page

Learn how to select words, sentences and paragraphs, spell check easily as you go, move quickly around the page--Many lessons to learn all aspects of controlling JAWS and Word at www.yourtechvision.com

Watch Video on YouTube

Lessons to help teach:

Five Lessons on how to change Font sizes, styles and color, including how to control JAWS

Office 2003 & 2010-Change or resize the font and size of letters and words

Word- Move and select text quickly

Office 2003 & 2010-Changing Font and format styles

Office 2010—aligning and moving around text

Word-changing font color in a text document

Kaleigh with special hands learning to type

3 months into learning how to type on a laptop- Watch on YouTube. This is her main tool for outputting work and sending the work to her teacher through email. She knows how to use almost every aspect of WORD to do all types of work. All her lessons can be found on the Word at www.yourtechvision.com

Yes People and No People

There can be a problem and the "YES" people immediately start thinking of a solution. Problems get resolved, with some work behind it, but in general great things constantly occur. The work pays off, people move ahead. This is VERY true where education is concerned. When a problem seems like a mountain, it takes "YES" people to make change.

On the other side are the "NO" people. A situation is presented and an immediate "NO" comes out. Whether they are more inclined toward negatively or just do NOT want to do the work. The first answer and subsequent answers are NO. This too, is devastating where education of children are concerned. It is very hard to move ahead when the "NO" people are constantly putting up roadblocks...even for the people who want to do the work and make the change.

"The person who says it cannot be done, should NOT interrupt the one who is doing it." by John Mason

For all those "YES" people who need just a little boost.
"Sticks and Stones Are Only Thrown at Fruit-Bearing Trees" by John Mason

How to SEE your computer better with Low Vision

There is a larger population of low vision people than blind. The low vision population is growing rapidly as people age and have diminished sight. If you wish to continue to use your computer with ease, eighteen low vision lessons to teach you how to download large cursors, enhance contrast on your machine, multiple ways to enlarge text in Word, enlarging text and graphics in the Internet and how to set up a low vision device for students in classrooms that need to see the board has been created for you. This group of lessons that will help you increase your ability to SEE everything on your computer. Go to Low Vision Skills where both XP-Office 2003 and Windows 7-Office 2010 are available for immediate download.

Watch video on Youtube: Dr. Denise Robinson demonstrates Low Vision tricks on the computer
and How to SEE your computer Better

Lessons to help you

Low Vision Skills-Windows 7 Office 2010

Low Vision-XP-Office 2003

Dr. Denise Robinson demonstrates some basic JAWS commands in Word

Learn some basic JAWS talking software commands in WORD. Watch this video that gives you audio information with keystrokes and demonstrates the hand positioning of JAWS talking software commands:

Dr. Denise Robinson demonstrates some basic JAWS commands in Word

Perfect touch typing to type FAST!

If you learn perfect touch typing, always starting on HOME ROW, using a s d f j k l ; your fingers will learn to fly across the keyboard, easily typing over 100 wpm. JAWS talking software is talking in the background. Watch Video on YouTube- Perfect touch typing to type FAST!

Learn how to Read Braille fast and easily

Place all 8 fingers at the start of the top of the braille line, light touch, slightly spaced, slightly arched hands as if you could put a small ball in the palm (watch video at: ). The focus will be on the pointer fingers to read, but all fingers will do something...those other fingers will be giving information back about the braille coming up, lines ending, holding the page in place and so on.. Correct fingering will enable a faster reader.
To start with young children, I straddle their chair (they sitting in a small chair, mine larger so I can sit behind them and reach around them more easily) I hold their hands in the correct position, placing my middle finger in their palm and lightly touching their hands to help them move it across the page and split when they need. This helps them understand the movement and positioning of their hands.

Using 11 x11 paper, as you want them to create flow, both hands start out the line and about 2-4 words in, the hands split and the right hand finishes the line as the left hand goes down to begin reading the next line. I anchor my left finger on the beginning of the line, so it is easy to go back and down to find the next line. Smaller fingers may anchor with their pinky finger, longer fingers anchor with their ring or middle finger, it is up to the child. The right hand joins the left about 2-4 words in (at first this will be VERY slow, that is ok, just keep practicing). When I am guiding their hands, I will actually hold the right hand to stay while the left gets going so the child sees how to finish reading with the right, begin reading with the left, THEN they join and the right hand finishes the line again.

The reason I say read 2-4 words is you will have left dominate hand readers, I allow them to read in further, maybe even half way across the page or more. The left hand will move across faster and get down to the next line more quickly than if you made the less dominate right hand do most of the reading. Be flexible, go with the child's strength so find out which hand is the dominate hand.

To get good reading speed, have them type 3-4 words about themselves over and over.(I like cats.) Half way down the page, have them type another simple sentence (I like dogs.) ...using contractions and similar words. Then have them practice reading it using the above method. You will not have to hold their hands long as they will learn the words quickly and be able to read on their own, practicing the flow of words and movement of their hands.

The repetition of reading the same words over and over at first is needed. You can create different sentences and homework every day and they learn fast. Make it about them and it will keep their interest. Then send it home for homework. They will not do what they cannot read easily, so do not send something they cannot read well yet. This method takes care of that issue for beginners. Back this up with a computer lesson and braille display and you will have an awesome mixture of instruction that will move this child along fast.

Simple demonstration on how to read Braille using two hands-Watch Braille Reading on YouTube

Lessons to help you teach
Braille Reading

Bar Graphs -- XY Line Plot Graphs in Excel

My high school students are required to make Bar Graphs and XY Line Plot Graphs; others also, but these 2 are the most common.

I always start them out doing it the long way. For example, on the bar graph, they learn how to make the title on the left hand side read top to bottom, so the words are flipped. They learn how to merge cells and color them in with their favorite color (Yep, even completely blind students have favorite colors), change font, and anything else the other students are doing.

When they completely learn how to do the graphs the long way, I then show them the shorter way, where they only have to type in the numbers that are going to be plotted. They then only have to select the numbers and insert any type of graph they need. They then can color, change the font, title, lines, and anything else to make it represent exactly as the teacher has requested, but it is a computer generated graph that would be used for business. So they are learning future skills for employment too.

One of my student's paras had posed the question of how her student was going to do a bar graph the other day. When I showed them, the long and short way, she and the student were completely amazed. Even doing it the long way, which took about 4 minutes, and of course you can make the graphs look so beautiful and so readable for the blind student. When the student emailed off the assignment to the teacher, she was amazed too.

Lessons to help you learn
Excel and Bar Graphs

Watch Youtube virtual lesson on creating a graph. Dr. Robinson teaches using Virtual Instruction

Learning Orientation & Mobility Together

One big advantage of grouping students in one school is the increase of social skills. These 2 became a couple because of all they had in common. Yes, they could get around school by themselves, but it is so much more fun when you are in a group of 2. This is in a high school of more than 2000. You need good cane skills. Click on and watch O&M made fun

Blind student using a scanning, OCR-Openbook Program

A blind person can scan any printed information, open it as a text copy on the computer, so their talking software can speak it and the student can read the text with a braille display. Watch Student Scanning

Braille labeling Clothes

There are many methods to labeling your clothes with braille so you can easily know what you are wearing, but here are a few techniques that have worked well.

If you are handy with a needle, you can sew dots right on the labels of the clothes to distinguish color.

If you would like tools that have already been created, here are a few:

Safety pin socks together using Brass safety pins. You will always have a matched pair and before throwing them in the wash,make sure you safety pin them and they will return to you in 2s.

Next, get your closet organized with closet organizer labels. Don't forget the braille label tape so you can put braille labels on the closet organizer tabs that will divide your colors and everyday wear from your dress-up clothes.

Before hanging up your clothes you can add these Color Clothes markers so you can easily tell the color each article of clothing.The advantage of these aluminum markers is when you take off your clothing, clip the marker back on before throwing it in the wash. When washed, it is easy to put back in your closet, especially when you use the organizer labels too.

So there are a few tricks to get you going.

Kaleigh reading with Special Hands

Kaleigh reads with special hands, but nothing stops her. Watch all 3 videos of her progress over a year's time: Kaleigh at month 1, reading her alphabet and numbers, then month 3 follows reading actual stories, then month 13 reading at 115 wpm. Notice in the first 2 videos, she can only use 1 finger to read, then by the 13th month, her other finger on her left hand gained enough sensitivity that she could use it to read with also. Go to www.yourtechvision.com for all video links

Label Maker Templates

Whether you are blind or sighted, having an easy way to write, keep and print out address labels in a simple way is a blessing and saves hours of work.

With this label template, you can type in all your addresses easily, and print them out whenever needed. The template helps you line up all the information as you type. You just TAB to the next label and continue typing in information. As addresses change, you can easily edit the information because it all runs on a WORD template that is accessible with talking software also.

Avery has many types of templates right at your finger tips; fancy designs to plain. I use the template with 14 place holders for addresses. I have all my addresses typed out on several sheets, so any holiday or party that comes along, I can easily and quickly print out all the labels and stick to the envelopes. You will need to buy the labels from Avery or any Office supply store, then you can use these templates for easy label making.

While you are on the site, you will notice there are templates for many other types of labels too: return and shipping labels,business cards and so much more.

Links to get to Avery
Labels
Avery Labels

Spanish JAWS, computer, translation program

Watch video at: Spanish JAWS, computer, translation program
A new Spanish student learns English quickly with Spanish Jaws and English translation online--lessons online at www.yourtechvision.com

Pen Pal Letter Writing with Brailler and Computer

Many of my blind students have never written a letter and sent it in the mail. Many had never received a letter from a friend that they could read for themselves.

How much do we all love getting personal letters? I certainly do. Yes, I love a good email note, which all my students do with ease, but a note in the mail makes me smile. I use this idea for my students to get them motivated to braille on a brailler and use a slate n stylus.

They first take the braille paper and put it in the printer, and learn the format on the computer to print out all their information. When they print it out, they then learn where to begin brailling their letter.

The next part is the actual mailing of the letters. Most have never touched a mailbox or gone to a post office nor know where to even mail a letter. That becomes an orientation and mobility lesson. We plot the course, and then head to the mailbox or post office. They feel the mailbox all around and see how a driver can pull up and mail a letter also, and then they find the slot for the person who walks up to the box and pop in the letter.

The true joy comes when they get the mail, walk into school and announce this. It makes them want to sit down and braille out another letter, just so they can get more mail. A great motivator and a great way to make friends!

For full instructions on now to do this from start to finish, go to Writing Braille Letters with computer and Brailler do a quick CTRL+F for find and type in Writing and pop right to the Office version you need.

Braille Note, Nemeth, Scientific Calculator, Abacus

Watch this video of a student uses her Braille Note to calculate math problems and insert answers into her processor, checks problems on abacus, then emails lesson to teacher.
There are quick methods to hop around your Braille Note to complete math problems and insert the whole problem into a Word Processor.

Abacus is used due to state testing and the state not allowing calculators on portions of tests. The abacus is like doing the problem out on paper with pencil.

Lessons and other articles to help you learn more

Braille Note

Cover Letter & Resume to Get that Job

Starting in high school, students are required to create their first professional letter to introduce themselves to potential employers and a resume to be attached to the professional letter. More and more, potential employers are asking for these documents to be sent to them through their websites or to be emailed to them. After graduation, people need to be able to update the resume and professional letter as they acquire skills.

Your Cover Letter or Letter of Inquiry needs to be concise containing your information, including correct spelling, grammar and format.

Depending on how your resume LOOKS will determine whether that potential employer will even LOOK at the documents. Your experience and education will determine whether the employer will even give you an interview. Both are important.

So if you need simple instructions to follow, along with examples to help your students in school or help yourself find that right job, you can acquire the lessons for both Office 2003 and Office 2010 --Click on Professional Letter of Inquiry and Writing a Resume and you can immediately download a copy for use. All lessons are keystroke based and accessible with talking software.

Making pictures come alive for Blind children

I think all math classes can contribute great knowledge to all children. When parents and teachers ask, "Is it important for this blind student to take Geometry?" which is a VERY visual class, I always reply --YES! Yes, it will be more challenging, but the information they learn applies greatly to life. Blind children should take ALL the same classes as sighted children if they are to acquire the same knowledge.

Here is where talented Para educators come into play. They ask how to design those 1-D or 2-D flat graphics in print or embossed on braille sheets that come from the braille companies (BTW, it is very difficult for blind children to read those flat "embossed pictures") and I describe the methods. We use stiff paper and braille paper works great here for area or a plane, with pipe cleaners sticking through the paper for the angles that will be made. Extra long Slate n stylus embosses the angle points on the paper for the student to read and wikki sticks line the plane or area. This method makes those flat images come to life for the student. The Para holds the design in the air and describes it, as the student feels every angle and area.

In biology and math class, students are asked to draw many figures. A draftsman tool kit is always on hand for these designs that students need to create. The Para assists the student with the design, or if the teacher thought ahead, a tactile design was already created and the blind student can feel it then recreate it on the draftsman. After the student draws the figure, they place the paper in a brailler or use a slate n stylus to braille the labels around the figure.

From kindergarten and beyond, when students can create these figures themselves, they grasp the concepts so much easier. The earlier you start using the above method, the easier pictures will be to understand as the student ages, but that is true for most instruction.

Braille Music and Playing an Instrument

Any blind student that wants to take classes dealing with music should learn braille music to access everything their sighted peers access, giving them the ability to learn anything they wish.

Watch on youtube

Creating BEAUTIFUL Cards using WORD

As the holidays approach and throughout the year with parties, classes make cards for their families and friends. My students need their own fancy way to make the most beautifully decorated cards too.

All this can be accomplished using WORD. Students can insert beautiful pictures, change them to a very light background then type the fanciest script to type words directly on top of the picture.

As soon as the sighted students see how beautiful my students' cards turn out, they too want to learn these tricks, which is great for expanding their social circle. Giving tools like this to any student is a huge self-esteem builder because they know they have the knowledge that others want, so people seek them out for help.

Lessons to help you learn more

Make beautiful cards

Twitter Accessibility with Qwitter

Twitter is very accessible with JAWS talking software. It will just take many keystrokes to get to where you want to go.

However, to make a Tweet, just hit E for your edit box, enter for forms mode on and type those 140 characters, then TAB to Tweet and ENTER to send. That fast and that easy. However, reading all the content is a bit different...that is where all the keystrokes come in.

There is also Easychirp which has all the accessible features.

For an incredibly accessible Twitter, download Qwitter or EasyChirp. It makes everything very accessible in Twitter, just like m.facebook.com does for Facebook.

Braille Reading - smooth and easy

Watch this young lady read braille: Youtube--Smooth fluid motion across the pages of braille. Able to read as fast as sighted peers. Uses Bookshare and other online braille sources to download books constantly to read on her Braille Note.

Never say Impossible

A wild fire is raging toward you and your family as you walk along some very steep cliffs. There is no way out....What do you do?

Never say something is impossible or there is just no way. You must think outside the box...something different. The answer is out there, it is just seeking it out.

Answer for fire: The father took out a match and started his own fire, making a completely burned out area for he and his family to stand in while the wild fire burned out before even getting to them.

There is always a WAY!

Health Insurance for all Children

CHIP-Children's Health Insurance Program is children's medicaid.

Every state has some form of CHIP, so check into your local service

If you have a child that needs medical attention BUT you do not have health insurance, every child is eligible if you earn under $45,000 a year. Check into this program to get their needs met and pass this information along to other parents who need to get eye exams, dental appointments or any other type of medical care.

Virtual Machines--Mac with PC and PC with both XP and Windows 7

Today, you no longer have to have just 1 operating system on 1 computer. Since I am writing lessons for people who use XP and Office 2003 and Windows 7 and Office 2010, I have both operating system on one machine. Windows 7 is my main machine and I have XP running virtually. With 2 monitors, I run XP on one monitor and Windows 7 on the other and can quickly write the lessons needed by having both operating systems on 1 computer.

Mac is the same way. You have Mac OS on one side and with a Command Tab you switch to Windows 7, which operates virtually. This way you can use as many features as you want. You download products according to which side you are using.

What I suggest to people who really want to switch to a Mac but have always been PC users, is...get both. Buy the Mac and put the virtual Windows 7 on it too, so when you just can't get something done while learning the Mac, you can switch to the PC side.

Same thing for switching from XP to Windows 7. Have both and when you just can't figure out how to do it on the Windows 7 side, switch back to the XP side.

Just more options for getting work done.

Mountbatten brailler is great for young children to learn Braille

Little fingers can easily press the keys on a Mountbatten brailler--watch YouTube Video. Learn quickly and easily so by kindergarten blind children can read and write just as much as their sighted peers.
More at www.yourtechvision.com

Blind student demonstrates PowerPoint

Completely blind yet notice the perfect touch typing skills click on Youtube. She knows all the keystrokes to insert videos and pictures into a PowerPoint presentation and complete the perfect slide show. Learn these skills at: www.yourtechvision.com

Accelerated Reader (AR) and access with JAWS and Braille Display

Anyone who has elementary students most likely knows about AR tests. Accelerated Reader (AR) is a program where children read books and then take tests on a computer system called AR. Each book is assigned a certain amount of points depending on their difficulty. Children in class compete to see how many points they can earn within a certain time period and by the end of the year.

Accelerated Reader (AR) tests can be accessed with JAWS and a Braille Display. I had to laugh yesterday as I was teaching one of my students how to move through the pages. She has incredible listening skills and her JAWS works at about 400 wpm. Her fingers cannot read that fast, so she would bypass the braille display and quickly listen to each page and take the test. She could finish 3 tests before a sighted student even finished their first due to the speed at which she operated the site.

Where once upon a time, a sighted reader had to read these tests to our blind students, it is no more, which is true for so many areas of their lives, due to technology.

Lessons that will help you learn

AR, braille display and talking software

Braille Instruction begins at 3 years old

Braille Instruction begins at 3 years old

This young man on the video from the above link, began braille and technology instruction at 3 years old. A year later he knows his braille alphabet and typing on a keyboard. When he reached kindergarten, he had as much reading/writing knowledge as peers.
www.yourtechvision.com

Video Calls on IPhone & IPad

Whether fully sighted, low vision or even blind, I have students and friends who love using the video call feature with the Iphone and Ipad.

The way to make free calls on either device but more importantly you can use this as a phone feature on the Ipad, is to download SKYPE and SKYPE wireless to go with it. Go to the app download section of your product. Once the programs are downloaded, you can use voice over with the programs to make and receive calls with a new twist.

This happens to be a great feature for virtual teaching also. Just another way to connect and do what you need to do to teach a lesson.

Download lessons on Learn how to use iTools

American Printing House for the Blind

If you are looking for a major resource for materials adapted for blind students from the earliest age, The American Printing House for the Blind is for you.

Founded in 1858, the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is the world's largest nonprofit organization creating educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are blind and visually impaired.

If you need something adapted to blindness or low vision, go to APH.org and there is a good chance you will find it there in their catalog.

Order your free catalog from them to have all this valuable information at your fingertips when a situation comes up and you need a tool.

Schools can use Free quota funds which are designated for blind/low vision children. The government has allocated a certain amount of funds for each child per year, so this helps the districts with their budgets too.

You can also call them at: 1-800-223-1839

Blind Technology-adapted Braille laptop

Teenage student loses sight at 16 and learns the technology to do her work

Watch on YouTube: Young Woman

Click on Lessons on how to learn the Braille Note

Secrets in Office 2010 for talking software or blind users

There are many areas that are inaccessible in Office 2010 for a blind user, but you can make them accessible with a quick command.

As soon as you open a document, do a CTRL+S to save, name the file, then TAB to save as Type and down arrow to word 97-2003 document, then hit ENTER. (You can make this change permanent if it works well for you)
Now, when you want to insert pictures, graphs, Wordart and other graphics, you will have the ability to left, right or center them where you want. If using Office 2010 in the .docx format, you will have to use the arrow keys, which is just guess work if you are blind and you have no idea where you are truly placing your object.

Another trick: Most commands you memorized in Office 2003 can be used in Office 2010. So if you want to insert a picture, Alt+I, then hit P then hit C to clip art and your clip art options open.

Enlarge the screen: Just ALT+V, then hit Z, then hit 2 for 200% and you have magnified your screen.

Just keep moving through the keystrokes and they work with or without talking software

Restoring your Computer to Working Great again

With all the different types of software and downloads from the Internet, you may have experienced your computer crashing or slowing. If you use talking software you may notice compatibility issues after you downloaded a particular program.

Here is a quick easy fix. Every PC offers a restore of your system. If you are on Windows 7, you can just hit the start key and type restore and down arrow to restore your computer to an earlier time. When the dialog box comes up, look back at all the dates and make note of when your computer worked well and restore it to that date. When my talking software stops working well, I can see a particular type of update was made on my computer and now I know which update knocked my talking software out.... I then go and hide that update in my update folder so it will never occur again. You can do the exact same thing in XP but you will have to go into the control panel to do so.

You can also set restore points. Last week, one of my students went on vacation and her laptop had been having major issues, so I took it for the week to overhaul. After I fixed it, I set a restore point with an original name, so as problems occur down the road, I can talk them through how to easily restore her computer back to the date last week. It is like getting a brand new computer right out of the box, but just loaded with all the blind software and ready to use.

Restore is a wonderful feature However: If you set a restore point on your computer on Oct 1 and you loaded another program on Nov 1, found issues on Nov 5 and restored back to Oct 1, any program you loaded after that Oct 1 date will be gone. Your files are still there, it just takes away programs---but the new added program could be what was giving you problems, so this is decision time, if you do a restore. It is something major you are doing to your machine.

Always backup your files before doing something like this. Backup, just means, make another copy somewhere else, like on a thumb drive. You should be doing this anyway because technology crashes and you always want another copy of your files somewhere else.

There are a lot of great powerful features on computers, just learn how to take control of them and use the power to your advantage, instead of them taking control of you.