“50 Best iPad Apps for Reading Disabilities”

“50 Best iPad Apps for Reading Disabilities”
Guest Blog by Rosa Ray 

 Whether you’re the parent of a child with a reading disability or an educator that works with learning disabled students on a daily basis, you’re undoubtedly always looking for new tools to help these bright young kids meet their potential and work through their disability. While there are numerous technologies out there that can help, perhaps one of the richest is the iPad, which offers dozens of applications designed to meet the needs of learning disabled kids and beginning readers alike. Here, we highlight just a few of the amazing apps out there that can help students with a reading disability improve their skills not only in reading, writing, and spelling, but also get a boost in confidence and learn to see school as a fun, engaging activity, not a struggle. Here are “50 Best iPad Apps for Reading Disabilities:”

Helpful Tools

These tools are useful for both educators and students with reading disabilities alike, aiding in everything from looking up a correct spelling to reading text out loud.

1. Speak It!: Speak It! is a great text-to-speech solution that can allow students with reading disabilities to get a little help with reading when they need it.
2. Talk to Me: Talk to Me is another text to speech application. It can be used to read words out loud as they are typed, which can help students to better correlate the letters and words with how they’re pronounced.
3. Dragon Dictation: Dragon Dictation works in reverse of the two apps we just listed. Instead of reading text out loud, the application writes down spoken text. For students who struggle with writing, it can be a great way for them to jot down ideas or get help learning.
4. Dyslexic Like Me: Explaining dyslexia to a child can be hard, but this application can make it a little easier. It’s an interactive children’s book that helps students to understand dyslexia and become empowered to overcome their learning disability.
5. Merriam-Webster Dictionary: If spelling is a problem, it’s always a good idea to have a really great dictionary on hand. This app from Merriam-Webster can provide that.
6. Ditionary.com: If Dictionary.com is your go-to place for definitions and spelling help, this app can be a great way to bring that functionality to your iPad or iPhone.
7. Prizmo: With Prizmo, users can scan in any kind of text document and have the program read it out loud, which can be a big help to those who struggle with reading.
8. Flashcards for iPad: This app makes it easy to study words, spelling, and other things that young and LD readers might need help with.
9. Soundnote: Using Soundnote, you can record drawings, notes, and audio all at once, balancing reading-based skills with those that are auditory and visual.

Fundamentals

These apps help teach the fundamentals of reading, writing, and spelling to any young learner, but can be especially helpful for those who are struggling.

10. Alphabet Zoo: Alphabet Zoo is a great tool for helping young readers to recognize letter sounds. Using text and pictures of animals, kids can build their reading skills while having fun.
11. Find the Letters HD: A favorite of special education teachers and psychologists, this app asks learners to find letters and numbers in a coloring grid. It helps build skills in spatial positioning, depth orientation, form discrimination, and concentration and attention.
12. First Words Sampler: Preschoolers with a reading disability can get a head start on improving their skills with this app that teaches them about letters and words using fun graphics and sounds.
13. Montessori Crosswords: Embrace the Montessori method by using this app to help youngsters improve their spelling and reading skills through engaging phonics-based exercises.
14. Read & Write :Students can practice reading and writing letters using this application. Users can trace letters, learn letter sounds, and get illustrations to go along with each part of the alphabet.
15. Sound Literacy: With a portion of the proceeds from this app going to the Dyslexia Association, there’s no reason not to sign on. Even better, the app is incredibly useful, employing the Orton-Gillingham method to help students recognize the spellings of English phonemes.
16. weesay ABC: Using pictures, words, and sounds, this application makes it easy for young students to practice and learn their ABCs.
17. abc PocketPhonics: This app is a great tool for teaching reading disabled students the fundamentals of letter sounds and shapes.
18. The Writing Machine: By correlating pictures and words, reading text, sounding out letters, this tool helps students develop early literacy abilities with greater ease.
19. WordSort: One of the top educational apps out there, this game helps kids to learn how to identify parts of speech, like nouns, adverbs, and verbs, as well as emphasizing grammar skills.
20. ABC Phonics Word Families: Using analogy phonics (or word families) this application teaches young learners to see and hear the patterns of commonality in a set of words. With flashcards, spelling words, scrambled words, and games, this app is a must-have for helping students.

Reading

These excellent iPad apps can be a big help to reading disabled students who need a little extra support when trying to read.

21. Blio: Blio offers all the same features of any basic e-reader, and also a few things that make it unique. Through synchronized highlighting and a serial presentation view, the app helps those with reading disabilities make sense of the text, something many other similar apps don’t offer.
22. Read 2 Me: For those who have difficulty reading, apps like Read 2 Me can be a godsend. The app comes complete with an entire library of texts, all of which can be read out loud.
23. Read2Go: If you use DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) books in your classroom, Read2Go is one of the best and most accessible ways to read those books on iOS.
24. AppWriter: Designed with reading and writing disabilities in mind, this text editor for iPad integrates numerous accessibility features into standard text editing functionality.
25. Audiobooks: Sometimes students with reading disabilities might just want a break from reading books the old fashioned way. That’s why this amazing collection of free audiobooks can come in handy, offering access to classics like Romeo and Juliet and Treasure Island.
26. Bob’s Books: Bob’s Books uses phonics-based interactive games to help kids learn how to read. Activities will help young learners to sound out words, spell, and make connections between letters and sounds.
27. iStoryTime: There are numerous titles to choose from in the iStoryTime series, all of which allow kids to have the book read to them or to get help reading it themselves.
28. MeeGenius! Kids’ Books: MeeGenius is another series that’s perfect for practicing reading skills. Those with trouble reading can use illustrations and helpful word highlighting to get help, or just have the book read to them until they’re confident enough to do it on their own.
29. Reading Trainer: While this app is designed to help average readers boost their reading speed and ability, it can be useful to those who struggle as well, as many of the skills taught can help just about anyone become a more confident reader.
30. See Read Say: This application will help to ensure that young learners are familiar with all of the Dolch sight words (the most common words), using games, activities, and tons of practice.
31. Stories2Learn: Why use existing stories to help troubled readers when you can build your own? This application lets you develop your own text and audio stories, including messages, topics, and other things that can help keep kids interested.
32. eReading series: The eReading series from Brain Integration LLC, helps young readers at all levels of proficiency learn about topics like Greek Mythology and Gulliver’s Travels. Users can have the book read to them, or practice reading without the help, too.

Writing

For those with reading disabilities, sometimes writing can also be a trying task. Here are some apps that can help teach, assist, and make writing more fun.

33. iWrite Words: Named by The Washington Post as one of the best apps for special needs kids, this game-based program helps youngsters learn to write their letters through a fun and engaging setup that uses illustrations and animations to keep things interesting.
34. AlphaWriter: Using Montessori-based learning methods, this application helps kids to learn how to read, write, and spell phonetically. It also teaches lessons on consonants and vowels, letter sounds, writing stories, and much more.
35. Sentence Builder: Through this application, elementary school children will learn how to build grammatically correct sentences, with a special focus on using connector words.
36. Story Builder: After kids are done learning how to build sentences, they can move onto this app which combines those sentences into one coherent story, complete with illustrations.
37. Writing Prompts: Having trouble thinking of things for students to write about? This app removes that roadblock and offers up numerous ideas for short writing assignments.
38. Idea Sketch: This mind-mapping app can help learning disabled students make sense of their ideas and organize them in ways that they can easily translate into written work.
39. Storyrobe: Teachers and students can build and share their own unique stories through this application. Integration with YouTube and email makes it easy to share and revise, too.

Spelling

These applications can be excellent tools for improving spelling skills.

40. American Wordspeller: Looking up a word in a dictionary isn’t that simple if you have no idea how to spell it. This app removes that problem and employs a method that lets you much more easily pinpoint how to spell just about any word.
41. Word Magic: Created by the parents of a five-year-old, this app for young learners help kids learn words and how to spell them correctly. It uses lots of positive reinforcement, rewards, and fun pictures to keep things interesting to learners.
42. Typ-O: Poor spellers can rejoice over this great application that help you spell words correctly in any typing-related program on your iPhone or iPad.
43. A1 Spelling App: This application is a great way to help poor spellers begin to learn the correct spelling of common words, increasing difficulty as kids master words.
44. iSpell Word: iSpell Word is designed to help kids learn the spellings of simple English words. It uses games to teach, with each level of the game employing more difficult words so kids are always challenged.
45. Jumbline: If you’re looking to make reading, writing, and spelling into a game, this app can help. It’s full of word games that ask players to use speed, smarts, pattern recognition, and spelling skills to win.
46. Spelling Bee Challenge: Kids can have fun taking part in a mock spelling bee using this application that boosts both spelling and vocab skills.
47. Word Fall: In this educational game, words fall from the sky and players must collect letters to form basic words.
48. WordLadder: This highly challenging word game will get older readers thinking about how words are spelled and how they can be connected and changed to form new words.
49. ACT Spell: Developed especially for learners with disabilities and special needs, this tool helps develop motor control, word recognition, spelling, and reading skills.
50. Word Wizard: Lauded by The New York Times, this word-focused app lets kids hear the sounds of letters and words through a movable alphabet while also engaging them in spelling practice and games.

Top 8 mobile and desktop computer versions worldwide

The debate is never ending on which is the most widely used computer (PC vs Mac)? Is the tablet going to take over the industry? Quick answer is the PC with Microsoft office and NO, the tablet is not powerful enough to take over the real life workload.  Real world wide work is done on the PC and the saturation point of the tablet has hit with sales dropping to meet that saturation point. Together, they are great tools, but to keep up with what your employers  wants or school demands, will take a desktop computer.
See the wonderful graph attracted and for more information to keep up on what is the reality of the situation and not just an argument point, go to StatCounter Global Stats and get the reaiity check that is needed. Especially if you are making decisions on what a child should be learning in school

So learn those PC-Office skills to keep you going
Everything to get you going in WORD Office 2010 and Windows 7 with JAWS
Everything to get you going in WORD Office 2003 and XP
And hundreds more lessons on anything you need---just go to the top headings of www.yourtechvision.com

Low Vision Tricks to see in the distance or anywhere

My students use a Microsoft Lifecam HD camera but any good camera will do. Tiny and portable to set right on top of the laptop monitor. Watch here or go to youtube: Low Vision Tricks



See other Low Vision options at: Low Vision Lessons

Speaking at AER in Chicago-February 13, 2014

Come join AER in Chicago February 13, 2014, where I will deliver the keynote address. Be inspired by an incredible story of overcoming life's great obstacles to go on and become something you never thought possible. Here is a run down of events
Keynote:
How to inspire yourself and others to do anything!
Discover how to overcome life’s most overwhelming obstacles and put into effect your personal strengths to inspire yourself and others to accomplish greater goals.
1. Determine what your gifts or strengths are to help yourself and those around you
2. Discover strategies to combat personal obstacles to move you onto your true destiny
3. Discover how to inspire those around you to reach goals

Breakout session:
May I have the title of your breakout session on technology, a few sentences describing it and three-to-five learning objectives?
You will learn about the technology that enables success in school, job and life. Watch videos of students using all types of technology and software to become independent. See how to integrate this technology into all the work students’ do.
1. Determine the technology tools that will fit your needs to accomplish needed tasks
2. Determine and discover the different technology that will enable independence for your students
3. Discover the varied tools that enable blind students to accomplish the same tasks as sighted students
Come join the adventure

ATIA Jan-2014-Learn Virtual Instruction-Teaching Technology to Students Who Are Blind/Visually Impaired: A Paradigm Shift

ATIA 2014 Orlando Pre-Conference Seminars                     

January 28 - 29, 2014

 PRE-11W: Teaching Technology to Students Who Are Blind/Visually Impaired: A Paradigm Shift

SESSION CODE: PRE-11W  

SESSION TITLE: Teach any child anywhere at any time through virtual remote access: A Paradigm Shift

PRESENTER(S): Denise Robinson, CEO, TechVision, LLC; Ike Presley, National Project Manager, American Foundation for the Blind

DATE: Wednesday, January 29, 2014

TIME: 8:00AM – 4:00PM

OVERVIEW: Teach the core curriculum and more through remote access using a computer, camera or iOS device. Eliminate long hours of driving and work from your office teaching more students no matter the distance away. Dr. Denise M Robinson of TechVision, LLC has developed and is currently implementing a successful remote teaching model for instructing students who are blind or visually impaired and their teachers around the country. Whether the student is in a remote or urban area or with a teacher of the blind that needs those technology skills also, everyone learns together through daily remote access instruction.  In this session, Dr. Robinson will provide participants an outline of technology tools and instruction on how to access students/other teachers/personnel anywhere and teach through remote technologies. BYOD—laptop, talking software, and iOS device to learn and use these incredible tools that allow more time with students and instruction to get them working toward independence in the classroom and out. Though Dr Robinson has been working with students who are blind or visually impaired, teachers of the blind, blind adults and parents, these remote skills will apply to all types of instruction.

STRAND: Core Standards

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

 1.First Key Learning Point (Participants will…):  Identify the hardware needed to conduct remote instruction for students who are blind or visually impaired.

2.Second Key Learning Point (Participants will…): Identify the software needed to conduct remote instruction for students who are blind or visually impaired.

3.Third Key Learning Point (Participants will…):  Identify the positive aspects of remote teaching that make it an affordable option for schools.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

 •Accessibility Professional

•Administrators

•AT Specialists

 •Educators

•Visual Specialist

SPEAKER INFORMATION:

Dr. Denise Robinson,  Ph.D., CEO TechVision, LLC; Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired; Specialist in Technology/Training/Teaching for blind/low vision

Ike Presley is the National Project Manager at American Foundation for the Blind; Certified Low Vision Therapist; Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired.

 More info at: http://atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=4461

Apple Applications for Students and IPAD- ITOUCH- or IPHONE

Apple Applications for Students and IPAD- ITOUCH- or IPHONE

If you go to http://public.me.com/reece2 and log in you can pull up the electronic version of this list and it will take you direct to apple app store.

Lessons at iTools

• iBooks- free
• Quickvoice- free (can record a student voice and play back)
• Dragon Dictation- free
• GoodReader- $.99 cents (plays movies, read excel spread sheets)
• Google Mobile Apps- free
• TapTyping- free
• Speak it- $1.99 (can cut and paste anything and it will read text) can get Spanish or other languages for additional $1.99
• Goldilocks- free (electronic text book)
• Audiobooks- free
• Bob Books Reading Magic Lite booboo’s- FREE
• Toy Story toystoy- FREE (electronic text to speech Disney book)
• Milly Molly and the Bike Ride- $4.99 for up to 14 books
• Alice for the IPad Lite alicelite- FREE
• Sentence Builder- $2.99 (gives context clues and picture to build sentence)
• Stanza reader-Free
• Soundnote for iPad- $4.99 (can record, take notes, then email or dropbox)
• WebReader- $1.99 will read anything on the web
• Voice Over (part of accessibility options in settings)
• Closed Captioned movies (movie app)
• SpecialEd eCOVE- Free- used for teacher evaluations and collecting data
• Proloquo2go AAC app-$189.99 (basic picture communication with voice)
• TapToTalk- Free
• Typ-O-HD typo- FREE
• iCommunicate- $4.99
• SoundAMP- Free ( amplifies sound for students hard of hearing)
• Pronunciation Power-$2.99- great for SLP or like Lindamood reading LIPS
• Braille trainer -$1.99
• iSignLite- Free (demonstration of of sign language)
• Sign4Me-$9.99 more advanced sign language app
• SpecialEd Observation-eCOVE FREE
• Pages App- $9.99 like Microsoft word
• Numbers app-$9.99 like excel Microsoft
• Keynote-$9.99 like Microsoft PowerPoint
• Mathboard-FREE- helps with math facts and demonstrations
• StarWalk- $2.99 (shows stars in sky works off of GPS)
• Frog Dissection- $2.99 (actually dissect a frog without the yuck)
• Pearson Factoring Pearsonfactor- $3.99 this one is really great, it has live lectures from the authors of the textbooks!
• The Elements- Chemistry
• Shakespeare & Bits- Wish we all had this one in HS, it reads the Shakespeare story, has the words highlighted and then will interpret words if tapped on. Right now they only have Romeo and Juliet

OTHER RESOURCES:
Pad in Education Favorite Apple Apps  Apple - Education - Apps
Apple Accessibility   
iPods & iPads in the Classroom 
Learn how to pair an external keyboard and braille display at: Other Blind Tools

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google-site-verification: google029ef06c76991ec0.html

Sighted Dog Leading Blind Dog

Lily is a Great Dane that has been blind since a bizarre medical condition required that she have both eyes removed. For the last 5 years, Maddison, another Great Dane, has been her sight. The two are, of course, Inseparable.

"People will forget what you said; People will forget what you did.
But people will never forget how you made them feel."

Track Changes with talking software-comments, tracks, edit features-audio/visual

Learn how to do track changes in Word for all types of editing: This is an audio/visual lesson with talking software
Learn all the keyboard commands to move quickly
Make Comments,
Add tracks,
Edit with spelling and grammar features
Spell Checking features
Accept or delete tracks
Accept and delete comments

Watch a student working on track changes: Track Changes with 9th grade student

Download your lesson at:  Track Changes with talking software-comments, tracks, edit features-audio/visual

More lessons at: www.yourtechvision.com

How to use Microsoft Outlook 2010 with keystrokes

Outlook is an incredibly easy email client to use. I start my students on Gmail, so I know they have an Internet based email where they can go anywhere and do anything they need to no matter what. They carry JAWS on a thumb drive and can plug into Grandma's or their friends' computer when on vacation and still connect to the world.

Outlook needs to be configured to the computer you use, so does not offer the flexibility as an Internet based email, however, if you know you will only be on 1 or 2 computers and you want something easy to use, Outlook is it.

Many business also use Outlook, so I highly suggest learning both Gmail and Outlook, just so you will be that much more viable in school, not to mention the work field. The more you know, the more possibilities you will have at your disposal.

Here is an audio/visual lesson on how easy it is to enter an appointment but even greater is a tool for the student to keep track of homework during the day, so they and the parents know exactly what needs to be completed when they get home--setting bells and reminders that will automatically go off.

For detailed lessons on Outlook and Jaws, go to : Microsoft Outlook 2010 with Jaws – Import contacts to Outlook, Read, Reply to messages. make a folder, an Appointment, a contact and signature

All the tricks on how to teach virtually--all over the county, all over the country and eventually the world. Excellent keyboard commands and knowledge of remote access will give you the power to help anyone, anywhere. This is the lesson for you to get you moving in the virtual direction.
Download:

Teaching Virtually using Skype and Gmail Google chat

Word commands or JAWS Commands

Many people do not know that there are differences between WORD commands and JAWS talking software commands. Microsoft Word has thousands of it own built in keystroke commands that have nothing to do with JAWS. If you just want to become a faster computer user with keystrokes and never use JAWS, you can.

This wonderful keystroke feature in WORD, Excel, PowerPoint or any Microsoft product, also gives blind students the ability to go to any computer with memorized steps and no talking software, open WORD (or another program) and do what ever they need, according to their memory of steps, because the keystrokes are already built into the program. It allows sighted people to move just as quickly instead of taking their mouse and trying to figure out where a certain option is in a particular menu.

However, JAWS and WORD together are incredibly powerful. When you are in WORD doing those commands and you want to have JAWS read both characters and words, you hit INSERT+2 and cycle through all the options. If you want JAWS to read the whole page to you, you hit CTRL+HOME and then hit INSERT+DOWN ARROW and JAWS reads the whole page.

These lessons all based on keystrokes, can be found at www.Yourtechvision.com

Hundreds of Lessons using only keystrokes for Blind/Visually Impaired

The questions of "Can I get lessons exclusively for my student's issues at yourtechvision.com?" and "Can my district write a PO for the lessons instead of buying one lesson at a time?" are popular, so let me address those 2 big questions.

YES! Make your special request at: yourtechvision.com/contact. Download all the lessons you need at www.yourtechvision.com

Lessons all based on keystrokes using Jaws or Window Eyes, on Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, JAWS/Internet, Other blind tools, such as the braille note, refreshabraille, Focus, Bookshare and more are but a click and download away.

Register, log in and acquire the lessons that will help you learn. Make a request on the contact page for a free private virtual lesson with any purchased product to get you up and running.

Help for Bad skin-open sores- diabetic sores, acne, rosacea, etc

Since moving to Tennessee, I have had some very serious issues with my skin. One being rosacea. I have never had this condition before so I was clueless how to help it. Reports basically said I needed to learn to live with it and being a Type I diabetic, healing was even more of an issue.

After some Internet searching and lots of thought on combining techniques, here is what I came up with and it has completely healed my skin.

First, I diluted white vinegar in water and dabbed on sores, to kill bacteria.
Second, I bought a small face steamer--- Secura Hot & Cool Facial Steamer Micro-fine Mist Sauna w/ Essence Oil and Herbal Therapy --and steamed the sores to open the pores day and night before going to bed. Next, I bought a D'arsonval High frequency direct for Home Use - skin tightening, Wrinkles, Fine lines, Puffy Eye. 

It not only removes fine lines, etc but it was to inject ozone into the sores to heal them. That was the main reason I purchased it. Don't over do it with any method---like any medicine a little is good, too much is bad. 

I found and bought these from Amazon.com

It took about 2-3 weeks of diligent treatment of the above, but now I have smooth skin with no sores. I used the above for open sores on my arms and legs and all are in the healing process now. I continue to do the above regime.

See if this works for you.

Find Hope in your life--a book to bring you there-How to get prayers answered

For less than a cup of coffee, get inspired for the rest of your life with a great read. Watch Youtube video to begin your adventure: Answered Prayer
Do you ever wonder why your prayers are not being answered? Then wonder why others are being answered? This book will give real life examples of why our prayers are hindered and what we must do to unlock prayers powers. You will walk through a fire literally and learn how to come out the other end. Listen to a very powerful story that will change how you view prayer and potentially change your life. Learn what you must do in your own life to enable prayer power.
Order your e-copy today that Voice Over can easily read on iphone or ipad or other itool: How to Get Prayers Answered and/or Why Prayers Do Not Get Answered
or order from Amazon at: Get Prayers Answered for your Kindle
The book is also available from Amazon at: Get Prayers Answered
or enlarged print Answered Prayer Denise Robinson

Excrept from book:

Picture: Fire surrounding and burning everything
Prayer lesson: Pray and don’t stop praying Here is how you do it afraid...

 Our part time neighbors, Donna and Todd, who lived on top of the mountain, were watching the fire through their cameras safely back home in North Bend. I know they started to pray too.  By the time Lynnette had reached me, Curt was racing toward our house to get her so they could pull their horses out of their burning barns. By the time they had driven off, we were surrounded, with 50 foot+ flames all the way up the trees. The fire was still about an acre away as I was still “TELLING” God my prayer and what HE needed to do for ME. “Please stop the fire” Don’t let it come close to me,” “Don’t let it jump the road.” Wow, what an ego centered prayer. But that is what we do----we pray, me me my me what about what happens to me prayers. As I realized that was NOT the prayer I was supposed to be demanding of God. I stopped talking and started listening. I asked, “God what do you want me to do?” Here is what HE TOLD me. “Get on your shoes! Get out on that tractor and start driving over the fire and put it out! I have prepared you for this.” That is NOT the prayer or answer I wanted to hear.

Prayer Lesson: Stop talking and telling God what to do as your prayers. Ask, “What should I do?”--- Then Listen.  How many of us do not have answered prayers because God told us something hard to do and we did not do it. We have to do what we can first THEN God does what we cannot do. We have to do the hard stuff first on our own, our own free will. If we did not listen then, afterward, we say “Why, God, why did you not answer my prayer” It was our own fault the prayer was not answered—we did NOT do what HE told us to first…LISTEN…then do it! God is telling us what to do all the time. If we are talking, we are NOT listening. Get quiet and listen.

I can tell you. Go fight the fire was  NOT NOT NOT the prayer answer I wanted to hear, but I said OK. If HE was guiding me, HE would be with me. But I could not tell it……yet….. I was shaking so hard I could barely move. I was so riveted on the flames outside my north front window and so stuck with fear I could barely breathe and God tapped me on the shoulder and said “Turn around”. As I turned around to look through the south facing window it was filled with flames an acre away too, zooming up toward my place faster than my own thoughts. It seemed I was moving in slow motion toward my shoes. That is what HE told me to do. Get ON my shoes. I did it. HE said, walk toward my tractor. My legs were noodles, limp and weak; I thought I would fall down. My breath was rapid, smoke filled my lungs, sweat poured down me; the air was acrid and it hurt. I grabbed my legs and willed them forward. It took everything inside me to will myself forward toward that tractor. The flames, fire and smoke had rapidly moved and closed in that acre and now were yards from the buildings, me, my animals, all that I loved.

Are you doing what God told you to do? Here is how you do it...
 Watch Video at: Diary of Destruction-Fire 2012

Make video ecards with talking software-animoto.com

An 8th graders first try at animoto.com...lots of new commands to learn, but the triumph out weighs all the hard work
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO): Modified Foods - Bad for Your Health


An 8th graders first try at animoto.com...lots of new commands to learn, but the triumph out weighs all the hard work
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO): Modified Foods - Bad for Your Health

Speaking at AER in Chicago-February 13, 2014

Come join AER in Chicago February 13, 2014, where I will deliver the keynote address. Be inspired by an incredible story of overcoming life's great obstacles to go on and become something you never thought possible.
Here is a run down of events
Keynote:
How to inspire yourself and others to do anything!
Discover how to overcome life’s most overwhelming obstacles and put into effect your personal strengths to inspire yourself and others to accomplish greater goals.
1. Determine what your gifts or strengths are to help yourself and those around you
2. Discover strategies to combat personal obstacles to move you onto your true destiny
3. Discover how to inspire those around you to reach goals

Breakout session:
May I have the title of your breakout session on technology, a few sentences describing it and three-to-five learning objectives?
You will learn about the technology that enables success in school, job and life. Watch videos of students using all types of technology and software to become independent. See how to integrate this technology into all the work students’ do.
1. Determine the technology tools that will fit your needs to accomplish needed tasks
2. Determine and discover the different technology that will enable independence for your students
3. Discover the varied tools that enable blind students to accomplish the same tasks as sighted students
Come join the adventure

ATIA Jan-2014-Learn Virtual Instruction-Teaching Technology to Students Who Are Blind/Visually Impaired: A Paradigm Shift

Watch youtube video on this paradigm shift in teaching virtually and creating your own business:
 ATIA Jan-2014-Learn Virtual Instruction-Teaching Technology to Students Who Are Blind/Visually Impaired: A Paradigm Shift

ATIA 2014 Orlando Pre-Conference Seminars                   
January 28 - 29, 2014
 PRE-11W: Teaching Technology to Students Who Are Blind/Visually Impaired: A Paradigm Shift
SESSION CODE: PRE-11W
SESSION TITLE: Teach any child anywhere at any time through virtual remote access: A Paradigm Shift
PRESENTER(S): Denise Robinson, CEO, TechVision, LLC; Ike Presley, National Project Manager, American Foundation for the Blind
DATE: Wednesday, January 29, 2014
TIME: 8:00AM – 4:00PM
OVERVIEW: Teach the core curriculum and more through remote access using a computer, camera or iOS device. Eliminate long hours of driving and work from your office teaching more students no matter the distance away. Dr. Denise M Robinson of TechVision, LLC has developed and is currently implementing a successful remote teaching model for instructing students who are blind or visually impaired and their teachers around the country. Whether the student is in a remote or urban area or with a teacher of the blind that needs those technology skills also, everyone learns together through daily remote access instruction.  In this session, Dr. Robinson will provide participants an outline of technology tools and instruction on how to access students/other teachers/personnel anywhere and teach through remote technologies. BYOD—laptop, talking software, and iOS device to learn and use these incredible tools that allow more time with students and instruction to get them working toward independence in the classroom and out. Though Dr Robinson has been working with students who are blind or visually impaired, teachers of the blind, blind adults and parents, these remote skills will apply to all types of instruction.
STRAND: Core Standards
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
 1.First Key Learning Point (Participants will…):  Identify the hardware needed to conduct remote instruction for students who are blind or visually impaired.
2.Second Key Learning Point (Participants will…): Identify the software needed to conduct remote instruction for students who are blind or visually impaired.
3.Third Key Learning Point (Participants will…):  Identify the positive aspects of remote teaching that make it an affordable option for schools.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
 •Accessibility Professional
•Administrators
•AT Specialists
 •Educators
•Visual Specialist
SPEAKER INFORMATION:
Dr. Denise Robinson,  Ph.D., CEO TechVision, LLC; Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired; Specialist in Technology/Training/Teaching for blind/low vision
Ike Presley is the National Project Manager at American Foundation for the Blind; Certified Low Vision Therapist; Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired.
 More info at: http://atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=4461

VoiceMyMail-The global and accessible web mail for blind and visually impaired people

VoiceMyMail is the first global and accessible web-mail, conceived for blind and visually impaired people. Till now, they can access to their e-mail box in a totally accessible way, just by installing and configuring an e-mail desktop client (many popular web-mail, promise to have accessibility, which in actually is only formal). The software configuration needs: time, effort and support, and often this procedure need to be repeated after an update. Moreover, isn’t possible to access the email from any computer, as you can with web-mail.

VoiceMyMail solves these problems, because it’s fully integrated with screen readers. The service needs no installation, registration or creation of a new web-mail account: the user just logs in to his personal e-mail boxes (Gmail, Yahoo Mail etc.) straight away by VoiceMyMail.

We started a crowdfunding campaign in order to conclude the development of the latest features of service. We strongly believe that VoiceMyMail can fill a missing piece of digital divide that separates seeing users by visually impaired users.

To learn more:

Crowdfunding campaign: http://bit.ly/1ixj6a6

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/voicemymail

VoiceMyMail demo: http://vmmdemo.innoviu.com

Thank you for your time and attention, I hope you are interested in the project and you decide to write about it. I'm glad to answer any question, doubt or criticism!

Best regards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCj4KZ66nu4

Salvatore Satta
salvatore.satta@innoviu.com
tel: 327.61.41.667

What is the definition of visual impairment in order to get services

WAC 392-172A-01035:  

(n) Visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a student's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

Technology Help for Veterans

As a visually impaired veteran, a visually  impaired person is eligible for a complete computer system, including software, scanner and printer, and training in their use at no cost to the veteran.  If you go to the VA internet website, there is a list of VIST Coordinators and the means to contact them.  http://www.va.gov/blindrehab/

Virtual Eyes with technology

So you can't see well...welcome to the 21st century of seeing using a special camera attached to glasses. Watch the wonder as the world unfolds telling you about your surroundings from a simple camera.

Watch the wonder of Orcam
try out Google Glass option

Find more information at: www.yourtechvision.com

Creating a Bibliography in Word, using auto format options- APA, MLA and more with talking software

Learn the easy method to create a correct bibliography for your school paper: Creating a Bibliography in Word, using auto format options- APA, MLA and more with talking software

More Lessons at: www.yourtechvision.com

Textured touch screens such as ipads, etc

Disney does it again---feel a flat screen to "see" what is displayed:

Tactile Rendering of 3D Features on Touch Surfaces

Goggle Calendar-make an event with a reminder using talking software

Easily maneuver around Goggle Calendar-make an event with day, time month, year--what ever you need, with a reminder that will pop up in your email, using talking software
Go to: Goggle Calendar-make an event with a reminder using talking software

Audio/visual lesson

Thousands of Classic ebooks online-Free

Project Gutenberg has a mobile website, m.gutenberg.org where you can download many classic books free of charge
If you would like to see a video on how to use this site easily, go to: Free Ebooks directly on the iPad - How to use Project Gutenberg

For more information on all things blind, go to yourtechvision.com

YouTube for blind software

Get all the quick hotkeys that enable you to move around Youtube quickly
Check out Accessible YouTube

More great blind info at www.yourtechvision.com

Video of an incredible Life in the Living

Be inspired to live to your fullest potential: Watch---Richie Parker Drive

Bookshare--Free to Canadians Now

Bookshare now available through the CNIB Library!

CNIB clients can now sign up for a free one-year subscription to Bookshare, an accessible online library for people with qualifying print disabilities! Why join Bookshare?

· Access over 110,000 titles, including New York Times bestsellers, novels, mysteries, science fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, foreign-language books and more!

· Get timely access to books at or near the same time print titles hit the bookstore.

· Read books with text-to-speech, enlarged font, or refreshable braille.

· Read books using a variety of technologies: computers, Apple iOS and Android tablets and smartphones, MP3 players, braille displays and more. Download books in DAISY Text, DAISY Audio, MP3, and Braille Ready Format. Note: DAISY Audio and MP3 books from Bookshare are in synthetic speech, not human narration.

Subscriptions through the CNIB Library are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, so sign up for Bookshare today!
More Info, Go to CNIB

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES FROM CURRENT LITERARY BRAILLE TO UEB

Authored by: Braille Authority of North America
March 2013
www.brailleauthority.org

Braille changes have occured from US braille to the UEB version: Begin learning about the changes in order to be ready for the new reading materials that will be issued as well as use of a new iOS7 device, which sets its default at UEB
Go to: Braille Changes to begin learning these new skills

You can change back to US Braille on an iOS7 device by merely going to the settings\general\accessibility\VoiceOver\braille, Then, find the option called translation and activate this with a CRB or by double tapping. The currently selected table will be English
Unified, and you can choose from either the US or UK table. double tap or press a cursor routing button above US, and you should be set-----.but it may be wise to begin making the shift in learning, so you can do both as needed.

For more information on all things blind/braille and technology, visit: www.yourtechvision.com

Talking Graphic Calculator and additional tools for blind/low vision

So your blind child needs a graphing calculator---first you know it needs to talk--Orbit Research and APH-American Printing House for the Blind have combined their ideas into the The Orion talking graphing calculator

If your student is Low Vision, this tool and a tool to enlarge the graphing calculator enables easy viewing to maximize the benefit of this calculator with a smartview emulator
These 2 tools enable many possibilities

Download books from BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download)-Windows 7 or 8

BARD is  a great option to download audio and braille books quickly and easily. Learn all steps to operate the site successfully with talking software

Go to the JAWS/Internet tab above or BARD

Virtual Lesson with Skype- Learning math on a PC with braille display and talking software

Blind students read content from their Nemeth math books then complete all assignments in word which can easily be emailed to the teacher at the same time and speed as their peers. Learn the power of how quickly this skill is learned with this great video on the steps needed to take to learn these skills. In addition, learn how to find that document of which you forgot the name...quickly and easily right in word. This audio visual lesson enables students to move as fast in math as their sighted peers.

Download your lesson at:  Skype math on a PC with braille display and talking software

Walking in Two Worlds: Dr. Denise Robinson's Quest to Change the Technology Landscape for Today's Visually Impaired Students

Larry L. Lewis, Jr. at AccessWorld

The Problem: A Disconnect Between Expectations and Reality

A monumental obstacle to today's job seeker with a vision impairment is the disconnect between meeting the mainstream educator's expectations (or performing at a level which makes him or her a valuable asset to the employer), and receiving the technology training required to do so. It's both unrealistic and unfair to expect the next generation of technology users who are visually impaired to be able to create visually formatted PowerPoint slides, or embed multi-media elements into a file, or create and edit a color-coded bar graph at a level comparable to their sighted peers without excellent, iterative training from qualified instructors.

The Current Solution

At this stage, a standard has yet to be developed that today's access technology trainer must meet in order to provide access technology evaluations and subsequent training for people who are visually impaired. While there are various organizations who have created programs to "train the trainer" in how to most effectively provide these technology services, at the end of the day, a service provider who is sighted or visually impaired and has a laptop with a screen reader installed on it may fill out the necessary paperwork and advertise himself as a service provider inmost states throughout the US regardless of his or her ability to actually instruct consumers. Often, the hourly rate that the service provider charges varies from state to state as well.
Consumers who are visually impaired may receive technology training at an agency, in their homes, or, in some instances, online. It's not the intent of this article to revamp how technology services are deployed throughout the US, but we as an industry must advocate for the high quality training received by sighted technology users to be adapted and made available to current and future generations of access technology users. One such individual has made it her crusade to make this happen!

A Change Agent

"It was never my intention to be a teacher of the visually impaired," states Dr. Denise Robinson, President of TechVision LLC, a company she founded almost three years ago. "I was attending Whitman College in Washington State and studying to become an English teacher when my world was turned completely upside down."
In her last semester of college, diabetic retinopathy caused Robinson's retinas to hemorrhage, resulting in her losing virtually all of her visual acuities in both eyes. This life-altering event forced her to depart college abruptly, just shy of graduation. After getting over the initial shock of losing her vision, she moved to Michigan where she had a friend in the medical field, a retinologist who became one of the pillars in her new support system. "I didn't know the first thing about how to do the world blind, but once I pushed through the feelings of self-pity and other emotions that accompany such a loss, I set out to learn how."
Robinson enrolled in the Vision Education program at Eastern Michigan University where she met the mentor who would spark her interest in providing education and technology services for people who are visually impaired.
"I owe much of what I've learned and who I am today to Ted Lennox, a blind faculty member who became my mentor. My exposure to access technology began with the Apple II computers in the mid-80s. We were fixated on pushing this and all technologies that came our way to their absolute limits: testing them, taxing them, getting all that we could out of them. He taught me to believe that technology could never defeat us but, rather, empower us."
Robinson used this time to not only fuel her passion for this newfound technology but also to continue to hone her ability to teach. She completed her internship under Lennox and received her Bachelor of Arts as a Teacher of the Vision Impaired while completing her degree in English. Then, she completed the graduate program at Western Michigan University, focusing on early childhood education while already working her first job in the industry as a teacher of the visually impaired.
During this period of approximately ten years, two things began to happen. The technology began to advance beyond the scope of the Apple II and its synthesizer, and Robinson's vision began to slowly return! "I had gone from a fully sighted college student on the verge of getting my degree to someone who had to adapt to interacting with the world audibly and tactily. As a result, I so get the necessity for learning how to read and write braille and understand from the perspective of someone who cannot see print what a powerful tool technology can be for the person who is visually impaired and learns how to affectively use it. I not only understand this truth, but I lived it."
Robinson began her career as an itinerant vision teacher and, amazingly, regained enough vision that she could drive during the daytime. Over the following ten years, her vision would improve to 20/15, making it possible for her to drive at night again. Her time as an itinerant teacher for multiple school districts provided her credibility in the trenches where she learned how to assess students' needs and communicate them to well-meaning administrators who were at a loss as to how to best serve their students who were visually impaired. "Administrators generally want to do the right thing for their students and want to believe that there are better ways for their students to learn and excel. I made it my mission to show them how," states Robinson.
As her caseload began to exponentially expand and the number of miles she would drive per month began to grow, Robinson believed that there had to be a better way for her to provide these services. "I spent more time in the car than I did teaching students and began to see a profound need for service delivery in very rural, scattered school districts. I knew there had to be a better way!"
While working full-time and driving an average of 3,000 miles per month, Robinson took on the task of earning her PhD in Instructional Online Design from Capella University, a degree she hoped would help her realize her dream of providing top-notch distance learning to more students. Robinson began to learn how to affectively deliver content using the technology that she had grown to love.
She voraciously learned concepts, such as website accessibility, along with methodologies designed to convey ideas, skill sets, and practical know-how to the very audience she desired to serve more effectively. Her ability to interact with technology from the perspective of a user who is blind, coupled with her ability to visually look at a computer application or an assignment means she is able to strategize with her students who are visually impaired on how to use a given technological solution to its fullest to conquer any challenge that they are facing.
In 2006 she received her PhD and launched TechVision, the vehicle for accomplishing her mission. She began by only taking on one student who is visually impaired. "I wanted to really beat up this concept of distance learning with one student, so I could fine tune all the hiccups and iron out any wrinkles."
During this time, she created a plan whereby she could provide real-time audio lessons to her students via remote access simply by using a computer, Skype, and remote access to the students' PCs. Once the word was out about TechVision, news began to travel fast, and just over two years ago, Robinson quit her full-time job to devote her entire energy to the company.
"Teachers, administrators, and parents are wildly happy with the idea of using something free, such as Skype, to interact with their students, and despite the realities of varying bandwidth speeds and PC specifications, instruction has gone remarkably well." Along with the top-notch instruction that TechVision students receive, the TechVision website is a rich resource full of lesson plans and news about the latest technologies and technology trends.

What You Can Expect

"Once the student connects with us on Skype (yes, it's the student's responsibility to call his/her TechVision instructor), we immediately ask them, "What do you need to do today?" It's up to us to be able to respond quickly and effectively to meet our students' needs during the 50-60 minutes that we have access to them," Robinson explains.
Dr. Robinson's business has taken off over the past two years. She's very selective about bringing on any extra assistance to help her with her expanding caseload of students for it's important to her that the instructors who work with her share both her passion and her commitment to educational excellence before she introduces them to her students.
"There [are] a lot of people out there who fancy themselves to be technology experts, but when I begin throwing real-life scenarios at them, they're not able to respond in a timeframe nor at a level of skill that is acceptable for the level of service that I want to provide to my students. I'm committed to TechVision students getting the most comprehensive instruction and practical application using access technology, and I'll only expand as quickly as my resources will allow me to do so."
Dr. Robinson provides virtual instruction to online students all over the United States. These students are predominately K-12, but she also provides instruction to adults as well. It's expected that the students come prepared for their next lesson, beginning with the completion of their given assignments.
"I'm here to get my students ready for real life!" she says. "If they're not prepared for me, how will they be prepared for their teacher? If they're not prepared for their teachers, how will they be equipped for college or the workplace?"
Dr. Robinson sees the mission of TechVision exploding at a similar rate at which technology shifts and changes. She's spending lots more time teaching and lots less time driving, and school districts can rest assured that their money is being solely used to fund their students' learning process. Her students are the recipients of her passion. It's through her own journey of walking in both worlds of the visually impaired and the fully sighted that she can offer such a unique blend of technology training to an industry thirsty for an alternative way to deliver technology training services.
To be sure, Dr. Robinson is only human and needs time to decompress and recharge the batteries. Her personal interests include gardening, wood working, rehabbing houses, working with her hands, and extensive hiking. Dr. Robinson's commitment to excellence shines through in any lesson that she delivers. Her commitment to excellence and problem solving makes her a one-of-a-kind pioneer for students who must rely on technology to level the playing field in the classroom and the workplace.
Comment on this article.at http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw140709

The first smartphone Specially Developed for the blind & visually impaired

RAY is the world’s first smartphone developed with advanced mobile technology for intuitive eye-free operation.
This affordable, device features an array of communication, apps and services including calls, email, messaging, contact list, calendar, GPS, advanced WEB remote assistance, voice recorder, panic and emergency services, and more, all with one common touch-and-sound-only interface.

With RAY, the blind and visually impaired enjoy greater independence, spontaneity and accessibility to services that we all take for granted in today’s smartphone world.

Read more about this incredible device at: Project Ray

 

Massive Open Online Courses- MOOCs

Online or remote access or virtual instruction is truly the trend of the future. Easier access to the education we need is just a click or keyboard command away. Read more about this facinating journey at:

The Minds Behind The MOOCs

June 4th, 2013 by Staff Writers

Academia is buzzing about MOOCs. What sounds like genteel name-calling is actually a powerful new medium with potential to transform the education system. Indeed, MOOCs and mooks are simply unfortunate homophones but the former is certainly ruffling feathers because their aim is to make higher education more affordable (free, in fact). These Massive Open Online Courses picked up speed and weight like a freight train, with more than five million learners in locations spanning the whole globe. Academic heavyweights like Harvard, Stanford and MIT back the courses, giving the world of online learning a much-needed boost of credibility.
In fact, two main players in online platforms, Coursera and Udacity, were founded by Stanford professors. As tuition rates continue to skyrocket, outpacing inflation like a Greyhound racing a Chihuahua, professors have banded together in hopes of making a world where anyone can access the elusive realm of an Ivy League education. The hurdles remain: Passing rates hover in the single-digits and completing a course has yet to be recognized for college credit. However, the appeal of MOOCs for both professors and students is so powerful it just might change higher education for good.
Read more at:The Minds Behind The MOOCs

From the New York Times
JERUSALEM — Liat Negrin, an Israeli who has been visually impaired since childhood, walked into a grocery store here recently, picked up a can of vegetables and easily read its label using a simple and unobtrusive camera attached to her glasses.
Read More at:

Device From Israeli Start-Up Gives the Visually Impaired a Way to Read

By JOHN MARKOFF

Published: June 3, 2013

Tell Me--help on weather and directory assistance

Tell Me, now as 24/7 at 888-247-2425
For reports on:
weather and time
your settings when you call back.
and as a  free directory assistance

For more help, go to www.yourtechvision.com