The New York State School for the Blind (NYSSB) Resource Center
E-mail Quarterly Newsletter – Spring 2004
(See archived issues in the tool box at
http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/resourcetoolbox.htm.)
NYSSB Weekend & Week Long Outreach 2004!
Students from school districts and BOCES statewide are eagerly anticipating a
focus on independent living skills, socialization and adapted physical education
at NYSSB! The weekends scheduled for these outreach programs are:
- March 5-7 for students 9-10 years of age
- April 2-4 for students 16-19 years of age
- April 30-May 2 for students 13-15 years of age
- June 4-6 for students 11-12 years of age.
The week of June 22-27 will focus on the same skills as the weekend programs, in addition to offering orientation and mobility training and experience in developing prevocational skills.
The cost of the programs will be covered through the New York State Education Department. Transportation to and from NYSSB needs to be arranged through the local districts.
If your school district has a student who could benefit from these programs we invite you to notify us. Phone us at 585-343-5384 option 1, ext. 205 or option 1, ext. 280; or fax us at 585-344-5557 or email our Program Services office at
nyssb@mail.nysed.gov and we will then send you an application.Although the March weekend is already filled, applications for all other programs will still be considered if vacancies exist. Enrollment is limited to 10 students per program, so your prompt response is important. Selection of students to attend each session is based on compatibility of the group and the timeliness of application.
FREE Institutional RFB&D Membership!
For a limited time, Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) is offering first-time ONE YEAR institutional memberships so districts or BOCES can try 25 of their AudioPlus™ digitally recorded textbooks. PLUS, you'll get ONE FREE copy of VictorSoft playback software, which makes your PC into a tool for reading the sound files of the AudioPlus™ books, with up to 45 HOURS of listening on a single CD!
Just go to
www.rfbd.org and complete the Level 1 institutional registration and copyright agreement form. Then select at least five AudioPlus™ books from nearly 15,000 titles in the on-line catalog and indicate the shelf number and title on this form. Fax the paperwork to Annemarie Cook at (609) 987-8116.Within a week or two, you'll receive a confirmation of your one-year membership. Information on other playback options is also available at
www.rfbd.org, including the small portables that look like a "Discman" but which also play AudioPlus™ books!For more information, please call or e-mail: Annemarie Cooke
Senior External Relations Officer
RFB&D Learning through listening
(609) 520-8079
Should Unified English Braille Code (UEBC) be adopted for use across English-speaking countries? Read the perspectives column in the February 2004 issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness (JVIB), available on the Web at
http://www.afb.org/jvib/jvib980202.asp. This article includes the perspectives of Chris Gray, President of ACB, Marc Maurer, President of NFB, and Dr. Abraham Nemeth, developer of the Nemeth Code for Braille mathematics and scientific notation, as well as others. What’s your perspective?
Improving Educational Results for Students with Visual Impairments This NASDSE sponsored seminar, intended for local and state education personnel who have responsibilities for students with visual impairment and presented without cost to the participants, is scheduled as follows:
April 1-2 NYS School for the Blind, Batavia
April 22-23 NY Institute for Special Education, Bronx
May 13-14 NYS School for the Deaf, Rome
If you are interested in attending, please send notice to
nyssb@mail.nysed.gov.Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award for 2004 The National Federation of the Blind will recognize an outstanding teacher of blind children at their 2004 convention in July 2004. The recipient of this award will win an expense-paid trip to the convention, a check for $1,000 an appropriate plaque, and an opportunity to make a presentation about the education of blind children to the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children early in the convention. Anyone currently teaching or counseling blind students or administering a program for blind children is eligible to receive this award. The deadline for nomination applications is May 15, 2004. For additional information and an application form, see the December 2003 edition of the Braille Monitor, or contact Sharon Maneki, Chairwoman, Teacher Award Committee, 9013 Nelson Way, Columbia, MD 21045-5148 or call (410) 715-9596.
Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) is a national, consumer-led coalition to raise awareness of and build support for improved access to assistive technologies, devices, and related services for people with disabilities and chronic conditions of all ages. For more information about ITEM, see page 4 of the Year-end 2003 issue (Vol. 20, No. 5) of the AER Report.
Feeling Great Lifeskills Program (2003) This comprehensive 90-day program teaches children a natural and effective way to reduce stress and excel in their daily pursuits. Developed over 20 years by Dr. Nadeane McCaffrey, PhD and other specialists in the field on Sports Psychology and Education, this program was designed from a deep commitment to meet the real needs of children living through very challenging times. Published by Empower Kids to Excel.
http://www.empowerkidstoexcel.com ¹
This page is devoted to items that may be of interest to CSE Chairpersons and BOCES and district administrators. Your submissions and comments are welcome! - The Editor
New Federal Grants Web Site
www.grants.gov makes searching and applying for federal grants much easier. With more than 900 grant programs offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies, this site streamlines the process of awarding over $350 billion annually to state and local governments, education institutions, nonprofits, and other organizations. As of November 9, all federal agencies are required to post opportunities for discretionary grants and cooperative agreements online at this site, which offers a five-step online application process.Access to the General Curriculum (2003)
The purpose of this brief, published by CAST (Center for Applied Special
Technology), is to explain the meanings of the terms access, involvement, and
progress in relation to the general curriculum. These new requirements have the
potential to lead to improved educational outcomes for students with
disabilities.
Literacy Assistance Center online at
http://www.lacnyc.org/hotline/index.htm has information about GED programs.AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's technology magazine is now a free, web-only publication, with new features such as "e-mail this article to a friend" and "printer-ready" options. Download "braille embosser-ready" files that have been translated and formatted to be sent directly to braille printers. Issues dating back to January 2000 are also available online. The January issue, at
http://www.afb.org/accessworld features: Do Cell Phones Plus Software Equal Access?, A Rosy Future for DAISY Books, Read Me, Read Me Not: A Review of Four DAISY Book Players, Progress Toward Access: A Review of AOL 9.0 with JAWS for Windows 5.0, Quite a Display: A Review of Two Video Magnifiers, plus AccessWorld News and Calendar of Events.¹Portions of this e-mail newsletter were excerpted from the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition E-News, which can be found at
http://www.ncset.org/enews.
Need a Brailler Repair Alternative to APH?
All Star Repair
www.braillerrepair.com has been repairing braillers from the same location for over 5 years, working for state agencies, private foundations and schools as well as individuals. Mr. Alan Stombaugh, owner of All Star Repair, claims that their turnaround time is three working days at a labor cost of $38 plus parts when shipping is Free Matter. They are located at W8937 Moritz Lane Arkansaw, WI 54721. All Star Repair is open weekdays from 9-6 Central time. Call Mr. Stombaugh at (715) 285-5638 or you can e-mail him at Alanstomba@usjet.comProse-Cons Braille also offers brailler repair. Cleaning and oiling costs about $17.50. Braillers can be mailed Free Matter to 14th and Pioneer Boulevards (P.O. Box 2500), Lincoln, Nebraska 68542-2500. Please contact Prose-Cons at (402) 471-3161 for further repair information and requirements.
The Selective Doctor, Inc. has repaired Perkins Braillers for the Maryland School for the Blind and others, and accepts brailler repair work from around the country. Their flat rate for labor is $50 plus parts for a manual, $60 plus parts for an electric Perkins. Repaired braillers are shipped Free Matter and insured for $600 if desired at an additional cost of approximately $7.20 for insurance, depending upon postal insurance rates. For service, pack braillers securely with a note that includes your name, organization, shipping and billing addresses, telephone number and a brief description of repairs needed. Send to The Selective Doctor, P.O. Box 28432, Baltimore, MD 21234-5821. For additional information, call (410) 668-1143 or e-mail
braillerrepair@yahoo.com.The following web sites also list braillewriter repair services:
For TVI’s
OnlyTVI and COMS Certification Updates
2004 brings changes to the certification requirements for Teachers of Visually
Impaired Students (TVI’s) and Certified O&M Specialists (COMS’). For NYS
requirements for Teachers of the Blind and Partially Sighted, check out the
Office of Teaching (and Certification) Homepage:
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/.
The following link provides a
requirements checklist:This NYSUT site link, http://www.nysut.org/research/bulletins/teachercertification.html, gives general information about certification, and a second link, located at
http://www.nysut.org/research/bulletins/20020812teachercertificationregulations.html discusses the new regulations effective in Feb. 2004. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards web site is located at www.nbpts.org. New requirements for O&M Specialists through the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals are at http://www.acvrep.org, or see pages 8-9 of the Year-end 2003 issue (Vol. 20, No. 5) of the AER Report.
Outline Maps of the World is a single multi-ring cardboard bound volume of 79 pages containing 33 maps showing political boundaries, capital cities, and surrounding bodies of water. The maps are divided into five sections: North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, Africa, and the Polar Regions. These maps are available for $19 from the Princeton Braillists, 76 Leabrook Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540; phone (609) 924-5207 or (215) 357-7715.
INTACT Commission on Maps and Graphics for Blind and Visually Impaired People is part of the International Cartographic Association. The web site at http://www.surrey.ac.uk/~pss1su/intact contains details of recent and current research on all aspects of the design, construction and use of tactile maps and other tactile graphics. INTACT is also the name of their regular newsletter, intended to be a forum for discussion on the design, production and use of tactile graphics of all kinds all over the world. If you would like to be put on the contact list and receive future copies of INTACT, e-mail Simon Unger at s.ungar@surrey.ac.uk.
Transition Link: Supporting Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities
TransitionLink is an online community for sharing ideas, strategies, resources, and information concerning the transition to life after high school for adolescents with disabilities: http://www.transitionlink.com. ¹Project T.E.A.M.S.
The purpose of this web site located at
to assist students receiving special education, their families, and professionals in the field. ¹
Literacy Resource Guide for Families and Educators (2003) The Literacy Resource Guide for Families and Educators, a new publication of the Federation for Children with Special Needs, highlights current research-based literacy resources available through the U.S. Department of Education and its funded projects, with an eye toward appealing to parents, educators, and caregivers. The Guide lists whether the resources are available in print, online, CD-ROM, or videotape. The description of each item also includes information about cost, ordering, and the relevance for specific audiences.
http://pplace.org/Litguidepage.html ¹Council for Exceptional Children 2004 Convention and Expo, April 14 - 17, 2004, New Orleans, LA
Learn best practices, research you can use, and more. Find a wealth of information targeted just for you! Choose from more than 600 workshops, lectures, demonstrations, mini-workshops, panels and poster sessions, including a specific strand on Transition and Beyond: Preparation for Postsecondary Education, Lifelong Learning and Post school Employment, presented by Bob Stodden, University of Hawaii at Manoa and David R. Johnson, University of Minnesota.
Student, Parent and Family Page
No Child Left Behind - A Parent's Guide
is a publication developed by the USDOE that summarizes NCLB, answers questions about the law, and tells what it means for parents. This is just one of many useful links on VESID’s Additional Resources web page, located at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/resources.htmPaige Outlines No Child Left Behind Act's "Ten Key Benefits for Parents of English Language Learners" at
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2003/12/12022003.html ¹Paige Announces "New No Child Left Behind Provision Giving Schools Increased Flexibility While Ensuring All Children Count, Including Those With Disabilities" at
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2003/12/12092003.html ¹Project SALUTE – Successful Adaptations for Learning to Use Touch Effectively
This website (http://www.projectsalute.net/) is intended as a resource on tactile learning strategies for working with children who are deaf-blind or who are blind with additional disabilities. It has three purposes:
To provide procedures for service providers to document tactile strategies being used with individual students,
To assist families and service providers in sharing challenges and successes in using tactile strategies, and
To disseminate the findings of Project SALUTE and information on tactile strategies.
SALUTE is a model demonstration project funded by the U.S. Department of Education to California State University, Northridge.
4-H provides a variety of opportunities for youth with disabilities, through organized clubs, school-enrichment groups, special interest groups, individual study programs, camps, school-age childcare programs, and instructional television programs. Visit
http://www.4-h.org. For the 2004 Cornell Career Exploration Conference, see your CBVH counselor and visit http://www.cce.cornell.edu/4h/events/CareerExReg.htm.Pennsylvania Lions Beacon Lodge Camp is now accepting applications for 2004. Call (814) 542-2511, or visit
www.beaconlodge.com for details.¹Portions of this e-mail newsletter were excerpted from the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition E-News, which can be found at
http://www.ncset.org/enews.
NYSSB
Highlights
NYSSB Staff Members Get Bus Driver Training
Congratulations to five staff members who recently completed a five-week course toward their eventual licensing as professional bus drivers for the New York State School for the Blind (NYSSB)! Two of the staff members, Sam Paradise and Judi Piscitello, plan to use their licenses to enhance the orientation and mobility (O&M) program at the School, making the most efficient use of their time with students by being able to drive them to various destinations in the community for O&M lessons. Upon receiving their licenses, Instructor Assistant Anthony (Nino) Miano and Habilitation Program Assistants Stephen Cox and Nicole Booth will provide additional drivers for the students for field trips and emergencies. The above photo shows Bus Driver Instructor Dave Becker assisting Nino Miano in the use of a web cutter to cut seatbelts and wheelchair straps in the case of an emergency in which the student must be removed quickly from the vehicle. NYSSB staff members who took this course were impressed with the statistics they learned regarding the overwhelming safety of school buses over other types of transportation – 23 times safer than being driven in the family automobile and 29 times safer than walking to and from school! Among other requirements assigned by the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Transportation and the State Education Department, professional bus drivers in NY State are required to take this 30-hour course, pass the NYS Commercial Driver Licensing exam and hands-on training course for the type(s) vehicles they will be driving as well as an annual review class, physical exam and drug test. NYSSB applauds these staff members for "going the extra mile" on behalf of our students!
Websites and Links for Kids and Parents
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind’s Library for the Blind has designed and organized a Collection of Web Sites for kids. CNIB Library librarians are always searching for great sites for kids. Check out their Children’s Discovery Portal at
http://webcluster.cnib.ca/child/authfiles/login.aspx and their Kids Link site: http://www.cnib.ca/library/kids/websites_for_kids_and_parents.htm.KidsTime! Published three times a year by the CNIB National Program Development as a service to all those interested in children who are blind or visually impaired, KidsTime! Is an E-Letter for CNIB Child and Youth Services
The Adirondack Experience for Visually Impaired Teens is co-sponsored by the NYS Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH). Each summer 16 teenaged blind students (ages 13-17) take part in a 10-day program that has been adapted from St. Francis Academy's original program to allow those teens to have the same experience as their sighted peers. For more information about the program, contact your CBVH counselor, visit the web site at
http://www.adkexp.com or call John Marshall of St. Francis Academy at (518) 523-1718.An alternative to Camp Abilities in Brockport, NY
http://www.brockport.edu/campabilities (585) 395-5361, Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan has a Junior and Senior Sports Camp for Blind and Visually Impaired kids every summer. Contact WMU Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies for more info. Paul Ponchilla is the Camp Director and you can contact him by e-mail at paul.ponchillia@wmich.edu.Tactile Graphics Innovations will be presented at CSUN! ViewPlus is developing an add-on ink attachment for the Tiger Pro and may have a prototype to demonstrate at the California State University at Northridge (CSUN) Center on Disabilities’ 19th Annual International Conference, March 15-20, 2004. With it, you'll have a number of flexible options about having both ink and embossed information, including interlined original text in braille documents. Joshua Miele's TMAP (tactile map) is also proposed for presentation at CSUN. For more information about the CSUN conference, visit
www.csun.edu/cod.
Calendar
of Upcoming Events
March 29 - April 2, 2004 > International Council on English Braille (ICEB) Third General Assembly, Toronto, Canada. (416) 480-7530 or e-mail darleen.Bogart@cnib.ca
April 2, 2004 >13th Annual TVI Meeting at OCM BOCES. Page Ellie Weyter (800) 555-4140.
April 7-9, 2004 > Technology Training for Technology Trainers, Baltimore, MD. thelm@nfb.org
April 14-17, 2004 > Council for Exceptional Children Convention and Expo, New Orleans, LA. (888/CEC-SPED) or www.cec.sped.org/neworleans/index.html
STV Postscripts: *…Good to the last dot!
Do you know of anyone who may be interested in pursuing a new
and exciting career – a career in which blind children nationwide urgently need
your skills and you can work at home on your own schedule? Check out the
Northwest Vista College Braille Textbook Transcriber Certificate program at:
Accountability for Assessment Results
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) contains four basic education reform principles: stronger accountability for assessment results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work. This 11-page report describes the accountability provisions and how they affect children with disabilities:
http://education.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/NCLBdisabilities.pdf.Stop Bullying and Teasing, on the Bus and in School! "Bullying and Teasing of Youth With Disabilities: Creating Positive School Environments for Effective Inclusion" is an article located at
http://www.ncset.org/publications/printresource.asp?id=1332 that suggests the following resources to schools and families: Kids Help Online http://www.kidshelp.org/bullying.htm, Students Against Violence Everywhere http://www.nationalsave.org, and Bully Stoppers http://www.bullystoppers.com.¹¹Portions of this e-mail newsletter were excerpted from the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition E-News, which can be found at
http://www.ncset.org/enews.Share the Vision!
is published quarterly by the New York State School for the Blind (NYSSB). Subscription is free and articles and suggestions are always welcome. Archived issues of the newsletter are found at www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/resourcetoolbox.htm.Editor:
Judi Piscitello (585) 343-5384, Option 1 ext. 427
E-mail
In providing Share the Vision! to its readers, the School for the Blind does not endorse any products or services to which the newsletter refers. The State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or sexual orientation in its educational programs, services, and activities.
Portions of this publication can be made available in a variety of formats, including braille, large print, or audiotape, upon request. Inquiries concerning this policy of nondiscrimination should be referred to the Department’s Office for Diversity, Ethics, and Access, Room 530, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234.
Ice Grabbers Two products for slipping over shoes to provide traction on ice are Yak Trax, and StabilIcers. Yak Trax are a pair of flexible, stretchy heavy rubber tubes arranged in a stretched figure-eight pattern, and then wound around and around with heavy steel wire that provides the traction on the ice. Each unit is curled around at the front to fit over the end of the toe box of the shoe or boot, and the back end at the heel is pulled up along the heel of the shoe for a firm fit. The resulting tread pattern gives you surface on the ice in all directions. Yak Trax must be ordered to size and cost $19.95 per pair plus $4.95 shipping and handling, and come in colors like, black, glow-in-the-dark green, bright orange, and a couple of other colors. Order Yak Trax from the Herrington Catalog (800) 622-5221. Website:
http://www.herringtoncatalog.com. They may also be available at your local Wal-Mart or sporting goods store. StabilIcers are about the size of the bottom of the shoe. Order StabilIcers from L. L. Bean, in Freeport, Maine (800) 487-2326.