PLUK News feed

Bias Against Blind Book Lovers

Link: Blind Book Lovers I love to read. My wife is also an avid reader. But my wife and I are blind, and we have many blind friends. And although many of us read everything we can get our hands on, we can't get our hands on very much to read. There are services for us, of course. Government entities and nonprofit organizations convert books into Braille, audio, or digital form for our use. But only 5 percent of all books published undergo such a conversion. Nowadays, a solution to the problem of reading material is tantalizingly within our reach: the e-book. When Amazon released its new Kindle 2 e-book reader earlier this year, it announced that the device now includes text-to-speech software and can read e-books aloud. Our hope quickly turned to despair, however - and then to anger. The Authors Guild doesn't want the Kindle 2 to be able to read books aloud. They say this new capability violates authors' copyrights.

Music Reveals Blind UM Student’s Life Path

Link: Life Path On Sunday morning, Kiira DeVries goes to church at the Christian Life Center. As hundreds of people file in, some in slacks and buttoned-up shirts, others wearing sandals and T-shirts, inspirational music fills a room as wide as the building through state-of-the-art sound equipment. DeVries is in the third row on the far-right side of the worship center, singing with her friends from the Christian campus ministry Chi Alpha, where she is the student leader. She has been blind since birth because her eyes didn’t fully develop. Her eyelids have formed into tight creases that open only a little. But DeVries is a living, laughing contradiction to the statement that the eyes are the windows to the soul.

Special Easter Egg Hunt at School for Deaf & Blind

Link: Easter Egg Hunt Easter is now just a few days away and the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind held their annual egg hunt this morning (4/7). All of the students that participated in today’s event live with either a visual or hearing impairment. But the kids didn’t let their disability stop them from having fun. Follow the link to read the complete story and watch a video of the event.

Raising a Visually Impaired Child- A Website Resource

Link: FamilyConnect Come check out FamilyConnect, a place where you'll find videos, personal stories, events, announcements, and an online community to help you guide your child to the life he or she wants.

New AFB Video Portrays Difficulties Faced by Cell Phone Users with Vision Loss

Link: AFB Video Link: AFB Story Ever wonder what it would be like to use a cell phone without being able to see the display screen or keypad? Would you be able to dial calls, send a text message, or even get help in an emergency situation? This is often the reality for people with vision loss because the majority of cell phones do not offer talking menus and magnification options, and those that do cost much more. To improve the accessibility of cell phones for the more than 20 million Americans with vision loss, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is urging cell phone manufacturers and providers to focus on cell phone accessibility. As part of its cell phone accessibility efforts, AFB has launched a new video illustrating the challenges people with vision loss face when trying to purchase a usable and affordable cell phone.

pcmag.com: Verizon Launches Service for the Visually Impaired

Link: pcmag.com
Verizon has unveiled TALKS for Verizon Wireless, a new service that gives blind and visually impaired customers audio feedback for messaging, dialing, and other tasks. Initially, it will be available for the MOTO Q9c smartphone beginning on March 15th.

humanware.com: Braille Literacy Scholarship Program- for children ages 3-8

Link: humanware.com
Every parent wants the best for their child and braille literacy is fundamental to a blind child's success. Starting blind children on the road to literacy as early as they are able and choosing the right tools is key to their success.

By using modern and appropriate tools:

Very young children can start scribbling with dots, having fun and beginning to learn through experimentation and play.
Parents can become actively involved in their child's literacy development.
Appropriate expectations for children can result from giving them independence to learn and explore.

HumanWare US is proud to launch the 2009 Braille Literacy Scholarship Program.

visionaware.org: Self-Help for Vision Loss

Link: visionaware.org
AWARE’s primary focus is VisionAWARE, a “Self-Help for Vision Loss” free web site available to everyone that includes Questions & Answers on a wide range of topics, including eye diseases and disorders, home management, home modification, reading and writing, personal care and grooming, recreational activities, crafts, Braille, computers and technology, and helpful services and resources.

chicagotribune.com: Blind Romeoville wrestler inspires others

Link: chicagotribune.com
When Romeoville High School junior Mitch Ryan walks onto the mat to wrestle, he knows his opponents have a distinct advantage.

They can clearly see him; Ryan sees only shadows.

Ryan, 17, is legally blind yet won eight matches for the junior varsity team this season, losing six. Wrestling in the 112-pound weight class, he placed fourth in a few tournaments and pinned four of his opponents.

This season was a vast difference from two years ago, when he was getting pinned in nearly every match as a freshman.

afb.org: Assistive Technology For Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

A Guide to Assessment

Link: afb.org
Assistive technology is essential in today's world to enable people who are blind or visually impaired to participate fully in school, work, and life. But how can you keep track of all the devices and software and each one's function? And what assistive technology tools are right for your students? If you’ve asked yourself these questions or others like them, this comprehensive handbook is the resource you need. You'll find a wealth of technical information translated into clear, user-friendly terms in Assistive Technology For Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: A Guide to Assessment, including: