Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Secretary of Education Duncan Announces $10.9 Million in Awards That Help Students with Intellectual Disabilities Transition to College

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the award of $10.9 million for 28 grants under two new federal programs that create opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities to attend and be successful in higher education.

"President Obama has set a goal for America to have the highest percentage of college graduates in the world by 2020," Duncan said. "These new programs make an important contribution toward that goal by giving students with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to receive a quality postsecondary education with the supports they need to attend, complete and succeed in higher education."

For more on this, go to:
http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-secretary-education-duncan-announces-109-million-awards-under-new-programs-he

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The iPad is about to have an academic impact this fall in colleges and universities

By: Zahavit Paz, Co-founder, LD Resources Foundation
September 13, 2010

Every September, millions of college students with learning disabilities (LD) and ADHD face the frustration of keeping up with their reading assignments. Many others, however, often by trial and error, are able to develop creative ways to overcome their LD related reading and note-taking difficulties. This fall, colleges and universities are looking into ways of adopting the iPad as a collaborative tool, by enabling students to use it as a standardized mobile device, which they can integrate into curriculums, and use as a “universal” classroom.

The potential for leveling the playing field for learning disabled students who will have access to the iPad is exciting news for students who rely on readers and note-takers to successfully complete a course. The iPad offers built-in accessibility features. Check out this web site:

http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/accessibility.html

The iPad will lower costs of textbooks and will create a better learning environment for all students. The IPad is a fast device, has touch color screen display and fast internet connectivity.
This fall, colleges and universities across the USA and overseas, have started pilot programs using the iPad.
Below, are the web sites of some schools that have started (or will begin) doing this:

Oklahoma State University
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/01/oklahoma-state-university-to-start-up-ipad-initiative/


University of Notre Dame:
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2010/08/27/notre-dame-to-launch-ipad-pilot-program/

UIW H-E-B School of Business and Administration:
http://www.uiw.edu/news/2010/09/uiw-school-of-business-launches-ipad-pilot-program/

Texas University (to launch an iPad pilot program):
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2010/08/25/texas-university-to-launch-ipad-pilot-program/The Illinois Institute of Technology

Melbourne University’s Trinity College (Australia)
http://www.techworld.com.au/article/358389/melbourne_uni_begins_50_student_ipad_pilot

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

IPAD Voiceover gestures: User Accessibility for the IPAD by Zahvavit Paz, Executive Director, LD Resources Foundation

Here’s a summary of Voiceover gestures using accessibility for the IPAD

You can also download IPAD user guide for your IPAD. The download is free; however, the user guide is 303 pages. Here is a short cut for gestures. It may be helpful to you!


Navigate and Read

--> Tap: Speak item.

--> Flick right or left: Select the next or previous item.

--> Flick up or down: The effect varies depending on the Rotor Control setting.
See “Using VoiceOver” on page 110.

--> Two-finger tap: Stop speaking the current item.

--> Two-finger flick up: Read all, from the top of the screen.

--> Two-finger flick down: Read all, from the current position.

--> Three-finger flick up or down: Scroll one page at a time.

--> Three-finger flick right or left: Go to the next or previous page (such as the Home screen or Safari).

--> Three-finger tap: Speak the scroll status (which page or rows are visible).

--> Four-finger flick up or down: Go to the first or last element on a page.

--> Four-finger flick right or left: Go to the next or previous section (for example, on a webpage).


Select and Activate


--> Double-tap: Activate selected item.

--> Touch an item with one finger, tap the screen with another finger (“split-tapping”): Activate item.

--> Double-tap and hold (1 second) + standard gesture: Use a standard gesture.

The double-tap and hold gesture tells iPad to interpret the subsequent gesture as standard.

For example, you can double-tap and hold, and then without lifting your finger, drag your finger to slide a switch.

You can use standard gestures when VoiceOver is turned on, by double-tapping and holding your finger on the screen.

A series of tones indicates that normal gestures are in force.
They remain in effect until you lift your finger, then VoiceOver gestures resume.


-->Two-finger double tap: Play or pause in iPod, YouTube, Voice Memos, or Photos.

Start or pause recording in Voice Memos.

Start or stop the stopwatch.


--> Three-finger double tap: Mute or unmute VoiceOver.

--> Three-finger trip tap: Turn the display on or off.



I am in the process of writing a blog on the accessibility of IPAD for people with Learning Disabilities.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

LD Resources Foundation: Discrimination is still a factor for college students with disabilities

This article, from The Daily Princtonian (April 6, 2010), is about a student with Dyslexia and ADD, at Princeton University, being denied extra time to take her exams. The laws passed since 1973 give those students with disabilities a chance to reach their highest potential. Unfortunately, ignorance and prejudice still stigmatize this population. The writer of the article shows how critics still believe that giving students with learning disabilities extra time to complete their exams due to the affects of their disability, will give them “an unfair advantage over non-disabled students.”

Click here to read the article in full

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Zahavit Paz interview on Disabilitynewsradio.com

Zahavit Paz, LD Resources Foundation, Inc.
LISTEN to find out more about programs, grants, and services and the woman who co-founded it. www.ldrfa.org

LD Resources Foundation is committed to overcoming barriers, and providing access to knowledge, for adults with learning disabilities. It is one of the few non-profit organizations focusing solely on the needs of adults with learning disabilities and in post secondary educational programs and in the workplace. They collaborate with, and inspire colleges, libraries, museums, correctional facilities and employers to provide, and make accessible, assistive technologies to all who need them. LD Resources is seen as the premier training and communications leader in educating the post secondary college community and students with learning disabilities in the use of new and innovative technology.
LISTEN to find out more about programs, grants, and services and the woman who co-founded it. www.ldrfa.org

Click to hear the interview.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

E-text books and digital libraries for college students with learning disabilities (post-secondary)

By Zahavit Paz
Co-founder LD Resources foundation (LDRF) www.ldrfa.org
January 2010

Today we have lots of assistive technology choices—digital readers, e-books, and audio books, to name a few. However as a student, I was constantly trying to solve the problem of accessing my e-text books through converting files and trying different types of assistive technology. My personal journey, which so heavily depended on technological aids, made it obvious that postsecondary educational standards for e-text accessibility were not available.

This realization intrigued and motivated me to support other students with similar challenges. I helped them locate their textbooks and research books in e-text format. We often had to resolve issues when the necessary books were received in files that needed to be formatted, or the size of the book was too large. Due to my struggles, it became clear that educating students and staff on assistive technology should be part of LDRF’s mission.

In spite of many positive changes, students with disabilities still face many difficulties and challenges. For example, most colleges do not have any special policy about e-text syllabi for people with disabilities. It's left for the classroom professors, who often are not familiar with the process of applying for digital textbooks. This is part of the reason college students with disabilities drop out at a rate that is nearly twice the rate of students without disabilities. Providing access to a book list and class syllabus 3-4 weeks before a semester starts could partially counteract this problem. This is particularly relevant for new textbooks or out of print books. If this were college policy, it would give students ample time to locate and order their books in digital format. Establishing this requirement is a needed college accommodation. That’s why LDRF’s mission is to facilitate and support students in their endeavor to achieve academic success.

Where can I find textbooks in E-text format as well as digital libraries?
Today’s students have several options:
*Students with learning disabilities can register directly with libraries and get free membership. These library memberships require proof of disability.
Free libraries:
1. Bookshare: A resource for college/university students (postsecondary students) http://www.bookshare.org/
• Bookshare is the world’s largest online digital library for people with print disabilities. Bookshare seeks to increase accessibility by making books available for free!
• A downloadable reader is available for PC and MAC (the licensing is limited to the use of bookshare.org digital books);
• Bookshare’s University Partnership Program works to significantly expand the collection of books and textbooks for postsecondary students;
• This organization is easily approached and will make books available upon request for its members. Cherie L. Miller Is the University Program Manager at Bookshare (The Benetech Initiative). She is very accommodating with special requests. Her email is: cheriem@benetech.org;
• You must register and follow the procedure on their website http://www.bookshare.org.
2. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped http://www.loc.gov/nls/
• Free membership to all qualified registered members.
3. The Andrew Heiskell Library (in New York City) http://talkingbooks.nypl.org/
4. BARD: Braille and Audio Reading Download https://nlsbard.loc.gov/cgi-bin/nlsbardprod/index.cgi
• Downloadable Books and Magazines.
5. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® http://www.rfbd.org/
• RFB&D®, a national nonprofit, volunteer organization, is the leading accessible audiobook library for students with disabilities, such as visual impairment or dyslexia;
• Titles available in every subject area and grade level;
• RFB&D's digitally recorded audio textbooks help students who are challenged by the printed page.
• Please note that the books are audio books only.
6. Blio eReader www.blioreader.com (soon to be available from Kurzweil)
• All types of books available (free and for purchase) with free eReader software;
• A library of more than one million titles.
7. Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
• More than 30,000 titles available;
• Many formats to choose from;
• Contains books with expired copyrights.

*The E-reader consumer market is another option where you can purchase and download digital books online. The trend in the publishing industry is to give students options to regular printed books by offering the cheaper alternative of downloading books. This is good news for students with learning disabilities.
Ordering online digital books
E-text digital books are available for download for various e-readers, such as Amazon.com’s Kindle. Whatever e-text device you use, or plan to use, make sure you check if text to speech is available for the book you are ordering.
www.audible.com allows you to purchase books for your mp3 player or i Pod.
Today there are many other sources for digital books. One could just Google the book title and check/research if it’s available in digital format.


Written by Zahavit Paz Co-founder of LD Resources Foundation
and Jason Luchs, Director, Student Disability Services at The New School