LD Resources Foundation

Matthew P. Sapolin, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, died of cancer on Tuesday 11/29/11 at the age of 41.

2011-12-04T10:08:00.001-08:00

Matthew P. Sapolin, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, died of cancer on Tuesday 11/29/11 at the age of 41. Commissioner Sapolin was an inspiration for all people with disabilities. He refused to accept that his blindness caused him any limitations. In fact, he accomplished in his too- short lifetime more than many people I know, including being a drummer in the band he formed, serving as co-captain of the wrestling team at NYU, playing chess and becoming a marathon runner. He had a great sense of humor and was a big sports fan; he particularly loved baseball.

After losing his sight at a very young age, he attended regular classes in the Islip, NY school system, through the advocacy of his mother, so that he had the opportunity to interact with students without disabilities. I think that such an educational experience gave him the strength to realize that he had no limitations to achieve success in whatever he wanted to pursue.

I believe Matthew was the best advocate we have had in New York City for people with disabilities. He was a great negotiator, and was able to achieve significant victories for people with disabilities. Among his achievements were working to make the city’s building code more accommodating, initiating a rent freeze for some people with disabilities in New York city (Disability Rent Increase Exemption - DRIE) and initiating Disability Mentoring Day in New York City, which was held this year on October 19.

Matthew’s spirit was felt at his funeral, which had an overwhelming turnout of family, friends and colleagues on Friday, December 2 at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Mayor Bloomberg gave a most heartfelt eulogy; his words showed his admiration for Commissioner Sapolin when he said “nothing could stop Matthew” (view the original article here).

Personally, the Commissioner was an inspiration to me and the organization that I helped co-found, LD Resources Foundation. In 2009, he was my professor at CUNY’s graduate program in Disabilities Studies. He asked me if I had been able to read the books he had assigned for the class. I answered I had not read them, as they were not available in readable format with assistive technology. Matthew dismissed all the books that were not accessible and taught our class based on his experiences in life. It was the most amazing class I have ever taken.

Matthew became a mentor to me in my non-profit work, and an inspiration to many people in New York City. He taught me that disabilities are not a barrier for achieving success. I learned from Matthew how to negotiate successfully for resources for people with learning disabilities. As Disabilities Commissioner, Matthew was easily reachable at his office, and always had time to discuss an issue or question that was important to me. He was a supporter of LD Resources Foundation. His concern about helping people with learning disabilities helped me learn how to advocate with colleges and libraries to provide adaptive technology for people with LD.

Matthew, your spirit will be with us forever…

New Font Helps Dyslexics Tackle Reading

2011-11-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

As published in the Scientific American (October 26, 2011), Jennifer Nalewicki wrote, "After years of fumbling while reading the written word, Christian Boer, a graphic designer from the Netherlands, has developed a way to help tackle his dyslexia. The 30-year-old created a font called Dyslexie that has proved to decrease the number of errors made by dyslexics while reading. The font works by tweaking the appearance of certain letters of the alphabet that dyslexics commonly misconstrue, such as "d" and "b," to make them more recognizable. This month Boer released the font in English for U.S. users to purchase online."

Congratulations to Dr. Stephanie Anne Timmer, Friend and Supporter of LD Resources Foundation

2011-10-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

LD Resources Foundation is pleased to congratulate our good friend and supporter, Dr. Stephanie Anne Timmer, on qualifying to represent the USA at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Dr. Timmer is a world-class Track and Field athlete, competing in the 10,000, 1500 and 400 meter track events, as well as shotput, javelin and discus field events. She won the gold medal in the javelin and 10,000 meter run and the bronze medal in shot and discus events at the 2011 USA Masters Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Cleveland in the 40 and over division. Dr. Timmer is ranked in the top 10 in the world in all three of her field events among Paralympic athletes. For those who do not know, Dr. Timmer is blind. Follow this link to read more about her athletic accomplishments.

Dr. Timmer is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Premier Literacy ( a division of Premier Assistive), a company whose mission is to enrich and improve the lives of millions of people worldwide by making information truly accessible through the use of affordable technology. Premier Literacy seeks to give people with disabilities access to today’s technologically oriented world. The company offers a comprehensive suite of products that are invaluable tools for persons with visual, cognitive and mobility challenges, including Learning Disabilities.

LD Resources Foundation and Premier Assistive Technology created a joint initiative in 2008 called the “Key to Access Award Program.” The focus of this partnership is to create and expand programs that maximize opportunities to provide literacy tools to students everywhere. LD Resources Foundation continues to expand access to digital literacy tools to greater numbers of students, higher education institutions in New York City and beyond, as well as to public service institutions, government bodies and corporations.

Impact of ADHD at Work and School, and Prevalence of Associated Conditions revealed in New Survey

2011-10-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

PHILADELPHIA, October 12, 2011—New survey results reveal that Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) impacts aspects of work and school for adults and children living with the condition. The survey also shows that many people with ADHD have been diagnosed with, or suspect presence of, other health conditions including anxiety, depression and sleep disorders. ADHD, which affects more than 13 million Americans, is a genetic, neurobiological disorder that results in challenges with attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. The ADHD Awareness Coalition conducted the survey with the goal of increasing awareness and understanding of the disorder during ADHD Awareness Week, observed on October 16-22. They add that people with ADHD can live fulfilling lives with proper management of ADHD symptoms.

Technology and Disabilites

2011-10-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

“Technology can be a double-edged sword. It may be moreefficient—in particular, in the communications arena, which is the subject ofthis report—leading to an ever-rising demand for skilled workers, pushing thecollege-wage premium ever higher. “…In this respect, a recent HarrisInteractive poll conducted for the Kessler Foundation and the NationalOrganization on Disability (NOD) is encouraging, reporting that the educationgap (the share of those with less than a high-school education) has narrowedconsiderably between people with and without disabilities over the past twodecades, from 24 percent in 1986 to 6 percent in 2010 (KesslerFoundation and NOD, 2010).”

From the National Council of Disability report,” The Power of Digital Inclusion:Technology’s Impact on Employment and Opportunities for People withDisabilities.

This report examines the importance of social media and otherinformation technologies in connecting people to job opportunities. Notsurprisingly, digital barriers to our networked economy can reinforce ratherthan break down disproportionately low employment among people withdisabilities.

To read the National Council of Disability report, go to

Project Eye to Eye pairs adults with LD to children with LD as mentors and role models

2011-08-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

On a warm day in 1998 in Providence, Rhode Island, a group of LD/ADHD labeled college students from Brown University sat in a circle with a group of elementary school students labeled with learning disabilities from Fox Point Elementary. They were a part of a program called Project Eye-To-Eye, a public service project run by and for students with academic labels such as learning disabled (LD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The program had one simple goal: match labeled adults with learning disabilities with labeled elementary school students to act as role models, tutors, and mentors as a means to empower their learning and give them hope for their future...

For more information on Project Eye to Eye,

Study Sheds Light on Auditory Role in Dyslexia By Pam Belluck

2011-08-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

New York Times
August 2, 2011

Many people consider dyslexia simply a reading problem in which children mix up letters and misconstrue written words. But increasingly scientists have come to believe that the reading difficulties of dyslexia are part of a larger puzzle: a problem with how the brain processes speech and puts together words from smaller units of sound.ow, a study published last week in the journal Science suggests that how dyslexics hear language may be more important than previously realized. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found that people with dyslexia have more trouble recognizing voices than those without dyslexia.

To read the rest of this article,click here

“Dyslexie”Fonts Created for Those with Dyslexia to Read the Printed Word Easier.

2011-07-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Dyslexics face challenges daily in both reading and writing. Those with dyslexia mirror and rotate and interchange letters. The aesthetics of those letters, to a person with dyslexia, becomes the same. Those with dyslexia have a difficult time distinguishing letters, such as “p” and “d” for example.

Christian Boer, a graphic designer from Holland, whom is dyslexic, designed a new font aimed for the dyslexic population. He manipulated the letters by its size and shape. He appropriately named it “Dyslexie.”

The University of Twente (Holland) used Boer’s “Dyslexie” fonts with those who have dyslexia. They found that dyslexics made fewer errors reading errors using the “Dyslexie” fonts than standard fonts.

At LD Resources Foundation, we have used many different assistive technologies in helping the college student with dyslexia. Maybe one day this font will be part of other fonts with Times New Roman and Arial.

For those who want to see what the dyslexie type is go this link on You Tube

An Advocate for Dyslexia

2011-07-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

Henry Winkler's dyslexic hero gives kids with learning difficulties the last laugh
By HENRY WINKLER
Published: GreatSchools

Henry Winkler played one of the most iconic television characters “The Fonz” on Happy Days during the 70’s and 80’s and a graduate of Yale University School of Drama. Today, he is an advocate for people with dyslexia, who did not know about his disability until he was 30 when his son was tested for it in 3rd grade. Unlike his character, Mr. Winkler was not a popular person growing up. In fact, he recalled the words people used to describe him in school, but that did not deter his goal of becoming an actor.

Since his diagnosis, he has co-written a series of books on a character named Hank Zipzer who has dyslexia as a way to raise awareness and information to families and people with connection to dyslexia. Lastly, he imparts an important lesson that he learned from his music teacher that, "children have multiple layers; they are what they show you on the outside, and the depth of their greatness is on the inside."

To read the entire article by Henry Winkler, please click [GreatSchools]

Speed Bumps on the Way to an A.D.H.D. Diagnosis

2011-05-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

NYTimes
Speed Bumps on the Way to an A.D.H.D. Diagnosis
By LESLEY ALDERMAN
Published: May 13, 2011

WHEN Liz Goldberg, 53, was growing up, she always felt “a little off.” She received good grades and even completed a master’s degree in health administration, but it was always a struggle...........

New ADA Rules Go into Effect on March 15 2011

2011-03-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

Revised regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) take effect on March 15, 2011. The regulations apply to the activities of more than 80,000 units of state and local government and more than seven million places of public accommodation, including stores, restaurants, museums, sporting arenas, movie theaters, doctors’ and dentists’ offices, hotels, jails and prisons, polling places and emergency preparedness shelters.

Read More
https://www.disability.gov/civil_rights/laws_%26_regulations/americans_with_disabilities_act

Learning with Disabilities

2011-02-16T10:40:00.000-08:00

The New York Times
Education Life
Learning with Disabilities

Published: January 09, 2011
By ABBY GOODNOUGH

“We’re dealing with really bright students here. In some ways they maybe smarter than your average undergraduate, because they spent most of their lives trying to either overcome their diagnosis or outsmart everyone.”

-Michael Nieckoski
Landmark College’s Director of Assistive Technology Services

College can be challenging for students with learning disabilities. Assisitive technology helps these students pursue their educational goals.

The following article, from the New York Times Education Life supplement-January 9, 2011, explores how a two year college, Landmark College works with college students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD using Assistive Technology.

Read the full article

Global Brain Awareness Week

2011-02-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is the global campaign to increase public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research. Every March, BAW unites the efforts of universities, hospitals, patient groups, government agencies, schools, service organizations, and professional associations worldwide in a week-long celebration of the brain. Founded and coordinated by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and European Dana Alliance for the Brain, BAW's sixteenth annual celebration will take place from March 14-20, 2011.

for more info go to:http://www.dana.org/brainweek/

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

2010-10-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

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

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

2010-09-23T00:48:00.000-07:00

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

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

2010-05-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2010-04-10T02:14:00.000-07:00

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

Zahavit Paz interview on Disabilitynewsradio.com

2010-04-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2010-01-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

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

Justice Department Reaches Three Settlements under the Americans with Disabilities Act Regarding the Use of Electronic... -- WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 /PRNe

2010-01-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

Justice Department Reaches Three Settlements under the Americans with Disabilities Act Regarding the Use of Electronic... -- WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Frankfurt Book Fair: Ray Kurzweil Teams with Baker & Taylor on New eReader Software

2009-12-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

By Calvin Reid -- Publishers Weekly, 10/15/2009 2:37:00 PM

Baker & Taylor announced a partnership with acclaimed scientist, inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil, CEO of Kurzweil Technologies, to supply digital content for K-NFB Reading Technology, a newly developed e-book reading software created by Kurzweil in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind. The software will be offered to consumers for free. B&T unveiled the software at the Frankfurt Book Fair with plans to launch the new reader in the U.S. at the end of November.

Although Kurzweil is a pioneer in creating technologies to assist the blind with reading, his new and as yet unnamed software product is aimed at both the general e-book reading market as well as the blind. In a phone interview with Kurzweil from his company’s headquarters in Massachusetts, he said not only can consumers use the software to read e-books, but the technology will allow the device its installed on to read the text aloud, in synch with a display of the text that highlights each word as it is spoken. On top of all that, he intends to offer the software for free via both downloads and CDs and told PW he expects to make money through the sale of books using the K-NFB e-reader. The software also offers high quality graphics and fonts and will even read plays aloud using different voices for different roles.

The Text to Speech function has been controversial and Kurzweil acknowledged that, “there are a small number of publishers who feel that TTS will compete with their audio books. For blind and dyslexic users they have a right to use TTS to gain equal access to print information. We believe this issue will be resolved soon in favor of universal TTS.”

“Our partnership with K-NFB Reading Technology is an exciting development in our strategy to work with best-in-breed digital media innovators to deliver the content that our customers and their end-users want,” said Tom Morgan, chairman and CEO of Baker & Taylor. “K-NFB’s new e-reader will certainly make waves in the industry.”

Kurzweil said consumers can buy e-books directly through the application and he said that there will be “a full featured online store including metadata, advanced search features, inference engine and more.” He also said the co-venture will work with major retailers and allow the software to be branded with their corporate identity. Kurzweil said the venture will offer access to a “million” public domain titles and a “million” for-pay books. “A number of first tier publishers signed up today on the first day of the Frankfurt Book Fair,” he said. “We take in books from different publishers in a variety of formats and convert it to our own format,” said Kurzweil.

Kurzweil explained that the K-NFB e-reader software will run on laptops and desktop computers (PCs and Macs) as well as netbooks and mobile phones—Windows mobile and the iPhone right away with other mobile phone operating sytems added as quickly as possible. The software can read any format from straight text to PDF and ePub.

He also described the new e-reader as, “the ultimate expression of my work over the years. It will have wide distribution and will be available not only to the general reader and to the blind, but to the millions of people who suffer from Dyslexia.”

Dragon app for iPhone By Christopher Lee, PhD. Director AMAC, Georgia University and AccessText Network

2009-12-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

Dec 18, 2009

Here is a quick reference for Dragon on the IPhone: http://justanotheriphoneblog.com/wordpress/iphone-software/some-tips-for-dragon-dictation
There are limitations on the app.

- Record time: 30 seconds
- You cannot save your work
- Session is lost if you receive a call or leave the app
- Cannot have app running in the back ground

In order to send SMS or emails, you have to use the dragon app and tell the app to send to email, messages, or copy to clip board.

There is also another app called Voxie Pro Recorder that will record any length of audio (1MB per minute for audio) and sent to transcribers to convert into text.

The app costs $1.99
$5 for 250 words
2.5 cents per additional word

Assistive Technology and the LD Resources Foundation provide students with LD a better chance to succeed

2009-12-16T14:59:00.001-08:00

Assistive Technology and the LD Resources Foundation provide students with LD a better chance to succeed
By Jason Luchs, Director
Student Disability Services at The New School
December, 2009

Assistive Technology has become synonymous with success for students with disabilities in higher education. Without many of the programs that are familiar to those in the disability services field, a multitude of students with documented learning disabilities would be unable to appropriately access their course work. Some of the most notable software programs that are designed to assist this population are:
• Kurzweil 3000 (K3000)
• Premier Assistive Technology’s Key to Access
• Texthelp’s Read and Write Gold
• Dragon Naturally Speaking and MacSpeech Dictate by Nuance
There are more programs available than these, but for the purposes of this article, I am going to focus on these to narrow the discussion, and also because I have working knowledge and experience with them. I don’t specifically endorse or recommend any program over another.
Learning Disability Assistive technology Software
The first three programs listed have very similar goals and capabilities. They are designed to assist individuals with reading or writing problems due to a learning disability or other condition that affects reading and writing, such as attention based disorders (ADD or ADHD). Each program has a robust feature set that includes options to highlight words while reading them aloud to the user. Predictive text and talking word processing capability are also shared by each of the programs. K3000 differs from Premier’s and Texthelp’s software in that the program opens in a new window and does not use a floating toolbar design like the Key to Access or Read and Write Gold.
Each of the programs can assist students with learning disabilities, but I have seen some preferences among students. There are students who prefer using a word processing program they are comfortable with like Microsoft Word, while being able to have the floating toolbar of either Read and Write Gold or Key to Access available when they need it. With K3000, the user must type directly into the program interface to use its features. However, it is worth noting that with new updates to each program, more user-friendly methods of interaction become available which in the future may include a floating toolbar and opening the program in a new window.
Given the choice, I’d guess more students in higher education would choose either Read and Write Gold or Premier AT over K3000 because it seems to be geared more towards younger students. Read and Write Gold and Premier AT suite can be used discretely in open labs via a floating toolbar and the student can pick and choose which portion of the technology they need whereas K3000 must be fully open.
I have recently demonstrated Premier AT for students and they have been most interested in its ability to read PDF documents and e-text aloud. College students are increasingly required to access electronic articles via the web or interfaces like Blackboard and a hard copy may not be available. These students also have an interest in being able to convert text to audio, but this is better in theory than in practice. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) still has some work to do before it can accurately recognize all words and properly pronounce them, especially homonyms or words that may have different pronunciation depending on context, such as “I like to read (reed) often” or “I read (red) the book yesterday.” Additionally, some of the voices sound much too monotone, synthetic, or distracting to be useful. Developers are continuing to improve the voices associated with their respective programs, but none of them are totally human-sounding at this point. Currently, I think that artificial voices by Cepstral, a leader in synthetic voice development are some of the better ones available as they do a relatively good job of approximating human speech. While I am not discussing Mac accessibility in depth here, it is worth noting that the Mac OSX accessibility features are quite robust and the included voice-over feature dubbed “Alex” is excellent.
Cost and Alternatives to Purchasing – LD Resources Foundation Awards Program
The cost of assistive technology can be daunting for the individual as well as a disability services office with a modest budget. Many times it can be the determining factor as to what technology is available for student use. K3000 is the most expensive out of the three program suites discussed here, followed by Read and Write Gold and Premier AT Key to Access or Accessibility Suite. Since the cost of these products can be problematic for some students, trying to acquire a demo version via the product website is a good first step. Some university disability services offices have demo versions or lending programs available as well. I highly recommend checking vendor websites to see if trial versions of their products are available. Each of us have different preferences and levels of computer savvy, especially students who may have not used assistive technology before so it’s a good idea to give software a test run.
Students who may not be able to acquire software on their own should also look into the awards program offered by LD Resources Foundation (LDRF). Based on economic need and disability status, the LDRF awards program seeks to assist students who are most likely to need assistance acquiring software that can help them succeed in college. During my tenure at The New School, LDRF has awarded the Key to Access program to approximately ten students, with more applying for awards each semester. Students who aren’t sure if they will qualify for an award are encouraged to still apply because LDRF works on a sliding scale. The goal of the organization is to try to provide awards and assistance to as many students as possible, so they have flexible guidelines that allow them to work with individuals with all kinds of backgrounds, and will even provide assistance in completing an application.
In the past three years, LDRF has made 35 presentations and awarded portable assistive technology and tools to over 100 students in multiple universities. Over 60 permanent assistive technology systems were provided to libraries as well. Most recently, LDRF added speech recognition software to their list of AT products available. Students can apply for the Speech Recognition award and request Dragon Naturally Speaking for PC or MacSpeech Dictate for Mac. Both are excellent products developed by Nuance and with minimal training, the user can dictate papers, emails and even control some navigation functions on their computer. Students interested in completing an application for an award can find it via http://www.ldrfa.org/awardprogram.php on the LDRF website. The application is available to print out and complete by hand, or in a fillable PDF that can be emailed or printed.
Voice Recognition and Dictation Software
Dragon Naturally Speaking has undergone many improvements with recent versions, most notably with version 10. The training time is now minimal and voice recognition is very accurate, even for students with accents or limited computer experience. I demonstrated this software for a number of students who cited difficulty with typing or handwriting assignments but who had a much easier time verbally expressing themselves. One student recently told me that he thinks the use of a program like Dragon Naturally Speaking could significantly change his life. He was unaware of the existence of voice dictation software and when I demonstrated the program for him, he said it would definitely be helpful. The student has difficulty writing or typing as a result of dyslexia, but he can express himself quite well verbally. This is exactly the type of student who can excel using voice recognition software. Using a good quality noise canceling microphone like an Andrea or Plantronics headset, a user who types around 40 words per minute can possibly double or triple that speed with dictation.
What the Future Holds for Assistive Technology
This is a very exciting time for those of us interested in new developments in assistive technology. Not only are existing programs regularly updated, but new and previously unseen technology is on-route to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. With the advent of e-book readers like the Kindle, Sony E-reader, and most recently the Nook released by Barnes and Noble, there could be another wave of new methods for people with learning disabilities and other conditions to access books. While not all of the devices have text-to-speech capability, some of them do, and if it proves useful, other producers of e-book readers will probably follow suit and adopt that utility.
Resources for acquiring electronic textbooks
The usefulness of Assistive Technology programs for students is directly tethered to the availability of appropriate electronic text resources. In a forthcoming article, the Co-Founder of www.ldrfa.org, Zahavit Paz and I will be exploring the many directions that students can take to acquire electronic texts that are compatible with their AT program of choice.

2009-11-20T16:49:00.000-08:00

The development of Technology and Assistive devices

2009-11-20T06:36:00.000-08:00

By Zahavit Paz, Co-founder and Chairperson of LD Resources Foundation.

Presented at the 12th Annual Accessing Higher Ground: Accessible Media,Web and Technology Conference.

November 13th 2009 panel, “From Clay Tablets to the Kindle – implications of the new e-book technology (in particular, it's implications for accessibility)”

http://www.colorado.edu/ATconference/confsched2009.html

Accessing Higher Ground focuses on the implementation and benefits of Assistive Technology and Accessible Media in the university and college setting. Other topic areas cover legal and policy issues, including ADA and Section 508 compliance. The creation of accessible media and information resources, including Web pages and library resources are a particular focus of the event.

The development of Technology and Assistive devices

In the last 20 years, the advancement of the personal computer and other technologies has changed the way most people live, work, shop and communicate. The Internet has changed the world. We have more access to millions of documents, which, before, were inaccessible. The Internet has connected Americans to sources of information throughout the world in a matter of nanoseconds.

It has also helped in U.S. politics. In 2008, all the American Presidential candidates have used the Internet to raise over a billion US dollars to fund their campaigns and to get their message across. The Internet, and cell phones, smart phones such as the I-phone and Blackberry can now communicate and market campaign information in the United States and around the world.

In colleges, many students are required to upload their assignments from their college website, and email the completed questions and assignments to their professors. They also work on assignments with distant peers. Some universities started to use E-readers such as Kindle DX to upload their textbooks.

With this increasing reliance on technological developments, no adult with a reading disability “should be left in the technological dark.” Assistive technology is affordable and should be accessible to everyone.

Thanks to assistive technology and the rapid development of Assistive devices, the literacy needs of people with learning disabilities can be met, because everyone can and should have access to the information they need!

For comments, email: zpaz@ldrfa.org

E text readers and E text books

2009-11-20T06:13:00.000-08:00

Ms. Zahavit Paz, Executive Director of the LD Resources Foundation at the 12th Annual Access to Higher Ground : Accessible Media, Web and Technology, Conference.

November 13, 2009 Panel: “From Clay Tablets to the Kindle – implications of the new e-book technology (in particular, it's implications for accessibility)”

(http://www.colorado.edu/ATconference/confsched2009.html).

My overview today is not only speaking as an organization that assists college students with LD & ADD, but also as an individual with LD who is dependent on assistive technology.

E- readers & E-text books have potential promise closing the gaps for Students with learning disabilities.

E-reader devices have been around for at least a decade. Today's E-reader devices are in the news almost daily, because they are more mainstream. Its exciting news for post-secondary students with learning disabilities the manufacturers promise easy download solution within seconds for textbooks with text to speech option.

General overview of the E-readers market and price trend

Forrester Research Inc, an independent research company suggests most consumers will buy digital devices when the price drops to $100. However, I read another report that predicts holiday sales for e readers will be up by fifty percent. (http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,53825,00.html).

According to The International Digital Publishing Forum’s (IDPF) Mike Smith, “The sweet spot maybe $100, but the educational market will support a higher price, since students, who will typically be in undergraduate programs, will need to use it for 4 years saving the cost of purchasing actual books and eliminating the burden of physically caring for books. The access to a search capability rather than having to look up information in an index, as well as readers that offer copy and paste capabilities, will save lots of time for students working on their assignments.”

IDPF Trade and Standards Association for the digital publishing industry, just announced that eBook industry wide sales statistics for the first quarter were up by 228.3%, and calendar year to date revenue increased by 154.8% (http://www.idpf.org/)

E-Readers:

There are so many e-readers on the market today. Rumors are, according to Mitch Ratcliffe’s blog on ZDnet, by the end of 2010, that 52 e-reader devices will be on the market in the next 12 months. (http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ratcliffe)

Listed are some e-readers below:

Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/kindlestore/
Barrens & Noble Nook - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook
Sony eBook Reader - http://ebookstore.sony.com/reader/
Franklin eBookman eReader - http://www.franklin.com/
Elonex eBook - http://www.elonex.com/
Irex Digital Reader Series - http://www.irextechnologies.com/irexdr1000
Interead Cool-er - http://www.coolreaders.com/
Fujitsu FLEPia - http://www.frontech.fujitsu.com/en/release/20090318.html
Bookeen Cybook - http://www.bookeen.com/ebook/ebook-reading-device.aspx
Plastic Logic Que - http://www.plasticlogic.com/ereader/index.phpPremier
Key to Access VPod - http://www.readingmadeez.com/products/ktavpod.html
Apple Tablet - http://store.apple.com

Amazon Kindle (http://www.amazon.com)

The E-reader industry, realizing postsecondary schools are potentially a lucrative market, are trying to lure colleges to purchase their e-readers.

Amazon Kindle (http://www.amazon.com) has the largest market share today of a little more than 60 percent (http://www.epapercentral.com/forums).

Amazon is trying to market the Kindle e-reader to post-secondary institutions with note-taker capability. As with any other new technology, the technical glitches need to be worked out.

This fall, students at seven universities were given a large screen (9.7”) Kindle DX weighing about one pound and at a cost of $489. These students (at the following seven universities (Darden Graduate School of Business, the University of Virginia, Arizona State University, Case Western Reserve University, Princeton University, Reed College, Pace University and University of Washington) are currently testing the product. So far, the results have revealed some problems with reading PDF files, no Page numbers, folder organization, web accessibilities, etc.

Overall, some students liked it. There is room for adjustment as a functional navigation as textbook when you need to search by page number.

The Author’s Guild (http://www.authorsguild.org/)

Interestingly, I asked the director of the Author”s Guild about their position on speech to text for text books. He said they do not have an objection since it would not be offered to students as audio books. That is exciting news for college students with LD.

iPhone as e-reader (http://www.apple.com/iphone/)

Greg Krause of LecShare (http://www.lecshare.com/) gave me a demonstration of their new application of text to speech, with easy navigation by page numbers and highlighting, for the iPhone. It will be on the app store by the end of November at a cost of ten dollars.

An advantage to the iPhone, or PC screen, is that it refreshes very quickly and could be useful for augmented reading, rather than the slower E-Ink screen technology.

NOOK & Kindle

The comparison between the Amazon Kindle & the Barnes & Nobel Nook is that the Kindle is facing stiff competition from the Nook. The Nook offers a color touch screen, an easy-to-read and use display, bookmark capability, text highlighting, notes and a memory card, which can be upgraded to store 17,500 books. Nook owners can lend their eBooks to another Nook friend for 14 days free. The Nook will on sale on November 30th. On November 2, Spring Design sued Barnes and Noble to protect the intellectual properties of the Alex E-book.

What does all this mean to people with disabilities?

Almost all books will be available for download for people with disabilities. However, the design of these devices does not meet the accessibility needs of people who are legally blind or have print disabilities or motor skills problems. If they need to use assistive technology these books may not be available to them. We have to remember that a student with print disabilities, who needs to get using a new device, requires a learning curve, and costs associated with acquiring the device.

Assistive Technology is not one tool that fits all!

Advantages of E-Reader

Green environmentally-friendly
Students have access, 24/7, to the books.
Less eyestrain from overuse of computer LCD screens.
Zoom capacity.
No glare, since most readers use E-Ink displays
E-Readers have a long battery life.
Less back and carpal tunnel injuries caused by overuse of the computer.
For students with learning disabilities it has the potential to level the playing field by using a mainstream fashionable gadget.

Disadvantages of E-Reader

Students will not be able to sell their textbooks after the term ends.
Would Colleges and Universities support the e reader devices? Would they give a loaner to a student when his/her kindle is down? If yes, what would be the turnaround time of service for the kindle?
Navigation using I-ink E-Ink displays can take a second or more to refresh.

In closing, competition is a good thing after all! The mainstreaming of readers going to the post-secondary institutions is going to increase. We are closing the gaps by using a universal design learning UDL approach.

For comments, email: zpaz@ldrfa.org

Zahavit Paz, Executive Director of LD Resources Foundation, will be making a panel presentation at the Access to Higher Ground Conference

2009-11-10T13:31:00.000-08:00

Zahavit Paz, Executive Director and Co-Founder of LD Resources Foundation, will be making a panel presenting regarding e-book technology at the “Access to Higher Ground” Conference in Westminister, Colorado, on Friday, November 13, 2009.
The title of Ms. Paz’s presentation will be, “From Clay Tablets to the Kindle – implications of the new e-book technology”. The Access to Higher Ground Conference is sponsored by the University of Colorado in collaboration with AHEAD, EASI, ATHEN, and WebAIM. This Nationwide Conference is for individuals who design or provide accessible Web media, web based information resources and web access technology in the academic environment.

As a panel participant, Ms. Paz will speak on how current E-book technology affects students with print disabilities on postsecondary universities.

Highlights of what Ms. Paz will focus on:

 Access to textbooks, via e-book technology, which can be accessed everywhere students may be located, such as in trains, buses, transportation depots, libraries, and other public or private spaces.

 What the downsides are of this breakthrough technology when it comes to students with a print disability.

 The need for developing e-book standards to institute compatible “across the board” e-reader technology, so that students have access to any book they need regardless of the publishing source or the bookseller.

 Why are the costs of this technology prohibitive for those in the lower socio-economic sphere?

The full text of Zahavit Paz’s speech will be in an upcoming blog at blog@ldrfa.org.

For more information regarding the Access to Higher Ground Conference go to: www. Colorado.edu/ATconference/html.

For more information on e-book technology, go to:http://www.ebookweek.com/ebook_gallery.html#2

Zahavit Paz, Executive Director of LDRF, invited to speak on the use of Assistive Technology for people with LD at the College of Emek Yezreel

2009-08-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

Zahavit Paz, Executive Director and Co-founder on LD Resources Foundation Inc. (LDRF), will be speaking on Sunday, September 13, 2009 at the Israeli Assistive Technology Forum. The forum, held at the Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel, (http://www.yvc.ac.il/template/default.asp?maincat=24) will look at assistive technology and its role in assisting postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Ms. Paz will speak on Digital Literacy and Technology in the 21st Century. Her talk will focus on how assistive technology in the United States is utilized for students with Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder (LD/ADHD). She will give a live demonstration of the Key to Go USB drive, an extraordinary cutting edge assistive reading tool used by our technology award student recipients (for more about our award programs go to: http://www.ldrfa.org/awardprogram.php). In this fast-paced world, having the right tools to learn is essential. For students with learning disabilities, it is all the more important that these tools be portable and accessible. Premier Assistive Technologies Inc., a partner with LD Resources Foundation Inc, (LDRF), developed the Key to Go USB drive. Ms Paz’s presentation will include an overview about how people with a reading disability can access their textbooks at college and access the Internet.

For her PowerPoint presentation and other links and resources, please visit: http://ldrfa.org/?pID=24

In 2008 LDRF started operating two programs in Israel at Open University- http://www-e.openu.ac.il/ and Tel Hai College http://www.telhai.ac.il/english/ Both are members of the Israeli Assistive Technology Forum.

One of the other speakers is a representative of LESHEM (http://leshem.telhai.ac.il), the Association for the Advancement of Learning Disabled Students in Higher Education.

For further information about LDRF’s award programs and advocacy work of LD Resources Foundation, go to http://www.ldrfa.org.

For further information about Premier Assistive Technology Inc., go to http://www.readingmadeez.com.

Post high school students with disabilities in postsecondary institutions

2009-07-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) released a study on June 2nd. The study, “The Post-High School Outcomes of Youth with Disabilities up to 4 Years after High School,” surveyed high school students with disabilities, ages 17-21 on life after high school.

One aspect of the study focused on students with disabilities enrolled in postsecondary institutions. Some of the findings were:

Ø Forty-five percent of high school students went to college. Out of the forty-five percent, 32% were likely enrolled in a two year community college versus 14% enrolled in a four year college.

Ø Students with disabilities who attended a two year college were enrolled in an academic (57 %) than vocational (29 %) programs.

Ø Students who were identified as having a disability in high school, 55% of students did not consider themselves as having a disability while in college. Thirty-seven percent of students self-identified as having a disability in college or in a postsecondary certificate program.

Ø Eighty-nine percent of students with disabilities enrolled in college reported they were working towards a degree or certificate. Twenty-nine percent had graduated or completed their postsecondary certificate program.

To see the report in its entirety, go to http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/.

Activities and fundraing for the LD Resources Foundation

2009-07-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

Dear supporters,

* This year: we served and awarded more than 20 college students and 38 college staff.
* We ran 16 programs in colleges ,libraries and organizations.
* Our advocacy, awareness programs and our support group workshops have attracted hundreds of participants .
* LD Resources Foundation has just moved to a new office.

All this we were able to achieve with the generosity of our volunteers and supporters .

This year, we need to hire paid staff in order to serve our students and run our programs .
Due to the economic downturn and higher demands for our services your support is needed more than ever.

Please help us help our students achieve a college education and ultimately improve their chances for a better career .

Your contribution is very important to us
You can make your donation online
at: https://www.ldrfa.org/~ldrfaorg/donate_paypal.php

or mail it to:
LD Resources Foundation
31 East 32 Street Suite 607
New York, NY 10016

Your contribution is tax deductible
The LD Resources Foundation Inc., is a not for profit organization under IRS section 501(c)(3)

Thank you your support is greatly appreciated"

DIGITAL EDUCATION REVOLUTION by Ken Grisham

2009-07-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

In the academic world of the 21st century, the inexorable march that we know as the “digital classroom revolution” presents challenges unlike others that have ever been faced in the history of education. With a very “deliberate speed” (almost always too slow), the majority of schools are making the shift to a digital world. Many schools have been led (naively) to believe that the digital classroom revolution is just a matter of more PC’s and software in the classroom. While that is certainly a start in the right direction, how many schools have we seen that purchased new computer hardware and software only to have much of it be “underutilized”, or worse, NOT UTILIZED AT ALL? Even those schools who believe they are going the right direction, often don’t fully appreciate the task in front of them or how to approach it, and certainly don’t realize the magnitude of the tasks they will be facing. Much of this failure to recognize the magnitude of the those tasks is the direct result of not being able to recognize and anticipate the speed of emergence and evolution of the “digital universe of tools and content”. This galactic shift in the world of information must be considered when evaluating the overall framework of the digital education environment of the future. To be successful, every school MUST develop a “digital classroom strategy” that addresses each of the aforementioned issues.

TEACHER VS. STUDENT – WHO’S WHO HERE ??? Ken Grisham President / CEO Premier Assistive Technology

2009-07-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

There is a aphorism about old age to the effect that “The child becomes the parent and the parent becomes the child” referring to a time in our lives when our parents take care of us, then we grow up and, in turn, may take care of our parents as they grow old. Even as recently as the late 1990’s, the primary conduits for learning had always been through our parents and teachers…..authority figures who effectively ruled most of our lives, at least until early adulthood when we ventured out on our own. Virtually nothing could be learned that parents and teachers did not already know and they were expected to “pass” that information down to the next generation as part of the overall education process. Generally over time, younger generations came to respect the older generations because they were, for all practical purposes, the “only real path to knowledge” and growth. In today’s world of digital information and access, we see happenings that are analogous to the “parent-child / child-parent inversion, but perhaps in a more unsettling way….a way that presents a major hurdle to migration to a digital world. As access to independent sources of information have become more affordable and widely available, it is much easier for children to discover, learn and apply knowledge without working through parents or teachers. One of the emerging consequences of this new digital reality is a “loss of respect” for authority figures because children can acquire knowledge and skills WITHOUT going through an authority figure, thereby diluting their implied “authority power”. We continue to see children who are far more adept at using multi-tasking devices like cell phones, MP3 players, CD/DVD players-recorders, video recorders, access to the Internet and complex video gaming systems. In those instances, children effectively don’t NEED the adults to show them ANYTHING. The children acquired their knowledge on their own and KNOW MORE THAN THE ADULTS. Even worse, many adults (including teachers) now clearly articulate that they DON’T WANT TO KNOW (AND HAVE NO INTENTION OF LEARNING) about those technologies…thereby, further eroding the child’s confidence that they should turn to adults to acquire knowledge. The student has become the teacher and the teacher has become the student!! There are 3 major elements of the digital classroom strategy. 1. Digital reading tools. Literacy software and hardware that can directly access and work with digital sources of information. 2. Digital content. Digital content can be create in one of several ways: a. Acquire directly from publishers b. Acquire from public sources (e.g. Internet sites, blogs, wikis) c. Acquire from 3rd-party services (Bookshare, RFBD, AMX) d. Create internally by generating new documents or scanning hardcopy materials. 3. Integrated digital curriculum. Digital literacy tools combined with digital content are meaningless unless they can be effectively integrated into an overall curriculum that is the mainstay of the day-to-day classroom environment. All three of these elements MUST BE PRESENT in order to have a successful digital education environment.

A Council Candidate Who Knows It's 'Hard to B.S.' Sonia Sotomayor

2009-07-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

A Council Candidate Who Knows It's 'Hard to B.S.' Sonia Sotomayor By Reid Pillifant

Jo Anne Simon, a City Council candidate from Brooklyn, has a Sonia Sotomayor story. Years ago, in a case that produced what will be one of Sotomayor's more closely scrutinized rulings as she prepares for her Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Simon was the lead counsel for the plaintiff, and, ultimately, the winner. The case centered around Simon's client, Marilyn Bartlett, a severely dyslexic law student. Simon was arguing that Bartlett had a right to additional time on the state bar exam under the Americans with Disabilities Act. “It was very clear to me, very early on, that she was extremely bright and extremely careful about the way her court was run,” Simon said of Sotomayor, in an interview. “She was very demanding, but she was also very fair. It was hard to B.S. her.” When Bartlett v. New York State Board of Law Examiners began in 1993, Simon—who is now running in a crowded Council primary in David Yassky’s district on the Brooklyn waterfront—was three years removed from Fordham Law School, and Judge Sotomayor was in her first full year as a district court judge. “I didn’t know anything about her at all,” Simon said. (This would change when the case dragged on for about eight years.) Simon said Sotomayor had had no prior experience with the legislation, which had not been heavily litigated at the time. “This was cutting-edge case law and there wasn’t a lot of it on this issue when we started,” Simon said. According to her, it "would have been easy" for a court to rule in favor of the attorney general's office. "She didn’t,” she said. “She wanted to know more.” “Early on, when there was a question about whether or not we’d be able to delay certain discovery, [Sotomayor] was concerned that it would take a long time. Her question was: ‘This is this woman’s life, how does she feel about this?’” Simon recalled. “It was very clear that it mattered to her what the plaintiff’s plans for her life were. There was a recognition on her part, and it clearly mattered that there was an important person behind this case,” said Simon. After Sotomayor ruled in favor of Simon’s client, the case become one of three controversial decisions that came up in Sotomayor's fifteen-month confirmation to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 1997 and 1998. (The case was not resolved until 2001, after two trials and subsequent appeals.) At the time it was treated as something of a radical ruling, Simon said: “I remember reading something about just how crazy this decision was—that it was just a totally crazy decision—but I don’t think it was as crazy as it was made about to be.” But the decision stood the test of time. When Congress amended the Americans with Disabilities Act last summer, it specifically tailored the act to be consistent with the Bartlett case. (Simon testified at the hearings, and calls the case’s impact on the amendments “a very proud moment.”) The 33rd Council district is a particularly liberal one, so Simon’s status as the lead counsel in a case associated with President Obama’s first Supreme Court nominee can only help. Simon expects that the association, via Bartlett, won’t hurt Sotomayor either. “I think she will more than be able to handle herself in her hearing,” Simon said. “She’s exactly what we need on the Supreme Court.”

Welcome to the LDRFA.Blog,

2009-06-26T09:36:00.000-07:00