New ADA Rules Go into Effect on March 15 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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