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

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

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

“Technology can be a double-edged sword. It may be more efficient—in particular, in the communications arena, which is the subject of this report—leading to an ever-rising demand for skilled workers, pushing the college-wage premium ever higher. “…In this respect, a recent Harris Interactive poll conducted for the Kessler Foundation and the National Organization on Disability (NOD) is encouraging, reporting that the education gap (the share of those with less than a high-school education) has narrowed considerably between people with and without disabilities over the past two decades, from 24 percent in 1986 to 6 percent in 2010 (Kessler Foundation and NOD, 2010).”

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

This report examines the importance of social media and other information technologies in connecting people to job opportunities. Not surprisingly, digital barriers to our networked economy can reinforce rather than break down disproportionately low employment among people with disabilities.

 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

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

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.

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

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]