Mobile App Monday - TapTapSee

TapTapSee is designed to help the blind and visually impaired identify objects they encounter in their daily lives and become more independent. Simply double tap the screen to take a photo of anything, at any angle, and hear the app speak the identification back to you (Note: Spoken identification requires VoiceOver to be turned on).

Want to know more about it? Please visit:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id567635020

Mobile App Monday - Panther Dice

Panther Dice is a fun app that helps people with many types of disabilities join in the fun of a dice game.

- For individuals with autism, lock the screen after rolls to avoid stimming.
- For individuals with motoric challenges, add a moving target to refine motor skills.
- For struggling learners - display the total of the dice.
- For individuals with visual challenges, have numbers read aloud,

For more information about this app, please visit:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id542566013

Tactile tools help students with vision impairments

In an article from Makezine.com, folks at the D’Arcy Lab in the Chemistry Department at Washington University in St. Louis are working with 3D printers to help students with vision impairments. A partnership between the Missouri School for the Blind has resulted in the creation of didactic tools to increase the students' ability to measure objects and understand spatial orientation.

To read the entire article, please visit:
http://makezine.com/2016/08/17/3d-printed-spatial-reasoning-tools-visually-impaired/

What's new?

Wondering what's new in the library? Each month, we take a moment to look back at the new items that arrived in the library the previous month. From biographies to accessibility to social skills, check out the new titles at:
https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/whats-new

Eyeglasses for Down Syndrome

Children with Down syndrome often need eyeglasses to correct their vision, but the unique shape of their faces can sometimes make it difficult to find glasses with the proper fit. According to an article in Smithsonian.com, one mother has decided to change that.

To read the article, please visit:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/designing-glasses-that-fit-individuals-with-down-syndrome-180958672/?no-ist

The ADA, Sensory Disabilities, and Assistive Technology

The Great Lakes ADA Center is announces an upcoming session titled The ADA, Sensory Disabilities, and Assistive Technology: Core Technologies for Non-visual Access scheduled for Wednesday, February 24, 2016 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time).

This webinar will combine aspects of the ADA as it relates to Assistive Technologies that benefit people with low vision or individuals who are blind.  Presenters include Diego Demaya, Legal Specialist with the Southwest ADA Center, and Curtis Chong, Assistive Technologist with the New Mexico Commission for the Blind. During the presentation we will discuss:

• Recent ADA cases involving access for persons who are blind and individuals with low vision;
• Talk about employment-related technology access issues for individuals who are blind or experience low vision; and
• Go over some examples of auxiliary aids that are useful in places of public accommodation for individuals who are blind or experience low vision.

For more information or to register, please visit:
http://www.adaconferences.org/RESNA/

Questions should be directed to webinars@adaconferences.org or by calling 877-232-1990 (V/TTY) M-F 8:00-5:00 p.m. (Central Time).

3D-printed braille and picture books help blind children to read

According to an article in de zeen magazine, "A team from the University of Colorado Boulder have used 3D printing to create tactile versions of famous books for visually impaired children." The pages have both braille text and raised images that will allow children with vision impairments to experience a picture book using touch.

To read the entire article, please visit:
http://www.dezeen.com/2016/02/04/3d-printed-braille-and-picture-books-help-blind-children-to-read/

Conference for Librarians Serving People with Disabilities

The National Library Service is announcing the 2016 Biennial National Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals set for April 3-7, 2016, in San Francisco. A day of pre-conference workshops is set for April 2nd.

For hotel reservations, visit:
https://goo.gl/w3vbeH

For more information, visit:
http://go.usa.gov/cK3fz

Books on vision impairments for kids

Looking out for Sarah is a Schneider Family Book Award winner and is written from the perspective of Sarah's service dog, Perry. Perry helps Sarah, a blind musician and teacher, navigate her way through her day. "This true story of an amazing black Labrador retriever and his owner will inspire young readers to follow their own dreams and give them the courage to achieve anything." -publisher

Another Schneider Family Book Award winner that CeDIR recently purchased is Things Not Seen. This book is about a fifteen year old boy who suddenly turns invisible to everyone, including himself. "For Bobby that means no school, no friends, no life.  He's a missing person.  Then he meets Alicia.  She's blind, and Bobby can't resist talking to her, trusting her.  But people are starting to wonder where Bobby is.  Bobby knows that his invisibility could have dangerous consequences for his family and that time is running out.  He has to find out how to be seen again-before it's too late." -publisher

Want to check out either of these books? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu or use Worldcat to find them in a library near you:
Looking Out for Sarah
Things Not Seen

reVISION: A Tactile, Auditory, and Spatial Experience

Looking for an art exhibit for those with vision impairments? "reVISION: Re-exploring Art, Expression & Perception is designed to welcome individuals who are blind and their sighted peers into a unique interactive art exhibit. reVISION will be an exhibition of new works by regional artists exploring the world of art through the eyes of the visually impaired. VIPS asked artists to re-imagine their work in a way that it can be enjoyed by art lovers who are blind. reVISION will transform the traditional gallery presentation into a tactile, auditory, and spatial experience. Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS Indiana) is hosting the art exhibit opening January 14, 2016 at the Indiana Interchurch Center Art Gallery in Indianapolis."

Want to learn more about it? Please visit:
http://www.artsworkindiana.org/index.php?pageId=95&newsId=247

The pirate of kindergarten

The pirate of kindergarten is a book for young children to raise awareness of the condition called double vision. Ginny sees differently than most children, reading words twice, occasionally running into chairs and taking a lot longer than other children to use her scissors. It isn't until she attends a vision screening session at school that she and her teacher learn why.

Interested? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu to check out this title or use worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

Be My Eyes

Earlier this year, I blogged about an app that brings together a community of volunteers to help people with vision impairments. Yesterday, NPR's All Tech Considered published a story about the app in action.

To read the story from NPR, please visit;
http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/12/15/459870958/help-a-blind-person-identify-everyday-things-via-smartphone-app

To go to the app's website, visit:
http://www.bemyeyes.org/

Netflix introduces audio description

In an effort to make television viewing more inclusive to those who have vision impairments, Netflix has announced that they will include audio description as an audio option for various titles on their streaming service. The service began with Marvel's Daredevil on Tuesday, and more titles will be added in the coming weeks.

For more information about this service, please visit:
http://blog.netflix.com/2015/04/netflix-begins-audio-description-for.html

Mobile App Monday - iBrailler

Thanks to a team of Stanford University students, people with visual impairments now have access to a free braille-writing app. iBrailler Notes allows iPad users to use their fingers to communicate. The app creates customized keyboard layouts based on the users’s hand positions and allows them to type in both braille and English.

To learn more about this app, please visit:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibrailler-notes/id929976332?mt=8

Mobile App Monday - Be My Eyes-helping blind see

Be My Eyes is about becoming a member of a community contributing to the independence of people with vision impairments. Blind users can request help and sighted users will be phoned. The caller then points the phone's camera at the object in question to get answers about the object.

Want to learn more? Please visit:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/be-my-eyes-helping-blind-see/id905177575?mt=8

U.S. Currency Reader Program

Looking for a way to help someone with a vision impairment determine what monetary denominations they have? The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing is offering a free U.S. currency reader to anyone eligible to join the currency reader program. The small device can be programmed with voice, vibrate, or issue tones to let the user know whether they're holding a $1 bill or a different denomination.

To learn more about eligibility requirements and to apply, please visit:
http://bep.gov/images/MA_-_US_Currency_Reader_Application_FF-_English.pdf

No Barriers Youth

Interested in a Grand Canyon expedition for students ages 15-19 who are "sighted, blind, [or] visually impaired?" Leading the Way, a program that unites students on incredible adventures around the world, is offering just that--an expedition of the upper half of the Grand Canyon. Participants will learn the adaptive skills necessary to fulfill their roles as members of a diverse team striving to accomplish a common goal.

The next expedition will be held in mid-July. To apply, please visit:

https://fs30.formsite.com/nobarriersusa/form27/index.html

5 Tools for Seeing or Hearing Webpages More Clearly

Richard Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers has compiled a list of five tools that can help students see or hear webpages more easily. From stripping sidebar content to text-to-speech options, the apps and extensions will help those with vision or hearing disabilities.

To view the list, please visit:
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/10/5-tools-that-can-help-students-see-and.html#.VFD4KfnF9yx

IUPUI graduate wins Learning Ally National Achievement Award

According to an article in the Indiana Daily Student, Robin Kyle, a blind graduate of IUPUI, is one of 15 students across the country to receive a Learning Ally National Achievement Award. Kyle earned the award through academic work and her tireless advocacy for students like herself — those without the means to learn and read conventionally.

Read more about the award and Kyle at: http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=95894

Donation Request from the Indiana School for the Blind

Looking for a chance to donate this holiday season? A librarian at the Indiana School for the Blind has a request. Mrs. Abbott says, "I see great potential in 3-D printing allowing us to create items and representations of things like maps and even mathematical concepts so our students can experience them actually instead of only relying on a sighted person's description."

For more information, please visit: http://www.donorschoose.org/jabbott?supporters=true