Vision WeblettersVision Webletter …a potpourri of items of interest to everyone. Feel free to share it with your colleagues and others you feel would find the information useful. As 2003 begins, we extend our sincerest wish for happiness, good health, peace, and prosperity for you and your loved ones.
1. Assistive Technology Specialists Certification An open forum to discuss the background, current needs, pros, cons, and next steps in certification for assistive technology specialists who work with blind and visually impaired people will be held from 10:00 - 12:15 on Saturday, January 18, 2003 during the Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference 2003 in Orlando, Florida, January 15-18, 2003. For further information, contact Anthony R. Candela, American Foundation for the Blind, 111 Pine Street, Suite 725, San Francisco, CA 94111. Tel: 415.392.4845. E-Mail: tcandela@afb.net. Information about the ATIA Conference can be found at http://www.atia.org. 2. International BiOptic Driving Conference July 4-6, 2003 are the dates for an extremely important conference to be held at the Mark Masons' Hall, 86 St. James Street, London SW1A 1PL. Organized by the BiOptic Driving Network (BDN) and the International Society for Low-Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ISLRR), this conference is designed to: 1. Stimulate discussion regarding formalized BiOptic Driving among national driver licensing authorities, legislative authorities, advocacy groups, eyecare specialists, vision rehabilitation centers, driving schools, and insurance companies. 2. Advance and stimulate research on the utility and safety of BiOptics. This includes but is not limited to the development, implementation and validation of standardized low vision driver screening, training and assessment, and testing practices of BiOptic driver applicants. Attendees will include adults with low vision, low vision associations and organizations, clinical low vision specialists, medical and paramedical professionals, driving education training instructors, orientation and mobility professionals, and representatives of national governments driver licensing personnel. Qualified individuals wishing to submit free papers are encouraged to send abstracts for review by e-mail to rjose@uh.edu or fax to +44.7801.789576 no later than March 1, 2003. Acceptance notification will be sent by April 1, 2003. BiOptics and Driving related topics include, but are not limited to:
The Conference Program Committee Head is Randall Jose, OD, FAAO, Director, Center for Sight Enhancement/University Eye Institute, University of Houston/College of Optometry, 505 J. Davis Armistead Bldg. Houston, TX 77204-2020 USA. Tel: 713.743.0799. Fax: 713.743.0190. Other members are: Dr. Aart C. Kooijman, Professor, Visio Chair of Videology, Director of the Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology, Clinical Physicist Vision Rehabilitation, Groningen, The Netherlands.(Joint Editor-in-Chief (V.I.R.); Dr. Anne L. Corn, Professor of Special Education, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Cornelis A. Verezen, BSc.Optom., FAAO, ERGRA Low Vision, The Netherlands. Low vision specialist at University of Nijmegen, Leiden, Amsterdam (VUMC), Rotterdam, and the Rotterdam Eye Hospital; Eli Peli, MSc, OD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Consultant in Optometry, Department of Ophthalmology, VA Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; and John Collins, BA, CQSW, Wessex Sight Centre, Salisbury District Hospital, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK. For complete information regarding conference fees, pre-registration deadlines, and program schedule, visit http://www.BiOpticDriving.org. 3. Approval Given for Initial Treatment of Elevated Eye Pressure On December 23, 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the once-daily prescription eye drop XALATAN(r) (latanoprost ophthalmic solution), produced by Pharmacia Corporation, as an initial treatment for elevated eye pressure associated with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. XALATAN is the first and only prostaglandin with a first-line indication for the treatment of elevated eye pressure (intraocular pressure or IOP) in all three major markets: the United States, Europe and Japan. Effective first-line treatment becomes even more important in light of recent studies that have further emphasized the importance of early treatment. Elevated IOP represents a major risk factor for vision loss with glaucoma; the higher the level of IOP, the greater the likelihood of optic nerve damage and visual field loss. XALATAN was introduced in the United States in 1996 as the first prostaglandin-based IOP-lowering medication. The FDA initially approved the medication for second-line use. Second-line usage meant XALATAN could be prescribed to reduce elevated IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension who were intolerant of other IOP-lowering medications or who did not have a sufficient reduction in IOP in multiple measurements using another IOP-lowering medication. The first-line indication is supported by five-year XALATAN safety data submitted to the FDA. XALATAN studies have shown that it provides unsurpassed IOP reduction and has a well-established safety and tolerability profile. Therefore, administered once daily, it lowers IOP by increasing the rate at which fluid flows out of the eye. The most commonly reported side effects in eyes of patients treated with XALATAN for six months in clinical studies include blurred vision, burning and stinging, eye redness, the feeling that something is in the eye, eye itching, darkening of eye color and irritation of the clear front part surface of the eye. XALATAN can slowly increase the amount of brown eye color, can darken eyelids and eyelashes, and increase the growth of eyelashes in the treated eye. Color changes can increase as long as XALATAN is administered; eye color changes are likely to be permanent. Glaucoma affects approximately 3 million people in the United States and 67 million people worldwide. Too much pressure in the eye can gradually damage the optic nerve, causing the loss of vision, and potential blindness. 4. Chip Could Restore Vision Researchers in the United States, including some at the University of California, are developing a microchip that has the potential to restore sight to some who have lost it. The chip is implanted in the eye using a flexible silicon that stimulates undamaged retinal cells. Those cells transmit impulses to the brain, allowing the eye to "see." Researchers have started work on what they call a second-generation implant, with many more electrodes than the prototypes. The prototypes have 16 electrodes, sufficient for patients to detect light. The next-generation implant will have 1,000 electrodes, enough to discern shapes. Successful tests have been conducted three times on dogs, and those involved in the research said a human implant could be ready within three years. 5. ZoomText 8.0 If you are using screen magnification and would like to also have a built-in complete screen reader, your wish will soon be a reality as ZoomText 8.0 from Ai Squared is now in beta testing. When it is released it will be the very best of both worlds. With ZoomText 8 access to documents, spreadsheets, web pages and e-mail will be faster, easier and more accurate than ever before. New features include:
For a limited time, if you are a registered user of ZoomText 7, you can purchase a Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA) today, and not only have the latest software updates automatically delivered right to your door but you will also receive ZoomText 8.0 for free! Call Ai Squared for details at 800.859.0270. 6. Accessible Cordless Phones On January 8, 2003 Panasonic announced the expansion of accessibility features important to blind, visually and hearing impaired individuals throughout its 2003 cordless telephone line. The popular Model KX-TG2258S and other of its 2003 digital cordless phones feature Talking Caller ID so an audible announcement can be heard through a speakerphone on the handset as well as on the base unit. This means there is no need to refer to the LCD display of the caller's name and number. Other improved accessibility features include:
Kudos to Panasonic, a company dedicated and continually striving to explore and utilize new technologies in order to bring freedom and independence to consumers with disabilities. Information about its accessibility programs and products is available at at http://www.panasonic.com/accessibility, by e-mail at consumerproductsWpanasonic.com, by phone at 800.211.7262, or by TTY at 877.833.8855. 7. Looking for DVDs with Description? The Media Access Group at WGBH advises they have provided description, or description and audio navigation (talking menues) for a few DVDs. They are available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Shop PBS (pbs.org).
In addition, although not provided by the Media Access Group, a description track is available on the DVD release of Moulin Rouge. Coming Soon:
Would you like to have more DVDs described? The most effective way to encourage those in the film and home entertainment industry to provide description is for these companies to hear directly from consumers. If they hear directly from prospective customers, they'll know the audience is out there waiting to buy their product as soon as they make it accessible. All of us are encouraged to become an advocate for getting description on DVDs, home video or first-run motion pictures. Consider writing to one or more of the major film studios. A studio contact list is posted on the Web at http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/studios.html Copies of letters or email can also be sent to the Media Access Group and they will see that they reach the right person at the given studio. Contact: Mary
Watkins, Media Access Group at WGBH. Tel:
617.300.3700. E-Mail: mary_watkins@wgbh.org 8. New MP3 Player with Voice Recognition Odyssey 1000, manufactured by e.Digital, features 20GB of storage, USB 2.0 connectivity, and voice-recognition technology that lets you navigate menus by speaking. In addition to playing MP3 and WMA audio files, it also has an FM tuner, a digital voice recorder with built-in microphone, and the technology to act as an add-on hard drive to your PC. By using the included Music Explorer software to transfer albums from your PC to the unit, you can then verbally request music by artist or track title. Odyssey requires no voice training: It works right out of the box. However, users who prefer to access their music by hand can scroll through their collection using the scroll wheel and the backlight blue-green LCD. The unit is 2.9 inches wide, 4.3 inches tall, and 0.9 inches thick. It weighs 8.2 ounces. An Odyssey will come with a variety of music files from e.Digital's WeDigMusic.com Internet music site. Cost: $349. Contact: e.Digital Corporation, 13114 Evening Creek Drive - South, San Diego, CA 92128. Tel: 858.679.1504. Fax: 858.486.3922. E-Mail: info@edig.com Web: http://www.wedigmusic.com 9. James Patterson's Newest Book To Be Released As Audio E-Book Through the combined partnership of Time Warner AudioBooks, Dolphin Computer Access, and AFB Talking Books, best selling author James Patterson will release his new novel, The Jester, in March of this year as an audio e-book in conjunction with its standard print, audio and e-book releases. This will be the first commercially available audio e-book. The prototype for this audio e-book was "I Have A Dream" from A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was also produced and released by Time Warner AudioBooks in association with Intellectual Properties Management, Inc. and AFB Talking Books and demonstrated to former President Bill Clinton on September 21, 2000. This audio e-book of The Jester will be available on an additional CD included in the unabridged CD audiobook version, available from Time Warner AudioBooks. The new technology used to produce audio e-books allows people to enjoy books in a unique and exciting way. Readers can display the text of the book on the computer screen, fully synchronized with the audio of a professional narrator, or they can switch back and forth between the text and the audio. This ability to toggle between print and audio versions of the same work increases the functionality and accessibility to consumers. There is particular broad appeal for travelers and commuters who may wish to read the text and listen to the audio independently or simultaneously depending on their environment. Those who are blind, visually impaired, or dyslexic may access the text via audio or on the screen in large print or in braille. Additionally, the user's experience is enhanced with features such as the search function, in which the entire text and audio may be searched for keywords and phrases. 10. NLS Developing Internet Audio Magazine Delivery NLS is preparing to launch a pilot program this year to test the delivery over the Internet of digital audio magazines presented in real human speech. A small group of eligible readers will be selected to participate in the program, working closely with the NLS engineering group to develop a successful system. NLS director Frank Kurt Cylke summarized the undertaking: "As our engineering group began to demonstrate the capability of digital audio technology, NLS realized that it might be able to make use of these features to deliver digital versions of magazines to program users. The magazine program offers the right combination of relatively small audio files, the need for direct, timely delivery to users, and an existing delivery system - the web." While intended to lead one day to a fulltime, full-scale Internet delivery system, the project's more immediate function is to serve as a tool for experiment and exploration in NLS's massive decade-long transition to digital technology. John Bryant, head of NLS's Production Control Section, who will direct the effort, has said "We plan to use web delivery of human-voice audio magazines to test the use of the ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2002 standard to learn more about digital audio delivery in preparation for the more challenging audio books, with significantly larger files, that we will be producing in the future." The standard in question, recently adopted by the National Information Standards Organization and the American National Standards Institute, defines the format and content of the electronic file set by which a digital talking book is organized. At present, forty-four magazines are produced and issued on audio cassettes; they reach subscribers by mail. The range of interests represented is broad, including such titles as Analog Science Fiction, Ebony, Smart Computing, National Review, Sports Illustrated, Cricket, the New York Times Book Review, and magazines in Spanish, French, and German. 11. ENTRY POINT 2003 Internships ENTRY POINT 2003, a program sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), offers outstanding opportunities for paid internships for undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who are pursuing technical careers. Internships for 2003 are available throughout the country at NASA centers and in private industry, including IBM, Texas Instruments, JPMorganChase, and the National Science Foundation. Since these opportunities fill up early, eligible students must apply NOW. Eligibility Requirements:
Go to http://www.entrypoint.org for more information. 12. PortaBooks®: An Overview The following overview is a response to readers questions about the PortaBooks produced by National Braille Press. Definition Hardware
Requirements
Loading A
PortaBook
Software
Required With A Notetaker Software
Required With A Computer PortaBook With A
Computer and Speech PortaBook versus
Web-Braille
Contents of a
PortaBook Disk
Memory or Space
Requirements PortaBooks
Available
For more information, contact: National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115-4302. Tel: 800.548.7323 or 617.266.6160. Ext. 20. 13. Bookshare.org Now Offers Embossed Braille Books Through partnership with Braille Institute Press, it's now possible to order hard-copy braille books from Bookshare.org without having to be a subscriber. Anyone can choose books from Bookshare's online collection of more than 10,000 electronic books and have them embossed and proofread. To obtain a book in hard-copy braille, visit http://www.bookshare.org, select the embossed braille option, and submit payment online. The book order and any proofreading requested are transmitted to Braille Institute and the completed book will be mailed directly to the customer. Complete pricing and ordering information are provided online. However, it should be noted that non-members of Bookshare.org will be charged an additional $10 per book. For complete information, contact: The Braille Press at http://www.braillepress.org, or Jane Simchuk at Bookshare, 650.475.5440, Ext.13. 14. Musical Audio Quizzes Online Have you checked out the 7 musical quizzes that the UK Audio Network has on its web site? All quizzes contain music clips, with questions relating to them, and all have their own rolls of honor for you if you complete them. You will find a category that suits your musical taste: 1. General Knowledge Just go to http://www.yrguk.com/entertainment/music_split.htm>www.yrguk.com/entertainment/music_split.htm and Enjoy! 15. New List for Blind PDA Device Users Users of PDA devices, such as the BrailleNote, Pack Mate, Elba or any other blind-friendly PDA that might be introduced in the future, are invited to join a new discussion list designed to stimulate the exchange of ideas about anything and everything associated with these PDA devices. If you are interested, just send a blank e-mail message to BlindPdaDevices-subscribe@topica.com You will then receive an automatic confirmation request message. Just reply to that message and you will begin receiving messages from the list. As with any of these lists, you can unsubscribe whenever you wish. If you have questions, contact the list moderator, Dan, at dnkeys@sbcglobal.net 16. Blind-Side Discussion List If you enjoy discussing a wide variety of news, opinions and general chat beyond blindness matters, you are invited to join Blind-Side. Just send a blank e-mail to blind-side-subscribe@smartgroups.com The moderator, Will Smith, has advised that this list has just moved from Topica to Smart Groups. If you have questions, contact him at wilsmith@iglou.com 17. NCD Releases Two ADA Policy Briefs The National Council on Disability (NCD) released two additions to the ongoing policy brief series analyzing and responding to certain problematic aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. On October 30, NCD released A Carefully Constructed Law, which responds to the Court's perception that the ADA was not carefully considered nor carefully written and thus contains uncertainties and ambiguities. The paper explains how Congress considered, negotiated, and fine-tuned the ADA before enacting it, and describes the 25 years of methodical congressional study that preceded the passage of the Act. On November 15, NCD released Significance of the ADA Finding That Some 43 Million Americans Have Disabilities. This policy brief examines the sources of the 43 million figure, the congressional understanding behind its inclusion in the ADA, how the Supreme Court has used the figure in its decisions, and problems with the Court's interpretation of the figure. After completing this series of policy briefs, NCD will develop legislative proposals to address the issues that appear appropriate for legislative correction. NCD will present its legislative proposals, along with pertinent supportive material from the policy briefs, in a final, comprehensive report, Righting the ADA. The policy briefs and all NCD publications can be found at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/02publications.html. 18. Window-Eyes Training GW Micro is offering training on the use of Window-Eyes in Fort Wayne, IN February 20 and 21, 2003. This 2-day training will provide the foundation needed to use your computer with confidence as it covers Basic and Intermediate skills. Trainees may elect to enroll in one or both day's classes. Cost Per Day: $250 if you provide your own computer; $350 if GW Micro provides the computer. To register online, go to http://www.gwmicro.com/training and select the training registration link. The confirmation code needed when registering for these classes is IN0203. Contact: GW Micro, Inc., 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825. Tel: 260.489.3671. Fax: 260.489.2608. Web: http://www.gwmicro.com
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