Throwback Thursday Object: Early Large Type Book

ByUnknown–December 29, 2016Early Large Type Book
Our object this week continues our December holiday theme. Hall of Famer Robert Irwinstarted his career leading classes for blind students in the Cleveland publicschools in 1909. One of his many innovations was the creation of“conservation of vision” classes around 1913 for low vision students. These later became known as “sight-saving” classrooms and to facilitate hiswork, Irwin founded a publishing company to print the large type books hisstudents would need. Our object is one of Irwin’s books from theCleveland Clear Type Publishing Committee, “The First Christmas Tree,” from1926. It was printed in a 30 point san serif font, with noillustrations. It is bound in a simple green linen. The story, byAmerican religious writer HenryVan Dyke, revolves around a trip by the Christian missionary St. Boniface in the 8thcentury A.D. to tribes in Germany. Let’s just say that Marvel’s superhero Thor is the bad guy and leave it at that. But my favorite pa…Post a Comment Read More »

Throwback Thursday Object: Hellen Keller Describes One Christmas As a Student at a School for the Blind

ByUnknown–December 22, 2016Our object this weekcontinues our celebration here at APH of the holiday season. In theDecember 1906 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal, author and activist HelenKeller describes the Christmas holidays as experienced by herself and otherblind students at the Perkins Institution for the Blind in the late 19thcentury. Enjoy!

*The Ladies’ Home Journal, December, 1906

Christmas in the Dark, by Helen Keller

When I was a little girl I spent the Christmas holidays one year at the PerkinsInstitution for the Blind. Some of the children, whose homes were far away, orwho had no homes, had remained at the school. I have never known a merrierChristmas than that.
I hear some one ask: “What pleasure can Christmas holdfor children who cannot see their gifts or the sparkling tree or the ruddysmile of Santa Claus? “The question would be answered if you had seen thatChristmas of the blind children. The only real blind person at Christmas-timeis he who has not Christmas in his hea…Post a Comment Read More »

Quick Tip: Outtakes from the Cutting Room Floor. For our last Quick Tip of 2016, have a laugh with us as we enjoy some Quick Tips outtakes!

ByUnknown–December 21, 2016 Post a Comment Read More »

Get Information for and About Children Who Are Blind from Paths to Literacy

ByUnknown–December 16, 2016In this post, we wish to share a comprehensive onlineresource called Paths to Literacy that provides a wide range of information forand about children and youth who are blind, deafblind, or have multipledisabilities. Besides general information about Paths to Literacy, we also willshare a specific post to their blog written by an APH employee.
What Is Paths to Literacy?
We received the following description of Paths to Literacyfrom one of its main contributors:
Paths to Literacy http://www.pathstoliteracy.org/ isan online Community of Practice, devoted to literacy for children and youth whoare blind or visually impaired, including those with deafblindness or multipledisabilities.A collaboration betweenTexas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Perkins School for theBlind, the site offers lesson ideas, resources, tech updates, and more.The emphasis is on practical ideas that canbe used in the classroom, home or community.Topics range widely, from braille drawing to UE…Post a Comment Read More »

Throwback Thursday Object: APH Employees Standing behind an Unusually Unique Ornament

ByUnknown–December 15, 2016In honor of the holiday season, our object this week comesfrom the photograph collection of long time APH employee Jim Hill. Jimwas an amateur photographer and he loved APH and all of its variouscharacters. Before he retired a few years ago, Jim donated his hugecollection of snapshots of his coworkers and we are still going throughit. This photograph features four women standing with big smiles on theirfaces behind an impossibly ludicrous table ornament that looks straight out of“How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” It is constructed of six or sevenstriped orange boxes of gradually decreasing diameter, topped by an orange coneand a glass tree topper. The whole confection is wrapped with a string ofelectric lights and tinsel garland trimmed with tiny glass balls. Ittowers over the four women. Betty Cook, a receptionist, stands on the farleft next to office manager Jane Kent, another unidentified lady is partiallyobscured behind the table decoration—maybe she is hiding?—…Post a Comment Read More »

Quick Tip: Holiday Gift Ideas for Picky People. APH wants to help you get just the right thing for those hard-to-buy-for types on your list!

ByUnknown–December 14, 2016 Post a Comment Read More »

The Sero App: Available for Your Listening Pleasure

ByUnknown–December 09, 2016One can find a plethora of apps and websites that broadcastmusic, sports, and talk shows. Many are excellent resources providing seeminglyendless entertainment. As good as these services are, they, with just a fewexceptions, fail to include audio with a special interest to or created bypeople who are blind and visually impaired. One app seeks to change that.

Sero
Sero, formerly iBlink Radio, contains several types ofinformation and resources especially tailored to people who are blind or anyonewho wishes to know more about blindness issues and concerns. The app, developedby the assistive technology company called Serotek Corporation, offers bothfree content and paid/premium content.
History
Thanks to Serotek’s technical support, here is a briefhistory of Sero:
The iBlink Radio app was first published to the iOS AppStore in the fall of 2009. We released the first Android version in the springof 2011. In 2012, we extended the iOS version with access to the paidsubscription servic…Post a Comment Read More »

Quick Tip: Early Childhood Gift Recommendations. Baby, it’s cold outside! Speaking of babies, here are some great gift recommendations for babies and young children in your life.

ByUnknown–December 07, 2016 Post a Comment Read More »

December 2016 APH News

ByUnknown–December 05, 2016APH News
is your monthlylink to the latest information on the products, services, field tests, andtraining opportunities from the American Printing House for the Blind.
A Few of This Month’s Headlines:
Annual Meeting 2016 Photo Memory Photo AlbumNew Products: TADPOLE Interactive ImagesField Tests and Surveys, including Interactive U.S. MapOn the Road at New York State School for the BlindTreasure from the Migel: Hall of Fame Living Legends VideoSocial Media Spotlight: Throwback Thursday from the APH MuseumQuick Tips Corner: Some Favorite VideosAPH Travel Calendar and more…http://www.aph.org/newsPost a Comment Read More »

iDentifi: Object Recognition for Visually Impaired

ByUnknown–December 02, 2016Apps used to recognize objects and/or read text for peoplewho are blind and visually impaired have increased in number. We have discussedTapTapSee recently, an others exist as well.
This post details iDentifi, a new free app that attempts todescribe objects and read text for people who are blind and visually impaired.
What is iDentifi?
Anmol Tuckrel, a high school student from Toronto, Canada,began work on the app about a year ago. According to a TechCrunch article, Tuckrelwas fascinated by the possibilities of machine learning and computer vision.The app uses Google Vision, CloudSight and Google Translate, all trustedresources that can distinguish objects easily. These facts indicate thatiDentifi uses artificial intelligence to identify objects whereas apps likeTapTapSee use crowdsourcing.
Using the App
Before attempting to use the app, please note that you must be connected to the internet to use it. The app’s layout is quite easy to comprehend. Its initialscreen contains four …Post a Comment Read More »

Throwback Thursday Object: Tactile Picture of a Turkey

ByUnknown–December 01, 2016To celebrate Thanksgiving and the subsequent holidays, this week, our throwback objectcomes from our excellent collection of nineteenth century tactile prints byMartin Kunz (1847-1923). Kunz was a pioneer creator of mass-producedtactile graphics, operating out of the print shop at the Blind Institute inIllzach, Germany. He also published influential tactile scienceillustrations and maps that were used in schools for the blind across Europeand the United States. His pictures were embossed in wooden molds and—asthis one is–reinforced with varnish and plaster. The second pictureshows the Illzach printing operation with the heavy iron press and molds storedon racks. Our glorious turkey— meleagris gallopavo—is joined on theprint by fellow ground birds grouse, partridge, and guinea hen. There are print captions in French, Italian, German, and English. Thebraille captions are in German Braille.
Micheal A. Hudson
Museum Director
American Printing House for the Blind

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