US Blind Tandem Cycling Connection Website

ByMichael McCarty-January 29, 2010The website for the US Blind Tandem Cycling Connection provides an online resource for blind and sighted cyclists to team up for a bike ride. By creating a profile, riders can search for either a sighted pilot or a blind/visually impaired stoker in their local area. Profile questions help riders match up based on riding experience and cycling goals. Tandem experience is not necessary. The website provides a tutorial to teach the basics to new pilots and stokers. The US Blind Tandem Cycling Connection endeavors to increase the participation of individuals who are blind/visually impaired in the exhilarating sport of tandem cycling. Their vision is that everyone with a visual impairment has the opportunity to experience tandem cycling, with its’ feeling of freedom and sensation of speed. The US Blind Tandem Cycling Connection is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Click this link to create a profile and share the ride, visit http://bicyclingblind.org.

US Blind Tandem Cycling C…Post a Comment Read More »

HoverCam Scans Documents Quickly, Will it Work with Open Book or Kurzweil?

ByMichael McCarty-January 29, 2010The USB-powered HoverCam X500 uses a digital camera to take a snap shot of a document and is designed to replace the much bulkier traditional flatbed scanner. It takes a snapshot of the document placed beneath its lens in a split second, much like a camera, as opposed to the more drawn-out method of traditional scanners and takes up much less desktop space than a flatbed. The manufacturer, California-based Pathway Innovations and Technologies, says the HoverCam’s capabilities make scanning, faxing, emailing, archiving and organizing files a quicker, neater and more enjoyable experience.Documents are filed automatically in RIA format (Rich Internet Application), which is based and developed on Adobe Air 2.0 technology, making it very flexible. There’s an anti-skew program built-in and documents scanned on a black background can be trimmed automatically, too. Images can be dragged and dropped into folders of your choice and PDFs can be created instantly. Its compact design makes…Post a Comment Read More »

Own a Business? Then You Need Tactile Signs

ByMichael McCarty-January 28, 2010Tactile signs are a common means of communication used by people who have both sight and hearing impairment. Some methods of tactile signing are Hand-Over-Hand, Tracking, Tracing, Co-active signing, Braille signing etc. These are based on standard systems of Deaf Manual Signs. These signs are ideal for schools, colleges, offices, hospitals and public places that get a lot of human traffic. MyDoorSign.com manufactures high quality signs that are durable as well as affordable. Tactile Touch Signs available at the store are compliant with all ofthe relevant ADA regulations, and will make a facility more accessible to hearing and sight impaired people. This store provides a huge selection of tactile signs like Braille Signs, Accessibility Signs, Fire Exit Signs, Elevator Signs, Mounting Bases, and many more. The online store also offers 185 stock products for Tactile Signs. The Tactile Touch Braille Door signs include various Braille Signs and Accessibility Signs. All Braille signs a…Post a Comment Read More »

Braille Eni Puzzle

ByMichael McCarty-January 27, 2010We’re always on the lookout for games and toys modified with braille. This product comes to us from the Seen From The Heart blog and was posted by Carter.From the blog:”I bought this off of Amazon.com the other day, and decided to check it out before I posted about it. I was slightly concerned it was junk, but we really like it. It’s sold out on amazon though! I don’t know if they are getting more or what. They can also be found on this website, hopefully, some of those places have websites. Basically, this is a popular puzzle toy from Korea.There are several different versions, and one of them has braille on it. You move the pieces around the column to get them in rows, or to create a certain pattern. It’s basically like a rubix cube, only a different shape. (Since rubix cubes are easier to come by, you could just braille one of those. Mark all of the reds with a “1”, orange with a “2”, or you could associate a letter to each color. You…Post a Comment Read More »

American History In Video

ByMichael McCarty-January 27, 2010From the website:”American History in Video provides the largest and richest online collection of video available for the study of American history, 2,000 hours and more than5,000 titles on completion. The collection’s wealth of video and multiplicity of perspectives allow students and scholars to see, experience, and studyAmerican history in ways never before possible. Indexing and searchable transcripts synchronized to video give the ability to drill down in seconds to find the footage of interest from thousands of hoursof video. This collection is an exclusive collaboration with the A&E Television Networks and features some of their most important documentaries and seriesfrom The History Channel, A&E Network, and Biography. Historical coverage ranges from the lost colony of Roanoke through the 1988 Vicennes Affair inthe Persian Gulf; biographical coverage ranges from eighteenth century figures such as Benedict Arnold and Daniel Boone to modern day figures …1 comment Read More »

94 secret Windows shortcuts

ByMichael McCarty-January 27, 2010Ed Bot over at ZDNet has a list of some cool shortcuts for Windows. These are mostly for Windows 7 but may work in Vista and XP as well.”The shortcuts I’m referring to involve the shell command, which is curiously undocumented in the Windows 7 Help files or on Microsoft’s web site. The idea is to give Windows programs and users access to common locations using the Windows shell, Windows Explorer. The syntax is simple—you type shell, followed by a colon and the name of the shell folder location. That list of folder locations is hard to memorize, with lots of inconsistencies especially in regard to spacing. For example, the shell shortcut for the shared Downloads folder is shell:CommonDownloads, whereas the equivalent shortcut to the shared Documents folder is shell:Common Documents. And the command will not tolerate typos. If you add a space in the former or leave out the space in the latter, the shortcuts won’t work. The good news is that these commands are not case-sensitive, …Post a Comment Read More »

Push Button Padlock: Accessible Security for the Blind

ByMichael McCarty-January 27, 2010You’ve just started school and you need a lock for your locker. What do you usually do? I’ll bet you buy a lock from the campus bookstore or the local hardware store and the first thing you do is ask a friend to read the printed code so you know how to unlock the thing. Does this sound familiar to you? “Excuse me, but I just purchased a push button padlock. Can you please tell me what my combination is?” If you have to ask someone what the combination is, then your security may be compromised. APH to the rescue! The traditional push button padlock is now accessible. You can finally have a combination that is known only to you. Each lock comes with two large print/braille cards listing the combination, along with large print and braille instructions. Buttons eliminate the worry of losing a key. Just push five buttons and presto, you’re in! Use at school, work, or home.

Push Button Padlock:
Catalog Number: 1-03990-00
Click this link to purchase the Push Button …Post a Comment Read More »

How Better Customer Service to Special Needs Consumers Can Increase Revenues and More

ByMichael McCarty-January 26, 2010by Donna J. JodhanThis is a statement that I preach to my clients every day. If you improve your customer service to special needs consumers then there is no doubt that you will accomplish some very astounding benefits such as:You will increase your revenues,
You will expand your customer base,
You will improve your business image,
You will become the darling of your industry.Why you ask? By improving your overall customer service to special needs consumers, you will show that you truly understand your consumers. You will also show that you are not just thinking of today, but also tomorrow and way beyond. You will show that you are listening to what your consumers are demanding and not tell your consumers what they should be demanding as too many companies tend to do. For make no mistake about it! As the years roll by, special needs consumers are going to be making up more and more of your consumer base and who are those special needs consumers that I dare to mention? Sen…Post a Comment Read More »

Your MP3 Player Can Talk with Rockbox

ByMichael McCarty-January 26, 2010If you’ve been wanting to get in on the portible MP3 player craze here’s some software that will be of use.Rockbox is an open source replacement firmware for mp3 players. It runs on a number of different models and allows those MP3 players to have their own screen reader. Players currently supported include:

Archos: Jukebox 5000, 6000, Studio, Recorder, FM Recorder, Recorder V2 and Ondio
iRiver: H100 and H300 series
Apple: iPod 4th gen (grayscale and color), 5th gen (Video), Nano and Mini 1st/2nd gen
iAudio: X5 (including X5V and X5L)
Additional models are in development

Click this link to visit the Rockbox development site: http://www.rockbox.org.Brian Hartgen has created an audio presentation concerning how to install Rockbox onto an iPod.

Click this link to download the tutorial: http://www.hartgen.org/RockboxInstallIpod.mp3.Accessible Electronics, a recent entrant in the accessible MP3 market, has relaunched their website to improve accessibility. The new site offers the a…Post a Comment Read More »

Umbrella Etiquette

ByMichael McCarty-January 26, 2010Do you travel with an umbrella? If yes, the following tips will help to keep you and those around you safe during those rainy days.Use the Right Umbrella: Carry an umbrella that is appropriate for your use and proportionate to your body size. There is no rule saying you can’t own more than one umbrella: a small one for your use alone and a larger version when you are walking together with another person.
Avoid Umbrella Rage: They say it’s a jungle out there on the streets … and rainy days are even worse. Some call it “umbrella rage” as children and adults alike do battle on crowded streets, using their umbrellas as the weapon of choice. Whenever you see another person approaching, tip your umbrella away from them the other person to avoid colliding your umbrellas. Be sensitive to how the metal or plastic points sticking out at every fold may poke someone in the body or, worse, in the eye. Rain or shine, utilize just half the width of the sidewalk when walking in a group, so others ca…Post a Comment Read More »

Parents and Visually Impaired Infants (PAVII)

ByMichael McCarty-January 26, 2010Parents and Visually Impaired Infants (PAVII) is a pack of print materials designed to help parents of infants who are visually impaired become involved as primary members of the intervention team. Includes:Parent Assessment of Needs: Help identify home-based goals for infants.
Parent Observation Protocol: Covers parent observation of self and child through videotaping.
PAVII ‘How-To’ Papers on Assessment: Home-based assessment information.
The Art of Home Visiting: Responsibilities of a home visitor and issues in the home visit process.
Getting Ready for School: The learning environment, family factors, child factors, school district factors, expert input, and educational rights.
Learning Together: A Parent Guide to Socially Based Routines for Visually Impaired Infants: Help a baby learn during everyday activities (also available separately).Materials come bound in a sturdy three-ring notebook. Recommended ages: birth to 3 years, primarily for parents.

PAVII:
Catalog Number: 7…Post a Comment Read More »

Free High Quality Audio Books at AudioOwl

ByMichael McCarty-January 26, 2010AudioOwl offers an extensive collection of high quality public domain audio books. They are helpfully organized by genre, including children and teen/young adult. You can browse by genre, or search the entire site by author, title, or key words. A selected book can be “previewed” before deciding to download it. In other words, you can listen to the reader.AudioOwl offers two download options. A book can be added to iTunes as a podcast. Or, the book can be downloaded in a zipped folder that contains an MP3 file for each chapter, for use with any MP3 player. It is worth noting that some of these files are quite large and require considerable download time.I mentioned the high quality of the audio books from AudioOwl, and it really is excellent. I previewed samples from a variety of genres, and in every instance the quality of both the reading and the recording was top notch. This should come as no surprise because AudioOwl is making use of recordings from LibriVox, where each…Post a Comment Read More »

Choosing and Wearing a Bow Tie

ByMichael McCarty-January 25, 2010If there was ever a misunderstood item of male clothing, then the bow-tie is that item. Perceived as an accessory appropriate for mockery, relegated from everyday use to infrequent evening wear, the bow-tie is the symbol of a lost generation.So many people are incapable of tying their own bow tie. A fact which, in itself, shouts of a neglect for a style of necktie which has been ridiculed as much as it has been celebrated; people are as likely to associate the bow-tie with Jerry Lewis as Winston Churchill, and this unhappy result has had a marked effect on the pride of a wearer. Once deemed to be the height of artisan sophistication, if you wear a bow-tie on any occasion other than a black-tie event, ordinary people are likely to expect you to pull a bunch of flowers from your sleeve.Below are some rules and guidelines about choosing and wearing the daytime bow-tie.Self-tieThe first rule is that the bow tie you select should be one you tie yourself. No self-respecting man should…Post a Comment Read More »

Find and Share College Notes Online with Notelog

ByMichael McCarty-January 22, 2010Is College turning out to be a bit tricky for you? I do recall that my first year was difficult, if only because there was such a world of experiences and activities to go through. The actual courses weren’t that difficult, but if you mixed the obviously daunting aspect of a whole new change of scene with the increased number of responsibilities, then I think we all can agree on what makes College so difficult to begin with.As a blind student, I learned that networking with other students was the way to go. It helped me get notes, learn my way around campus, I even learned where the best places to eat were located.Notelog is the place to find, share, and create college notes! Instantly view notes and documents absolutely FREE! Have a question? They have answers! Connect with the fastest growing social network dedicated to notes, knowledge, and know-how! Everyone is an expert at something, share knowledge, answer questions, and earn money. It’s that simple!Instantly view,…1 comment Read More »

Wild Music: The Sounds and Songs of Life

ByMichael McCarty-January 19, 2010While parts of this site may not be easily accessible to someone using a screen reader, it offers the classroom teacher the chance to teach using the world of sound. Low vision students may not have as difficult a time accessing the site, there is lots of Flash content that could be difficult to figure out for someone who can’t see the graphics.Wild Music is a fun and educational website on which students can learn about sounds commonly heard in nature. Students can listen to the sounds and explore what creates those sounds. Some of the activities students will find include a game of animal audio memory in which students hear sounds and have to match them to each other. Students can find activities such as The Mosquito in which they compare their hearing to the hearing of various animals. Wild Music is a resource that could be used by both science and music teachers. Science teachers can use the site as an exploration of the sounds animals make and why they make those sounds. …Post a Comment Read More »

How to Tie Your Shoelaces

ByMichael McCarty-January 15, 2010We all learned how to tie our shoes at a very early age. I can still remember the old wooden shoe that we used to practice on at the Kentucky School for the Blind.Did you know that there are all kinds of ways to tie a shoe? After visiting this site, I couldn’t believe just how many there are.Ian’s Shoelace Site gives you graphic illustrations, and text descriptions of different ways you can tie your shoes. You won’t believe the different options you have.

Click this link to visit Ian’s Shoelace Site: http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/lacingmethods.htm.You may also find this video, from the Washington State School for the Blind helpful. If using a screen reader, press space or enter on the first button to play.Post a Comment Read More »

Social Security Benefits for Children with Disabilities

ByMichael McCarty-January 15, 2010This booklet describes the kinds of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and health benefits for a child with a disability and explains the evaluation of disability claims for children.

In English: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10026.html
In Spanish: http://www.ssa.gov/espanol/10926.html Post a Comment Read More »

Folding Clothes

ByMichael McCarty-January 15, 2010A. Folding ShirtsFirst button every other button and the cuffs, if applicable. To find the top of the shirt, put your hand inside the top of each sleeve. Shake out the shirt holding onto the top of it. Lay shirt face down on a table with the collar to the left. Pull the sleeves out to the sides smoothing out the fabric as much as possible. Bring the body of the shirt close to the edge of the table. Put the index finger side of the left hand next to the collar (right side of shirt), fingers pointing to the shirttail, and fold over right side of shirt. Fold the right sleeve lining it up lengthwise with the shirt. Repeat for left side of shirt. Bring the tail end of the shirt up to the collar to fold in half lengthwise, or fold in thirds by bringing the tail end up one third and then fold again in half. B. Folding Creased PantsBy holding the bottom of each pants leg put the seams together, making sure the inside seams are touching. Hold the bottom of the legs and put under your chin. Bri…Post a Comment Read More »

Leaders and Legends: Richard Edwin Hoover

ByMichael McCarty-January 15, 2010Richard Edwin Hoover
Inducted 2002
Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness FieldRichard Hoover (1915-1986) was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He obtained his B.S. degree in 1936 from Penn State and an M.D. from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1950 with post-graduate work at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Institute. He married Lydia in 1959 and they had two sons.In 1936 he was selected as a teacher of mathematics and physical education at the Maryland School for the Blind where he was known especially for his wrestling teams. He set up the first wrestling tournament among schools for the blind, a tradition that has continued for 40 years. Beginning in 1962 he offered ophthalmological services to students at the Maryland School for the Blind and served on the Board of Directors for the school beginning in 1973.Richard Hoover has been referred to as the “Father of the Lightweight Long Cane Technique.” In 1944 as an army sergeant, he was assigned to the center for the t…Post a Comment Read More »

How to Make a Bed Neatly

ByMichael McCarty-January 15, 2010You don’t have to be a perfectionist to keep a tidy bed. Your bed will look nice, stay clean, and be the place you would like to sleep. Putting it all together neatly at first will even make daily bed-making easier!

Start at the bottom with a dust ruffle. If your final bed cover does not go all the way to the floor, a dust ruffle will help to keep dust from collecting under the bed while providing a decorative accent. The dust ruffle goes on top of the box spring, covering the box spring and bed frame. They do not require washing as often as sheets, and should stay clean with quick and regular vacuuming.

Put on a mattress pad and any protective coverings (such as a waterproof sheet for a child’s bed). Smooth them out, running your hands outward from the middle to remove any creases or wrinkles.

Put the fitted bottom sheet in place. Pull the fitted bottom sheet elastic tightly and evenly over the mattress corners. It helps to work diagonnally from one corner to another, Smoothing …Post a Comment Read More »

Using a Flat Cooktop Stove

ByMichael McCarty-January 15, 2010Message: How do you lign up a pan on the burners of these new cooktop stoves if you are blind?I use one of these cooktop stoves and I am totally blind. First of all, you can feel that there is a texture on the otherwise smooth cooktop where the burners are located. You can use this textured area as a guide to place the pan. Once the burner is heated, you canhold your hand several inches above the cooking surface to sense where the heat is eminating from to tell if the pan is situated over the burner correctly. In other words, if you feel excess heat coming from the area to the left side of the pan you know that the pan should be moved a bit to the left. When the amount of heat you feel is pretty much the same all around the pan, it is centered on the burner. You need to do this because sometimes after you have placed the pan on the right spot it can slide a bit whilestirring the contents, etc. I have heard that there is some kind of device that uses suction cups to delineate wher…Post a Comment Read More »

Subscribe to Sites that Don’t Offer RSS Feeds

ByMichael McCarty-January 14, 2010I have so many RSS feeds that I monitor for information about blindness. Occasionally, I’ll come to a site that doesn’t offer an RSS feed. This really causes me problems, especially if the site contains good information. Now, I can create an RSS feed for these sites, and it’s very easy to setup.Feedity lets you create a fully-functional RSS feed for almost any web page. Simply copy and paste the web page URL into the provided field and click the “Preview” button. In the next step you will be able to preview and refine the generated feed. Once you’re satisfied with the results, proceed to ‘Get feed’ to add the new feed to your feedreader.

Click this link to visit http://www.feedity.com.Post a Comment Read More »

Jishaku Magnetic Board Game

ByMichael McCarty-January 14, 2010by Andrew LeibsNamed Learning Express 2009 Toy of the Year, Jishaku demands deft touch, steady hands, and good memory, making it an accessible game for the blind and visually impaired. Jishaku (Japanese for “magnet”) is a strategy game where players take turns placing game pieces (magnetic stones) on a “game base” fitted with a foam insert topped with holes.There are three ways to play Jishaku, including “I’m Out!” where players race to be the first to place all of their stones on the board—a deceptively difficult task. Like all magnets, Jishaku stones have North and South poles—but are unmarked; they look like small silver lumps, benign and boring.But holding one magnet over the game base can make every piece jump. Players feel the magnetic tug on every turn. Learning to use that pull to one’s advantage (e.g. attracting or repelling pieces without pushing them into others) is the key to mastering Jishaku. It’s not only where you place games pieces, but how.Three Ways to P…Post a Comment Read More »

The Bucks Stop Here: Keeping Track of Your Cash

ByMichael McCarty-January 14, 2010Money is an important part of life in this day and age and even though the use of electronic money, such as debit cards, is becoming more and more widespread, it is still very important to be able to identify cash.Coins can be identified by feeling the size and edges. Quarters are the largest of the commonly-used coins, followed by nickels, pennies and then dimes. You can also tell quarters and dimes by their ridges, and nickels and pennies by their smooth edges. Bills can be identified by using a special folding scheme. One such scheme is to place ones outstretched in your wallet, fives folded once lengthwise, tens folded once widthwise, and twenties folded twice, once lengthwise and once widthwise. Larger bills and two-dollar bills can be placed in separate compartments of your wallet or purse. You don’t have to use this folding scheme. There are others out there you can learn or you can invent your own. Just remember that it is important to be consistent– always use the …Post a Comment Read More »

CNN Audio Links for the Blind

ByMichael McCarty-January 14, 2010There’s so much going on in our world today. It’s hard to keep up with everything when you can’t pick up a newspaper and read the headlines. You don’t always have access to a television, especially at the office and radio signals can be difficult to receive in some buildings. You could turn to the internet but streaming video isn’t always an option. What good does video do for people who are blind anyway?CNN has two audio streams that will make keeping up with the news as simple as clicking a mouse. Audio streams of CNN Radio and CNN Television are available and stream via Windows Media. Clicking on the following links will load a page from CNN and the audio should start within a few seconds. If you have a pop-up blocker, you’ll want to insure that it is active because of advertisement pages that will try to load. You can also use the podcast link to have hourly news updates delivered to your computer or portible MP3 player.

Click this link to listen to CN…Post a Comment Read More »

World at Your Fingers

ByMichael McCarty-January 14, 2010This comprehensive set of tactile world maps provides an excellent opportunity for developing map-reading skills.World At Your Fingers features a large tactile reference map showing the major oceans and land masses of the Earth using high-contrast raised surfaces, braille and print labels, and textured lines and areas. It also shows major mountain ranges, rivers, and lines of longitude and latitude.Four additional maps are included in this set:Embossed map of the world
Raised-line world map
Sinusoidal (“orange peel”) map
Map of AntarcticaA guidebook is included with suggested uses, general principles of map instruction, extension activities, and additional resources. Recommended ages: 8+

World at Your Fingers
Catalog Number: 1-01190-00
Click this link to purchase World at Your Fingers.

American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, Kentucky 40206-0085
Toll Free: 800-223-1839
Phone: 502-895-2405
Fax: 502-899-2…Post a Comment Read More »

DVD: Raising Kids Who Are Blind

ByMichael McCarty-January 13, 2010It’s a challenge raising a confident child, especially one who also happens to be blind. An East Bay family has created a compelling DVD, sharing their early successes with a powerful message for parents of all kids. Graciela Tiscareno-Sato and her family are champions of the belief that a disability does not define a Milagro, whose name means “miracle” in Spanish. Milagro survived a premature birth at 25 1/2 weeks. Even though she’s blind, her parents committed early on to raise her with as normal a childhood as possible.Climbing walls, gymnastics — you name it. Milagro loves movement and exploring the environment around her. As she learns to navigate the world independently, it’s not Milagro, her parents worry about.”I worry about how the rest of the world will try to limit her and what she can do based on just not knowing what blind people are capable of,” said Graciela Tiscareno-Sato.That’s why Graciela is on an educational and motivati…Post a Comment Read More »

Anne Frank: the Writer and Life After the Holocaust

ByMichael McCarty-January 13, 2010Most of us have read The Diary of Anne Frank. I know that for at least my generation, it was part of the curriculum for reading when I attended school. This site looks at Anne Frank for more than just her diary. It looks into Anne Frank, the writer. She wrote short stories, essays, the beginning of a novel and even fairy tales.To begin your journey, either click Launch the Exhibition or An Unfinished Story at the top of the page. This will open in a new window and it is a fully interactive journey to discover Anne. Here you can experience more of Anne’s writing with excerpts from Eva’s Dream and Give. I found the exhibition works OK with speech, the buttons are not labeled, but you can click “proceed” at the bottom of the window to move through the various screens. It was a delight from start to finish, especially the audio clips.But wait! There’s more to this site than just the interactive exhibit. You can find navigation on both the top and the side of t…Post a Comment Read More »

Read How You Want, the Blog

ByMichael McCarty-January 13, 2010There is so much going on in the publishing industry these days, new ebook readers (each with different features), new formats of books, changes in pricing methods, etc. Accessible books publishing company, ReadHowYouWant, has a blog at www.readhowyouwant.com/blog where you can gather information on the publishing industry as well as accessibility issues. Included in the blog are profiles of publishing partners, technology news updates, book reviews, and more. ReadHowYouWant encourages readers to become a member of the publishing community by following advancements in technology, and by commenting on blog posts and news stories as often as possible. Publishers and technology companies can send announcements for possible posting to bradi@readhowyouwant.com, and are always welcome to comment on posts as well. Posts on the ReadHowYouWant blog have included:Featured Publisher Partner: Basic Health Publications
Scratch Kitten Goes to Sea reviewed by Large Print Reviews
RHYW Responds…Post a Comment Read More »

It’s RadioTime

ByMichael McCarty-January 13, 2010RadioTime, a privately held Dallas-based company, focuses on providing complete radio content and tools to help listeners quickly and easily find their favorite radio stations and personalities plus discover new ones. The radio guide includes all stations you hear on your radio as well as Internet radio. Listeners can access their favorites through their PC and other connected devices including cell phones and home entertainment centers. The site offers free, no-hassle registration so listeners can customize their radio experience for faster access each time they visit. Listeners can skip registration and enjoy all of the same benefits of listening to radio. They’ll just have to find their favorites on every visit. RadioTime has partnerships with many broadcasters to ensure you get complete and accurate station listings. Their guide powers Sonos, Logitech Squeezebox, Cisco Home Audio, and Windows Media Center, to name a few.

Click this link to listen to internet radio with http:/…Post a Comment Read More »

Add a Recycle Bin to Your Flash Drives

ByMichael McCarty-January 12, 2010If you’ve found yourself wishing that your flash drive had a recycle bin so that your portable apps and documents had the same safety net that you’re desktop files do, iBin brings recycle bin functionality to your flash drive.iBin is a small, stand-alone portable application. Place it on your flash drive and run it and create the iBin folder that will be your portable recycle bin. If you have a large flash drive with a lot of files, I suggest running it for the first time when you’re not going anywhere. iBin indexes the entire drive to build a list of files it should protect and send to the recycle bin.Once iBin has finished the initial drive index, it’s packed with some other cool features. It comes with a well written manual, but if you skip reading it at least note that in order to delete a file from the flash drive while iBin is running you’ll need to hit WIN+DEL, not just the delete key. iBin intercepts the standard delete if it is performed on a file it has indexed. All file…Post a Comment Read More »

Labels That Can’t Talk

ByMichael McCarty-January 11, 2010by Donna J. JodhanYou got it! Labels cannot talk to me whenever I need to know the contents of a can, box, or anything else. In general, I am able to tell the contents of a box usually by its size and sound. That is, when I shake it. For example, a box of cereal is bigger than a box of shake and bake. However, when it comes to those cans and tins, that’s when the fun begins. Being able to read and decipher labels is one of the biggest problems for me. Not only do I often have difficulty deciphering the contents of a tin, can, or box. It extends to being able to read the label itself. That is, knowing the description of the contents of the package in question. Two irritants; being able to read the ingredients on the package and knowing the actual contents of the package. My woes often extend to being able to read labels on other types of packages and this includes CDs, labels on electronic products, and so on. Labels can not talk so I need to get sighted assistanc…Post a Comment Read More »

Textured Pegs

ByMichael McCarty-January 07, 2010Helps develop fine motor skills, manual dexterity, and grasp/release skills, reinforcing concepts of direction and position. Includes a 12-hole board and 12 large textured pegs. Print instructions. Recommended ages: 1 to 6 years.Textured Pegs:
Catalog Number: 1-08930-00
Click this link to purchase APH’s Textured Pegs.

APH Shopping Home: http://shop.aph.org Post a Comment Read More »

Braille Blocks for Babies

ByMichael McCarty-January 06, 2010These classic ABC blocks from Uncle Goose are available in braille. Great for families with visually-impaired members, parents or children. These blocks are admired by teachers for the use of lower-case letters. The European style font makes this set not only functional because it is easily traced by little fingers, but attractive as well.The Braille Math set of 16 blocks is embossed with numbers and math symbols (+, -, =) using the Braille Nemeth code. On two sides of each block a number or symbol is impressed into the block along with the corresponding Braille cell and a series of dots to represent the number. A great companion to our Braille alphabet block set. Ages 2 & up.Uncle Goose also offers multiple alphabets, including Greek, Danish, Spanish and Russian. They even have a replacement service, because these aren’t the sort of toys where you simply shrug if you lose a piece: they’re just too nice.

Uncle Goose Toys
PO Box 1355
Grand Rapids, MI 49501-1355
Toll Fr…Post a Comment Read More »

Liblouis: a Free Braille Translator

ByMichael McCarty-January 06, 2010Liblouis is an open-source braille translator and back-translator. It features support for computer and literary braille, contracted and uncontracted translation for many, many languages (Arabic, Armenian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Finish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Icelandic, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Norwegian, Slovakian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Welsh) and has support for hyphenation. New languages can easily be added through tables that support a rule or dictionary based approach. Included are also tools for testing and debugging tables.Liblouis also supports math braille (Nemeth and Marburg). The formatting of braille is provided by the companion project liblouisxml.Liblouis has features to support screen-reading programs. This has led to its use in two Open Source screenreaders, NVDA and Orca. It is also used in some commercial assistive technology applications, from V…Post a Comment Read More »

Connect Your iPod to a TV

ByMichael McCarty-January 06, 2010Using iPod’s “TV-out” feature, you can view slideshows and videos from your iPod on a TV screen. There are a couple ways to do this depending on what kind of accessories you want to buy. These steps will walk you through ways you can connect a TV to an iPod.Using the iPod AV CableUse the Apple iPod AV cable. This plugs into the RCA ports on your TV or VCR and is by far the easiest method.Connect the AV cable into your iPod. Plug the small end into the iPod where the earbuds would go.
Connect the red RCA plug. This goes into the right audio input of the television or VCR. The colors should match.
Connect the white RCA plug. This plugs into the left audio input of your TV. Connect the yellow RCA plug. This goes into the video input of your TV.
Begin playing a video on the iPod.Using the iPod DockFind the right input on your TV. First, try channel 3 or 4. Next, find an “Input” or “Video” button on your TV or remote and scroll through the options until …Post a Comment Read More »

Powerful Ultra Slim Magnifying Lamp from the Daylight Company

ByMichael McCarty-January 05, 2010The Daylight Company has introduced the Daylight Ultra Slim XR, a new generation professional grade magnifying lamp ideal for low-vision users. Featuring powerful, flicker-free daylight-quality light, the Ultra Slim Magnifying Lamp XR (U22080) can be used at home or in a work environment. The proprietary Free Motion Head-Joint combined with the lightweight XR lens make it easy to position and secure using just one hand, while the distortion-free, high-transparency biconvex XR magnifying lens provides the advantages of a traditional glass lens without their inconveniences.The stylish and sleek lamp uses the powerful, flicker-free Daylight energy saving tube that delivers the equivalent of 150 watts of daylight quality light while using just 28 watts of electricity. A contrasting red on-off button is easy to find and use.Specifications:Ultra Slim Magnifying Lamp XR Powerful 28w Daylight energy saving tube (150w equiv.)
Unique crystal clear 7” XR lens to see more of your work …Post a Comment Read More »

Footnote.com: The place for original historical documents online

ByMichael McCarty-January 04, 2010From the site:”Footnote helps you find and share historic documents. We are able to bring you many never-before-seen historic documents through our unique partnerships with The National Archives, the Library of Congress and other institutions.Our patented digitization process is helping bring other collections to life on the web everyday. Footnote is more than just a dusty, digital archive online. We provide you the tools to share your historical passions and connect with others.Footnote is perfect forHistory Buffs
Genealogists
Researchers
Family Historians
Military Historians
TeachersIn January of 2007, Footnote.com goes live with over 5 million documents already featured on the site. Today we continue to grow and bring to life history that was once hidden.

Click this link to visit http://www.footnote.com.Post a Comment Read More »

Quickly Access Settings and Features with the Windows 7 GodMode

ByMichael McCarty-January 04, 2010Who wants to navigate through tons of menus and links to find the various settings and cool features in Windows 7? Because it’s so different than Windows XP, many users get lost when trying to find settings that used to exist in the Control Pannel.“GodMode”, a term devised by the Microsoft development team, whichprovides a single place to access all Windows settings without needing to browse options and folders in the Control Panel may be an easier way for blind and visually impaired users to find what they need more quickly.To use it:Create a new folder in a convenient place like the Desktop.
Rename the folder to GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} (note that you can change the “GodMode” text, but the following period and code number are essential).
The folder icon will change, double click it to show the GodMode window.The trick appears to work on both the 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows 7. Vista 32-bit and Windows Server 2008 32-bit should also work. However…Post a Comment Read More »More posts Powered by Blogger

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