To access Closed Captioning, roll your mouse over the arrow in the lower right corner of the video and click the “CC” button.
Feb 042010
Farming is dangerous work. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, approximately 120,000 farm related injuries occur each year. Thanks to the AgrAbility Project, assistance is available to anyone working in the field of agriculture with a disability. Services provided include on-site visits, assessments, training, and technical assistance. Assistive technology, such as extra steps and handholds for a tractor, is also made available.
Tractor
Who qualifies for the program? The AgrAbility Project helps anyone who suffers from physical, cognitive, or illness-related disabilities. Some of these include cerebral palsy, arthritis, hearing impairment, back injury, diabetes, visual impairment, and cancer. 27 states have their own State Projects with the same 3 objectives:
- Provide education to build service capacity with health, farm and government service providers on accommodating disabilities and preventing secondary injuries.
- Expand program capacity through networking activities of mutually sharing information and resources with non AgrAbility individuals and organizations.
- Provide farmers with disabilities consultative services and technical assistance that increases the likelihood the farmer can continue to farm successfully; such as, modifying or adapting the agricultural operation, buildings, equipment, and/or tools.
Indiana’s state project operates under the Breaking New Ground Outreach Program (BNG). The BNG staff spread awareness of their programs by exhibiting at health fairs, field days, and machinery shows. They have a Rural Assistive Technology Demonstration Van fully equipped with adaptive aids for improving independence, support group meetings, and more. To get in touch with the BNG program, call (800) 825-4264 or email them at bng@ecn.purdue.edu.
Feb 032010
Did you remember to take your pills today? Whether you’ve got a cognitive impairment or are just plain forgetful, assistive technology can help you stay on track with your medication. Here are a few adaptive aids we have available at the INDATA Loan Library.
Pill Organizer
Pill Organizer – This tray will hold a week’s worth of medication, up to four doses a day. Each compartment is labeled both in print and braille with the day of the week as well as the time of day (Morn, Noon, etc).
MedReady Medication Pill Box Reminder – The manufacturers of this handy device have thought of everything! Not only does this pill tray have 28 different compartments for nearly a month’s worth of medication, it has an alarm! When the alarm sounds, a little window slides open for you to access your pills. You can set the alarm to go off once, twice, three times, or four times a day, and the alarm volume is adjustable.
Voicemate – This portable device monitors blood glucose and will also identify insulin vials. It talks its user through the process of pain-free testing and identifies vial labels. Very easy to use for those with low vision.
Talking Watch – If you don’t necessarily need a container for your medication, a talking watch is a great reminding tool. Set an alarm for whatever time you need to take your medication and hear the time announced by a clear female voice with the touch of a button.
If you found these items intriguing, come see what else we have in store for you at the INDATA Loan Library!
Feb 022010
Example of a YouTube video with captions
After reading and blogging about the Automatic Captions that have recently become available for YouTube videos, we were eager to try them ourselves. It turned out to be a little more work than we expected, but the end results were very satisfying. One of the biggest problems we encountered was that we found less information than expected on going through the actual process of adding captions. We’ve decided to share what we learned so you know what to expect and what worked for us.
Feb 022010
We’ve all had it happen to us – you visit a website but you are instantly thrown off by the bouncing advertisement that just won’t seem to leave the screen. While it might be easy for a person who has no visual impairment to find that tiny “x” and close the ad, those who use screen magnification programs might have difficulty tracking the flying ad down.
You can download plug-ins to your browser that will block these advertisements from popping up on your screen.
For Google Chrome, download Privoxy. Once you download it, follow these instructions for installation.
If you are a Firefox user, download the AdBlock Plus plug-in.
For those who run Internet Explorer, download the newest version IE7pro, which has many built-in features to block advertisements. You can read this extensive tutorial on the browser’s ad blocking properties.
Feb 012010
To access Closed Captioning, roll your mouse over the arrow in the lower right corner of the video and click the “CC” button.
Jan 292010
Trekker Breeze
Imagine that you are on vacation, visiting a city that you’ve never been to. You want to leave your hotel and walk around to the local shops and restaurants. You’re not sure where to go or what to do, but you want to make it an adventure. And – you’re blind.
Most people might think that it would be impossible for someone who is blind to navigate around familiar buildings or public areas, let alone places that they have never been before. Yet advances in technology have allowed for people with disabilities to enhance their independence.
Enter the Trekker Breeze, a GPS system from Humanware. Breeze can tell you what the street names are at an intersection, how large the intersection is, and names of businesses. For instance, if you are on a bus, Breeze will tell you what the intersections are when you reach them so you know when it is your stop.
You can also record your own landmarks into the Breeze for routes you take often. Maybe you want to make a note that there is a bench at an intersection or where bus stops are.
Breeze weighs only 7 ounces and is small enough to fit in your pocket. It has a built-in speaker with volume adjustment and eight hours of battery life.
Humanware has a great demonstration video that shows a person using the product. Would you like to get your hands on this device? Check it out from the INDATA loan library or contact Carol Girt (cgirt@eastersealscrossroads.org or 888-466-1314) for a device demonstration!
Jan 272010
Her story is one that begins with a love of art and ends with a return to independence.
Justine Horlander is an Indianapolis native diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa Inversa. It is a disease that she was already familiar with. Her mother, grandmother and eight-year-old son, Nathan, all have some form of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), an optical disease caused by damage to the retina with symptoms including loss of peripheral vision. But Justine has the inversed form of RP that causes, instead, central vision loss. A 1989 graduate of Herron School of Art with an emphasis in graphic design and illustration, Justine’s artistic abilities were challenged and creativity halted with the onset of RP. Her eye doctor encouraged Justine to work with Easter Seals Crossroads, thus beginning her journey into the world of assistive technology.
Easter Seals Crossroads introduced Justine to her first piece of assistive technology — the CCTV. It uses a video camera to magnify an image, which is then seen on a monitor. Finally in 1994, Justine was able to continue her work in photography with the CCTV. She not only can look at her photos, but also can read mail, recipes and phone lists.
In 2009 when she started working with Belva Smith, Training Coordinator in the Assistive Technology Department at Easter Seals Crossroads, Justine was introduced to ZoomText — software that is used to
magnify what is seen on a computer screen. With ZoomText, Justine can now send e-mails, plan for her family’s vacation to Croatia and organize her thousands of photos.
Before assistive technology, Justine had to put her work on hold whenever someone wasn’t around to help. Now, she can use her CCTV and ZoomText on her computer to help her son with homework, produce her
art and do many other things that people without RP can do.
Justine is extremely grateful for her assistive technology and to Easter Seals Crossroads — this combination gave her back her work, her passion and her life.
This story was first premiered in the INDATA Winter 2009 Newsletter, which you can read as a tagged PDF. Interested in a demonstration of low vision products? Send an email to Carol Girt, device demo pro, at cgirt@eastersealscrossroads.org or call 888-466-1314.
Jan 262010
2010 Center for Assistive Technology Poster Retreat & Innovation Networking Session
WHAT: Information‐sharing and networking event for individuals interested in learning more and advancing the diverse and rewarding field of assistive technology.
WHEN: March 26, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Discovery Park, Mann Hall at Purdue University
WHY: To foster discussions regarding what is being done, what could be done, and raise awareness of the sciences and skills applicable to advancing assistive technologies.
WHO: Any faculty, student, researcher, entrepreneur with interests that may support, empower, or advance assistive technologies or devices.
Open to anyone who would like to attend with or without a poster display.
To register a poster or for more information:
http://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/rche/ or contact Mary Schultz at schultm@purdue.edu, 765‐494‐9828
Jan 252010
To access Closed Captioning, roll your mouse over the arrow in the lower right corner of the video and click the “CC” button.
