CTEBVI conference offerings of interest to families of children with visual impairments, Thursday April 11 and Friday April 12
Anne Ward
Parent/Family appropriate workshops for 2019 CTEBVI conference
Pre-conference workshops
8:00 AM
4/11/19
California School for the Blind
PreConference
Adrian Amandi
Director of the Education Resource Center
California School for the Blind
Attend the California School for the Blind (CSB) in Fremont for a day full of learning and fun. A bus will take pre-conference participants from the conference hotel to Fremont at 8:00 a.m. Participants are also welcome to meet at CSB at 9:00 a.m. Students will welcome guests with a breakfast goodies and drinks that the students will prepare and serve. Attendees will have the opportunity to eat blindfolded after a quick demonstration and how-to provided by students and staff. The day will include insights and views of our classrooms and programs including a blindfolded adventure/tour through campus where participants will get a unique tour of our school with a discussion of the impact on student learning and the advantages of students attending a school for the blind for part of their school career. During lunch, which will be available for purchase from our student run Rocket Shot Café, our Assessment team will present on how to best serve students with multiple impairments, cognitive delays, and limited communication. After lunch the tour will continue including a stop through our technology lab where participants will get a glimpse into our cutting edge approaches to teaching coding, engineering, and more. No trip through the lab would be complete without being challenged with screen reader and note-taker assignments (of course supported by our technology team and currently available resources). We’ll stop through our Low Vision Clinic and Classroom, student run thrift store, daily living skills classrooms, and occupational therapy room. In the dorms and apartments, we’ll engage about independent living skills assessments. Finally, participants will be welcomed at the end of the day to participate in blindfolded APE activities, or watch and enjoy, as your colleagues get adventurous. A bus will return conference participants to Burlingame at 4:00 p.m.
2:30 PM
4/11/19
Restoring a Gunky Perkins Brailler to Health
PreConference
Chester Goodale
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Madera County Superintendent of Schools
Did you know that most braillers that “need repair” only need to be cleaned and oiled to be restored to service? At this workshop we will walk you through the steps to clean and oil your dirty, gummy brailler. Bring a brailler from your office or come practice on one of ours! Participants will also receive a kit containing screwdrivers, brushes, oils, and a cleaning cloth.
12 remaining
Welcome Reception Thursday 7 - 9 pm Included
Friday, April 12
Breakfast Buffet 7:30 - 8:30 am (Guest) $35.00
9:00 AM
Ask the CSB Multidisciplinary Assessment Team: Questions & Consultations
This is your opportunity to have questions about your most complicated students answered! The CSB Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (TVI, O&M, Psych, SLP) is available for individual consultations regarding assessments and programming, particularly for students with additional disabilities. Sign up for a 30 minute consultation between 9:00am and 4:30pm on Friday! Copy this link into your browser to schedule your time: https://doodle.com/poll/ix8xi6xg6vgtfskc Included
Limited attendance
100 Series Workshops Friday, April 12, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
104 What’s Available in Assistive Technology for Students with Visual Impairments
Adrian Amandi (Director of the Education Resource Center, California School for the Blind);
Max Avendano (Adult Life Skills Classroom Teacher, California School for the Blind);
Kate McGrath (Applied Academics Classroom Teacher, California School for the Blind);
Samantha Peterson (Mainstream High School Teacher, California School for the Blind)
Tech has become ubiquitous in education. Students with visual impairments have come to rely on technology to participate in classes and be independent at home and leisure activities. Integrating technology into a student’s daily routine will reinforce and support their acquisition of skills and level the playing field with their typically developing peers. Staff from the California School for the Blind will share multiple perspectives on how tech is used with their students. This presentation targets all members of the educational team including families. All participants will be provided an extensive resource outlining assistive technology resources in our field.
106 Making the Braille Grade--One High School Student's Success with Braille Technology Part 1
Peter Tucic (Brand Ambassador Blindness Products, University of Illinois Chicago);
Taylor Cox (Blind Student, Huntington Beach Unified School District);
Kevin Hughes (HumanWare - West Regional Manager, Metropolitan State College of Denver)
Taylor Cox is a blind high school student in Southern California. She uses her BrailleNote Touch and other tools to communicate with teachers and access important curriculum to keep pace in a connected classroom. The session will focus on common tasks that Taylor encounters every day and how different pieces of technology may be used to accomplish an assignment. The session will compare/contrast a notetaker and braille display to identify the efficiencies, or lack thereof, of each. HumanWare Product Specialist Peter Tucic will join Taylor acting the part of a blind teacher to facilitate the work flow of the challenging needs of the day. We will look at power point access, looking up definition of words, copying to a word document and sharing to Google Drive. We will also look at how fast the new BrailleNote Plus can access Chrome and Google Classroom. We may even look at the fun parts of social media!
107 Everyone Can Code! Creating Accessible Coding Opportunities for All Students
Vanessa Herndon (Campus Technology Teacher, California School for the Blind);
Scott Jaffray (Assistive Technology Specialist, California School for the Blind);
Janette Barrios (Apple Accessibility Marketing and Community Manager, Apple, Inc.)
Come learn how to code using Swift Playgrounds! Coding is an essential skill for helping all students thrive in a technology-driven future--it unlocks creativity, develops problem-solving skills, and opens career paths. Explore this free iPad app that makes coding fun and interactive, with an accessible curriculum that lets anyone learn to read, write and teach code. Discover how students learn the Swift Programming language using VoiceOver and Zoom as they solve puzzles and move through sequential challenges. Join staff from Apple and CSB to see how easy and fun it can be to code!Please note: Although not required, participants may want to bring an iPad with the Swift Playgrounds App downloaded and ready to explore!
108 Tactile Graphics on a Shoestring--Possibly Using One
Amy Mason (Access Technology Specialist, San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.)
Tactile graphics and tactile literacy can greatly assist blind children and teens in understanding the world around them, and can be invaluable when explaining “untouchable” concepts. Parents and educators can help students grasp many new ideas with some basic principles, and some creative thinking. As such, this session is a hands-on introduction to the art and science of creating tactile learning opportunities with whatever comes to hand.
109 Which Educational Math Websites are Accessible? How Can You Access them with JAWS?
Michael Parker (Director, Access Ingenuity)
Many educational math websites such as Khan Academy provide standards-based math curricula, practice activities, videos and helpful resources for K-12 students. But which ones are accessible? This presentation will present the results of a survey of 5 educational math websites and report on the accessibility of the sites for screen reader and low vision users. Several of the sites use MathML to render accessible math and strategies will be presented to most effectively access the math content with JAWS and ZoomText Fusion.
110 IEP vs. 504 PLAN: What's the Difference?
Maureen Reardon (Retired Special Education Administrator)
Yue-Ting (Ting) Siu (Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor, San Francisco State University)
Parents are now being offered 504 plans instead of IEPs. What's the difference? Does it matter? This workshop will review the differences between 504 Plans and IEPs, and provide students, parents and educators and opportunity to review the rights of students with exceptional needs, to discuss their concerns, and to increase their awareness of special education law.
200 Series Workshops Friday, April 12, 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
202 ESL & Braille Made Easy--DBT Covers the Globe
Neal Kuniansky (Director of Marketing, Duxbury Systems, Inc.)
DBT (The Duxbury Braille Translator) can make preparing braille materials for ESL students in about the same as preparing English Braille. DBT supports well over 150 languages (adding more all the time). Use MS Word with DBT to make it easy to use the student’s native braille language; whether it be as straight-forward as German or Mandarin, Korean, Swahili, Arabic, Spanish or many other languages; along with the ESL lessons. Using language markers in your print files and understanding the difference between language styles and language tables makes it all straight-forward.
204 Digital Math Tools: Finally, more options for converting and producing accessible math
Adrian Amandi (Director of the Education Resource Center, California School for the Blind)
It has been a long time coming. Developers and software engineers have been crunching numbers for years now; we are finally at a point where students have multiple viable options for both reading and producing accessible math. While there is still plenty of room to grow, the tools available now are well worth considering and implementing both to generate math and tactile graphics but also for students to compose their work. A generation of students that are able to directly engage with their general education math teachers and peers may challenge the current stigma of math in our field.
205 Microsoft Narrator VS NVDA: Battle of the free screen readers
Arif Syed (Coordinator of the Assistive Technology Department, Hatlen Center for the Blind)
Tiffany Taylor (Assistive Technology, Braille, and ILS Instructor, Hatlen Center for the Blind)
Access to computers is constantly evolving and getting better. At the present time, not only are there a number of Screen Access Programs to choose from, but some are even free! In this presentation, we will compare and contrast the usability and features of two free screen reading programs for Windows: NVDA and Microsoft Narrator. While both provide easy access to elements on the computer screen, they differ in some key ways. Exploring the desktop environment, using the Microsoft Suite of programs, and surfing the internet, we will discover and discuss what works and what could be improved.
206 Making the Braille Grade--One High School Student's Success with Braille Technology Part 2
Peter Tucic (Brand Ambassador Blindness Products, University of Illinois Chicago)
Taylor Cox (Blind Student, Huntington Beach Unified School District)
Kevin Hughes (HumanWare - West Regional Manager, Metropolitan State College of Denver)
Part 2 of workshop described in Session 106.
207 DATA Analytics, Braille Innovations
Damian Pickering (Vice President of Sales, HIMS Inc)
Tyler Brown (National Education Director, HIMS Inc)
We hold these truths to be self-evident: braille technology tools have positively impacted braille literacy; braille literacy is positively linked to professional success. But is professional success keeping pace with rapid advances in braille technology? We will evaluate recent innovations for their potential future impact. The QBraille-XL revolutionizes input via a unique brl/QWERTY keypad with braille input and QWERTY control. The Handy Tech devices revolutionize output through Active Tactile Control by tracking student reading behaviors and generating actionable data for instructional decisions and progress monitoring. Today's state-of-the-art technology paves the way for future research and innovation.
211 Getting Paid to Change the World
Jacob Lesner-Buxton (Systems Change Advocate, Independent Living Resource Center)
Laura Millar (Queer Rights / Disability Rights Advocate, Self-Employed)
Sheela Gunn-Cushman
Community organizing is a profession that often gets overlooked when students are thinking about careers. This is due to a lack of information about the field or the assumption that the pay is not enough to live on. However, the field of community organizing can be rewarding for those students who have a passion for advocacy. In this workshop, you will hear from three people with low vision who are community organizers (both paid and unpaid) about their experiences in the field. Learn about the accommodations they use in their work and how you can prepare your students to get paid to change the world.
300 Series Meetings Friday, April 12, 12:15 - 1:30 pm
302 CAPVI Annual Meeting
Educators, Paraprofessionals, Parents/Bring your own lunch
Anne Ward (Northern California Co-Chair, CAPVI -- California Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments)
Annual meeting of the California Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
2:00 PM
400 Series Workshops Friday, April 12, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
403 Book to Computer: Scanning & OCR Basics Part 1
Gaeir Dietrich
Transforming hard copy books or inaccessible PDFs into text is a necessary skill for braille transcribers, teachers working with students who are blind, and anyone who wishes to provide greater access. This presentation will cover the basics of what you need to know, as well as offer more advanced tips.
406 Configuring Computers to Work Optimally with JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion
Bob Sweetman (CEO, Sweetman Systems)
Sue Sweetman (Sweetman Systems)
Installing assistive technology such as JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion is simple, and you and your IT staff can have it up and running quickly. We’ll show you a few simple tweaks to some Windows settings that you should add to the process, which will ensure that computer access is more efficient for blind and low vision computer users. We’ll show you: 1)Best settings for File Explore, 2) Displaying file extensions, 3) Using shortcuts to start JAWS and other programs, 4) Configuring Google Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer, 5) Setup considerations for Acrobat reader, 6) Setting up Braille displays. We’ll also talk about new features in JAWS 2019: 1) subscription purchase option for JAWS Home, 2) faster JAWS startup, 3) improved JAWS scripts for Office 365, 4) Speaking of Characters Phonetically when navigating by character, 5) prompt to confirm when exiting JAWS can now be turned on or off, 6) new consolidated setup package simplifies installation, 7) reduced speaking of key labels when navigating in File Explorer or on the internet, 8) support for literary Grade 1 braille Input for new braille users.
407 EEK! Math?! Noooo! Easy Solutions for Everyday Math Woes
Veronica Gunn (Assistive Technology Specialist, California School for the Blind)
Vanessa Herndon (Campus Technology Teacher, California School for the Blind)
Scott Jaffray (Assistive Technology Specialist, California School for the Blind)
Yurika Vu (Assistive Technology Coordinator, California School for the Blind)
Accessing math is one of the most difficult obstacles for both the TVI and student. Students are often given last minute in class worksheets that are not accessible for your students with visual impairments. We will discuss the various way that you can make math and graphics accessible for your students. We will give examples of workflow for access, production, and revision so that your student can be successful in math!
408 The Role of Paraprofessionals for Students with Visual Impairments
Adrian Amandi (Director of the Education Resource Center, California School for the Blind)
Paraprofessionals are the glue that keeps so many of our students and programs together. Have you ever shopped for glue? It can be difficult to know which type is best for each situation and application. Paraprofessionals in our field need unique skills and guidance; and learning to guide and quasi-supervise them is not something that is covered at length in VI teacher prep programs. This workshop will focus on the role of paraprofessionals, target key techniques and strategies to best set our students up for independence. Teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents are all invited. Handouts will be provided.
409 CDE/CSMT — Your Resource for K–8 Instructional Materials for Visually Impaired Students
Cyndi Hammonds (Information Technology Specialist)
Steven Parker (Associate Governmental Program Analyst)
Representatives from the California Department of Education, Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Technology (CSMT) Unit will be here to talk with you about the services and products they provide. They will discuss topics like how to navigate the Instructional Materials Ordering and Distribution System (IMODS), how to register to receive braille and large print textbooks and supplemental materials at no cost to you, as well as how to purchase products from the American Printing House for the Blind. Information will be provided about methods of obtaining digital copies of products from CSMT and how to request books from the National Instructional Materials Access Center. Highlights and helpful information on using CSMT’s online ordering system will be covered.
410 The Role of the Intervener (for Deaf-Blind students)
Olivia Maldonado (Intervener, Sonja Biggs Educational Services, Inc.)
This presentation will introduce participants to the role of the Intervener. Participants will learn what an intervener is, how they work with the deaf-blind, and how they differentiate from other 1:1 or paraprofessional roles. Participants will also get a glimpse into the complicated world of deaf-blindness, communication strategies with the deaf-blind, and how to utilize the role of an Intervener.
411 Digital Multimedia Accessibility: Guidelines, Standards, and Best Practices
Yue-Ting (Ting) Siu (Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor, San Francisco State University)
Digital multimedia including text, images, and video can pose challenges for accessibility facilitators who ensure access to, design, and disseminate media in the modern age. This session will introduce current guidelines and standards that have been developed to support 3D printing, image and video description, and the dissemination of information in accessible digital formats. Participants will learn about existing repositories that offer a range of sample materials that can be used for local trainings and to demonstrate how guidelines and standards can be applied to practice. Information can also be used to advocate for improved accessibility practices in schools and the community.
3:30 PM
500 Series Workshops Friday, April 12, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
503 Book to Computer: Scanning & OCR Basics Part 2
Transcribers, Educators, Paraprofessionals, Parents
Gaeir Dietrich
Part 2 of workshop described in Session 403, a prerequisite to 503.
504 Chromebooks: FAQs for TVIs
Jessica McDowell (Teacher for the Visually Impaired, O&M Specialist, Marin County Office of Education)
This presentation is geared for teachers to learn more about Chromebooks. Discussion will focus on use of Chromebooks by students with low vision and how TVIs can set students up to access and successfully use Chromebooks. Presentation will include considerations for assessing need for Chromebook versus another device, classroom activities and testing, and acquiring Chromebooks that are more accessible for students with low vision. Demonstration includes how to set up Chromebooks for best visual access and commands that students need to know to adjust settings and work efficiently. Tools to support learners with specific learning needs will be explored. Participants will receive resources and links to add to their VI tech teacher tool box.
505 Using DBT to Convert Braille Math to Printed Math
Caryn Navy (Senior Technical Staff, Duxbury Systems, Inc.)
We will explore how to use DBT to open a brf file with math from a braille notetaker to produce printed math. We will cover several options for the original braille and several options for producing the printed math. We will use braille with Nemeth Code in UEB context and braille with UEB text and math. After using DBT to translate the text and math out of braille, we will explore using Word with MathType, Scientific Viewer, and some other options to produce the printed math.
506 Accessibility on a Mac: As Easy as an iPad!
Veronica Gunn (Assistive Technology Specialist, California School for the Blind)
Vanessa Herndon (Campus Technology Teacher, California School for the Blind)
Scott Jaffray (Assistive Technology Specialist,(California School for the Blind)
Yurika Vu (Assistive Technology Coordinator, California School for the Blind)
Many students start using the VoiceOver and Zoom accessibility features on an iPad or iPhone and may benefit from transitioning to a Mac computer. This will allow them to continue taking advantage of the benefits of Siri, Dictation, and iCloud. This session will cover how to transition from using VoiceOver and Zoom on an mobile device to a Macintosh computer seamlessly using the same gestures. Topics to be covered: Why the Mac? Who is a good candidate? You mean the gestures really work? Taking the first step.
507 What was that? Sensory Efficiency? Is that part of the ECC?
Adrian Amandi (Director of the Education Resource Center, California School for the Blind)
Even with constant attention to explanation and description, the child with a visual impairment will not gather nearly as much information or sensory experiences as their sighted companions. It becomes essential that children with visual impairments learn to maximize the use and understanding of their other senses. Teachers must build upon knowledge and teach students to select efficient sensory strategies. Come join a presentation and discussion on sensory efficiency beyond the sensorimotor stage. As a prerequisite for all learning, it is essential that educational team members understand strategies and the importance of the various sensory systems in teaching.
508 Promoting Meaningful Literacy for All: Thinking Beyond Just Reading & Writing
Julie Maier (Educational Specialist, California Deafblind Services)
Literacy development should be a targeted focus for all children, including those who don’t demonstrate a discernible interest or the prerequisite literacy skills. This session focuses on the importance of emergent literacy development for those children and youth who are deafblind and not yet proficient communicators or learned that symbols have meaning. A broader view of literacy than simply traditional reading and writing will be offered, as well as, suggestions for when and how to plan and provide meaningful literacy instruction both at school and home. We’ll also take a look at multiple literacy resources available on the internet.
509 CVI: A Case Study
Laila Adle (Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Palo Alto Unified School District)
This presentation will review the case of a young girl, the evaluation and instruction methods that took place over a 4-year span. It will demonstrate how the team’s growth in understanding CVI spurred additional questions and changed approaches. The presentation will show that appropriate instruction and environmental supports, outcomes can exceed expectations. The positive effects of intervention will be illustrated when areas targeted for instruction are clearly delineated and addressed.
510 Supporting Social Media Engagement for Teens and Young Adults with Multiple Disabilities
Maurice Belote (Project Coordinator, California Deafblind Services, San Francisco State University)
For better or worse, social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat serve as essential communication modes among many young people. What are the pros and cons of teens/young adults having an active presence on social media and should educators and family members support students with multiple disabilities to have their own social media pages? This session will include a discussion of the merits of social media and strategies for supporting respectful and self-determined social media engagement.
511 From the Ocean to the Office: Programs for the Next Generation of Leaders
Ann Wai-Yee Kwong (Transition Program Specialist, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired - San Francisco)
James Gump (Youth Services Coordinator, ,LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired - San Francisco)
At LightHouse, we recognize that blind/low vision youth and young adults possess immense potential and can accomplish the same tasks as their sighted peers. Navigating through school, having a social life, and finding a satisfying job are all attainable aspirations, especially with the involvement and support of LightHouse's dynamic Youth Programs. Students are encouraged to explore various recreational activities, experience a variety of interests and careers, earn money and confidence, all while being engaged in a supportive community of peers and mentors. We invite you to learn more about the impact of our innovative and engaging offerings from a panel of successful young leaders!
7:00 PM
Banquet 7:00 - 9:00 pm $50.00