Saving Internet Pages as EPUB Files

This is a wonderful resource, which allows your student to save a webpage as an individual EPUB file. What is an EPUB? “.epub” is an electronic book format that has become the industry standard, allowing eBooks that use this format to be read on a wide variety of eReaders, from dedicated hardware to desktop software to online based readers. EPUB files can be read in most portable ebook readers, such as Sony, Ipad, Kobo, etc. For the purposes of this post I will describe how to open your EPUB files in iBooks on the iPad.

First, some information from the dotEPUB website:
“dotEPUB is software in the cloud that allows you to convert any webpage into an ebook.
For content consumers (readers), we have developed a bookmarklet (or favlet) for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari or Opera. And, if you are a Google Chrome user, you can install the dotEPUB extension in your browser.”

On the dotEPUB website I located and activated the “manual install” link because I wanted to use the bookmarklet on my iPad. I carefully followed the directions to install the javascript as a bookmark in Safari on my iPad. Then I navigated to a webpage using Safari, selected the dotEPUB bookmark I had created and a new webpage opened which had two choices displayed as links, one read “open in…” and the other read “open in iBooks”. I chose the “open in iBooks” and even though it was a text heavy webpage it quickly opened in iBooks. The new ebook worked the same as a typical book, in that you could change the fonts with proper reflow and use VoiceOver or any other accessibility feature to read the book.

I immediately thought of all the times a student would finally find the webpage with the information needed and the bell would ring to change class. With this dotEPUB bookmark the student could simply select the dot EPUB bookmark and the EPUB file would be saved in iBooks. The student could now read the webpage using the available accessibility features, with no need for an Internet connection.

Sharon Nichols
Assistive Technology Consultant

Free Braille Books

From the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults website:

In 1997 the AAF (American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults) started this program to provide blind children a free Braille book every month from a popular children’s reading series. The books are for the children to keep and collect for as long as they want them. The titles published every month are the same titles that are available in bookstores and public libraries everywhere. In the past ten years over one hundred seventy titles from popular children’s reading series were distributed to thousands of blind children.

As we send the 2012 titles out each month, the corresponding BRF files will be available here. You will be able to download your free Braille books electronically by right clicking on the file or using the applications key to choose “Save Target As” in Internet Explorer or “Save Link As” in Mozilla Firefox.

Tutorials on iAppleTalker Youtube Channel

The information presented on the iAppleTalker Youtube channel consist of technology videos, mainly centered around Apple & Apple products. The tutorials are centered around using the Apple products with VoiceOver the built-in screen reading software. A good resource for learning how to use technology from someone with a visual impairment.

Standard Keyboard Shortcuts for Various Applications

ShortcutWorld is an open, wiki-style reference database for keyboard shortcuts. created and edited by users like You.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts on a daily basis is the epitome of all productivity techniques. With this project, we are building an open Hotkey Reference Database with the goal to cover as many Applications on as many Platforms and in as many Languages as possible.

iGlasses Mobility Aid

From the Ambutech website:
AmbuTechand RNIB are proud to announce a new affordable electronic travel aid solution for head and upper body protection.

The iGlasses™ Ultrasonic Mobility Aid is a head-mounted device which enables more informed, confident, and efficient pedestrian travel. Objects in your path are detected by the ultrasonic sensors and communicated via gentle vibrations. As obstacles get nearer the frequency of the vibration will increase. The device is intended as a secondary mobility device to complement the traditional long cane or guide dog.

Liz Egan Blog

A former Texas TVI (Teacher of the Visually Impaired) from the Houston area who is now a TVI in Washington state has developed a blog. Her energy and devotion to the field has been sorely missed in Texas but every once in a while she would send out bits of information that let’s us know that she is thinking of us here and we appreciate her and all she does for students with visual impairments. Her blog (that I just discovered) is called “Traveling VI” at travelingvi.com . Check it out.

Word 2010 with Windows 7

Tactile graphic production using MS Word presents several speed bumps along the way since Word 2000. The latest one involves Windows 7 and Word 2010. Here’s the scoop. In Word 2010, the Select tool in the Edit category on the Home tab is used to select several objects for grouping by dragging with the tool across the objects to group. This feature tool works just fine using Word 2010 with Windows XP.

Now try using Word 2010 with Windows 7, the same process produces different results. The select arrow does nothing. After pulling hair out for a couple of days and reading several listings from groups, the solution finally appeared.

When using Word 2010 with Windows 7, you first save the document as a .doc NOT .docx, which is the default save and the default document type before saving. By doing this the process described above produces the expected results. What a relief because this feature HAS to work for scalable vector (tactile) graphic production. We can all sleep better now…..until the next speed bump.

Patrick Van Geem, TVI
Assistive Technology Consultant

Learning Ally Audiobook Manager

For everyone, myself included, who has tried and failed to download and transfer books from Learning Ally there are now tutorials on their website to help. The tutorials cover online bookshelf, audiobook manager and legacy audiobook manager. The tutorials are in audio podcast and text format. Learning Ally. Have a look and finally figure out how to load that book on your device or computer.

Sharon Nichols
Outreach Assistive Technology Consultant

iPad for children with MIVI

The following iPad apps were chosen for a workshop with DARS Center for Learning Management. DARS is an acronym for Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services. The iPad accessibility features were demonstrated as well.

The workshop covered working with children who have multiple disabilities, so the apps reflect their needs. For apps specific to visually impaired users, please reference these two websites: AppleVis (www.applevis.com) and Apps for the Visually Impaired (http://appadvice.com/applists/show/apps-for-the-visually-impaired). The websites and apps listed are not the only websites or apps to explore, they are just the ones chosen for the specific workshop.

Apps List

I Love Fireworks and Fireworks Arcade - You can touch the screen to trigger the fireworks to go off, you can drag your finger on the screen to have the firework trail up into the sky in whatever pattern you’d like, and the longer you hold your finger on the touch screen, the bigger the firework. If you use multiple fingers, you can do multiple trailing fireworks at the same time.

Art of Glow – (no audio) Create free, simple, mesmerizing art with a finger twirl. You choose your settings for color, shape, speed, and more and then begin to finger paint endless combinations of moving, twinkling, fading art forms.

Music Sparkles – In this app, there are several different instruments including a glockenspiel, drum set, and saxophone. These instruments can be played while having a fun background ostinato. Banjo, piano, and drums can be played behind the instruments making it sound like a band.

Sound Touch - Toddler-friendly app with more than 250 sights and sounds. Kids simply tap a picture in one of the six categories (domestic/farm animals, wild animals, birds, vehicles, musical instruments, and household items) and a photograph of the object pops up along with the sound it makes.

Interactive Alphabet ABC Flash Cards – Learn your letters and sounds through interactive play. From the main page, kids can choose to listen to an alphabet song, or they can play with a specific letter of the alphabet. Each letter has its own flash card with text such as “Aa is for Apple” along with an image of an apple. The app reads the text to the child, including making the letter sound. Every letter’s flash card is interactive, allowing kids to tap or drag to make things happen. Kids can then tap the corner to go to the next letter, or tap ABC to go back to the main menu. From the main menu, there is also a Baby Mode that can be activated that will automatically turn the pages for kids.

Count 123 – Designed by parents, Count123 helps teach basic counting skills and its fun! Watch your kids learn to recognize numbers and learn to count with this fun and simple kids counting game. Give your children a head start in math!

The Monster at the End of This Book – (Sesame Street) The book’s interactive sensibility, however, has gotten a lot more fun; along with ignoring Grover’s pleas to stop turning the page, kids can delight in knocking over obstacles, untying knots, and breaking through walls as they keep moving toward the end.

SoundPrism – not entirely sure what SoundPrism is. It might be a musical instrument but we’re learning new stuff playing with it every day, which sometimes goes beyond the scale of that.

Fish Fingers 3D and Shark Fingers 3D – (no audio) Too many aquariums claim to be 3D, but they’re just flat pictures of fish floating around your screen being boring! Shark Fingers and Fish Fingers have REAL 3D SHARKS! They swim in all directions and can be viewed from any angle!

Koi Pond and Pocket Pond - What I like most about this app is touching the water, the sound effects are very realistic and my finger is not even wet!

Bla bla bla – A humorously illustrated reactive audio toy by a group of Italian design students.

Talking Tom – A Cat That Talks? Talking Tom repeats everything you say with a funny voice. You can pet him, poke him and punch him; you can even grab his tail. Going to iPad settings, find Talking Tom in the list and choose no violence can turn the punch feature.

Songify – So to create a song, you simply press the record button and speak for between one to 60 seconds. The app analyzes your speech, segmenting it into a chorus and verses (if long enough), then maps it to a melody of your choice, syncing it with the beat and adjusting the pitch of your voice. The whole song-creation process takes less than a minute.

The next two apps were not shown, but might be appropriate for some of the children DARS serves.

TalkCalc talking calculator – Enter a number, tap and count the circles, which make a sound and then disappear. Touch the number again and … the circles are back. Cars honk, fish bubble … it entertains while you learn.

FlickTunes - Flick. Swipe. Poke. FlickTunes combines gesture-based controls with a bold, clean interface to create the safest and most effective way to control your music.

Resources for Apps for MIVI

This Facebook site has an aggregated list of apps for children with special needs. It is only a list of the apps and not a description but I find it to be a wonderful resource.

iPad Apps for Children with CVI
(https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=220868304592590)

This following websites are written by a parent of a child with special needs, or professional serving children with special needs. They have many app suggestions.

Special Parent Connections
(http://www.specialparentconnections.com/ipad-apps.html)

Babies with iPads
(http://www.babieswithipads.blogspot.com/)

Little Bear Sees
(http://www.littlebearsees.com/2012/01/tap-n-see-zoo-a-cvi-app-for-ipads/)

Thomas Marshall Does it All
(http://thomasmarshalldoesitall.blogspot.com/2012/01/more-great-ipad-apps-for-blind-children.html)

Wonder Baby
(http://www.wonderbaby.org/ipad-apps)

For a quick and easy way to view apps in use go to YouTube and type in “iPad apps for special needs” or “iPad with CVI” and you will receive an overwhelming number of videos showing professionals, parents and children using their iPad. This is one of the ways I try to stay current and knowledgeable of the various apps, which work for children with multiple disabilities.