Resource Free? American Council of the Blind (ACB)
The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is a national organization of blind, visually impaired, and sighted individuals whose purpose is to work toward independence, security, equality of opportunity, and improved quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people. ACB programs and services include: “The Braille Forum,” a free monthly publication available in
braille, in large print, on cassette, on computer disk, and by email; numerous scholarship awards; active participation in the national legislative and advocacy scene; and the ACB Job Connection, where nationwide job announcements are listed under a variety of categories, and when available, a link is provided which will take the viewer directly to an employer's website. ACB is also a valuable resource for information on programs and services in the blindness field and laws affecting blind
persons.
www.acb.org
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
The American Foundation for the Blind has spent nearly a century
ensuring that individuals who are blind or visually impaired have access to the information, technology, education, and legal resources they need to live independent and productive lives. Click on toolbar, Living With Vision Loss and link to Using Technology, Job Seekers, Career Connect, and Job Seeker’s Toolkit.
www.afb.org
AT Guys
Founded in 2008, AT Guys is a team of assistive technology experts who provide affordable technology solutions for consumers, businesses, and educational customers. With more than 30 years of combined technology experience, these trainers offer general accessibility consulting as well as customized instruction in-person or via phone or online voice chat on a wide array of assistive technologies including screen readers, braille displays, embossers, the iPhone and iPad, and Android phones. Their product line includes mobile phone software and accessories, portable electronics, screen readers, braille translation software, and accessible games. They also offer website accessibility testing to ensure your online presence is usable by all users and meets accessibility web standards.
www.atguys.com/store
Blind Geek Zone
The Blind Geek Zone, hosted by Rick Harmon, who lost his sight in 2004, offers sources to the blind community for information, audio tutorials, gadget demonstrations, links to products, services, podcasts, and resources. The Blind Geek Zone is on Twitter and Facebook.
www.blind-geek-zone.net
Bookshare®
Bookshare’s goal is to raise the floor of access so that people with print disabilities can obtain a broad spectrum of print materials at the same time as everyone else. People with visual impairments, physical
disabilities, or learning disabilities can look to Bookshare to dramatically increase the quantity and timely availability of books and newspapers in accessible formats. Further, Bookshare’s vision encompasses new
technological developments as well as new applications of widely available technologies to stretch the power of technology for increased access to content. Membership is free to schools and individual students. A
Bookshare membership offers unlimited access to accessible books, textbooks, newspapers and magazines. Additionally, free access technology makes it easy to read books with a computer.
www.bookshare.org
Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) Service from the National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Eligible users (must be a member of NLS) may download and read any book, magazine, or other material found on the BARD website. BARD contains nearly 50,000 books, magazines, and music scores in audio and braille formats, with new selections added daily.
http://nlsbard.loc.gov
Yes
Carroll Center for the Blind
The Carroll Center has been providing help for the blind since 1936 by offering vocational training, technology for the blind, and other services.
http://carroll.org
Center for Educational Networking (CEN)
The Center for Educational Networking (CEN) is a Mandated Activities Project (MAP), funded under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) through the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education.
http://cenmi.org
Yes
Code Factory
Code Factory makes mobile phones accessible to the blind and visually impaired by developing accessible software applications for mainstream mobile phones running on Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and
BlackBerry. In 2010, Code Factory expanded its product portfolio to another media, television.
www.codefactory.es
Delicious
Keep, share, and discover the best of the web using Delicious, the world’s leading social bookmarking service.
http://delicious.com
Yes
ePals
ePals Global Community, where you can safely connect to classrooms around the world by collaborating on project-based learning activities, is a learning community of teachers, students, and parents from over 200 countries. It provides classroom-ready projects and activities;
collaborative learning tools such as blogs, wikis and media galleries; and quality, standards-aligned content from respected educational brands. ePals also showcases outstanding teacher and student work.
www.epals.com
Edmodo
Edmodo helps connect all learners with the people and resources needed to reach their full potential. This site features a free and safe way for students and teachers to connect and collaborate. It is designed to engage, connect, measure, and personalize to augment classroom learning. It includes many tutorials of how to use resources.
www.edmodo.com/about
Yes
EdTechTeacher
EdTechTeacher’s mission is to help teachers and schools leverage technology to create student-centered, inquiry-based learning
environments. It offers keynote presentations, hands-on workshops, online courses, and live webinars for teachers, schools, and school
districts. Whether you are a teacher looking to enhance your instructional practices, or a school leader seeking to foster change, there are a variety of services to fit a variety of needs.
http://edtechteacher.org
Edudemic
The goal of Edudemic is to connect teachers, administrators, and students through technology. Started in April 2010 by Jeff Dunn, Edudemic has grown to become one of the leading education technology sites on the web. With more than 500,000 unique monthly visitors, it has become a vibrant forum of discussion, discovery, and knowledge. Run by Jeff Dunn and Katie Lepi, Edudemic features a regular flow of tools, tips, resources, visuals, and guest posts from dozens of authors around the world.
Edudemic exists and flourishes because there is a need to enable resource discovery among educators around the world.
http://edudemic.com
Edutopia
From the George Lucas Educational Foundation—which is dedicated to improving the K-12 learning process by documenting, disseminating, and advocating innovative, replicable, and evidence-based strategies that prepare students to thrive in their future education, careers, and adult lives—Edutopia transforms the learning process by helping educators implement the strategies and best practices. These strategies (and the educators who implement them) are empowering students to think
critically, access and analyze information, creatively problem solve, work collaboratively, and communicate with clarity and impact. Discover the resources, research, experts, and fellow Edutopia members who are changing our schools.
www.edutopia.org
EmergingEdTech
Kelly Walsh, Chief Information Officer at The College of Westchester in White Plains, NY, is the author of EmergingEdTech, a blog with a weekly newsletter offering emerging technology to engage students and teachers and enhance learning outcomes with Internet and instructional
technologies. It offers a free downloadable Educational Technology Resource Book and productivity resource list of free resources.
www.emergingedtech.com
Yes
Flickr
Flickr is a photo management and sharing application with two main goals: 1) to help people make their photos available to the people who matter to them, and 2) to enable new ways of organizing photos and video.
www.flickr.com
Flying Blind, LLC
This weekly online newsletter offers adaptive technology advances for the blind and visually impaired with distant learning opportunities, Top Tech Tidbits with adaptive technology advice, and links to beneficial adaptive technology tools. Founded in May of 2006, Flying Blind, LLC is an Ohio-based company whose mission is to empower persons who are vision impaired with the necessary adaptive technology solutions to make them independent and efficient in unlimited capacities. Subscribe to get
newsletters to an email address. Also, check out their YouTube demonstrations.
www.flying-blind.com
Hadley
The mission of The Hadley School for the Blind is to promote independent living through lifelong, distance education programs for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, their families, and blindness service
providers. The Hadley School for the Blind (Winnetka, IL) offers more than 100 online courses free to blind and visually impaired people. Hadley
courses combine relevant content (e.g., business writing, foreign
languages, Excel) with flexible scheduling accessible from any computer. Lessons are segmented into manageable steps and include personalized feedback from instructors. Subject matter experts, including those who are blind, create the content. Its latest course is Business
Communications.
www.hadley.edu
iBlindTech
This site is dedicated to helping get more than familiar with the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. There are audio demos to help as well as app reviews. This site’s democast allows listening to podcasts designed to get the iDevice up and running.
www.iblindtech.com
Yes
iBlink Radio
The iBlink Radio application from Serotek Corporation is the world’s first application for the visually impaired for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It gives access to radio stations, podcasts, and reading services of special interest to blind and visually impaired persons, as well as their friends, family, caregivers, and those wanting to know what life is like without eyesight.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iblink-radio/id332027117?mt=8
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
ISTE’s advocacy efforts extend beyond giving technology to students. The impact of their work is to ensure that technology empowers educators to help more students achieve their full potential. ISTE is dedicated to
bringing the voice of educators to policy makers regarding educational technology.
www.iste.org
Yes
Learning Ally
Founded in 1948 as Recording for the Blind, Learning Ally serves more than 300,000 K-12, college, and graduate students as well as veterans and lifelong learners—all of whom cannot read standard print due to blindness, visual impairment, dyslexia, or other learning disabilities.
Learning Ally’s collection of more than 75,000 digitally recorded textbooks and literature titles are downloadable and accessible on mainstream
devices as well as specialized assistive technology devices. There is a membership fee for individuals and schools.
LessonPaths
LessonPaths’ online learning platform allows anyone with a passion for what they do to curate websites, videos, blogs, and more into Learning Playlists. Students and teachers can Create, share, or browse Learning Playlists. Browse existing Academic playlists on Math, Science,
Technology, Social Studies, Business, Art, English/Reading, Language, Music, Health, Universities, and For Teachers. Students and teachers can create and share their own LessonPaths Playlists.
www.lessonpaths.com
Michigan Department of Education, Low Incidence Outreach (MDE-LIO)
The MDE-LIO provides technical assistance and resources to enable local service providers to serve and improve the quality of education for
students with a visual impairment or those who are deaf/hard of hearing, including those with multiple impairments. Key LIO services include: loan of American Printing House (APH) products, books, and instructional
materials; classes and workshops; large print and braille production; helplines; Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA); and Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI).
http://mde-lio.cenmi.org
Michigan eLibrary (MEL)
Administered by the Library of Michigan in partnership with Michigan’s libraries of all types, the Michigan eLibrary will provide all Michigan
residents with free access to online full-text articles, full-text books, digital images, and other valuable research information at any time via the
Internet. The MEL also provides an easy-to-use interlibrary loan system to allow Michigan residents to borrow books and other library materials for free from participating Michigan libraries. Workshops are offered on assistive technology.
http://mel.org
Michigan Integrated Technology Supports (MITS)
MITS provides information and training for state-of-the-art technology, daily living devices, equipment, and the identification of assistive
technology solutions for children with disabilities. The staff researches resources and provides current information on products, services, and service providers in the field of assistive technology. MITS maintains a collection of catalogs, reprints, and publications to assist assistive technology personnel in the schools.
http://mits.cenmi.org
Yes
National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
The National Federation of the Blind is the largest membership
organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB assists with advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence.
www.nfb.org
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress
The NLS administers the braille and talking-book program, a free library service available to residents of the United States and its territories and American citizens living abroad whose low vision, blindness, or physical disability makes reading regular print difficult. Through its national
network of cooperating libraries, NLS mails digital audio players and books and magazines—in audio and in braille—directly to enrollees at no cost. Music instructional materials are available in large-print, braille, and
recorded formats. Select materials are also available online for download. A form must be filled out and a certified authority has to verify the
disability. The NLS in Lansing is Michigan’s main branch.
www.loc.gov/nls
Perkins School for the Blind
Perkins School for the Blind is committed to providing education and services that build productive, meaningful lives for children and adults around the world who are blind, DeafBlind, or visually impaired with or without other disabilities.
www.perkins.org
Robot Assisted Navigation:
Computer Science Assistive Technology Research Vladimir Kulyukin
Vladimir Kulyukin is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Utah State University(USU). The USU Computer Science Assistive Technology Laboratory is headed by Dr. Vladimir Kulyukin and focuses on developing practical assistive-technology solutions that provide disabled individuals with greater autonomy within their various environments. Publications of research that emphasize the feasibility of robot-assisted navigation can be found on the USU website, Kulyukin’s blog, and YouTube.
Vladimir Kulyukin home page:
http://digital.cs.usu.edu/~vkulyukin
Videos (Assistive Navigation and Wayfinding):
http://digital.cs.usu.edu/~vkulyukin/vkweb/research/sandee-videos.html
Robot Assisted Navigation:
http://cs.usu.edu/?search=Robot+Assistive+Technology
Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) RNIB is a charity and has three clear priorities:
1)Stopping people from losing their sight unnecessarily.
2)Supporting blind and partially sighted people to live independently. 3)Creating an inclusive society.
www.rnib.org.uk
Yes
Stitcher Radio
Stitcher claims to be the leader in Internet Radio for the world beyond music by delivering the latest news, politics, sports, business, and
entertainment on demand to listeners on their mobile phones. The Stitcher app has been downloaded more than five million times and offers
programming from thousands of content providers including NPR, FOX, and CNN. Stitcher is available for iPhone, Android, and iPad and is being integrated directly into new Ford and GM vehicles. Get the freshest
episodes of your favorite podcasts and radio shows streamed directly to
SuperKids Educational Software Reviews
This website is for teachers and parents looking for reviews and ratings of educational software and apps. They also provide interviews and feature stories on subjects related to education, technology, and parenting. You can sign up for their free newsletter.
www.superkids.com
TechSmith
Based in Okemos, Michigan, TechSmith is worth trying out for video recordings, videography tutorials, and webinars. TechSmith provides
screen capture and recording software for individual and professional use. Their products include Snagit, Jing (free), Camtasia Studio, Screencast, Coaches Eye, and more. The easy-to-use software helps to create, store, and share audio presentations, photos, podcasts, and videos on a
computer. The site offers complete tutorials for all software and a monthly tutorial, The Forge, that offers how-to ideas and updates of new
technology. TechSmith prides itself on educational partnerships that focus on providing software solutions that are easy to use, flexible, practical, and affordable for all levels of education. TechSmith Corporation would like to send an open invitation to Office Hours, a free bi-weekly webinar series in which customers can interact with a product demonstration and hear stories of how other educators are leveraging TechSmith solutions.
www.techsmith.com
Some
software is free.
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) The TSBVI serves as a public school for blind, deaf-blind, or visually impaired students and a resource for teachers and parents. The TSBVI website offers comprehensive training, curriculum, a library, technical assistance outreach, workshops, and conferences.
www.tsbvi.edu
Yes
Vimeo
Vimeo is a site for uploading, sharing, and connecting videos, exploring other videos, and learning how to make better videos. It’s easy and simple to use. In 2004, Vimeo was founded by a group of filmmakers who wanted to share their creative work and personal moments from their lives.
https://vimeo.com
Whitestick
Tom Lorimer set up this website to assist the visually impaired computer user in locating information and services related to blindness. The
proverbial whitestick, or cane, used by so many blind and partially sighted people offers assistance to whoever uses it. The tool may give a visually impaired person the confidence to go out and about by themselves. The whitestick.co.uk website is designed for ease of use and to offer guidance to any visually impaired web user to give them the ability to go out and try something new in the information technology world.
