Greetings from San Francisco.

Today was another busy day in sunny California. Jim Carreon, an Access Technology Specialist of the California School for the Blind (CSB) shared his approach for teaching file/folder management to his students. The students are asked to bring in a purchased music CD and the music is copied to a special folder. The files are then categorized in more folders by artist, album and type. A link is placed on the start menu and the students than have easy access to each other's music. The objective of this activity is to practice cut, paste and copy skills.

We all had a long discussion on how the use of a device called IntelliKeys. IntelliKeys USB plugs into USB port of a computer and provides access for anyone with physical, visual, or cognitive disabilities who has difficulty using a standard keyboard. While we do not currently own it, we will soon. Ms. Zuilli will be getting one with a software called MathPad Plus.

This was followed by a discussion about tactile graphics. CSB uses many of the same devices we use. They have several Emprint printers that are used by student entrepeneurs who are creating a small business venture selling greeting cards. Blind students are taught to search google images and test the graphics for their growing collection of preferred and graphics used in the greeting card business.

We've learned so many new things here. This small list includes just a few:

• Tactile Map Automated Production (TMAP): Using GIS Data to Automatically Generate Raised-Line Street Maps
• Flexi-Paper® for our Tactile Image Enhancer that is more durable than the paper we currently use.
• Moffsoft FreeCalc is a great replacement for your existing Windows® calculator.
• The Access Technology Institute
• The BigShot® Screen Magnifier is not as powerful as Magic but an affordable alternative for parents to purchase.
  

The afternoon we spent improving our skills with the Braille+. It is a great little machine (available on APH quota funds) that carries a big punch. We currently own one and it is available to staff interested in taking it for a test drive.

There was agreement among everyone who used the Mountbatten Brailler that it is a tremendous benefit for K-3 students. They all feel that it facilitates learning braille and allows students to focus on emerging writing skills because physical fatigue is minimized. Our friends at Texas School for the Blind distributed a journal article supporting this opinion. We will share it at the next staff meeting.

CSB also distributed two CDs containing information detailing some of many curricula and training guides they have developed. One curriculum that may interest our O&M professionals concerns training students to use the GPS feature available for the mPower. This curriculum is currently taught by Jerry Kuns an Access Technology Specialist at CSB.

Jerry is a blind graduate of the school and has extensive experience in technology. He also runs a small private business where he leads walking tours of San Francisco.

We have one more full day of training and then we relocate to "the city by the bay", San Francisco. There, we will attend the Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute, organized by the American Foundation for the Blind.

Tina during the Braille+ training. She is using it with
a rubber USB keyboard that rolls up.