Seminars@hadley - Accessibility And Technology

Join Andre Lukatsky, director of Hadley Computer Services, and Amy Salmon, Hadley instructor, for this 60-minute seminar to learn about the concept of Cloud Computing, and look at practical examples, including DropBox and Apple iCloud.

Join Seminars@Hadley as Hadley instructors Nafisa Keels and Amy Salmon demonstrate the many uses and features of Skype on a PC and mobile device.

Join Seminars@Hadley as Hadley Instructor Amy Salmon presents Part 2 of the series on Preparing and Presenting Powerful PowerPoint Presentations for Blind Users. This seminar focuses on strategies and tools for using advanced features in PowerPoint, ensuring the accessibility of your PowerPoint presentation and for improving your PowerPoint presentation skills.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 can be a powerful tool for designing and delivering presentations; but as a presenter who is visually impaired, have you passed over using it because of difficulty navigating the process? If so, then this presentation is for you and for all those who want to spruce up their presentations using PowerPoint. Join Seminars@Hadley as Hadley Instructor Amy Salmon presents Part 1 of the PowerPoint for Blind Presenters series: Preparing Powerful Presentations.

As a blind person in the workforce, there are many things you need to consider: What tools will you need to get and keep a job? What are your legal rights in the workplace? How can you effectively advocate for yourself? Is it always appropriate to disclose your disability to a prospective employer? How do you deal with employer concerns about hiring a blind person? Join Seminars@Hadley as Kelsey Thompson, Rehabilitation Counselor, CRC, CCM, LCRC with The Chicago Lighthouse, answers these and other questions about being blind and on the job.

Apps for money identification, apps for GPS, apps for bar code reading, apps for color identification, and apps for games. If you have an idevice (iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch), you are bombarded with thousands of apps available for your device. Are you overwhelmed with the number of apps available for your idevice? Do you want to know more about the app before you download it to your device, such as features and accessibility? Are you confused about how to locate and download an app to your idevice? Join Seminars@Hadley as Hadley Instructor Amy Salmon and Korey Singleton, Assistive Technology Initiative Manager for George Mason University provide a list of the top accessible apps for your idevices, explain how to check an app for accessibility and features, and provide step-by-step instructions on how to locate and download an app to your idevice.

This open-discussion style seminar discusses the latest and greatest Apple devices and the differences between them, as well as providing analysis of the pros and cons of the newest models. Join Seminars@Hadley as Hadley Instructor Amy Salmon and Korey Singleton, Assistive Technology Initiative Manager for George Mason University detail the latest and greatest i devices and the differences between an iPhone, iTouch and iPad, as well as providing analysis of the pros and cons of the newest models.

In 2010, Horizons for the Blind launched an innovate new Web site called Directions for Me which provides accessible packaging information for over 350,000 products. Project Coordinator and Technology Specialist Byron Lee tells all about this exciting tool.

Like many blind computer users, are you asking the question: Why should I upgrade to Office 2010? Or as a rehabilitation and education professional, are you wondering what would be the advantages/drawbacks of the upgrade for consumers? Director of Computer Training Services at The Carroll Center for the Blind, Brian Charlson and Computer Training Services Instructor, Heather Campbell provide an overview on accessing and navigating Office 2010, utilizing keyboard commands whenever possible.

Yahoo! Senior Accessibility Program Manager Victor Tsaran talks about how Yahoo! promotes Web access within its community and across the World Wide Web. Among other things, you'll learn how Yahoo! uses its Accessibility Lab to design, test, and create sites, applications and features that better meet the needs of users with disabilities.

Are you interested in a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics? As a student who is blind have you had difficulty understanding science and math as spoken and practiced in the classroom? As a teacher, do you find it difficult to translate science experiments and mathematical language into something that is meaningful for blind students? Dr. Cary Supalo and Mr. Mick Isaacson discuss the importance of a hands-on science learning experience for the blind as well as rules for speaking mathematics in a way that it can be easily learned. Learn about cutting edge tools and rules that empower students and teachers to make math and science easier, more accessible, and more interesting.

What information do you need to choose the best PDA (personal digital assistant) or what is often called a note-taking device? What questions should you ask the manufacturers and/or other users of such devices to equip you to make the most informed choice? Join Seminars@Hadley as we explore the types of PDAs/note taking devices on the market from commercially available net books to laptops and notebooks, from QWERTY input note takers to Personal Data Assistance especially created and marketed for users who are visually impaired that have braille input and built-in braille displays. Is there any one solution that will serve the needs of everyone? This 60 minute seminar will be presented by Sharon Ewing, former evaluator for the Assistive Technology Unit of Texas Division for Blind services, now co-owner and Assistive Technology Trainer for Kewing Enterprises, and Hadley Instructor Amy Salmon, and moderated by Billy Brookshire, Hadley Texas Outreach Coordinator.

HumanWare is the leading developer of Digital Talking Book Players worldwide. Players are available in over a dozen languages. Learn how these players provide speech and braille output for the many available format types and content providers for the visually impaired and learning disabled. A product overview, discussion of supported content, valuable study and recreational suggestions as well as what is new will be provided for both the educational and recreational market segments. The Victor Reader Stream, ClassMate and Braille Note Apex will be featured. This 90 minute presentation will be lead by Dan Brown, HumanWare Blindness Sales Representative and Mike Tindell, HumanWare Eastern Blindness Product Specialist and moderated by George Abbott, Hadley's vice president of development and communications.

Apple’s iPhone and iTouch are the hottest item on many a “wish list” this year. With the iPhone and iTouch, you can send and receive emails, surf the Internet, check out your FaceBook profile, tweet your tweople on Twitter, map a route using GPS, check the weather, watch a video, listen to your favorite music and so much more! You can do this all at the touch of your finger. Imagine being able to access all the features of the iPhone or iTouch for someone who is visually impaired or blind. Now it is possible. Join Seminars@Hadley for a demonstration and learn how the built-in screen magnification and screen reading features of the iPhone and iTouch can make this possible. Jim Denham, assistive technology coordinator for the Perkins School for the Blind, will demonstrate how the built-in screen reader VoiceOver allows him to access and use his iPhone every day. Hadley instructor Doug Anzlovar will demonstrate the built-in screen magnification features of his iPhone and discuss.

Join Seminars@Hadley as we discuss NFB-NEWSLINE, a free service providing anytime, anywhere access to over 300 publications, including newspapers, magazines and TV listings. The NFB-NEWSLINE service affords people who are print-disabled the same independence of access to newspapers and magazines as their sighted peers. Scott White, director of sponsored technology programs at NFB, and Renee West, marketing and outreach manager at NFB, will tell you how to access vital and breaking news simply by picking up a phone and the tech tools you will need to access NFB-NEWSLINE's new online service. George Abbott, vice president of development and communications at Hadley, will moderate the hour-long discussion.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn about using Facebook or LinkedIn to build your personal and professional network of friends, this seminar is for you. Larry Lewis, founder of Flying-Blind.com and expert in adaptive technology solutions, will present a basic overview of Facebook, for casual social networking, and LinkedIn, for professional and career-building purposes. Learn how to build a profile online and find friends and colleagues. Lewis will also discuss the screenreading applications and desktop and mobile hardware necessary to access social networking sites on both a PC and a mobile phone.

Vista out, Windows 7 in. Menus out, ribbons in. If you are confused, you are not alone. Join us for Seminars@Hadley for demonstrations and training on Window-Eyes with the Windows 7 operating system and Office 2007. During this 60-minute interactive online seminar, Jeremy Curry, GW Micro’s Training Division Manager, will demonstrate how Window-Eyes supports Windows 7 and Office 2007. You also will learn about Window-Eyes latest implementation of an advanced open-language scripting engine, which allows for many things, including JAVA support without the need for the JAVA Access Bridge.

Wondering about the strengths and weaknesses of GPS, the differences between the various systems or how to best integrate GPS into your wayfinding equation? Join us as Seminars@Hadley presents Accessible GPS Overview and Comparison with Mike May from the Sendero Group, which provides GPS solutions to people who are visually impaired. This 2 hour presentation- with time for questions and answers- provides the template for the trainer, teacher or user to help them evaluate GPS systems and match technology with needs and capabilities.

We are constantly being bombarded with news about identity theft, Internet scams and potential e-mail viruses. How do you know when it is safe to enter your credit card or personal information on a web site or open an e-mail attachment? Join us for Seminars@Hadley as we present "Staying Safe Online" with Andre Lukatsky, Hadley's Director of Computer Services and Hadley technology instructor Amy Salmon.

Join Seminars@Hadley as we discuss use and capabilities of the Victor Reader Stream, the DAISY, MP3 and NISO player. David Flament, manager of adaptive technology services at the Guild for the Blind in Chicago, will join Hadley's moderator George Abbott to discuss features of the Victor Reader Stream, including the physical layout of the device, downloading talking books, and the device's note taking capabilities.