Hadley Connection The Hadley School for the Blind Student Newsletter Fall 2007 IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROFESSIONALS: Read about the Hadley School for Professional Studies on page 5! Shaping the Future Online The Hadley School for the Blind was founded in 1920 to offer free braille correspondence courses. Teaching by mail was central to our school—reaching thousands of students each year regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic considerations. However, it is the increased demand for online education that will shape Hadley’s future. Recognizing students have different learning styles, Hadley educators and curriculum designers will experiment with activities that respond to different modes of distance learning to provide significant experiences with each online student. Effective online instruction depends upon learning experiences, appropriately designed and facilitated by knowledgeable teachers who are comfortable in the utilization of a variety of new online instructional strategies. Hadley’s future direction will make creative use of learning contracts, discussions, lectures and self-directed learning—all educational techniques that can be adapted to online learning. Engaging students through mentorship, small group work, case studies and online forums will ensure success. Hadley’s challenge is to translate the unique benefits of face-to-face communication to new online activities and interactions that will build a sense of community among students and faculty through Web discussion boards and forums. We are ready for this challenge and trust you will be with us as we “shape Hadley’s future.” Sincerely, Charles E. Young President inside 2-3 Hadley’s 2007 Graduates Savor Success Meet the 2007 Graduates 4 Podcasting, Anyone? Hadley Instructor Wins Lifetime Achievement Award 5 Hadley Partners in Philippines to Offer Braille Courses Announcing the Hadley School for Professional Studies 6 FAQs / Dean Abbott Wins Service Award 7 Curriculum Corner 8 Family Matters: Raising Responsible Children 9 Bits & Bytes: GPS Keeps Users on the Right Path 10 Hadley Wins Technology Award Meet the Newest Wave of Hadley Ambassadors 11 A Matter of Course Hadley Announces New Partnership with NIB Hadley’s 2007 Graduates Savor Sweet Success For The Hadley School for the Blind’s 2007 high school graduates, earning their diplomas was a moment to savor. And savor it they did, with tears and beaming smiles, as they accepted hugs and handshakes from family, Hadley staff and Trustees, and guests on June 13 at the Winnetka Woman’s Club. Their diplomas represent years of hard work and determination. “I want my children and grandchildren to know that you are never too old to go back and finish something you started,” said graduate Leila Reinersman. Pianist Carolyn Sanderson, a longtime Hadley supporter and herself visually impaired, provided music for the commencement. Dr. James Segvard Nyman, retired director of the Nebraska State Services for the Visually Impaired, was the commencement speaker. Dr. Nyman, who lost his sight at age 11 in an explosion, spoke of the need for the graduates to venture forth into the world, make their mark and not allow their impairments to hold them back. Of the 410 students enrolled in Hadley’s High School Program, 67 will graduate with their local high school class, having supplemented their education with Hadley courses.? Meet the 2007 Graduates Jon Boone, Texas Jon feels “a mixture of pride, excitement and just plain jubilation” upon having earned his high school diploma. At the same time, he says, “I feel that my adventures with The Hadley School for the Blind are just starting.” Jon’s plans for the future are “to continue to take courses via The Hadley School’s Adult Continuing Education Program for personal enrichment, and to acquire practical knowledge I can use and share every day. Braille and recorded books are a big part of my life, so I may just go on by sharpening my skills in braille and typing.” Although he has no immediate plans for the future, his dream “is to be a writer and write a memoir.” Wallace Faulkner, Kentucky Losing his sight was not a big deal to Wallace. “I was sad for two days and then I got over it,” he says. “I kept going on with my life. I’m just grateful to be alive.” Wallace has glaucoma, an eye disease that left him blind at age 14. After becoming visually impaired, he slowed down and began to see the beauty in life. “If I wasn’t blind and I had to choose a disability, I’d be blind so I can see things clearly.” Wallace aspired to earn his high school diploma because, he says, he wanted to accomplish something on his own. His dream is to go to college, then pursue a career in psychology as a therapist. Wallace is grateful to everyone at Hadley for being there for him. “Hadley has been an inspiration to me.” In his spare time, Wallace enjoys reading the Bible and listening to gospel music. Samantha Gilley, Georgia “I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now if I wasn’t blind,” says Samantha. “Instead of wanting to help people, I’d be playing playstation.” Samantha has been blind since age one and has moderate hearing loss. “I’ve been used to it all my life,” she says. Now 17, Samantha wants to go to college and “taste the dream of going to medical school.” Growing up, Samantha received medical treatment from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Now she plans to go to college to earn her medical degree and work for St. Jude’s. Her dream is to help people, just as she was helped. Samantha is currently training for a 370-mile tandem bike race to raise money for St. Jude. For more information on the race visit www.samslife.org/. William Mathews, New Jersey William, who started taking Hadley courses 11 years ago, says it was an honor to accept his diploma from Hadley. “It was a long time working to receive it,” he adds, “but I enjoyed all the time studying and the knowledge I received. My biggest accomplishment was learning to read braille, which I did not think I would be able to do, at first.” William says he learned a great deal from Hadley, especially not to give up. “I had many instructors who encouraged me. Hadley gave me something to look forward to.” William plans to take more Hadley courses in the future and would like to thank the staff, instructors, Student Services and everyone at Hadley. Leila Reinersman, Kentucky Having earned her high school diploma from Hadley, Leila Reinersman has just closed a chapter of her life and is ready to begin another—college. Leila was born with toxoplasmosis, a disease that causes visual impairment. Her condition presented many challenges in her schooling, both academically and emotionally. She struggled with reading and had to learn to adapt. By the time she entered high school, she had to have her textbooks converted to audiocassette. Hadley instructors helped Leila with her studies and new forms of technology and encouraged her as well. “I’ve never met anyone nicer than the people at Hadley,” she says. Her favorite Hadley classes are English, science and history. A wife and mother, Leila keeps busy but still finds time to take guitar, harp and keyboard lessons. Her favorite activity is taking care of her grandson. Henry Slaughter, Mississippi Henry heard about Hadley through his employer, Signature Works, in Mississippi, which offered classes toward earning a GED to its employees. “I started to ask about how I could continue the courses at my own pace,” he says. His coworkers told him about Hadley and gave him the information he needed to get started. He feels relief at having earned his high school degree. “This is something I should have done a long time ago,” he says. “but it is never too late to accomplish your goals.” Henry plans to work in his church and community “with the confidence I have never had,” he adds. “It feels good to finally finish what I started years ago.” Josephine Smith, South Carolina “I made a promise to myself that I would finish high school,” says Josephine. On June 13, she fulfilled her promise. Growing up, Josephine had trouble reading, and had to rely on others to read to her. This became a problem later when she couldn’t keep up with spelling lessons. Josephine wanted to learn to read for herself. Josephine’s mother saw the trouble she was having and took her to the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. It was a turning point in Josephine’s life. She realized she could do much more than she had thought possible. Josephine started taking courses at Hadley in 1993. Presently, she takes computer courses. “I want to be able to use the computer well,” she says. Along with achieving her goals, Josephine likes to travel to new places. She is also a member of the National Federation of the Blind. Graduate Janice McCall was not available for comment. Podcasting, Anyone? Distance education has utilized a variety of delivery methods and technologies over the years: correspondence conducted through regular mail, broadcast courses via radio or television, courses on CD-ROM and the Internet to teach students in real time (synchronously) or 24/7 (asynchronously). With the increasing popularity of iPods, PDAs and Smart Phones, has an additional medium for the distribution of distance education content evolved? The answer is yes! Some educators are now allowing students to listen or watch course related material as podcasts. Some colleges have even begun working with the U.S. military to distribute entire course content on PDAs to deployed personnel. Mobile learning—where the student accesses course content stored on a mobile device—has arrived. Here is the question we have for you: Would you, as a Hadley student, be interested in receiving course content via podcasts? Would such “on the go” learning suit your lifestyle? If so, let us know. Email us at feedback@hadley.edu. Don’t miss out! Register to receive email notifications of future Seminars@Hadley. Go to www.hadley.edu and select “Lounge,” then “Mailing Lists.” ? Hadley Instructor Wins Lifetime Achievement Award H adley Instructor Vileen Shah was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn on behalf of IndiaTV Corporation, a community TV station based in Chicago. The award banquet was held April 7 at the Niles West High School auditorium. The award recognizes Vileen’s academic excellence and philanthropic contributions to the community, particularly his efforts to promote knowledge and education for the blind in India by raising funds needed to translate books into braille. Vileen lost his vision at age 3, but was determined to lead a “normal” life. After completing his master’s degree, he taught at the SNDT Women’s University in Mumbai, then later joined Bombay University as a professor. In Chicago, Vileen teaches American history as a professor at Harold Washington College. He is also a braille transcriber certified by the U.S. Library of Congress. Vileen has been instrumental in donating computer-based braille printers to blind schools in India, making it possible to produce textbooks in braille for school children. He is actively involved in programs for disabled people and has a vision to establish “talking computer training centers” for blind individuals across India. Two of these—in Mumbai and Junagadh—are already in operation. ? Hadley Partners in Philippines to Offer Braille Courses By Randy Weisser, executive director, Resources for the Blind, Inc. The Philippines is well-known for the beauty and bounty of its 7,000 islands and for the warm hospitality of its people. Few of the many who visit every year would ever imagine that scattered throughout these islands are almost half a million people who are blind. It is in the hopes of better serving this hidden population that Resources for the Blind was founded in the Philippines in 1988. When we think about the many needs facing our blind friends, one of the most urgent is that of being able to read and write. Like anyone else, blind people want to reach their highest potential in life, but without braille literacy they are severely limited in what they can accomplish and in the work they can do. Although a Filipino braille code has existed for many years, less than one percent of those who are blind in the Philippines are able to read or write braille. For years we have wanted to offer a Filipino braille correspondence course to these friends, but we have been limited by our lack of expertise in designing such a course. It has been frustrating not to be able to meet this most basic need of blind adults. In discussions about braille correspondence courses, The Hadley School for the Blind continually came to mind. We’ve been familiar with Hadley for years and have referred their courses to many people—blind and sighted. When it comes to braille correspondence, they are the undisputed world leader. Last year, we decided to approach Hadley about a possible partnership in developing a Filipino braille literacy course. We hoped to be able to take advantage of their many years of experience. Since the Filipino language uses the same alphabet as English, we also hoped to directly translate portions of their English braille literacy course into Filipino. We were happy with Hadley’s positive response about working together to develop the Filipino braille literacy correspondence course. We have already translated and adapted the first set of lessons. As word gets out, we are getting requests for the course and have begun distributing the first lessons, even while translating the remaining ones. We are thrilled to be able to partner with Hadley in this way. It allows us to immediately offer a high quality course based on the time-tested techniques and expertise of the Hadley team. We are confident that before long many of the blind Filipinos we work with will be reading and writing braille for the first time in their lives. ? Randy Weisser can be reached at Randy@blind.org.ph Announcing the Hadley School for Professional Studies Effective January 1, 2008, Hadley’s Professional Education Program will be renamed The Hadley School for Professional Studies (HSPS). All existing professionals will be a part of this new, exciting program. Those interested in continuing their studies with Hadley upon completion of their current course, and new enrollments, please take note of these important changes: A modest tuition will now be charged for most HSPS courses, ranging in price from $99 to $139. New enrollments will be online only. A cancellation and refund policy has been established. Payment will be taken by credit card or money order in U.S. dollars only. A new Certificate of Achievement will be awarded. Since 1997, the number of Hadley professional students has grown from 300 to 3,000 served annually. We’ve added additional courses of interest to professionals over the past 10 years. Our students tell us they enjoy their Hadley courses and value the content, which is so pertinent to their work. We appreciate your feedback and plan to continue developing courses that will meet your continuing education and re-certification needs. Additional information about the HSPS can be found on our Web site: www.hadley.edu/HSPS. Enrollments will be taken at the HSPS starting January 7. If you have questions, contact Dawn Turco, turco@hadley.edu. ? CURRICULUM CORNER E-Hadley turns five years old! Since activating its first online course in 2002, e-Hadley has created a total of 19 courses and has served over 2,800 students in its five-year history. Currently e-Hadley is focusing on: Perfecting its new online course template and accessibility standards Revising old courses and expanding new course development Creating innovations and using new technology Looking at the possibility of offering online college courses New Template & Course List E-Hadley’s new template features “AA” accessibility, which allows a screen reader and an audio sound card to “speak” to our students. The template uses a main menu that permits the student access relevant parts of the course on demand. The courses enable students with low vision to modify their screens’ contrast and font sizes to fit their needs. Screenreader friendly transcripts allow deafblind students to access all of the material while serving as printouts for other students. Lastly, e-Hadley’s interactive practice exercise and assignments provide immediate feedback to the student. Here is a list of activated online courses. Activated Adult, High School and/or Family e-Hadley Courses 1. Access Technology 2. Going Places 3. Internet Basics 4. Learning Through Play 5. Macular Degeneration 6. Safety in the Home 7. Diabetes: Toward Self-Management 8. Business Writing 9. Internet: Beyond the Basics 10. Using Excel 11. Glaucoma 12. Parenting Children with Multiple Disabilities Activated e-Hadley Courses for Professionals 13. Blindness Basics 14. Self-Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness 15. Macular Degeneration 16. Diabetes: Toward Self-Management 17. Glaucoma 18. Introduction to Braille (Open to families as well) 19. Contracted Braille (Open to families as well) The e-Hadley team is also upgrading and revising these original online courses into the new template. New versions of these courses will be available soon: Going Places Internet Basics Learning Through Play Safety in the Home Creating Innovations and Using New Technology At an April brainstorming session, the e-Hadley team agreed to try the following new features for new courses when appropriate. Use audio and video clips to support content. Use photos to supplement text Implement a new Seminars@Hadley system. Use computer simulations. Integrate online games and scenarios into courses (provide text-equivalents for accessibility). Integrate online group activities within lessons. Use the threaded discussions in Hadley’s Forum. With these innovations in mind, the team has expanded new course development with the following seven courses: 1. Business Communications 2. Container Gardening 3. Guide Dogs 4. Finding Employment 5. Literature: Fiction 6. Abacus 1 7. Abacus 2 The team is also revising the online Entrance Exam for ACE and High School students. Possible College Courses for e-Hadley With all of this activity, it’s hard to imagine that the school could take on new projects. However, the chance to collaborate with colleges to design an associate’s degree program for paraprofessionals and for our high school graduates is irresistible. In the future, e-Hadley will look at new ways to work in virtual college classrooms like those found in Blackboard. These “classrooms” are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week during a college semester. Although radically different than courses normally offered by Hadley, these college courses will enable paraprofessionals in our field to complete an associate’s degree without leaving home. If these or any of our courses interest you, visit www.hadley.edu or contact Student Services at 800-526-9909 to enroll. FAQs Answers to frequently asked questions by our students Q How can I become a more effective distance learner? A Here are some quick tips to get you started. Establish a comfortable, inviting place to study, free of as many distractions as possible. Organize your supplies and course materials in advance. Schedule a regular time to study when you know you are alert and ready to learn. Periodically take a stretch or walk around a bit. Review the course materials and set specific goals for each study session. Be sure you are following directions for study and assignment submission. Set milestones for yourself, even if the course is self-paced. Q How long does it take for my instructor to return my assignment with feedback? A Typically, when an instructor receives an assignment it is reviewed and graded and feedback is given within two business days. Some instructors are able to provide a response the same day an assignment is received; for others it may take a few more days. Assignments are handled in the order in which they are received. If, for example, you submit an assignment using email, the instructor must also handle assignments in other formats before responding to your next email submission. Hadley closes for a two-week winter break late December through early January. The period of time following this break is very busy as many assignments have accumulated, so it may take an instructor longer than usual to respond. Hadley is an open-enrollment school, meaning there are no predetermined semesters. As a result, instructors take vacation and personal time throughout the year. Teachers announce absences of more than a couple of days on their voice mail and, when possible, inform their students in advance when giving assignment feedback. Q As a Professional Education student using the Hadley certificate as proof to obtain continuing education credit, how can I arrange to receive the certificate in time? A Approval and acceptance of CEUs is at the discretion of your professional certification body, education agency, employer or entity that recognizes professional development. Hadley Certificates of Achievement are prepared after your Hadley instructor enters the final course grade into the computer. Certificates may take up to two weeks to arrive by mail. They are not faxed or emailed. If you are using Hadley course certificates as proof of continuing education, keep in mind the deadline by which the certificate must be presented and pace yourself accordingly. Consider your availability to study, the number of course assignments, how you intend to submit them to your instructor and time for the assignment response before submitting the next one. Always allow time to receive and carefully review feedback from your instructor on an assignment before submitting the next. Submitting multiple assignments at once or in close succession without instructor permission is discouraged. ? Dean Abbott Wins Service Award George Abbott, Hadley’s dean of educational programs and instruction, has received the 2007 William F. Lynch Service Award from Chicago’s Guild for the Blind. The award honors the Guild for the Blind’s founder and recognizes individuals who provide an important service to blind or visually impaired individuals in the Chicago area. “When I thought about George’s many volunteer activities within the blind and professional communities, I knew he was a well-deserving candidate for this award,” says Hadley’s Senior Vice President, Dawn Turco. Congratulations, Dean Abbott. Family Matters Raising Responsible Children By Julie Kay, Instructor Who doesn’t want his or her child to grow up to be a responsible adult? These days children—both blind and sighted—are so scheduled, they have few opportunities to make choices, problem-solve and yes, even fail. This can prevent them from learning responsible behavior. It’s important to understand the difference between obedience and responsibility. While most of us sometimes wish our children would just do what they are told—in other words, obey us—what we really want is for them to think. We want children who are independent, capable and self-confident. What is obedience? It is when children are expected to do what they are told rather than something that has been agreed upon. A child should obey when safety is a concern or when the task or action isn’t negotiable. A child is responsible when he or she accepts the task and is motivated to finish the job. There are five steps to teaching responsibility: Define the task (after deciding if it is age appropriate, specific and doable). Provide enough information for the child to complete the task. Turn over responsibility to the child. Monitor the results. Use natural or logical consequences, which are a result of the choices children make. If your child, for example, chooses not to wear his coat, a natural consequence is that he will be cold. Problem solving, a critical life skill, is addressed in Hadley’s course on raising responsible children. In one problem-solving example, a woman’s son with low vision wants to participate in a 4H show. After thinking through the problem of how he will know where the judges are, the child suggests they wear orange vests so he will be able to see them. The judges agree to this solution, and the son later reports that it worked well. These strategies encourage kids to complete tasks: 1. Give kids choices: Giving choices helps define the parameters while giving children a say in how a task gets done on their terms and within the boundaries you have set. Don’t be surprised when they start giving YOU options! 2. Schedule family meetings: Regular family meetings are great opportunities to discuss upcoming events, scheduling, accomplishments and problems in the home for the approaching week. 3. Use charts: Young kids love charts. Charts should list specific tasks to be accomplished, be accessible and reflect what they will earn if they do the task as agreed. Everyone benefits from these techniques. When children are taught to be responsible, the need to nag declines. More importantly, the self-esteem and confidence that develops through completing tasks, problem-solving and participating in family meetings is remarkable to watch. Want to learn more and implement some techniques to raise a responsible child with vision loss? Sign up for Hadley’s course, “Raising Responsible Children.” Parents with young children who have additional handicaps and parents of teenagers love it. ? Resources Order DVDs or tapes on raising a blind child: VIPS 1906 Goldsmith Lane Louisville, KY 40218 Toll free 1-888-636-8477 www.vips.org To learn more about family meetings: The Family Education Center, 804-261-7979 www.familyeducationcenter.com/Fmeetings.htm For parenting teens: www.MVParents.com Recommended reading: Get Out of My Life, but First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall? By Anthony Wolf. For parenting tips: www.realdiscipline.com www.thpc.com Bits&Bytes By Allen Maynard, access technology specialist GPS Keeps Users on the Right Path GPS, or Global Positioning System, is an electronic tool that helps you not only plan and navigate a route, but also determine your current location while traveling. The device, originally created by the United States Department of Defense for military use, can also tell you your current speed, direction and altitude. It does so through a tiny receiver that communicates via satellites to calculate your position, then compares it to maps stored on the GPS device. The GPS receiver, about half the size of a cell phone, can be worn on the shoulder or placed in the shirt pocket of a traveler who is blind. It is connected, either by cable or wirelessly, to a talking PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or talking note-taking device. The GPS software compares satellite signals against a previously installed map of a region, usually a state or cluster of counties, to give the traveler appropriate audio navigational feedback. Typically, maps must be purchased separately from the company that sold the GPS hardware and software. They also require updating from time to time. Commercial GPS doesn’t have pinpoint accuracy, but it can give your location within 30 feet, or about 9 meters. It can tell you the name of the street you are on and alert you to the approaching intersection automatically. When you are within 30 feet of an intersection it will report, for example, “Pine Street crossing Maple Avenue on your right.” It can also inform you when you are close to any destination, or Points of Interest (POI), such as a restaurant, bank, church or railway station. GPS software allows you to indicate your own POIs, such as your home, school or office. GPS software also lets you create travel routes. Select a starting point, such as an intersection or POI, then enter your destination, which can also be an intersection, POI or address. The route is calculated, and when you begin walking the device tells you which direction to turn and when and approximately how much distance to walk before the next turn. A simple keystroke automatically creates a reverse route that takes you from your destination back to your starting point. Not every GPS system has this reverse route feature, however. Most GPS software allows you to study the route or map in the comfort of your home before you travel. Your GPS does not need to be electronically linked to do this. Finally, GPS software has a “driving mode” that alerts users of an approaching intersection or POI much sooner. This mode is handy when traveling by bus, for example. GPS signals can be detected as long as the receiver is near the vehicle’s window or windshield. For the GPS to work properly, it must have a clear signal between the receiver and satellites. Traveling indoors, in areas with a high density of tall buildings or trees may render this aid less effective. Though a GPS device can be a wonderful travel aid, it is not a substitute for strong orientation and mobility skills and is not intended to replace a long white cane or dog guide. ? For an additional review on GPS products, visit www.senderogroup.com/nfb_gps_comparison.txt These companies sell talking GPS systems: Freedom Scientific’s StreetTalk GPS Phone: 1-800-444-4443 Web Site: www.freedomscientific.com Email: Follow the Web site’s “Contact Us” link. HumanWare’s Trekker for the Maestro PDA and Sendero GPS for the Braille Note family of products Toll-Free: 1-800-722-3393 (U.S. only) Phone: +1-925-680-7100 (All others) Web Site: www.humanware.com Email: us.info@humanware.com Handy Tech: (First U.S. company to offer) Way Finder Access GPS Navigation software along with Mobile Speak for Symbian phones. Phone: 651-636-5184 Web Site: www.handytech.us Email: info@handytech.us Listen to a demonstration of the Way Finder Access GPS Navigation software at www.triumphonic.com/demos/wfademo.mp3. Note: Loading the mp3 file could take several minutes, depending on the speed of your Internet connection. Hadley Wins Technology Award In March, The Hadley School for the Blind received the 2007 Runner-Up Technology Leadership Award, presented by Lumity and Accenture, for its interactive online braille courses using braille-writer and slate and stylus simulator software. The black tie event, held at the Museum of Science and Industry, was a celebration and fundraiser for Lumity, formerly known as IT Resource Center, recognizing the 2007 technology leadership award winners. This year’s theme was “Cracking the Code.” “The day we came up with the idea to put our braille-instruction courses online was a momentous one,” says Ruth Rozen, Hadley curriculum designer. “We knew we were onto something special; that’s what kept us going through all the problem-solving and revisions it took to make the online simulators and the content work smoothly. We created a unique and motivating way to learn braille. It’s so rewarding to see the incredible success of these courses in teaching people to use braille and promote braille literacy.” “Hadley started teaching braille by mail in 1920—and we still do today, 87 years later,” says Andre Lukatsky, director of computer services. “The breakthrough Web-integrated braille simulator software allows us to teach braille online, which is much more effective and efficient than by mail. It’s a great honor for the Hadley School to be recognized by Lumity for this new technology.” Hadley’s braille courses, “Introduction to Braille,” and “Contracted Braille,” teach families and professionals to read and write braille so they can communicate with blind relatives and clients. Hadley received a $2,500 grant from Accenture, a one-year Lumity membership including $2,000 worth of consulting services and a donation of Microsoft software. Lumity is a nonprofit organization that catalyzes Chicago’s nonprofit community to do more philanthropic work. ? Andre Lukatsky, director of computer services; Thomas Tobin, vice president of development and communications; Charles Young, president; and Linda Dunlavy, grant writer, attended the Lumity award ceremony at the Museum of Science and Industry. Meet the Newest Wave of Hadley Ambassadors In May, we welcomed 11 new Hadley ambassadors from nine states, who represented a range of state and private agencies serving those with visual impairments. During their training, the ambassadors learned that Hadley does much more than they realized. They departed feeling energized and enthusiastic about ways their agencies and Hadley can work together in the future. Our next ambassador training is October 4 and 5, 2007. If you are a professional working at a U.S. state or private agency serving those with visual impairments or a school for the blind and wish to take part in this exciting, informative program, please join us. Contact Cheryl Wysocki, 800-323-4238 or wysocki@hadley.edu. ? A Matter of Course George Abbott interviews Instructor Patti Jacobson. Patti teaches Hadley’s “Independent Living” foods series courses, and most recently, “Guide Dogs.” What work were you involved in before joining Hadley as an instructor? I worked as a rehabilitation counselor for 14 years. I also taught braille to graduate students at the University of Northern Colorado. When did you begin teaching for Hadley? I started in 1994. Prior to this I was hired by Hadley as a course reviewer. This was before Hadley had a formal Curricular Affairs Department. The courses you teach include the new “Guide Dogs” course, “Independent Living” and the foods series. What can you tell us about the series? It explains how to select, purchase and prepare food in terms of the techniques used. It resembles a food science course. The handbook explains adapted techniques a visually impaired person would use. Some recipes are included, although these are not cooking courses. The series is comprised of five courses. “Eggs and Dairy Products” and “A Social Perspective” has two lessons each. “Meat, Poultry and Fish,” “Fruits and Vegetables” and “Grains and Sweets” has three lessons each. These are short, fun courses. Students are welcome to take any or all of them and in any order. They can design their own program. Recently you’ve added a new dimension to the courses. What is it? Yes, we now have the online forum in Healthy Living. Anyone can visit the Hadley Web site at www.hadley.edu and go to the link for forums. What are the main topics you plan to initiate on this new online forum? We cover a wide range of healthy living issues. I encourage discussions about food, exercise and activity in the community. We are not nutritionists or medical professionals, so we don’t give advice about nutrition. What we try to do is bring important topics to the forefront with respect to how a visually impaired person can get actively involved in embracing healthy living. For example, a recent discussion addressed how to mark exercise equipment so that someone with a vision impairment can independently manipulate the machines. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I enjoy going for walks with my guide dog. I like to read. I listen to old time radio programs and talk radio. We encourage our Adult Continuing Education and High School Program students to sign up for a foods series course today, and invite everyone to visit the Healthy Living online forum on the Hadley Web site, www.hadley.edu. ? Hadley Announces New Partnership with NIB National Industries for the Blind (NIB), in partnership with The Hadley School for the Blind, is offering NIB Business Basics—an innovative distance learning program to provide people who are blind with necessary skills to excel in the business world. Utilizing five selected Hadley courses, this partnership allows NIB Business Basics students to develop fundamental business skills such as business writing, general business concepts, management, spreadsheets and Web-based research. NIB Business Basics is open to anyone who is blind and employed by NIB or its associated agencies. If you have questions about NIB or are already an eligible employee interested in finding out more, visit www.nib.org and select the “Business Leaders Program” link for Business Basics. Or contact Sandy Smith, NIB, at 703-310-0506 or ssmith@nib.org. Congratulations to the NIB Business Basics ambassadors, who help promote this program. Since announcing this new learning opportunity, more than 60 students have enrolled. The NIB Ambassadors are: Steve Beres, Michigan; Jamie Classen, Virginia; Kathy Gallagher, Virginia; Sharon Giovinazzo, New York; Kellie Hightower-Spruill, North Carolina; Tony Jorgensen, Washington; Karen Pal, Virginia; Doug Powell, Virginia; Elizabeth Scott, Virginia; and Sandra Smith, Virginia. ? Emily Coleman and her husband James (left) pose with George Abbott, Hadley’s dean of educational programs and instruction, at the Families Connecting with Families conference in Omaha. Emily received the Friends of Hadley $1,000 award, which allowed the couple to attend the conference.