Hadley Connection The Hadley School for the Blind Student Newsletter Spring 2007 Hadley’s New Strategic Plan Would you be interested in accessing an Internet library with more than 30,000 books and 150 daily newspapers for a small fee of $40 per year? Do you need college credits leading to a degree? Would you like to converse with Hadley’s students in China to help them practice English via Internet phone calls? These and other exciting initiatives are being explored under the new Hadley School Three-Year Strategic Plan. Hadley’s self-paced, accredited High School Program offers U.S.-based students the opportunity to complete their education and earn a diploma. To become a part of this exciting program, complete an enrollment application and provide transcripts of high school courses already completed. Our Strategic Plan encourages your participation in the recruitment of students for this program and, hopefully, I can count on you. In addition, there are courses for teachers, teachers’ assistants or volunteers interested in a career working with visually impaired individuals. Hadley is always interested in students who would be willing to volunteer their time to speak at local civic groups regarding their Hadley experience. Just think back to how you first learned about The Hadley School for the Blind and how much you have gained from your involvement. Sharing your experience will help others learn about Hadley’s treasure trove of resources. As Hadley’s president, I am personally asking you to set a goal to identify just one potential student who you feel would benefit, as you do, from our wonderful school. By sharing Hadley with others, you become a part of Hadley’s future. Many thanks. Sincerely, Charles E. Young President Photo: Hadley President Chuck Young and Hadley Student Chuck Young introduces Marjorie Travis, of Fort Myers, Florida, to a group of Hadley supporters and trustees in Florida. Marjorie spoke about her experience at Hadley. inside 2-3 Meet the 2006 Hadley Student Award Winners 4 Live Webinars at Seminars@Hadley 5 Bow Wow WOW! 6 Curriculum Corner 7 Hadley Ambassador Program Expands to U.S. Hadley Offers Braille Transcribing Services 8 Family Matters: Music Resources on the Web 9 Bits & Bytes: Tips On Navigating a New Web Site 10 Love to Read? 11 A Matter of Course Meet the 2006 Hadley Student Award Winners Dannie Hawley STUDENT OF THE YEAR In 1984 I left the U.S. for the career that became my life’s work: that of a medical missionary. A nursing colleague and I constructed a medical clinic in a jungle village in West Africa. I lived and worked in this village for more than nine years (six of which I served after losing my eyesight). My introduction to Hadley began with the “Independent Living” course with Patti Jacobson. I am now working on my 18th course. Learning has been such an important part of my life. Hadley restored that possibility to me. I recently completed “The Human Eye,” a course for which I thought I probably already knew most of the material. How wrong I was! I learned an incredible amount of new information and was able to apply it when working with my patients. Hadley courses have had a direct effect on my ability to do my work well. Hadley instructors have made a big difference in my life. During the “On the Move in the Great Outdoors” course, Ginger Irwin widened my horizons as to what I could do. Hadley instructors shared their confidence in such a way as to remove much of the fear of being blind for me. Rosemarie Hahn DEAN W. TUTTLE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AWARD As Hadley’s receptionist, Rosemarie is the first contact many people have with the Hadley School. She plans to continue taking Hadley courses “because they are so informative and the teachers are wonderful to work with.” Taking courses has helped Rosemarie understand what Hadley students experience. She relishes hearing the relief in people’s voices when they call Hadley looking for assistance with their vision impairment. “The best part of my job is to be able to say to people, ‘Yes, Hadley can help you,’” she says. Prior to coming to Hadley, Rosmarie earned a degree in fashion design at Harper College. She worked as a window trimmer for companies such as Baskins and The Limited, then sold her own clothing line while raising her children. Later, she and her sisters ran a travel agency for more than seven years. Dealing with the public prepared her for her job at Hadley. A native Chicagoan, she lives with her husband of 30 years and has two adult children. Lois Hodge RICHARD KINNEY CHALLENGE OF LIVING AWARD I was born deaf, but my parents did not discover this until I was 4. My husband and I raised three sons in Virginia. I began a local Self-Help for Hard of Hearing group in 1985, served as its president, and wrote about the group in “Ear News.” I’ve written a Directory for Hearing Impaired People; lectured about my experiences as a deaf and, more recently, legally blind person; and written historical and nature articles for children’s magazines and for the local Times magazine. I’ve also written a book, A Season of Change, about the experiences of a 12-year-old deaf teenager, published by Gallaudet University Press. A 1995 blood test revealed that I have Usher Syndrome. To cope with my deteriorating eyesight, I took braille courses at Hadley. The encouragement of Martha Pamperin and Naomi Tuttle helped me stick with it, even though I am a slow reader. The textbooks were excellent, especially Self-Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness. Naomi gave specific answers to questions I’d had most of my life. I now know that my phases of adjustment toward deafness and blindness were normal and that I will be able to adjust gradually to changes in my vision. Hadley has contributed considerably to my education and well-being as a deafblind person. Stephanie Kieszak-Holloway ROBERT J. WINN FAMILY EDUCATION AWARD Receiving the Robert J. Winn Family Education Award was a nice surprise, and I am honored that my instructors nominated me. As a full-time working mother of two young children and stepmother of a pre-teen, my life is pretty busy. The flexibility of Hadley’s program allows me to obtain the information I need at a pace that works for me. I took my first Hadley course, “Reach Out and Teach,” when Kendra was 7 months old. Three years later, my instructor Debbie Worman and I still keep in touch about Kendra. Pam Winters and Linn Sorge were instructors for my subsequent Hadley courses. All three women were wonderful resources for me. I particularly liked being able to ask Linn about her experiences as a blind child since the blind adults I know now all lost their vision later in life. Given a choice, I would not have wished for my daughter to be blind. However, the fact that she is blind has made it possible for me to meet people I probably never would have otherwise. We got involved with the Center for the Visually Impaired in Atlanta, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC). The state of Georgia did not have an organization for parents of blind children, so my husband Richard and I helped form the GOPBC in 2004. Our lives have been enriched because of Kendra, and, hopefully, we have been able to pass along what we have learned to other parents of blind children. Kevin Ward INTERNATIONAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR I was born in Ireland in 1943 and at 15 joined a congregation of men devoted fully to teaching. In 1965 I was sent to teach in India and have been here ever since. When an opportunity presented itself some years ago to work with the visually impaired, I decided to get training. A little research on the Internet and guidance from friends led me to Hadley. Thanks to Hadley, I have acquired many skills that equip me to work with the visually impaired. My work with people who are blind has taken me to many parts of India. I have also begun to familiarize myself with what is being done for blind people in China. Hadley’s courses have been just right for me. And the fact that they are free is most appealing to someone who lives and works on a voluntary basis in a third world country, with no allowance or income. Because of Hadley, I am more familiar with visual impairment and better equipped to help. Hadley instructors have not only taught me painstakingly from the beginning, they have gone on to inspire me over and above the call of duty. I recognize in each instructor who guided me a kindred spirit. Donna M. Thompson DONALD WING HATHAWAY LIFELONG LEARNING AWARD “I have learned so much throughout my adult years that would not have been possible without Hadley,” Donna says. Donna, a Wisconsin resident, was born in 1952 and has successfully completed 57 courses since enrolling with Hadley in 1973. Blind since birth, her family relocated so she could attend the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped. Although the move affected her entire family, they were always supportive of her and encouraged her to reach out. “I first heard about the Hadley School through a braille magazine. As I read about the opportunities available to me at Hadley, I knew I wanted to further my education. Hadley instructors helped me believe that I have a lot of potential,” she says. “They are not only committed to what they do, but really love what they do.” Live Webinars at Seminars@Hadley Seminars@Hadley has hosted nine live online lecture discussions on diverse subjects ranging from cooking for those who are visually impaired, to shopping online, to digital accessibility in the workplace. Participation in the seminars continues to grow, the latest drawing attendees from across the U.S. and many international locations. While Seminars@Hadley has a text-messaging system, many participants are taking part in the discussions by utilizing a stand microphone and speakers or a headset with built-in microphone. Missed these earlier seminars? Don’t worry. You can access the archived lectures “on demand” by visiting Hadley’s Web site, www.hadley.edu. Follow the event link to Seminars@Hadley. Upcoming Seminars@Hadley topics include: April 17, 2 pm CT, Interior Design and Organization May 8, 1 pm CT, Backyard Entertaining June, TBA, Access to and the Benefits of Recreation July, TBA, Inside Employment: A Panel Discussion August 15, 11 am CT, Kids in the Kitchen September , TBA, Healthy Eating: Focus on Nutrition Don’t miss out! Register to receive email notifications of future Seminars@Hadley. Go to www.hadley.edu and click on “Lounge,” then “Mailing Lists.” ? Bow Wow WOW! By Dawn Turco It was a crystal-clear sunny Saturday morning last September when Hadley’s hometown of Winnetka “went to the dogs.” More than 90 dogs of all shapes and sizes and their owners walked the streets on behalf of Hadley. The first “Hounds for Hadley” fundraising dog walk wowed everyone, proving to be a huge success. The event was fun for families, helped heighten awareness of Hadley within the community and raised more than $10,000 in support of a new course for prospective dog guide users. “Guide Dogs” will cover all things dog guide, providing information to help students decide if the dog guide life style is right for them. CURRICULUM CORNER What’s new and what’s coming? Hadley is committed to continually developing new courses for all students in all programs, and in the past year, we’ve unveiled a dozen new offerings. Take a look at what’s available now and what will be available in the near future. The Adult Continuing Education Program Responding to the requests of many students, Hadley has developed a series of courses that emphasize business skills. Internet: Beyond the Basics In five lessons, you can learn about Internet security, research skills, travel planning and online shopping. Business Writing In four lessons, students learn how to write memos and create business reports in real-life situations. Using Excel Students learn how to use Excel by following instructions and applying them to practical situations. These courses are also available to students in our high school program. In the future we will activate additional braille courses, a new, upgraded container gardening course and a course for those thinking about acquiring a guide dog. The High School Program For those pursuing their high school diploma, Hadley offers four courses in a variety of disciplines. The Art of Ancient Egypt This 10-lesson course uses tactile graphics to explain how the ancient Egyptians expressed themselves and their culture in art. Punctuation This course teaches punctuation, capitalization and italics rules in eight well-designed lessons. General Science This course discusses the various areas of science, such as life science, physical science, and earth science. Examining scientific facts and developments will enable the student to explore the role science plays in daily life and in the environment. Economics Using a new and improved textbook, this course illustrates how you make economic choices every day and applies basic principles of economics to familiar situations. These courses are also available to students in our ACE program. Hadley is developing a new mathematics course called “Practical Math 1” that explains arithmetic in the context of everyday usage. Moreover, it will provide braille users with information on using Nemeth code in math problems. The Family Education Program Since seniors represent the largest growing segment of people with visual impairments, Hadley has developed a series of courses on medical issues. A new course for parents of children with multiple disabilities is also available. Diabetes: Toward Self-Management This 10-lesson course teaches family members about diabetes management. Macular Degeneration Hadley has converted its popular 5-lesson course on age-related macular degeneration (AMG) to an online format. Glaucoma The goal of this course is to provide glaucoma-related information to help the student take an active role in the rehabilitation process. Parenting Children with Multiple Disabilities This course offers ways to promote learning at home, in school and in the community and explains how to take an active role in educational planning. We have also created online versions of the Diabetes and Macular Degeneration courses for students in our Professional program and are developing an online version of “Glaucoma” for professional students as well. The Professional Education Program Responding to requests from many of our professional students, Hadley has developed two courses that increase a person’s advanced braille skills. Both courses are available to students in our Family program. Contracted Braille – Online Using state of the art software and the work of experienced technical designers, this course allows a professional to learn contracted braille on his or her computer. Basic Nemeth Code This 12-lesson course teaches sighted students familiar with contracted braille the symbols for written math and science. Professionals will also have the opportunity to take a “Self-Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness” course based on Dean and Naomi Tuttle’s newly revised textbook. This course explains how people with visual impairments adjust to life’s demands. If these or any of our courses interest you, visit www.hadley.edu or contact Student Services at 800-526-9909 to enroll. Hadley Ambassador Program Expands to the U.S. By George Abbott In 2003, as part of a partnership agreement Hadley established with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), the CNIB-Hadley Ambassadors was created. During an ambassador orientation, Hadley staff thoroughly explain the school’s programs, eligibility and enrollment criteria, course design and development, fundraising and communication and outreach activities, give a tour, and provide time for the ambassadors to examine Hadley courses. The thrust of the program is to help the ambassadors better understand Hadley and to show them how Hadley can serve the needs of their fellow colleagues, clients and students and clients’ family members. We demonstrate how Hadley courses can augment the services provided by the ambassadors’ agencies. Ambassadors are able to take what they know about Hadley’s programs and share it either individually with colleagues or by speaking on our behalf at local conference and outreach events. Ambassadors can speak in positive terms based on firsthand experience. Connecting Hadley with local services provides a broader array of services resulting in more needs being met. On November 9 and 10, 2006, 17 blindness professionals representing 11 different agencies visited Hadley for the first U.S. Hadley Ambassador Program orientation. Two additional CNIB employees were trained, as well as professionals from Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. We look forward to reaping the benefits of the strong relationships with these additional ambassadors. Another wave will be trained in the near future. The ambassador program is proving successful. New relationships are being forged and existing ones, renewed. And people in need of Hadley services are learning about the possibilities for lifelong, distance education. ? Hadley Now Offers Students Braille Transcribing and Production Services If you need print put into braille and embossed, Hadley can help. For more information and a cost estimate please contact the Materials Production Department at 847-784-2889 or www.hadley.edu.? Family Matters Music Resources on the Web By George Abbott Occasionally we receive requests for instruction on musical instruments. Hadley does not provide music instruction, but we know of some terrific resources. Following is a sampling of music instruction organizations. Some are companies selling products and services, others are sources of information and referral. Perhaps these will help motivate those of us who aspire to be musicians, while providing information to help current musicians with a visual impairment reach the next level. TalkingTabs www.talkingtabs.com 800-660-6850 This company sells an impressive set of guitar instructional CDs. Musicians learn entirely by listening to verbal instructions and demonstrations. There is no need to know music notation or to rely upon tabs. The recordings are clear and the instruction, professional. The guitar series can turn the true novice into a musician. A variety of songs in various genres are available so you can learn to break the song down while being guided by an expert every note and chord of the way. Music By Ear www.musicvi.com 1-888-778-1828 This company sells tutorials for a variety of instruments, from guitar to piano to drums, even the penny whistle. Learning happens by listening and knowledge of written music is not needed. Several levels of instruction from beginner to more advanced player are available on CD, audiocassette and through MP3 downloadable files. A large catalog of songs is available with instructions on how to play each note. National Library Service www.locgov/nls/ The National Library Service has instruction in braille and audiocassette. Contact your local Talking Book Center for information on reaching the NLS Music Library. National Resource Center for Blind Musicians www.blindmusicstudent.org This organization is committed to helping persons with a visual impairment learn to play music. It also strives to suggest techniques music educators can use when teaching visually impaired students. Dancing Dots www.dancingdots.com This company provides a wide array of music resources for the visually impaired musician. It sells products that convert print music into braille notation, accessible sound editing software and training on music software. Many links to other useful sites are provided. ? Bits&Bytes By Allen Maynard Tips On Navigating a New Web Site Navigating a new Web site can be daunting. Each site is different and there are no hard and fast rules to apply. The following strategies might help. Most Web sites have a list of main navigation links near the top or on one side of the page. These links usually contain basic areas of the site you can link to, but they may not be what you are interested in initially. When visiting a site, it’s helpful to have an idea of what information you are looking for. If you were to visit a site about an open-source screen reader, for example, it would help to know if you want general or specific information about the product. If you want general information, then you’d probably want to scan the main navigation links, since they will likely contain more specific information, such as directions on how to download, new features or changes. However, if you want further information, the main navigation links would likely provide you with appropriate links. If you are unable to find the information you seek quickly, try using the Jump-to-Heading command of your screen reader. Pertinent information often begins with a heading. The Jump-to- Heading command allows you to scan the headings without having to arrow past blocks of text or links. Now, some Web pages do not contain headings, or else the headings don’t reference the information you need. In this case, you could fall back on the screen reader’s skip command. It works like this. If your cursor is on standard text and you execute the skip command, your cursor will skip to the first instance of an item that is not standard text, such as a link or form control. Likewise, if your cursor is on a link and you issue the skip command, you will be taken to the first item that is not a link, such as standard text or form control. If that strategy doesn’t bear fruit, try using your screen reader’s command to present you with a single column of only the links on the current page. To navigate this list, use either the up or down arrow keys or press a letter and if there is a link label beginning with that letter, you will be placed on that link. Press the Home key to jump to the top of this list if you want to begin your link search from a known position. If a promising link is not found in this manner, try the screen reader’s Find command. This is not as precise as using the heading command or scanning a list of links because it may not be clear how the author of the Web page worded the text, but this strategy could yield results with a little creative thinking and luck. The Find feature only searches the current Web page, so if the first search fails move to the top of the page and try a different search string. If all else fails, go back to the main navigation links. They might be the only way to get close to the information you want. The Internet is a wonderful cyberscape, overflowing with endless topics. With a little patience and perseverance you can find literally anything. ? Love to Read? If you love to read and have the capability of down-loading books, consider visiting www.BookShare.org, an online community that dramatically increases access to books for visually impaired and print disabled individuals. By utilizing volunteers to scan books, BookShare makes available thousands of books that can be downloaded for your reading pleasure. BookShare.org takes advantage of a special exemption in the U.S. copyright law that permits the reproduction of publications into specialized formats for the disabled. Who can benefit from BookShare.org? • People who are blind or have severe visual impairments that prevent them from reading ordinary newspaper print, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses. • People with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, which interfere with the ability to read print material. • People with mobility limitations that interfere with holding or turning the pages of a book. BookShare.org also serves organizations such as the state, local and federal educational system; the rehabilitation system; specialized nonprofit agencies and various governmental units that provide accessible materials to people with disabilities. Copyrighted digital books are available for download to U.S. residents who submit proof of a disability that affects reading. To find out more about BookShare, visit their Web site, www.BookShare.org. ? Chatting in China Improves English Chat room technology has added to the way the English language is practiced though the Hadley School for the Blind in Fuzhou, China. Weekly chat rooms for native Chinese speakers encourage students to practice and improve their English skills. Once a week, the teachers speak with each other through Hadley seminars to compare notes and resources for improving English skills. One of the most challenging topics of discussion for both teachers and students is American English idioms, or slang. Their ongoing contact with each other is always enjoyable and often results in laughter, which translates in any language. Learning a new language often provides plenty of opportunity for humorous confusion. ? AD: Discovery 2007: The Low Vision Conference SAVE THE DATE Who: People with vision impairments, their families, employers/potential employers, teachers and vision rehabilitation professionals When: December 6 – 8, 2007 Where: The Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, Chicago, Illinois Plans are underway to ensure an outstanding conference. One of our keynote presenters is Carl Augusto, a nationally respected leader in the vision impairment field. For information contact Leah Gerlach, the Conference Chair, 630-690-7115 or via email at leah@deicke.org. Or visit Hadley’s Web site at www.hadley.edu. Go to Events. A Matter of Course George Abbott interviews Ruth Rozen, Curriculum Designer and Louise Willimann, Curriculum Coordinator Designing Hadley courses is a process that involves many steps and many people. Hadley students understand the role of the instructor, but what about those behind the scenes who actually develop the courses? To help us understand the course development process, I interviewed Ruth Rozen and Louise Willimann from the Curricular Affairs Department. Ruth, what is the role of a course designer? Primarily, it is to take content and develop it into a learnable format. Clear objectives for the course are established and then divided into learning objectives for each lesson. The course material is put into lessons of a reasonable length. Self-assessment activities are created after sections of material to help the student determine if he or she is understanding the material. For example, a practice exercise of multiple choice or true-false questions might be asked, with answers provided so students can check their comprehension. An assignment is designed for the end of each lesson to give the teacher the opportunity to gauge the students’ understanding of the material taught in the lesson. Additionally, I create a detailed summary of the course that appears on the Hadley Web site. I draft the short description that appears in the Hadley course catalog. Material becomes a course through one of a few primary ways. The designer might do research and speak with experts and then author the course. Other material is provided to Hadley by an author, and we either accept that information as it is and build course components around it or we are granted permission to modify the information to suit the needs of our audience. When choosing material we follow strict guidelines for research. We are careful to use information from valid sources. We consult with experts to ensure the material is accurate. How long does it take to draft a course? This depends upon several factors, such as the length of the course and the complexity of the material. It can easily take anywhere from one to six months just to produce a draft. The project length also depends upon how many expert reviewers are involved in giving feedback and how technical the information is. The course draft is reviewed, revised accordingly, reviewed again and then prepared for production. Production is yet another process the course must go through before it is made available to students. Courses may be produced in multiple formats, such as audiocassette, braille, large print and online, each with its own set of guidelines and challenges, which adds to the length of time it takes before a new course is approved to be activated. Some courses also go through a pilot process in which a small group of students enroll and take the course and provide feedback on its clarity and ease of use. How many courses is a designer working on at a time? On average I have four courses assigned to me. Keep in mind that these courses are at various phases, ranging from being researched to being reviewed by experts to undergoing revisions. Louise, what is the role of a curriculum coordinator? I am basically a project manager overseeing the development of each course. Courses are approved by Hadley’s Curriculum Committee and from there I prioritize the course development work plan based upon the desired timeline for the course to become available, the designers’ workloads and their various skill sets. I monitor where each course is in its development and help facilitate the movement of courses through the various phases of development. Because I am also trained as a designer, I am able to look at each course draft with another perspective, and with knowledge of our design features, impact on production and effectiveness with our audiences. How many course designers work with you? We have three course designers and a copyeditor. How many projects are you overseeing right now? Currently, there are 16 projects I am monitoring. Do you have any final remarks about the course development process? Creating courses involves a lot of brainstorming and interdepartmental cooperation, in other words, a great deal of teamwork. ? The Hadley School for the Blind 700 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL 60093-2554 USA Phone: 847-446-8111 Toll-free: 800-323-4238 Fax: 847-446-0855 www.hadley.edu email: info@hadley.edu The articles in Connection are for information only and in no way endorse one service or product over another.