SPEAKUP SUMMER ISSUE JULY 2008 A Publication of USSAAC. The Voice of AAC Feature Article ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONIC BOOKS OVER 38,000 BOOKS FOR PEOPLE WHO USE AAC by Samuel Sennott with interviews with Jim Fruchterman, Joe Rickerson, and Joy Zabala Personal Connections by Doug Maples, Nichole Maples, Sabrina London, and Johanna Schwartz Do you have a favorite library? My favorite library is found anywhere a computer and an internet connection is found. It is a huge library with easy to reach shelves. This library is called Bookshare and if you have an internet connection and a computer, this library has a branch near you. If you have a physical disability, blindness, or a learning disability, did you know that you are potentially less than thirty minutes of work from having access to over 38,000 electronic accessible books? If you are a parent, did you know that you could help your daughter or son get individual access to these accessible books? If you are a teacher, did you know that Bookshare is free for all United States students with a print disability? Surely if you have ever experienced using an optical scanner to take a paper based book and scan it into a computer you know that taking 30 minutes to fill out a couple forms and send a fax is more than a good time investment for access to over 38,000 books! Continued Contents Letter from the President Kristen Gray ISSAAC 2008 Information AAC and All That Jazz by Pam Kennedy Accessible Electronic Books by Samuel Sennott Do You Got Game by Paul Natsch Seating and Positioning in AT by Aileen Costigan AAC Evidenced Based Practice Conference Review by Rose-Marie Gallagher EditorÕs Note Picture of Samuel Sennott Hello Everyone, My name is Samuel Sennott and I am very pleased to be the new editor of SpeakUP. I am a special educator and technology specialist, presently working at Nova Southeastern University in Southern Florida. I am very thankful to have the opportunity to help SpeakUP be the voice of USSAAC as a community. The SpeakUP goal I am most excited about is to increase authorship by users of AAC in SpeakUP and beyond. This high priority is very exciting and is championed by Johana Schwartz and Sarah Blackstone. Look for opportunities to contribute and by all means message us if you have an idea! Looking more broadly, ISAAC and USAAC are communities I believe in very strongly. Our mission to champion AAC here in the States and across the flattened world is very important. This issue of SpeakUp is a very special look into one of the most exciting advancements in education, the wide-scale availability of high quality electronic accessible texts. Both the innovators and the users have powerful stories to tell. To close, it is hoped that with each forthcoming issue of SpeakUP that those groups in the community surrounding AAC that are less heard from find their voice. Balance and increased representation is the goal. We will look both to established leaders and the new generation of them to meet this and other goals. Samuel Sennott Become a Member of USSAAC For membership questions visit our Join USSAAC page or contact us at: membership@ussaac.org Contact USSAAC USSAAC PO Box 1195 Burlingame, CA 94011 FAX: 928 585 8525 For General Information or Questions: info@ussaac.org president@ussaac.org Letter from the President Picture of Kristen Gray Dear Members, Greetings! I am excited to be writing to you in the new format of SpeakUP. This electronic version of the magazine is eco-friendly and accessible. Our hope is that members of USSAAC will be able to share thoughts and experiences using the articles you find as discussion points. There will be discussion forums available on the website. Members who prefer to receive the Magazine in print format will have a paper edition mailed to them. I am pleased to announce additions and changes to the USSAAC Board of Directors. India Ochs has agreed to serve as the President Elect and V.P. of Regional Affairs. Ms. Ochs brings grand plans and strength for implementation to the office. Mary Ann Abbott completed her term as VP for Professional Affairs and will now be representing Region 8. Mary Ann Lowe is now serving as the VP of Professional Development. They have worked together to coordinate the ASHA CEUs for the upcoming ISAAC conference. We also have three new members of the Board. Mira Shah is serving in the capacity of Liaison to ISAAC. Pamela Kennedy and Lateef McLeod will have joint responsibility for the role of V.P. for People Who Use AAC. Finally, I am very pleased to announce that Sam Sennott has agreed to take on the job of SpeakUP Editor. This is a large job and his efforts and dedication are evident in this first issue under his leadership. As you know USAAC is a volunteer organization. Without the generous donation of time and talent offered by our members the work of USSAAC could not be done. If you are interested in participating in the organization by working on a committee or pursuing a position on the Board in the future please contact us at info@ussaac.org. This is an exciting year for USSAAC and ISAAC. The conference in MontrŽal promises to be an inspiring and educational experience. USSAAC will be hosting a membership meeting and social gathering during the conference. Details about the event are available on the website: www.ussaac.org. Kristen N. Gray Executive Committee 2008 President Kristen Gray Ô10 VP Regional Affairs President Elect India Ochs Õ10 VP Financial Affairs Ed Donnelly Ô09 VP People Who Use AAC Pamela Kennedy Ô10 Lateef McLeod Ô10 VP Professional Affairs Mary Ann Lowe Ô10 Office Manager Pam Lorence Speak-Up Editor Sam Sennott Board of Directors 2008 New England Region John Costello Northeastern Region Lewis Golinker Mid-Atlantic Region Ami Profeta Eastern Central Region Amy Miller Sonntag Southeastern Region Mary Ann Lowe Great Lakes Region Tom Reed Midwestern Region Julie Bisbee Western Region Mary Ann Abbott ISAAC Liaison Mira Shah Past President Pat Ourand ISAAC 2008 Montreal Leading the Way Well over 1,000 registrants will be joining us in Montreal to celebrate ISAAC's 25th anniversary. In addition to the Main Conference (August 4-7), the Preconference Workshops (August 2-3) and the Research Symposium (August 8-9) are filling up quickly. However, spaces are still available. For more information, follow the link to:Ê http://www.isaac2008.org If you are attending ISAAC, you will find there are an incredible amount of informative sessions. In fact, it may be overwhelming! Whether or not you are attending the conference, or checking out session you missed, you can still participate by accessing the posted session abstracts and articles. http://www.isaac2008.org/pro_online/0804.html Also, go directly to the main conference days events.at I The United States Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) is scheduled to conduct a Chapter Meeting to be held during ISAAC's 13th Biennial International Conference, which is fast approaching. The USSAAC Chapter meeting is scheduled Wednesday, August 6, noon - 1:00 p.m. at the Montreal Convention Centre (check on-site schedule for room allocation). ISAACÕs 25th Anniversary AAC Awareness T-shirt The beautiful thing about t-shirts is that everybody wears them (when they are designed well and meaningful) and everybody reads them. Help us spread ISAACÕs message. This t-shirt will be sold onsite for $10 USD. If you are interested in buying a t-shirt, please indicate your intent to purchase on the conference registation form. They are available in the following sizes: YM, YL, SM, MD, LG, XL. The t-shirts are made by The Nth Degree and can be seen at their website. www.thenthdegree.com. Please direct any questions to The Nth Degree website. Upcoming Events ISAAC 2008 Montreal, Canada August 2-7, 2008 2008 Clinical AAC Research Conference Charlottesville, VA September 25-27 Closing the Gap 2008 Minneapolis, Minnesota October 16-18, 2008 2008 ASHA Convention Chicago, IL November 20-22, 2008 ATIA 2009 Orlando Orlando, Florida January 28-31, 2009 AAC and All That Jazz: Not Just Another Conference by Pamela Kennedy Picture of Pamela Kennedy AAC and All That Jazz (ATJ) was more than a conference; it was a force that swept through New Orleans from February 20th until February 23rd, 2008. Like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, its effects have had a lasting impact. Attendees sought to replenish AAC resources, reestablish speech therapy related services, restore networks among stakeholders in the Gulf Region, establish long-term goals that support people with complex communication needs (CCN) during emergency situations, and work towards communication accessibility at all times. Thank you for a successful and meaningful event, USSAAC and participants! The United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) sponsored the four day event. The AAC ACTion Corps met on the first day and launched the ÒRestore and RebuildÓ project. A component of this ongoing initiative addresses emergency preparedness and disaster relief issues specifically related to people with CCN by establishing networks between stakeholders. USSAACÕs three-day ATJ Conference drew nearly 200 people from Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, presenters and participants from other parts of the US and Canada, including key US government officials from the Department of Justice and the Louisiana Office of Emergency Management. I became involved with ATJ after collaborating with my publisher, Dr. Sarah Blackstone, partner of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC) and president of Augmentative Communication Incorporated. She learned that I had survived a flood in Grand Forks, ND; and I discovered that she was a co-chair of an upcoming conference concerning the issues people with CCN face during emergencies and disasters. After I wrote an article for Augmentative Communication News, USSAAC arranged for me to travel to New Orleans, join the USSAAC Planning Committee at ATJ and present my story. The invitation also prompted me to acquire a Speech Generating Device (SGD) to become an active speaker. With my SGD, I had a strong voice and played an active role by presenting and networking with those involved in this effort. To ensure that government officials understood the needs of people with CCN, I met with them one-on-one to discuss the issues, get their contact information, and follow up with them. USSAAC, thank you for providing the means and opportunity for me to make these contacts! You helped me fulfill my dreams of making a difference in the AAC community! Continued on the Next Page ATJ was the result of a partnership among people with CCN, clinicians, speech, occupational and physical therapists, vendors, developers, parents and professionals that span the AAC industry. Although many committee members and sponsors only knew each other through emails and conference calls, our cause united us. During our time in New Orleans, everyone collaborated to become advocates for people with CCN. To increase the impact, we decided to make networking a focal point of the conference. Participants took the leading role in every session I attended. Speakers opened their sessions by asking the audience what issues needed to be addressed and tailored their presentations accordingly. This ensured that networking opportunities happened at all hours. Attendees came together in a more relaxed environment at a multi-faceted event held at the House of Blues, where the highlight was a concert featuring the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. As we networked, ate, sang and danced together, more than 200 people forged a lasting bond and became a community. My work before and during the conference has led me to become involved with new emergency preparedness projects, including the ChildrenÕs Committee. While at the conference, I met ATJ committee members, Pat Ourand, who is the former USSAAC President and Theresa Tanchak, who works as the Education Consultant at Region 4 Education Service Center in Houston, Texas. We started working on a project in partnership with News-2-You, a publishing company that produces symbol-based publications for use in special education classrooms. Together we are creating an issue of News-2-You designed to teach the importance of emergency preparedness issues for people with CCN. It will provide sample communication boards to use in emergency situations so families have ready-made interfaces in their disaster readiness kits. AAC and All That Jazz was a network of people rallying to respond to the needs of people with CCN in the Gulf Region after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and raise awareness regarding the need for emergency preparedness. Currently, USSAAC is preparing to post information for the AAC community and emergency preparedness personnel contact information on its website. USSAAC members need to realize disasters and emergencies can happen anywhere without warning. The best defenses are preparation and networking. The mission of USSAACÕs AAC and All That Jazz and AAC ACTion Corps was to rebuild capacity, restore AAC services and focus on brightening the future along the Gulf for people with CCN. This mission made the activities more than just another AAC conference. I would like to express a very heartfelt ÒThank you!Ó to USSAAC, all ATJ committee members, sponsors and contributors. You were the backbone of AAC and All That Jazz! We could not have accomplished so much without you! --------------- The Writers Brigade (WB) is a project of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC). This program operates under a two-fold mission: enhancing employability for adults who depend on assistive technology (AT) and publicizing the activities the AAC-RERC. Participants in the WB will gain professional experience in writing and publishing articles that disseminate research in the field of AAC and AT. ATJ Committee members: Gulf Relief Committee: Co-chairs-Sarah Blackstone and Harvey Pressman; Meher Banajee, Pam Elder, Caroline Ramsey Musselwhite, Pat Ourand (ex-officio) Donna Broussard, Janie Cirlot-New, Ana Deter, Kristen Gray, Pamela Kennedy, Tracy Kovach, David McNaughton, Tim Morse, India Ochs, Pat Politano, Katherine Shea, Renee Spratt, Theresa Tanchak Picture of Pamela Kennedy Presenting ATJ Presenters: Many committee members gave presentations. In addition, Lisa Bardach, Barry ÒBongoÓ Bernstein, Sharon Edwards, Kelly Fonner, Lew Golinker, John Halloran, Pam Mathy, Debbie McBride, Pat Mirenda, Jan Mora, Judith Oxley, Kristie Stapler, Quentina Timoll, Joy Zabala Exhibitors/vendor support: Platinum: DynaVox Technologies Gold: InvoTek, Inc. Silver: Blink-Twice, Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation (project Start); News-2-You, Prentke Romich Company, Technology Learning Center - Southern Mississippi University, Words+, Inc., Saltillo Corporation, SerVision Inc., Slater Software Basic: Adaptive Solutions, AMDI Inc., Assistive Technology, Freedom Scientific, Kurzweil/Audio Optical Systems of Austin, SerVision Inc., Slater Software AAC ACTion Day: Blink-Twice Scholarships: Prentke Romich Company Conference Bags: RJ Cooper Pegi Young and Dan Ackyroyd supported the House of Blues Networking Event. Many other individuals, organizations and companies have donated money and materials to the goal of supporting re-building AAC capacity in the Gulf region affected by the hurricanes. Continued Feature Section: Accessible Electronic Books As Jim Fruchterman, the Chief Operating Officer of Benetch, which leads Bookshare, said, ÒBookshare is still something that people in the know are using. We need to reach out to the average parent, average teacher, and average student. Not just the individuals on the forefront of educational technology.Ó So now you know that every US student with a qualifying disability is eligible for access to 38,000 books, from young children in elementary school to a 110 year old student auditing a class at a local community college. Also, every citizen in the US with a diagnosed physical disability, blindness, or a learning disability can access these books for a nominal fee. So shout it from the rooftops. Get signed up. Use these services! Tell your friends. Email and text message your whole address book. By all means, message that teacher, special education director, or superintendent. Tell the world! How do you access these electronic books? Right now, all you need is a computer. At the most simple level, with Bookshare and The Accessible Book Collection books, you can open them in a web browser such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari. You can also use specialized software, such as Kurzweil 3000, to access terrific features such as text to speech, bookmarking, note taking, powerful zooming, font enlargement, switch scanning, and more. Yet, one of the most desirable features for these books is for them to be accessed easily and efficiently in every major augmentative communication device. This is possible. Let us speak up and tell representatives of these companies that we desire this: access to electronic books in AAC devices. In this feature section of SpeakUP will be focused on hearing from some of the innovators of the accessible book revolution. Let us first hear from Jim Fruchterman, his name pronounced like it rhymes with book, the CEO of Benetech, the high technology non-profit company behind Bookshare. S.Sennott: Jim, thank you for speaking with me. At SpeakUP we are very excited about all that Bookshare has experienced in the past year, including the large Department of Education funded grant of 32 Million Dollars over five years and the big announcement that it will be free for US students. In this issue we are working to spread the word about how to access Bookshare and other accessible book resources and get as many people signed up as possible. Jim Fruchterman: That sounds Great. That meshes with our objectives. We are always cognizant that users of AAC are not in the front of mind of policy makers when they approve this stuffÉ they are often thinking of people who are blind, people with a wide variety of physical disabilities and people with learning disabilities. We need to keep it broad because people tend to think about that stuff narrowly and donÕt realize about that certain audiences need the accessibility as well. Continued on the Next Page S.Sennott: What are you most excited about with Bookshare? Jim Fruchterman: That we have the money to do everything we dreamed of doing. It does not happen very often that you get a chance like this. There is a clear vision for Bookshare. Every student that has a print disability has the same books at the same time, with high quality, with access technology, as all the kids who donÕt have disabilities. You know that is a tall order, but we are going to get so much closer to that with this funding. We had one outreach person a year agoÉnow she has three or four companions. We are building partnerships with a wide variety of organizations such as parent organizations, state agencies, AT companies, and beyond. The fact that Bookshare does not cost money for US students is making a huge difference and an even bigger deal than I expected. Bookshare has grown by a factor of ten in less than 9 months. We have gone from a couple thousand students who have signed up to now 20,000 students. We promised to serve 100,000 students for the grant over the course of five years. I think we will meet that goal next year. S.Sennott: ThatÕs exciting for sure. You all got a collective cheer from the crowd when it was announced that the funding was approved. Now, what do you think the barriers are to getting every student with a print based disability who would benefit from accessible books, signed up and accessing Bookshare? Jim Fruchterman: Bookshare is still something that people in the know are using. We need to reach out to the average parent, average teacher, and average student. Not just the individuals on the forefront of educational technology. S.Sennott: The Don Johnston collaboration and the distribution of a freeware version of their Read: Outloud software for use with Bookshare sounds great. How is that collaboration and others going? Jim Fruchterman: Yes, the Don Johnston is the first of a series of collaborations. We want to support as wide a variety of AT companies as possible to connect for free with Bookshare books. We are actually working with almost everyone you can imagine. S.Sennott: What a great idea to have the books integrated into AAC systems? Jim Fruchterman: While I cannot announce some of the collaborations we are working on, I will say that we are working closely with one Aug Com company in particular. Actually in the Aug Com area, we are hoping to hear more from the various companies and in fact I think that this article may help facilitate that. Continued on the Next Page Jim Fructerman: I wanted to get back to your question about barriers we face. Actually our biggest barrier is textbooks. We are the biggest accessible media producer in the NIMAC, the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center. We think it is great children like you told me about are able to access chapter books and summer reading, but we really have set our sites on having the core instructional materials ready for the student in a high quality format and in a timely manner. Later in the project, we are going to actively make a sweep through reference materials with the goal of having pretty good coverage, similar to what a well-stocked K-12 school library would have. Textbooks and reference materials are the most difficult to produce currently. S.Sennott: What hardware excites you the most? Jim Fructerman: Actually, it is the cell phone. It is the most broadly available device in the world. Actually, we launched an international Bookshare program at about the same time we received the grant. The cell phone is a key link for both here and abroad. Clarifications from Jim Fruchterman: 1. Qualifying US students and their schools can enroll for free. 2. Parents and individuals need to understand, there are two ways to access Bookshare: ¥ School Account: School adds student to roster ¥ Individual Account: Every student can get their own individual Bookshare membership Image and text label of Jim Fruchterman CEO of Benetech www.bookshare.org Bookshare.org Library Now Free to All U.S. Students with Qualifying Disabilities Memberships for U.S. schools and qualifying U.S. students of all ages including K-12, post-secondary and adult education, are now free, thanks to special funding from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). To sign up for Bookshare.org, please read more about student access. Bookshare.org believes that people with print disabilities deserve the same ease of access to books and periodicals that people without disabilities enjoy. The Bookshare.org library provides print disabled people in the United States with legal access to over 39,500 books and 150 periodicals that are converted to Braille, large print or digital formats for text to speech audio. What Bookshare Means to Us by Doug Maples Picture of Doug and daughter Nichole together resting Doug, his wife Valerie, and daughter Nichole I have been using Bookshare.org quite a few years since our daughters got memberships at school. I have mostly downloaded books for them, but I have also gotten books for myself with Bookshare. I also love to read, but I'm a quadriplegic and cannot physically handle a book. I have to have it in electronic media format so I can read it on my computer. Bookshare has filled this need. Yet, one issue is that even with the large amount of books they have, there are a number of books that my daughter has to have for school that are not in there. Several others had been scanned so poorly that it was difficult to read. I had to guess a lot of words and sentences. The book The Red Pony was one in particular that was a real challenge for me to read for my daughter. It definitely has its problems, but it is free and it works. You can't complain. My daughter, Nichole, is given a list of books she has to read in summer school, as well as during the year. I will download all of them that I can find and read through them to make sure the content is OK for her. Unfortunately, schools have kids reading books today that many parents do not approve of. This way I get to censor what I think is appropriate or not, which is a great help! Nichole loves to read and we will always have a book started that I can open up and read any time she is with me. Not only does it help her with her school work, but it gives me quality time with my daughter. Not to mention the fact that I get to read books that I never would have, otherwise, a great dual benefit for our family. I love the fact that you can extract a book into several formats. Sometimes I will use the Microsoft Reader, while other times I'll simply use the HTML file. With Microsoft Reader, I can have it read aloud and highlight the words so she can follow them as we listen to the book. That way she gets to see the words and actually learn how to read at the same time. Bookshare has opened up a new world of opportunity for me and my daughter. Nichole Maples 15, Tupelo, MS Picture of Nichole seated S.Sennott: What does Bookshare mean to you? Nichole Maples: I really like to read. I cannot hold a book or turn pages, so a computer helps me. I like Bookshare because I can read any time I have a computer. I read better now because I can read along while it is read to me and later read the same thing without the voice. My dad is in a wheelchair and cannot read a regular book easy either, so we can read with Bookshare together, also. I like doing things with my dad. I like reading more than playing games. Bookshare helps me learn about things I wouldn't otherwise. I can keep learning at home. S.Sennott: How do you access your books? Nichole Maples: We read on both my dads computer and my Super Auggie and pretty soon I will do it with my VMax. I like showing other people how much I enjoyed reading. They always seem surprised. S.Sennott: What else would you like to share? Nichole Maples: More kids need to be able to use Bookshare. When I have a reading assignment from school that is not on their list, my mom scans the book and my dad tries to get it ready so it can be up there for other people to read, also. I think if more kids could read with their computer instead of just listening to tapes, they would learn how to read and be more excited about all the things they can learn. My mom and dad made it easy for me to become slowly more independent and now I can do more by myself. It will help me when I want to learn about voting and things like that. Because I like to read it makes things like e-mail even more fun. I wish every kid with a disability had their own computer so they could read any time. Some Fun Online Book Sites for Kids and Teenagers Browser Books K-12 CAST UDL Bookbuilder K-12 Literactive Pre-K to 3 Bookshare by Johanna Schwartz I first heard about Bookshare from a posting on ACOLUG in 2004. Since then it has become my go to source for reading material. I would use the word ÔflexibleÕ to describe why Bookshare works so well for me. For example, any book has the potential to become an e-book on Bookshare. Their collection has been growing by leaps and bounds, with new titles added even daily. They add books through their own buying program and through donations. If a book I want to read is slow to appear in their collection, I can buy the book and contribute it myself. Bookshare tends to feature popular titles and current bestseller list books that I am likely to want to read. Other sources may offer these books also, but they tend to be far more expensive. Sources that are free, such as the Gutenberg Project, tend to offer books that are not so appealing: dry reference books or extremely old books for which the copyright has expired. On Bookshare, I can Ôpick upÕ the book whenever I want to read it. And I can take as long as I want to read it. Unlike the library, I donÕt have to wait for someone else to return the book before I can start reading it. I donÕt have to organize a special trip to the library to pick up the book in the narrow window of time that the library holds the book for me. I donÕt have to organize a second trip to return the book before it becomes overdue. Unlike the short loan period that the library imposes, once I download a book from Bookshare, I can keep it forever. The greatest flexibility lies in the ebook format. Unlike hard copies and audio books, I donÕt have to rely on anyone else to turn pages or insert a CD. I can read anywhere and at any time because I can store the books in my communication device. Unlike other media, I can skip ahead or go back and reread a passage as I please. I can use search tools to find a scene or a theme anywhere in the book. Unlike hard copies and CDÕs, with Bookshare I have the choice to read silently or to follow along while a voice reads the text for me. I am not limited to one format or the other and I can control the pace, even with the voice option turned on. I like to turn on the voice when a text is particularly difficult or when I am reading a memoir. With the voice turned on, the visual reinforces the audio and I donÕt miss anything. In a difficult book, the voice keeps me moving. Otherwise I tend to get bogged down in the difficult passages and stuck in a loop. With memoirs, I enjoy hearing the content spoken- it emphasizes the intimacy of a memoir and makes the reading experience more personal. ItÕs almost like sitting around gossiping. I do believe that I actually read more because of the opportunities to browse the collection on Bookshare that are not physically possible for me at the library. I am more likely to try a book that is there for the asking, that I donÕt have to make a special trip to retrieve and donÕt have to pay for. I can read more spontaneously. If I end up liking the book, I will read more by the same author. If I am reading a book that references another author or another book, I can look at those immediately, even while I am still reading the original book that mentioned them. Bookshare makes reading a more enriching experience. Continued: Accessible Electronic Books Now we hear from Joe Rickerson, founder of the Accessible Book Collection. Picture of Joe Rickerson S.Sennott: Joe, this summer one of my students had a real powerful experience of gaining access to an electronic book through the Accessible Book Collection. On one of the first days of the camp, we were doing a guided reading lesson considering things we struggle with and she mentioned that she could not read the summer reading book, Holes, required of her fourth grade class. She said the font in the book they bought was too small and it is very hard for her to hold it. We quickly pulled up the Accessible Book Collection and showed her how we download it. Within a couple minutes, we had the book up with the font enlarged. She was so pleased. Yet, she did not just sit and smile at the feat, but started reading the first chapter right away! Joe Rickerson: I live for stories like that Sam. That makes my day hearing stories like that. That is what the Accessible Book Collection is all about. S.Sennott: How did the Accessible Book Collection Start? Joe Rickerson: Actually, my daughter has Cerebral Palsy and she cannot turn the pages of a book, nor hold a book. Back in 99 we purchased her a Rocket Book, which was one of the first self contained e-books and devices available. There was very little content available. So I bought a $100 scanner and got to work scanning in books. Around the same year, my wife and I attended a literacy meeting with David Koppenhaver and Karen Erickson. At that meeting I found out about the Chafee Amendment and I said, well, this is what I am going to do. In 2001, we opened our doors! S.Sennott: What defines the accessible book collection? Joe Rickerson: The books we have, the format they are in, and the individuals we serve. High interest beginning reading level books was the original goal. We started getting a great deal of requests of more traditional books There is some really fascinating new research from the Accelerated Reader group on what books kids are actually reading. We are trying to fulfill that list and in fact we already have most of the titles. S.Sennott: What are you most excited about with the Accessible Book Collection? Joe Rickerson: I am most excited about the expansion of the Classroom Suite books and the Clicker books. Linda Bastiani Wilson and Darlene Brodbeck are the primary innovators when it came to this. They came up with the idea for providing these books for younger children that need switch accessible books. They are marvelous additions to the accessible book collection. Continued After Sidebar The Accessible Book Collection Picture of JoeÕs daughter, Ellen Rickerson, the inspiration behind The Accessible Book Collection Picture of A Bookshelf containing the Accessible Book CollectionÕs Intellitools Formatted Books S.Sennott: Joe, that project is amazing. I saw it presented at Closing the Gap last year by Linda Bastiani Wilson and Patti Weismer. So letÕs get this straight. You are now converting the books into formats like Intellitools Classroom Suite and Clicker 5 so that children can use more alternative access formats to read the books. That is terrific and much appreciated by anyone who has scanned in a picture book. It is powerful how a wiki is set up so this project can expand. I am looking at the books now and there are some great childrenÕs books in that set. S.Sennott: What hardware do you recommend for accessing ebooks? Joe Rickerson: Something with a large enough screen. My daughter uses the Yet, the important parts of a reading device are that you can see the words and that you can advance the pages. S.Sennott: How do you sign up for the Accessible Book Collection? Joe Rickerson: There is a school route and individual route. Schools can sign up as a group and register as many students as necessary. Individuals can sign up as well. Click Here to See How to Join the Accessible Book Collection Go Check out the Wiki for the Accessible Book Collection Picture Books Project Picture of Sabrina connecting accessible books with video. Some Things I CanÕt Do Are Read Small Text in Books Like Holes. by Sabrina London, 4th Grade Picture of Sabrina London We downloaded the book Holes. We increased the text size and I bloomed like Leo the Late Bloomer. I felt happy because I read Holes, my fourth grade summer Reading list book. Everyone cheered and clapped because I read holes and I can download many books from the Accessible Book collection. I have read many books on the Tar Heel Reader too, like Tiger Woods Can be a Friend and Play in the Snow! I loved the Tar Heel Reader. Some books are fun to read. It reads out loud to you too. This summer I did a lot of things. We made cards for a friend. She was sick. We went to Wannado City. My favorite ride is the boat. When I go back I want to ride the wheel. We played Wii golf. It was fun. I made a blog. Sam and my friend commented on my blog. I had fun this summer and read a lot of books too. Continued: Accessible Electronic Books Let us get some perspective by conversing with Dr. Joy Zabala, the Program Manager of the Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM)?Consortium at CAST. The AIM Consortium is a group of 15 states committed to implementation of the accessible instructional materials section of IDEA 2004 that mandates the provision of accessible formats of print-based instructional materials in a timely manner. S.Sennott: What would you say to users of AAC regarding what is the most important thing about accessible books to consider? Joy Zabala If a student with disabilities is unable to use traditional print materials such as textbooks, those materials must be made available in a timely manner in specialized formats that meet the studentÕs needs. Many people who use AAC devices also have difficulty using textbooks and print-based instructional materials. They may have difficulty doing such things as holding a book in ÒreadÓ position for sufficiently long periods of time, turning pages in a book, or reading well enough to gain meaning from grade level print materials print materials. Although this certainly does not apply to all students with complex communication needs, it is very exciting to me this mandate may very well lead to the opportunity for those who need specialized formats to read textbooks in digital formats on their communication aids or by some other means. The idea that individuals who use AAC will be in charge of their own reading is powerful and, in general, represents quite a chance for many people. In my experience many users of speech generating devices use options other than direct selection to speak. It seems to me that it would be a great step forward if they were able to use those same options not just to speak, but also to read textbooks right on their devices or on a computer I would have LOVED it if that were possible when I was in the classroom! ?? S.Sennott: Great point. The independence factor in this technological advance is huge for so many AAC users. This is also great considering the time and energy lost in set up getting on computers in schools and beyond. Joy Zabala: True, and some of those things also require the assistance another person to get set up and ready to use. Being able to read independently Ð when, where, and for how long one wants - would be very powerful indeed! S.Sennott: What is the AIM(Accessible Instructional Materials) Constortium all about? Joy Zabala: It is an OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs) funded project charged with how to move from the promise of NIMAS and other instructional material avenues to the implementation of working, streamlined systems that ensure that students who require them receive high quality accessible materials in a timely manner. The AIM Consortium involves 15 states and CAST, all working collaboratively to develop high-quality systems for the provision of accessible instructional materials that fit the specific needs and responsibilities of each individual state. The AIM consortium supports the development of stateÕs system, but not necessarily one model. We are seeking to make sure that the models have key principles that work. There are many issues in the legislation and in the development and implementation of the process of getting materials to the students who need them. In the AIM Consortium, we have the advantage of frequent communication Ð both scheduled and as-needed - between the states and CAST. This provides us with the opportunity to share thoughts, information, and knowledge, raising our own level of awareness and understanding of the various issues that affect instructional materials. S. Sennott: How does this relate to NIMAS Ð the National Instructional Materials Accessability Standard? Joy Zabala: One of the key benefits of the NIMAS is that an XML file marked up to the Standard can be readily transformed into multiple formats; the formats mentioned in IDEA include Braille, Large Print, Digital, and Audible. Being able obtain student-ready materials created from these files means that, instead of spending times scanning and creating materials, teachers are finally able to devote that time to using the materials to teach students. Like so many others have, I spent hours scanning and cleaning up materialsÉand now, if I have a student who needs specialized formats, I can seek files that arrive in better shape than when I scanned print materials myself. Although it is unlikely that the need to scan will be totally eliminated in the short run, it is my hope that whatever is not available now will become available in the relatively near future. We are working toward this end in collaboration with publishers. What will truly open the doors to all who need these materials is the development of accessible materials by publishers that can be acquired in a variety of ways, but primarily through purchase so that they can be used with ANY student. S.Sennott: Okay, so we consider the student and the specialized formats they need, what do we do next? Joy Zabala: Once the team has determined that the student needs one or more specialized formats there are several sources from which materials can be acquired Ð the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC), Accessible Media Producers (AMPS), fee-based or free from commercial sources such as publishers, and, thankfully, with less and less, prepared by people close to the student. Under current laws, all students cannot receive materials from all sources, but it is helpful to know that there is more than one source so that, if one is not available, another can be explored. The bottom line is to make sure to request the text books that are needed. You can do this by working with others at your school to be sure that, whenever textbooks are purchased, the contract for purchase includes the requirement that the publisher create a NIMAS file of the materials and deposit it in the NIMAC. If your student is not eligible to receive files through the NIMAC Ð a whole other interview Ð then work with the school to get the materials either from an accessible media producer such as Bookshare or directly from the publisher. It is really important that publishers become increasingly aware that such materials are needed. Presently we are finding that many publishers don't know that people need these accessible books, because they are not getting the requests.ÊAsk for what is needed. If what is needed is not already available, ask for it anyway. If publishers hear from many people around the country that something is needed, it is highly likely that it will become available before too long. S.Sennott: Joy, thank you for the excellent information. It is an exciting time for students and teachers alike. Thanks for helping us weave through this process. Joy Zabala: If you would like to know more about accessible versions of print-based instructional materials, please visit the AIM website at CAST, aim.cast.org. Be sure to visit the site often because, in addition to general information, definitions and legal references, the site contains ever-increasing background knowledge, guidance and references. In addition, there is a link to the AIM Consortium, a project funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) that includes 15 states and CAST working together to develop high-quality systems for the provision of accessible instructional materials in a timely manner to students who need them. Each AIM state has a page on the site that includes contact information and links specifically applicable to that state. Joy Zabala: Anyone is also welcome to contact me via email to jzabala@cast.org Picture of Joy Zabala Go to the AIM Consortium Website Website: aimconsortium.cast.org nimas.cast.org From Chuck Hitchcock Chief Officer, Policy and Technology Director, NIMAS Technical Assistance Center CAST, Inc. Regarding Bookshare: "Bookshare is a trusted provider of specialized formats to individuals with print disabilities. They have learned how to provide the essential balance between the needs of rights owners and the individuals they serve. Now that Bookshare has obtained support from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, we are looking forward to a large increase in the availability of accessible textbooks and related instructional materials in the year ahead." More from Chuck Hitchcock: Regarding Accessible Textbooks: "A lot of time has been wasted scanning and/or searching for the same accessible textbooks over and over again. The NIMAS file set specification now used by publishers to prepare source files for submission to the NIMAC will go a long ways toward resolving the problem of providing high quality braille, large print, etext and audio specialized formats in a timely manner to students that qualify. The US Department of Education, States, local education agencies, publishers and accessible media producers are beginning to work more closely together to improve learning opportunities for students with print disabilities." Do You Got Game? by Paul Natsch Picture of Paul Natsch There are plenty of people with physical limitations that use computers in conjunction with assistive technology for all sorts of useful and exciting purposes such as composing music, drawing, creating websites, word processing, chatting with friends, photo editing, and more. It goes without saying that computers and the assistive technology available for use with them have a tremendous impact on the lives of such individuals. ButÉ.what about games? Whether disabled or not, nearly everybody likes to play some kind of game on their computers at some point. I've been as C4-C5 quadriplegic for over twenty years and I've been playing games on my Mac for almost that entire time. In that time I've learned some tricks and discovered some amazing assistive technology, like using the terrific KeyStrokes on-screen keyboard software, that has made playing games and using my Mac in general easier and easier as time has passed. With the success of online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft, playing games with other people online cooperatively has really taken off in popularity. Those with physical limitations once faced challenges playing computer games alone or better yet competitively online with others. Thanks to Apple and a whole bunch of talented third party developers this isn't as big of a problem anymore. Now people with a variety of physical limitations can play games such as World of Warcraft, with other people, and play just as good (and in some cases better) than able-bodied people! One such third-party developer called AssistiveWare, makers of the excellent on-screen keyboard KeyStrokes and switch-access software SwitchXS, has taken this a step further by creating a website that is dedicated to this issue. The website is called "Assistive Gaming" (assistivegaming.com). Assistive Gaming is the brainchild of David Niemeijer, founder of AssistiveWare. The site provides information on how people with disabilities can enjoy the latest and greatest games on Mac OS X, and to a lesser degree Windows PCs. Contributors to the site are disabled and users of assistive technology themselves so they have a lot of first-hand experience with this issue. This site is currently focused on users with physical impairments but also welcomes contributions from people with other impairments. I am pleased to be both editor and contributor to this excellent new resource. But through my association with Assistive Gaming, I too have learned of assistive technologies that even I wasn't aware of. So it has also been a big help to me! Continued on the Next Page The site is broken out into four main sections: Articles, Games, Reviews, and News Tidbits. The articles section covers such topics as interactive fiction, using voice control applications to play games, and using PC emulation software such as Parallels Desktop to play Windows games in Mac OS X using assistive technology. The games section contains short descriptions of games and their level of accessibility. The reviews section contains more detailed reviews of various games from the perspective of a user of assistive technology and what methods are used to make the game accessible for the reviewer. Finally the news tidbits section contains brief news items dug up from around the Internet. The front page also contains a news feed from the very informative ATMac website. Assistive Gaming also hopes to create more awareness about the plight of disabled gamers and the challenges they face when playing computer games. Apple is aware of the website so hopefully they will hear the issues we are identifying and continue to add more accessibility features to their excellent operating system in the years to come. One helpful update would be the ability to force any full-screen application into "windowed mode". Full-screen games tend to prevent the usage of certain assistive technology, like KeyStrokes for example, by obscuring them in the background so such a feature would help many more games be accessed. Computer gaming can be a great outlet for communicating with other people. This is especially true with online computer gaming, where people use chat to facilitate cooperative team play. So if someone cannot play a popular online game then they miss out on the communication opportunities that such a game may offer them. Ultimately those of us that use assistive technology to play computer games want nothing more but to enjoy the same games everybody else does. Hopefully Assistive Gaming will help achieve that goal. But ultimately the success of a website like this depends on lots of people getting involved and contributing their gaming experiences. So if you use assistive technology and play games on the Mac (or PC) please contact Assistive Gaming at contact@assistivegaming.com about becoming a contributor to the website. Game on everybody Innovations Visit Assistive Gaming at: assistivegaming.com Here are some current game reviews on the site: Second Life Real Ball 2 Depths of Peril Gaming Assistive Gaming Links (From the site) Switch Gaming Game ON database Games for blind users Games and puzzles accessible to people with disabilities Game accessibility SIG Game Accessibility project AbleGamers.com community site for disabled gamers BBC Ouch articles on accessible gaming and switch gaming Go to Assistive Gaming Seating and Positioning for Individuals Who Use Assistive Technology By Aileen Costigan, MSc-OT Picture of Aileen Costigan Many individuals with disabilities rely on assistive technology (AT) to participate fully in daily life. Control of AT is often accomplished via an individualÕs available motor skills. For example, a young girl with cerebral palsy may have enough fine motor control in her hand to access a joystick to drive her power wheelchair. Similarly, a man with a spinal cord injury may capitalize on available neck movement to use his head to hit a switch that controls his communication device. The optimization of motor skills for physical access to AT depends in part on an individualÕs seated position. An appropriate seated position will ensure that an individual has maximal use of their extremities for functional activity. Appropriate seating is individually defined: There is no perfect seated position that will work for everyone. There are, however, some general principles that can guide seating and positioning for all individuals who use AT. Given the importance of seating and positioning in AT, familiarity with these principles is an asset to any professional working in this field. This will enable the AT team member to recognize appropriate and inappropriate seating and positioning, to consult appropriate resources such as occupational and physical therapists, and to make referrals for expert seating and positioning intervention as needed. The AAC-RERC webcast entitled ÒAn Introduction to Seating and Positioning for Individuals who use Assistive TechnologyÓ serves as a resource to AT team members wishing to become familiar with the general principles of seating and positioning as they apply to AT and their specific roles in seating and positioning intervention. Some highlights of the webcast are described below. Visit the webcast at for further learning. http://www.aac-rerc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=145&Itemid=152 The Goals of Seating and Positioning Seating and positioning intervention is aimed at promoting an individualÕs comfort, safety and stability, and functional skills. For individuals with more complex needs, seating and positioning intervention may also address issues with muscle tone, sensation, skin integrity, and anatomical differences. In AT, team members are most often concerned with how seated position impacts motor skills for physical access to AT. However, it is important to note that a seated position that does not adequately address the other goals described above may indirectly limit functional skills. Continued on the Next Page Proximal Stability = Distal Mobility The webcast emphasizes the importance of the idea that proximal stability equals distal mobility. The term proximal is used to describe anatomical structures that are close to the center of the body (e.g., the pelvis). The term distal is used to describe anatomical structures that are further away from the center of the body (e.g., the fingers). So, the rule Proximal Stability = Distal Mobility can be interpreted as follows: Providing adequate support to the central structures of the body such as the pelvis and trunk will lead to maximized mobility and control of the extremities such as the hands. Neutral Joint Positioning and Functional Movement The webcast also highlights the importance of neutral joint positions as safe, effective starting points from which to initiate movement. The 90-90-90 rule, referring to 90 degree angles at the hips, knees, and ankles is characterized as a position from which to capitalize on all planes pelvic movement for functional activity. Neutral joint position in the upper extremity and maintenance of the natural curves of the back are also identified as priorities for appropriate seating in AT. While the webcast highlights these principles as components of appropriate seating, the perspective taken characterizes appropriate seating as a dynamic concept and does not advocate for strict adherence to the concepts presented. Modifications to the Task, the Environment, or the Person The webcast also provides simple suggestions on how to promote appropriate seating and positioning for individuals who use AT. These suggestions focus on modifications that can be made to: (a) the tasks the individual wants or needs to complete (e.g., modifying the length of activities), (b) the environment (e.g., equipment changes), and (c) the person themselves (e.g., strengthening exercises). A Resource for any AT Team Member One of the primary goals of the webcast is to familiarize AT team members with their roles in seating and positioning. All topics are discussed with these roles in mind with an emphasis on working within professional boundaries and competence levels. As a result, the information is presented at an introductory level. As a result, the webcast is an appropriate resource for any member of the AT team including professionals, parents, caregivers, and of course individuals who use AT themselves. Go to the Webcast Go to all of the AAC-RERC Webcasts Other Featureed Webcasts: Picture of Device Assistant Ð AACTechConnect, College Life and AAC: Just Do It!: Beth Anne Luciani, Adding Projects for People with Disabilities to Engineering Design Classes: Kevin Caves Sixth International Symposium on AAC Evidence-Based Practice: Literacy, Language and AAC by Rose-Marie Gallagher Picture of Rose-Marie Gallagher Enthusiasm for teaching all students using AAC to read and write ran high at the Sixth International Symposium on AAC Evidence-Based Practice. The theme of this yearÕs symposium sponsored by the AAC Institute was Literacy, Language, and AAC. It was held on July 13-14, 2008 at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. A fairly equal mix of consumers, families, teachers, students, therapists, and other professionals participated in this motivating event. People left excited to try new ideas with their students to get them reading and writing, moving them forward from whatever their current level of literacy. Evidence of best practices for teaching literacy pulled together into some common themes that ran through the entire weekend. All the presenters talked about the importance of respecting individual learners and recognizing their potential to make progress. We know these attitudes and expectations are necessary to create a successful learning environment. Another major theme was that students using AAC benefit from the same instructional strategies, procedures, and materials used in general education. Good instruction is good instruction for everyone, whether they speak or not. For example, we know that competent readers and writers receive comprehensive instruction. They are taught the full set of skills recognized in research as critical for mastering reading and writing. Students using AAC need good instruction in all these necessary skill areas or they are left with major holes in their learning that prevent them from reaching their potential. It can be challenging to teach some of the skills that have traditionally required students to speak out loud or use a pencil, but the presenters showed ways to work around these issues. Also, just like any developing readers and writers, students using AAC need opportunities to explore, to learn from their mistakes, and to celebrate their successes. They need activities and topics which have strong personal relevance. They need to participate actively in their learning, and we must find ways to make materials fully accessible so this can happen. Speaking of materials, students using AAC can benefit from the same curriculum materials used in general education. Presenters showed how WriterÕs Workshop (Calkins), elements from the Four-Block© literacy model (Cunningham), and Words Their Way (Bear, et al) have been used effectively with AAC users to teach reading and writing. They offered evidence for how these curriculums, coupled with solid teaching practices, can be used to meet the need for comprehensive instruction in reading and writing. They also demonstrated ways to overcome barriers of physical access to these materials that challenge many students using AAC. In addition to the common themes running through the symposium, a series of dynamic speakers contributed unique insights in each of their presentations: David Chapple, secretary of the AAC Institute, launched the symposium with insightful and entertaining recounts of his experiences as an augmented communicator learning to read and write. Janet Sturm, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, presented some exciting work sheÕs been doing with writing with older students using AAC. She has been using principles of the WriterÕs Workshop, where writers select a topic with personal meaning and apply a variety of skills throughout the writing process. Students develop writing skills that are appropriate to their instructional level as they complete pieces to be published and shared publicly. Janet demonstrated how the Michigan State Standards can be developed into goals for student IEPs to direct individual progress in writing. She has developed a scale for assessing early writing skills in very small measurable increments so teachers can demonstrate the gains students make as they practice writing. Robin Hurd, parent of twins who communicate using AAC devices, showed how data collected on a device can be used to understand not only how students use language, but how factors around them influence what they say. We can use that information to design instruction that is meaningful and motivating. Rose-Marie Gallagher, M.Ed., explained how a childÕs lack of verbal or motor output can be a barrier to teaching some of the skills necessary for becoming a skilled reader. She showed many hands-on examples for making reading tangible and visible to help overcome barriers. By providing extra practice in weaker skill areas while keeping motor demands at a minimum, we can help students bridge the gaps in their learning so they can reach their potential for becoming literate. Katya Hill, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, and Director of the AAC Institute, demonstrated the process for creating IEP goals based on evidence from published research, information gathered as we teach, and from the students themselves. We must continue to collect and use meaningful data to develop reading and writing instruction that meets the needs of our students using AAC. Gretchen Hanser, Ph.D., OTR, shared her doctoral study showing how effectively students using AAC can learn through systematic, integrated reading, spelling, and communication instruction. Her study incorporated the Literacy Through Unity word study program, which is based on elements of the Four-Blocks© literacy model used frequently with students in general education. Gretchen stressed the importance of teaching children how to generalize skills and gave practical ideas this. She also illustrated why it is critical to take meaningful data, which may mean collecting it in a variety of ways rather than through one method. Gretchen concluded by showing an array of Òalternative pencilsÓ for students unable to access standard means of writing. Picture of Exhibits and posters overlooked the Monongahela River with downtown Pittsburgh in the background Picture of Gretchen Hanser gives her first presentation as Dr. Hanser Attend this Next Year! Plan now to attend the AAC InstituteÕs 2009 International Symposium on AAC Evidence-Based Practice. It will be held Thursday, August 6, immediately preceding the Pittsburgh Employment Conference (PEC).Ê PEC is the largest gathering of people who use AAC worldwide.ÊIt promises to be another outstanding Symposium. For more information, see http://www.aacinstitute.org/Symposium/. Image of light at the end of rows of books. SPEAK UP Summer Issue 2008