A basic overview of working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing adults who are using post-secondary programs to transition into employment and a brief overview of the benefits of using a schedule A letter to obtain federal employment.
Learning Outcomes
- Understanding when to encourage clients to obtain an schedule A letter.
- How to encourage students to utilize the Disability Resource Center when working with the university’s Career Centers
- How students should be utilizing the last six months of school to seek employment and develop a plan with their VR counselor to be able to be fully employed by the time they graduate.
This presentation aims to showcase the diverse and life-changing roles of service animals. A panel of service animal handlers and users will highlight various types of service animals, including dogs who guide individuals who are blind or have low vision, dogs for the individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, service animals for individuals in wheelchairs, those with PTSD, and individuals with autism.
Panelists will include individuals with disabilities, as well as parents. Many will be accompanied by their service animal.
Learning Outcomes
- By the end of the panel, the audience will have a deeper understanding of how service animals improve the lives of people with disabilities.
- By the end of this session, attendees will have a deeper understanding about the level of training and commitment required to make these animals effective helpers.
JAWS is a Windows screen reader designed for totally blind individuals. This presentation will provide an understanding of what screen readers are able to do. JAWS will be demonstrated with Microsoft Office and with Google Workspace. Beginning instruction on browsing the Internet will be presented as will frequently used keystrokes. The CA School for the Blind Screen Reader Training website will be presented. The W3C accessibility guidelines will be discussed.
Learning Objectives
- Individuals will develop an understanding of beginning JAWS commands, to include using the Startup Wizard. We always turn off the touchpad on the Windows PC.
- Individuals will develop an understand of the importance of using HTML commands to browse the web with JAWS.
- Individuals will develop an understanding of which web pages are more accessible and which web pages are less accessible.
Traditional employment programs for blind individuals often rely on campus-based training. The Foundation for Blind Children (FBC) takes a real-world approach, ensuring clients build skills in their actual environments. Our comprehensive training includes Assistive Technology, Orientation & Mobility (home/work travel, flights), Daily Living Skills (self-care, cooking, cleaning), Braille, and Adjustment to Disability.
The Employment Launch Pad provides hands-on job search support, employer connections, interview preparation, accommodations, and 90-day follow-ups.
This session will present three years of data, showcasing success rates, client feedback, and evolving best practices. Attendees will gain insights into effective strategies for preparing blind individuals for lasting employment and independent living. Join us to learn how FBC empowers independence and achieves outstanding employment outcomes.
Learning Outcomes
- Enhanced Understanding of Real-World Training Approaches: Participants will gain insights into the unique real-world training methods employed by the Foundation for Blind Children (FBC), which prepare clients for actual environments rather than campus-based settings. This includes comprehensive training in assistive technology, orientation and mobility, daily living skills, Braille, and emotional support.
- Effective Employment Support Strategies: Attendees will learn about FBC's Employment Launch Pad, which provides hands-on job search support, employer connections, interview preparation, accommodations planning, and 90-day follow-ups. They will understand how these strategies contribute to successful employment outcomes for blind and visually impaired individuals.
- Data-Driven Best Practices: Participants will be presented with five years of data showcasing FBC's success rates, client feedback, and evolving best practices. They will learn how to apply these data-driven insights to improve their own programs and support services for blind and visually impaired individuals.
The new APH Monarch has a multi-line refreshable braille display that renders on-demand tactile graphics in an easily accessible format, bringing interactive mathematics, science, language arts, music, and other learning directly to the fingertips of students in ways only previously imagined. During this session, we will discuss the skills that must be first be learned with graphics created using traditional methods before being transferred to an electronic braille display. Participants will gain insight into the ways that students most effectively learn to read tactile graphics, and how the Monarch takes that learning and academic/recreational access to new levels.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants will learn about three unique features on the APH Monarch that make interactive tactile graphics learning possible.
- Participants will discuss five foundational skills that must be first be learned with graphics created using traditional methods before being transferred to an electronic braille display.
- Participants will gain three insights into the ways that students most effectively learn to read tactile graphics, and how the Monarch takes that learning and academic/recreational access to new levels.
In life, we want to find things that will help us in our endeavor to do great things. Technology can help us or hinder us depending on how it is used. As technology continues to advance and integrate into every aspect of our lives, it is important that we learn to maximize its efficiency while still maintaining one’s personal self-efficacy, problem solving skills and mobility skills. This presentation will discuss best practices for integrating technology use in orientation and mobility instructions (however the principles can be applied in all disciplines). Things that will be covered will include the compass app, Moovit app, transit apps, google maps, Blindsquare, ride share apps, note taking, recordings, technologies such as Aira, Meta Glasses and AI enhancing navigation tools.
Learning Outcomes
- Understanding Foundational Skills: Participants will gain insight into the essential O&M skills needed to effectively use technology in Orientation and Mobility.
- Real-Life Applications: Participants will explore real-life examples of how various apps and technologies can enhance their travel experiences.
- Implementing Structured Discovery: Participants will acquire strategies for integrating Structured Discovery Training with technology and cane travel to enhance their teaching practices.
