LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired | Podcast

Bill Barker’s Braille Radio Reading Room for November, 2010. Source: Bill Barker’s Braille Radio Reading Room – November, 2010Source: Bill Barker’s Braille Radio Reading Room – November, 2010

On October 22, 2010, the LightHouse for the Blind hosted a seminar entitled “Let Technology Help You Get Organized”. This workshop included an introduction to bar code reading technology, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), the iBill money identifier, the Olympus DM-4 Digital Recorder and more. Source: Let Technology Help You Get Organized Podcast- 10/22/2010Source: Let Technology Help You Get Organized Podcast- 10/22/2010

Have you ever tried sending an audio note to yourself on a crowded bus—using your cell phone? But the person next to you is talking so loudly into their phone that you can’t hear yourself think! Or, have you ever been in an important meeting, with lots of action items and urgent deadlines flying around? It seemed inappropriate to fire up your laptop and have JAWS talking away while your manager was busy reading out the list of to-do’s and don’t-forgets. Were you able to keep all your notes in your head? Maybe you were fumbling with a small slate and stylus to take little notes on several scraps of Braille paper, all the while trying not to overturn the tall latte belonging to the coworker next to you. In these situations, a Braille notetaker, also known as a Braille personal data assistant, really comes in handy. These electronic memo machines are small, portable devices for storing information with the use of Braille or QWERTY keyboards. With a notetaker, you can browse through your notes quietly using the Braille display. You can also make notes quietly without having to speak into an audio recorder or activate a screen reader. They also include calendars and phone book features and can be synced up with your home computer to permanently download and store your notes. A Braille PDA is not as fast and does not have as much memory as a laptop, but it is far easier to tote around. They usually come with straps that you wear around your neck and will easily fit into a purse, backpack or small briefcase. You can’t place calls with a notetaker and accessing your email can be somewhat slow, so these devices do not take the place of a smartphone. But a Braille notetaker is indispensable for busy professionals and college and high school students. Listen to the podcast below on Braille Notetakers. This was a seminar recorded at the LightHouse on September 25, 2010. You will hear LightHouse Public Affairs Coordinator Lisamaria Martinez and Lighthouse Social Worker Linda Porelle, both visually impaired users, compare and contrast notetakers. And, Sung Jae Hong, special education professor at San Francisco State University, discusses how he and his students use notetakers. Source: Why Use a Braille Notetaker?Source: Why Use a Braille Notetaker?

Bill Barker’s Braille Radio Reading Room – October, 2010. Source: Bill Barker’s Braille Radio Reading Room – 10/2010Source: Bill Barker’s Braille Radio Reading Room – 10/2010

On September 24, 2010, 10 a.m. to Noon, the LightHouse hosted the “Be Informed” Vision Education Seminar on Macular Degeneration. Dr. Robert Greer, O.D. and Chief of Low Vision at the UC Berkeley Low Vision Clinic were joined by Dr. Shirin Barez MD, Ophthalmologist and faculty at UC Berkeley School of Optometry; Dr. Marlena Chu O.D. and panel of LightHouse Vision Rehabilitation Specialists and peers with macular degeneration. Together they discussed the implications of macular degeneration, current treatments, and benefits of a low vision evaluation and training. Source: Macular Degeneration: Vision Education Seminar – Podcast – 09/24/10Source: Macular Degeneration: Vision Education Seminar – Podcast – 09/24/10

Bill Barker’s Braille Radio Reading Room – September 2010