Seeking Participants for Master’s Project: Vibration-based Communication for the Deafblind

Hello! I am David, a Computer Science student Durham University, in England. I am doing my master’s project on deafblind communication and am creating an interface for vibrotactile communication on Android phones. The interface uses Morse code (dots and dashes to represent the letters of the alphabet) to allow a deafblind person to type text into the phone and “read” by feeling vibrations. I’ll then integrate this into an app called Signal, which is a free, privacy-centric messenger.
If this sounds interesting to you, I would absolutely love for you to be involved in evaluating the interface. You’ll not be expected to know Morse code in advance – part of the study is discovering how easy or hard it is to learn! All you need is your fingers, an Android phone, and someone to help you get set up.
You can get in touch by emailing me at david.c.kutner@durham.ac.uk – I’ll give you the details of the study, and you can decide if you want to give it a try. If you are underage, you’ll have to ask your parents to participate in the study, and they’ll have to answer questions on your behalf.

Virtual M~POWER 4-Day: My Pursuit of Work, Empowerment & Resources

In response to COVID-19, HKNC continues to address the access that young adults with combined vision and hearing loss have to services provided under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). HKNC’s M~POWER Program offers Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), established through WIOA, and introduces transition-age youth to aspects of competitive and integrated employment during a time when distance learning ensures the safety of our consumers.

February 16, 2021 – February 19, 2021           Program Cost: $500.00 for 4 days

The 4-day Virtual M~POWER Program offers participants an introduction to the world of work and emphasizes the five areas of Pre-ETS: Job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, counseling on post-secondary educational opportunities, workplace readiness training, and self-advocacy.

Virtual M~POWER Outcomes:

• Identify job interests and what a typical day on the job is like through virtual job shadowing.
• Learn what skills are needed to be successful at work, for interviews, resume writing.
• Interview a successful employee who started as a volunteer and has worked her way up to employment.
• Learn from students who are deaf-blind about successful college experiences.
• Learn how to develop self-advocacy skills to make informed choices in school, at work, while using an interpreter or SSP.
• Learn with the staff at HKNC, some of whom are deaf-blind, about all the opportunities and resources available to you to start to plan your future.

Participants will virtually join peers ages 16 – 22 from around the country for this innovative four-day program. Prior to the beginning of the program, HKNC staff will assess technology available to the participant to determine the best instruction modality that would insure full access to information and instruction. Instruction may be provided by telephone, iPhone, iPad, e-mail, computer, videophone, FaceTime, Zoom meetings and/or Google Classroom. 

For more information, contact Dora Carney, Admissions Coordinator:

Dora.Carney@hknc.org

Or your Regional Representative:

https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc/nationwide-services

The Impacts of COVID-19 on Louisiana Families with Young Children

The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC) released a new report, Struggling to Recover: The Impacts of COVID-19 on Louisiana Families with Young Children, which shares the findings of a statewide survey of parents with young children from September 21 – October 6, 2020.

This survey provides insights into the needs and challenges of families with young children in Louisiana, many of whom are struggling as the COVID-19 pandemic endures. Families continue to rely on child care to go to work or school while they face reduced incomes, increased stress, and concerns about the spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, the economic challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic hit families of color and lower income families especially hard.

This survey was conducted in partnership with Agenda for Children, Louisiana Department of Education, New Orleans Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, Urban League of Louisiana, and Women United of Southeast Louisiana.

The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children hosted a virtual press conference to share key takeaways from the report and conduct a virtual Q&A. To view a recording of the press conference, click here.

Mississippi AER Free Webinars

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope all of you are well. I wanted to invite you into some of our professional development activities:

Next week:

FREE brief webinars (1.5 hour at the most) occurring next week that might be of interest. Flyers are attached for each.

Jan. 26, Tuesday at 4 PM Central Time: Jim Franklin, Slide A Round Math  (manipulatives for teaching math)

To register, click on the following link: Registration for Slide-Around Math 1.26.21

Jan. 27, Wednesday at 4 PM Central Time: Leanne Grillot, APH, Leveling the Educational Playing Field through Accessible Materials for Students with Visual Impairments  – A Show And Tell  To register, click on the following link: Registering.for.LevelingPlaying Field4VIB-Materials

Mississippi AER, Mississippi State University, Family First Braille Foundation and MS Hearing-Vision Project are SO excited to offer Quality Essential Assessments: What Can Be Done in a Virtual Environment, a 2 part webinar FREE to AER members!

Feb. 13 & 27, Saturdays, 8:30 – 12:30 Central Time: Dr. Karen Blankenship presenting Quality Essential Assessments: What Can Be Done in a Virtual Environment.  This 2-part webinar will discuss the foundational rationale for completing the FVLMA, the ECC screening and assessment to provide quality programming for students with visual impairments. In addition, during these unprecedented times, we will discuss what is possible to complete virtually and what we need to do during a face-to-face meeting.

For those whose backgrounds are in visual impairment.

Free to all current AER Members. Non-AER Members = $25

Mississippi continuing education credits are being pursued for this training and ACVREP credits will be offered.  You must attend in person both Saturday sessions to qualify for credit.

To register, click on the following link: Essential Assessment Workshop February 13 and 27

See the attached Flyer for additional details!

Be well!

Toni

Toni Hollingsworth
MS Hearing-Vision Project
The University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive # 5115
Hattiesburg, MS  39406-0001
toni.hollingsworth@usm.edu
www.usm.edu/hearing-vision
www.facebook.com/mshvp
Cell: 228-249-9668
800.264.5135   or
601.266.5135
Fax: 601.266.4978

Western Region Early Intervention Conference

The Western Regional Early Intervention Conference (WREIC) in collaboration with the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s Coffee Hour will be holding monthly virtual sessions focusing on the current needs of providers and families.  We hope you can join with us in learning about these timely topics. We are excited for our opening keynote with David Brown on January 26, 2021 from 10 AM- 2 PM MST. Please visit www.wreic.org for detailed information on monthly topics and how to register. Thank you!

AUCD Healthcare Video Project Survey

From Rylin Rodgers, Director of Public Policy, AUCD; Madison Tallant, Community Catalyst; and Liz Weintraub, Senior Advocacy Specialist, AUCD:

We want to hear from you about your health care experiences!

We know that visits to the doctor are not always great, and we want to make them better. Learning from you will help us educate doctors, nurses, and therapists about what they can do to make your experience better. Please click this link to open the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HealthCareVideoSurvey. Please complete the survey by Friday, February 5.

For more information, check the full e-mail message that was sent out to AUCD distribution lists:

Upcoming Employment First Virtual Core Training

REGISTER NOW!

Virtual 40-Hour Employment First Core Training

LSU Human Development Center (HDC) in collaboration with the Louisiana Association of Persons Supporting Employment First (LA-APSE) has an upcoming virtual training class scheduled!

• March  23-25, 2021 online via Zoom

See the LSU HDC Employment Initiatives Website for more information and to register   

The 40 Hour Employment Core training meets LRS Employment vendor training requirements and OCDD/Medicaid Employment provider rules. Class hours are 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM and will take place online via Zoom. The fee for this class is $400 and includes training materials, presentations, and access to resources. A certificate of completion will be issued once identified course assignments have been completed and reviewed.

Deafblind International Youth Network: Do You Have a Story to Tell?

Hello from the Deafblind International youth network. 

We are requesting young people to kindly share their ‘Covid Stories’ for our new publication. Approximately 500 words to describe the following:

• How has the pandemic affected your own life and that of your family?
• What has changed in your country as a result of the pandemic?
• How have you had to adapt your education/ employment / social life?

There is an attached flyer giving more details and example of a story from Maiden who lives in India –what a remarkable and inspiration young person!

Please send your stories to the network coordinator simon.allison@sense.org.uk

An e-voucher will be sent to all those who have a story published

The publication is to be launched through a webinar later this year with book contributors presenting their stories.

Thank You

DbI Youth Network

Supported Employment Deafblind Webinars Jan-Feb

SCD Job Opportunity in Florida VR

Hello, everyone!  Happy Holidays!  I am announcing a job opportunity to work with/and shadow current State Coordinator for the Deaf/HH/DB (SCD) in Florida VR since I am retiring in August 2021.   The official state job title is now Senior Management Analyst Supervisor.  Please share this announcement with anyone who may be interested in this job and will live in the State of Florida.

The one to be selected and hired, will take over my role as SCD after I retire.  In the next several months, the current SCD will mentor and prepare the new SCD (in-training) for different roles, responsibilities, and functions of this position.  Also, introduce the new SCD (in-training) to other program staff and contracted staff members statewide. 

For more information about our VR state agency and its services, as well as our Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind program, go to www.rehabworks.org. 

At present, due to COVID-19, all VR staff and administrators statewide mostly telework from homes with limited time spent in the offices.

Please visit this link: https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/TALLAHASSEE-SENIOR-MANAGEMENT-ANALYST-SUPV-SES-48004065-FL-32399/701843300/.   Initial closing of this position announcement is January 29, 2021.

Thanks.

Cecil Bradley, VR Administrator
Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind Services
Bureau of Field Services, Division of VR, FLDOE
4070 Esplanade Way, 2^nd Floor
Tallahassee, FL 32399-7016850-298-8818 VP, 850-245-3392 Fax