Apps for Ashley

My gotta-have-the-latest-gadget son, Chip, got the new iPad 3 last week. While I am very happy for him, I am also thrilled (!) because it means Ashley gets his old one!! Yes, it is the first generation iPad, and yes it is a little slow and crashes sometimes, but still it is very exciting for her.

Ashley has been using an iPad at school for a year now, and loves it! The school staff was amazed at how quickly she picked up the techniques (finger swipe and such) as well as at the increased pace of her learning. Of course, I have been telling them since she was in 3rd grade that she needed a computer-based curriculum...

I've asked her teacher to let me know what apps Ashley uses at school so we can get the same ones for home. But, I am also interested in apps you may have found to be especially good for a child with special needs. Keep in mind that Ashley is severely visually impaired (blind in one eye, 20/2000 in the other) and severely hearing impaired (profound loss in one ear, severe in the other). She doesn't need any communication type apps, proloquo for example, because she indicated years ago that all she wants and needs for that are her hands for signing. She loves Tigger, SpongeBob and Elmo, and loves looking at people's (mostly children's) faces. She likes numbers and letters, and she likes movement, i.e. dancing letters and numbers. She's not a huge fan of coloring apps because she would rather create three dimensional artwork.

So, given all that, what are you recommendations for some iPad apps??!!

Project Lifesaver

I wrote last week about Robbie Wood, a nine year old boy with autism who wandered away from his family. After 6 days, Robbie was found and reunited with his family and surprisingly suffered no major injuries as a result of his ordeal. I found myself wondering what I would do if I were the parent of a child that wandered away.

My mind immediately went to something I had read about and which I knew was offered by the police department in my area - Project Lifesaver. According to the Project Lifesaver website:

“Project Lifesaver International helps provide rapid response to save lives and reduce potential for serious injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism, Down syndrome, dementia and other related cognitive conditions. Project Lifesaver provides equipment, training, certification and support to law enforcement, public safety organizations and community groups throughout the country and nation. Project Lifesaver has over 1,200 participating agencies across the U.S., Canada, and Australia, and has performed 2,449 searches in the last 11 years with no serious injuries or fatalities ever reported."



If you are the parent of a child with Autism, Down Syndrome or any other disability which might mean your child will wander or run away, or if you care for someone with Alzheimer’s, I strongly urge you to visit the Project Lifesaver website, and then to find out if your community has such a program.

I don’t want to read about another Robbie spending days lost in the woods….

Dizzying

Advances in technology for people with disabilities seems to be happening at a dizzying speed. Every week, I read multiple articles about planned or already-in-use technology. Here's two from this week:

A young man who was left a quadriplegic by a motorcycle accident used his thoughts to control a prosthetic arm to reach out and stroke his girlfriend's hand:

"It wasn't my arm but it was my brain, my thoughts."

And, in a two-month summer course on high-performance computing, promising undergrads compete to create innovative applications. This summer's winner developed a touchscreen Braille writer that stands to revolutionize how the blind negotiate an unseen world by replacing devices costing up to 10 times more.



These are very exciting times for people with disabilities, and I think they will get even more exciting as we move into the future!

How Cool Is This!

NASA has unveiled a new book for blind and visually impaired readers.



The book “Getting a Feel for Lunar Craters” was created with the NLSI and features tactile diagrams of the lunar surface designed to educate the blind and visually impaired about the wonders of Earth’s moon. David Hurd, a space science professor at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, Pa., is the book’s author. He and tactile engineer John Matelock began creating tactile astronomy tools after a student with a visual impairment signed up for Hurd’s introductory astronomy course. Cassandra Runyon, a professor at College of Charleston, Charleston, S.C. and Hurd previously produced “A Tactile Guide to the Solar System with Digital Talking Book” for NASA.

Although books from the first printing have run out, a second printing is expected in about 2 months. You can bet Ashley's name will be on the second printing list!

Here's the website about the book.

Top Ten Tech Gadgets

The website, enabled.in, has listed what its authors feel are the top 10 tech gadgets for people with disabilities. Right at the top of the list is the IPad, not suprisingly.

Take a glance at the other gadgets on the list, and see if your favorite is there.

Top 10 Tech Gadgets for People with Disabilities

A Silent Reminder

Do you have a child who needs to remember to do things multiple times during the day? Maybe it's to check blood sugar, or to take medicine, or to cathe. If so, I have a great solution to help make your child more independent with those tasks.

My son, Ronnie, needs to remember to cathe every three hours. It's very important to his health, and being even 30 minutes late can make a difference. But, he doesn't like having an adult have to remind him. He is 16 and especially doesn't like having his teachers or the school nurse remind him in front of his peers. But like most teenagers, remembering something is often difficult. So I have the solution!

The Vibralite 8 watch looks just like any other watch that Ronnie's peers might wear. But on this watch, eight different alarms can be set. And the alarms do not have to be audible - they can vibrate.

So Ronnie has his watch set for 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm. He feels the vibration, asks his teacher if he can be excused, and then tends to the cathing himself without the intervention of a teacher or school nurse.

This is HUGE for a teenager in school!

And what's even better, the watch only costs about $65 on Amazon. I'm used to assistive technology devices always being way overpriced, but this isn't. The quality is good and Ronnie is thrilled!

Check it out!

(I have not been asked to do a review by the company that makes the Vibralite 8 watch. In fact, I don't even know what company does make it. I just know that it is a simple solution for Ronnie.)

Good News Friday

Here are a few stories I found this week.

Although the robot in this story looks a little creepy to me, apparently making it look as human-like as possible has a real benefit for children who are autistic.

Finally, my conservative and not-very-disability-friendly state is doing something right. Due to the efforts of some students from Northern Virginia, sign language may now be offered as a foreign language credit in Virginia schools - assuming the Governor signs the bill. Come on, Bobby, do the right thing.

While being able to 'see' Facebook photos might not be my first choice for someone who is blind, the technology behind this effort holds great promise!

And one more bit of technology - We may not use cash as often as we once did, but there are still times when it comes in handy or is necessary, and that can pose some problems for the visually impaired. LookTel has released a Money Reader app for the IPhone that can recognize bills up to $100 demonination and then speak the amount to the person who is blind. How cool is that?!



Happy weekend, everyone!

AGNES

(Photo by C.J. Gunther for the New York Times)

There was a great article in the Monday New York Times titled, In A Graying Population, Business Opportunity.” Being about three weeks past my hair color appointment and with gray hair emerging, I decided to read it.

Seems some researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have devised a special suit to simulate what it feels like to be 74 years old. The article's author, after donning the suit, discusses the difficulties of getting out of a car and walking up a set of stairs – examples of things people of a certain age face every day.

The suit is an Age Gain Now Empathy System, affectionately known as AGNES. As the author, Natasha Singer, writes:

At first glance, it may look like a mere souped-up jumpsuit. A helmet, attached by cords to a pelvic harness, cramps my neck and spine. Yellow-paned goggles muddy my vision. Plastic bands, running from the harness to each arm, clip my wingspan. Compression knee bands discourage bending. Plastic shoes, with uneven Styrofoam pads for soles, throw off my center of gravity. Layers of surgical gloves make me all thumbs.

Ms. Singer has done an excellent job in the article of discussing business opportunities for marketing products to the graying population. Such marketing has been largely ignored until now, but with baby boomers set to take over the world (we wish!), businesses should no longer ignore the financial boon just waiting for the taking.

I think it would be well worth your time to read the article. Now I’m going to go take my AGNES suit off.

WHAT?? I don’t have an AGNES suit?? Well that stinks, doesn’t it?

IWow!

The use of IPads is exploding in the disability community. Almost every blog of a parent of a special needs child is talking about wanting one - getting one - using one. It's really amazing the impact the device is having on our day-to-day lives.

Yesterday, I found an article about yet another app for the IPad and IPhone that is designed to benefit people with disabilities. It's a communication app called Verbal Victor. Pictures are paired with recorded words, phrases or sentences and the IPad/IPhone can then be used as a communication device. And the best thing - Verbal Victor costs only $10!

I remember many years ago when I was exploring communication devices for Ashley. She rejected every single one we tested because they were too bulky, too cumbersome, and she just didn't want to be bothered. I bet if the IPad had been available then, she would have liked it. Verbal Victor will be available next week, and you can bet we will be giving it a try!

Have you found apps that you, your child or your family member with disabilities really likes? If so, please share...

Where Am I?

I used to travel a lot for work and I always had recurring nightmares about being in a strange city, walking around, and getting horribly lost. Those nightmares would keep me from exploring some really fantastic places, and now I regret that. If only IPhones and IPads and such had been around then...

Google has announced two new apps, specifically targeted for people who are blind and who must find their way around a city. Think GPS for the walking crowd...

The apps are called WalkyTalky and Intersection Explorer.

WalkyTalky reads out not only the directions as you walk, but also the intersecting streets that you pass by. Not only will it help with your bearings, but it'll give you a greater understanding of the city—the next time someone mentions meeting on Maple Street, for example, you may well remember passing it previously.

Intersection Explorer isn't quite as useful, but I imagine it would help steel my nerves about my upcoming journey before even leaving the house. You can virtually walk through Google Maps, with the app reading out the directions of the proposed journey ahead.

It's great that someone was thinking about the Blind when these apps were developed, but honestly, I think everyone, disabled or not, could benefit.

Now let me go talk to the only two people in my house who have an Idevice - my two teenage sons - and see if they can download the apps!

Exciting Times

It seems to me that technology to assist people with disabilities has really taken a huge step forward recently. Almost every day, I read a new article or blog post about a technological advance that is improving the lives of people with disabilities.

Since I have both a Deaf child and a Deafblind child, I am always interested in things that can help them. I've been keeping a list of articles when I find them, and today have decided to share them. It really is an exciting time! Although we have a long, long way to go, I truly believe my childrens' lives will be greatly enriched by the application of technology.

Read how Austin Seraphin believed his life changed the day he bought his new IPhone.

Visit the Alabama School for the Deaf, and it's impossible to miss the signs of a revolution that many hearing people simply never noticed.

Can the Deaf enjoy music? Indeed they can!

Do you think a Braille GPS device would help a Blind person as they travel through city sidewalks? The jury is still out on this one, but hopefully it is just the starting point for futher product development.

I do most of my shopping online these days, especially during busy holiday times. Will my Blind daughter ever be able to do the same thing? Just maybe...

And finally, some Korean designers have crafted a Braille Stapler that they claim will revolutionize the way a Deafblind person communicates with the world. Ashley is Deafblind, so this piqued my interest. But, sorry Korean designers, I'm just not seeing it yet...

Too Good To Be True

Just last week I wrote about Microsoft's new gaming system that would recognize sign language. Having two deaf children, I was extremely excited about that, and quite impressed that a company like Microsoft was keeping the needs of its customers with disabilities in mind. It sounded almost too good to be true - and apparently it was.

The mention of American Sign Language (ASL) support in Microsoft’s Kinect patent raised hopes that the motion-gaming add on might be useful for more than just interacting with virtual children or swordfighting without swords; unfortunately, Microsoft has confirmed Kinect won’t actually ship with ASL functionality. The reason? Microsoft downgraded Kinect’s video hardware capabilities.

While Kinect will ship with webcams capable of 320 x 240, Microsoft apparently planned the cameras to support over twice that resolution. That would have allowed the system to recognize not just limbs but individual fingers, hence the ASL support.

Unfortunately, in trying to cut costs, hit a $150 street price and still maintain a decent profit margin, Microsoft supposedly opted to use cheaper, less capable cameras, which can only recognize limbs. They also offloaded some of Kinect’s processing from the camera-bar itself to the Xbox 360 console itself. Microsoft hasn’t confirmed this is all true, but if so it suggests the first-gen hardware will never be able to support ASL.

You haev disappointed me, Microsoft, really disappointed me....

Kinect Me!

Just when I was about to put my foot down and tell the kids that we did NOT need yet another video game system in our house, Microsoft comes out with a new Xbox console with special features for the Deaf. How can I refuse now?

Based on Kinect, Microsoft's movement tracking technology, games can be played on the console without holding any sort of controller. The player's body directs the game play. It is similar to the Wii, but the Wii does still require holding one or two controllers to direct a game.



But one of the most substantial features is that, not only does the system recognize gameplay movement, it also detects American Sign Language. This will allow fluent users to input letters, words and even entire phrases to be interpreted as readable data.

At first I wasn't sure how this feature could be applied in a real life home situation. But this video, available on the Xbox website, makes it clear. Pay close attention at about the 45 second mark. You will see a boy come into the room and using his voice only, he will pause and start to play a movie. If that boy had been Deaf, he could have directed both the Pause and the Play in sign language.

I would love to see what other things could be done with sign language and this game console. It's not yet available, but I have read that it will be in stores for the 2010 holiday season. If anyone does get one, please let me know what you think.

Captioning on Demand

Finding closed captioned movies at the theatre is difficult in my area, to say the least. There is only one theatre that shows captioned movies, and the movies are never at the theater until weeks after the opening shows. For example, it took about 4 weeks before Eclipse was available with captioning, and then the show times were not such that we could go.

But Chip, my ever resourceful son, has found a solution - a solution that will allow Ronnie to go to any movie at any theatre and have captioning available.

Chip found an iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch application that will display captioning (or subtitles if one doesn't need the captioning as it is presented to the Deaf). He's checked dozens of movies, including first run ones, and captioning is available!

Here are some screen shots. First you enter the name of the movie you wish to see captions for and perform a search:



Any matches show up and you select the correct movie:



And here is an example of the captions. It's very similar to the technology used in rear-window captioning (which the theatre near us does not offer).



Ronnie can use it in a movie theatre or at home, as pictured here. Chip set his iPad up right next to Ronnie's TV.



How cool is this, and how brilliant is my geeky son??!!!

Rex

If I had $150,000 and could fly to New Zealand, I would definitely get one of these for Ronnie! (See the video after the text).

The news release from Engadget.com states:

"New Zealand isn't exactly known for being a hotbed of tech innovation, but this set of bionic legs might just realign that perception a little bit. The product of seven years of development work, the Rex exoskeleton is capable of supporting the full weight of a person -- making it suitable for paraplegics -- and moving him or her around in a familiar bipedal fashion. It's operated using a joystick and control pad and is simple enough for handicapped users to self-transfer in and out of. The best news, perhaps, is that it's about to go on sale in its home country this year, with an international launch following in 2011. The worst news? Probably the $150,000 (US) initial asking price, but then we'd hardly say we're qualified to judge the value of being able to walk again."

Technology Tidbits

Because I believe the appropriate application of technology could hold a key piece of the future’s puzzle for our children with significant disabilities, I love to peruse technology websites. Probably also contributing to that interest is the fact that I am a computer engineer, but the things that catch my eye always are products that could benefit people with disabilities.

Here are a few interesting things I have found over the last couple of weeks.

For the red/green color blind, traffic signals pose a significant problem. Sometimes, however, the simplest solutions are the best. Check out the Uni-light which uses different shapes rather than different colors for traffic lights.

While the technology below is not new, its application is. Police officers and the Deaf have always faced a large communication gap. Now, using video phone technology, some police departments are working to reduce that gap.

Helping the Deaf and Police Officers Communicate


I’ve written before about the hazards of very quiet electric cars to the blind. Well, it seems those cars are about to get a little louder to protect blind pedestrians. While this change is not being embraced by everyone, those of us who are either blind or have a blind family member, welcome the change.

A noisy car is not going to help the Deaf pedestrian though. Here is a story about a Deaf man who was struck by a car. Is there technology that can help with this issue, or is it just a problem of the person not paying attention to traffic? I’m not sure of the answer to that question….

What about you? Have you run across any interested technology recently?

The Color of Water

I love having a geek in the family! My son, Chip, is always finding things that I never knew I needed, but then realized I couldn't live without.

Today's find is something that will help Ashley know when the water from our faucets is either hot or cold. Even though I had already put red and blue electrical tape on the handles, she had a tough time seeing that with her significant visual impairment. I needed something else...

Chip came to the rescue by finding a faucet light with led heat sensitive color changing ability. We had seen similar products a year or so ago, but the cost was prohibitive. Chip found this one on Amazon and it only cost $10!!

Here are some pictures. The water appears red when the temperature reaches 85 degrees. Otherwise it appears blue. Needless to say, Ashley loves it!

Connected

Today has been quite exciting around my house. Ronnie got his video phone installed, and he hasn't stopped smiling!



The only problem is that he doesn't have the phone numbers for his friends, his siblings and his most recent foster family. I am trying very hard to find those - they should all be in the foster family's phone directory - but unfortunately, the foster family is out of town on vacation.

So until we get those numbers, he is calling regular voice lines and keeping the relay interpreters busy. I wonder how long it will be until the call me and ask me to take away his phone privileges :)

If any of you would like to talk via videophone to Ronnie, just let me know!!

Refreshable Braille Display

Anyone that has been reading my blog for a while knows how I feel about devices such as the Kindle reader and the lack of accessible features. The Kindle is making progress but it's not there yet. So, I was really interested to learn more about the accessibility features of Apple's new iPad.

So far, I haven't found much information - perhaps because the device is so new. But I did find one article that discussed future possiblities for the iPad and other such devices. From the Smart Planet website:

Refreshable Braille display could change how the blind read

Scientists at North Carolina State University have developed a refreshable Braille display system that would allow the blind to read digital content on the Web.

The Braille system, of course, allows the blind to read by using a series of raised dots to represent letters and numbers.

The problem with existing electronic Braille displays is that the expensive devices generally only show one line of text per time.

But a research team led by Neil Di Spigna and Peichun Yang wanted to create a full-page display that effectively “maps pixels in an image,” allowing the full-page Braille display to represent the images as raised dots.

The researchers call the concept a “hydraulic and latching mechanism,” which is made of an inexpensive, resilient electroactive polymer that allows the dots to be raised to the correct height for reading.

Once the dots are raised, the latching mechanism supports the weight being applied by a person’s fingers as they read the dots.

The material’s quick response rate allows a reader to quickly scroll through a document.

The researchers said they are working on a fully functioning prototype, with next year as a target.

If successful, the blind will be able to take better advantage of the myriad gadgets — laptops, smartphones, GPS navigation devices, e-book readers, even the Apple iPad — that access the Web.

Amazon Listened!

First, an update to yesterday’s post – thank you all for your comments. I have some places to start looking now, and I’m not feeling quite so bad. Asperger’s is a tough disability. Corey looks like every other teenager his age, but if you spend any amount of time with him, the social skills issue will be quite glaring. Couple that with his awful past and the lack of good role models during the most impressionable time of his life, and you have a troubled young man who tries really hard to present himself as ‘normal’. Somewhere along the way he also picked up a very strong lack of motivation, and no desire to work at all. It’s a tough situation, but all your comments have been very helpful. I will keep you updated as we progress through this difficult time.

And Terri, yes, Corey does have an IEP. I think staying in school a while longer would be beneficial for him, but convincing him of that is probably not going to happen.

Now, onto today’s post.



I know I have bashed the Amazon Kindle several times on this blog for not being fully accessible for people who are blind. It always made me crazy that we had an amazing piece of technology that could have been a real asset to a person who is blind, but because of some design decisions, wasn’t.

Well that has now changed!

Amazon has announced that by the end of the next summer, new features will be added to the Kindle that will make it accessible to people who are blind. Check out this article from MSNBC:

Kindle Improvements

Now if we can just get authors and publishers to stop refusing to make their books on the Kindle audible…..