Sight Village visits Scotland March 2010

Sight Village is a FREE exhibition featuring a wide range of technology for people who are blind or who have low vision. Suitable for those new to this area of technology, as well as more experienced practitioners seeking an update, the latest in Braille, screenreading, magnification and alternative format technology will be available. Key suppliers will be on hand to provide demonstrations and answer questions.

Exhibition times

• 2nd March 2010 – 10.30am – 4.30pm
• 3rd March 2010 – 10.30am – 3.30pm

Venue

The Assembly Rooms 54 George Street Edinburgh EH2 2LR

Courses to help you create inclusive environments for D/deaf students

We’ve received information about a range of courses which will build the skills of college staff to create an inclusive learning enviroment for students who are D/deaf, or who have a hearing loss.

Two forthcoming courses at Deaf Action in Edinburgh will address Deaf Awareness and How to Work with Interpreters. Full details can be found on the Deaf Action website.  Note that Deaf Action can also offer courses which are tailored to an organisation’s specific needs.

The Scottish Sensory Centre runs a range of courses. Some look at support for learners who are D/deaf, while others focus on support for learners who are blind or who have low vision. While the courses often address the needs of school age learners, some courses look at transition issues and forms of support that would also be relevant to post-16 education.

Improving the Listening Environment in Educational Settings may be of particular interest. BRITE team members previously attended a similar course (also featuring popular occasional BRITE guest presenter Richard Vaughan!) and found it to be a valuable introduction to the importance of ensuring good acoustics in a learning environment. Further details can be found by clicking on the link above.

Colleagues at Jewel and Esk College have also asked us to flag up their next Introduction to Sign Language course. It will take place at the Edinburgh Campus (24 Milton Road East, Edinburgh EH15 2PP) on Wednesdays 3 Feb – 16 June. The fee is £90 (eligible for ILA funding). To book please call 0131 344 7100 or go to www.jec.ac.uk

Computer classes in Edinburgh for people with Aphasia

Speakability will be running small computing classes for people with aphasia at Queen Margaret University from February 2010. Further courses will be offered in the summer and in October.

Classes will be run by a speech and language therapist who has an understanding of the needs of learners with aphasia. As far as possible, the courses will be tailored to learners’ requirements and abilities.

Assistive technology will be available for people who use one hand, or who would benefit from touch-screens and predictive text. Assistance with transport may be provided for learners unable to use public transport.

For further details, email Graham McGuire at graham@mcguire.org.uk

Latest developments in FM technology, plus FM training news

FM systems (also called radio aids) can be very helpful devices for hearing aid or cochlear implant users who have difficulty hearing in noisy environments.

A popular system in BRITE’s Equipment Loan Bank is the Phonak SmartLink transmitter, which can be used with a range of receivers. This sophisticated system has proved useful, especially where students are working in different noisy environments, including out of doors.

At last year’s Phonak Focus Day, Phonak announced some new features in the Smartlink (as well as ZoomLink and EasyLink), to further enhance the high quality of performance in these devices.

Humanware BrailleNote Training

On a monthly basis, Humanware offers training on how to make the most of Humanware BrailleNote note takers available to educators. In early December 2009 two training sessions were delivered in Glasgow. (BrailleNote for beginners and BrailleNote for intermediate)

The sessions examine the BrailleNote in detail and go over various aspects of functionality. Users learn how to navigate around the Keysoft operating/system and interact with applications. In addition, transferring files to/from the BrailleNote is demonstrated.

If you are in a position where you need to learn more about the BrailleNote and how to best be able to support its use with your students, this one-day course may be for you.

For more information on the BrailleNote note taking device or training, please visit:  www.humanware.co.uk

Sight and Sound Technologies Demonstration

Sight & Sound Technology recently demonstrated some of their latest products at the RNIB Employment and Learning Centre in Edinburgh.

The Freedom Scientific Focus40 Blue Braille display is a light-weight portable Braille display solution that can connect to a pC/laptop/netbook via USB or wireless Bluetooth. Once connected, a screen reader such as JAWS for Windows can communicate the screen’s contents to the Braille display. This technology solution is suitable for someone who is deaf-blind or someone who would benefit from having information physically presented which can be very helpful for maths and sciences. In addition, the Focus40 Blue has a Braille keyboard that can be used to input information into the user’s computer.

The EuroBraille/ESYS line of Braille displays also connect to a computer running a screen reader via USB and Bluetooth. In addition to the very similar functionality to the Focus40 Blue (mentioned above), these units also contain rudimentary note taker applications.

For more information please visit: www.sightandsound.co.uk

SUPA Event

The Scottish Usability Professionals’ Association hosts regular seminar-style events with usability professionals giving presentations on projects they’re involved with. The December 2009 session focussed on mobile web usability and IPhone application development.

The keys to making the mobile web a positive experience for users is keeping your mobile web site simple, intuitive and easy to use. Since mobile devices come in many shapes, sizes and standards with a wide variety of display capabilities and data connections to the Internet, it is suggested that the default mobile web site caters to the lowest-common denominator while providing an option to access the full site for users using high specification browsers that can handle rich internet media. A pleasant side effect of designing a mobile web site using the aforementioned values is that it will generally be accessible too.

While the Edinburgh’s Festival Apple IPhone application developed by Loc8 Solutions was specifically cited, IPhone application development was discussed in general.

Learning Support Assistants working with Deaf young people in Schools and Colleges

The Scottish Sensory Centre is hosting this one-day training course in Edinburgh on Wednesday 9 December 2009. Aimed at Learning Support Assistants working in schools or colleges, the course will consist of basic deaf awareness training which will include:

• How well do you hear? 
• Noises in the classroom
• Why do young Deaf people struggle with English language?
• How do young Deaf people learn?
• Discussion of different communication tactics
• Audiology workshops focusing on linking radio aids to cochlear implants and hearing aids and making use of listening tests.

This day will also provide an opportunity to explore some of the issues involved in supporting deaf learners, e.g. promoting independent learning skills and working effectively with classroom teachers.

New portable Soundfield System

A soundfield system is a ‘whole class’ inclusive technology which ensures that the tutor’s speech is delivered to all parts of the classroom at an appropriate level above the background noise. This technology is of benefit for everyone in the classroom, not just hearing aid or cochlear implant users. A soundfield system can reduce vocal fatigue in lecturers and improve class control and attentiveness.

Typically, a system consists of a transmitter with a microphone, a receiver/amplifier and 4-6 wall-mounted speakers. While effective, this set-up can be expensive and availability is restricted to the specific rooms where the system has been installed. However, Connevans has designed a new soundfield system which combines a speaker, infra-red receiver and amplifier into a single unit. This unit can either be wall-mounted, or moved around a college. Featuring attractive design, the Swift provides a natural sound. The image will give you an idea of the size and stylish look of the unit. Lecturers will find the infrared neck-worn microphone lightweight and easy to use.

Communication Matters Road Show visits Scotland December 2009

Communication Matters is a UK-wide organisation of members concerned with the augmentative and alternative (AAC) needs of people with complex communication needs.

The Communication Matters Road Show is a FREE event, which presents a valuable opportunity to learn about communication aid technology. A number of the UK’s leading suppliers of adaptive devices, voice output communication aids and signing systems will demonstrate and provide ‘mini-master classes’ on their latest products and services. There will be opportunities for questions and hands-on trials of systems, and lots of valuable handouts and literature to pick up.