Vision-Related Links

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• Housing & Mortgages for People with Disabilities - A comprehensive guide to housing and mortgages for people with disabilities. Additionally, this web site also covers terminology, the process of buying a house, financial assistance and much more.
   
• Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic - For 60 years, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), a national nonprofit, volunteer organization, has been the leading producer of accessible educational materials for students with disabilities such as visual impairment or dyslexia that make reading standard print difficult or impossible. With titles available in every subject area and grade level from kindergarten through graduate studies, RFB&D’s digitally recorded textbooks are effective learning tools for students challenged by the printed page.
   
• Learning Through Listening - This site is designed for K–12 educators and provides free lesson plans, activities, teaching strategies and other resources to help you teach critical listening skills and meet the needs of diverse learners in your classroom. The site is provided by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) and is an extension of our 50-plus years of nonprofit service, research and success in developing audio and listening support resources for individuals who cannot access the curriculum through standard print.
   
• The Lighthouse International is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to preserving vision and to providing critically needed vision health care services to help people of all ages overcome the challenges of vision loss. Through clinical services, education, research, and advocacy, the Lighthouse enables people with low vision and blindness to enjoy safe, independent and productive lives.
   
• The Illinois Assistive Technology Project (IATP) is directed by and for people with disabilities and their families. As a federally mandated program we strive to break down barriers and change policies that make getting and using technology difficult for Illinois residents. By building capacity within local agencies IATP increases the assistive technology services people with disabilities need to be as independent as possible in everyday living.
   
• Assistive Technology Training Online - An NIDRR funded project at the University at Buffalo.  The Assistive Technology Training Online Project (ATTO) provides Internet-based training in both general and specific areas  of assistive technology (AT) focusing on adapted computer use. A concentration on AT hardware and software applications.
   
• The Hadley School for the Blind - The Hadley School for the Blind offers over 90 tuition-free distance education courses for blind or visually impaired students and their families, as well low-tuition courses for professionals in the blindness field. Enroll anytime and study in the comfort of your own home. Courses are offered in a variety of formats: Braille, large print, cassette and online. To enroll, call 800-323-4238 or visit www.hadley.edu .
   

• The New York Institute for Special Education  (NYISE) is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian educational facility which provides quality programs for children who are blind or visually disabled, emotionally and learning disabled and preschoolers who are developmentally delayed.  Sponsored by the New York Institute for Special Education, the Blindness Resource Center is a great place to start when looking for blindness related links.
   

• The School of Piano Technology for the Blind provides specialized quality education for blind and visually impaired individuals leading to successful careers in the field of piano technology.
   

• SpEdEx was started as a computer BBS by Dr. Brad R. Walker in 1993 so that all persons interested in the field of Special Education could find a wealth of information related to the field - the web version has been online since March 1996. Whether you are an educator, professional, parent, consumer, student, or just someone interested in special education, we hope that you find what you need here at SpEdEx.
   
• At the Mary Bryant Home for the Blind , At the Mary Bryant Home for the Blind , we believe blindness (being visually disabled) should not be a barrier to enjoying a happy, healthy and productive life style. The Mary Bryant Home for the Blind is an alternative to a nursing home offering housing, meals, housekeeping services, transportation and nursing oversight in a lively community atmosphere for the blind and visually impaired in Springfield, Illinois. As a Supportive Living Facility for the blind and visually impaired, the Mary Bryant Home offers its residents a wide variety of activities, as well as an enhanced quality of life by promoting a life style that is geared to meet the needs of their visually impaired residents. The Mary Bryant Home for the Blind is a certified Supportive Living Facility www.slfillinois.com for the blind and visually impaired.
   
• Chocolate Braille Gifts - Choco Braille - Great Gifts for the Blind and Visually Impaired manufactured by The Chocolate Experience Inc.
   
• The mission of the Institute for Innovative Blind Navigation is to become a global center for the study, promotion, and development of advanced navigational technologies that benefit blind individuals, primarily blind children. "Navigation" is defined broadly, and it includes the study, promotion, and development of programs and services on the internet. The mission of the Institute is also to train and employ blind and visually impaired individuals, so that they may participate fully in (and contribute to) the emerging digital community.
   
• Northern Illinois University - one of two universities in Illinois which offer degrees in Vision
   
• Illinois State University - one of two universities in Illinois which offer degrees in Vision
   
• Guide Dog Information - Since this site appeared in late 1995, many people have visited and found useful information about guide dogs and guide     dog related organizations. They've also found poetry, samples from e-mail lists on guide dog related topics, and much more
   
• Illinois Parents of Blind Children is an organization of parents and educators of low vision and blind children and their friends. Our goal is to assist families of blind children through education, advocacy, referral, and support.  Contact information for Illinois:
  Debbie Stein (Parent Contact)
  Chicago, IL
  Phone: (773) 631-1093
  Email: dkent5817@worldnet.att.net
   
• Blind Links
   
• National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation -NOAH  This site exists to provide information about albinism and NOAH. It's a place where people with albinism, their families and those that work with them can ask questions and share their experiences. You do not have to be a NOAH member to use this site, however, we encourage you to become a NOAH member to receive meeting announcements and our bi-annual newsletter.
   
• The Guild for the Blind-Chicago serves children and adults who are blind or visually impaired including those with new vision loss, each with unique needs. Through its resources, programs and services, the Guild for the Blind strives to meet these needs while promoting positive attitudes about blindness and assisting in the achievement of dignity and independence at home, in the workplace and in the community.
   
• The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind   is the only comprehensive private rehabilitation agency in Illinois whose primary target population is children and adults who are blind, visually impaired, deaf-blind, and blind with additional disabilities.
   
• The State Wide Vision Resource Centre The aim of the Statewide Vision Resource Centre is to promote an understanding of the educational needs of students who are blind or have low vision and provide adaptive resources and information to schools. The Statewide Vision Resource Centre is a Department of Education, Employment and Training facility located in Melbourne, Australia.  Additionally, this site  provides a page of useful ideas for teachers who have students with vision impairments.  Look for "Tips for Teachers."
   
• EnVision America - Assistive Technology for the Visually Impaired.  For Employment, Education, Library, Grocery, & Independent Living, Identification & Information Using Bar Codes -- What is I.D. mate II?  I.D. mate II is a portable, electronic device that aids a blind or visually impaired individual with the identification of items using the product's bar code or UPC. Using digital voice recording and text-to-speech technologies, the product allows users to access a large database of product descriptions, along with a tailored set of their own recorded voice messages.
  
  I.D. mate II can be used to quickly identify any product or item that is not easily recognized by means of the other senses, including: cans, jars, boxes, bottles, clothing, playing cards, prescription drugs, compact discs, albums, cassette tapes, diskettes, books, important papers or file folders . the list goes on and on! 
  
  Countless items are already stored in its incredible database!  Bar codes are already placed on virtually every product sold in stores today. And, I.D. mate II already contains a huge database of items including: grocery, spirits, pharmacy, movies, music and much more.
     As an added benefit, many items in this database include extended package details, including: nutritional information, ingredients, warnings, instructions package size, and miscellaneous package details.
  
  This bar code data, which is stored on the memory card, is growing every day, and database updates are available online or on a CD ROM. Also, you can load your own specialized database!
  
  Speech synthesis & digital voice recording technologies rolled into one portable device.  In addition, I.D. mate II allows the user to associate any number of recorded voice messages with a bar code that is scanned. If no description is found in its database, you are prompted to record your own voice description. When that bar code is scanned in the future, the recorded descriptions are played back.  If a bar code description doesn't exist for an item, the user can simply add one.
  
  The Bar Code Scanner
  I.D. mate II uses a special omni-directional bar code scanner. There is no need for the user to know the exact location of the bar code label. The user simply rotates the scanner around the product to get a quick, reliable read. The scanner can read the bar code in any direction every time!
  
  Other Features
  The entire unit weighs less than two pounds and is stored in a convenient carrying case that can be worn on a belt or over the shoulder. We also offer a specialized case for mobile employees and vendors. With the use of either carrying case, the I.D. mate II and the scanner are protected well against accidental drops or mishandling.
  
  The unit is supplied with a flash memory card. This card provides plenty of record time in addition to the already installed UPC database. The cards are removable and can be upgraded to higher memory capacities up to 1 gigabyte! Also, the data is easily backed up to a PC using a USB memory card reader.
  
  In addition to identification of products, I.D. mate II can be used as a digital memo recorder. The user can record, play, and erase any number of voice memos.
  
  The I.D. mate II is completely portable and battery operated. The unit has a high-capacity, rechargeable battery pack that lasts all day before needing to be recharged. The device is also fully operational when plugged into a standard AC wall outlet.

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