Pride. Disability Pride

Announcing Pride, a documentary following three disabled Chicago artists (a painter, dancer, and musician) as they navigate physical, social and attitudinal barriers in order to live, work, and thrive in a world that was not designed for them. The film highlights disability as a universal human experience and natural part of human diversity in which people with disabilities take pride their heritage and culture.

"In the ideal world, my differences, though noted, would not be devalued. Nor would I. Soci­ety would accept my experience as "disability culture," which would, in turn, be accepted as part of "human diversity." There would be respectful curios­ity about what I have learned from my differences that I could teach society. In such a world, no one would mind being called Disabled.”  

Carol Gill (Questioning Continuum, 1994), as quoted in Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment, University of California Press: Berkeley.

Premiere Screening 
on Friday Oct 15th 7:45 at The Gene Siskel Film Center http://luministfilms.blogspot.com/ for more show times

Apps for Pods, Pads, & Phones!

I'm updating this post - because Eric Sailer's updated his list of Apps for the iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad.  This seems to be the most requested information right now. 

iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Apps for (Special) Education"  is a (PDF) list compiled & updated by Eric Sailers,  based on an original list created by Samuel Sennott, Eric Sailers, & David Niemeijer.

Link to the most current version is available on Scribed. 


For more great information, check out:
Eric Sailers' Speech-Language Pathology Sharing


Samuel Sennott's All Together We Can

David Niemeijer's Assistiveware (Mac-based accessibility & communication products)

Please See My Website - Technology for Learning

I update my website most frequently - so for current information

  CLICK HERE to go to Technology for Learning.

What does it feel like to struggle?

What is it like to see letters jump on the page or arrange themselves backward?
What is it like to struggle through a series of directions that you can't make sense of?
What is it like to be a student trying to succeed in a traditional education system, with textbooks, paper, the expectation that you will learn through the standard presentation of information, but you have a learning disability?

It's hard to know, if you haven't experienced it yourself - so take a few minutes to get a glimpse...

 

go to Misunderstood Minds

The Family Center on Technology and Disability - discussion

Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) - Assistive Technology Works!

a day with Karen Janowski is great

Karen Presented UDL Strategies for Success -

image by http://www.wordle.net/

Friday morning

I wonder how I thought I could blog throughout this conference - when there are so many things to see, hear, experience, and be amazed by. I'm a kid in a candy store - technology, disability, and education - and people with the same passions.
I really should be tweeting which would look more like this:

Just learned how to convert text in Word to an Audio file in iTunes that can be loaded on an iPod.

Ran into Richard Ellenson - the father who developed Tango! for his son Thomas - what an amazing person. Thomas is now a tween - 12 years old.

Can't wait to hear about using Text-to-speech to promote literacy for beginning readers.

Time to go to a meeting with Intellitools about our Classroom Suite woes.

Increasing Awareness of Universal Desgin For Learning

Have you heard of UDL? Expect to hear more about it. Here's what I took away from a session titled "What's Going on in DC? A Report from the Front Line".

The inclusion of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008 indicates a federal recognition of the potential for UDL to improve practice in classrooms and provide opportunities for students to succeed. With NCLB and IDEA up for reauthorization, the inclusion of UDL in HEOA establishes a strong foundation for UDL to be incorporated in these K-12 policies.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN PROVISIONS IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY ACT (P.L.110-315)
(Summary of Selected Provisions)

SEC. 103. ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS.

(a) Additional Definitions.-

(23) UNIVERSAL DESIGN.
The term "universal design" has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 3002) [which is: "The term 'universal design' means a concept or philosophy for designing and delivering products and services that are usable by people with the widest possible range of functional capabilities, which include products and services that are directly accessible (without requiring assistive technologies) and products and services that are interoperable with assistive technologies."]

(24) UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING.
The term "universal design for learning" means a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that-

(A) provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and

(B) reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient.

For more information about UDL click here to go to the National Center on Universal Design for Learning.