American Printing House
For The Blind
Our mission is to promote the independence of blind and visually impaired persons by providing specialized materials, products, and services needed for education and life.
How often have we heard the statement, "On the shoulders of giants?" One year ago, those giants were honored and remembered for contributing to the vision and mission of APH.
These giants would be the first to admit that successful research and development programs require a team effort supported by a community of data providers. The APH Research Department community team is complex and far-reaching. It includes not only our Project Leaders, product development manager, technical research manager, administrative assistant, research assistants, consultants, and field evaluators, but also all of the staff, trustees, practitioners, volunteers and friends of APH.
The strength of our research must be in the quantity and quality of our field-based research data that is applied to the development of products that serve our blind and visually impaired consumers. In addition we must continue to support and expand our efforts in basic research through partnerships with research entities, particularly, research universities that have master and doctoral level commitments. And finally, we must develop the tools to effectively communicate our findings to the entire community listed above.
The following quote by Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is applicable to our goal of building a research community. He says, "Collecting data is only the first step toward wisdom, but sharing data is the first step toward community".
Ralph E. Bartley, Ph. D.
Director of Research
APH especially wishes to acknowledge the superb leadership and guidance from the Ex Officio Trustees serving as members of the Educational Services Advisory and Educational Products Advisory Committees. FY 2003 committee members were:
Chair - Daniel W. Boyd (CA)
2003 - Teresa Lacy (AL)
2003 - Louis M. Tutt (MD)
2004 - Gerald Kitzhoffer (NJ)
2004 - Stuart Wittenstein (SD)
Chair - Dotta Hassman
2003 - Kathleen Brown (MI)
2003 - Rosie L. T. Pridgen (MS)
2004 - Larry Brown (OR)
2004 - Mike Cole (CA)
2005 - Carol McCarroll (TN)
2005 - Kenalea Johnson (NM)
2003 - Elaine Sveen (MN)
| Aicken, John, M.B.A. | Product Development Manager |
| Bartley, Ralph, Ph.D. | Director |
| Cox, Valerie | Administrative Assistant |
| Creasy, Keith, B.S. | Programmer I |
| Eiland, Mario, B.A. | Programmer I |
| Hedges, John, B.S. | Programmer I |
| Hoffmann, Rosanne, Ph.D. | Research Assistant |
| Kitchel, Elaine, M.Ed. | Research Scientist |
| Meredith, Rob | Programmer I |
| Otto, Fred, B.A. | Research Associate (part-time) |
| Pester, Eleanor, M.S. | Research Scientist |
| Pierce, Tristan, M.I.A. | Research Associate |
| Poppe, Karen, B.A. | Senior Research Associate |
| Poppe, Tom | Model and Pattern Maker |
| Roderick, Carol, B.A. | Research Assistant (part-time) |
| Smith, Rodger, A.A.S. | Programmer I |
| Skutchan, Larry, B.A. | Research Scientist |
| Terlau, Terrie, Ph.D. | Research Associate |
| Travis, Ann, B.A. | Research Assistant |
| Vaught, Monica, B.A. | Research Assistant |
| Wright, Suzette, B.A. | Research Associate (part-time) |
| Wright, Tessa, B.A. | Research Assistant |
| Donhoff, Darlene | Technical/Clerical Assistant |
| Hayden, Frank | Division Manager |
| McGee, David | Manufacturing Specialist |
| Robinson, James | Manufacturing Specialist |
| Brogan, Gage, J.De | Test Coordinator & Security Specialist |
| Coffey, Monica, B.Ak | Accessible Test Editor |
| Henderson, Barbara, M.Ad | Research Associate |
| Scott, Kristopher, M.A | Accessible Test Editor |
| Willis, Deborah, M.A. | Director |
In addition to the agencies named here, appreciation is also extended to the many other agencies that cooperated with APH's research efforts by permitting members of their staffs to serve as consultants, reviewers, or respondents to requests for information.
Anchor Center for Blind Children, Denver, CO
Arkansas School for the Blind, Little Rock, AR
British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC
California School for the Blind, Fremont, CA
Castro Valley School District, Castro Valley, CA
Colorado School of the Deaf and the Blind, Colorado Springs, CO
Cooke County Special Education, Gainesville, TX
Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments, St. Louis, MO
Des Moines Public Schools, Student and Family Services, Des Moines, IA
Division for the Visually Impaired, New Castle, DE
Easter Seals; Wheeling, WV
Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Georgia Academy for the Blind, Macon, GA
Helen Keller School for the Blind, AIDB, Talladega, AL
Home of the Innocents, Louisville, KY
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, Jacksonville, IL
Kentucky School for the Blind, Louisville, KY
Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, Baton Rouge, LA
Madison School, Madison, TN
Metro Davidson County/Nashville Public Schools Vision Office, Nashville, TN
Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, Faribault, MN
National Geographic, Washington DC
New Jersey Commission for the Blind, Toms River, NJ
Oklahoma School for the Blind, Muskogee, OK
Orientation Center for the Blind, Albany, CA
Overbrook School for the Blind, Philadelphia, PA
Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA
Puunene School, Puunene, HI
St. Lucy's Day School, Upper Darby, PA
San Francisco State University; San Francisco, CA
SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY
Tennessee School for the Blind; Nashville, TN
University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
University of Houston, Houston, TX
University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
Visually Impaired Preschool Services, Louisville, KY
W. Reily Brown Elementary School, Dover, DE
W. Ross Macdonald School, Brantford, ON
Willamette ESD, Salem, OR
In addition to the consultants formally acknowledged in this section, appreciation is extended to the many individuals who have willingly given of their time and expertise in cooperating with the various research and development projects underway by responding to questionnaires, by answering less formal queries for information, and by working with research staff in countless ways such as: (a) identifying particularly talented teachers and other professionals to serve on committees and/or as expert reviewers; (b) recommending programs, teachers, and students to participate in field tests; and (c) facilitating field evaluation efforts. Only through the splendid and continuing support of professionals working in the field and the people they serve is APH able to maintain an effective research and development program.
Amerson, Marie J., TVI Consultant, Macon, GA, [Sensory Learning Kit, Tangle Toy Kit]
Azer, Samir, Science Teacher for the Visually Impaired, Louisville, KY, [Science Skills Inventory]
Bailey, Dr. Ian, Doctor of Optometry, San Francisco, CA, [Optimizing the Reading of Continuous Text for Students with Low Vision]
Bass, Linda, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Columbus, OH, [Science Skills Inventory]
Bender, Dianne, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Nebraska Center for the Education of Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, Nebraska City, NE, [Functional Assessment/Curriculum]
Calvert, Emily, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Houston, TX, [Sewing Without Sight]
Cook, Delenah, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, California School for the Blind, Fremont, CA, [Sewing Without Sight]
Cooper, Dick, Science Curriculum Developer, North Olmstead, OH, [Science Skills Inventory]
Cooper, Kathy, Science Teacher of the Visually Impaired, North Olmstead, OH, [Science Skills Inventory]
Corbett, Karen, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Kentucky School for the Blind, Louisville, KY, [Sewing Without Sight]
Craig, Sandra, Math & Science Teacher for the Blind, Kansas City, KS, [Science Skills Inventory]
Dornbusch, Dr. Helen, Doctor of Optometry, San Francisco, CA, [Optimizing the Reading of Continuous Text for Students with Low Vision]
Dortch, Jenny [Primary Math Units]
Dumstorf, Chip, Graphic Design Specialist, IMAGE Corporation, Louisville, KY, [Smaller Books Larger Print]
Dunham, Jamie, Bellarmine University, Elizabethtown, KY, [Science Skills Inventory]
Evans, Carol Anne, M.Ed., School Psychologist, Davis School District, Farmington, UT, [Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ-III) Tests of Achievement]
Forbes, Robert, Geography Department, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, [Large Print Color Atlas]
Freeman, Roger, M.D., British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, [CVI Synergy West - May 16, 2003]
Garberg, Robin [Fun with Braille]
George, Sr. Elaine, Teacher of visually impaired students, St. Lucy's Day School, Upper Darby, PA, [Smaller Books Larger Print, Sewing Without Sight]
Greer, Dr. Robert, Doctor of Optometry, San Francisco, CA, [Optimizing the Reading of Continuous Text for Students with Low Vision]
Groenveld, Maryke, Ph.D., British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, [CVI Synergy West - May 16, 2003]
Hall-Lueck, Dr. Amanda, Professor of Special Education, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, [Optimizing the Reading of Continuous Text for Students with Low Vision]
Harrell, Lois, Vision Consultant, Placerville, CA, [Moving Ahead: Tactile Graphic Storybooks]
Health Care Financing Administration, Washington D.C., Large print and typography issues for government publications, [Smaller Books Larger Print]
Heck, Becky, Science Teacher for the Visually Impaired, Indianapolis, IN, [Science Skills Inventory]
Herrington, Joseph, Geography Department, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, [Large Print Color Atlas]
Hotta, Carol, Teacher of children with Visual Impairments and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Hawaii Department of Education, Wailuku, HI, [ENVISION I & ENVISION II]
Hudgins, Betty, Testing Coordinator, Georgia Academy for the Blind, Macon, GA, [Kaufman Functional Academic Skills Test (K-FAST)]
Huffman, Kim, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Kendalville, IN, [Science Skills Inventory]
Ingber, Janet, Music Therapist and author, New York, NY, [Parenting Book]
Jackson, Ileah, California State University, Sacramento, CA, [Going Places: Transition Guidelines...]
Jaffe, Lynne, Ph.D., Learning Disabilities Specialist, Technical Assistance to Schools Assessment Team, Arizona Schools for the Deaf and Blind, Tucson, AZ, [Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ-III) Tests of Achievement]
Jan, Jim, M.D., British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, [CVI Synergy West - May 16, 2003]
Jose, Dr. Randall, Doctor of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, [ENVISION I & ENVISION II]
Kendrick, Deborah, Author and Journalist, Cincinnati OH, [Parenting Book]
Koniak, Lane, Teacher of Visually Impaired, Portland, OR, [Large Print Color Atlas]
Krause, Kathy, Braille Transcriber, Tucson, AZ, [Large Print Color Atlas]
Kreuzer, Debbie, Education Director, California School for the Blind Fremont, CA, [Sewing Without Sight]
Lee, Pauline, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, California School for the Blind Fremont, CA, [Sewing Without Sight]
Lieberman, Lauren, SUNY Brockport, NY, [Going Places: Transition Guidelines...]
Maier, Tracy, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Indiana School for the Blind, Indianapolis, IN, [Sewing Without Sight]
Mamer, Linda, Ph.D., British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, [CVI Synergy West - May 16, 2003]
Matsuba, Carey, M.D., British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, [CVI Synergy West - May 16, 2003]
Mayeda, Ron, Teacher, California School for the Blind, Fremont, CA, [Sewing Without Sight]
Modell, Scott, California State University, Sacramento, CA, [Going Places: Transition Guidelines...]
Modaressi, Betty, B.S., Free Lance Writer, Chicago, IL[Revision of Patterns & Braille Literacy for Older Students]
Mowerson, Lisa-Anne, Director of Community and Support Services, Vision Services, Pittsburgh, PA, [Label Kit]
Murphy, Robert, Teacher of Special Education, Ft. Wayne, IN, [Functional Assessment/Curriculum]
Myers, Diana, Writer, Chicago, IL [Braille Literacy for Older Students]
O'Connor, Kevin E., Marriage and Family Therapist, Arlington Heights, IL, [Parenting Book]
O'Donnell, Betsy, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Philadelphia, PA, [Orientation and Mobility Family Book]
Pariso, Jill, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Amherst, NY, [Sewing Without Sight]
Perla, Fabiana, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Philadelphia, PA, [Orientation and Mobility Family Book]
Perry, Shireen Irvine, Instructor, Orientation Center for the Blind, Albany, CA, [Sewing Without Sight]
Petrosko, Dr. Joe, Professor of Foundations of Education, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, [Optimizing the Reading of Continuous Text for Students with Low Vision, Braille Production Study]
Ponchillia, Paul, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, [Going Places: Transition Guidelines...]
Ray, Linda, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Prairie Village, KS, [Printing Guide]
Roman, Christine, Ph.D., Marshall University, Huntington, WV, [CVI Synergy West - May 16, 2003]
Roth, Alan, Science Teacher for the Visually Impaired, Indianapolis, IN, [Science Skills Inventory]
Rychwalski, Paul J., M.D., Kosair Children's Hospital, Louisville, KY, [Sensory Learning Kit, Sewing Without Sight]
Sangree, Helen, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, Houston, TX, [Sewing Without Sight] Shepard, Christy, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Houston, TX, [Sewing Without Sight]
Smith, Mildred J., Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Consultant, Garland, TX, [Sensory Learning Kit]
Spittler, Margaret, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Buffalo School 96, Buffalo, NY, [Sewing Without Sight]
Stratton, Dr. Josephine, Consultant for the Visually Impaired for the State of New York, Norwich, NY, [Moving Ahead: Tactile Graphic Storybooks and Revision of the Handbook, On the Way to Literacy: Early Experiences for Visually Impaired Children]
Strauss-Schwartz, Judith, Teacher of Visually Impaired, New York, NY, [Large Print Color Atlas]
Truan, Dr. Mila, Reading Specialist, Tennessee School for the Blind, [Moving Ahead: Tactile Graphic Storybooks]
van Naerssen, Judith, Occupational Therapist, Overbrook School for the Blind, Philadelphia, PA, [Sensory Learning Kit]
Braille DateBook
Amato, Sheila, Teacher of the Deafblind, East Islip High School, Islip Terrace, NY
Brown, Janet, Clinical Case Manager, M.F.T., Catholic Charities, San Rafael, CA
Brunson, Melanie, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, American Council of the Blind, Washington, D.C.
Byington, Ann, Rehabilitation Specialist, Kansas Rehabilitation Center for the Blind, North Topeka, KS
Calvert, Debbie, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Scott County Board of Education, Georgetown, KY
Cooler, Alma Myrtle, Casper, WY
Cox, Mike, Procurement Specialist, Westinghouse Sevanah River Company, Aiken, SC
Descarage, Susan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA
Dillon, Brenda, Resource Specialist, Jack Jakobik, Nashville, TN
Dixon, Judith M., Consumer Relations Officer, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Dowling, Nancy, Activity Director, Beautiful Savior Nursing Home, Belton, MO
Drolet, Michele, Manager Student Relations, The Seeing Eye, Inc., Morristown, NJ
Gelles, Ann, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, California School for the Blind, Fremont, CA
Guillory, Eric, Resource Specialist, Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, Baton Rouge, LA
Hanse, Buffa, Rehabilitation Specialist, Braille Teacher, Kentucky Department for the Blind, Louisville, KY
Henry, Laurel, Casper, WY
Kaufman, Howard, Social Worker, Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, Milwaukee, WI
Kendrick, Deborah, author and journalist, Cincinnati, OH
Knowles, Nancy, Clerk/Typist, Westinghouse Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC
Maurer, Patricia A., National Federation of the Blind, Baltimore, MD
McCall, Roberta, Rehabilitation Teacher, Michigan Commission for the Blind, Lansing, MI
McClarin, Jennifer, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, New Mexico School for the Visually Handicapped, Alamogordo, NM
Miller, Virginia, Rehabilitation Teacher, South Dakota Rehabilitation Center for the Blind, Sioux Falls, SD
Patel, Soniya, Teacher of Music, Lebanon Special School District, Lebanon, TN
Peaco, Freddie L., Government Information and Volunteer Specialist, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress,
Washington DC
Salinger, Lisa, Rehabilitation Teacher, Pennsylvania Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services, Clarks Summit, PA
Sims, Ann, Braille Instructor, Center for the Visually Impaired, Atlanta, GA
Southard, Linda, Library Information Specialist, City of Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA
Ward, Jean, Rehabilitation Instructor, Tennessee Rehabilitation Center, Smyrna, TN
Wheeler, Kathey, Independence, MO
Winkleblack, Marla, Visual Services Coordinator, Soyland Access to Independent Living, Decatur, IL
Braille Transcriber's Kit: US Maps
Davis, Debbie, Transcriber, Visual Aid Volunteers, Garland, TX
Dickey, Marilyn, Transcriber, Placer County Office of Education, Auburn, CA
Holliday, Debra, Transcriber, Braille Services, Houston, TX
McBride, Betsy, Transcriber, Dallas TX
Worthington, Dorothy, Transcriber, Learning Center, Anoka, MN
Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped, Burlingame, CA.
Functional Assessment/Curriculum
Bender, Dianne, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Nebraska Center for the Education of Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, Nebraska City, NE
Murphy, Robert, Teacher of Special Education, Ft. Wayne, IN
Label Kit
Mowerson, Lisa-Anne, Director of Community and Support Services, Vision Services, Pittsburgh, PA
Lots of Dots: Learning My ABC's
Courtney, Catherine, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, Faribault, MN
Donnell, Libby, Parent, St. Louis, MO (through the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments)
Garner, S., Teacher of the Visually Impaired, W. Ross Macdonald School, Brantford, ON
Hausz, Andrea, Speech Therapist, Home of the Innocents, Louisville, KY
Horton, Lynn, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Helen Keller School for the Blind, AIDB, Talladega, AL
Langdon, Melissa, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS), Louisville, KY
Olson-Murphy, Anne, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Willamette ESD, Salem, OR
Rollings, Lynn, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, W. Ross Macdonald School,
Brantford, ON
Schmidt, Elsa, Parent, Pueblo West, CO
Orientation and Mobility Family Book
Perla, Fabiana, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Philadelphia, PA
O'Donnell, Betsy, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Philadelphia, PA
Parenting Book
Ingber, Janet, Music Therapist and author, New York, NY
O'Connor, Kevin E., Marriage and Family Therapist, Arlington Heights, IL
Kendrick, Deborah, Author and Journalist, Cincinnati OH
Printing Guide
Ray, Linda, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Prairie Village, KS
Sewing Without Sight
Perry, Shireen Irvine, Instructor, Orientation Center for the Blind, Albany, CA
Talking GlowDice
Chamberlain, Merry Noel, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Des Moines Public Schools, Student and Family Services, Des Moines, IA
Chambers, Darla, Elementary Teacher, Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, Jacksonville, IL
Chance, Jean, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Tennessee School for the Blind, Nashville, TN
Cole, Mike, Administrator, Orientation Center for the Blind, Albany, CA
Greiner, Margaret, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Puunene School, Puunene, HI
Harris, Avonda, Independent Living Skills Instructor, Oklahoma School for the Blind, Muskogee, OK
Kelley, Charla, Supervising Teacher, Tennessee School for the Blind, Nashville, TN
LaVertu, Hope, Coordinator of Consumer Services, Kentucky Department for the Blind, Charles W. McDowell Rehabilitation Center, Louisville, KY
Leister, Monica, Vision Specialist/Teacher, Tennessee School for the Blind, Nashville, TN
Matthews, Beverly, Instructor/Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired, New Jersey Commission for the Blind, Toms River, NJ
McIntosh, Essie, Independent Living Skills Instructor, Oklahoma School for the Blind, Muskogee, OK
Niemczyk, Sharon, 2nd Grade Teacher, Arkansas School for the Blind, Little Rock, AR
Pohlmann, Vivian, Day Care Provider, Hastings, NE
Potenski, Donald, Manager, New Jersey Commission for the Blind, The Meyer Center, Newark, NJ
Oaks, Tom, Recreational Leader, Kentucky School for the Blind, Louisville, KY
Rodzielowicz Gloria, New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Toms River, NJ
Stevenson, Mae, ILS Instructor, Oklahoma School for the Blind, Parkview School, Muskogee, OK
Van Wagener, Ellen C., Speech-Language Pathologist, Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, Baton Rouge, LA
Villandry, Diana, Oklahoma School for the Blind, OK
Wilson, Valerie, ILS Supervisor, Oklahoma School for the Blind, Muskogee, OK
Wood, Janet Shaheen, Teacher, Georgia Academy for the Blind, Macon, GA
Web Chase
Beadle, Susan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Overbrook School for the Blind, Philadelphia, PA
Brewer, Susanne R., Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Metro Davidson County/Nashville Public Schools Vision Office, Madison School, Madison, TN
Brown, Kim, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Burlingame, IA
Feliz, Debbie, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Mesa, AZ
Foster, Mary Ann, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Cooke County Special Education, Gainesville, TX
Frankl, Nancy, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, W. Reily Brown Elementary School, Dover, DE
George, Sister M. Elaine, IHM, Librarian/Materials Assistant, St. Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments, Upper Darby, PA
Goldberg, Audrey, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Marano, Helene, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Overbrook School for the Blind, Philadelphia, PA
Megarry, Jan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Colorado School of the Deaf and the Blind, Colorado Springs, CO
van Naerssen, Judy, Occupational Therapist, Overbrook School for the Blind,
Philadelphia, PA
Newfang-Stopyra, Nancy, Itinerant Teacher/Consultant, Division for the Visually Impaired, New Castle, DE
Oaks, Tom, Recreation Leader, Kentucky School for the Blind, Louisville, KY
Van Wagener, Ellen C., Speech-Language Pathologist, Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, Baton Rouge, LA
Watson, Lisa, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Mesa, AZ
Deborah H. Willis
Director
[Formerly Test Central] (Ongoing)
Purpose:
The original goal of Test Central was to ensure tests and assessments were provided in high quality, accessible media in a timely manner. In response to discussions and recommendations by APH's Educational Services Advisory Committee, Educational Products Advisory Committee and members of the Second Test Central Council, the charge of the Accessible Tests Department was expanded in August 2003. The updated goal is to provide tests, test preparation and practice tests, test administration manuals, and other test-related materials in high quality accessible media in a timely manner, to promote the inclusion of blind and visually impaired individuals during test development, and to enhance the test performance of blind and visually impaired individuals through research, education, and communication.
Project Staff:
Carol Allman, Lead Consultant and Instructor
Gage Brogan, Test Coordinator and Security Specialist
Monica Coffey, Accessible Test Editor
Barbara Henderson, Test and Assessment Project Leader
Kris Scott, Accessible Test Editor
Debbie Willis, Director of Accessible Tests Department
Core team:
Carol Allman, Lead Consultant and Instructor
Ralph Bartley, Director of Research
Bob Brasher, VP of Advisory Services and Research
Jack Decker, VP of Production
Tony Grantz, Manager of Contract Administration
Barbara Henderson, Test and Assessment Project Leader
Mary Nelle McLennan, Executive Advisor to the President
Jane Thompson, Director of Accessible Textbook Initiative Collaboration (ATIC)
Debbie Willis, Director of Accessible Tests Department
Council:
Carol Allman, Ph.D., Lead Consultant and Instructor, APH
Karen Barton, Ph.D., Research Scientist, CTB McGraw-Hill
Larry Brown, Manager, Oregon Textbook & Materials Resource Center
Nan Bulla, M.Ed., Independent Consultant, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (retired)
Betsy Case, Ph.D., Director of Research on Special Populations, Harcourt Educational Measurement
Steve Goodman, Director of Pupil Personnel Services,
California School for the Blind
Barbara Henderson, Test & Assessment Project Leader, APH
Leslie Lightbourne, Program Coordinator, Division of Student Standards & Assessments, Louisiana Department of Education
Jean Martin, Director, Minnesota Resource Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Suzanne Swaffield, Education Associate, Office of Assessment, South Carolina Department of Education
Sandy Thompson, Ph.D., Research Associate, National Center on
Educational Outcomes/University of Minnesota
Debbie Willis, Director of Accessible Tests Department, APH
Background: During a brainstorming session concerning important projects to pursue, an initiative to develop a central location dedicated to developing standardized guidelines, processes and procedures related to test adaptation and production of tests in alternative media was proposed. This initiative was presented to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). In February 2001, APH received confirmation from the U.S. DOE that Test Central was awarded some startup funding for FY 2001. At a meeting with APH's Advisory Committees, members of the two committees commended APH for conceptualizing Test Central, recognized the leadership role APH could play with regard to tests and assessments, and strongly encouraged continued efforts in this area.
An in-house Core Team was formed, and Test Central's initial tracks were identified:
Test Central received significant federal support throughout FY 2002 and 2003. Just prior to APH's 2002 Annual Meeting, a group of Annual Meeting attendees assembled for a preliminary meeting to outline guidelines for making tests accessible to blind and visually impaired individuals. Utilizing the input of this group, guidelines for test developers, publishers, editors, and transcribers were initiated. The idea of Test Central was presented at Annual Meeting and an open forum commenced to discuss test and assessment needs and to receive ideas from the audience. Building Test Central's infrastructure began in FY 2002 and networking with test developers and publishers got underway.
A Test Central Council was formed and met at APH in March 2002. Recommendations of the Council included:
A training workshop for test editors was planned and conducted. The test editor trainees were tested to determine their level of test editing skills. The tests were scored and feedback was provided to each of the 21 trainees who had completed the take-home test. A second test editor training workshop was planned to follow immediately after the 2002 Annual Meeting. A Guidelines Development Committee Meeting was held to draft guidelines for test transcribers. Throughout FY 2002, Test Central project staff attended and presented at numerous relevant workshops and conferences. Articles regarding Test Central were written and published.
Two test editor positions were approved and advertised. Individuals interested in these positions were interviewed and two of the Research Assistants in the Department of Educational and Technical Research accepted these permanent, full-time positions. A national network of consultant test editors, transcribers, and producers was initiated. These individuals, groups, and agencies will be available to assist test developers and test publishers as needed. During the last quarter of FY 2002, APH decided that Test Central would become its own department, working side-by-side with ATIC staff, under the general direction of the Vice-President of Products and Services, Bob Brasher. Further development and efforts of Test Central continued under the direction of Debbie Willis. Another Test Central position, that of Test Coordinator and Security Specialist, was approved and advertised late in FY 2002. During the last quarter of the 2002 fiscal year, Test Central began taking on some pilot projects to edit tests and test prep materials for presentation in braille with accompanying tactile graphics.
Test Central activities included developing and making available position papers that address a variety of test-related issues and areas of concern. Position papers in response to commonly asked questions will provide a basis for decision making as test personnel determine fair and appropriate accommodations for blind and visually impaired test takers. The first position paper was written by Dr. Terri Terlau and Fred Gissoni and addressed use of the abacus in test-taking situations.
Work Completed in FY 2003: At the beginning of FY 2003, a second Test Editor Training Workshop was held at APH. The trainees, made up of teachers and transcribers, came from Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Information conveyed focused on the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; Test Central's goals and activities and their relevance to the vision field; considerations when reviewing test items to determine accessibility for blind and visually impaired students; guidelines to utilize when editing print tests for presentation in braille, tactile graphics, and large print; creating a good tactile graphic; and features of print that enhance readability. Trainees were given templates and provided instruction on preparing Notes for Test Transcribers and Test Administration Notes. Presentation of sample test items offered ample opportunity for the trainees to work in small and large groups to practice and discuss what they had learned. Take-home tests were distributed to the test editor trainees to maximize quality and standard editing among test editors. These tests also enabled the trainees to receive individualized feedback.
In January 2003, Gage Brogan accepted the Test Coordinator and Security Specialist position. Moreover, APH Test and Assessment Project Leader Barbara Henderson transferred from Educational Research to Test Central in order to unify effort, maximize service to the field, and increase consistency in test editing and presentation. Identification of high priority test needs that result in catalog items, as well as test-related work done on a contract basis, were redirected to flow through a single channel, Test Central, rather than through different departments. At this time, Barbara Henderson took on primary responsibility for working with APH's web site coordinator to develop site content and construct a direct link from APH's main page to Test Central's page. Test Central staff worked with APH's Communications Group and Impact Imagination staff to develop a design for the Test Central banner to be used on the main page of the APH web site and Test Central's web page.
Consultants Mary Ann Damm and Bev Pfister continued the work of developing guidelines for test transcribers, a project begun last fiscal year. Consultant Carol Allman drafted a position paper on the use of extended time when administering standardized tests to blind and visually impaired students. Carol also provided a number of presentations, which included the state AER conferences at Arkansas and New Mexico and partnering with NCEO at the Council of Chief State School Officers Conference(CCSSO) on Large Scale Assessment. The CCSSO pre-conference workshop addressed Assessment Architecture: Building Universally Designed Large Scale Assessments. Carol's presentation focused on elements of universal design and special considerations for making tests accessible to students with visual impairments. Consultants Carol Allman and Bev Pfister served as APH representatives at the CTEVH Conference and gave a presentation on Making Tests Accessible for Students with Visual Impairments. The educator-transcriber partnership and perspectives resulted in an excellent presentation. Accessible Test Editor Monica Coffey attended the 2003 Council for Exceptional Children Conference while Kris Scott attended the National Braille Association's 27th Conference.
In February 2003, Debbie Willis and Gage Brogan conducted a poster session on Options for Making Tests Accessible at the Association of Test Publishers (ATP) Conference on Technology in Testing. At the same conference, Jim Allan, project consultant, and author, and Barbara Henderson, Project Leader, presented a poster session on Test Access: Guidelines for Computer Administered Testing. Many interested individuals visited the session to ask about speech access and the difficulties associated with the inaccessibility of mouse movements to totally blind individuals. Some sessions addressed accommodations, test security, and converting tests from English to other languages. In one session, the presenter proclaimed that "The legal defensibility of a test is primarily rooted in the pilot and test revision phases," and that "the population who will be tested with an instrument needs to be represented in the pilot test phase." These statements provide significant justification for the inclusion of blind and visually impaired students during test development as tests are constructed and field tested. Announced during one of the general sessions was ATP's intent to join efforts with the American Educational Research Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). This should be a powerful partnership.
The second meeting of the Test Central Council (TCC) was held at APH in early Feb. 2003. Three major test developers and publishers, Harcourt, CTB McGraw-Hill, and Data Recognition Corp. (DRC) were represented at this meeting. TCC members, along with special guests Alice Golden from DRC and Linnie Calland from Kentucky Department of Education, were joined by an array of APH staff that included Test Central Core Team members. The purpose of this meeting was to share information relevant to testing and to update TCC members on the activities and goals of Test Central so TCC members could provide advice and direction on next steps for Test Central. Several discussions focused on common problems involved in testing students with disabilities. Sandy Thompson, Research Associate at the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), reported that NCEO performs disability-related research on state assessments and has a wealth of information in a searchable database. Jean Martin, Director of the Minnesota Resource Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, briefly described the process for addressing bias in Minnesota State standardized tests. These guidelines were published this fiscal year in the spring issue of RE:view. Linnie Calland from the Kentucky Department of Education presented the online version of Kentucky's Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS). Jane Thompson, APH's Director of ATIC, presented some projects at APH that will eventually impact Test Central. These include the Large Print Project for developing large print textbooks and the Braille Transcription Training Program. Elaine Kitchel, APH's Low Vision Project Leader, presented guidelines and considerations for readability of test documents in large print. Tactile Graphics Specialists Karen Poppe and Fred Otto distributed and reviewed examples of practice test items that are difficult to make accessible.
Some of the recommendations that resulted from the Second TCC included:
Shortly after the Second TCC Meeting, a letter of support for NCEO's proposed research project on An Examination of the Use of Multiple Modalities for the Achievement of Literacy Standards by Students with Disabilities was written and submitted to NCEO's Dr. Sandy Thompson. NCEO received funding for this project from OSERS Research and Innovation to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities. The research design that originally included deaf, hard of hearing, and English as a second language learners was expanded to include blind and visually impaired students. APH and NCEO will partner early next fiscal year to study the effects of item design on test performance. Ten large print readers in each of grades 4 and 8, and 10 braille readers in each of grades 4 and 8 will participate in a think aloud study in order to gather information on the processes utilized by blind and visually impaired students to solve math problems, many of which include tactile graphics. The findings of this study will be used to establish universal design elements of tests. In addition, in order to help maximize student performance on tests, results of this study will be incorporated into specific guidelines being written on Making Tests Accessible to Students with Visual Impairments.
APH Field Services Representative Burt Boyer and Debbie Willis participated in a National Agenda Meeting in Austin, Texas. A number of recommendations were developed during this meeting and National Agenda Committee members requested the continued involvement of APH in promoting National Agenda Goals. Burt Boyer will co-chair Goal 1: Referral with Chris Tompkins (Foundation for Blind Children) while Debbie Willis will co-chair Goal 6: Assessment with Dr. Mary Ann Lang (The National Center for Vision and Child Development, The Lighthouse Incorporated).
In spring 2003, the name of the department was changed from Test Central to Accessible Tests Department. A one-page flyer on Test-Related Services Available from APH was developed. During much of the spring and summer, Test Coordinator and Security Specialist Gage Brogan was committed to studying and implementing additional test security measures at APH. Activities included preparing a test security alert notice and initiation of test security training. APH submitted to a company inspection, provided all the necessary paperwork, and satisfied the necessary requirements of Educational Testing Service (ETS) in order to be certified by ETS as a secure test vendor. In addition, Gage worked with a wide variety of APH staff to develop test transcription specifications and to set up a database for test tracking, production activities, and record keeping.
Guidelines under development were reviewed, revised, and, in some cases, completed. Guidelines underway or completed include:
All of these guidelines will be made available as part of the Test Access series. The first two sets of guidelines listed above were completed this fiscal year. The Guidelines for Computer Administered Testing are available on the Accessible Tests Department web page. The first edition of Making Tests Accessible to Students with Visual Impairments: A Guide for Test Publishers and Test Developers were used for the Test Publisher Workshop held at APH in September 2003.
During FY 2003, over 100 tests were edited and Notes for Test Transcribers were written by Accessible Test Editors Kris Scott and Monica Coffey for presentation of tests in braille/tactile format. Most of these tests also required Test Administration Notes. Audio transcripts of some tests were created so that editing and verbal instructions could be reviewed, and guidelines for audio formats could be expanded and improved. In addition, some experimental work in creating large print samples of two tests, one math and one literary, began. The experimental work involved four different enlargement processes: simply increasing the font size as much as possible to fit on an 8 1/2" X 11" page, utilizing ATIC's large print process to modify a number of features of the test while maintaining the 8 1/2" X 11" page size, and working with two Louisville-based printing companies to edit the tests as needed in order to provide 18 point text and enlarged graphics. In July 2003, a group consisting of APH middle and upper management, as well as representatives from other departments, decided that the Accessible Tests Department would enter an operational phase in the areas of braille, tactile graphics, and audio formats, and would continue in a pilot phase for large print and electronic test formats.
After completing this experimental project, it was decided to create a sample test that would demonstrate making test items accessible in various media. Released test items were used with permission from Illinois and Ohio Departments of Education. The items were edited and coordinated for production of the sample test in large print with enlarged graphics, braille with tactile graphics, an audio cassette version, and two different audio CD versions. The three audio tests were coordinated with the large print and braille editions to be usable independently in a small group-testing environment.
In Sept. 2003, 24 staff members from the following test publishers participated in a workshop hosted by the Accessible Tests Department: American Guidance Service, American Institutes on Research, CTB McGraw-Hill, Data Recognition Corporation, Educational Testing Service, Harcourt Educational Measurement, Measured Progress, NCS Pearson, Northwest Evaluation Association, and WestEd. The purpose of this workshop was to provide information on test development and adaptation to help ensure accessibility so that No Child is Left Behind, and to address critical issues in providing accessible tests for students with visual impairments. The sample test that had been created in multiple accessible media was used at the Test Publishers Workshop. It will also be used during a number of training workshops and presentations planned for next fiscal year, including the AFB Bridging the Gap Leadership Summit to be held in Atlanta early in FY 2004.
In the last quarter of FY 2003, APH was notified that the Accessible Tests Department had been awarded its first contract to edit and produce the 2004 statewide assessments in large print for an individual state. The contract also includes provision of these same tests in a braille/tactile format. Test Administration Notes for the accessible media and some manipulatives are needed as well.
In order to begin addressing the expanded charge of the Accessible Tests Department to provide practice test and test prep materials in accessible media, Barbara Henderson developed a short online survey that was posted on APH's web site. The Let's Get Ready for Testing survey asked trustees and vision teachers which practice materials and/or test prep materials they are currently using and what materials are needed.
Carol Allman drafted a Survey of State Assessments and Accountability Initiatives: Inclusion of Students with Visual Impairments. The survey was reviewed by professionals in the field as well as by members of the Accessible Tests Department. The survey will be modified and distributed to vision teachers and school administrators in early FY 2004.
Work Planned for FY 2004: FY 2004 promises to be another busy, challenging, and rewarding year. Starting with APH's 2003 Annual Meeting, Barbara Henderson and Carol Allman will give a presentation on using Brigance Green Materials. Two poster sessions will also be offered. Depending on the need, at least one and perhaps two workshops on Making Tests Accessible to Blind and Visually Impaired Students will be conducted for state assessment personnel. The first such workshop is tentatively planned for January 2004. A similar workshop will be conducted on site on a contract basis for one or more test publishers. The Accessible Tests Department will partner with ATIC at four Transcriber Training Workshops to be held in different areas of the country. The half-day provided by Accessible Tests will focus on reviewing test transcription specifications and guidelines. Another workshop on testing and assessing the knowledge and skills of blind adults will be provided as part of AFB's Bridging the Gap Leadership Summit. Harcourt and APH will also partner at the 2004 CCSSO Conference for a workshop on test access. Additional presentations and workshops will be given at other locations such as during the ATP, International AER, and some state AER conferences.
APH will produce prototypes of math items in large print with enlarged graphics and in braille with tactile graphics for the NCEO-APH research study that was initiated last fiscal year to study the effect of item design and presentation. Accessible Tests Department staff and assistants from Florida State University will gather data from large print and braille readers. The data will be analyzed, conclusions drawn, and a final report submitted by NCEO research staff.
Accessible Tests Department staff will undertake a number of pilot projects to edit and produce standardized tests in large print. Staff will review test items, edit tests for presentation in braille, tactile graphics, and audio formats, and coordinate the editing of test items for multi-media presentation of test items. Necessary steps will be taken to ensure test security, completion of tests in high quality accessible media, and timely delivery. The area of electronic testing of blind and visually impaired students will continue to be investigated.
The goals and activities of the department will continue to be monitored and direction will continue to be received from APH's two Advisory Committees, Executive Committee members, Council members, Core Team members, trustees, teachers, test personnel, and test takers. The guidelines, processes, procedures, databases and forms that have been developed will be used and modified as needed. Staff development will continue by attending classes, workshops and conferences, networking with teachers, test administrators, test developers and publishers, state assessment personnel, and test takers, and by observing or assisting with the administration of tests in various media to blind and visually impaired students.
Barbara Henderson
(Continuing)
Purpose:
To provide assessment tools for daily living/functional skills for students in primary grades, middle school, secondary school, and transition classes.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Barbara Henderson, Project Advisor
Dianne Bender, Project Consultant
Robert Murphy, Project Consultant
Ann Travis, Project Assistant
Background: As the Expanded Core Curriculum becomes increasingly important in the education of students who are blind or visually impaired, a systematic method for assessing a student's progress in learning functional skills becomes essential. Many schools for the blind, university training programs, and rehabilitation agencies have developed their own strategies for teaching and assessing different aspects of self-care and daily living tasks. However, a systematic assessment process that incorporates a criterion-based scoring system and utilizes core curriculum skills in all levels of its functional assessment has not been made widely available. The need for such a comprehensive system has been expressed by numerous educators of persons who are blind or visually impaired.
Dianne Bender's assessment system for functional skills has been developed during her extensive teaching career in a residential school for the blind setting. Comprehensive coverage of functional skill areas, scoreable testing protocols, and concise, clear testing directions suggest that her system could serve as the basis for a functional assessment product.
Because Ms. Bender's assessment materials included extensive, concrete descriptions of tasks and techniques to be tested, it was initially proposed by the Project Leader to develop both an Assessment System and a Teaching Curriculum. It was additionally proposed to produce these materials in modular form, with each module including a curriculum and assessment for all levels of one category of functional skills.
Work During FY 2003: Strategies for developing curricula from existing assessment modules were discussed with Ms. Bender and initial drafts of such teaching strategies were explored. Although a functional skills curriculum related to the content of Ms. Bender's methods and assessment protocols was desirable, the combined curriculum and assessment was found to be beyond the scope of one project. The APH Product Advisory and Review Committee (PARC) adopted the Project Leader's recommendation to limit the current project to the development of a Functional Skills Assessment package.
Because the scope of the project has been reduced, the assessment of various content categories will be developed simultaneously. The full Functional Skills Assessment is expected to be released as one product and not as separate content category modules.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Refinement and completion of the Functional Skills Assessment prototype is anticipated. Location of suitable field reviewers and field test sites will be begun.
(Continuing)
Purpose:
To provide a functional mathematics and reading skills assessment in accessible formats for visually impaired and blind individuals between 15 and 85 years of age.
Project Staff:
Barbara W. Henderson, Project Leader
Betty Hudgins, Project Consultant
Monica Coffey, Project Assistant
Kristopher Scott, Project Assistant
Background: Information from teachers and service providers has indicated that there is a great need for functional skills assessments in accessible formats for high school students and adults. The K-FAST is being acknowledged as one of the best assessments of its kind, and the Kaufman tests are well-known and respected in assessment circles. Appropriate for testing mastery of real-life skills, K-FAST can be administered in a short session. In addition, the layout of K-FAST lends itself well to adaptation for both large print and braille readers.
Results of the online survey compiled in October 2001 indicated that K-FAST ranked third in terms of priority amongst five frequently requested testing titles. Thirty-nine persons from across the country responded: school psychologists, teachers of the visually impaired, testing coordinators, and heads of instructional materials centers, etc. It was clear from the results that practitioners were familiar with K-FAST and desired access to braille and large print versions of the test.
In early November of 2001, a project consultant was hired. Betty Hudgins, Testing Coordinator at Georgia Academy for the Blind, made a trip to APH for a working meeting at the end of November. An item by item analysis revealed the need for two separate editions rather than a combined large print and braille edition. Product specifications and plans were revised accordingly.
A similar analysis of items for the braille edition was done via teleconference with the consultant in a successive 3-month period. By May 2002, a product development meeting was held to adjust project time lines and set final product specifications. In July 2002, the Project Leader and consultant had rewritten the test administration notes and the student instructions to reflect the new format.
Work During FY 2003: Artwork for the covers was drawn and approved by the Project Leader. Layout of the diagrams and text for the large print edition was begun by APH Communications Group staff and proofread by project staff. Specifications and electronic files for the production run were finalized and forwarded to production personnel in the last quarter of FY 2003. Lastly, braille transcription and large print master were begun.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Braille transcription, large print reproduction, proofreading, and quality control checks will be completed. The production run is projected to occur in the second quarter of FY 2004 and the product will be stocked and made available for sale.
(New)
Purpose:
To provide an accurate, inexpensive, disposable, and easy-to-use protractor with both large print and braille markings to be used primarily by blind and visually impaired students in a testing situation.
Project Staff:
Barbara W. Henderson, Project Leader
Frank Hayden, Project Technical Advisor
Debbie Willis, Project Advisor
Monica Vaught, Project Assistant
Background: Blind and visually impaired students taking tests do not always have appropriately designed protractors provided to them in the testing situation. Sometimes they don't get a protractor at all because protractors aren't included with the tests. A well-designed, affordable, print/braille protractor provided as part of the assessment tool and available for classroom use before the exam will optimize testing outcomes. The protractor will be included with tests calling for the use of a protractor, as well as being available as a separate item.
After a 2002 survey of the kinds of protractors being used by math students across the country (part of the field test results on the large print/braille ruler field test), the development of the Large Print/Braille Disposable Protractor (now called Large Print/Braille Toss-Away Protractor) was put on hold and pulled back to the PARCing Lot. It was determined that several different protractors are being used by school systems across the country (including the APH Braille/Print Protractor with Goniometer). It was noted that training in use of the particular protractor being used for testing is considered very important for the best testing outcomes. In addition, protractors come in several sizes, not all of which are appropriate for use with large print and/or braille tests. Therefore, further research is being done to decide if a protractor can be successfully produced in paper, and, if so, which design and size(s) should be used.
Work During FY 2003: The Project Leader received several new inquiries from test publishers and assessment personnel regarding the desire for a disposable braille protractor so this project was revived and removed from the PARCing lot in July 2003. A project assistant was assigned and a review of currently available tactile protractors was begun.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Prototype design will begin. A consultant in precision measurement will be employed. Field testers will be selected and field testing will be performed.
(Completed)
Purpose:
To provide an accurate, inexpensive, disposable, and easy-to-use ruler, with both large print and braille markings to be used primarily by blind and visually impaired students in a testing situation.
Project Staff:
Barbara W. Henderson, Project Leader
Frank Hayden, Project Technical Advisor
Monica Coffey, Project Assistant
Background: Many assessment instruments are produced in braille and large print without the accompanying materials that sighted students get. Blind and visually impaired students taking tests do not always have appropriately designed rulers provided to them. Sometimes they don't get a ruler at all because rulers aren't included with the tests. A well-designed, affordable, large print ruler, provided as part of the assessment tool and available for classroom use before the exam will optimize testing outcomes. This ruler will be included with mathematics tests that involve measurement tasks as well as made available for sale separately.
Field test results of the Large Print/Braille Toss-Away Ruler indicated that over 50 percent of the participants (and their teachers) wanted a large print only ruler. While measuring with the prototype ruler, the braille dots embossed on top of the large print markings often obscured the numbers and words. A second product was created and designed using the revised prototype but without raised lines and braille.
Work During FY 2003: Product costs were determined and the final production run occurred. Both rulers were produced and placed in stock in March 2003. Design of the web brochure, with pictures, was completed in April 2003 with the assistance of the APH Communications group.
(Continuing)
Purpose:
To collaborate with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) to help formulate and produce a revised competency test that ensures braille teachers meet standard qualifications for knowledge of the literary braille code.
Project Staff:
Barbara W. Henderson, APH Co-Project Leader
Eleanor Pester, APH Project Consultant
Debbie Willis, APH Project Consultant
Mary Lou Stark, NLS Co-Project Leader
Judy Dixon, NLS Project Assistant
Deirdre Knapp, HumRRO Project Consultant
Gordon Waugh, HumRRO Project Consultant
Kristopher Scott, APH Project Assistant
Background: In recent years, concern has been expressed about the amount and quality of braille instruction provided to blind children and adults. In response to this concern, the Committee on Joint Organizational Effort requested that NLS develop a literary braille competency test. Work on this test began in 1989. Administration of the test began in 1994. In 1996, the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) began a validation study of the test, conducting a thorough job analysis and furnishing recommendations for revising the test's content so that it closely matches the current knowledge and skills required of braille teachers. In April of 1998, NLS approached APH with a proposal for a joint effort in revising this test. A meeting was conducted at APH in May 1998 with personnel from HumRRO, NLS, and APH to review the validation process and recommendations.
In July 1998, an agreement between APH and NLS was set. APH's goals included maintenance of a test item bank database and production of test-related materials. NLS was responsible for administering the pilot study, identifying proctors, handling the application process, and supervising test administration sites. APH and NLS agreed to be jointly involved in the revision phase of the project. Joint staff identified members of two standing committees: the Administrative Issues Committee and the Test Development Committee.
In 1999, under the direction of HumRRO staff, the Administrative Issues Committee met in January at NLS and in July at APH, and the Test Development Committee met in March at NLS and in June at APH. New test items were developed based on HumRRO's research, and test administration manuals were drafted and reviewed.
In 2000, an in-depth review of test items, the candidate's guide, and the test administrator's manual were conducted by NLS and HumRRO. APH worked with HumRRO on development of a machine scoreable, multiple-choice, answer sheet for both print and braille users. A prototype has been used successfully with ten blind APH employees and was subsequently incorporated into the pre-test.
In 2001 the Test and Assessment Project Leader became involved in this project. NLS rescheduled the timeline during 2001, setting project completion for 2002. Pre-test materials were produced at APH for phase I, a scoring protocol was developed, and the pre-tests were administered and scored by both NLS and APH personnel, ensuring scoring consistency and test validity.
Scoring of the pre-test was completed in FY 2002. When scoring results were in, feedback from all participants and scorers of the pre-test were assembled into appropriate revisions. With revisions completed, materials for the next phase, the pilot test, were produced by APH. Test portions were produced in three media: braille, large print, and recorded cassette. NLS arranged for shipment of materials to each pilot test candidate and each test administration site.
Work During FY 2003: The Operational Pilot Test was administered in Fall 2002 and Spring 2003. Members of the Test Development Committee arranged for test candidates and participated in administration of the pilot test. Each member offered feedback about test instructions and scoring protocols. Scoring of the test was done by both APH and NLS to assure test validity.
Work Planned for FY 2004: At such time as the scoring is completed, test performance results will be forwarded to HumRRO for analysis. HumRRO will write the final report. All facets of the project, from production, to test procedures, to scoring, will be reviewed by the Test Development and Administrative Issues Committees during meetings at NLS. APH project personnel will attend these meetings. If further revisions are required, the timeline will be adjusted. When the actual test is ready for use, APH will prepare the test materials while the test registration and scoring will be done by NLS.
(New)
Purpose:
To make generic test preparation and practice materials available in accessible formats for purposes of preparing K-12 visually impaired and blind students to take achievement tests. Adult students preparing for the GED may also utilize these materials.
Project Staff:
Barbara Henderson, Project Leader
Debbie Willis, Project Advisor
Kristopher Scott, Co-Project Leader
Background: During Spring 2003 meetings of the APH Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC) and the Educational Services Advisory Committee (ESAC), practice/test preparation materials in accessible formats were identified as a high priority need. Even if students are able to get their tests in accessible formats in a timely manner, there is no guarantee that they will have the same access to test prep materials. The advisory groups expressed their desire to see APH make such materials available as a catalog item. Furthermore, as an extension of the stated goals of the Accessible Tests Department, provision of practice/test prep materials in accessible formats was added at the request of the advisory committees.
Work During FY 2003: The Project Leader had already reviewed commercially available test prep packages prior to proposing it as a new project. In June 2003 the Project Leader, with the help of the APH librarian and an assistant, did a complete search of all currently available generic practice materials for standardized and achievement tests. A review of the materials was begun.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Once the best packages are selected from among those available, members of the APH advisory committees will be asked to review them. Sample materials in braille and large print will be produced and field tested.
(Discontinued)
Purpose:
To make significant materials available on the assessment of blind and visually impaired students.
Project Staff:
Debbie Willis, Director, Accessible Tests Department
Mary Nelle McClennan, Executive Advisor to the President
Barbara Henderson, Test and Assessment Project Leader
Monica Vaught, Research Assistant, Educational Research
Background: PRO-ED, Inc. published the first and second editions of Psychoeducational Assessment Of Students Who are Visually Impaired or Blind: Infancy Through High School in 1991 and 1994, respectively. The book includes an overview of assessment; issues in understanding children who are visually impaired or blind; assessment issues and procedures; assessment of infants and toddlers; assessment of preschoolers; assessment of school-age students; and a reference section. From 1994 to 2000, PRO-ED sold 1,481 copies, which is below their minimum cutoff to continue publishing the book; therefore, publication of the book was discontinued. PRO-ED very generously returned the copyright to Dr. Sharon Bradley-Johnson in order to pursue publication elsewhere.
Plans for a third edition were underway by Sharon Bradley-Johnson and a colleague in Central Michigan University's Psychology Department, Dr. Sandra Morgan. Their plans for changes to the third edition included: updating the test reviews with new editions of the tests, adding a description of the procedure and technical adequacy for curriculum-based measurement with braille readers, expanding the section on family issues, adding a section on considering sleep problems as part of the assessment process, adding a discussion of teacher concerns when students with severe visual losses are placed in the regular classroom setting, and adding a table describing test options for each area.
A copy of the second edition of the book was presented to APH's Product Advisory and Review Committee for consideration as an APH product. It was decided that this popular and respected book met specific project goals, and the project received approval to move forward. Dr. Sharon Bradley-Johnson was informed of APH's intention to support and publish the book.
In FY 2002, a contractual agreement was developed and the project authors began work on the third edition. Meanwhile, project staff held a Products Development Committee Meeting to discuss the project and establish a timeline for the research and development phases of this book. Eleven qualified field reviewers were identified and contacted regarding their willingness to review the book. Six of these consultants agreed to review the initial draft of the third edition. A cover letter along with an evaluation form was developed. An electronic copy of the book accompanied by the letter and evaluation form were sent in the winter of 2002 via email followed by a paper copy of the same to each of the six reviewers. Upon receipt of the materials, one of the six reviewers strongly recommended another reviewer who was contacted and sent the same, and one of the six had a colleague review the book. A total of seven complete reviews and one partial review were received. In addition to completing the evaluation forms, seven reviewers provided numerous notes on the draft edition. These results were sent to APH project staff. After removing all indications of reviewers' names, the completed evaluation forms and drafts containing notes and suggestions for changes were sent to the authors. While the reviews were favorable, numerous excellent suggestions were provided. In the spring of 2002, necessary changes were outlined by the authors and the revision phase was initiated in summer 2002.
Work Completed in FY 2003.
A second draft of the book was received and reviewed by project staff. An additional step to have the document reviewed for content was undertaken. Three content reviewers were identified and contacted. Some strong recommendations for additional changes to make the information more relevant and thorough were received. As a result of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, there has been a significant increase in the number of assessment articles written and published. In light of numerous current articles and up-to-date books which are wholly or partly dedicated to assessment of blind and visually impaired students, such as AFB's second edition of Foundations of Education and their new book on Collaborative Assessments, the need to continue this project was in question. Project staff consulted with APH's Product Advisory and Review Committee (PARC) on whether to continue investing valuable resources into refinement and completion of the 3rd Edition of Psychoeducational Assessment of Students Who Are Visually Impaired or Blind. The decision was to discontinue this project.
Work Planned for FY 2004.
No additional work on this project is planned.
(New)
Purpose:
To revise and update the existing video in order to support the 3rd Edition of Sharon Bradley-Johnson's book entitled Psychoeducational Assessment of Students Who Are Visually Impaired or Blind: Infancy Through High School. The video provides excellent general information on assessing visually impaired and blind children as well as identifying specific testing instruments designed for this purpose.
Project Staff:
Barbara Henderson, Test and Assessment Project Leader
Debbie Willis, Project Advisor
Monica Vaught, Project Assistant
Background: Although the video can stand alone, it is somewhat tied to the content of the book and vice-versa. The project to update the video to accompany the revision of Dr. Sharon Bradley-Johnson's book, Psycho-educational Assessment of Students Who Are Visually Impaired or Blind: Infancy Through High School, was brought to Product Evaluation Team (PET) shortly after the revised version of the book was sent to outside reviewers. The project was approved by PET and placed on the PARCing lot for further development at such time as final revisions of the book seemed imminent.
Work During FY 2003: In May 2003, the Project Leader again discussed the idea of updating the video. The project was pulled from the PARCing lot for further work such as cost estimates, scripting ideas, and suggested revisions. A project assistant was assigned.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Since the 3rd Edition of Psychoeducational Assessment of Students Who Are Visually Impaired or Blind: Infancy Through High School has been discontinued, the video will be briefly edited to correct some information. This video will be sold for at least another year, after which time a new assessment video project will be undertaken.
(Completed)
Purpose:
To develop guidelines for computer administration of tests and assessments to students/clients who are blind and visually impaired.
Project Staff:
Barbara W. Henderson, Project Leader
Larry Skutchan, Project Advisor
Debbie Willis, Project Advisor
James M. Allan, Lead Project Consultant
Nanette Bulla, Project Consultant
Steven A. Goodman, Project Consultant
Kristopher A. Scott, Project Editor
Tessa Wright, Project Editor
Monica Vaught, Project Editor
Background: Because it identified an important educational trend, this project was a specially funded initiative for FY 1999. Each year, more and more school systems will deliver their assessments via computer. If we are to ensure that students with visual disabilities are not excluded from educational experiences, it is crucial to develop and provide the field with a set of guidelines for computer-based testing.
Initial work during FY 1999 consisted of initiating an investigation of the status of computer-based testing of students in school systems nationwide. A new Test and Assessment Project Leader joined the Department of Educational Research in January 2000. The Project Leader contacted test publishers and reviewed demonstration software for accessibility, subsequently meeting with the Project Advisors to discuss problems with commercially available software and the possible applicability of Teacher's PetTM to this project. An outline of sections and a tentative timeline for the project were drafted. Three expert consultants in the areas of technology, blindness, and low vision were contacted and agreed to join the Project Team. The consultants wrote drafts of the guidelines sections.
In 2001, the technical investigation and drafting of sections of the Guidelines continued. An evaluation form was developed, reviewed by the survey committee, and revised as needed. Six professional reviewers, representative of the target audience, were chosen for their expertise in the areas of technology, test design, and testing practices for visually impaired students/clients. The review was made available online in order to provide timely and totally accessible review documents and forms. Final reviews of the document were received in-house by July 31, 2001.
Since results of field reviews indicated some structural problems, extensive reorganization of the document was outlined for better accessibility. Editing of the document was begun and continued through most of the second and third quarters of FY 2002. Cover design, layout, and production specifications were completed.
In connection with this project, the Project Leader attended a Conference on Large-Scale Assessment, at the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), held in Palm Desert, California, June 22-26, 2002. A total of 12 sessions at the conference were devoted to discussion of states' implementation of computer-based testing. Important statistics on this trend were gathered at the conference: More than 12 states or individual school systems have piloted or implemented a computerized version of their exams.
The Project Leader and project advisor, Larry Skutchan, attended several meetings of the Universal Design for Learning Workgroup of the Kentucky Department of Education's Exceptional Children's Services. Both Larry and Barbara collaborated with the Kentucky group to ensure accessibility for the upcoming trial of Kentucky's Online Assessment Test, CATS Online, in Fall 2002.
Work During FY 2003: The Project Leader and project editor presented a poster session on Test Access at the APH annual meeting, October 2003. In the new year, the Project Leader and James Allan, lead project consultant, made a poster presentation at the Association of Test Publisher's (ATP) Conference on Technology in Testing, Amelia Island, Florida, February 24-26, 2003. Response to the information was excellent.
With passage of No Child Left Behind, the decision was made to offer Test Access: Guidelines for Computer Administered Testing as a free download on the APH web site. Last edits were completed in March 2003 and a final check of electronic citations and links was done just prior to going to press. An accessible HTML file was formatted first and placed on the web site in April, with a braille-ready version following in May, and a printable PDF file posted in June. Finally, Larry Skutchan's technical group worked with the APH recording studio to create a DAISY digital talking book format. Go to the following URL to download the document: http://www.aph.org/tc/index.html.
(Continuing)
Purpose:
To determine the needs of the field with regard to testing and assessing students who are blind or visually impaired.
Project Staff:
Barbara W. Henderson, Project Leader
Debbie Willis, Project Advisor
Carol Roderick, Project Assistant
Work During FY 2003: The Project Leader discussed results of a short survey completed by the Deafblind Focus group with Sandi Baker, APH Field Services Representative, and Tristan Pierce, Multiple Disabilities Project Leader. Acting as a team, they researched currently available training videos and DVDs for possible sale through the APH Catalog.
The Project Leader collaborated with Tina Tucker at the National Foundation for the Blind (NFB) on Adult Assessment Issues. As a new member of the Bridging the Gap training group, Barbara provided workshop materials on adult assessment tools available in accessible formats for the National Association for Adults with Special Learning Needs (NAASLN) Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, the Project Leader networked with Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) staff on needs of adult ESL learners with visual impairments and large print guidelines.
Work Planned for FY 2004: The Project Leader will facilitate a workshop on Challenges and Solutions in Assessment of Adult Students at the Bridging the Gap Leadership Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, October 31-November 1, 2003.
A series of training sessions for test administrators will be kicked off at APH Annual Meeting 2003. Carol Allman, Ph.D. and Barbara Henderson will present a product training workshop on Using Brigance Green Materials. Some short training videos will be produced to accompany these assessment training workshops.
Finally, additional online assessment surveys will be posted on the APH web site in order to get a fresh perspective on the current needs of Visual Impairment professionals.
(New)
Purpose:
To make widely used Psychoeducational Assessment materials available in braille.
Project Staff:
Barbara W. Henderson, Project Leader/Editor
Lynne Jaffe, Ph.D., Project Consultant
Carol Anne Evans, M.Ed., Project Consultant
Monica Coffey, Project Assistant-Editor
Background: The Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ-III) Tests of Achievement are widely known and used to assess academic strengths and weaknesses in children and adults. Practitioners in the field of visual impairment have long expressed their desire to see APH do an adaptation of WJ-III for the braille reader. Identified by focus groups and in assessment surveys as one of the top three needs alongside Brigance Green (CIBS-R) and Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT), WJ-III was brought forward as a project in 2001 in preparation for publication of the 2001 revision. Permission of the Riverside Publishing was sought and two expert consultants were hired: Lynne Jaffe, Ph.D., Learning Disabilities Specialist, Technical Assistance to Schools Assessment Team, Arizona Schools for the Deaf and Blind and Carol Anne Evans, M.Ed., School Psychologist, Davis School District, Farmington, Utah.
Work During FY 2003: The Project Leader and the consultants met in early FY 2003 to plan the project timeline. Editing of the standard battery was all but completed during the weekend meeting. Editing of the extended battery was completed in the following two months. Work was outlined for the test administrator's manual. A project assistant-editor was assigned and work was begun on the markups for braille transcription.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Work on the test administrator's manual will continue. Completion of product specifications will move the project toward production of a product prototype in Winter 2004 with field testing to follow.
Ralph E. Bartley Director
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau
(Ongoing)
Purpose:
To develop adult life products and services that are affordable, user-friendly, consumer driven and that address the diverse needs of the blind and visually impaired population.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Carol Roderick, Project Assistant
Background: Product development in the area of Adult Life was initiated at APH in the summer of 1998. The first products derived specifically from this effort were made available during FY 1999. Product research, along with consumer and professional networking have continued to characterize the development of products for adults.
Work During FY 2003: Information about APH's available adult life products was presented to the rehabilitation and consumer communities. The 2002 conference of the Mid-America Conference of Rehabilitation Teachers and the Association of Southeastern Rehabilitation Teachers was hosted by APH in Louisville on November 14-16. At this conference, approximately forty rehabilitation teachers, orientation and mobility specialists, and other interested professionals learned about adult life products and applications of other APH products and services to the needs of blind and visually impaired adults. APH products and services useful to visually impaired senior citizens were highlighted in a presentation by the Adult Life Project Leader at the 2003 Joint Conference of the National Council on the Aging and the American Society on Aging held on March 13-16 in Chicago, Illinois. The Project Leader disseminated information about APH products and research and developed contacts with potential collaborators and consultants at the Vision Loss in the 21st Century Symposium sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind and the Foundation for the Junior Blind held February 19-21 in Beverly Hills, California and at the Conference of the National Association for Adults with Special Learning Needs held March 15-18 in Columbus, Ohio.
Product concepts derived from consumer and professional focus groups were explored and refined. Feasibility and design research was initiated on product concepts identified as important by Orientation and Mobility and Adult Consumer focus groups. Two on-line surveys were conducted to evaluate and refine product concepts proposed by professionals. Several products important to the field were brought through field review, revision, and production phases.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Investigation and development of new products for adults will continue. The Project Leader will continue to seek input from the field by networking with APH Ex Officio Trustees and consumer and professional groups. Focus groups will be conducted as needed.
(Continued)
Purpose:
To provide a braille monthly calendar and appointment-keeping system that is small, durable, and easy-to-use with a slate and stylus or a braillewriter.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Fred Gissoni, Project Advisor
Frank Hayden, Project Assistant
David McGee, Project Assistant
Bisig Impact Group, Graphic Design
Background: At this time, a braille calendar/planner that is attractive, durable, and easy-to-use with a braillewriter or a slate and stylus is not available. Although many blind persons use electronic note takers or digital recorders to store appointment information, such devices are often prohibitively expensive and information is not available when batteries die.
Many blind consumers and professionals in the field have expressed the need for a hard-copy appointment book with a set of specific features that are incorporated into the Braille DateBook. The padded vinyl binder has a closure to protect planner pages, pockets to hold a slate and stylus, and sturdy rings to hold 4" by 6" braille sheets. Other materials include one year of monthly calendar pages, braille filler paper, and tabs for dividing the binder into customizable sections. The monthly calendar pages are tabbed so that the appointment pages can be stored behind the appropriate month and easily located by reading the month abbreviation on the tab. Braille and print guide books describe how to use these materials to create appointment books, planners, address books, homework assignment books, family events calendars, and combinations of these.
Work During FY 2003: An early failure in the binder closure has been corrected by the binder manufacturers for the 50 prototype binders. Calendars, tab sheets, and filler paper were produced for 50 kits.
Forty-five Braille DateBooks and evaluation materials were sent to 37 adults and six teachers (for eight students) in 26 states and the District of Columbia. Completed materials were received from 29 adults and three teachers for three students from 20 states and the District of Columbia.
Field review results indicated that the planner system was very effective; reviewers reported that it was easy to locate appointment pages behind calendar month tabs and to find addresses and other information in customized tab sections. Reviewers reported that the material used in the stylus attachment and binder closure came off of the binder and that the slate pocket and small storage pocket were too tight. As a result of field reviews, the closure material was sewn to the binder cover, a stylus pocket was used instead of the former attachment, the slate pocket was made wider, and the small storage pocket was eliminated. Specifications were developed, tooling was completed, and a production schedule was established.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Production is expected to be complete and the Braille DateBook is expected to be available for purchase near the beginning of FY 2004.
(Continued)
Purpose:
The Financial Record Keeper offers adults with low vision a system for storing and easily locating personal financial information.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Frank Hayden, Manufacturing Specialist
David McGee, Manufacturing Specialist
Bisig Impact Group, Graphic Design
Tessa Wright, Project Assistant
Ann Travis, Project Assistant
Background: This product is part of the EZ Track (formerly MasterPlan) series of low vision organizational tools. Consumers and professionals responded very favorably to the EZ Track series and requested that a tool for organizing and accessing financial information be included in the series. Prototype development, field review, and revisions based on field review findings have been completed.
Work During FY 2003: Final copy editing, graphic design changes, specification development, and new graphic layouts were completed. Production of Financial Record Keeper pages was completed.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Production of the product guidebook is expected to be completed and the product is anticipated to be available for sale early in FY 2004.
(Discontinued)
Purpose:
To develop a product to help persons with visual impairments locate lost objects, re-locate landmarks, and enhance sound localization skills.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Frank Hayden, Manufacturing Specialist
James Robinson, Technical Assistant
Background: Persons who are blind or visually impaired cannot scan the environment to locate lost objects or landmarks. When a frequently used object - such as a key, handbag, or backpack - becomes lost, time and energy are required to relocate the item. When a blind person needs to relocate their chair in a crowded meeting room or restaurant, sighted assistance is frequently required. Consumers at a focus group conducted during the 2002 National Federation of the Blind Convention in Louisville, Kentucky expressed a need for a product that would help them locate lost objects and landmarks.
Some persons with visual impairments use wireless door chimes or personal pagers as object locators. A transmitter, triggered by a button push, sends a signal that causes the receiver unit to chime. If the receiver is attached to a frequently used object or left at the point to which a person wishes to return, the tone can guide the person to the desired location. During FY 2002, when development of this product began, the available devices allowed one transmitter to trigger only one receiver. Consequently, a person could not use such devices to find more than one object at a time.
The Find It Object Locator utilized design principles characteristic of wireless door chimes or personal pagers. However, its transmitter had the capacity to independently trigger one of several receivers so that more than one object or location could be found. During FY 2002, initial prototype features were explored and functional specifications were developed.
Work During FY 2003: The project's technical assistant developed several early prototype models and design plans for complete prototype were initiated. Early in FY 2003, a new product featuring a single transmitter and multiple, selectable receivers appeared in the general market place. Examination and review of this product demonstrated that it could be used to locate multiple objects. Because a main stream company was producing a product with much of the functionality proposed for the Find It Object Locator, the development of this product by APH was abandoned.
Work Planned for FY 2004: This product has been dropped from development because a similar product appeared in the main stream market place. No further work on this product is anticipated.
(Continued)
Purpose:
To provide adults who have lost vision, information about how to identify objects and materials in their environment, particularly household items, and a tool kit to assist in labeling.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Lisa-Anne Mowerson, Project Consultant
Background: An Independent Living Specialist in Kentucky suggested that APH create a set of large print labels for canned foods and pantry items. Input from a focus group of rehabilitation teachers led to the expansion of this product to include a consumer-oriented book that will provide guidance in organizational techniques as well as labeling. A labeling tool kit will also be developed to accompany the book. These materials will help visually impaired adults who are unable to access rehabilitation teaching services to understand and apply organizational and labeling principles. Teachers can also use these materials with students whom they see infrequently.
Work During FY 2003: Ms. Mowerson, project consultant, has completed a first draft of the Labeling Book content. Adult learning strategies utilized in the book are being reviewed and expanded by Ms. Mowerson and the Project Leader. Second drafts of book chapters that incorporate case study and directive learning strategies have been developed. Investigation of materials to be included in a Labeling Tool Kit has been undertaken.
Work Planned for FY 2004: The writing, field review, and revision of the Labeling Book prototype and accompanying Tool Kit will be completed.
(Continued)
Purpose:
To provide a Windows-based bank account management software package that will be easily accessible to blind and visually impaired persons.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Larry Skutchan, Project Advisor
Rob Meredith, Programmer
Bisig Impact Group, Graphic Design
Background: Keeping bank account records on a computer provides a reliable method of maintaining check registers and account balances. However, main stream bank account management software presents some access obstacles to experienced visually impaired computer users and is not accessible to persons without specialized training and expensive access software. Money Talks is designed to perform the full range of account management functions needed by blind and visually impaired persons. It will be fully accessible, with speech and large print output built into the program itself. This program is also designed to be intuitive and user-friendly for persons with little or no computer experience.
Work During FY 2003: Results of extensive research on formats and standards for personal and business checks and on printers that support the use of small media indicate that it is now possible to fill in fields on checks from a personal check book electronically. Money Talks will support the ability to fill in information on personal checks. This feature will enable blind persons to write checks independently.
Artwork for the product has been located. Plans for the look and functionality of the opening screen have been made.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Development of remaining program features, completion of documentation, field review, and final revisions are anticipated. Quota approval will be sought.
(Continued)
Purpose:
To develop an instructional curriculum that will help adults who are blind or visually impaired understand and integrate nonverbal communication skills into their daily lives.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Karen McCulloh, Project Consultant
Background: The ability to communicate nonverbally is an essential skill for successful functioning in occupational and interpersonal situations. Because learning about and producing nonverbal communication is derived from visual modeling and is based on availability of visual information, persons with visual impairments may experience difficulties in both understanding the meaning of nonverbal behavior and producing understandable nonverbal communications. They may need specific educational experiences to help them understand what is going on around them and to develop positive methods of nonverbal communication.
This project will result in a curriculum that will help people who are visually impaired learn how to integrate nonverbal communication skills into their daily interactions. Topics such as gestures, posture, social distance, appearance, voice intonations, and facial expressions will be covered. This curriculum will help blind or visually impaired individuals become more successful within interpersonal communication situations such as job interviews, professional meetings, advocacy situations, and everyday social interactions.
Work During FY 2003: Ms. McCulloh proposed an outline of materials and workshops for use in rehabilitation and education settings. Communications with Ms. McCulloh have continued and several contract issues have been resolved.
Work Planned for FY 2004: The development of an effective consulting contract and creation of initial draft of text are anticipated.
(New)
Purpose:
To provide orientation and mobility specialists with an interactive
CD-ROM tool to create individualized Orientation & Mobility (O&M) progress booklets for a student and his/her family.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Fabiana Perla, Project Consultant
Betsy O'Donnell, Project Consultant
Brian Dougherty, Graphic Designer
Larry Skutchan, Software Engineer
John Hedges, Programmer
Background: In order for a student with visual impairments to integrate orientation and mobility skills into his/her daily life, the student must use these skills in a variety of home and school settings. The more information families have about their child's orientation and mobility needs and about the skills that their child is currently learning, the more they can encourage and support their child's use of orientation and mobility skills at home and in the community. Orientation and mobility specialists attempt to establish and maintain communication with their students' families. However, large case loads and busy family schedules do not allow time for individualized communication about a number of essential topics. Many orientation and mobility specialists and the families they serve could benefit from an easy-to-use, standardized method of communication about a child's orientation and mobility skills and needs.
Betsy O'Donnell and Fabiana Perla, experienced orientation and mobility specialists, developed and field tested an Orientation and Mobility Family Booklet. This booklet provided information about the purpose of orientation and mobility and the types of skills taught. It also included sections to be customized according to the child's eye condition, the functional implications of this condition, the orientation and mobility skills that the child is learning, and the child's current level of mastery of these skills. Additional sections explained the important role of the family in utilizing teachable moments and participating in various types of games and activities to enhance development of particular skills.
Ms. O'Donnell and Ms. Perla submitted their booklet and a user's guide for Orientation and Mobility Specialists to the American Printing House for the Blind for consideration as a potential product. After discussions with APH staff, it was decided to produce a software package on CD-ROM that would guide an orientation and mobility specialist through the process of creating a book for a particular student and her/his family.
The CD-ROM will include information that an instructor can choose to match a particular student's situation. An instructor will be able to select eye conditions and easy-to-understand definitions from a pull-down list. Orientation and mobility activities to be done with family members at home will also be selectable according to the age or developmental level of the child and the type of environment involved. A Spanish version of these materials will also be provided on the CD.
Work During FY 2003: Contracts were developed and finalized with Ms. O'Donnell and Ms. Perla. First drafts of screen layouts for the CD-ROM were submitted by these consultants. Initial meetings with project staff indicated that software could fulfill the following set of desired criteria: data bases of selectable eye condition definitions and orientation and mobility activities could be included; appropriate links between booklet sections, directions for section completion, and examples of completed sections could be created; a copy of a particular student's book could be saved and updated at a later time; and final copies of the book could be produced in braille, large print, or standard print.
Work Planned for FY 2004: The screen-by-screen outline of the book and text for eye condition definitions and orientation and mobility family activities will be developed. Artwork will be selected and graphics layout will be completed. Programming will begin. It is anticipated that prototype development will be completed and that field testing will be initiated. Quota approval will be sought.
(Continued)
Purpose:
To provide visually impaired parents with support and information about parenting techniques that have been effective for other visually impaired parents.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Janet Ingber, Project Consultant
Kevin E O'Connor, Project Consultant
Deborah Kendrick, Project Consultant
Ann Travis, Project Assistant
Background: Janet Ingber, a blind mother, submitted a draft outline and three chapters of a parenting book based on interviews with seventeen effective parents who were visually impaired. Research conducted at APH supported Janet's finding that very little information was available for blind parents regarding issues related to visual impairment and parenting. The need for an informational parenting book was further assessed through a survey of professionals in the field of visual impairment and blindness. Survey results indicated that: training was not available for professionals in the area of parenting and visual impairment; there were a significant number of blind parents who could have benefited from information related to blindness and parenting; and a self-help informational book could maximally benefit many such parents or parents-to-be. Of particular concern among survey respondents was the need for support and information to
counteract the negative stereotypes about blindness such as the belief that persons with visual impairments could not be effective parents.
To meet the need for accurate information and support for parents with visual impairments, the development of an expanded version of Janet Ingber's Parenting Book has been undertaken. Information provided in the book will be obtained from telephone interviews with effective parents with visual impairments.
It has been determined that Ms. Ingber will conduct telephone interviews with approximately 60 parents, transcribe interview data into a data base, and write the Parenting Book based on results of parent interviews. Kevin O'Connor, a parenting expert, will read book drafts and suggest any revisions necessary to ensure that the book reflects current promising practices in the parenting field. Deborah Kendrick, author and journalist, will suggest revisions based on her expert knowledge of the field of visual impairment and parenting. In accord with this project plan, drafts of the following documents have been developed: a Parenting Project Description pamphlet, a Participant Consent Form, a Parent Information Questionnaire, and the Telephone Interview Script.
Work During FY 2003: A Microsoft Access database was developed to record, store, and manipulate information to be obtained from questionnaires and phone interviews. Parent volunteers were recruited through APH Ex Officio Trustees, the APH monthly newsletter, e-mail list announcements, contacts with staff and/or relevant committees of the American Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind, and word of mouth. To participate in this project, parents must have raised at least one child to age four when the parent was legally blind. They also have been selected because of their interest in and commitment to parenting and because of their desire to share what they have learned with other parents. Attempts have been made to acquire a sample that is regionally representative and in which two-thirds of the parents have at least one child still living at home. Approximately 85 parents have been contacted by telephone. Fifty-five have returned the Parenting Information Questionnaire and a signed Consent Form.
Work Planned for FY 2004: After final revisions of the Access data base are completed, material from Parenting Information Questionnaires will be entered and telephone interviews with parents will be completed. Interview data will be entered into the data base and first draft writing of book chapters will begin.
(New)
Purpose:
To develop teaching materials and printing templates to assist persons who are blind to learn to print legible capital letters according to positions of the braille dots in a cell.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Monica Vaught, Project Co-leader
Linda Ray, Project Consultant
Frank Hayden, Manufacturing Specialist
Tom Poppe, Model Maker
Bernadette Mudd, Graphic Designer
Background: Although computers increasingly are being used as a means of written communication on the job and in social and recreational life, production of legible written communication still remains an essential skill. Jotting notes to colleagues, writing a quick comment on a page of printed material, leaving a note on the refrigerator for a family member, and filling in information on a check while shopping are only a few of the tasks that are accomplished more easily with a pen than with a computer.
Some congenitally blind persons have developed legible script and/or print styles. However, many adults who did not have functional vision during primary and elementary grades have not learned to write legible signatures and do not have the ability to produce print or script letters that sighted persons can read.
Ms. Linda Ray, a teacher of the visually impaired, submitted one print teaching method for consideration. With this method, students are taught to shape block print capital letters by connecting dot positions within a braille cell for each letter. Additionally, students are taught to print within a template of lines of rectangular openings. By using this template, cell boundaries can be detected when printing, print remains constant in size, and characters do not drift into one another.
Work During FY 2003: Early research indicated that, though braille dot positions had been used to teach both printing and script writing throughout the blindness field, teaching curricula and materials had been developed primarily for script and not for print. Print samples from persons using Ms. Ray's print teaching method and from persons who had been taught to print using a variation on this method were examined. Preliminary data indicated that, with several significant exceptions, the connecting dots method of print teaching in combination with a printing template resulted in very readable block print. However, when printed with this method, several letters were indistinguishable or ambiguous. It was deemed desirable to develop a system that could teach curves in "Bs" and "Os" so that they could be distinguished from "8s" and "Ds" respectively. Based on results of initial print samples, it was also deemed necessary to develop additional teaching materials for some letters with diagonal lines. Tracing boards were developed to help students acquire muscle memory for printing some curved and diagonal characters. Preliminary findings suggested that an alternative process might produce a more effective tracing board.
Printing templates were constructed and tested for two cell sizes. A template of lines containing large cells was developed for beginners and a template containing lines of small cells was developed for advanced students. Cell sizes were adjusted as a result of feedback from students and teachers who used these materials.
Work Planned for FY 2004: More effective tracing boards for some curved and diagonal letters will be constructed. Teacher and student guidebooks will be written. Field review and revisions are expected to be completed. Quota approval will be sought.
(New)
Purpose:
To produce an up-to-date, user-friendly instruction book for hand and machine sewing, using techniques that can be mastered by blind students with the help of a rehabilitation teacher or on their own.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Shireen Irvine Perry, Project Consultant
Background: Mike Cole, Administrator of the Orientation Center for the Blind in Albany, California and Ex Officio Trustee of the American Printing House for the Blind, noted that APH's only instructional book for sewing was outdated. He indicated that the sewing instructor at the Orientation Center could provide material for an up-to-date book that could be appropriate for use by visually impaired consumers in center-based and home-based rehabilitation programs or without rehabilitation teacher support.
Work During FY 2003: Preliminary discussions of book content were initiated with the project consultant, a chapter outline was proposed, and contract negotiations began.
Work Planned for FY 2004: After a contract has been developed and signed, the consultant will produce a first draft of the book. Initial edits will be completed and field review sites and reviewers will be located.
(New)
Purpose:
To develop a small, user-friendly, and reasonably sophisticated Electronic Mobility Aid that will provide a blind student with information about obstacles, environmental features, and landmarks that are not as easily discernable when using the long white cane alone.
Project Staff:
Mary T. (Terrie) Terlau, Project Leader
Bernadette Mudd, Graphic Designer
Background: On June 23-25 of 2002, a focus group comprised of nine orientation and mobility specialists from eight states met at the American Printing House for the Blind to delineate product needs in the Orientation & Mobility (O&M) field and to derive a list of product concepts that APH might develop to meet these needs. High on the list of product concepts was an Electronic Mobility Aid that was small and user-friendly and that could introduce students from a young age to the benefits of acquiring environmental information that is not available with a cane alone.
Work During FY 2003: Desirable features in an Electronic Mobility Aid have been delineated. On-the-market Electronic Mobility Aids have been obtained and evaluated through on-line surveys, telephone interviews with experts, examination of videotapes of travelers using such aids, and hands-on examination by local orientation and mobility specialists and blind travelers. Discussions with product developer/distributors indicated that modifications might be possible in order to develop a product that would contain features desirable in an APH student electronic mobility aid.
Work Planned for FY 2004: Evaluations of available aids will be completed and a decision wil