The Third Annual Technology Olympics
What: The Technology Olympics will provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise, and improve their skills using adaptive equipment and technology. In addition, it is hoped that this competition will raise students’ motivation level to use their technology and provide opportunities to make new friends and improve self-esteem.

When: October 2012

Where: Edventure in Columbia South Carolina (211 Gervais Street  Columbia, SC 29201)

For more information contact Clay Jeffcoat at cjeffcoat@scsdb.org or 803-896-9714.

As we get more information, we will be updating this post, so be sure to bookmark this page for later reference.

Above is the video from last year’s Technology Olympics. You can also view the Technology Olympics 2011 pictures on our Flickr page.

Some people are born with a visual impairment or acquire it before they reach driving age.  These people will never have had the experience of driving and the independence driving affords. The vast majority of adults who develop a visual impairment and become nondrivers will have driven for 20, 30, 40 or 50 or more years before they have to give up the car keys because of their visual impairment. Keep in mind that there are other reasons people don’t drive, such as uncontrollable seizures, anxiety, limited financial resources, or a desire to not impact the environment.

Families

Families of children who have not yet reached driving age can help their child prepare to be a nondriver starting during preschool. Teens have a lot to learn in order to be prepared to enter the adult world as nondrivers. Many of the skills they need to acquire are ones that adults who have been drivers will need to develop when it comes time for them to give up the car keys.

Whether you’re the family member of a current or future nondriver or a nondriver yourself, you’ll find that with planning, organization, and self advocacy, nondrivers can get to the places they want to go when they want to get there.

Most children enjoy going to places such as the park, the beach, to friends’ houses, and the mall. When children are not yet driving age they most often travel to destinations with family members. Parents or others plan the route, set the schedule, and locate landmarks during travel. Children typically take a passive role. When a child has a visual impairment it is important to involve him or her in travel from an early age. Sighted children are keen observers, but children with low vision or blindness may not understand the complexities of travel. They may not observe all the naturally occurring things that happen along the way as they are taken from place to place.

A sighted child can gaze out of the window from the back seat of the car and see other cars, traffic lights, businesses, and signage. Preschoolers recognize landmarks and will know when the family is approaching a favorite destination because they see the house with the big porch swing or the fast food restaurant on the corner. A child who is blind or has low vision misses out on this information. So during travel in the family car you can:

●      Describe what you are doing as you drive. (“We just passed a motorcycle.” “The traffic light turned yellow; I need to slow down and stop.”)

●      Describe businesses and homes along the route that you use as landmarks. ( “This is the corner of First Avenue and Main. I see the pet store at this corner.”)

●      Describe what other traffic is doing. (“The 3 cars in front of us have on their right turn signal so we’ll have to wait until they each turn onto Broad Street.”)

●      Involve your child in planning the route. (“We need to go to the grocery store now that we’re done at the park. Should I go down Silver Avenue or Red Rock Road to get to the grocery store?)

Children who are visually impaired need information related to travel when you’re out and about in the community. For example, you can explain numbering systems that you use to find buildings and also numbering systems within buildings. Have your child look at the directory in the office building (or read it to her if she can’t see it or is not yet able to read) and find out what office number her appointment is in. Then give her assistance, if needed, to find the elevator or stairs and travel to the correct floor. Together the two of you can look for the office number at each door. This is a great opportunity for your child to practice her independence and literacy skills.

●      Have her ask for assistance if she is having trouble locating the office she needs.  Learning how to interact with the public, and how to ask appropriate questions is important for nondrivers.

●      Have her use her monocular (telescope) to locate the numbers at each door.  A monocular is a tool used by some individuals who have low vision.  Think of it as a pair of binoculars, but only one, hence “mono.”  A monocular is a low vision device that needs to be prescribed by an eye care specialist so that the individual has one of the correct power (i.e., strength).

●      Build her problem solving skills to handle the unexpected.  For example, some buildings have odd numbered offices on one side of the building and even numbered offices on the other.  If she is looking for Room 412 she’ll need to find out where the fourth floor is and then on that floor where the even numbered rooms are located.

You and your family probably travel to some of the same places frequently such as the grocery store, park, or mall. When in a familiar place allow your child to be the “leader” and show you and other family members the way to a certain aisle in the grocery store, piece of playground equipment in the park, or favorite store in the mall. When your child is the “leader” she’ll need to use her vision, if present, and other senses to gather information to locate the specific destination. As a nondriver she’ll be traveling in familiar and unfamiliar areas. Practice at not always being taken someplace is an important thing to have occur when she is young.

Many families do not take public transportation because they own a car. If your child is going to be a nondriver he or she needs to learn about public transportation from a young age.  Consider having one day a month where your family uses public transportation to travel to a place your child enjoys. You might be surprised at how easy and cost effective it can be to travel using public transportation. Also consider planning some family outings where your family uses a taxi. Regardless of what mode of transportation you are using, involve your child in travel. Ways you can do this include:

●      Have your child call the bus, train, or taxi company to get information or make a reservation. In many cases your child could also use the Internet to get this information.

●      Give your child the responsibility of paying for travel. If using a taxi, teach your child about the concept of giving a tip.

●      Gaining confidence in talking with others during travel is an important skill.  Have your child ask questions (“Can you tell me when we reach Grant Road?”) or give information (“We are going to 129 E. Seventh Street.”).

●      Develop a family transportation budget and have your child help plan how to spend the funds.  For example, you can allocate $40 for a family outing and have your child determine how much bus fare will be for the family, how much admission to the museum will be, and how much will be available for an afternoon snack.

Your child may or may not be receiving orientation and mobility (O&M) instruction from a trained professional. O&M has two parts–orientation, which is the knowledge of where you are in space, and mobility, which is knowing how to travel safely from place to place.  If your child is receiving O&M instruction, coordinate your effort with those of the O&M instructor. If your child is not receiving this service, speak with other members of the educational team about a referral for an O&M evaluation. As your child gets older and his or her needs change it will be necessary to continually re-evaluate the appropriateness of O&M instruction.

Teens

Teens are busy people who are often on the go with their friends. Go down the hallway of any high school and listen in on conversations and you’re bound to hear them talking about getting their driver’s license, saving money to buy a car, and scheming how to borrow the family car Friday night so they can go out with their friends. For youth with visual impairments the teenage years can be a challenge because it seems like everyone is driving and they are not. It is important for you to find ways to help your teen emotionally through this time while at the same time you help him build his skills as a nondriver.

Milestones

Driving is a milestone, a sign that one has reached adulthood. If a teen is a nondriver he needs to have other milestones that let him know he is reaching adulthood. Talk with your teen about things he is doing now that are things that adults do, such as having a checking account, staying home alone over night, attending a summer program away from home, having a volunteer or paid job, and taking responsibility for buying and cleaning his own clothing. Set goals for accomplishing other milestones.

Planning for the Future

Your child must plan for how he’ll meet his transportation needs as an adult.  It’s not realistic to think that a family member, roommate, or spouse is going to take him everywhere he’ll need and want to go. Now is a great time to begin to plan for and use different forms of transportation. Taking a taxi, bartering with a friend for a ride, or walking are ways that he can get from place to place. If there is public transportation in your area make sure he has the skills to use it. Consulting with an orientation and mobility (O&M) specialist to design goals for your child’s travel is essential.

Paying for Transportation

Parents may help teens who are drivers buy their first car. They may pay for insurance or gas for their teen who is just starting out on the road, so to speak.  But, what about a child who is going to be a nondriver?  It is rare to hear of a parent taking the same amount of money they’d use to pay for a sighted teen’s car and putting that into a transportation fund for their child who is going to be a nondriver.   If you would have helped with some car-related expense for your child if he was going to be a driver, consider this option.  You and your child could agree to the things he is allowed to use the money for each month.  These might include paying friends gas money for rides, taking taxis, buying a monthly transit pass or paying you to drive him places.  Having to budget for his transportation now will be valuable as he moves into adulthood.

Safety

Safety is important for any teen. For a teen who is visually impaired there is a higher level of vulnerability. Therefore, consider helping your teen learn to be safe.  He might enroll in a self-defense course so he’ll know what to do if someone threatens him.  Most teens have cell phones so be sure he has a plan for who he’ll call if he isn’t feeling safe. If the threat is imminent he’ll obviously want to call the police, but if he’s walking and just isn’t comfortable in the location, the weather has suddenly changed, or his cane breaks, he should have someone in mind who he’ll call for assistance. It will always be important for him to know his exact location so if he does need to ask for assistance he can direct someone to his location.

Tools for Travel

There are a variety of tools that can assist a teen with a visual impairment as he travels. As mentioned in the safety section a cell phone provides safety but it also can provide information. Many cell phones have GPS built into them so using this to help locate destinations is a great idea. If a teen has low vision he might use a magnifying glass to enable to him to see a bus schedule. He might also use a monocular, a small handheld telescope, to see things at a distance such as the number on an office building or a street sign. Braille readers may have a portable note taking device (similar to an iPhone, Droid, or other personal assistant) that is a small computer he can access via braille or regular (QWERTY) keyboard during travel. Having the necessary tools to maximize independence is important whether we are talking travel or other areas of your child’s life.

Where He Will Live When He Leaves Home

Some teens remain at home when they graduate high school. The vast majority do leave home to attend college, move in with friends, or begin a job in a new community. Your teen will need skills in order to research where he wants to live in the community or on the college campus. Talk about the things he’ll want to have easy access to.

The year after Joel graduated high school he was ready to move out of his dad’s house.  From his own apartment Joel wanted to be able to easily get to the grocery store, gym, and his job at a local hospital. His second level of wants was to be able to get to a coffee shop and the homes of a couple of his friends from high school. Joel had learned some of the bus routes in his community while taking O&M in high school. He got out his schedule book of the bus routes in his community and looked for ones that went to the hospital. Once he identified the three bus routes he asked a friend to drive him along the routes and help him look for grocery stores and gyms. It took some looking and planning but Joel was able to find an apartment where he could have a 10-minute bus ride to work, a 10-minute walk to the grocery store, and a workout room in the apartment complex. If he chose he could join a gym that was about a 15-minute bus ride from the hospital.

Like Joel, with planning and perseverance your child can become an independent nondriver. It’s never too early for him to start practicing the skills he’ll need to have mastered to manage life on his own without a car.  If you’re not sure how best to support him in developing his nondriving skills, talk with an O&M specialist about his receiving instruction in how to travel safely on his own.

Adults Who Have Been Drivers

Some adults have driven for 20, 30, 40 or more years and then experience vision loss.  They find themselves no longer in the driver’s seat and this is a difficult adjustment for sure. Though nondriving may feel like it is the end of the world to some, it is another chapter in one’s life requiring some adaptation. There are very active and happy adult nondrivers all over the country. They use a variety of skills and transportation options to get to the places that they need and want to go.

Speak Up

Often one of the hardest things for adults, as it can be for teens, is telling others what you need as a nondriver. No one can read your mind to know if you need a ride to the store or would like to stop for ice cream on the way home from the doctor’s office. Having strong communication skills is a must as a nondriver. Recognize that not everyone is going to be able to do what you ask when you ask it, but they sure are not going to be able to help you if you don’t ask!

As a nondriver you’ll have to communicate with people in the community be it the bus driver, taxi dispatcher or salesperson. Most will not have experience with people with visual impairment. Help them understand what you can and cannot see and what you need in that specific situation. For example, when calling for a taxi tell the dispatcher, “I am visually impaired and won’t see the taxi pull up to the doctor’s office. Can you tell the driver he’ll need to come into the office and ask for me by name.”

Learn About the Options in Your Community

Many communities have transportation options for those who don’t drive because they are elderly or disabled. Paratransit is a service that travels the same routes as public transit. Paratransit provides door-to-door services at a lower cost than taking a taxi. In many communities there are specific criteria for qualifying, an application process to use the service, and requirements for how rides are scheduled. Some churches, synagogues, or other organized religious groups will help with transportation for members who don’t drive. Often a note in a bulletin is a way to let others in the group know of your transportation needs. Some insurance companies or doctor’s offices will provide free or reduced-rate transportation to and from medical appointments.  There also may be a volunteer group in the community that is willing to assist with transportation or shopping.

Don’t Rule Out Taxis

Taxis are another transportation option available in many communities. You may be thinking that a taxi is very expensive. Consider for a moment the cost of operating a car for a month. You have a car payment, insurance, registration, maintenance, and gas. For most drivers that adds up to $500 to $1200 a month.  If a taxi costs $15 each way to go to the store and you do this once a week that is $120 for four round trips. Compared to the cost of driving your own car, a few trips in a taxi coupled with other methods of transportation can save you money!

Reciprocation is Key

Many people are not comfortable asking others for rides. They don’t want to be a burden. Think about things that you can do for others in exchange for transportation. Can you watch children or grandchildren, tutor, walk pets, water plants, make a meal, or do yard work in exchange for transportation? Some people buy tickets to events they want to go to such as theater or football and then give a ticket to a friend in exchange for transportation to and from the event. We each have something to offer others and it doesn’t have to be monetary. Think about your own strengths and interests and how you can use these as an avenue for exchanging them for transportation.

Where You Live Can Make a Difference

No one is saying you have to move when you become a nondriver, but some people do find that a move can increase their independence.  If you are thinking about moving consider what businesses or other things you would like to have close by. Perhaps it’s important to you to be able to get to your doctor’s office or favorite grocery store easily. If the community has public transportation give consideration to how close you’ll be to a stop. If you plan to do a lot of walking think about lighting in the area. Will you be able to see if the street is dark or the driveway you have to walk up is poorly lit?

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to nondriving. The most important thought you should have is that you can do this! There is no denying that there will be times when you are frustrated at not being able to grab the car keys and go where you want to go when you want to go, but you’ll still be able to get to almost every place you want. It just may take you some extra work to get there!

When you’re listening to music on your iPod you might not immediately think about accessibility, but this little device has a few accessibility features that can make it more useful for anyone.

Apple has created screen reading software called “Voice Over” that not only works on Mac computers but also on iPods. This feature allows menus, song titles, and iPod actions to be read aloud to you. This is great for individuals with low or no vision.

Before we dive into making your iPod accessible, we should note that this only works on iPod Nanos, Shuffles, and Classics manufactured in the past 2 or 3 years. (You can check Apple’s website on VoiceOver to figure out if your device is compatible.)

Step 1: Let’s get started by opening iTunes (the software used to manage your music and iPod features) on your desktop or laptop computer.

Step 2: Navigate to and select your device in the left-hand column. This will open a new screen that lets you enable settings on your device.

Step 3: Select the Summary tab at the top of the window and scroll down to the Options list.

Step 4: Near the end of the options list in a separate list labeled “Voice Feedback,” check the box labeled “Enable Voice Over.”

Step 5: In addition to just checking the “Enable Voice Over” option, you can also set the language. Apple offers a myriad of language choices, so scroll through the list and select the appropriate one. iTunes will default to the computer’s selected language.

Step 6: Once you have configured the options, click the save button in the lower right-hand corner of the window.

Step 7: After syncing your device, you will have the VoiceOver feature.

iTunes will search through the music stored on your device and create audio tags to go along with it. When this is enabled, you will be able to hear menu names, menu options, as well as song names.

If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, the Voice Over and accessibility features will be a little different. We will have an article on how to use the accessibility features on your iPhone or iPod touch a little later, but you can also learn more about the accessibility features of Voice Over by visiting Apple’s website.