All Things Tech from ILA

Guess what? It's back to School!

2011-09-12T22:44:00.001-04:00

The second week in September usually finds most (if not all) children between the ages of 5 and 18 back in school. Shopping for school supplies is completed for most people.
BUT ... some of you still have shopping to do! You probably have one or two things left on your shopping list ... those hard-to-find items that are absolutely must-haves!

As I sent two of my three daughters off to school, the list of supplies they needed seemed very specific and yet endless. Pencils, rulers, notebooks, glue, and tape was needed for the first day ... no matter what!
Low and behold there was an item or two that my wife and I just could not locate, or that the stores did not have available.

Well, check out the items that I found below for you. They are all available from Independent Living Aids

· Bold Line Writing Paper - 8.5" X 11" - 9/16" Item number 671999 This item is wonderful for those children and young adults who might have low vision but still want to provide the same work as others in their classes.

· Braille Tactile Map of USA with List of State Capitals, ILA Item 309201 -- This puzzle not only provides hours of fun and learning, it enables the individual who is blind to become a "Geographical genius!"

· Flat Fish Alphabet Set, ila item 126530
This item is great for those children who are not just yet ready for school, but are eager to learn.

· PenAgain (TM Ergonomic Pen, ila item 811202 This pen can be utilized by anyone, and will put the comfort of writing in to your hands.

· Moshi IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Talking Clock Radio, ila item 247523 The Moshi IVR Talking Clock radio gets you in the happiest of moods, and makes any day at school a great day!

White Canes: The History and How to Measure for Peak Performance

2011-09-06T12:18:00.001-04:00

In the current age of electronics, the most sophisticated products will never take the place of the White Cane. Originally developed and used in the early 1920's, the white cane has come to symbolize freedom, independence, and mobility for those who are totally blind. Adopted in 1931 by Lions Club International as a tool for individuals without sight, today the White Cane serves proudly as an instrument for navigation throughout the world.

A discussion on how to best measure a cane for mobility is usually the spark for an excellent debate. Here are a few ways to measure canes:

· Measurement from the Ribs

When I was first introduced to the cane as a youngster, I was taught by a mobility and orientation instructor how to use the cane and measure it for my use. For children, who are destined for an undetermined amount of growth, the cane is best measured from the bottom of the ribs to the ground. This measurement is also accounts for how long or short the stride might be.

Note: A fast walker might be inclined to use a cane that is longer than usual so as to not stumble while walking.

· Measurement from the Tip of the Nose

The other way of measuring a cane is used by those who opt to use the NFB straight cane. This method for measuring cane length is to measure it from the tip of the nose down to the ground. Most who use this method travel with a very long cane so the length of their stride may or may not impact the use of the cane.

· First Steps

Measuring your cane is vital to the success of using it correctly. You should always first consult with your state agency. They will provide you with an evaluation by a trained mobility and orientation instructor to identify your specific needs and patterns for travel. If you have not traveled with a cane before, venturing out on your own might not always be the safest way.

· The History of the White Cane

The white cane is not just a tool that is used to achieve independence; it is also a symbol of citizens who are blind in our society. To honor the many achievements of blind and visually impaired Americans and to recognize the white cane's significance in advancing independence, we observe October 15th of each year as “White Cane Safety Day." Today, the white cane works both as a tool for the blind and as a symbol. This has not always been the case.

Throughout history, the cane, staff, and stick existed as traveling aids for the blind and visually impaired. In biblical times, records show that a shepherd's staff was used as a tool for solitary travel. The blind used such tools to alert them to obstacles in their path. For centuries, the cane was used merely as a tool for travel. It was not until the twentieth century that the cane, as we know it today, was promoted for use by the blind as a symbol to alert others to the fact that an individual was blind.

This new role for the white cane had its origins in the decades between the two world wars, beginning in Europe and then spreading to North America. James Biggs of Bristol claimed to have invented the white cane in 1921. After an accident claimed his sight, the artist had to readjust to his environment. Feeling threatened by increased motor vehicle traffic around his home, Biggs decided to paint his walking stick white to make himself more visible to motorists. It was not until ten years later that the white cane established its presence in society. In February, 1931, Guilly d'Herbemont launched a scheme for a national white stick movement for blind people in France. The campaign was reported in British newspapers leading to a similar scheme throughout the United Kingdom. In May 1931 the BBC suggested in its radio broadcasts that blind individuals might be provided with a white stick which would become universally recognized as a symbol indicating that somebody was blind or visually impaired.

In North America the introduction of the white cane has been attributed to the Lion's Clubs International. In 1930, a Lion's Club member watched as a blind man attempted to make his way across a busy street using a black cane. With the realization that the black cane was barely visible to motorists, the Lion's Club decided to paint the cane white to increase its visibility to oncoming motorists. In 1931, the Lion's Club International began a national program promoting the use of white canes for persons who are blind Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, blind persons had walked with their canes held diagonally in a fixed position, and the role of the white cane took on a symbolic role as an identifier.

But when blind veterans of World War II returned to America, the form and the use of the white cane was further altered in an attempt to return veterans to participatory lifestyles at home. Doctor Richard Hoover developed the "long cane" or "Hoover" method of cane travel. These white canes are designed to be used as mobility devices and returned the cane to its original role as a tool for mobility, but maintained the symbolic role as an identifier of blind independence. During this period, the white cane began to make its way into government policy as a symbol for the blind.

National Recognition for the White Cane

On October 6, 1964, a joint resolution of the Congress, HR 753, was signed into law authorizing the President of The United States of America to proclaim October 15 of each year as "White Cane Safety Day." The resolution read, "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives that the President is hereby authorized to issue annually a proclamation designating October 15 as White Cane Safety Day and calling upon the people of the United States of America to observe such a day with appropriate ceremonies and activities." Within hours of passage of the congressional resolution, President Lyndon B. Johnson was the first President to proclaim October 15 as White Cane Safety Day.

On October 15, 2000, President Bill Clinton again reminded us of the history of the white cane as a tool and its purpose as a symbol of blindness: "With proper training, people using the white cane can enjoy greater mobility and safety by determining the location of curbs, steps, uneven pavement, and other physical obstacles in their path. The white cane has given them the freedom to travel independently to their schools and workplaces and to participate more fully in the life of their communities. It reminds us that the only barriers against people with disabilities are discriminatory attitudes and practices that our society has too often placed in their way. As we observe White Cane Safety Day, 2011 and beyond, let us recall the history of the white cane, its emergence as a tool and a symbol through history; a staff of independence. Let us also recall the events that have permitted us to celebrate October 15 as White Cane Safety Day.

So keep in mind that when you see people traveling with a white cane, individuals from all over the World will celebrate White Cane Safety Day on October 15.

Top 10 holiday gifts from ila

2010-12-03T13:37:00.001-05:00

Greetings to all-

The 2010-2011 ila Product catalog, Volume 1, Plain Text was recently released and hopefully by now, you have received your print copy. The excerpt shown below, from the catalog is being provided here on the blog for you to see the top ten gifts you can give someone you know and love this holiday season.
Pleasant reading and Happy Holidays from the ILA Techie.

The ila TOP 10 Products That Enable Your Active, Independent Life
Top 10 lists are an American tradition. They define the best-of-the-best. It’s in this spirit that we at ila want to share our own Top 10 products that enable your active, independent life. ila customers around the world helped determine our Top 10 products through their purchases and enthusiastic product reviews. We invite you to read and learn about these 10 very special products that enable your active, independent life …and enjoy the best-of-the-best.

#10 TALKING BIG BUTTON PHONE

There is something about a cordless telephone with extra-big buttons and amplified sound that gives you confidence. Take the receiver to any comfy-cozy place in your home or dial your best friend without squinting or asking for assistance. Best of all, you can converse easier than ever because incoming sound is amplified by 40dB, and each keypad button audibly repeats the letter and number when pushed. The telephone ringer is a real kick – 90dB of amplification that ensures you know the moment a friend calls.
ILA Item: 812307

#9 CAN-DO SUNLIGHT LAMPS

Let there be light! The best light is natural sunlight. Colors are more vivid and objects are clearly defined. Lamps that best reproduce this light give you superior lighting for reading and craft work. Our CAN-DO Sunlight lamps are stylishly contemporary and deliver light that is closest to natural sunlight. Reading material and hobby crafts are illuminated with brilliant clarity. Choose the model that best suits your needs.
ILA Item: 353827

#8 POCKETALKER ULTRL

Do you ever wish you could amplify just the sounds closest to you and reduce the background noise? Now you can! Improve your hearing and improve your life with the Pocketalker® Ultra. It features a lightweight, ergonomic design for portability and ease of use. A finger-tip volume control enables you to quickly adjust to your listening environment, whether your hearing loss is low frequency or high frequency sound, and the accessories jack accommodates a variety of earphone and headphone options. The Pocketalker® Ultra highlights the sounds closest to you. That’s a good thing.
ILA Item: 617736

#7 LINEAR BLUE SLC

Just because you wear a hearing aid doesn’t mean your conversational forecast can’t be sunny and clear with a good chance of laughter. Designed as an assistive listening device, the LINEAR Blue SLC delivers superior clarity during conversations using Bluetooth® wireless technology. The LINEAR Blue SLC enables you to take phone calls from your mobile phone just by pressing a big, easy-to-see button. No more fumbling with your cell phone and pushing miniscule buttons that you hit three at a time! Enjoy clear conversations and superior audio performance while watching TV, using the computer, and listening to the radio. The device supports 3-way calling so family members and friends can converse your independence with the LINEAR Blue SLC.
ILA Item: 617400

#6 SeeTV 2X GLASSES

Today, people with vision impairment have a lot of options to enable their active, independent lives. Among the best is the SeeTV 2X aspheric-lens binocular glasses. While full-size TV and computer magnifiers are perfect for many situations, other occasions require magnification that you can take on the road. If you prefer to wear your magnification aid – or to carry it with you – the answer is SeeTV glasses. Designed especially to watch TV, movies, the theater, and sporting events, SeeTV glasses are easy-to-fit, hands-free, binocular, and telescopic. They’re perfect for viewing any object from 10 feet to infinity. If you want to see what inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write of purple mountain majesties in America the Beautiful, these glasses, are the perfect choice!
ILA Item: 810236

#5 MOSHI IVR TALKING ALARM CLOCK

ila is the exclusive authorized distributor of Moshi products to the blind and visually impaired community. We’re really excited about this relationship because Moshi is THE name in talking alarm clocks. And this little beauty is a perfect vision of form and function. The Moshi voice controlled talking alarm clock is totally voice controlled. Options are big with Moshi. This talking clock comes packed with features both visual and audible. Watch the color temperature display. It may be RED HOT just as Moshi is the hottest interactive voice response product on the market today! And talk about easy to see! There’s no missing the time with these big, bold, and beautiful numbers.
ILA Item: 247519

#4 PENFRIEND

Everyone needs a friend! The PenFriend was introduced in 2009 and was an overnight success. One year later, it’s still one of our best sellers. The PenFriend is a voice labeling system that enables users to easily record and re-record information onto self adhesive labels. Simply attach one of the coded, self-adhesive labels to anything you want to label, and record and store your message on the PenFriend. To play back, touch the tip of the PenFriend to the label and it will play your recording. No computer required! The small pen-shaped recorder delivers clear sound reproduction. The PenFriend can also be used as a portable notetaker. The PenFriend is one terrific product for students as well as home use.
ILA Item: 756610

#3 GIANT BUTTON SPEAKERPHONE

Sometimes – when the stars align just right – a great product is delivered at a very attractive price. That’s the case with our giant-button speaker phone with flashing ringer. This phone doesn’t sing or dance and it doesn’t do magic tricks. But it does do all the basics... and at a price that begs the question: How did they do it? The first thing we noticed was the huge buttons. At 1x1.25 inches with big, bold numbers, you can’t miss them. Literally! You don’t have to worry about hitting the wrong number and misdialing. Then we considered the extras: 10, two-touch speed dials; 3, one-touch speed dials; hold button; last number re-dial; volume control; two-way speaker phone; and a flashing ringer. Whew! If this corded phone came with wings, we’d understand … because it’s flying out of our warehouse. To paraphrase a famous quote, yours is not to question why, yours is just to buy, save, and enjoy!
ILA Item: 186254

#2 1-BUTTON TALKING WATCH WITH CHOICE OF VOICE

Have you noticed how the most expensive, elegant watches are getting away from notches, dots, and other markings where the numbers should be? They’re going back to easy-to-read numbers. Maybe this is one upside to the Boomer generation maturing! And, ila products are as innovative as ever! They are easy to read with bold numbers on white or silver faces and beautiful leather or expansion bands. And they offer a choice of a male or female voice. These men’s and women’s watches can be set with just one button. These watches are gorgeous!
ILA Item: 314200N

#1 MILESTONE 312

ila celebrates a milestone for the Milestone This is it! For 2011, Milestone 312 sits atop the ila product pyramid. Why lug around 10 different products to entertain, organize, and simplify your life when one product – the size of a credit card – does it all? This is the brilliant execution that is Milestone 312. Milestone 312 was born in a land better known for snowcapped peaks and extraordinary timepieces than products for the blind and visually impaired. But leave it to the Swiss to confirm their reputation for putting big features in small packages. Milestone 312 is a superior, all-round audio device that represents a new generation of aids for the visually impaired. With all software extras and add-ons, Milestone 312 incorporates the functionality of 11 different products: Voice Recorder, Music Player, Text-to-Speech Player, NLS Audio Book Player, Radio, Clock, Alarm, Calendar, Organizer, Barcode Reader and Optical Color Reader. In addition to playing NLS books, Milestone 312 plays other formats such as Audible. No matter what you play, Milestone 312 increases or decreases playback and reading speed to conform to your personal preference. Milestone 312 integrates this enormous functionality in a light-weight housing the size of a credit card. You can take the unit and its many possibilities with you wherever you go and make Milestone 312 your daily companion. Software extras available for Milestone 312 include Agenda and Woodscan Barcode Reader. Agenda incorporates advanced technology to deliver a robust calendar that organizes your daily life. Build an extensive calendar that reminds you of appointments, birthdays, and other special events. The Woodscan Barcode Reader reads barcodes from a database of over 1.2 million barcodes. Another terrific add-on is FAME, an optical color reader with precise color resolution. FAME identifies more than 420 colors and is the ideal aid to sort clothes. Milestone 312 contains powerful hardware with room for add-ons. The unit integrates the newest USB 2.0 high-speed connection, guaranteeing rapid access to a computer. The 1GB internal memory is expandable up to 32GB with an optional SD memory card. Let Milestone 312 help you experience a new level of active, independent living. As ila’s Top Product for 2011, Milestone 312 truly enables you to Live Life Magnified!
ILA Item: 757826

Click here to go to the ila Top Ten Products page!
Click here to visit Independent Living Aids on the web!

Independent Living Aids presents Moshi Interactive Voice Recognition Clock Radio

2010-11-23T23:56:00.001-05:00

Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2010; at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST

Stephen Guerra, independent living aids’ assistive technology and technical operations specialist (“the ila techie with the toys to ‘tech’ your world”), is pleased to host the second in a series of webinars on some of ila’s most important new products. These products tend to be more operationally complex and require more technical expertise to set up and use. Stephen is an outstanding teacher who just happens to be blind. He will have you understanding and running the featured ila product in no time. During this particular webinar, Stephen will review ila’s incredible Moshi Voice-Controlled Digital Clock Radio.

About the Moshi Voice-Controlled Digital Clock Radio

Yes, it’s here! It’s arrived! We’ve got it! To say we were inundated with calls and e-mail is an understatement. It’s been a veritable deluge! Moshi’s new digital clock radio is a voice-controlled wunderkind. You can set all the digital clock radio functions with simple spoken commands. Set your wake-up time in a matter of seconds! Dual alarms, 6 station presets, and snooze. Say “Hello!” to the new Moshi. It may just answer you back!

Moshi Clock Radio product page; http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=247523

Directions to Participate:

If you are a first-time user of Accessible Event, there is a small, safe software program that you will need to download and then run. Visiting http://www.accessibleevent.com will allow you to install the component needed to participate in this webinar. All online interactive programs are free of charge and open to anyone worldwide who has an Internet connection, computer, sound card, and speakers. Those with a microphone can ask questions and interact with Stephen.

When you have downloaded the software:

Go to http://www.accessibleevent.com

Enter your name and the event code:

033227072

If your requiring Captioning, use Event code:

115250067

Once you enter the event you will be able to interact with others, providing you have internal or external speakers/headphones and a microphone.

Please note that this presentation is open to just the first 100 attendees who log on.

Call ila today and let us show you how to

“Live Life MAGNIFIED, AMPLIFIED, and SIMPLIFIED!”

Phone: (800) 537-2118

Email: techsupport@independentliving.com

http://www.independentliving.com

2010-11-23T23:12:00.001-05:00

“Mark your Calendars!”

Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2010; at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST

About the Moshi Voice-Controlled Digital Clock Radio

Directions to Participate:

When you have downloaded the software:

Go to http://www.accessibleevent.com

Enter your name and the event code:

033227072

If your requiring Captioning, use Event code:

115250067

Once you enter the event you will be able to interact with others, providing you have internal or external speakers/headphones and a microphone.

Please note that this presentation is open to just the first 100 attendees who log on.

Call ila today and let us show you how to

“Live Life MAGNIFIED, AMPLIFIED, and SIMPLIFIED!”

Phone: (800) 537-2118

Email: techsupport@independentliving.com

http://www.independentliving.com

Milestone 312 Webinar; An Awesome Holiday gift

2010-11-11T21:08:00.001-05:00

Mark Your Calendar!

Date/Time: Friday, November 12 at 10:30 a.m. PST / 1:30 p.m. EST
Location: Online Webinar

Stephen Guerra is pleased to host the first in a series of monthly ila webinars on some of ila’s most important new products. These products will tend to be more operationally complex and require more technical expertise to set up and use.
Stephen is an outstanding teacher and will have you understanding and running the featured ila product in no time.

During this particular webinar, Stephen will review ila’s incredible Milestone 312.

How to participate

1. Point your web browser to:
Accessible Event.com

Enter the Event Code: 135207154
and then enter your name.
2. Once you enter the event you will be able to interact with others, providing you have a sound card, speakers, and a microphone.

Please note that this presentation is open to just the first 100 attendees who log on.

About Milestone 312:

For 2011, Milestone 312, sits atop the ila product pyramid. Why lug around 10 different products to entertain, organize, and simplify your life when one product – the size of a credit card – does it all? This is the brilliant execution that is Milestone 312.

Milestone 312 is a superior, all-round audio device that represents a new generation of low-vision aids.
With all software extras and add-ons, Milestone 312 incorporates the functionality of 11 different products: Voice Recorder, Music Player, Text-to-Speech Player, NLS Audio Book Player, Radio, Clock, Alarm, Calendar, Organizer, RFID Tagging System, and color identifier.

In addition to playing NLS books, Milestone 312 plays other formats such as Audible.
Milestone 312 integrates this enormous functionality in a light-weight housing the size of a credit card.
You can take the unit and its many possibilities with you wherever you go and make Milestone 312 your daily companion. Milestone 312 is truly an extraordinary product.

Using the Accessible Event Client

If you have not used the "Accessible Event" client before, you will be required to install a safe Internet plug-in so that you can participate fully.
Please complete this task prior to the event beginning on Friday. This will enable you to enjoy the entire event without any webinar frustration.

Questions about participating

Contact Independent Living Aids Technical Support at:
Independent Living Aids Technical Support

ATIA Conference being held in Orlando, Florida

2009-01-27T11:22:00.001-05:00

As many people pack and get ready to travel to the ATIA, (Assistive Technology Industry Association) conference being held in Orlando Florida later this week, Independent Living Aids/Soundbytes, along with the other 133 vendors are getting ready to promote their own products.

Serotek Corporation,

http://www.serotek.com

Makers of System Access Screen magnification/reader solution, SAMNet (System Access Mobile Network) and

http://www.satogo.com

free screen magnification/reader tool and now

http://radio.samobile.net

SAMNet Radio will be bringing you live coverage and interviews from the Serotek Sponsored Internet Pavilion at ATIA, starting Wednesday, January 28, 2009.

Its hoped that many of the 134 vendors will be making their way over to the Serotek booth and will be interviewed by the staff of Serotek which you can listen in live for the first time since the ATIA show first started, 10 years ago.

Independent Living Aids,

http://www.independentliving.com

is a distributor of the System Access products, for more information about System Access, visit:

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=870302

and System Access Mobile Network, visit:

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=870300

Stephen A. Guerra
Assistive Technology Specialist and Technical Operations

Independent Living Aids LLC

200 Robbins Lane
Building A, Suite 100
Jericho, NY 11753
Phone: (800) 537-2118-x3817
Direct Fax: (516) 450-3842

Read the All Things ILA Tech Blog

Follow me on Twitter and see what i'm doing

Visit Independent Living Aids on the Web

Visit Soundbytes on the Web

Moshi Names Independent Living Aids Exclusive Distributor in Blindness and Visual Impairment Field

2008-12-17T09:31:00.001-05:00

Independent Living Aids (ila) is proud to be the exclusive distributor of Moshi products in the blindness and visual impairment field. Moshi's latest product, the new Talking Interactive Voice Responsive Clock, is a natural addition to the ila line of products that empower the visually impaired. We are continually looking for the newest, most innovative products that can benefit our clientele. The Moshi IVR Alarm Clock is a fantastic product that is sure to help our customers enjoy an active and productive lifestyle with ease

We here at ila are very excited to be working with Moshi. Their advanced technology is a wonderful addition to our company and we are in a great position to let the visually impaired and blind community know about this amazing new product.

Our goal has always been to make an alarm clock that would simplify and add ease to all of our customers' everyday lives

We are pleased to see that this product has real value, especially to those who are visually impaired.

Jericho, NY (PRWEB) December 17, 2008 -- Independent Living Aids (ila) is proud to be the exclusive distributor of Moshi products in the blindness and visual impairment field. A partnership of shared ideals, Moshi Lifestyle offers its customers comfort through innovation and ila provides the very best products so customers can enjoy an active, independent lifestyle. Moshi's latest product, the new Interactive Voice Responsive Clock, is a natural addition to the ila line of products that empower the visually impaired.

Moshi Voice Controlled Talking Alarm Clock

"We are continually looking for the newest, most innovative products that can benefit our clientele. The Moshi IVR Alarm Clock is a fantastic product that is sure to help our customers enjoy an active and productive lifestyle with ease," said Irwin Schneidmill, president of Independent Living Aids. "We here at ila are very excited to be working with Moshi. Their advanced technology is a wonderful addition to our company and we are in a great position to let the visually impaired and blind community know about this amazing new product."

Moshi's Talking Interactive Voice Responsive Clock is the first clock that is completely touch-free, and is officially endorsed by the World Blind Association. Using the initial command of "Hello Moshi TM", the user can set both the time and alarm in addition to ten other voice activated commands from anywhere in the room. With advanced IVR technology that utilizes Neural Net and HMM phonetic speaker independent recognition software, the IVR alarm clock is able to recognize every user's voice right out of the box. The voice recognition software includes a large, highly accurate library of words and is capable of understanding a wide selection of accents. Users do not have to pre-program anything, just plug in and begin.

"Our goal has always been to make an alarm clock that would simplify and add ease to all of our customers' everyday lives," said Michael Nostrant, CEO of SnS International, parent company of Moshi Lifestyle. "We are pleased to see that this product has real value, especially to those who are visually impaired."

Manufacturer's suggested retail price of the Moshi Talking Alarm Clock is $49.95. It is available for purchase on the ila website.

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=247519

About Moshi:

MoshiLifestyle™ was formed to encompass what the Moshi® Pillow symbolizes: comfort through innovation. Moshi® products apply advanced technology to home appliances in a user-friendly fashion that creates solutions for everyday problems.

Moshi® is dedicated to producing high-quality products at low costs that integrate into each customer's lifestyle. Moshi® customers look for unique and innovative products that provide efficiency and comfort. For more information, please visit: www.moshilifestyle.com.

About Independent Living Aids:

Independent Living Aids, LLC is the oldest privately-held mail-order company in the United States with products for individuals who are visually impaired or blind. With over 30 years of experience providing essential aids with superb service, ila has become a trusted source of products for the blind and visually impaired. All the items offered are carefully selected, quality products at reasonable prices. Helping customers remain independent is the goal and every item is chosen with that goal in mind.

For more information on the Moshi Interactive Voice Responsive Alarm Clock or Independent Living Aids, please visit www.independentliving.com or call 1-800-537-2118.

###

Link to full Press Release:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/12/prweb1760504.htm

How accessible is your home, or how can you make it more accessible?

2008-12-04T09:59:00.001-05:00

The common question I am asked on a daily basis is how or what do I use to make my home accessible.

After asking many questions and listening closely to others’ stories, I have found several useful things that can answer this question.

Before purchasing any item, whether it be electronic or not, I research it and put my hands on it in the store to see how it runs and ask questions to insure the process of installing it in my home goes smoothly.

Label It

Judy Dixon, from the National Library Service, has a wealth of knowledge not only about slate and stylus, but has recently put a book out available from the National Braille Press;

http://www.nbp.org

The Book is titled, "Label it" and I have been reading it very closely.

Judy has taken all methods of labeling items so that she can best and quickly identify them. It is a "must read" and a "must have" in your home library.

You can read more about it and purchase it from the National Braille Press by visiting:

http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/LABELIT.html

Consumer Electronics

The National Federation of the Blind Access Technology team has provided its list of items that you can utilize in your daily life.

I have read through the list and if you’re graduating college, just landed your first job, or are in your own apartment or sharing a house, you can improve your living conditions significantly by owning the right appliances and tools.

Read the blog post at:

http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=390

See the entire list of consumer electronics at:

http://www.nfb.org/nfb/accessible_home_showcase.asp?SnID=1972737383

Available at a Starbucks near you: Braille and Large Print Beverage Brochures

2008-11-25T12:18:00.001-05:00

Dateline: Seattle Washington

Did you know that there are over 87,000 beverage combinations at Starbucks? To help you order, Starbucks has made their popular brochure, "Make It Your Drink," available in both Braille and Large Print. Ask your barista for it the next time you visit your local Starbucks.

The ILA Techie always enjoys a beverage from Starbucks. It could be a Carmel Macchiato or one of their many different beverages. Check out the lineup of all they offer by visiting:

http://www.starbucks.com/retail/beverages.asp

The input from customers, partners (employees), and disability organizations helped guide this effort. Starbucks would specifically like to thank the American Council of the Blind, the American Association of the Deaf-Blind and the Seattle Lighthouse for their input. Thank you also to Easy to Read Documents for producing the Braille and large print.

Ohio State School for the Blind Marching Band in the Rose Bowl 2010 parade

2008-11-14T12:21:00.001-05:00

Imagine--

January 1, 2010, you’re watching the Rose bowl Parade as you lounge on your couch after a late night of ringing in the new year.

You do a double take as you see a marching band, from Columbus Ohio march by on the screen, and you hear the announcer state that it is a marching band that is entirely totally blind.

What can you say?

How can they?

But their?

Wow!

Yes, the Ohio State School for the Blind marching band is taking part in the 2010 Rose bowl parade. Since they are a one of a kind, the entire blind marching band with sighted guides will complete the six mile route.

Check out the link to the CBS Evening news story shown on Friday, November 7, about the band.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4585261n%3fsource=search_video

Congratulations to the Ohio State School for the Blind and good luck to their fantastic marching band.

Breaking News: NBC Sports to Debut 2008 Paralympic Games Highlights Show November 9th

2008-11-08T19:20:00.001-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – U.S. Paralympians, their stories and competition from the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China are being featured in an NBC highlight show presented by GE at 2:30 pm Eastern Time, Sunday, November 9. The 90-minute broadcast will be narrated by NBC Sports' Bob Costas.

"NBC and GE's broadcast of the 2008 Paralympics provides all Americans an opportunity to be introduced to some outstanding performances and amazing role models that represented the U.S. at the 2008 Games," said Charlie Huebner, Chief of Paralympics, U.S. Olympic Committee. "The fact that NBC and GE are airing this show on network television also speaks to the growing importance and value of the Paralympic movement in the U.S."

The NBC Sports' Paralympic special features an in-depth look at some of the top U.S. Paralympic athletes as they trained for and competed in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. The documentary, produced by Emmy Award-winning NBC Sports producer David Michaels, takes viewers on a journey into the lives of eight athletes plus the U.S. Paralympic Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team with compelling stories of determination.

Complementing the NBC Sports special will be a Universal Sports broadcast presentation of the 2008 Paralympic Games. Beginning Monday, November 10 and continuing through November 16, the network will air four hours of Games highlights each night from 7-11 p.m. Eastern Time. The 28 hours of coverage will include both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2008 Paralympic Games.

“Paralympics 2008 – More Events, Fierce Competition”

2008-08-29T09:15:00.001-04:00

OK, now that this year's Olympics in Beijing, China, have seemingly concluded, you might think it's time to start thinking about 2012 and London.

But this just in … BREAKING NEWS … the Olympics are not over yet.

"No?" says the couch potato?

No, the Olympics are not over. The Paralympics, which are held immediately following the Olympics in the same host city are just about to start, and competition is expected to be fierce. The Paralympics are a competition for those who are otherwise physically limited.

A press release that was released recently speaks of one of the sports, groups and many organizations that participates in these games. Needless to say, the mainstream media, I.e. "NBC," will not be providing live coverage, nor will you be able to find it at all on any satellite or cable system in the U.S.

"How sad is that," asks the Sports Dawg, an Internet Radio host of "Its All About Sports,"

www.itsallaboutsports.info

Coverage will be shown briefly on NBC on October 18. "Quite the tape delay," says the Sports Dawg. Nevertheless, coverage of the Paralympics will be available on the Internet starting September 6. You can visit this web site here:

www.usparalympics.org

Below you'll find a press release with more information on one of the many events at the Paralympics. Note: Coverage of the Men's and Women's Goalball games from Beijing can be listened to live.

Men's Goalball to Take the Court with Gold on Their Minds

The U.S Men's Goalball Team will bring a wealth of international experience to the 2008 Paralympics Games in Beijing. Team USA has competed in the 2007 Good Luck Games Paralympics Test Event, the Lithuania Invitational Goalball Tournament and the Men's Malmo Intercup Tournament in Sweden, all over the course of the last year. The men earned a silver medal at the Malmo Intercup.

According to team leader John Potts, Team USA's rigorous training schedule will also help them improve their bronze-medal finish in Athens and keep them in the hunt for a gold. Team USA, has participated in training camps at the Olympic and Paralympics Training Centers in Colorado Springs, Colo. and Lake Placid, N.Y. and at the Lakeshore Foundation Training Site in Birmingham, Ala.

"This series of camps and competitions have provided Team USA valuable training opportunities and exposure to their Beijing opponents," said Potts.

"This really sets them up for the gold medal platform in Beijing."

Team USA will be led by veterans Chris Dodds, starting center, and Donte Mickens, who were both part of the Athens Team along with Tyler Merren and Eddie Munro. Newcomers Daryl Walker and Steve Denuyl will bring excitement to the experienced team.

"The Team USA is very strong," said Potts. "But it's the team's ability to generate rock-solid defense during intense game situations that makes this team a force to be reckoned with."

Team USA, however, won't be the only force to be reckoned with in the 12-team field in Beijing.

China, the host nation team, is an upcoming threat in the international Goalball scene. The team has resources for a full-time training program and training facility. In the lead up to the games, China won the Good Luck Games Paralympics Test Event and will look to repeat the win in front of their hometown fans.

Team USA will also have to look out for Sweden and Lithuania on their path to the podium. Sweden won a silver medal at the 2004 Paralympics Games and the 2007 Good Luck Games Paralympics Test Event. Lithuania earned a gold medal at the 2006 IBSA World Championships and a bronze at the Good Luck Games Paralympics Test Event.

Team USA will arrive at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center for a training camp August 27-29. They will depart for Beijing on September 1. The men's Goalball competition will go from September 7-14. Pool play starts on the 7th and the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal round will take place the 12-14. All games will be played at the Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium.

Good Luck Team USA! For more information and updates on U.S Men's Goalball during the Paralympics Games, log on to www.usocpressbox.org.

For live audio coverage of all the games visit the Audio network at

www.sports.pressakey.net.

Independent Living Aids LLC

http://www.independentliving.com

http://www.soundbytes.com

Descriptive Video Service

2008-07-23T11:14:00.000-04:00

The dog days of summer are upon us, but the fall and winter are not too far off. So, no matter the time of year, why would anyone not want to enjoy a movie in the comforts of their home?

Well, don’t worry, you can!

If you suffer from a complete or partial vision loss, DVS, (Described Video Service) is available for you to capture every aspect of a movie.

Imagine: Watching “Field of Dreams,.” A movie which captures the true meaning of following your dreams no matter what they are, and with this the movie takes a field in Iowa used for baseball and shows how one man’s dream can be developed in to a life time of success.

Imagine a movie which ordinarily would be considered “to visual” for someone to follow along with. Now, with DVS, you can enjoy every aspect as if you could see the screen clearly, but you are being described every part of the entire movie.

Did I interest you?

Well, there is quite a list of available movies, and they are $5 each until supplies last, so go and get them!

For more information about available titles and cost, please contact:

Lindsey Neill

Marketing Representative

Media Access Group at WGBH

Phone: (617) 300-3623

E-Mail:

lindsey_neill@wgbh.org

Independent Living Aids LLC

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

2008-06-05T11:39:00.001-04:00

JUDGE RULES SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MUST ACCOMMODATE BLIND BENEFICIARIES

San Francisco, CA - April 24, 2008 On Wednesday, April 23, 2008, Judge William Alsup of the US District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the US Social Security Administration (SSA) must accommodate the real and legitimate needs of people with visual impairments who receive benefits from SSA. The agency is required under the Rehabilitation Act and the due process clause, the ruling states, to provide communications in formats that are accessible to these beneficiaries.

The ruling came after SSA sought to dismiss a class action filed in federal court in 2005 by the American Council of the Blind and a group of individuals who are blind or have visual impairments filed a class action lawsuit against SSA, alleging that the agency fails to provide the most basic accommodations to its blind and visually impaired applicants and beneficiaries. To this day, the SSA communicates with blind and visually impaired applicants and beneficiaries in standard 12 point font print that they cannot read, and is unwilling to provide meaningful communication in alternative formats such as Braille, audio, large font or electronic text.

"In the 21st century there is no reasonable explanation or excuse for the SSA to continue to ignore the needs and rights of the blind population, and we are committed to bringing about the necessary changes," explained Wondie Russell of Heller Ehrman LLP, an attorney for plaintiffs. "This decision has now set us on the path to securing reasonable accommodations."

Plaintiff attorneys argued successfully that the agency is subject to the jurisdiction of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires bars discrimination on the basis of disability in federal programs, including removing communication barriers by providing "auxiliary aids" that allow persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate. "The callousness of SSA's adamant insistence that sending notices that our clients cannot read was not lost on the judge," said Arlene Mayerson, Directing Attorney for Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), and an attorney for plaintiffs. "It is amazing that something that is clear to anyone, that sending a standard print notice to a blind individual denies due process, would end up in federal court."

Mitch Pomerantz, American Council of the Blind President, stated: "It is long past time that the Social Security Administration - which assists tens of thousands of blind and visually impaired persons - is held to account for its stubborn unwillingness to adhere to a statute that is 35 years old.

There is no excuse in this day and age of easy access to printers with the capability for producing large type, and braille printers for SSA to violate the Rehabilitation Act and I applaud this ruling."

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit have gone without benefits as a result of SSA's failure to give them effective notice of its actions. "Imagine receiving a phone call from the bank that your checks are bouncing and fees are mounting," suggests American Council of the Blind Executive Director Melanie Brunson.

Independent Living Aids LLC

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Do you really know what's going on in your ZIP code area?

2008-05-29T10:42:00.000-04:00

ZIPskinny - Get the Skinny on that ZIP (demographics by ZIP Code), is a web site I came across that revealed things about my neighborhood that were fascinating and useful. This site displays information about any zip code in the United States. All you need to do is enter in a zip code, and it will display a wide array of information which you may have never known about your own area.

You can obtain info such as the median income for the area, how many households have been owned for five years or more and much, much more.

Check out the Zip-Skinny web site at:

http://www.zipskinny.com/

Once you have found out about the area, you can now take a walk and explore the desired places in your zip code neighborhood. You can do this while using the Trekker, a portable GPS (Global Positioning System) with Voice. Read more about the Trekker by visiting:

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=240450DS

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

The low vision aids industry leader for over 31 years Independent Living Aids provides the tools and technology to enhance, enrich and support active lifestyles. Visit the ILA website, www.independentliving.com for a comprehensive and constantly updated selection of products for the blind and visually impaired including, canes magnifiers talking watches talking clocks large print books Zoomtext magnification software Braille text talking cooking gadgets

Can your computer keyboard talk?

2008-05-21T16:49:00.000-04:00

I recently had a discussion with Brad Hodges, from the American Foundation for the Blind Tech Center, about low cost or free solutions for new computer users. During the conversation, a question came up about a tool which would enable a new user of a computer to make the keyboard talk.

While searching the internet and reading the many emails I receive each day as the “ILATechie,” I came across a software package known as the “Talking Keyboard.”

This free software enables someone to download and install the package and enable all the keys of the main keyboard to be spoken, in addition to several other useful keys.

The free software package I found which would make your keyboard speak is from:

“Talking Keyboard - Computer games and multimedia products.”

You can visit them at:

http://www.jinglekeys.com

The site provides a wide array of games and different tools, but certainly the most useful for anyone is the “Talking Keys”

Software.

If you would like to try out the free trial, or know of someone who would benefit from its use, please visit:

http://www.jinglekeys.com/talkingkeys/

If you would like to read Brad Hodges’ most recent article in “Access World” called “Who’s on the line,” relating to accessible phone systems, visit:

http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw090305

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Is the money in your wallet accessible?

2008-05-21T11:49:00.000-04:00

Dateline: Washington D.C.

In a decision rendered by the Appeals Court of the District of Columbia, on May 20^th, 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department was found to be in violation of the Rehabilitation Act which allows people with disabilities the right to have money that is identifiable without the use of outside sources or devices.

Currently many individuals with either low vision or who are totally blind utilize a battery operated device, called “Note Teller 2 – Talking Money Identifier.”

The “Note Teller 2” allows someone to take any denomination of U.S. currency and slide in to the unit and identify either in English or in Spanish what the amount of the bill is! The unit is powered by a 9-volt battery and has a volume control.

To purchase or obtain more information about the “Note Teller 2 - Talking Money identifier,” visit:

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=541600

The text of the press release regarding the Appeals Court decision can be found below. It is the opinion of the author of this blog that this is far from being over and that it will probably be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court.

-- The U.S. Treasury Department discriminates because it has failed to design and issue paper currency that is readily distinguishable by people who are blind, a federal appeals court ruled.

By a 2-1 vote, the court upheld a ruling by U.S. District Judge James Robertson in a lawsuit filed by The American Council of the Blind (ACB) against the U.S. Treasury Department.

ACB accused the department and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson of violating the Rehabilitation Act, which was meant to ensure that people with disabilities can live independently and fully participate in society.

The appeals court rejected the Treasury Department's arguments that making currency accessible would impose an undue burden on the government, and sent the case back to Robertson to address the group's request for relief.

Mitch Pomerantz, President of the American Council of the Blind, stated:

"This is a tremendous victory for the ACB and for every blind and visually

impaired person living in the United States today and in the future. We hope that the treasury department will now sit down with us to come up with a mutually satisfactory way of making our currency accessible."

"Virtually all of the other industrialized countries around the globe have accessible currency, and this is long overdue for the United States,"

commented Dr. Ron E. Milliman, who chairs ACB’s Public Relations Committee.

“there are over 180 nations that have some sort of accessibility built in to their paper currency. Currencies used by countries such as Canada, Australia, Japan, England, and even the Euro have accessibility features. The U.S. is rather unique in that it is one of very few industrialized nations that has resisted including shape, size, texture, or meaningful color contrast in it's bank notes," said Melanie Brunson, Executive Director of ACB.

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Is the mouse on your computer your only way to work?

2008-05-15T09:22:00.000-04:00

While there are those who have labeled me a “computer geek”, I am confident in saying I do not use or like to use the mouse with my computer. In today’s world, the majority of computer users use a mouse. The “point-and-click” might seem effortless, but those who are either blind or have some degree of vision loss rely entirely on controlling or operating their computer with keyboard commands. In reality, for those who use access technology in the form of synthetic speech for reading the screen or for magnifying the screen to a level where the screen can be read, using a mouse is to say the least inconsistent.

Using keyboard commands to complete all tasks with my computer is the only way I know, and using a mouse has always been frustrating. There are those who can sit at a piano and tickle the ivories, but with my almost thirty years of computer use, I primarily use the keyboard and my computer always sings sweet melodies to me each day. I would like to note that there are those who use the mouse and who are either totally blind or have low vision, but I am not one of those individuals.

While reading and looking around for another topic to write about for the “All Things ILA Tech” blog, I came across an article that I thought you might find interesting and useful and I most certainly will be using to write future posts and to emphasize different things that I want to bring to your attention.

In Microsoft Word, you can display a list of keyboard commands to do anything you wish on your computer. This is great for me since once again, I do not use that pesky computer mouse. Below you will find the exact steps that you can use to display the full list of keyboard commands.

On any computer that has Microsoft Word, open a new Microsoft Word document. On the top of your screen, you should see a menu bar that has items on it such as:

“File, Edit, View,”

Follow these steps:

1. Locate the “Tools” menu on the menu bar and open it up. If you are using a keyboard you can press “alt+T.”

2. In the Tools menu, arrow down or locate the “Macros” submenu. You can also press the letter “M,” after opening the Tools menu.

3. Choose the first option or press “Alt+F8.”

4. Immediately when you open the next dialogue box, you will have a “Combination box.” You can use the down arrow key to locate “Word Commands.”

5. Once you have found “Word Commands,” then use your Tab key and tab over once and press the letter “L,” and use the down arrow key to locate “List Commands.”

6. Using the Tab key, tab until you locate the “Run” button, and press either the “spacebar” or the “enter” key.

You will then have a document displaying every keyboard command you could ever want.

Hope this resource is helpful, and if you have ever heard of the Computer Goddess, Kim Komando, you will know that rather than using a mouse, Kim finds it easier to use the keyboard.

Check out Kim Komando’s web site at:

http://www.komando.com/

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Alta's Blind bowler rolls perfect game

2008-05-08T13:32:00.000-04:00

After a week of work, school or challenges, we often plan some type of recreation for the weekend. You can go walking, hiking, golfing, fishing, or even go bowling with friends and/or family. Now imagine doing any of these things and having either limited vision or no vision at all. Blind individuals can participate in any activity. This story, taken from the Stormlake Times of Stormlake Iowa, is about a blind man who has achieved a goal that few sighted bowlers ever achieve.

Enjoy the story and share it with your family around the dinner table tonight or in the next few days, and realize, no matter what obstacles or barriers anyone might have, if you set a goal, and work toward accomplishing it, no matter what, you will reach your objective.

Besides gadgets you can purchase to help you meet your goals, building the inner strength to work toward whatever you want to achieve is your best tool. Enjoy the great story.

Article:

Reprinted with permission from the Stormlake Times and Jake Kurtz

Dale Davis, 78, scores first 300 at Century Lanes

“When I got to the tenth frame, I said ‘Lord, let me throw three more good balls.’ ”

The Hammer could hear the crack of 12 strikes

by Jake Kurtz

A perfect game. The most difficult achievement a bowler can accomplish.

It’s even more impressive when a blind World War II veteran does it.

That was the scene at Saturday evening’s All-League Playoffs at Century Lanes in Alta. Dale Davis, just three months from his 79th birthday, his sight stolen years ago by macular degeneration, rolled 12 consecutive strikes in front of an enthusiastic and supportive crowd. The effort was the first-ever 300 game at Century.

“It was quite a thrill,” Davis said of the achievement. “When I got to the tenth frame, I said ‘Lord, let me throw three more good balls.’ When I did, people on other teams were yelling and cheering. A few guys were hugging me and almost broke my skinny bones.”

With his neatly combed back hair and 115-pound frame, Davis is proud of the fact he still uses the heaviest ball available, explaining that he and his ball “weigh over 130 pounds together.”

His first introduction to bowling was as a pin-setter in his early teens, making roughly 45 cents per night. Since that time, the former truck driver and carpenter has amassed over 65 years of experience with the sport. As he grew up, Davis’ bowling skills flourished and he began to play in leagues and tournaments. He even won an event in California to take home $2,500 after his days served with the Navy.

In 1996, Davis lost all vision in his left eye. He believes heavy smoking and his previous lifestyle were perhaps factors in the loss. A year later, the sight in his right eye began to blur and eventually darkened as well.

Davis, who is divorced, was living in California at the time of his blindness. He made the decision to leave the west coast and move back to Alta, where he had been raised. His sister, Thelma Shorewood, lives in Storm Lake and makes life easier today by helping with errands and some meals. He has two sons in California and two in Illinois.

“When I moved back, I asked if I could stay with her. I said it would only be for a few months,” Davis explained of the aid Thelma provided. “Instead, I lived with her for just over four years – even remodeled her basement. She isn’t just my sister, she’s a great friend to me. I wouldn’t be bowling now if it wasn’t for her.”

The only sight Davis has today is a foggy spot of peripheral vision in his right eye that requires him to turn his head to use. He uses what remains of his sight to maintain his small apartment, take care of his dachshund, and find where he needs to line up on the lane.

He even sits a few inches from his television screen sometimes and tilts his head to get a meager, tunneled glimpse of professional bowling when it’s on.

“He gets around and does pretty well for a blind guy,” Thelma said of her brother.

In the wake of losing his eyesight, Davis gave up his bowling passion for a few years. Thelma, though, continued to be active in area leagues and eventually talked Davis into picking the sport back up three years ago. Now he plays six games a week, in two leagues.

Thanks to his sister’s support, Davis is back in form with a 188 average to show for it. Fellow bowlers nicknamed him The Hammer for the surprising punch his shots can pack.

“I can’t see the lane or the pins and have a heck of a time finding my ball sometimes,” Davis said with a laugh of his bowling skills. “I can kinda see the dots on the floor to know where I start. After that, I rely on my hearing and other people to tell me what’s going on.”

When he doesn’t throw a strike, fellow bowlers like Century Lanes owner and good friend Clem Ledoux tell Davis what pins are still standing. The blind bowler then finds his bearings with the dots on the lane, approaches and hurls his next shot.

“The Hammer has a great knowledge of bowling,” Ledoux remarked. “It’s hard for some to believe, but he gets more strikes than spares. There are times you think his ball has eyes. It’s almost like the ball sees for him when he bowls. He remembers things so well from when he could see that he just pictures the lane and the pins in his head and uses his imagination.

“There isn’t a bit of luck when it comes to the Hammer’s game. He really is that good.”

Davis has four balls he uses for different circumstances. One is for the 10-pin and tends to curve toward the right. The others are used depending on how the lane is playing on a given day.

“I’ve also got a new pair of bowling shoes, too,” the Hammer added. “I’m not using them until Clem gets the new lanes finished.”

Century is in the expansion process, as Ledoux plans to have four more lanes in working order by Labor Day. Davis, of course, wants to be one of the first to test the new lanes in the new bowling shoes he bought in honor of the event.

It’s believed that when a person loses one of their senses, the others get stronger to make up for the loss. In Davis’ case, his sense of hearing has greatly improved since 1996 and is evident with his bowling game.

While he took in some practice throws Monday afternoon, Davis’ bowling routine was on full display. First, he lines himself up on the floor dots. Once situated, he pauses for a moment to relax. Davis then takes a few steps toward the lane and releases his ball of choice.

His first toss of the day started off to the right and faded back left, eventually leaving only the 3 and 9 pins standing after the collision.

“That ball went south,” Davis said accurately of the throw without seeing anything. “Some pins are still standing off to the right.”

Ledoux informed Davis which two pins were left. The 78 year-old then again found his position with the dots, followed his routine and hurled his ball down the lane. This time, the 3 pin was all Davis took out in his effort to pick up the spare.

“Shoot,” Davis said in disgust after hearing just one pin fall. “I left one.”

The variation in sound as his ball makes contact with the pins allows Davis to sometimes “see” what type of shot he had without actually laying eyes upon it.

“The sounds of the alley let me know how I’m doing,” Davis said of his hearing. “There’s a loud crack when I get a strike. When I hear that crack, usually it’s followed by someone telling me I can sit down.

“Saturday night, all I heard was 12 cracks in a row.”

Those 12 consecutive cracks also lifted a burden off Davis’ shoulders. With bowling such an important part of his life, Davis said it was good to finally reach his goal of getting that elusive 300 game.

“After I went blind, I just assumed it wouldn’t happen,” he said of the doubts he had. “I always knew I wanted to have a 300, but I never thought it would be possible, especially as I got older and couldn’t see. Bowling rejuvenated me. I’ve got a love for this game I can’t even describe.”

Bowling being a part of Davis’ life again has also taught him another important lesson: You’re never too old to set goals for yourself.

“Hopefully I’ll do this again when I’m 90.”

Link for full story and pictures can be found at:

http://stormlake.com/topstory.htm

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Is your vision at risk with airbags?

2008-05-06T16:09:00.000-04:00

Since the early 1990's, the automotive industry was given the task of outfitting all new cars with airbag technology. Airbags became standard equipment during the model year of 1999 for all new cars that were made. Airbags were felt to provide safety from any severe injury for all those who were riding in the front seat of cars. Though injuries still do occur, ejection from automobiles also decreased by a significant margin.

While reading the "Eye on Vision," blog on airbags at

http://blogs.webmd.com/eye-on-vision/2008/03/airbags-save-lives-may-sacrifice.html,

I found it interesting that airbags, though helpful in the decrease of fatalities as a result of automobile accidents, have increased the number of eye injuries.

Injuries are caused when the inflated bag comes at you, strikes you in the face and turns your head to the left or right. Or, the when the airbag deploys, it pushes your face back toward the headrest.

Wouldn’t you think that in these two instances, that in some way your eyes, which are not protected, could be in danger? According to the following information that I extracted from the posting, they are.

Five percent of motor vehicle accident victim injuries involve eye trauma caused by facial contact with a deploying airbag. With sudden deceleration the body is moving forward to meet the exploding airbag. That's right, exploding! The airbag inflates in less than 50 milliseconds - faster than a blink. The expanding gas used for rapid airbag inflation is generated by a small controlled explosion inside the dashboard. Wearing a seat belt restrains you and lessens the impact of the airbag which deploys from causing extensive injury to your vision, but vision injuries still occur.

As an additional resource, information was also obtained from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety at:

http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/airbags.html

So, first drive carefully and defensively. Secondly, always wear your seat belt.

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

A Guide Dog With Clout Calls It a Day

2008-04-29T14:24:00.001-04:00

This article was originally published in the City edition of the New York Times, April 20th, 2008

As a person who has used guide dogs for the better part of 18 years, I know that retiring a guide dog is a life changing experience. You either obtain another guide dog, or you revive your mobility cane. I have opted for the latter. In my opinion there is not a more depressing feeling of not only losing a companion, who with unwavering loyalty has guided you for so many years, but also knowing that you are going to have to rely again on the fundamentals of basic orientation and mobility skills to complete your travels. However, the positive side is that you will always have fond memories of your time with your guide dog. This story demonstrates how a wonderful guide dog can give its owner basic independence when traveling and lots of love.

"We’ve been in so many places, and done so many things,"

Kevin Coughlin said of Ruger.

By ALEX MINDLIN

Published: April 20, 2008

THE retirement party, held in a back room at the Church of St. Agnes on East 43rd Street, had all the elements typical of such gatherings: teary photographs, a table piled with small gifts, even two cakes topped with the words “Happy Retirement,” although the retiree was not allowed to taste them.

That did not appear to bother the guest of honor, a squirmy, 11-year-old snow-white Lab named Ruger who, on Thursday afternoon, was snapping up chunks of diced chicken tossed at him by an admirer.

Ruger is a guide dog, and for the past nine years, he has guided Kevin Coughlin, a 46-year-old resident of Murray Hill, around the city. Mr. Coughlin, who lost his sight in 1997 as a result of a genetic condition, has waged several high-profile fights to require businesses in the city to open their doors to guide dogs, as they are required to do by law.

Mr. Coughlin has twice filed complaints with the Taxi and Limousine Commission against cabbies who he said had refused to allow Ruger into their taxis.

In 2002, Mr. Coughlin filed a discrimination complaint with the city against a coffee shop from which he said Ruger had been ejected. In that year, he also let a news producer with a hidden camera trail him as he and Ruger were turned away from various businesses. (“No dog,” said the tout outside a restaurant on First Avenue. “Maybe somebody no like dogs.”)

But Ruger is not as spry as he was. After nearly a decade of trotting around the city, Ruger has developed arthritis. “He has more trouble with stairs now,” Mr. Coughlin explained, rubbing the dog’s back distractedly. Two days after the party, Mr. Coughlin and a friend planned to drive Ruger to his new home, a 30-acre spread with three ponds in Orange County, north of New York, where friends of Mr. Coughlin’s live.

“It’s enormously difficult,” Mr. Coughlin said of the move. “We have a very intimate relationship, because it’s virtually 24/7. We’ve been in so many places, and done so many things.”

At the party, which drew 40 or 50 guests, the conversation naturally turned to Ruger stories.

“Do you know the story about Ruger being attacked by a swan in East Hampton?” someone asked. Adam Brecht, a friend and occasional traveling companion of Mr. Coughlin’s, recalled their stay at the Excelsior hotel in Rome. “Ruger loved it,” Mr. Brecht said. “He had a ‘forward my mail to the Excelsior’ sort of attitude.’ ”

As the stories unfolded, their subject lapped obliviously at a bowl of water. It was 6:30 p.m., almost time to go, and the top of Ruger’s head was stained with lipstick kisses.

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Stopping an intruder does not take sight

2008-04-25T14:41:00.001-04:00

Under normal circumstances, the individual in this story should be commended for being as quick to take action and prevent an intruder from entering his home.

We do not recommend you do this yourself, but always use common sense and dial 9-11 at all times in cases of emergency.

This story originally was seen on Today, on the NBC network.

The next time Allan Kieta thinks there might be an intruder in his home, he's not going to rush blindly into a fight for his life.

The 49-year-old Indianapolis husband and father of two meant that literally when he said it Thursday on TODAY. Kieta really is blind, but that didn't stop him from subduing a would-be burglar 24 years his junior with wrestling moves learned more than 30 years ago.

The battle took place Monday and lasted from 30 to 40 minutes. Kieta wasn't even supposed to be home, but he decided to take a day off from work and sleep in. When his pet poodle started barking hysterically, he got out of bed and, instead of calling 911 on the phone or listening to try to determine who was in the house, he opened the bedroom door and went into the hall - and straight into an intruder.

"He attacked me as soon as I ran into him, it was like a war started," Kieta told TODAY's Matt Lauer in New York. "It was like mayhem for the first few seconds till I was able to get him down. Then things started calming down a little bit."

Some 32 years ago, Kieta had been a champion wrestler in high school, and his father was a Marine who taught his son some tricks of the trade. Since he couldn't see to trade punches with the intruder, Kieta said he knew he had to use his wrestling skills to get the fight onto the floor, where blindness would not be a great handicap.

"In wrestling you have to get control of him, and by doing that you have to go either forward or you have to turn," Kieta said. "We were in the hallway, so there wasn't any way to circle him. So I basically came straight at him until I could get hold of him and pull him down, and I was on top of him."

Kieta acted as if it weren't that big of a deal. Once he got the intruder, later identified as Alvaro Castro, 25, on the ground, he was able to control him. In doing so, he remembered a trick his father had told him about and lifted Castro up by his belt, which forced his upper body down.

The battle went from the hallway through the laundry room and into the kitchen.

During the life-or-death struggle, Kieta kept asking the intruder why he broke into his house.

"He said, 'I was looking for my cat.' I said, 'Your cat? You're in my house!'"

20 tries to dial 911

Castro also said he was looking for Kieta's daughter, 18-year-old Alexandra; he also has a 16-year-old son, Allan III. Kieta later learned that Castro had worked with a crew on their yard three years earlier and had befriended Alexandra and Allan. Kieta figures that Castro thought no one would be home on a Monday morning and the house would be an easy touch.

Once in the kitchen, Kieta dragged Castro to the stove and grabbed a large chef's knife.

"I love to cook and it's sitting right beside the stove to the right," he told Lauer. "The kind of odd thing was, only one knife was left - it was a big one. All the others were in the dishwasher. It was really easy to find it. It was the only one there sticking out of the wooden block."

He held the knife to Castro's throat and went for the telephone. With his right arm wrapped around Castro's neck and near total exhaustion, it took Kieta about 20 tries to dial 911 with his left hand.

He was so frustrated and Castro was so terrified that he offered to dial 911 himself. "He said, 'Please, let me dial it. Please don't kill me,' " Kieta said. But he finally got the three digits right and told the operator his situation.

The 911 tape records him saying, "I have an intruder and right now I have him with a knife."

"Is he trying to fight with you right now?" the operator asked.

"No, I got the knife to his neck," Kieta replied with remarkable calm.Police rushed to the home and arrested Castro. Kieta said his jaw was sore the next day from a few punches Castro got in, but otherwise he feels fine. But, he added, the next time his dog starts barking wildly, he's not going to rush into another fight.

"I probably should have been a little more cautious," he said. "Like maybe not just open the door and charge down the hallway."

Lauer asked Alexandra if she was impressed by what her father had done.

"It's kind of surprising he struggled that long," she said, then added: "But he's pretty beast-like."

She meant it as a compliment

If you would like to see the video of this story,

Link to video:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24289720#24289720

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Cataracts, a clear and present danger

2008-04-21T14:00:00.001-04:00

As a child who was born with cataracts, I found it that the prevalence of cataracts has increased. Two million cataract operations are performed yearly. Read the complete article at:

http://blogs.webmd.com/eye-on-vision/2008/04/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about.html

In the article, the author lists the top ten things you ought to know about cataracts. They are:

1. Age-related cataract is the leading cause of vision loss worldwide.

2. The prevalence of cataracts doubles every decade after age 40.

3. Over the past 20 years the annual number of USA cataract operations has quadrupled.

4. Cataract surgery accounts for 10% of all Medicare reimbursements.

5. In 1980 an average cataract procedure required 45-90 minutes; today that average is closer to 15-20 minutes.

6. If a way could be found to delay the onset of cataract for 10 years half of those cataract operations would never be needed, saving billions in health care spending.

7. Observational studies suggest multivitamin supplements may delay cataract progression.

8. It is unclear if multivitamins are more helpful for people with clear lenses or for those who are already starting to have cataracts.

9. 20 million people are blind from cataracts worldwide and most have no access to affordable cataract surgery.

10. In 1980 most cataract surgery patients spent between 2-3 nights in the hospital. Nowadays most are home in time to make their own lunch.

While I became blind as a result of congenital cataracts, as reported above, 20 million people are blind due to cataracts. It is not specified whether this represents only adult onset cataracts. I, as a proud totally blind American, who is gainfully employed, can only daydream about how my life would have been different if the technology available today was in existence 30 years ago. However, I can say that I am thankful for who I am and happy that for others, cataracts should not alter their lives as they did to individuals like me in the past.

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Free Speech Tool with Microsoft Word 97 and later

2008-04-17T16:46:00.001-04:00

While locating useful information for the ILATechie Blog, I came across a tool that takes an already or new Microsoft Word document and provides you feedback with speech.

Wordtalk is a free tool that enables you to take what you have typed and have the words, sentences, paragraphs and more and have it read to you with synthesized speech. You can also utilize the spell checker and thesaurus to ensure your document is crystal clear when you make a presentation or share it with a colleague or friend.

Read all about Wordtalk at:

http://www.wordtalk.org.uk/

This tool is best utilized by those who are using screen magnification, but are not totally dependent on a screen reader. You can download Wordtalk from:

http://www.wordtalk.org.uk/html/download.html

After reading the online documentation, I found it as precise and thorough and relatively easy to use.

Have fun, and when writing those complicated (SAT) like words, use Wordtalk to listen to them and see if the words are the best fit.

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

The low vision aids industry leader for over 31 years Independent Living Aids provides the tools and technology to enhance, enrich and support active lifestyles. Visit the ILA website, www.independentliving.com for a comprehensive and constantly updated selection of products for the blind and visually impaired including, canes magnifiers talking watches talking clocks large print books Zoomtext magnification software Braille text talking cooking gadgets

What is ICE?

2008-04-10T09:49:00.001-04:00

ICE does not mean it’s cold but In Case of Emergency

This term has appeared recently on most new cell phones, and while setting up a phone for my mother recently, these three distinctive letters popped up on the cell phone to program as contacts that you would like to be called “in cases of emergency.”

As described on Wikipedia, at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_case_of_emergency

ICE originally took origin in 2000. Revived through the efforts of a British Paramedic in May of 2005, it is beginning to become used throughout the North America today.

Allowing first responders, which are individuals who are either Paramedics, Firefighters or Police officers, to contact a family member during the time where you might not be able to communicate effectively.

Since the summer of 2006, FDNY, the largest fire Department in the world, and the City of New York, took steps to ensure, that if you called with a medical emergency, someone would respond to you and provide you accurate and speedy medical assistance. These personnel were designated as “First Responders.” These “first Responders,” could be paramedics, firefighters or police officers. The firefighters and police officers with ongoing training were given the skills to administer first aid medical assistance to anyone at any time.

Programming your cell phone with an “ICE” contact is fundamentally a wise decision, and plain old common sense. If you want and are unsure how to go about creating these useful contacts in your phone, follow the quick steps below to set it up in your phone.

If you are using a cell phone with screen reading or magnification software that provides complete access to all features, open up the “Contacts” folder and locate and choose “New Contact.”

Now that you’re in the “New Contact,” in the “Name” field, label it “ICE1,” and a name of a person who you want to have called first. This could be your Mom, sister, Brother, Wife, Husband etc.

Then enter their phone number in the corresponding field, whether it is Home, Work or Mobile.

Locate and press the Save button or option which will save your information to your Contacts list.

Follow the same steps above for creating additional “ICE: contacts in your phone and rest easier while your out and about and know that “In Case of Emergency,” you are now fully prepared no matter what.

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

ILA Podcasting the 2008 Catalog

2008-03-31T09:42:00.000-04:00

Dateline: Jericho New York

ila presents its 2008 CAN-DO™ Products catalog as a podcast.

What's a Podcast you might say?

A Podcast is an audio blog that allows you to enjoy information at your own convenience on your MP3 player.

How can I get the ILATechie Podcast?

Well, point your Podcatching client or Itunes to the below address, which is our feed.

http://ilatechie.libsyn.com/rss

If you want to just download from our site where the files are housed, you can visit:

http://ilatechie.libsyn.com

There are 28 files representing the different product categories. You can choose from watches, lamps and lighting, magnifiers, health care and much much more.

Other Podcasts will follow and as always, you will be well informed.

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Long Island teacher always sees the light

2008-03-21T13:16:00.000-04:00

Dateline: Farmingdale New York

James C. Hughes, A long Island teacher who is loved and respected by all.

As seen on WNBC New York, an affiliate of NBC news, James C. Hughes was interviewed and shown to be the teacher that any parent who would want their child to be in Jim's classroom.

Jim, a 39 year old father of Sarah and Joseph, and husband of Diana, is an all around person who gives every minute of every day, week, month and year his all.

Jim, blind since the age of three, has never stopped to weigh the negatives that might ordinarily be a barrier in other lives.

Teaching since 1992, Jim has obtained admiration and respect not only from his colleagues, but according to the news story, from the students. Memorizing the seating chart in each of his classes, Jim does not recognize their faces but their voices and through keen observation knows everything that goes on at all times in his classroom.

Did I forget to mention, Jim is totally blind and is one of my best friends. Jim is by far what I consider to be a role model and someone who is absolutely worthy of that distinction.

Link to video:

http://video.wnbc.com/player/?id=231223

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

The ILATechie roundup from CSUN 2008

2008-03-20T16:34:00.000-04:00

Ok, so now that my internal clock, based in New York, is back on track, and I think my sleep schedule is back in order, let's review all that went on at the CSUN Technology Conference in Los Angeles.

Humanware, GW Micro, Serotek, LevelStar, Freedom Scientific, among other assistive technology industry leaders made announcements about new products for all to see, touch, feel and experience at the CSUN Conference held at the Los Angeles Marriott and Renaissance hotels between March 10th and 15th, 2008.

Humanware:
From the announcement released on Wednesday, March 19, 2008:
HumanWare unveils a new talking GPS for people who are blind. The Trekker Breeze is designed for use when traveling in familiar surroundings and provides talking GPS directions that help users know where they are and where they are going whether on foot or in a vehicle. This new model is an addition to the popular Trekker and BrailleNote GPS systems, which have thousands of users worldwide. The Trekker Breeze is small, compact and certainly much more affordable at $895 and might be the solution for you.

Deaf-Blind Communicator:

HumanWare, in partnership with the Washington State Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH), has developed the Deaf Blind Communicator (DBC) which provides three types of communication for deaf blind users: face-to-face, TTY, and SMS Texting. The DBC consists of two separate components that deaf blind users can easily carry wherever they go. These two components communicate wirelessly with each other using Bluetooth technology. The community of the deaf-blind is relatively small, but imagine the opportunity for someone to utilize the BrailleNote MPower and a cell phone to communicate with a store clerk, waiter, etc.

It was reported that the Victor Stream Reader has sold nearly eight thousand units. This unit is vastly becoming the item of choice when wanting to read books from the pilot program of the National Library Service, Bookshare.org, RFB&D, Audible.com, Text and HTML files and much, much more. Additionally, with the recent release of firmware version 1.2, you now can use the Victor Stream with content from the System Access Mobile Network if you are a subscriber.

GW Micro:
If one announcement was not enough, try to digest multiple all in one week.

GW Micro unveiled the Braille Sense Plus, a unit which will retain all the current features of the Braille Sense, and add in an 8 Gigabyte flash drive for use with the GW Micro Sense Navigation GPS solution and built-in Wireless and Bluetooth capabilities.

In addition to that GW Micro also announced the Sense View Duo, which once again retains all the features of the Sense View currently and adds the handwriting camera attachment as a built-in feature. It also has the ability to view objects a distance of seven feet and beyond with magnification.

GW Micro also provided seminars on using Window Eyes 7.0 to use scripting to customize applications which might not necessarily work automatically with Window Eyes.

So the GW Micro staff have been busy at work and I do certainly think they have been listening to customer queries and feedback since the CSUN show in 2007. All items mentioned here are set for release and shipping in May of 2008.

Serotek:
Serotek includes magnification as part of the System Access Screen reader.
Mike Calvo and crew stepped up to the plate and absolutely crushed the pitch right out of the park. Now with your System Access account you have the opportunity to magnify in addition to using System Access as a screen reader. You can magnify from one and a quarter times the normal size of a screen to 6X or 600% larger. This exciting development enables System Access to grow in the arena of providing solutions for both blind and low vision.

LevelStar:
Well, if the Icon is not now fully packed with all that you could ever want, let’s review its newest features! You can read the NLS books, play the protected content from System Access Mobile Network and much more. It is a pocket size PDA which enables you to read books from Bookshare.org, utilize e-mail for sending and receiving, surfing the internet, reading newspapers, playing media files, etc. The newest and attractive feature about the Icon is the docking station which will be out in May. It has a sleek design and the Icon fits right in to the side of it and boasts portability.

Freedom Scientific:
The staff of Freedom Scientific introduced a software demo which will be good through August 2008. This will enable anyone to take the demo disk with both JAWS and Magic on it through the summer shows and see how both Magic and the screen reading capability of JAWS can work together in one package.

These are just a few of the items that different manufacturers unveiled at CSUN. More bits of information will follow in our next posting.

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

A whole new spin on Multi-tasking

2008-03-19T09:20:00.000-04:00

Convert Documents and RSS Feeds into MP3s at ReadTheWords.com

Originally posted by: Fred's Head Companion

"ReadTheWords.com began as a simple concept in January 2008: To assist students with learning disabilities with their studies, by means of auditory learning and auditory processing.

ReadtheWords is a free service that converts text into MP3. All you've got to do is sign up and select what files you want to convert. Read works with PDF documents, Word, HTML files, and even RSS feeds. From there, you'll need to select from one of 15 readers and pick your language; French, English or Spanish.

Next, pick the speed of the reader, your mp3 will be created in minutes. Finally, download your mp3 to your portible MP3 player, post your reading on your blog, make a podcast, or simply listen to it online. It's that easy.

ReadtheWords is definitely one cool and practical application. Not only does it help people with disabilities, it's also great for taking blogs or feeds on the go. You'll be able to listen to your files at work or on the beach. It's perfect for multitasking.

For more information regarding this useful service please visit:

http://www.ReadTheWords.com

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

CSun living up to all its excitement

2008-03-14T08:48:00.001-04:00

Good early morning from the CSun, second full day, and it is planning to be as fun as yesterday.

During the first full day of the largest technology conference, manufactures such as GWMicro and Humanware made several exciting announcements. Read on below.

GWMicro:

GW Micro announces the Braille Sense Plus, Sense View Duo and window Eyes 7.0. More information to follow about all these items and their individual features, so stay tuned!

Humanware:

HumanWare expands its GPS product line for people who are blind, with the new Trekker Breeze

This item is a smaller version of the Trekker GPS solution. More information about how and what it is, so stay tuned.

CSun Technology Conference

2008-03-12T06:51:00.001-04:00

Tis the Day of the 23rd annual California State University at Northridge Technology conference and ILA is preparing for the show.

If you live or are visiting the California area please come and visit ILA at booth 272 and 273 in the Marriott LAX starting tomorrow through Saturday, March 15, 2008.

If you have always wanted to see "products for your Active Independent Lives," then CSun is where you should be.

See you all there.

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

A womens historical observation

2008-03-06T12:47:00.000-05:00

Reprinted from the Fred's Head Companion, Tuesday, march 4, 2008

Women in history is an accessible and unique site, which is full of information and resources to help you learn about women's history in a global, non- U.S., context. Here teachers, students, parents, history buffs, and the interested public can find information on the following topics.

Today's Heroes: Contemporary Nobel Peace Prize winners linked to historic movements and personalities with similar aims.

Biographies: Women rulers, and women who are considered heroes in their countries, and influential women from selected eras.

Interactive: Lessons on commonly taught topics you can use.

Historical background: Essays on selected topics.

Reviews: Reviews of Curriculum created for world history classes.

Book Reviews: Reference, statistics, anthologies, and general history books.

Historical Mysteries: Features females who solve crimes.

Reviews: Check out the Women in World History Curriculum Units.

Q & A: Provides answers to some of the questions visitors have asked about Women's History. Including Using Women in World History Curriculum Units for Homeschooling.

Information: About Us, who the director is and why this project began.

Web Links: Favorite sites for more information about Women's World History, and about contemporary issues.

Women of Courage: A Biography/Art Collaboration - activity demonstrating collaboration between university and highschool classes and the International Museum of Women (IMOW) to forward awareness of both historic and contemporary global women.

Click this link to visit http://www.womeninworldhistory.com.

Women's History Month

"In the early nineteenth century, women were considered second-class citizens whose existence was limited to the interior life of the home and care of the children. Women were considered sub-sets of their husbands, and after marriage they did not have the right to own property, maintain their wages, or sign a contract, much less vote. It was expected that women be obedient wives, never to hold a thought or opinion independent of their husbands. It was considered improper for women to travel alone or to speak in public. With the belief that intense physical or intellectual activity would be injurious to the delicate female biology and reproductive system, women were taught to refrain from pursuing any serious education. Silently perched in their birdcages, women were considered merely objects of beauty, and were looked upon as intellectually and physically inferior to men. This belief in women's inferiority to men was further reinforced by organized religion which preached strict and well-defined sex roles."" <> Site includes:

The History of Women's Suffrage

Timeline

Firsts In Women's Achievement

Resources

Click this link to visit Women's History Month page from The History Channel.

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

DRM, is it it flying away forever?

2008-03-06T12:21:00.000-05:00

Publishers Phase Out Piracy Protection on Audio Books
By BRAD STONE

Reprinted from the New York Times

Originally published: March 3, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO - Some of the largest book publishers in the world are
stripping away the anticopying software on digital downloads of audio
books.

The trend will allow consumers who download audio books to freely transfer
these digital files between devices like their computers, iPods and
cellphones - and conceivably share them with others. Dropping copying
restrictions could also allow a variety of online retailers to start to
sell audio book downloads.

The publishers hope this openness could spark renewed growth in the audio
book business, which generated $923 million in sales last year, according
to the Audio Publishers Association.

Random House was the first to announce it was backing away from D.R.M., or
digital rights management software, the protective wrapping placed around
digital files to make them difficult to copy. In a letter sent to its
industry partners last month, Random House, the world's largest publisher,
announced it would offer all of its audio books as unprotected MP3 files
beginning this month, unless retail partners or authors specified
otherwise.

Penguin Group, the second-largest publisher in the United States behind
Random House, now appears set to follow suit. Dick Heffernan, publisher of
Penguin Audio, said the company would make all of its audio book titles
available for download in the MP3 format on eMusic, the Web's
second-largest digital music service after iTunes.

Penguin was initially going to join the eMusic service last fall, when it
introduced its audio books download store. But it backed off when
executives at Pearson, the London-based media company that owns Penguin,
became concerned that such a move could fuel piracy.

Mr. Heffernan said the company changed its mind partly after watching the
major music labels, like Warner Brothers and Sony BMG, abandon D.R.M. on
the digital music they sell on Amazon.com. "I'm looking at this as a
test," he said. "But I do believe the audio book market without D.R.M. is
going to be the future."

Other major book publishers seem to agree. Chris Lynch, executive vice
president and publisher of Simon & Schuster Audio, said the company would
make 150 titles available for download in an unprotected digital format in
"the next couple of months."

An executive at HarperCollins said the publisher was watching these
developments closely but was not yet ready to end D.R.M.

If the major book publishers follow music labels in abandoning copyright
protections, it could alter the balance of power in the rapidly growing
world of digital media downloads. Currently there is only one significant
provider of digital audio books: Audible, a company in Seattle that was
bought by Amazon for $300 million in January. Audible provides Apple with
the audio books on the iTunes store.

Apple's popular iPod plays only audio books that are in Audible's format
or unprotected formats like MP3. Book publishers do not want to make the
same error originally made by the music labels and limit consumers to a
single online store to buy digital files that will play on the iPod. Doing
so would give that single store owner - Apple - too much influence.

Turning to the unprotected MP3 format, says Madeline McIntosh, a senior
vice president at the Random House Audio Group, will enable a number of
online retailers to begin selling audio books that will work on all
digital devices.

Some bookstores are already showing interest. The Borders Group, based in
Ann Arbor, Mich., introduced an online audio book store in November using
D.R.M. provided by Microsoft. Its books cannot be played on the iPod, a
distinction that turns off many customers. But Pam Promer, audio book
buyer for Borders, said the company welcomed moves by the publishers and
planned to begin selling MP3 downloads by early spring.

A spokesman for Barnes & Noble said the retailer had "no plans to enter
the audio book market at this time."

Publishers, like the music labels and movie studios, stuck to D.R.M. out
of fear that pirated copies would diminish revenue. Random House tested
the justification for this fear when it introduced the D.R.M.-less concept
with eMusic last fall. It encoded those audio books with a digital
watermark and monitored online file sharing networks, only to find that
pirated copies of its audio books had been made from physical CDs or
D.R.M.-encoded digital downloads whose anticopying protections were
overridden.

"Our feeling is that D.R.M. is not actually doing anything to prevent
piracy," said Ms. McIntosh of Random House Audio.

Amazon and Audible would not comment on whether they would preserve D.R.M.
protections on their own audio books, citing Securities and Exchange
Commission restrictions surrounding the recent acquisition.
__________________________________

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Library Takes 'Talking Books' Digital

2008-03-05T10:51:00.000-05:00

Reprinted from the Washington Post for March 5, 2008:

Products for the Blind Migrate From Cassette to Flash Drive

By Christopher Lee Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Judith M. Dixon, a clinical psychologist by training and a sophisticated techie by avocation, is helping to lead the Library of Congress

into the digital age.

Dixon, 55, who gave up university teaching 27 years ago to join the library's National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, is a key player on a team that has been working for the better part of a decade to create a new generation of audiobooks for the library's more than 700,000 registered blind and disabled users.

The goal is to make the digital format the backbone of the library's "talking book"

program by transferring onto special digital flash drives the 60,000 titles that the library has on audiocassettes and giving patrons new machines on which to play them.

"The library system is here because free public library service is a basic tenet of our society," said Dixon, who is blind and navigates with the aid of a guide dog.

"This program is providing access to people who would otherwise not have it."

Under the program, blind and disabled users may obtain audiobooks through the mail from any of the service's more than 130 regional libraries throughout the country.

There is no charge for the books or the players, but to keep the machines, users must check out at least one book a year. The library plans to roll out the new machines and digital books by the end of the year.

One of the new digital cartridges can hold 46 hours of audio. In contrast, a single cassette tape holds six hours -- and then only when recorded at half-speed and on four tracks. Since the typical book is 15 hours long, the new format means all but the longest books can be contained on a single cartridge, Dixon said.

The transformation also is driven by necessity. The cassette tape belongs to a generation of technology whose time has passed. As the library-issued cassette players on which blind users play tapes fall into disrepair, finding spare parts grows harder and harder.

The Library of Congress and its users have been through technological revolutions before. The library began offering audiobooks on long-play records in 1934.

It added

books on cassettes in the late 1960s, but the vinyl era lasted well into the 1980s.

"This transition is probably going to have to happen a lot faster because cassettes just aren't going to be available much longer," said Dixon, who is a consumer relations officer for the library.

The new players resemble the flat, dictionary-size cassette machines of old, with large buttons and a single built-in speaker. The digital cartridge is about the same size as a cassette tape, but it connects to the player via a USB port rather than fitting over two rotating pegs.

Dixon and advocates for the blind say that relying on commercially available books on compact disc or in MP3 format is not an option. Many blind users have difficulty operating the tiny buttons of MP3 players, and the inventory of available books is usually limited to commercially popular titles.

Congress has approved $12.5 million annually for four years to help the program go digital, less than the $19.1 million that the library had sought. That means it will be able to make 3.5 million copies of audiobooks over four years instead of

4.8 million,

officials said. The program's advocates plan to press their case for more money today at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the library's budget.

"The old players will start to break down and the new players will not be available yet, and a lot of patrons are going to experience a halt in service," said Chris Danielsen, a spokesman for the National Federation of the Blind. "The talking-book program is the primary source of reading material for most blind people.

Imagine

if someone told you, 'You know what, you just don't get to read anything for a while.'"

Link to story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/04/AR2008030402485.html

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

A New Era for Accessibility

2008-03-05T09:49:00.000-05:00

Dateline: Orlando Florida

At the recent Assistive Technollogy Industry Association conference, (ATIA, held January 30 through February 2, 2008, the world of accessible and affordable screen reading solutions was made more of a reality then ever before.

Accessibility is a Right, is an organization which has now started what hopefully will be a trend in making screen readers and magnification packages usable by anyone, anywhere, and best of all, "Free!"

When visiting:

http://www.accessibilityisaright.org

you are immediately prompted to click on the accessibility link on the top right, or follow the voice prompts which guides you through pressing a series of keystrokes so you can use a program. The program is called: "SA2Go" which was created and developed by the brilliance of Mike Calvo and Serotek Corporation.

Serotek Corporation is the makers of System Access Mobile, System Access Mobile Network and other exciting products.

If you would like to read more about System Access, and Serotek, visit:

http://www.serotek.com/

The following press release was published announcing this exciting technology!

Nonprofit Launched to Bring Free Accessibility Worldwide

The AIR Foundation committed to 'accessibility is a right'

Orlando, Florida - January 31, 2008 - The AIR Foundation, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. was announced today at a press conference held during the Assistive Technology Industry Association

(ATIA) 2008 National Conference at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando,Florida.

The mission of the foundation is to promote universal accessibility so that

every blind and low-vision person in the world has access to digital information over the Internet and Worldwide Web.

The foundation's executive director, Art Schreiber, also announced that the organization's first offering will be free usage of a Web 2.0 accessible screen

reader. The product is provided through an exclusive license in perpetuity granted to The AIR Foundation from Serotek Corporation, the leading provider of Internet and digital information accessibility software and services. The screen reader is called SA To Go and is powered by Serotek's award-winning

System Access software which provides immediate text to speech, magnified visual, and Braille access to digital information presented through the Web or other means, while the user is directly connected to the Internet. The software does not remain resident on the user's computer when the connection to

the Internet is interrupted or terminated.

Users can obtain access to the free software by calling:

(877) 369-0101

or visiting:

http://www.accessibilityisaright.org/

"The basic tenet of The AIR Foundation is that accessibility is a fundamental human right, regardless of financial or geographic constraints" said Art Schreiber,

executive director of The AIR Foundation, "by allowing the blind and visually impaired to have equal access to computer and Internet information through the free use of an advanced screen reader like SA To Go, we have already taken great strides toward our mission."

The AIR Foundation will solicit funds and contract development of product enhancements including availability in other languages. The organization's first priority is to make SA To Go available in Mandarin Chinese.

"SA To Go is highly intuitive and requires minimal training to use," said Serotek CEO, Mike Calvo, "the user not only has access to information displayed on Web pages, but to Web-based applications such as Internet telephone service, and to applications resident on the host computer. The user can also access PDF files, fill out forms, and otherwise interact with information with the same facility as a sighted person."

The AIR Foundation will operate through the generosity of organizations donating their time, expertise, and funds. It invites other nonprofits, assistive

technology vendors, mainstream hardware and software companies and anyone interested in promoting accessibility as every person's right, to align with the AIR team.

The AIR Foundation

The AIR Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate, teach, and deliver information accessibility tools. We focus on the accessibility needs of blind and low-vision people. Our mantra is "accessibility is a right" and we work with corporations and agencies worldwide to deliver free accessibility

to all. For more information, call:

(877) 369-0101

or visit:

http://www.accessibilityisaright.org/

Serotek Corporation

Serotek Corporation is a leading technology company that develops software and manufactures accessibility solutions. Committed to the mission of providing accessibility anywhere, Serotek launched the first online community specifically designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Since then, Serotek has introduced several powerful, affordable solutions that require minimal training and investment. For more information, visit:

http://www.serotek.com

Independent Living Aids Inc.

"Products for your Active Independent Lives"

Contact the ILA Techie

Independent Living Aids

SoundBytes.com

All Things ILA Tech Blog

Who Knew Science could be fun when drinking soda pop

2008-01-15T12:40:00.000-05:00

Three Fun Things to do With Soda Pop (besides drink it

this article originally appeared in the Fred's Head Companion blog, on January 10, 2008.

If you are a parent are you constantly searching for fun things to do with your children?

The following three items are things to do with soda pop, they are not only fun, but you can explain to your children some scientific concepts.

Raisin Race

If you're going to serve your family a treat of soda pop, you might want to make it more exciting by first having a raisin race. This game requires clear soda, so forget the Coke or Root Beer. Try Sprite, 7-up or Ginger ale. You will also want clear drinking glasses.

Fill each glass with an equal amount of soda. Tip the cup sideways and pour gently to minimize the fizzing. You want all the fizz still in the soda!

On the word go, everyone drops a raisin into their glass. The raisin will sink to the bottom. After sitting on the bottom for a few seconds, the raisins will quickly rise to the surface. First person's raisin to the top wins!

Now you can fish out the raisin and then drink the soda.

Why do the raisins float? Because the carbon dioxide bubbles collect on them and that increases their buoyancy.

Volcano

This experiment uses only soda and salt, but you won't want to drink it when you're done.

Pour some soda into a teacup. Set the teacup inside a big bowl or plastic container that will collect the spills.

Quickly dump a teaspoon of salt into the soda. Watch the soda erupt!

Why does this happen?

Normally, the carbon dioxide in the soda gradually forms little bubbles which rise to the top of the soda. When the salt is dumped in, the carbon dioxide grabs on to the grains of salt all at once and you have a stampede group exit.

Candy Straws

This one does involve drinking the soda, but it's certainly a little different. Pour soda into glasses and then let your kids drink it through a red licorice straw. Buy the licorice that's like a tube in the middle. Bite off each end and then you have a candy straw for a double treat.

For extra fun, sprinkle in a few Pop Rocks candy and watch them fizzle. Don't put in too many, or you might get an overflowing mess.

Independent Living Aids
Products for Your Active Independent Life!

Email your questions to TechSupport
Read the "All Things Tech ILA" Blog
Visit Independent Living Aids on the Web!
Visit SoundBytes.com

Long Island Regional Braille Challenge

2008-01-07T10:19:00.000-05:00

The below article was published on Sunday, January 6, 2008, in the Long Island Newsday:

http://www.newssday.com

. The below competition took place on Saturday, January 5, 2008. As these competitions are becoming regular events throughout the United states, I as a long time reader am comforted to know that the medium of Braille, which has always been a constant in my life, is far from dying, and it breathes new life in to literacy for all.

Dateline: January 6, 2008

Local students compete in Braille contest
BY CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ

Sitting at a wooden desk, her eyes straight ahead, Amanda Baker, 12, ran her fingers over a bar graph printed on a sheet of paper. She slid her fingertips to the top of a bar, then traced a line to the left where she felt raised Braille dots.

Ready with her answer to the charts-and-graphs question in the regional Braille Challenge, Amanda, of Massapequa, turned to a Perkins Braille, a typewriter-like machine for writing Braille, and punched a few keys.

Amanda, who is visually impaired, was one of 14 Braille-reading students from Long Island and the metropolitan area to participate in yesterday's competition.

"We need to show sighted people that we can do things," Amanda said. She later won third place in her age group.

The daylong event at W. Tresper Clarke High School in Westbury was the first of 27 regional competitions across the country, involving about 550 students, said Nancy Niebrugge of the Braille Institute, the national nonprofit that sponsors the event. Clarke is the first Long Island school to host a regional competition, she said.

The students, in grades 1-12 at various levels of Braille proficiency, volunteered to spend their day taking tests on reading comprehension, spelling and other skills.

The top 60 students from all regional contests will be invited to compete in the June national finals in Los Angeles, Niebrugge said.

"This is one of the rare occasions where these kids who are accommodated so often finally get a chance to compete," she said.

The competitors, many of whom attend public school and are placed in classes with their sighted peers, said they welcomed the chance to meet others with visual impairments.

"It feels different than what I'm used to," said Zulay Valencia, 12, of Corona, who is legally blind. "I'm not really around visually impaired kids." She placed second in her age group.

In another classroom yesterday, Michael Taylor, 8, of Westbury, ran his fingertips across a sheet of paper that appeared blank. But it was covered in Braille characters, and as he read it, Michael's lips moved.

Last year, Michael made it to the finals. He didn't place but said he feels lucky to participate. "If I wasn't blind, I wouldn't be going to this thing," he said. Michael earned second place in his age category yesterday.

Prizes were geared toward the visually impaired and included "Dora the Explorer" crayons with Braille characters.

Braille dots, which signify everything from words to math symbols, equal literacy for the blind and visually impaired, said Sheila Amato, who organized yesterday's event and teaches in the East Meadow district.

"Reading and writing informs the world," she said. "For a blind child, that's how they're going to do it."

Independent Living Aids
Products for Your Active Independent Life!

200 Robbins Lane
Building A, Suite 100
Jericho, NY 11753
Phone: (516) 937-1848-x313
Fax: (516) 937-3906

Email your questions to TechSupport
Read the "All Things Tech ILA" Blog
Visit Independent Living Aids on the Web!
Visit SoundBytes.com

Can the pitch in your voice determine how your smiling?

2008-01-06T07:09:00.000-05:00

Discovery News

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Smiling? You Can Hear It in the Voice

By Jennifer Viegas

Smiling affects how we speak, to the point that listeners can actually identify the type of smile based on sound alone, according to a new study that also determined some people have "smilier" voices overall than others.

Caption: The Duchenne Smile

The research adds to the growing body of evidence that smiling and other expressions pack a strong informational punch and may even impact us on a subliminal level.

"When we listen to people speaking, we may be picking up on all sorts of cues, even unconsciously, which may help us interpret the speaker," lead author Amy Drahota told Discovery News.

Drahota, a research fellow in the School of Health Sciences and Social Work at the University of Portsmouth,

LINK:

http://www.port.ac.uk/departments/academic/shssw/

and colleagues Alan Costall and Vasudevi Reddy recorded volunteers as they went through a rather silly interview that required them to utter the words, "I do in the summer" -- no matter the question.

Examples of questions included, "Do you ever sunbathe?" and, "Do you go skinny dipping?"

"The question schedule was deliberately built up to begin serious and then become gradually more amusing and strange, and potentially slightly embarrassing," Drahota explained.

"All the while the speakers were 'admitting' what they do in the summer -- even if it wasn't true -- and additionally the interview must have seemed most peculiar to the speakers and this would have made them smile."

The researchers videotaped the volunteers and then categorized their smile types. It's believed that some 50 different types of smiles exist, ranging from triumphant ones to those that convey bitterness. For the purposes of this study, however, the scientists focused on four types.

Drahota described the first as an open smile "in which the lips are drawn back, the cheeks are raised and crows-feet wrinkles appear around the eyes." Technically this is called a Duchenne smile, which may be the truest and most intense of all.

The second smile type is like the Duchenne, only minus the "smiley eyes." The third is a suppressed smile, "where the speaker is trying to hide their smile by pulling their lips in or down as they speak." Finally, they denoted times when the speakers weren't smiling at all.

The audio for the interviews was then played back to another group of test subjects. Even without seeing the speakers, the listeners were usually able to identify the type of smile the speaker made as he or she went through the wacky interview.

The findings have been accepted for publication in the journal Speech Communication.

Drahota and her team suspect our smile-sense has to do with changes in pitch.

"When we listen to speech we hear the general pitch, and people associate a rise in pitch with more smiley sounding voices," she said, adding that "we might also be picking up on more subtle cues, like the spread of frequencies within the voice, and how intense the voice is."

A person with a naturally short vocal tract may therefore sound more smiley than others at all times.

How we perceive such smiles may influence our behavior.

Piotr Winkielman, associate professor of psychology at the University of California at San Diego, unconsciously primed some of his study participants with happy faces.

To do this, he showed them photos of faces. Pictures with the happy faces flashed by quickly, before the viewers could consciously detect them, while neutral faces were presented for longer periods. The photo viewers were then offered a drink and asked how much they would pay for it.

Volunteers primed with the subliminal smiles drank more and offered to pay up to triple the price of the offered beverage, which was just a sugary Kool-Aid mixture.

"This is the first demonstration that you can influence consequential, real-world behavior without affecting conscious feeling," Winkielman said. "We can change what you do without changing how you feel."

In future, studies on smiles and other expressions might improve synthetic voices used for disabled individuals. They could also benefit a host of other applications, such as computer games, automated phone systems, text-to-speech technologies and more.

Independent Living Aids
"Products for your Active Independent Life!"

E-Mail TechSupport
Independent Living Aids
SoundBytes.com

How accessible are the Iowa Caucuses

2008-01-03T15:24:00.000-05:00

Dateline Iowa:

The first step in electing the next President, but are the Caucuses accessible for all?

On this third day of January, 2008, while all the reporters are shivering but still reporting from bitterly cold Iowa, the heartland of America will begin the wonderful process of choosing who could be our next President.

Iowa, for many years, has selected, via caucuses, a Democrat, an individual who could very well be our next President. As I remember it in 2004, Howard Dean sprang in to hysterics when he won, but later on the campaign trail fizzled out.

Let’s review “The 101 on Caucuses” according to

http://www.cnn.com

Most Americans are familiar with how elections work -- secret ballots, an 18-year-old age requirement, all-day voting. But that's not how the Iowa Democratic caucuses on Thursday will work. When the Democratic caucuses begin at 7PM sharp, Central Time, in school gymnasiums, libraries, churches, farm houses and other locations in the 1,781 precincts across the Hawkeye state, step one will be to stand up and be counted.

The first step is when prompted, to get up out of your seat and go walk to the corner or space by the wall designated for the candidate of your choice.

After this first step, party officials will determine if a candidate meets the 15 percent "threshold" requirement.

Supporters of candidates making up less than 15 percent of the vote in a particular precinct will have the option of making their vote count by voting in the second tally for a "viable" candidate -- one that got at least 15 percent of the vote on the first tally.

This process, though archaic, is one which has determined many of our leaders throughout history.

Did you know? Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Bill Clinton in 1992, did not win in Iowa, but went on to become President of the United States.

So, how might the caucuses be accessible? Accessibility varies from person to person, depending on their level of willingness to participate in the systematic way of voting. Though there are many experimental ways for those who are blind or low vision to vote in the General election, the Caucuses present a straight forward approach for opportunities to participate without having any specific reasonable accommodations made.

Imagine, not having to have someone assist you in the polling place, and all you have to do with your dog guide or cane is move to specific spots of a room to determine which candidate you want. Of course, knowing where exactly you might need to stand might be a mobility nightmare, but the democrats in Iowa certainly have made this precious and historical method of voting very simple, and I believe very accessible.

So, let’s see what happens when the snow in Iowa settles at the end of this day.

Feed those who are hungry in the world online

2007-12-27T10:21:00.000-05:00

I came across a noble thing recently while browsing the internet for new items of interest for the blog and ILA. While I visited Tom Lorimer's WhiteStick Web site at:

http://www.whitestick.co.uk

Tom has on his home page, an online game called:

"Play the Free Rice game,"

You can find it at:

http://freerice.com/

This game is an online accessible game which asks you to choose the right definition to a word. Not only can you expand your vocabulary, but you contribute to the United Nations work on feeding the hungry in the world.

Its not all Grey Matter

2007-12-26T08:52:00.000-05:00

This morning, while sitting and reading through the precious emails while at work, which are not spam, I saw this post from a doctor that I felt was useful for everyone to read. It seems that the show in the 1980's, "That's Incredible," was ahead of itself and certainly futuristic in its reporting. Read on and this comes to the ILATechie as a result of my subscription to the "BlindNews," email list. Thanks to Geoff and Wen Stevens for all their hard work.

***Huffington Post, NY, USA

Monday, December 24, 2007

The Brain Without Wires

By Deepak Chopra

The notion that the human brain is "hard-wired" was a favorite theme even up to recently, because it helped explain how certain behaviors were determined by genes. We were told that depression, addiction, even obesity were not the result of choice or environment. Rather, these and a host of other behaviors were rooted in the brain and ultimately in a person's DNA. Poplar articles continue to appear on how women's brains are wired differently from men's, or the teenage brain from either children's or adult's. This theory was always a half-truth, and now evidence is arising to show that the brain may be much more flexible than was supposed, which is good news for anyone who believes in freedom of choice as well as consciousness itself.

One need only turn to the work of the late Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita from Mexico, who attracted general scorn thirty years ago when he suggested that the brain was capable of "sensory substitution." That is, a blind person could learn to "see," for example, by substituting the sense of touch for the sense of sight. Braille already gave a clue that something akin to this audacious idea was possible, but Dr. Bach-y-Rita went much further. By the time of his death at 72 last year, he had developed a mechanism known as a "Brain Port," a small paddle that fits on the tongue. Using a grid of 600 electrical points attached to a camera, the Brain Port can deliver a picture to the tongue of whatever the camera sees. This picture consists of electrical impulses that activate touch, yet after some practice, the blind person's brain actually sees the image.

As proof, MRIs have shown that the visual cortex of the blind person is lighting up when signals are sent to the tongue. In a recent PBS spot, the viewer could watch blind patients throwing a tennis ball into a trash can from 20 feet and walking a curving path without going out of bounds. But sensory substitution goes farther. A woman who had lost her sense of balance thanks to the side effect of an antibiotic could not be helped by drugs or surgery because the entire vestibular labyrinth in the inner ear had been rendered completely useless. Yet by training with the Brain Port, which told her tongue when she was upright and when she wasn't, she regained her balance.

And here comes the most remarkable part. Over time, her brain had learned to rebalance so well without using the inner ear that the woman could walk and ride a bike without wearing the Brain Port device at all. The complexity of the vestibular system that controls equilibrium is extreme, and yet much or all of it found a substitute. Not only has Dr. Bach-y-Rita proved his point that the brain is much more flexible than supposed, his research suggests that the brain is much more creative as well, and therefore more mysterious. For after all, how does an organ that is mostly water and is governed entirely by electro-chemical impulses know that a person needs a new way of sensing the world, one that so far as we know wasn't necessary to human evolution?

Happy Holidays from the ILATechie

2007-12-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

Season greetings from the ILA Techie--

On this last Friday and just before Christmas 2007, and I would like to extend to all the readers of the "AllThingsILATech" blog a very joyous holiday season and Happy New Year.

I personally am blessed to have the opportunity to share with all of you the many things I learn and enjoy sharing with all of you.

The management and staff of IndependentLiving Aids wishes for all of you and your family and friends a very joyous holiday season, and hope that its safe, full of good health and happiness.

Tips for an Easier Googling Experience

2007-12-14T16:45:00.000-05:00

While I was sitting in the Tech Lab one December Friday, working and listening while at ILA, I came across a few interesting things!

A while back, a web site surfaced for those who wanted to search on Google.com for items which would be accessible.

A developer at Google created a search tool within Google that when used would provide results which would serve the needs of those who utilize items and tools that are accessible.

So, if you are a screen reader, magnifier or other Assistive/Accessible Technology user, check out:

http://labs.google.com/accessible/

This Accessible Search Engine will bring up results to help you find what your looking for and with a nice twist, without the Google "Sponsor Results."

The Second and last tip is:

For those who want just the text directions of where your going and without the maps or pictures, check out the below link, and after entering your start and ending points, you will only get the text directions of where your going.

http://maps.google.com/?output=html

That is all from the ILATechie, enjoy and use these easy tips.

New Day, All new PodCast

2007-12-14T11:44:00.000-05:00

In the Northeast, we are embracing for the second of two storms which will bring snow and whatever else comes with it.

needless to say, the management and staff of Independent Living Aids are hard at work during this holiday season.

The ILATechie is feverishly producing and expanding the types of multi-media that will be offered to all of you in the future.

So to keep you well informed, check out the ILATechie PodCast at:

http://ilatechie.libsyn.com

If you are a screen reading or magnification user, and use a PodCatching client, paste in the below URL to subscribe automatically to the ILATechie Podcast:

http://ilatechie.libsyn.com/rss

finally, if you utilize an IPod, and ITunes, use the below link to subscribe to the ILATechie PodCast via ITunes, and most of all, enjoy.

itpc://ilatechie.libsyn.com/rss

Guide Dogs are never finished working: America's VetDogs and U.S. Army Participate in Historic Project

2007-12-13T11:54:00.000-05:00

PR Newswire, New York
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

America's VetDogs and U.S. Army Participate in Historic Project

SMITHTOWN, N.Y., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in the
history of the United States Army, therapy dogs, provided by America's
VetDogs, will be deployed to Iraq to help relieve combat stress of soldiers
in the field. Two black Labrador Retrievers will work with a
multidisciplinary team of Army professionals to address mental health issues
when they arise in theater.

Says Major Stacie Caswell, commander of the 85th Medical Detachment,
"Dogs have been the unsung heroes of our war efforts. Bringing therapy dogs
into Iraq will take dogs to the next level on the battlefield. The therapy
dogs will be another method that our Combat Stress teams can use to break
down mental health stigma - to assist soldiers so that when they go home
'Iraq is not on their backs.'"

Anecdotal evidence has existed for years that pets provide positive
health benefits, i.e., blood pressure and stress reduction, but more
recently, scientific studies have been conducted to determine the validity
of pet therapy.

Handlers from the 85th Medical Detachment are currently on orders in
Smithtown, N.Y. working with VetDogs for training before returning to Iraq.
Budge and Boe will provide emotional comfort through physical interactions
such as playing fetch or simple petting. America's VetDogs is assured that
Boe and Budge will be safe.

On Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 11:30 a.m., there will be a formal
presentation ceremony and press conference at VetDogs headquarters on the
Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind campus.

America's VetDogs is honored to make the gift of these special canines
to the Army's 85th Medical Detachment, and proud to be called to serve the
valiant men and women who serve our country.

America's VetDogs, a subsidiary of the Guide Dog Foundation for the
Blind, offers guide and service dogs to veterans of all eras. A major
component of the program is to provide service dogs to members of the
military recently wounded in combat.

http://www.VetDogs.org

Contact:
Jeff Bressler Bill Krol
631-930-9051 (office) 631-930-9034 (office)
516-840-7011 (cell) 516-459-9702 (cell)
jeff@vetdogs.org bill@vetdogs.org

SOURCE America's VetDogs

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-12
-2007/0004721566&EDATE=

Independent Living Aids
Products for Your Active Independent Life!

Email your questions to TechSupport
Visit Independent Living Aids on the Web!
Visit SoundBytes.com

Independent Living Aids, inc. and SoundBytes announce Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas

2007-12-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

PRweb.com (Press Release)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Independent Living Aids, inc. and SoundBytes announce Last Minute Holiday
Gift Ideas

ILA and SoundBytes offer a variety of independent living aids that make
excellent gifts.

Jericho, NY (PRWEB) December 12, 2007 -- The time is coming near, but
shoppers can avoid the stress of last minute holiday shopping by visiting

http://www.independentliving.com
and
http://www.soundbytes.com

independent living aids, inc. the oldest privately-held, mail-order company
in the United States of products for individuals who are visually impaired
or blind and SoundBytes, their division specializing in products for those
who are deaf and hard of hearing, today have announced their list of last
minute gift suggestions for this year's holiday season.
It is really easy to use.
"We know shopping at this time of year for parents, grandparents and other
loved ones is a major challenge," says Michael Abramowitz, Managing Director
of SoundBytes, "Providing some guidance and ideas should hopefully help
those who are still searching for that perfect gift."

Gift ideas include:

COMPLY WHOOMP! EAR BUD ENHANCERS (HED064) $19.95. These noise-canceling ear
bud enhancers offer great bass, great comfort and a great fit. Sounds are
enhanced and unwanted noise is reduced. They clip over the ear bud headset
included with iPod and other audio devices.

DELUXE TALKING MICROWAVE BY HAMILTON BEACH (756800) $139.95. Finally a
factory manufactured talking microwave that a blind user has declared, "It
is really easy to use." A notched knob guides the user to setting the cook
time and when you push a button on it, asks you to set the minutes and then
the seconds.

SONIC BOMB! AND SWEETHEART ALARM CLOCKS WITH BEDSHAKERS (SA802, SA605)
$42.95. Designed specifically for girls or boys of all ages, these clocks
feature a loud 113db alarm and a pillow shaker to wake those you love.

VIBRATING AND TALKING TRAVEL ALARM CLOCK (756013) $19.95. This petite,
battery powered travel alarm clock has a talking function and both an
audible and vibration alarm. It speaks all setting functions, plus the time,
day, date, month and year in a loud male voice. Includes a countdown timer.

CLARITY C120 WIRELESS TV AMPLIFIER (011440) $129.95. Featuring ClarityR
PowerT technology and 50 dB of amplification, the C120 TV Amplifier will
help you to hear the television clearly and comfortably without disturbing
others.

LADY'S AND MAN'S LOW VISION TALKING WATCHES (314140, 313140) $39.95. Stylish
watches with a two-toned gold and silver case and band. These talking watch
offer a clear voice, and voice feedback setting. One button 'Simply Talking'
watch simply talks, without confusing buttons or settings, and the setting
buttons are recessed to avoid accidental resetting. The classic face is
high-contrast black numbers on a white background, with bold black hands.

About independent living aids, inc. (ila)

Based in New York, ila is the oldest privately-held, mail-order company in
the United States of products for individuals who are visually impaired or
blind. Over thirty years of providing essential aids with superb service has
made ila a trusted source of products for the blind and visually impaired.

About SoundBytes

Soundbytes is a catalog, web and retail-based division of independent living
aids, inc., specializing in providing assistive hearing equipment for Deaf
and Hard of Hearing individuals and the agencies that serve them. In
addition, they assist businesses with ADA compliance. SoundBytes offers
amplified telephones, TTYs, FM systems, household notification systems,
hearing aid batteries, maintenance equipment, and other assistive living and
communication products.

Contact:
Michael Abramowitz
independent living aids, inc. / SoundBytes

###

Independent Living Aids
Products for Your Active Independent Life!

Email your questions to TechSupport
Visit Independent Living Aids on the Web!
Visit SoundBytes.com

New Promotion for victor Reader Stream Users

2007-12-13T10:28:00.000-05:00

when the conventions for the American Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind were held earlier this year, HumanWare a provider of Assistive/Access product solutions for those who are blind and low vision, introduced the victor Reader stream. This among the line of Victor audio players that Humanware has marketed over the years, is poised to revolutionize how individuals listen to audio books.

The Victor Reader Stream, is available from Independent Living Aids,

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=757850DS

With the most recent software update, any Victor Reader User, now can Download Audible.com books and listen to them as well.

Not to be trumped in any way, the National Library Service Pilot program which now boasts over 8600 books of a wide variety of subjects, are also available for Victor Reader Stream users to listen to their heart's content.

Additionally, coming at the end of December, 2007, Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) will have a software update for the Victor Reader Stream users, to play RFB&D books for approximately $20.

http://www.rfbd.org/

Below is an announcement from Humanware, indicating a promotion for Audible.com and users of the Victor Reader Stream!

Dear Victor Reader Stream Customer:

We are pleased to advise you of an Audible promotion for Stream customers. If you are not already an Audible member and would like to try Audible books on your Stream, Audible is offering you a free 14 day trial of Audible Listener Gold membership which includes one free download book. As a VR Stream user you can now explore over 140,000 hours of digital audio editions of books, newspapers and magazines from the leading provider of spoken audio on the internet, .

For more information visit

http://www.audible.com/humanware

Leading ICT players form Accessibility Interoperability Alliance

2007-12-13T09:51:00.000-05:00

Note: This was originally posted on the BlindNews Mailing list, a email list
which provides news stories for and about the blind.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Leading ICT players form Accessibility Interoperability Alliance

A coalition of leading information and assistive technology companies have
formed the Accessibility Interoperability Alliance (AIA), an engineering
working group dedicated to enabling developers to more easily create
accessible software, hardware and Web products. Those solutions will reduce
barriers to information and communication technologies that currently exist
for people with disabilities in today`s increasingly digital world.

AIA members will collaborate on specific engineering projects intended to
increase interoperability between existing technologies, and will design new
technologies or solutions to resolve many of the long-standing challenges
associated with developing accessible products. The group`s results are
expected to yield improved developer guidelines, tools and technologies;
lower development costs; and increase accessibility innovation throughout
the industry.

"Today, developers must work across divergent platforms, application
environments and hardware models to create accessible technology for
customers with disabilities," said Rob Sinclair, director of the
Accessibility Business Unit at Microsoft. "The AIA is an opportunity for the
entire industry to come together to reduce the cost and complexity of
accessibility, increase customer satisfaction, foster inclusive innovation,
and reinforce a sustainable ecosystem of accessible technology products."

Founding members of AIA include information technology companies such as
Adobe, BayFirst Solutions LLC, Microsoft and Novell; hardware companies such
as HP; and assistive technology companies such as Claro Software. More
information about the AIA can be found at
http://www.AccessInteropAlliance.org

http://212.21.97.148/magsites/cd/content/text/industrynews.asp?offset=20&Art
icleID=5128
BlindNews Mailing List
Subscribe: BlindNews-Request@FreeLists.org with "subscribe" as subject

Unsubscribe: BlindNews-Request@FreeLists.org with "unsubscribe" as subject

Moderator: BlindNews-Moderators@FreeLists.org

Archive: http://GeoffAndWen.com/blind

RSS: http://GeoffAndWen.com/BlindNewsRSS.asp

Independent Living Aids
Products for Your Active Independent Life!

Email your questions to TechSupport
Visit Independent Living Aids on the Web!
Visit SoundBytes.com

When the weather outside is frightful, and your cane is so delightful?

2007-12-07T15:24:00.000-05:00

Oh, guess I am enjoying to much of the season and listening to Christmas music.

The below excerpt was provided by reading the "Fred's Head Companion,"

http://fredsheadcompanion.blogspot.com/atom.xml

blog. Thanks to APH and Carolyn Neifert, a frequent reader of the "Fred's Head Companion," blog for her research on this way to keep your hands warm and still use your cane.

Winter Orientation and Mobility Tip
Cane mittens can be made or purchased but here's a quick fix for those cold winter lessons. Using a car ice scraper that comes with a mitt, remove the scraper and the cane can be inserted in the opening. The mitt will offer additional protection for the hand while using the cane. The mitt is a one size fits all with elastic at the top to hold it in place. A glove can be worn on the hand for additional warmth before inserting in the mitt. The car ice scraper is available in many stores including some dollar stores. (One was purchased this season at Dollar Tree).

Carolyn says, "I haven't tried it yet, and I may make some changes like adding velcro or snaps so it can attach to the cuff of the coat, and be one less thing to have to keep track of. I think it will come in handy when someone doesn't want to take the time to put on gloves or mittens, but still have a warm cane hand for short periods of being outside, like going from the school bus into school, or from the car to the store, or out to the mailbox".

Independent Living Aids
Products for Your Active Independent Life!

Email your questions to TechSupport

Visit Independent Living Aids on the Web!
Visit SoundBytes.com

What is the abacus and more

2007-12-07T13:38:00.000-05:00

A Brief History of the Abacus

Abacus is a Latin word that has its origins in the Greek words abax or abakon (meaning "table" or "tablet") which in turn, possibly originated from the Semitic word abq, meaning "sand" 1.

Why does the abacus exist?
It is difficult to imagine counting without numbers, but there was a time when written numbers did not exist. The earliest counting device was the human hand and its fingers. Then, as larger quantities (larger than ten human-fingers could represent) were counted, various natural items like pebbles and twigs were used to help count. Merchants who traded goods not only needed a way to count goods they bought and sold, but also to calculate the cost of those goods. Until numbers were invented, counting devices were used to make everyday calculations. The abacus is one of many counting devices invented to help count large numbers.

For more information on the origins of the Abacus, visit:
http://www.ee.ryerson.ca:8080/~elf/abacus/history.html

How to use an Abacus
All heaven beads which are on the top are pushed up and all the earth beads, which are the beads on the bottom are pushed down.

The Heaven beads, each worth 5
The Earth beads, each worth 1

The Abacus utilizes a combination of two bases of math, (base-2 and base-5) to represent decimal numbers.

It is held horizontally with the smaller deck of beads at the top. Each bead on the top deck has the value 5 and each bead on the lower deck has the value 1. The beads are pushed towards the central crossbar to show numbers.

Working from right to left, the first vertical line represents units, the next tens, the next hundreds and so on.

So for example to show the number 9, on the first line, one heaven bead (top deck) would be moved down (representing 5 units) and 4 earth beads (bottom deck) would be moved up (each representing 4 units). To show the number 79, in addition to the beads in the first line used to make the number 9, one heaven bead would be moved down and two earth beads would be moved up on the second line, representing 5 tens and 2 tens respectively.

Addition on the abacus involves registering the numbers on the beads in the straight-forward left-to-right sequence they are written down in. As long as the digits are placed correctly, and the carry's noted properly, the answer to the operation immediately presents itself right on the abacus.

For more information on detailed calculations using the Abacus, visit:
http://www.educalc.net/144267.page

Abacus (disambiguation).
An abacus (plurals abacuses or abaci), also called a counting frame, is a calculating tool for performing arithmetical processes, often constructed as a wooden frame with beads sliding on wires. The user, called an abacist, slides counters by hand on rods or in grooves.[1] It was in use centuries before the adoption of the written Hindu-Arabic numeral system and is still widely used by merchants and clerks in China, Japan, Africa and elsewhere.

For more information, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacus

This information is furnished to you by the ILATechie, and Independent Living Aids!
Check out our current weekly and holiday specials at:
http://www.independentliving.com

Independent Living Aids
Products for Your Active Independent Life!

Email your questions to TechSupport
Visit Independent Living Aids on the Web!
Visit SoundBytes.com

Original Voice Diary

2007-12-04T16:27:00.000-05:00

Did you ever think where have all those organizers gone that I use to have?

Lets go back, back in to time!

The Voice Diary is a completely User Friendly electronic organizer that has
been designed for the blind and visually impaired. Each key is shaped
differently for easy tactual recognition and a clear voice prompt
accompanies every keystroke. The compact unit measures 5 1/2" x 2 1/4" x 1
1/4" and weighs 6-1/4 oz.

It has 2Megabit of memory, 30 minutes of recording time and runs on
rechargeable batteries;

(Batteries and charger are included).

Its features include:

* Appointment calendar
* Memo pad
* Daily "to do" list,
* Talking calculator
* Talking clock
* 127-name phone book
* Tone dialing

Additionally, it can be linked to a computer with the provided serial cable
for storing data.

The kit for linking to your computer and carrying case are included. Stock
is limited and their is only a 30 day warranty available.

Pricing and availability for the Original Voice Diary is:

Original Voice Diary

ILA Item: 833150

Special Pricing: $44.95 + shipping by UPS of $7.95, for a grand total of $52.90

If you would like to place your order by phone, call Independent Living Aids inc., at:

(800) 537-2118

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American express. Additionally, if you would like to utilize PayPal, you can do so by sending email to:

techsupport@independentliving.com

If you have any questions regarding any of these listed items or any of ILA's products, please contact us by email below.

Independent Living Aids
Products for Your Active Independent Life!

Email your questions to TechSupport
Read the "All Things Tech ILA" Blog
Visit Independent Living Aids on the Web!
Visit SoundBytes.com

Get it now, Get it quick, Items for the Holidays from ILA

2007-12-04T16:17:00.000-05:00

Season Greetings from the Management and Staff at ILA--

Below you will find items that we have a limited quantity of, and absolutely must go, go, go. Hesitation will have you wishing you had not waited!

Check out these hot deals:

Musical Thank You Card

ILA Item: 058518

Available Items: 12

Special Pricing: $.075

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=058518

16" Singing Birthday Bear
ILA Item: 058622

Description: Happy Birthday' Singing Bear - Even if it isn't your birthday, this plush, plump 16 inch high little guy will make you happy when he sings 'Happy Birthday'. You press his paw to hear him belt out the entire song while being accompanied with instruments. His lips open and close in conjunction to the words he is mouthing. To keep him going, you need to insert 3 AA batteries (Not Included)
Items Available: 21
Special Pricing: $6.95

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=058622

Travel Pocket Slate and Stylus

ILA Item: 126705

Description: This tiny 4 line, 15 cell plastic slate and stylus kit fits easily into a purse, backpack or brief case. Slate measures 4.5 x 1.75 inches. Store it in the included protective case.
Available Items: 95
Special Pricing: $3.57

http://www.independent living.com/prodinfo.asp?number=126705

Slit - A - Bag

ILA Item: 142175

Description: An indispensable little gadget that tears the plastic bags in which just about everything you use is now packaged. It measures 2.5 inches, has a tiny protected blade and a magnet to conveniently place it on your refrigerator or stove. **CLOSE OUT***
Available Items: 636
Special Pricing: $.045

http://www.independentliving.com/prodinfo.asp?number=142175

Purchasing:

All items indicated above are based on a quantity of (1) and all items ordered do not include shipping and handling charges. For Independent Living Aids Terms and conditions, visit:

http://www.independentliving.com/terms.asp

the preferred method of Shipping from ILA is by UPS ground, the pricing for shipping is as follows:

$15.00 or less $4.95
$15.01 to $49.99 $7.95
$50.00 to $99.99 $9.95
$100.00 to $199.99 $12.95
$200 or more $18.95

If you would like to place your order by phone, call Independent Living Aids inc., at:

(800) 537-2118

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American express. Additionally, if you would like to utilize PayPal, you can do so by sending email to:

techsupport@independentliving.com

If you have any questions regarding any of these listed items or any of ILA's products, please contact us by email below.

Santa goes audio

2007-11-28T16:50:00.000-05:00

As you can tell by the sounds emanating from every store in every corner of every shopping center in the world, it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

The ila Techie found the following treat that all children, be they sighted, blind or visually impaired, will love.

Bill Teale and the Audio Network is an old friend to ila and he offers a new spin to the traditional way of having a child write a letter to Santa.Santa
Claus is anxious to receive those letters from all the boy and girls throughout the world. Starting November 26th the Audio Network will be offering free
audio letters to Santa Claus. As in previous years, a child can send an e-mail to the Audio Network, and members of Santa’s workshop will record a personalized
individual greeting message for each child, plus a sing-a-long song.

Santa's Recording studio will be open on Monday November 26th and he is eagerly waiting for all those letters. To send your letter to Santa and the elves
in his state-of-art recording studio, please send them to:

santa@pressakey.net

If you would like to visit the Audio Network online store for other items of interest, please visit:

http://pressakey.net/catalog

Your Friends at ila are committed to providing you bits of useful information that can assist you in leading an active independent life. For more information
about ILA or Soundbytes products, please visit:

www.independentliving.com

www.soundbytes.com

Independent Living Aids
Products for Your Active Independent Life!

Email your questions to TechSupport

Welcome to the "All things low and high tech from ILA"

2007-11-27T15:40:00.000-05:00

It’s a new day, and this day will be reserved in the archives as the day a “new blog” was created!

Oh no, not another blog!

Oh yes, but this blog brings a special twist to it!

“A special twist?” you say!

Yes, it’s a blog where posts will be about “All things low and high tech from ILA!”

“ILA,” who are they?

A good question! ILA is “Independent Living Aids Inc.,” the oldest privately held mail-order company in the U.S. that provides products for those who are:

· Blind

· Low Vision

· Hard of Hearing

· Deaf

· Seniors and others

“What makes this blog so different from others?”

Another good question! The “All things low and high tech from ILA,” blog will illustrate, in a unique way, many of the products that we sell, which are “products for your active independent lives.”

On this day, Tuesday, November 27, 2007, which is the 330^th day of this year, note these other interesting calculations:

§ 28,512,000 seconds

§ 475,200 minutes

§ 7920 hours

§ 47 weeks (rounded down)

If you would like to calculate duration of date and time via an online calendar, visit:

http://www.timeanddate.com/date/duration.html

On this day, ILA celebrates the birthday of Marvin Sandler, who is President of Independent Living Aids Inc. Happy birthday Marvin, and many happy and joyous returns.

So, now that you know who ILA is, if you would like to read the history of ILA, go to:

http://www.independentliving.com/history.asp

ILA and its excellent customer service representatives are hard at work during this busy holiday season, with bright smiles on our faces celebrating Marvin Sandler’s birthday.

You can read this blog and learn about many exciting products that we offer. Oh yeah, do not forget, you might even see a sneak preview of a deal that ILA might be having, so stay tuned and read, read, read!

Always thinking of you and yours,

ILA Tech Support

techsupport@independentliving.com