Serotek Introduces iPhone Application for the Blind
Minneapolis, MN – Serotek Corporation, the leading provider of internet and digital information accessibility software and services, introduced a third-party iPhone application today specifically designed for those who are blind or have low vision. Now available in the App Store, the application is called iBlink Radio™ and is the first such application to be introduced in the world.
The iBlink Radio allows people to listen to podcasts, radio stations and reading services produced by and for the blind community.
The reading service section of iBlink Radio provides audio versions of newspapers, magazines and periodicals for anyone unable to read the printed page, regardless of disability. Daily newspapers include USA Today, Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
Listeners can also access all known radio stations owned and operated by the blind, and the podcast section offers topics ranging from technology to cooking.
“The iPhone is a great platform for doing just about anything, whether it be learning something new or just jamming to some great tunes,” said Mike Calvo, CEO, Serotek Corporation, “iBlink Radio represents all that and more; it marks another step toward inclusion for all.”
While the application offers a convenient way for the blind community to stay connected, the application is available to everyone, blind or sighted. In addition to being of great interest to those who are blind or have partial sight, iBlink Radio is also invaluable resource to family members, friends and professionals serving this community.
Serotek Corporation develops software and manufactures accessibility solutions under the System Access brand.
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Florida School for the Deaf and Blind Relies on Digital Accessible Books and Free Software for Multisensory Learning Experience
Paula Brannon, Assistive Technology (AT) Instructor for The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind relies on digital accessible books as part of her daily instruction for many reasons. Mrs. Brannon, who is visually impaired, is a big fan of multisensory learning.She is proud of her school’s mission to provide students with accessible books and credits Bookshare, the world’s largest online accessible library for individuals with qualified print disabilities, to make this goal a reality. Mrs. Brannon knows firsthand what it’s like to carry boxes of cassette tapes from class to class and the frustration students feel as they try to keep up with their studies. “When I attended school, I never knew what page we were on or where the questions were located in a printed book,” she said. “It’s difficult for students using tapes to read along with sighted peers.I felt aggravated and thought I wasn’t as smart as others. I don’t want our students to have this experience.Digital files can level the learning field for those who are blind or visually impaired.” The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind serves 200 students from the ages of 4 to 22 with print disabilities.These students require various assistive technologies and reading materials to be successful.This year, the school will access more digital books to accommodate a range of students’ needs; from reading for pleasure, like the new Twilight series, to reading required English literature, to studying a state textbook, like the one a 10th grader just downloaded from Bookshare called the Handbook of Writing, to study for the FCAT (Florida Comprehension Assessment Test). “Students stand at my door complaining that our library ran out of copies of Twilight, a popular teen series about vampires,” Mrs. Brannon said. “Thanks to Bookshare, we have the option for digital text so that they can read the series together and chat about the story with friends. This is good resource for finding popular titles for teens.” Mrs. Brannon encourages students who read Braille to also use a variety of assistive technology tools on the Bookshare website.These assistive technology applications are free for qualified students thanks to a funding award by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the U.S. Department of Education. The software allows students to display text in an enlarged font or to read from a refreshable Braille display. Students can hear the audio read aloud, as they follow along in Braille. They can choose to download the Acapela voices (male or female synthesized speech) to hear the book’s content read in an engaging voice.“We know that students who are blind use their auditory senses to learn,” she said. “We teach Braille and print literacy, so students can underline a passage, bookmark a page or jot down a study note to prepare for a test.” In 2004, Bookshare became a pet-project of this instructor. She worried that if her students did not have access to digital books and the tools and skills to use them, they would not be given the digital learning opportunities to succeed once they entered the workforce.She saw a growing trend in digital media to support people with disabilities and great potential in Bookshare to access thousands of digital books.“Fewer than five percent of books come in digital format today,” she said.“Now, our students access more books and utilize the technologies to read them.” Mrs. Brannon can typically find the book she needs on Bookshare without having to scan the book in her production facility.The library holds over 50,000 books and periodicals.This saves her time and saves her school resources and dollars.“Bookshare is well-designed and fits easily within my school process,” she said.“Students get a digital book when they need it rather than wait for weeks.To have the latest teen titles keeps my students asking for more pleasure reading; that’s a great side benefit to learning.” “For the record,” she said, “I’m a stickler about copyright laws. The Bookshare organization holds its staff, volunteers and partners to the highest standards to protect and maintain legally scanned books in its library. This makes me confident that we are handling the privilege given to individuals with print disabilities written in the Chafee Amendment.”
Bookshare meets the requirements of U.S. Copyright Law (17 U.S.C. § 121,) referred to as the Chafee Amendment, and its agreements with publishers and authors by requesting all members to provide proof of a qualified print disability.The organization protects publishers’ copyrights and guards against illegal sharing through a proprietary Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology. The Bookshare DRM technology fingerprints and maintains a record of every book downloaded to identify potential misuse and copyright infringement. Should illegal sharing or other misuse occur, Bookshare will take corrective action. Recently, Mrs. Brannon became excited about Bookshare working with the NIMAC (The National Instructional Materials Access Center).The NIMAC is a central textbook repository established by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).The NIMAC collects textbooks and educational materials from publishers in a standard electronic file format, called NIMAS (National Instructional Materials Accessible Standard).Mrs. Brannon relies on her state’s authorized user of the NIMAC, the Florida Instructional Materials Center, (FIMC-VI) to assign the NIMAS files to Bookshare where she can download the books.She sees the need for NIMAS files expanding this year. On a personal note, in her quest to make access to digital books a benefit for all persons who are blind or visually impaired, Mrs. Brannon signed her husband up for an individual Bookshare membership.He is without sight and she thought this would be an excellent gift. Bookshare offers a variety of membership options for schools, organizations, qualified students and individuals. To register visit http://www.bookshare.org/signUpType
About Bookshare
Bookshare, www.bookshare.org,isthe world’s largest accessible online library for people with print disabilities.Through its technology initiatives and partnerships, Bookshare seeks to raise the floor on accessibility issues so that individuals with print disabilities have the same ease of access to print materials as people without disabilities.In 2007, Bookshare received a $32 million five-year award from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), to provide free access for all U.S. students with a qualified print disability. The Bookshare library now has over 50,000 books and serves more than 60,000 members.Bookshare is an initiative of Benetech, www.benetech.org, a Palo Alto, CA-based nonprofit that creates sustainable technology to solve pressing social needs.
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