Our search for Windows tutorials includes those produced by the Iowa
department for the Blind, as will be presented at the upcoming CSUN
conference.  Production of the tutorials is made possible by a federal
grant from the United States Department of Education.  If you check out
the tutorials and find them to be helpful and valuable, be sure to send a
note to Judy Heumann, mailto:[log in to unmask] expressing the need you
have for such tutorials and how these tutorials have benefited your life,
such as helping to get a promotion, keep a job or obtain one.  Judy
Heumann is the Assistant Secretary of Special Education and Rehabilitation
Services and can influence funding and research priorities.  There is no
monetary cost to these tutorials, but to keep them coming requires a
brief engagement in the civic arts.

for Pine 4.0 users and above, clicking on the mailto link above will
automatically put Judy Heumann's e-mail address in the to field of a new
e-mail message, with no cut and pasting required. The message is ready for
you to compose.  The url of the home page is below.

kelly

                     IOWA'S PROJECT ASSIST WITH WINDOWS

                 Karen Keninger - [log in to unmask]
                   Shan Sasser - [log in to unmask]
                       Iowa Department for the Blind
                   524 Fourth Street, Des Moines IA 50309
                        www.blind.state.ia.us\assist
     _________________________________________________________________

The Problem

   One of the greatest challenges blind computer users face when they
   move into the Microsoft Windows environment is learning to use the
   Windows programs and the screen reading application that provides
   access to those programs. The problem lies in the need to use keyboard
   commands in a "point and click" environment and the complexity of the
   Windows programs. Add a sophisticated screen reading package, and the
   result is an exponential increase in the difficulty of acquiring
   competent computer skills.

   A blind computer user has a great deal to learn both in terms of
   keystrokes and reading and input strategies to use Windows software
   effectively. These keystrokes and strategies differ widely among
   screen readers. Training materials to facilitate this learning process
   have not been readily or universally available, nor have they
   addressed the specific combination of screen reader application and
   Windows program that the user must learn.
     _________________________________________________________________

The Solution

   Project ASSIST with Windows, sponsored by the Iowa Department for the
   Blind and funded by a grant from the Office of Special Education and
   Rehabilitation Services - Department of Education, is addressing this
   need for appropriate training materials. The purpose of Project ASSIST
   is to create and disseminate tutorials, configuration files, and
   documentation for using Windows-based programs with a screen reader
   application. Each tutorial focuses on a different combination of
   Windows program and screen reader application. These materials enable
   individuals who are blind to choose from among several reputable
   screen reading packages and leading Windows programs, and then learn
   to use the software they choose.

   The materials cover Windows 3.1 and Windows 95, major screen reading
   applications including JAWS for Windows, Window Bridge, WinVision,
   Window-Eyes, and more, and the following Windows programs: Microsoft
   Office Suite, Corel WordPerfect, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and
   Netscape Navigator. The tutorials provide step-by-step instructions
   and are available on cassettes, as well as in electronic formats that
   can produce Braille or large print versions. All materials created by
   the project are posted on the project's web site at
   www.blind.state.ia.us/assist where anyone can download and utilize the
   information. Since the first tutorial was finished in May 1997, 1,363
   tutorials have been distributed on tape and approximately 3,100
   tutorials have been downloaded from the web site. (Figures compiled
   September 1998.)
     _________________________________________________________________

Presentation Overview

   We would like to present Project ASSIST with Windows during a one-hour
   session at the Technology and Persons with Disabilities conference
   sponsored by California State University at Northridge. This
   information will be useful to professionals in the blindness field as
   well as to blind individuals.

   The presentation will be made by two members of the project team and
   will cover the following topics: 1. Project Design. We will discuss
   the purpose of the project and provide an overview of the project
   goals.
   2. Selection process for the screen reading and application software
   packages. We will review the methods we used to determine which screen
   reading and Windows programs we chose to use and to determine the
   priority for development.
   3. Processes used in researching, creating, and distributing training
   materials. We will provide an overview of the development process we
   use to create our tutorials and the method we use to distribute the
   materials.
   4. A demonstration of the training material. The bulk of the
   presentation will be devoted to demonstrating portions of the
   tutorials. The demonstration will give the audience a preview of the
   unique step-by-step instructions and the strategies incorporated into
   the information that allow the user to use the programs effectively.
   5. A discussion of the research to date. We will review some of the
   training issues and problems we have encountered as the tutorials were
   developed.
   6. Future plans. We will end the presentation with a brief discussion
   of where the project is headed.
   We will have available copies of all training material developed to
   date. This includes the following tutorials:

     Windows 3.1 with JAWS For Windows 2.0 Tutorial for Beginners

     Windows 3.1 with Window Bridge 2.1 Tutorial for Beginners

     Windows 3.1 with WinVision Solo Tutorial for Beginners

     Windows 95 with JAWS For Windows 2.0 Tutorial for Beginners

     Windows 95 with Window-Bridge 2.3 Tutorial for Beginners

     Windows 95 with Window-Eyes 2.1 Tutorial for Beginners

     Windows 95 with WinVision 97 Tutorial for Beginners

     Word 6 with JAWS For Windows 2.0 Tutorial for Beginners

     Word 6 with Window-Bridge 2.3 Tutorial for Beginners

     Word 97 with WinVision 97 Tutorial for Beginners

     Word 97 with Window-Eyes Tutorial for Beginners

     Word 97 with JAWS For Windows Tutorial - Intermediate

     Netscape Navigator 4.03 with JAWS For Windows 2.029 Tutorial for
   Beginners

     Netscape Navigator 4.03 with Window-Bridge 2.5 Tutorial for
   Beginners

     Excel 97 with JAWS For Windows 3.2 Tutorial for Beginners

     Excel 97 with Window-Eyes 2.1 Tutorial for Beginners

     Using Access 97 Databases with JAWS For Windows Tutorial for
   Beginners

     Using Access 97 Databases with Window-Eyes Tutorial for Beginners

   This project is not intended to provide comparisons among, or
   recommendations of, screen reading software. Its aim is to allow blind
   consumers to choose their own software and then have training material
   available so they can learn to use it.
     _________________________________________________________________


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