Dear Listers,

As Assistant in the Training of Special Educators at the New York State Resource Center for Visually Impaired, I have been encouraged to present a vision of the future (pun intended) regarding technology to be used to produce alternate media for visually impaired students in the future.  

I have been asked to prepare a briefing paper (not to exceed 5 pages) on the use of technology to improve the provision of materials to students who are visually impaired.  This paper would include the latest advances, including equipment, software and Internet possibilities for online resources and download of various media.  I am to estimate the types of expenditures needed and the capacity building anticipated to make the technology available.

I highly value the opinions represented on this list, as I feel that you are among the best-informed and experienced human resources available to help me address this vision.  Any suggestions or resources you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

My first reaction to my charge would be to employ a two-pronged approach.  The first would be to develop alternate media production centers across the state, equipped to serve schools and colleges as well as libraries.  The second would be to develop the human resources to produce the alternate media at these centers.

The equipment at these centers would include computers loaded with scanning, screen reading, screen magnification and braille translation software, along with additional auditory access such as RealPlayer and WinAmp, and the capacity to burn CD's for storage of large quantities of e-text and tactile graphics files.  Quality scanners, laser printers with double-sided capability for producing customized large print documents in various font typesand sizes, with customized kerning (spacing) and contrast using various types of papers would also be provided, along with heavy-volume/high speed interpoint and interline capable embossers and tactile graphics devices and media.  

I would also like to explore e-text possibilities with Roadrunner and refreshable braille devices, various means of making the Web more accessible to students, as well as MP3 technology, if applicable, but I don't know enough about these, so I especially request your ideas in this regard.  I also would appreciate your suggestions as to specific companies/models and/or specifications on the above-listed equipment, so that I can estimate costs.

This brings me to the second prong of my approach - human resources.  In addition to continuing to promote the availability of alternate media in schools and libraries at ALL levels, including the colleges, I have already proposed the development of a new State Education Department certification of Educational Alternate Media Specialist.

As the volunteer braillists are "aging out," just at a time when certified transcribers are most needed, I believe we need to "put our money where our mouths are" in supporting not only the Braille and Alternate Format legislation (and extending this to include college level textbooks, PLEASE!) but also paying transcribers according to their value to our students!

In New York State, we recently passed the Blind Student's Literacy Rights and Education Act.  The Alternate Format Bill is hopefully next on the Governor's desk to sign.  

I would personally like to see the State Education Department develop a certification entitled Educational Alternate Media Specialist, which requires a minimum of the NLS Literary and Nemeth Code Transcribing and Proofreading certifications, in addition to a course in producing tactile graphics, a course in the use of technology to produce braille, tactile graphics and large print for visually impaired and learning disabled students (using scanners and braille trnslation programs such as Duxbury), as well as the use of electronic text with screen readers, and perhaps also the NLS training in audio book production.  

This specialist would supervise typists who would prepare materials for electronic reading or translation into braille or large print, prepare tactile graphics and proofread all materials before they are delivered to students.

When I proposed this to the local community college, they were very excited about the program, and suggested that this be a two-year associate degree program, which could transfer toward a four-year education degree, perhaps as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI), as TVI's are desperately needed nationwide.

I especially need data on employment opportunities for braille transcribers, and I feel that these are much stronger at the college level, as K-12 materials are much more readily available in braille than materials at the college level.  College professors most often prefer texts that are "hot off the presses" and therefore not yet available in braille.  Therefore, I envision these transcribers (I prefer the term "Alternate Media Specialists, as they would also provide large print and auditory media to VI and LD students) working for both local community colleges and school districts or BOCES, providing textbooks primarily at the college level and handouts at all levels as needed, including worksheets, maps, graphs, and diagrams, etc.

Just as an aside, I speak from personal experience, as my husband is a braille reader and obtained a bachelor's degree in 1994 with only part of one braille book available during his entire four years of college, brailled front to back in spite of the fact that the professor began in the middle of the book.  The rest of his courses involved a few books from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and the rest was with readers.

Any thoughts on this anyone?


P.S. I have already asked the following questions of the colleges:

1) How many braille readers and how many large prin readers do you currently serve at your college?
2) Do you have difficulty obtaining textbooks and other materials for these students in the appropriate media (braille, large print or auditory)?
3) What types of alternate media and/or assistive technology do you offer at your college?
4) What types of alternate media and/or assistive technology do you WISH you could offer?
5) If an alternate media production center were available to you, would you avail yourself of its services?
6) Would you be interested in BECOMING an alternate media production center as part of a statewide network of regional centers?
7) Would you be interested in offering a certificate program to train alternate media specialists?

- Judi Piscitello, TVI, COMS
Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Orientation & Mobility Specialist
Assistant, Training of Special Educators
NYS Resource Center for Visually Impaired
2A Richmond Avenue
Batavia, NY 14020
(716) 343-8100 ext. 427
FAX (716) 343-3711


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