The Conversion To Digital Television And The Blind and Hard of Hearing
User
The following article is worth reading as it provides information and
resources useful in making the conversion to digital television by those
of us with disability issues. The WGBH - Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family
National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) has published a new Outreach
and Policy Paper, Digital Television and Video Description: Service
Continues, Consumer and Industry Efforts Required Most consumers are
just now becoming aware of the mandated transition from analog to
digital broadcasting scheduled for February of 2009 and how it will
affect the TV viewing that they rely on daily. Blind or deaf consumers
who purchase digital TV sets, and subscribe to cable, satellite or
fiber-optic TV services have expressed frustration with set-up,
reception and incompatibility problems regarding access services
(captioning and video description) , few of which are understood or even
documented by manufacturers and retailers. In addition, people who want
to continue receiving free over-the-air broadcasts using their analog
sets and an antenna must purchase a set-top converter box to do so - and
figure out how to make captions and descriptions work for them. NCAM
previously published an overview of problems confronting deaf or
hard-of-hearing people trying to access captions via DTV or through a
converter box. The "DTVCC" paper can be found on NCAM's Web site listed
below. This new paper focuses on challenges facing blind or low vision
viewers who rely on video description to enjoy and fully understand
television programming. Topics covered include:
- Set-top Converter Boxes
- Accessible Menus
- Tips for Finding Video Description in DTV
- Troubleshooting
- and a Technical Note about PSIP (or Program and System Information
Protocol) This paper, along with much more information about the DTV
conversion from a variety of resources, can be found at NCAM's DTV
Access site, http://dtvaccess.org or http://ncam.wgbh.org/dtv We want to
hear from you... NCAM has established a one-way e-mail address,
dtvaccess@wgbh.org , as an aggregator of complaints and problems related
to the DTV rollout. If you send a report about a DTV access problem to
this address, you will receive an automatic response that says that your
report has been received and that we are gathering information but
cannot respond to your inquiry, and that we will pass along common
issues to relevant parties. About NCAM and WGBH The WGBH - Carl and Ruth
Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media is a research,
development and advocacy entity that works to make existing and emerging
technologies accessible to all audiences. NCAM is part of the Media
Access Group at WGBH, which also includes The Caption Center (est.
1972), and Descriptive Video
Service(r) (est. 1990). For more information, visit
http://access.wgbh.org . WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public
broadcasting producer, the source of fully one-third of PBS's prime-time
lineup, along with some of public television's best-known lifestyle
shows and children's programs and many public radio favorites. For more
information, visit the WGBH Web site, http://wgbh.org . Mary Watkins
Director of Communications and Outreach Media Access Group at WGBH
mary_watkins@wgbh.org http://access.wgbh.org One Guest Street Boston, MA
02135 617 300-3700 v/fax 617 300-2489 TTY WGBH Boston informs, inspires,
and entertains
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Accessible Devices The Conversion To Digital Television And TheBlind and Hard of Hearing User
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
FW: Please join us for our Fundraiser "Harmony Cafe" Friday August 8th at 7PM
Just Playn Dixieland to perform at Harmony café
Friday August 8th
His dream center located in Nags Head 7- 9 Pm Tickets cost 5.00 and include endless coffee from Southern Bean and NY Cheesecake compliments of NY Pizza.
Just Playn Dixieland performed first Friday in Manteo and has performed at the Front Porch Cafe in Manteo. They will be performing at the Southern Shores City Board Appreciation day picnic on September 27th.
Band Members are:
Gary Clark (Band Director), trombone (not playing - out of town)
Barbara Clark, banjo (not playing - out of town)
Bob Fielder, tuba; Mei Mei Cook, clarinet; Ali Jones, trombone;
Dock Sawyer, trumpet; Paul Liesiewicz, saxophone
Chris Jolly, drums; Larry Keeler, keyboard, trombone
Harmony Café is a fundraiser for GEM adult Day Services, Inc. and The Nags Head lion Club to support their projects to assist Dare County Residents with eye care and respite services.
For more information about the Nags Head Lions Club call club Secretary Angelo Sonnesso at 252-202-1190. For more information about GEM’s Therapeutic Respite for older adults with memory loss call Gail Sonnesso at 480-3354.
Gail E Sonnesso M.S.
Executive Director
GEM Adult Day Services Inc.
Where group Respite is therapeutic for both our participants, and their families.
(252) 480-3354
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.526 / Virus Database: 270.5.6/1578 - Release Date: 7/28/2008 5:13 PM
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Harmony Café
Harmony Café
Eat out & join us for Great Music, Dessert and Coffee only… $5.00
A Coffee House sponsored by GEM Adult Day Services, Inc and the Nags Head Lions Club Continues begin their monthly Open Mic Night series Friday July 11 at 7pm at His Dream Center, 205 Baltic St in Nags Head with featured artists Nick Hodsden noted baritone, guitarist and songwriter & Angelo Sonnesso, tenor and keyboardist.
Compete for the “Peoples Choice Award” the winner receives a tee shirt.
Coffee, supplied by Southern Bean owner Eric Gardner, and delicious homemade treats (supplied by Lions Club and GEM members) will be available for a $5 donation.
This coffee house will be the fourth of our monthly series, held on the 2nd Friday of the month. Those interested in signing up for the open Mic may call Angelo at 202-1190 to reserve a time slot for the evening. Walk-ins are welcome.
Proceeds from the coffee house will support the Nags Head Lions Club in their projects providing services for children and adults with visual problems and GEM’s programs supporting Dare County citizens with dementia and their care givers.
For more information about the GEM’s Harmony Café call Gail Sonnesso at 480-3354.
Gail E Sonnesso M.S.
Executive Director
Monday, June 30, 2008
FW: Accessible Devices Recently Released: Web Anywhere
This is all the information we currently have about this.
The University of Washington has issued the following announcement:
Online service lets blind surf the Internet from any computer, anywhere
Visions of future technology don't involve being chained to a desktop
machine. People move from home computers to work computers to mobile
devices; public kiosks pop up in libraries, schools and hotels; and
people increasingly store everything from e-mail to spreadsheets on the
Web. But for the roughly 10 million people in the United States who are
blind or visually impaired, using a computer has, so far, required
special screen-reading software typically installed only on their own
machines. New software, called WebAnywhere, launched today lets blind
and visually impaired people surf the Web on the go. T he tool developed
at the University of Washington turns screen-reading into an Internet
service that reads aloud Web text on any computer with speakers or a
headphone connection. "This is for situations where someone who's blind
can't use their own computer but still wants access to the Internet. At
a museum, at a library, at a public kiosk, at a friend's house, at the
airport," said Richard Ladner, a UW professor of computer science and
engineering. The free program and both audio and video demonstrations
are at: http://webanywhere.cs.washington.edu
Ladner will demonstrate the tool next week in Dallas at the National
Federation of the Blind's annual convention. WebAnywhere was developed
under Ladner's supervision by Jeffrey Bigham, a UW doctoral student in
computer science and engineering. The research was funded by the
National Science Foundation. Free screen readers already exist, as do
sophisticated commercial programs. But all must be installed on a
machine before being used. This is the first accessibility tool hosted
on the Web, meaning it doesn't have to be downloaded onto a computer. It
processes the text on an external server and then sends the audio file
to play in the user's Web browser. "You don't have to install new
software. So even if you go to a heavily locked-down computer, say at a
library, you can still use it," Bigham said. In May, Bigham was named
the winner of the Accessible Technology Award for Interface Design for
the Imagine Cup, a student programming contest sponsored by Microsoft
Corp. The prize comes with $8,000 and a trip to Paris in early July. For
the past month WebAnywhere has been available on request. Bigham said
he's received inquiries from librarians who would like to make all their
machines accessible on a limited budget. He's also had interest from
teachers who struggle to find the time to locate free software, get
permission to install it on a school computer and then maintain the
program so that a single computer is accessible to a visually impaired
student. This software would make any computer in the lab instantly
accessible for Internet tasks. The Web-based service also eliminates the
need for local technical support: there is no software to install or
update because each time a person visits the site he or she gets the
latest version. To test the software, researchers had people use the
tool to do three things typically done at public machines: check e-mail,
look up a bus schedule and search for a restaurant's phone number.
People using WebAnywhere were able to successfully complete all three
tasks, using a variety of machines and Internet connections. Like other
screen readers, WebAnywhere converts written text to an electronically
generated voice. So far the system works only in English. But the source
code was released a few weeks ago and a Web developer in China has
expressed interest in developing a Chinese version. The UW team plans to
create updates that will allow users to change the speed at which the
text is read aloud and add other popular features found in existing
screen readers. The service is currently hosted on a server at the UW
campus. Bigham is also working with Benetech, a Palo Alto, Calif.,
technology nonprofit that distributes free electronic books, to make its
collection of more than 30,000 books accessible to blind users without
them having to install any screen-reading software. He believes this
could be the first of many Web-based accessibility tools. "Traditional
desktop tools such as e-mail, word processors and spreadsheets are
moving to the Web," Bigham said. "Access technology, which currently
runs only on the desktop, needs to follow suit." Ken Pope
Angelo Sonnesso M.A. M.S.
Social Worker for the Blind
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Taking away the keys is a difficult choice
forward
to family members, friends and colleagues who might like to receive this news update.
Families also face a tough decision when to take away the keys.
possible.
of a 13-year-old girl caring for her mother with Alzheimer's.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion
of brain health. Learn more at
www.alz.org/.
here.
Monday, May 12, 2008
six red hot tips to get your articles read
There are many people who dread having to write papers or articles. Many
just feel like it seems to be too much work and it all just goes to waste
when no one reads it. To some people, reading articles seems like work
especially if the article is boring and very bland.
Well, articles are supposed to be read, that's their purpose to impart your
message and information. If it is not read then it is a waste of time and
effort.
But all the same, articles have to be written to be read. It's just a matter
of making them good. Making a good article doesn't have to be strenuous and
straining. There are just some points needed to be reminded of, and some
guides to follow.
Once you get the hang of it, writing articles could be fun, as well as
profitable for you and your site.
Of course, writing articles must be about something you know about, that's
why if you own a site, you probably are knowledgeable about that certain
topic and theme. When you write about it, you wont have a hard time because
you already know what it is and what it's about. It's just a matter of
making your articles creative and interesting.
To make sure that your articles get read and are enjoyed, here are six red
hot tips to get your articles read. These tips will make your articles
readable and interesting.
1) Use short paragraphs. When the paragraph are very long, the words get
jumbled in the mind of the reader just looking at it can get quite confusing
and too much of a hard work to read. The reader will just quickly disregard
the paragraph and move on to much easier reading articles that are good to
look at as well as read. Paragraphs can be a single sentence, sometimes even
a single word!
2) Make use of numbers or bullets. As each point is stressed out, numbers
and bullets can quickly make the point easy to remember and digest. As each
point, tip, guide or method is started with a bullet or point, readers will
know that this is where the tips start and getting stressed. Format you
bullets and numbers with indentations so that your4 article wont look like a
single block of square paragraphs. Add a little bit of flair and pizzazz to
your articles shape.
3) Use Sub-headings to sub-divide your paragraphs in the page. Doing this
will break each point into sections but still would be incorporated into one
whole article. It would also be easy for the reader to move on from one
point to another; the transition would be smooth and easy. You will never
lose your readers attention as well as the point and direction to where the
article is pointing.
4) Provide a good attention-grabbing title or header. If your title can
entice a persons curiosity you're already halfway in getting a person to
read your article. Use statements and questions that utilize keywords that
people are looking for. Provide titles or headers that describe your
articles content but should also be short and concise.
Use titles like, Tips on making her want you more, or How to make her swoon
and blush .You could also use titles that can command people, for example,
Make her yours in six easy Ways. These types of titles reach out to a
persons emotions and makes them interested.
5) Keep them interested from the start to the finish. From your opening
paragraph, use real life situations that can be adopted by the reader. Use
good descriptions and metaphors to drive in your point, just don't over do
it. Driving your examples with graphic metaphors and similes would make it
easy for them to imagine what you are talking about. Making the experience
pleasurable and enjoyable for them.
6) Utilize figures when necessary and not just ordinary and insipid
statements. Using specific facts and figures can heighten your article
because it makes it authoritative. But do not make it too formal, it should
be light and easy in them and flow. Like a friendly teacher having a little
chat with an eager student.
Well there you have 6 ways to get articles read and send more traffic to
your website or blog. For other ways to send targeted traffic to your sites
please visit: http://TrafficTransformer.com
(This article can be used on your own blog or website just make sure to
include a reference to this page or MarkFlavinBlog.com)
New, Push-Button Technology Builds Your List Automatically!
Make Money StartingMinutes from Right Now!
http://tinyurl.com/38486q
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Harmony Café
Harmony
Café
Harmony Café an evening of music, coffee, tea and desserts continues our
monthly Music and Open Mic Night series May 9 Friday 7pm at His Dream
Center, 205 Baltic St in Nags Head with featured artist Jim Kelly. Jim has
shared his music with GEM participants and our GEM family and his easy down
home county style combined with gospel and a little bit of Rock and roll is
a crowd pleaser. Join us for dessert and coffee and some great music.
Our April café with headliner Kim Kalman was well attended and the musicians
commented how great it was to be actually listened to by the audience. Guest
appearances by Ellen Berg, Capt Rick, Nick Hodgen and Angelo Sonnesso
offered a variety of musical styles to the evening.
Coffee, supplied by Southern Bean owner Eric Gardner, and delicious homemade
treats (supplied by Lions Club and GEM members) will be available for a $5
donation. Games such as checkers and dominos will be available. Thanks to
generous business owners and club members we have some wonderful raffle
items.
This coffee house is the second of our monthly series, held on the 2nd
Friday of the month. Those interested in signing up for the open mic may
call Angelo at 202-1190 to reserve a time slot for the evening. Walk-ins are
welcome.
Proceeds from harmony Café will support the Nags Head Lions Club in their
projects providing services for children and adults with visual problems and
GEM's programs supporting Dare County citizens with dementia and their care
givers.
For more information about the GEM Coffee House call Gail Sonnesso at
252-480-3354.
Nags Head Lions Club
Angelo Sonnesso
252-202-1190
Angelo@angelomuisc.com
GEM Adult Day Services Inc.
Gail Sonnesso
252-480-3354
gemdayservices.org
Angelo Sonnesso M.A. M.S.
Social Worker for the Blind
