Nycareerzone.org
This website, developed by the Department of Labor, can help you
learn more about what's available out there in the job market.
You can use it to help assess your strengths or weaknesses and
determine what career might be best for you. Active job seekers
will especially appreciate the fact that the site helps you create and store
resumes online; it can also take you to job search engines.
CCVI P has added a seminar on using nycareerzone to its
Winter/Spring semester. The seminar will be held in March and May of
2007; please see our catalogue for details.
accessibIe-devices.com
The Accessible Devices website provides a good range of information
about electronic access technology articles that may not have been
carried by the mainstream press. When visiting their website, don't forget
to check out the audio chat site. If you're interested
in participating in their weekly event, you will need to take out a free
membership.
Web Browsing getting a little easier
Key search engines and web service providers have finally started to
address the fact that, as websites become increasingly more feature heavy, it can be difficult for screen-reading software like JAWS to translate the
information. Google Accessible Search, a tool that ranks its results based
on simplicity of page layout, launched this summer.
Time-Warner-owned AOL is updating its web mail this winter to
eliminate the need for users with screen readers to switch to a separate
text-only page. Yahoo is adding better area descriptors to its home page.
Further, the Microsoft® VISTA® Operating System is also slated to include
enhancements that will make web browsing more accessible.
These new web services coincide with activist group Legal Actions
and a movement to update Federal guidelines that apply to technology.
Currently, although there are no Federal laws that explicitly require web
sites to be accessible, the New York City Bar Association has just
released a report stating that Title III of the ADA requires that public
accommodations, that is private sector organizations, are required to make
their sites accessible. Additionally some states have adopted associated
regulations on their own and this issue will be the focus of the upcoming United Nations International Day of Disabled Persons.
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Expanded Selections of Learning Opportunities this Winter
CVIP has added several new, intriguing seminars to its Winter/Spring schedule which are designed to help keep
us all up-to-date with the latest advancements in assistive
technology. In addition to a session exploring
nycareerzone.org, there will be seminars on Burning a CD, Using
Small Digital Media - such as removable storage devices and
digital recorders - and Blogging.
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Spotlight On
Photography by former CCVIP student Patricia Youngquist, a developer of pinhole cameras, is on display at the Manhattan Borough President's office through November
30, 2006. Other recent showings included a one-woman photo exhibit at Gotham Gardens (March - early May 2006) Her work has also been displayed at Nexus Gallery in the New York Gallery Building and at Palssons on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. A
review of the latter show said her "photographs possess enigmatic, off-centered sensibility. ..Their success lies in the fact that she has somehow keenly experienced these pictures before 
making them
into images, proceeding from spirit, idea, and feeling to flesh.
Youngquist designed her own website and has also adapted traditional darkroom
equipment to meet her needs. Her work has been recognized by the American
Printing House for the Blind and the educational organization Art Beyond Sight -a program for artists with visual challenges
sponsored by Art Education for the Blind. To see more of Patricia's work visit turtlepond art website.
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CCVIP Alumni Profile
Megan Kelly, Intern Tutor
We asked Chandrika Surajpal of Marketing and Outreach, to sit
down with Megan, intern to intern, and talk about her
recent experience working at CCVIP.
Currently a Junior at Manhattanville College, Megan Kelly is a
passionate person -especially when it comes to writing (she's
an English major) and technology. We're happy to say that she
has a long and happy
association with CCVIP, which began
when she was still in elementary school.
Megan understood from an early age
how vital assistive technology is to living
in today's world as she has Retinopathy
of Prematurity, also known as retrolental
fibroplasias or ROP. It affects the
smallest premature babies, usually
develops in both eyes, is one of the
most common causes of visual loss in
childhood and can lead to lifelong vision
impairment and blindness.
Megan learned about CCVIP from her
mobility instructor, Dave Seyfert of the
Board of Education. She began taking Chandrika Surajpal
classes while in the sixth grade, starting College Assistant, CCVIP
with Introduction To Word and progressing Marketing and Outreach
to classes on using the Internet and
Microsoft PowerPoint®. Megan stayed in touch with Senior Instructor,
Lynnette Tatum, and began asking about an internship while still in high
school.
Having just finished helping students to learn about the Internet,
PowerPoint and Podcasting, we asked Megan what it was like to be a
tutor at CCVIP after having been a student here. She told us "It was a
great experience. I remembered the helpfulness of my own tutors, and I
enjoyed helping people." Megan also says that she learned as much being
a tutor as she did when she was a student, especially about teaching itself.
As someone very familiar with the material she was explaining, it was a real
challenge for Megan to put herself back into a student's shoes and ensure
that she was properly communicating all the steps involved clearly.
We also asked Megan if she had any advice for students; she reiterated
the importance of learning and using the technology, emphasizing that she
doesn't know what she would have done without it. Megan also urged
everyone to access all the information they can.
As for next steps, Megan Kelly has made some important decisions
for her future. She wants to pursue both life passions, but seems relatively
certain that technology is the field for her. CCVIP is pleased to have been
of help in Megan's education. "Good luck, Megan!"
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CCVIP Information Available by E-Mail
If you would like to receive this newsletter and other announcements from CCVIP by e-mail please contact Chandrika Surajpal or call 646-312-1420.
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Computer Tips Corner
We all have programs that we use
every day, like e-mail and web
browsers. Wouldn't it be
convenient to be able to
open them at any time? Here's how to create a shortcut key
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Talking Tactile Tablet Receives U.S. Patent
After an arduous five year process, a U.S. patent has been
issued for this low cost computer peripheral that allows
people with low or no vision to enjoy graphically rich
computer applications. The Tablet marries tactile and
large print drawings with auditory support that assists with information
and interpretation.
Baruch College President Kathleen Waldron helped CCVIP mark
the occasion with an on-campus reception which was held on
November 15, 2006.
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The Access Builder Staff
CCVIP Director: Karen Gourgey
Editor: Leah W. Huntington, Marketing & Outreach
Editorial Consultant: Miriam Cohen
Writers: Miriam Cohen
Chandrika Surajpal
Columnist: Senior Instructor, Lynnette Tatum
Newsletter Created & Printed by The Bronx Design Group
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