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The
Access Builder
The
Official Newsletter of CCVIP
Read
volume 1, issue 1 in pdf
Winter,
2005
volume
1, issue no. 1
Welcome
to The Access Builder
We
at CCVIP hope that what you learned at the Center has enabled you to
stay actively involved in those things that matter to you, whether it's
e-mailing friends and family, surfing the net, or competing in the workplace.
We've wanted to launch a newsletter for quite some time now so
that we can better keep in touch with you, our alumni, as well as out
friends and associates in the professional community. It is with
great excitement, therefore, that we introduce The Access Builder, a
publication we've created to help continue building a unique, caring,
and forward-thinking community for those of us with low or no vision.
There's much we have to share with you, including information
on new assistive technology, resource opportunities and class schedules.
The
Access Builder also welcomes your comments and story ideas, so let us
know if there is anything special on which you'd like us to report.
Take good care until next time,
Karen Gourgey, Director, and the CCVIP Team
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Message
from the President
I
am delighted to assist the Computer Center for Visually Impaired People
in launching the first issue of its newsletter, The Access Builder.
Baruch College has been, and continues to be, an educational
leader in the business and public affairs disciplines; as importantly,
it acts as a catalyst for the social, cultural and financial mobility
of its diverse student body.
Through its commitment to increase the independence and productivity
of people who are blind or visually impaired, CCVIP embodies the Baruch
mission-preparing its students to more fully participate in life, either
at the college level or in post-college experiences. By providing
specialized training on how to use e-mail, do research on the Web, create
presentations, prepare documents and much more, CCVIP expands the horizons
of its students and gives them the keys to future success. Given
the ever-increasing use of computers in education, employment and communication,
it is critical that people who are blind or visually impaired continue
to have access to the type of training that is available from CCVIP
so that they will have the skills to attend college, start a career
and to keep in touch with family, friends and, indeed, the world.
It
is my hope that in the coming years both Baruch College and CCVIP will
take active roles in fostering the ability of people with disabilities
to establish meaningful careers and that The Access Builder will be
instrumental in assisting people who are blind or visually impaired
to accomplish their goals.
Kathleen Waldron
President, Baruch College
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"Seeing
the Sights" Walking Tour Raises
Awareness
of Web Accessibility Needs
On
August 17, 2004, CCVIP sponsored a walking tour of the Financial District
lower Manhattan, which was dubbed "Seeing the Sights" for "Seeing the
Sites". The fund-raising tour was organized to help build awareness
about the fact that many websites are not user-friendly for people who
are blind or visually impaired. The tour raised over $600 for
the "Friends of CCVIP Fund", which will be used to launch initiatives
to address this challenge.
The tour began at 6PM in front of Trinity Church at Rector Street
and was conducted by Joyce Gold Tours. The group of 26 walkers
came from our alumni, staff and friends of CCVIP as well as members
of CCVIP's Advisory Board. Along the way the group visited many
sites, including the New York Stock Exchange, Battery Park and Bowling
Green. Everyone had a great time walking and chatting along the
way! Many tour participants got together for dinner at the last
stop on the tour, Fraunces Tavern, a site of historical interest in
lower Manhattan.
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CCVIP
Alumni Profile: Matthew Sapolin
As
Executive Director for the New York City Mayor's Office for People with
Disabilities, Matthew Sapolin works towards the day when it will be
routine to hire a person with the right skills for a job—including a
person who just happens to have a disability. In fact, someone
like him. Matt is a successful leader and manager whose position
covers a wide range or responsibilities, from creating new programs
to match people with disabilities to jobs to everyday management tasks.
Matt,
who has been blind since he was a child, attended Islip public schools.
He later earned a BA in Philosophy and a Masters of Public Administration
from the Wagner School at NYU. However, along the way, Matt realized
that in order to take full advantage of what college and graduate school
had to offer he would have to be able to use a computer.
Matt
first came to CCVIP back in the days when mainframe computers were still
the norm. Years later, he returned to learn Windows-based applications
so that he could keep pace with the revolution in computer technology.
He feels that learning Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel helped
him to get the most from college and graduate school, which in turn
made it possible for him to compete in the job market.
Matt
has held a number of positions in organizations that foster the personal
and professional development of people with disabilities. Matt
signed on to work for the Center for the Independence of the Disabled
of New York as Coordinator of the Client Assistance Program.
Later on, he became Assistant Director of the Queens Independent Living
Center (QILC). He was later promoted to Executive Director of
QILC where he quickly got a great deal of experience managing programs.
In
2002, Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed Matt to his current position.
His work ranges from supervising a staff of 8 to overseeing major
initiatives such as recruiting mentors for people with disabilities.
Currently, he is focusing on getting the film industry to accurately
portray people with disabilities and assistive technology devices in
TV and film. Matt adds to his existing knowledge of computers
and technology by sharing ideas with colleagues and troubleshooting
problems with other computer users. He believes that technology
is the key to independence for people with disabilities and that greater
awareness of this will open the doors to opportunities to people with
disabilities in New York City.
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Many
Thanks to Our Funders
In
the past few years, our funders have been with us all the way in expanding
our offerings and opening up our doors to new students. We would
like to say a special "thank you" to the Lavelle Fund and the New York
Community Trust for making it possible for us to do outreach to professionals,
agencies and individuals in our community. As a result of this
funding, enrollment has increased and more and more people are finding
out about CCVIP every day!
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CCVIP
and its Director Honored
In
2004, CCVIP and Touch Graphics were named Tech Museum Laureates in the
Education Category for the development of the Talking Tactile Tablet,
an interactive device that helps people with no or low vision learn
through modules presented in an audio/tactile format. The Tech
Museum selected 25 Laureates from a field of 580 submissions from 80
countries.
Karen
Gourgey, the director of CCVIP, was also honored for her service to
people with disabilities in November 2004 by the Comptroller of the
City of New York, the Honorable William C. Thompson.
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Statistics
Made Accessible?
In
February 2005 CCVIP will launch a new course called "Introduction to
Applied  Statistics
in Audio Tactile Format." Students will learn basic statistical
concepts and applications by placing specially designed sheets on the
Talking Tactile Tablet and pressing various parts of the graphic to
hear appropriate audio responses. Tuition is covered by the U.S.
Department of Education through the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary
Education.
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CCVIP
STAFF
| Karen Gourgey, Director
|
Bir Ganguly, Project
Coordinator, FIPSE |
| Judith Gerber, Manager,
Educational & User Services |
Barbara Fried, Program Consultant
|
| Lynnette Tatum, Training
Specialist |
Miriam
Cohen, Marketing & Advertising Consultant
|
| Madelyn Guilbeault, Training Assistant
|
WRITERS:
Barbara
A. DiFiore
Miriam
Cohen |
| Barbara A. DiFiore, Outreach and
Marketing Coordinator |
EDITOR:
Miriam
Cohen |
| Leah Huntington, Assistant to the
Director |
Newsletter Created & Printed
by The Bronx Design Group |
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For
More Information
For
more information on our courses, please contact us!
By
Phone: 646-312-1420
By
Fax: 646-312-1421
By
Email: Judith_gerber@baruch.cuny.edu
By
Regular Mail: Baruch College, CCVIP
One
Bernard Baruch Way
Box 0648
New
York, NY 10010
You
can also find out the latest about CCVIP by visiting our website
at: www.baruch.cuny.edu/ccvip/
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Friends
of CCVIP Fund
CCVIP
is pleased to announce the establishment of "Friends of CCVIP,"
a part of the Baruch College Fund, which is a Section 501c3 fund. This
new fund will be used to expand existing programs and support new initiatives
by CCVIP. Supporters of CCVIP may make contributions to this fund
by mailing a check payable to The Baruch College Fund. To make sure
your contribution is allocated properly, please include the words "Friends
of CCVIP Fund" on your check. At this time, contributions cannot
be made on-line.
MAIL
TO:
Laura
Piil, Gifts Processor
Office
of College Advancement
Baruch
College
One
Bernard Baruch Way, Box A-1603
New
York, NY 10010
Thank
you for your support!
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