News and Views

A new software program from Apple reportedly makes the iTunes database accessible for individuals who are blind.

The new software - which transforms the written information on an iTunes-linked computer screen into speech or Braille - stemmed from an agreement between Apple, the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer company, the National Federation of the Blind and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Software makes iTunes accessible to blind - BostonHerald.com

This is significant because iTunes U - which some universities are now stocking with lecture materials for class use - is also accessible using this new software.

The news isn’t all good, however. In a related story from Sep 26, this new software is free for Macintosh computer users but PC users will have to pay for the software.

The new iTunes can be read on a Macintosh, though people with PCs must buy “screen access software” to make it work. It’s pricey, retailing for around $1,000.
Apple makes iTunes more Accessible - Boston Herald

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings addressed the “2008 Global Summit on Education: Inclusive Practices for Students with Disabilities” in Washington, DC.

“There are many who would prefer to return to what I call the ‘aspirational approach’ –- when we aspired to teaching all children, but we didn’t measure results,” said Secretary Spellings. “They say that teaching students with disabilities means ignoring other students, and that education is a zero sum game. I disagree. The truth is, research shows that including kids with disabilities in the classrooms so they can learn side by side with their peers helps all students do better in school.”

Secretary Spellings Addresses Global Education Summit, Announces $7.5 Million in Grants for More Innovative, Effective Tests for Students With Disabilities and Limited English Proficiency.

The grants were awarded to Nevada, Minnesota, Utah, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia

The NY Times is reporting this news out of Washington DC:

Congress Passes Bill With Protections for Disabled - NYTimes.com
WASHINGTON — Congress gave final approval on Wednesday to a major civil rights bill, expanding protections for people with disabilities and overturning several recent Supreme Court decisions.

If the bill becomes law, it could mean a change in the Supreme Court’s interpretation of disability.

Lighthouse International’s At-A-Glance electronic newsletter September 2008 Newsletter features an article on the announcement that Mozilla LowBrowse™ is now available.

The vision research staff at Lighthouse International has developed an innovative way for visually impaired internet users to browse the web. LowBrowseTM, an add-on to Mozilla’s Firefox browser, enables people with moderate or severe low vision to view web pages as the original web author intended, as well as read the text on those pages in a format that is tailored to their own visual needs

Lighthouse International - Home - Hope When Vision Fails.

Target.com Website Accessibility Lawsuit Settled

On August 28, it was announced that the Target Corporation had agreed to a $6 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed in early 2006. The lawsuit, which was filed by the National Federation for the Blind (NFB), claimed that the company’s website, Target.com, was not accessible to web users with visual impairments, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Lighthouse International - What’s New.

U.S. Department of Education Updates

The following was provided by:
Nancy Reder, Deputy Executive Director, NASDSE
http://www.nasdse.org

Given the focus on dropouts, you might be interested in this new report from the National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences: “Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2006.” This report builds upon a series of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports on high school dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. It presents estimates of rates for 2006 and provides data about trends in dropout and completion rates over the last three decades (1972-2006), including characteristics of dropouts and completers in these years. To view, download and print the report as a PDF file, go to: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008053
Read more »

Great news from the US Paralympic website:

BEIJING, China–The U.S. Women’s Goalball Team consisting of Jen Armbruster (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Lisa Banta (Boonton, N.J.), Asya Miller (Lapeer, Mich.), Robin Theryoung (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Jessica Lorenz (Berkley, Calif.) and Jackie Barnes (Wadsworth, Ill.) beat Denmark in sudden overtime to play China for the gold. The U.S. team then beat China, 6-5, in a sold-out Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium to win the gold medal.

U.S. Paralympic Team | News | 2008 PARALYMPIC GAMES: U.S. Women’s Goalball Team Wins Gold.

The US Department of Education has developed a Toolkit on Universal Design for Learning, available at http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/UDL/index.asp, thanks to the hard work of the UDL Task Force and Ricki Sabia, from the National Down Syndrome Society Policy Center. Thanks, Ricki!