2015 Spring Newsletter
DC/MD Chapter
Upcoming Events with DC/MD AER Agencies!
Highlights
Letter From the President:
Brandon Cox
Welcome back to the DC/MD AER Newsletter! As you may know our chapter has recently been reinvigorated with a renewed sense of enthusiasm. I
hope that as you read through this newsletter you find a way to get involved
and take part in the wide variety of activities offered in this area!
Your DC/MD Board has been working diligently to bring outstanding program/workshops to the area. The Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind and
ClickAndGo Wayfinding Maps held about Narrative Mapping. This workshop was a resounding success with 31 O&Mers in attendance.
 Letter from the President
 Welcome Michelle Britt
to AER!
 Tips and Tricks for ALL!
 Meet Dr. Bina
 Tech Report
 AROUND THE AER-EA
In October, our chapter hosted a social in conjunction with the IRC Open
House. This event provided many vendors to display new products, an introduction to the UEB, learn about the new statewide assessments and time to
meet and greet other members.
In February, the chapter hosted its annual conference at Columbia Gardens in
Baltimore. The conference was well attended and it was a great day of learning
and networking. If you would like to volunteer for the 2016 Conference please
contact Dena Zorbach at Dena.Zorbach@hcps.org.
We hope you can mark your calendar for some of the future events and hope
you find time to attend at least one event:
May 22, 2015 – Unified English Braille Code workshop 8am – 3pm with
Frances Mary D’Andrea, Ph.D., is an instructor at the University of
Pittsburgh. Dr. D’Andrea is an educational consultant specializing in
literacy and while working at AFB she helped establish their National
Literacy Center. Dr. D'Andrea is currently Chair of the Braille Authority of North America (BANA).
The board has also been responsive to the recent O&M legislation in Maryland
and is working to increase social networking events in both Baltimore and DC
regions. Please keep an eye out for AER Happy Hour announcements in your
area.
Best,
W. Brandon Cox, MA, COMS
Inside this issue:
Technology Report
2
New Member Highlight 3
Tips and Tricks # 1
3
Meet a Member
4
Tips and Tricks # 2 & 3 5
Around the AER-EA
6-8
Up Coming Events
9
2015 Spring Newsletter
Page 2
“The Full
lens type
requires a
strong
command of
the mouse,
where the
user’s most
valuable
skills are
panning the
view on the
screen,
scrolling,
window
control, and
screen
orientation.
ZoomText Icon
DC/MD Chapter
Tech Report!
This article is Part One of a multipart series. Stay tuned for more in
future issues of the DC/ MD
Newsletter. ZoomText software is
designed to help people with low
vision to access the computer
through customized or pre-set
modifications that the software
can make which are tailored to the
individual’s needs. As a
ZoomText instructor I have noticed that certain settings are more
popular than others. Here are
some popular settings, along with
some information on why
ZoomText users find them useful.
Magnification Power: 4x
Magnification power up to 4x
keeps the display fairly manageable. Any size bigger than that begins to severely degrade the clarity of text. Those who use 5x or
higher may want to consider using
the Speech function full-time, or
consider using JAWS instead. Although a ZoomText user at 5x or
higher may still be able to function, the goal is efficiency and reduction of eye strain.
Lens Type: Full
The most popular lens type is the
Full option, which magnifies the
entire screen by the power specified. The Full lens type requires a
strong command of the mouse,
where the user’s most valuable
skills are panning the view on the
screen, scrolling, window control,
and screen orientation.
Lens Type: Docked
A docked screen setting splits the
display into two parts, one half
magnified, the other half at a normal 1x view. The screen can be
split along the top, bottom, left or
right. This setting is popular for
people who have better vision in
one eye than the other, and who
can see well enough at 1x to view
the display section that’s not magnified, identifying where they are
on the screen. This is a way to for
users to adapt who are less strong
with using the mouse and maintaining screen orientation.
Lens Type: Line
The Line lens type magnifies a
horizontal row of screen all the
way across the display. It can be
used for reading, and is popular for
those who have trouble panning
the display in all four directions,
since the Line lens goes all the
way across but only moves up and
down.
In the next issue of this newsletter
we’ll cover the Color, Pointer and
Cursor settings.
Be well.
— Sama Bellomo Rehabilitation
Technologist at DORS
2015 Spring Newsletter
Page 3
DC/MD Chapter
New Member Highlight:
Please Welcome Michelle Britt!
Michelle Britt is a new member of
the AER and the DC/MD Chapter. For the
past 2 years she has volunteered at chapter
events, and recently officially joined the
chapter. Michelle states that membership to
AER and the DC/MD Chapter provides the
opportunity to network with other professionals in the field, which allows
her to gain knowledge and resources. She shared that, “The
amazing people you meet have the
same mission – to ensure that the
student/client is successful in our
constantly-changing world.” Although she is a new official
member, Michelle has gained knowledge
and resources during her volunteer
experiences which have been beneficial to
her growth as a professional.
Michelle has been in the field for 8
years. She has spent 6 years with DORS as
a VR Specialist, which is her current position. Prior to working with DORS,
Michelle spent 2 years in California
with Blindness Support Services as
the Director of Children Services. Michelle entered the field because she loves helping people and
being able to positively impact and
change their life.
— Michelle Horseman
Tips and Tricks # 1– Post-Its
!
POST IT
As a professional who is blind, I put post-its on papers
that I’m going to hand to someone. This way, I can say with
confidence what form I’m giving to someone, and it doesn’t
matter if I turn the package around, or drop it, because the document is labeled.
When I’m sorting through mail, I keep a stack of them
nearby. While I’m sure I could put them in a brailler, I find
they work well in a slate and stylus. I affix the sticky part to
the side of the slate with holes in it, so that the braille comes
up on the non-sticky side.
— Lou Smith, Rehab Teacher, DORS
Meet a Member: Dr. Michael J. Bina, ED.D
Page 4
From The Maryland School for the Blind
I have been an AER member since 1984.
and network with colleagues from other
Previous to that, starting in 1973, I was
agencies, schools and service disciplines.
also a member of AER’s two predecessor
AER has always given me the feeling that
organizations— the American Association
we were making a difference expanding
of Workers for the Blind (AAWB) and the
and improving services for our students
Association for Education of the Visually
and clients.
Handicapped (AEVH)—that merged to
I also very strongly felt it was the responsiform AER.
bility of a professional to join and become
I began working in the blindness field in
positively actively involved in one’s asso1965--50 years ago--teaching swimming
ciation. AER has met my professional
to students at the South Dakota School for
needs providing me support, which is
the Blind. I was going to be a high school
AER’s mission. I
English teacher, but after
always loved and
falling in love with the
benefited from colkids at the school, I
laborating with colchanged my major to speleagues in AER’s
cial education. The stuchapters and dividents were good recruiters.
sions at the state,
Even though that was 50
national and interyears ago, I still remember
national level.
their names, which is not
As an AER memsurprising given their posiber I have gained
tive impact in my life.
knowledge about
I have often referred to
blindness and
Teaching swimming to students at The South
AER as my
kept up to date
“professional health
Dakota School for the Blind (1965)
professionally. I
club” where I can go
have been given opportunities to serve in
and “work out” with my colleagues and, in
various offices at the chapter, division and
doing so, become recharged and rejuveinternational levels. I learned more in each
nated.
office I held than I did in many college
When I was the Texas AER Chapter presiclasses. The most important thing I gained
dent and AER international president, I
from AER was meeting fellow members
often remember leaving conferences or
who are inspiring role models and great
board meetings positively exhausted-- but
teachers in how to be a true professional.
also refreshed and invigorated—as one
Many of these professional colleagues
would experience after hard physical exerhave become my best and lifetime friends.
cise running or working out in a gym. I
called it my AER “good tired.”
— Dr. Michael J. Bina, ED.D
The reason I joined AER was that it provided me an opportunity to “rub elbows”
2015 Spring Newsletter
Page 5
DC/MD Chapter
Tips and Tricks # 2– You Do the Math!
TALKING CALCULATOR!
He Says…..
When teaching basic mathematic operations to students
who have a visual impairment, and especially those
who are braille readers it is
helpful from a young age to
teach them to add, subtract,
multiply and divide in a left
to right progression
(horizontal) instead of the
traditional approach
(vertical). Use number
bonds to help make connections and build flexibility
with numbers. Include the
use of a number line when
teaching how to add and
subtract. There are many
strategies for elementary ed-
ucation that can help and be easily
adapted for students with visual impairments! Get them into the routine
of thinking and working left to right
from a young age! It helps with mental math development and organization. Here is an example of how to
think about multiplication vertically:
36 x 3 = _______
30 x 3 = 90
6 x 3 = 18
90 + 18 = 108
So, 108 is the product of 36 x 3
— Heather Johnson, M Ed., TVI,
Maryland School for the Blind
01134
Tips and Tricks # 3
Elementary
curriculum
often has
units on
eggs this
time of
year. I use
those eggs
all year
long.
One fun one from me
is timely for this time
of the year: Elementary curriculum often
has units on eggs this
time of year. I use
those eggs all year
long. Some ideas are:
- metallic/glitter style
are ideal for kids with
CVI
- auditory matching. Place various objects in pairs to rein-
force auditory discrimination/matching
- fill sets of 2 with
equal amounts of sand
to differentiate weights
(heavy/light,etc...)
- put a small bell or
rice to make them
shakers for music (fast,
slow, loud, rhythmic)
- using the APH scale,
place various amounts
on each side to explore
with balancing
- line them end to end
to talk about length,
how many end to end
are the same length of
your body
Written By: Dena
Zorbach, TVI/O&M,
Harford County
Public Schools
2015 Spring Newsletter
Page 6
DC/MD Chapter
AROUND THE AER-EA
In this column, we plan to highlight agency news from service providers within the Chapter. In this issue, we feature two agencies—the Division of Rehabilitation Services, and
Blind Industries and Services of Maryland. Thanks to Sue Schaffer of DORS, and Rob
Ennamorato, Andy McIver & Molly Barnes of BISM for their contributions.
If your organization has news to share, please get the word out! Send any contributions to
lou.smith@maryland.gov.
Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)
Office for Blindness and Vision Services (OBVS)
Celebrating Ten Years of Service
Under the Rehabilitation Act States may either have one agency
to serve all consumers with disabilities, a combined agency, or
they may choose to have two agencies, one to serve individuals
who are blind and one to serve individuals with all other disabilities, referred to as a general agency.
Maryland is a combined agency; however, in January 2015 the
Office for Blindness and Vision Services was established. Prior
to this time services for individuals who are blind or visually impaired were scattered
throughout DORS. VR Services, for the most part, were provided by counselors with
caseloads of consumers with a wide variety of disabilities. Only in the major metropolitan
areas did we have specialized counsellors for the blind. Independent Living Older Blind
(ILOB) services were provided by VR counselors who were trained as teachers for the
blind, housed in field offices and managed by a central manager, an Assistant Director located at the Workforce and Technology Center (WTC) in Baltimore. There were also services for the blind provided at the comprehensive rehabilitation center, WTC and the Maryland Business Enterprise Program for the Blind was managed by the Director of Business
Support Services. Services were located in all of the major components of the Public Rehabilitation Program.
Send your news to
Lou.Smith@maryland.gov
2015 Spring Newsletter
DC/MD Chapter
Page 7
AROUND THE AER-EA… Continued
While remaining a combined agency, the creation of OBVS brought all of these services together under one office director. The office director reports to the Assistant State Superintendent in Rehabilitation Services. The office includes the BEP (Business Enterprise Program), the ILOB Program and three districts including supervisors, VR Counselors and
Teachers serving only consumers who are blind or visually impaired. Additionally a unit of
teachers at WTC is included in OBVS. About two years ago we added services for individuals who are Deaf-Blind with a Staff Specialist and a strong liaison to Deaf Services in OFS.
We have recently added SSP services to our fee schedule for the first time, to allow us to
better serve the Deaf-Blind population. As all of VR has moved toward the “dual customer”
model, we have also expanded our employment services in OBVS to include an employment
specialist, business services representative and a targeted programs including Career Life
Planning and Job Squad.
Outside of the Baltimore Metropolitan area, where our office is located at WTC, we
are co-located with the Office of Field Services. Most OBVS Counselors cover many local
offices. The Office for Blindness and Vision Services require staff to attend specialized
training and encourage professional development. The State Rehabilitation Council (SRC),
which is federally mandated and Governor appointed, as a partner for all VR agencies, has
an OBVS committee. This committee is comprised of SRC members and other stakeholders
to work with the OBVS representing consumer and public interests.
One of the driving forces in creating OBVS was the lack of consistency in services
received by consumers who are blind throughout the state. By creating specialized services,
consistent training and professional development, we have created a strong team of dedicated staff to support the needs of our consumers.
2015 Spring Newsletter
Page 8
DC/MD Chapter
AROUND THE AER-EA Continued…
Blind Industries and Services of Maryland – 2014 Year in Review
Blind Industries and Services of Maryland’s Rehabilitation department has been busy
in 2014 with new and expanded programs for blind and visually impaired people of all ages.
BISM’s Youth division had a very successful summer with
Work To Independence, a seven-week residential program for blind
high school student, and Independence 101, a three-week residential
program for blind middle school students. Under the stellar leadership
of
blind Youth Coordinators, Melissa Lomax and Sarah Baebler, students
received important life skills training (cane travel, Braille, technology
and independent living), took part in confidence building activities
like rock climbing and zip lining, and visited New York, Washington
D.C. and Orlando. Work To Independence students were employed at local businesses and
organizations for the final three weeks of the program and received paychecks upon graduation!
The CORE adult training program expanded the College Prep aspect of the curriculum that
was first introduced in 2013. College Prep encourages participants to enroll in a local college
while attending the CORE program. The BISM CORE staff provides mentoring and assistance for the College Prep students. Currently, we have three CORE students enrolled from
three different states in the College Prep class.
BISM hosted a very successful Possibilities Fair for blind and seniors at its Baltimore headquarters on August 21. It was the first time we hosted the event and we could not have been
more pleased with the outcome - over 300 seniors and vendors participated. Attendees included vendors of non-visual products, guest speakers, and even a performance by an Elvis
impersonator. The Possibilities Fair was such a success that we have already decided to host
the event in 2015.
On the manufacturing side, BISM opened a new fabric cutting and sewing facility in Raleigh,
North Carolina in June. The BISM-Raleigh division employs 131 associates, 73 of whom are
blind or visually impaired. We are hosting a Grand Opening event on December 4 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the Raleigh facility for local dignitaries, politicians and
BISM associates.
— Rob Ennamorato, Andy McIver & Molly Barnes
Page 9
Schedule of Events
Upcoming Events with DC/MD AER
May 2015
Sensory Trail Trip
Sun
Saturday, May 16th from
11:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Where: Patapsco Valley
State Park Quest - Hilton Area
Nature Center
1101 Hilton Avenue, Catonsville MD 21228
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16-Sensory Trail
Experience-CLB
Unified English Braille
Code (UEB)
17
18
19
20
21
22-UEB Workshop 23
Presenter: Frances Mary
D’Andrea, Ph.D.
24
25
26
27
28- HAPPY HOUR
29
Friday, May 22nd from
8:30—about 4pm
31
Where: The Maryland School
for the Blind– 3501 Taylor
Avenue Baltimore MD,
21236
DC/ MD AER Happy Hour
@ Pub Dog
Thursday, May 28th
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Where: Pub Dog Pizza &
Draft House: 8865 Stanford
Blvd Columbia, MD 21045.
Come meet other Members
and discuss relevant topics of
the field!
30
Calendar Highlights
 May 16th- Sensory Trail–Teens will have the opportunity to visit
the first All-Sensory Trail in Maryland state parks! It is located in
the Hilton Area of Patapsco Valley State Park and is designed
specifically for the visually impaired.
 May 22nd- Unified English Braille -Attendees will learn:
-What is the Braille Authority of North America (BANA)
-What is the rationale for the switch to UEB
-An overview of changes from English Braille, American Edition (EBAE)
-Hands-on instruction and practice reading and writing UEB
-Implementation plans in the United States and Maryland
Attendees must bring: a braille writer and 11 x 11.5 braille paper

May 28th– Happy Hour @ Pub Dog Pizza & Draft House:
8865 Stanford Blvd Columbia, MD 21045
- For members and non-members!
- Meet others in the field
- Discuss relevant topics in a fun and friendly setting
- Eat, Drink, and have fun with us!
Page 10
Schedule of Events
Upcoming Events with DC/MD AER Agencies!
June 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4—DORS & CBSS
D-B Workshop
5—DORS & CBSS
D-B Workshop
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22—CVI Phase III
Workshop
23—CVI Phase III
Workshop
24—CVI Phase III
Workshop
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Deaf-Blind Workshop
Dates: June 4th and 5th
Where:
Workforce & Technology Center
Contact: Christine Telford
Deaf-Blind Specialist
410-554-3336 (voice)
410-415-9317 (VP)
410-554-9197 (fax)
Christine.telford@maryland.gov
CVI Phase III Workshop
Presenter: Dr. Christine
Roman-Lantzy
Dates: June 22-24, 2015
Where: University of MD
College Park
Contact: Donna Riccobono
Project Director
301-405-0482
donnaric@umd.edu
Calendar Highlights
 June 4th and 5th: DORS and Connections Beyond Sight and
Sound (CBSS) is hosting a two-day Deaf-Blind workshop on best
practices for serving consumers, including transitioning youth,
who are Deaf-Blind. The workshop will be held at WTC. Please
contact Chrisine Telford for more information.
 June 22-24: Connections Beyond Sight and Sound (CBSS) is
hosting Cortical Visual Impairment a Focus on Phase III Learners
presented by Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy. This workshop is designed to provide assessment and educational information
regarding Cortical Visual Impairment, specifically children who
score in Phase III on The CVI Range. Please contact Donna
Riccobono for more information. Deadline for Registration is
May 13, 2015.
Page 11
Schedule of Events
Upcoming Events with DC/MD AER Agencies!
July 2015
Sun
All About College Exploration
(ACE)
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4—Independence
Day
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13—ACE
14—ACE
15—ACE
16—ACE
17—ACE
18
19
20—ACE
21—ACE
22—ACE
23—ACE
24—ACE
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Dates: July 13-24
Where:
Workforce & Technology
Center—Students commute daily or reside at WTC and return
home on the weekends
Contact: Beneda Jackson
410-554-9328
beneda.jackson@maryland.gov
Calendar Highlights
 July 13th through 24th: ACE (All About College Exploration)
is a program for blind and visually impaired students who are
interested in attending college. To be eligible for the ACE program, a student must be registered with the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS), have a significant vision impairment,
plan to attend college, and have a high school record to support
this goal. Please contact Beneda Jackson for more information.