Tag: newsletter

Contributed by Robert Jaquiss
Editor of Independence Science Newsletter
[email protected]

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the 1st manned mission to the moon. This manned mission started July 16, 1969 with the landing on the moon occurring July 20. This landing and the excitement behind it led to many huge leaps in technology that we love today like GPS. We continue to work towards another future in space both through NASA and private space programs. The world’s 1st blind astronaut might be alive today. Want to learn more about space and accessibility? Make sure to sign up for our accessible space camp at ISLAND 2019!

Related to this, NASA’s Rebecca Doroshenk from the Office of Communications at NASA headquarters announces that Lunar Landing Site Models are available at https://www.nasa.gov/specials/apollo50th/media.html. These are downloadable 3D models available to the public of the historic Apollo lunar landing sites . For folks with access to 3D printers, these models each have brief descriptions in Braille.

Contributed by Robert Jaquiss
Editor of Independence Science Newsletter
[email protected]

First published May 2019

At Independence Science, we encourage our staff to pursue their passion for helping blind and vision-impaired students engage with hands-on laboratory experiences. This month, Ashley Neybert will present at the very first SciAccess conference at The Ohio State University. 

Ashley is the developer of the accessible version of the tornado in a bottle experiment and can make a flaming pumpkin that doesn’t burn. She is also a member of the American Chemical Society’s Chemists with Disabilities Committee and Vice-President of the National Federation of the Blind’s Science and Engineering Division. Ashley got her Bachelor’s in Chemistry at Rockhurst University in 2015 and is currently working on a Master’s in Education in Learning and Instructional Design at Wichita State University. To contact Ashley regarding product sales, curriculum design work, speaking engagements, and to teach at camps, workshops, and conferences, please email [email protected] or call 1-866-862-9665 xt 5.

SciAccess is an international conference that will explore the ways in which STEAM can be made more accessible for all. SciAccess will be taking place on June 28 and 29, 2019, at The Ohio State University. The conference features keynote speakers Dr. Temple Grandin, renowned autism advocate, and Anousheh Ansari, the first female private space explorer. For more information see the site: https://www.sciaccess.org/

Contributed by Robert Jaquiss
Editor of Independence Science Newsletter
[email protected]

Independence Science is pleased to announce that we now have a new Talking LabQuest. The new Talking LabQuest v2 replaces our previous version.

The new TLQ2 v2 features:

·        Audio graph sonification.

·        Real-time tone meter.

·        More extended useful resources folder.

·        Easy to use high contrast feature to support low vision users.

·        Support for Bluetooth capable Vernier sensors.

·        New O’Haus balances with USB connector kit.

·        Multi-language capability for an additional fee in the following languages: (Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese)

For a limited time, we are offering an introductory pricing for upgrading from an older LabQuest 2 of $295 per unit. Customers will need to ship their units back to us along with payment. We will then return the unit back to them free of charge. We will also check their unit for any hardware issues that may have come up.

The price of a new Talking LabQuest 2 package is $2250. For now the sensors offered are the same, this could change in the future.

For more information, please check the Independence Science website.

Contributed by Robert Jaquiss
Editor of Independence Science Newsletter
[email protected]

On January 13, Chris Downey, a blind architect was interviewed on the CBS 60 Minutes program. According to his brief biography on TED, Chris Downey is an architect, planner, and consultant. He works with design teams and clients and draws on his unique perspective as an architect without sight to help to realize environments that offer greater physical accessibility, and delight in architecture experienced through other senses. He is one of the few practicing blind architects in the world and had 20 years of award-winning practice with custom residences and cultural institutions before losing his sight. The following three links provide more information:

For Chris Downey 60 Minutes interview transcript: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/architect-chris-downey-goes-blind-says-hes-actually-gotten-better-at-his-job-60-minutes/

For Chris Downey’s TED talk on YouTube: https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_downey_design_with_the_blind_in_mindFor Chris Downey’s interview in the Braille Monitor (January 2011): https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm11/bm1101/bm110104.htm

Contributed by Robert Jaquiss
Editor of Independence Science Newsletter
[email protected]

ISLAND 2018 Conference

The 2018 ISLAND conference will be held at Princeton University September 14-15, 2018. Abstracts are now being accepted by sending to: Cary Supalo at: [email protected].

The deadline for abstract submission is June 30, 2018. Those whose presentations have been accepted will be notified by July 15, 2018.

The pre-registration for ISLAND will open in July 2018.

Contributed by Robert Jaquiss
Editor of Independence Science Newsletter
[email protected]

(First published in January 2018)

The Science and Engineering Division of the National Federation of the Blind and the National Association of Blind Students present a joint phone conference on how blind professionals, and blind college and graduate students are succeeding in

courses to do with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The call-in number is the NABS conference line 712-770-5197, Participant Access Code: 265669. The call will occur at 9PM EST through 10PM EST on Monday, February 12, 2018.

Topics will be of interest for blind students in middle school, high school,

college and graduate school. Parents of blind school-aged children and

educators are also welcome. Topics will include succeeding as a blind person in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering. Some portion of the presentation will address how to succeed in a laboratory setting.

Contributed by Robert Jaquiss
Editor of Independence Science Newsletter
[email protected]

SeeingAI is a free artificial intelligence app by the Microsoft corporation that just updated to offer some amazing new features. The app contains a “Short Text” channel that doesn’t require a picture. This is great for printed signs and menus. There is a “Document” app that functions much like KNFB Reader to take pictures of a longer document with some processing time. A “product” channel that will beep more frequently when getting closer to a bar code, then automatically takes a picture. This will automatically announce the product, then if the “more information” tab is selected nutritional and cooking instructions are read. A “person” channel that attempts to identify a person’s approximate age and gender as well as gives the option to input information to identify a specific person like Orcam (at its current state Independence Science does not suggest that these two features should be relied upon). A new “currency” reader, a “scene” channel that when a picture is taken will give an approximate guess on surroundings such as “man on a bed using a laptop” which is still in beta form and should only be used to learn more about a scene or picture not solid identification. It has a “color” channel that based on the lighting will help you identify colors of objects such as clothing. Remember in certain lighting conditions may change a readout such as white may read as yellow in bright light or gray in dark so we suggest using a known control such as your cane to identify for sure for your conditions. The most revolutionary thing on there is a “handwriting” channel that is currently in beta and appears to recognize about 50% of print (not cursive) handwriting in its current form but as far as we know this is the first app that does this. Lastly there is a musical “light” sensor with higher pitches for brighter lights. This app is entirely self voiced so having VoiceOver on is not required. This revolutionary app is currently only available on Apple products.

Contributed by Robert Jaquiss
Editor of Independence Science Newsletter
[email protected]

  Independence Science is pleased to participate in the 2017 celebration of Small Business Saturday. This will occur on Saturday, November 25, 2017. This is a day that follow’s the day that is traditionally known as Black Friday, which is designed for large anchor stores to offer large savings in time for the holiday season. This Saturday gives small businesses a similar opportunity. It is for this reason why

Independence Science is pleased to offer a discount on the Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest2 package for orders placed and completed on Saturday, November 25, 2017. The package includes the TLQ2, USB keyboard, stainless steel temperature, light, and differential voltage probes. A promotional offer of $995 plus shipping will be available to all ISci customers. This promotion may not be combined with other offers.

  We at Independence Science hope this discount will help make our premier product available to students with visual impairments that are not currently receiving support from their school. We would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Independence Science is here to solve all of your science access needs.

Contributed by Robert Jaquiss
Editor of Independence Science Newsletter
[email protected]

(First Published in August 2017)

The 8th annual Independence Science, Learning a New Direction, Conference (ISLAND) on disability is just around the corner.

Come learn about innovative research that seeks to integrate persons with disabilities into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields of study from Purdue Faculty. The conference will also include current professionals from the field that will present Enrichment programs and other research they are currently engaged in promoting access to technology in the STEM Education Industry. Network with these Twenty-First Century innovators who are promoting inclusion and equity in STEM opportunities.

     The conference will be held on Friday, September 15, 2017 at the Kurz Purdue Technology Center located at 1281 Win Henschel Blvd in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The conference will begin with a continental breakfast at 8:30 AM and conclude by 5:00 PM. Conference registration is $25 in advance. Attendees can register by going to: www.independencescience.com  and clicking on the ISLAND 2017 link. Please print out the registration ticket and arrive with form of payment for collection at the door.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the 4-Points by Sheraton located at: 1600 Cumberland Ave, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906: phone- 765-463-5511. When booking your room reservation, please ask for the ISLAND2017 rate. Hotel rooms must be booked by August 18 to receive the conference rate. Rooms booked after the 18^th will receive the best rate available.

Ground transportation from the Indianapolis, Indiana airport is being provided by Lafayette Limo. For reservations, please call 765-497-3828 or book on-line at www.lafayettelimo.com. Round trip reservations currently cost $50 per person.

The Lafayette Limo departs from the Ground Transportation center zone 5 every 2 hours starting at 6:30 AM until 10:30 PM daily. Please check in with the Lafayette Limo booth located in the Ground Transportation area to let them know you are waiting for the next shuttle. The Lafayette Limo will drop you off at the 4-Points by Sheraton. The 4-Points offers a curtesy shuttle to Purdue University buildings. Request the evening before that you would like to go to the Kurz Purdue Technology Center or (KPTC) for the ISLAND conference. Please do not hesitate to contact Cary Supalo for any questions.

Contributed by Robert Jaquiss
Editor of Independence Science Newsletter
[email protected]

There will be live coverage of the upcoming eclipse and also an app for smart phones.

How to access the broadcast: Go to http://www.acbradio.org/interactive and select “Click Here to Play.”

Then be sure to select the link that opens the player that you use to listen to music or stream internet radio stations. You can also listen on any telephone by dialing (605) 475-8130 and select option 4.

     As an alternative, there is also an app for smartphones called Eclipse Soundscapes that will provide audio descriptions and tactile feedback about the eclipse through the app.

More information on the organization and how to access the app is at:

http://eclipsesoundscapes.org/.