Chris Cousineau's Story -Simple Solutions can make a Big Difference |
 | | Chris Cousineau |
If you ask thirty-four year old Chris Cousineau of Vergennes, Vermont to name one of the biggest factors in academic and professional success, he will tell you this: it is the ability to access text at an early age in order to enhance one's ability to read. Chris knows this first hand - as a special education paraprofessional and from his own experience grappling with dyslexia from an early age. Click here to read more!
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How to Make Phone Calls to Deaf Individuals Who Use
American Sign Language to Communicate
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By Bill Hudson, Senior Counselor for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Thanks to amazing advances in technology, deaf and hard of hearing individuals can access telecommunications with relative ease. In this article we will talk about calling a deaf person who uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate while using any type of phone.  Click here to read more! |
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GCEPD Employer of Note - TJ Donovan
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Take a look at our Employers of Note section on our website, www.hireus.org. Here you will learn what others are doing. We're especially pleased at this time to recognize TJ Donovan, Chittenden County State's Attorney: "TJ Donovan, Chittenden County State's Attorney  | | T.J. Donovan |
Many might say that TJ Donovan was foolish for hiring Ben Chater to serve in his office as a Chittenden County prosecutor. Ben has some significant physical and speech impairments due to his cerebral palsy, but TJ Donovan looked beyond the disabilities and saw the abilities. Ben's sharp legal mind, quick wit, tenaciousness and notable academic and internship credentials have many - including TJ - recognizing Ben as "a star". After an unpaid internship, TJ had a "real honest and hard conversation" with his staff about Ben's application for a paid position. In the end, TJ focused on Ben's work ethic, determination,  and legal skills and has given him the opportunity to prove himself, without any special treatment. That's all that any of us can ask for in the workplace. For more on this story, go to: http://www.hireus.org/educational-materials/ben-chater-a-man-of-conviction" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you know of an employer who displays notable practices in hiring or retaining a person with a disability? Then we invite you to let us know so we can showcase them in our Employers of Note section! What can YOU do to become an Employer of Note? A good starting place is to read our home page on our website which details a list of options you can pursue to support the employment of people with disabilities in Vermont.
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All About Apps! - Apps for persons who are deaf or who have a hearing impairment
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Here we are happy to share information about assistive technology applications that can have a big impact in ensuring workplace success for people of all abilities! In this issue we wish to focus on applications for persons with hearing impairments, specifically:
Apps that make iPhones work for People with Hearing Loss and Apps for Real-time Conversations using Video-Relay Services for Smart Phone Users who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (These are available for the iPhone and Android operating systems) |
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Learn about the Vermont Assistive Technology Program
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Websites: atp.vermont.gov 
and vt.at4all.com
Phone: 800-750-6355 (voice)
The Vermont Assistive Technology Program (VATP), part of Vocational Rehabilitation Vermont, strives to make Assistive Technology (AT) accessible to as many people with disabilities across our state as possible. AT includes an array of creative strategies and tools to support individuals in achieving and maintaining greater independence across all aspects of their lives and has numerous, significant applications in the workplace.
Both low and high tech devices . . .
Click here to read more!
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The Campaign for Disability Employment launches it's new "Because" public service announcement
| On January 9th the federal Office of Disability Employment launched a media campaign to encourage youth with disabilities to pursue their career goals. This included a new video public service announcement titled "Because".
Click HERE to view this wonderful video.
The following is an excerpt from the press release announcing the release. The complete release can be found here.
"To help millions of people recognize what they can do to make a difference in the lives - and future careers - of young people with disabilities, the U.S. Department of Labor's Campaign for Disability Employment has released a new video public service announcement titled "Because." The PSA features real people with disabilities - not actors - who are pursuing and realizing their goals and passions as a result of the support they received from everyday people in their lives. Because nearly 1 out of 5 Americans has a disability, the PSA is intended to replace myths and misperceptions about disability employment with new views of what people with disabilities can do." |
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We're On Facebook!
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More On - Chris Cousineau's Story
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If you ask thirty-four year old Chris Cousineau of Vergennes, Vermont to name one of the biggest factors in academic and professional success, he will tell you this: it is the ability
| | Chris Cousineau |
to access text at an early age in order to enhance one's ability to read. Chris knows this first hand - as a special education paraprofessional and from his own experience grappling with dyslexia from an early age.
Chris sees a lot of focus put on writing outcomes and the ability of children to express themselves; however, even more important to him is first helping children to access text - the crucial precursor to learning and self expression. Children can't express themselves if they haven't learned how to access the text. Chris feels that much more can be done to improve how children are connected with text so they can read well from the start and not lose ground on their peers. In his vision, the process of learning to read would begin with an offer to a child of multiple ways to access text designed to fit the different learning needs and styles we all have.
Here's a bit about Chris. At an early age he demonstrated a difficulty - a slowness - with reading, with the writing process, with "everything" he says. The general diagnosis was dyslexia. Some traditional supports he was offered didn't always work. Suggestions to orient the direction of his numbers and letters towards the classroom windows obviously were of no use in a different setting. Text handed to him on paper could not easily be read digitally. Information he could access on one computer using special software programs was not always accessible to him on someone else's computer.
This inability to always access text was especially frustrating for Chris, even more so when you consider that he graduated from Muskingum College in Ohio with a triple major in economics, political science and political affairs, and a triple minor in business, speech communication and philosophy. However, it also planted the seed for his professional interests and employment path.
It started when Chris attended a training in Boston for the Kurzweil3000 Online Text to Speech Literacy Software. He observed that many of the special educators in attendance didn't know how to set up the computers with the software. Yet Chris knew all too well how to set up and use these assistive technologies and saw an opportunity to be of help. So he sent his resume to 30 schools in Vermont offering his services to help set up computers with assistive technology for their learning disabled students. He heard back from Mount Abraham Union High School in Bristol, where he has worked since 2005. In addition to providing some assistive technology support, he also provides job coaching, transportation, and other one-on-one support to a Mount Abe student. During the summer of 2006, he worked as a job coach for adults through Employment Associates (affiliated with Addison County Adult Services). Chris continues to work with a variety of adults through several different agencies and/or funding sources.
While Chris enjoys his work, his hope is to increase his focus on the assistive technology aspect and ultimately be certified as an Assistive Technology Practitioner through RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. RESNA calls itself "the premier professional organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through increasing access to technology solutions."
So what are some of the assistive technology avenues for accessing text? They can be remarkably simple. Here's some of the assistive technology wisdom Chris can share. When he first started at Mount Abraham, he was using a variety of devices to help him with his dyslexia. Now, however, he relies primarily on his IPhone4S and the GPS that is built into his car. Chris continues to explore ways to access the world through mobile devices and/or apps. For it allows him access on the go and in more places to help with speed and efficiency. While speed will always be an issue for him, his IPhone makes things possible for him. He can use Google for auditory spell checking enhanced with visual confirmation. He can send email by voice on his phone. And his IPhone4S has "Speak It" built into it which allows him to simply push a button, talk, and the phone writes his text messages for him (so long as he has an internet connection). This allows him to communicate quickly and easily with his supervisors, other employers, and the parents or guardians of those he supports.
Another valuable assistive technology tool is the Dragon speech recognition software by Nuance Communications which is offered in various forms for PCs, Macs, IPads, and IPhones. It allows users to use their voice - their speech - to create and edit documents and emails. Chris found Dragon to be extremely helpful for him in college.
Given their wide availability as regular applications on the IPad and IPhone, these speech recognition tools have crossed over to widespread use outside of the disability communities. Which just shows how powerful, affordable, and readily accessible such technologies can be to support an individual with a disability - indeed, all individuals - to be successful in work and in life.
For Chris, his passion is in the universal design of technologies so they are used as a tool for all learners - making anyone more efficient and effective in what they are doing. And what does all this technology mean for Chris? First of all, it means he is faster and far more independent than he was. Even more than that, it allows him to make a difference in his work with the children and adults he supports in his work. He teaches them independence when he shows them how to use these technologies to find the answers they seek.
Independence, competence, success - all of this is available for individuals in work and life through early and equal access to text with readily available assistive technologies.
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More On - How to Make Phone calls to Deaf Individuals Who Use American Sign Language to Communicate
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By Bill Hudson, Senior Counselor for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Thanks to amazing advances in technology, deaf and hard of hearing individuals can access telecommunications with relative ease. In this article we will talk about calling a deaf person who uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate while using any type of phone.
People may wonder how they can make a telephone call to a deaf person and often may assume that the deaf individual is unable to use a phone. However, current telecommunications technology enables deaf people to make and receive phone calls just as anyone else can. A deaf person may be contacted simply by calling their phone number directly. The call is automatically connected to a Video Relay Service (VRS) provider, which connects the caller to an ASL interpreter to help relay the conversation. VRS providers provide free services; it is available 24 hours a day and seven days a
week.
A deaf person can now simply call their garage mechanic to see how the car repairs are coming along, call a local pizza shop for a lunch delivery, or call Cabela's to place an order.
At a job site, if a video phone is set up the deaf person can call out and receive phone calls. The equipment is free; there is no charge for the employer. The employer would only be responsible for setting up cable or a DSL hook up. Other possibilities might include the use of an iPad or iPhone and having a video phone app, usually called a mobile video phone. A strong WiFi signal will allow these apps to work very well.
How does this work? There are many VRS providers to choose from, each one operating in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements.
The FCC requires hearing callers to pay for long distance calls. However, you can avoid a long distance charge by calling a VRS provider first. For example, you may call the VRS provider directly and give the operator the long distance phone number of the deaf person you wish to call. All relay service providers provide this kind of service. With regard to local calls, there are no charges.
A list of relay service providers can be found at the FCC website: http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/trs-providers. Furthermore, there are many technological advantages that the deaf can benefit from such as a VRS app on their mobile devices. For more information on those, take a look at the "All About Apps" column in this newsletter. Today any deaf individual can make calls from almost anywhere with a phone, IPad, or laptop with a WiFi connection!
As always, contact your local Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing if you have questions or inquiries. We can be found on the VocRehab Vermont website: http://vocrehab.vermont.gov/. Just click on "programs" and find us.
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More On - All About Apps! - Apps for persons who are deaf or who have a hearing impairment
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Here we are happy to share information about assistive technology applications that can have a big impact in ensuring workplace success for people of all abilities! In this issue we wish to focus on applications for persons with hearing impairments. A. Apps that make iPhones work for People with Hearing Loss (Editor's Note: the following is excerpted from a May 2011 article produced by Minnesota Hands and Voices, found at: http://www.mnhandsandvoices.org/news-events/focus-newsletter/may-2011/apps-make-iphones-work-for-people-with-hearing-loss.aspx) FaceTime is a Skype-like app that lets users chat with high quality video for smooth transmission of signs or cues. It works with the iPad 2, iPhone 4, new iPod touch, or Mac over Wi-Fi. FaceTime also can be used to place and receive video relay and text relay calls. Other phone enhancement apps are IP-Relay, Hamilton Mobile Captel, and fring. IP-Relay turns the iPhone into a TTY that connects users through a relay operator who speaks what one user types and types back what the other user says. Hamilton Mobile Captel operates in much the same way. With this app, users who are hard of hearing can carry on a spoken conversation while an operator transcribes it, in English or in Spanish, making it easier to understand the other caller's responses. Fring is a messaging application that makes it possible to make free calls, both voice and video, as well as live IM chats from an iPhone or iPod touch over either a WiFi or 3G connection. It interfaces to many services, like MSN Messenger, Google Talk, Twitter, and AOL Instant Messenger. Subtitles provides access to movie subtitles to use when watching movies on other devices or in theaters. Content is user-generated, so the quality of subtitles may vary. B. Apps for Real-time Conversations using Video-Relay Services for Smart Phone Users who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing These are available for the iPhone and Android operating systems IP-Relay http://ip-relay.com IP-Relay, an iPhone application created by Purple, allows the deaf and hard of hearing to quickly and effortlessly call people who can hear. This program works the same way that instant messaging and chat systems work, enabling the hearing impaired to type their conversation to hearing individuals. Behind the scenes, a certified IP-Relay operator converts the user's text "speech" to voice and relays it to hearing persons. The operator then types the hearing party's response and users view the conversation in real time on their iPhone display. This application is federally funded, so the call is free of charge and monthly airtime minutes are not assessed to user's accounts. IP-Relay has a large dial pad that is easy to use and the application works with calls made to anyone in the iPhone's contact database as well as with new calls. This convenient iPhone application works with Video Relay Service (VRS) to allow deaf and hard of hearing persons to place video calls to an operator who then interprets the call into an audio message for the person they are trying to communicate with. IWRelay VRS is easy to use and enables users to place calls through the iPhone's FaceTime application. Sorenson Video Center www.sorensonvrs.com/video_center Sorenson Video Center is an application designed for hearing impaired individuals that subscribe to the Sorenson Video Relay Service. The application is a mobile version of the Sorenson Video Center that is available on videophone. It enables users to view SignMail video messages and other videos directly on their iPhone. After signing in, the application displays the videos that currently are on the videophone they regularly use. Video messages are retrieved on the go, at user's convenience. Sorenson Video Center seamlessly integrates with iPhone contacts and includes a built-in American Sign Language (ASL) help tutorial and a FAQ guide. Sprint has unleashed its new smart phone that puts the power of Video Relay Service (VRS) in the hands of the deaf and hard of hearing community. VRS enables hearing-impaired persons to have phone conversations with those that can hear using a videophone with a connection that allows real-time talk. Sprint's 4G smart phone, the HTC Evo, has built-in video chat and VRS compatibility, and combined with Sprint Relay's monthly service plan, customers communicate with hearing parties wherever and whenever the need arises. Call Sprint Mobile for information regarding monthly pricing plans. nTouch www.sorensonvrs.com/ntouch A video relay application designed for the mobile hearing-impaired person, nTouch works with the Android HTC EVO phone running on the Sprint network, allowing deaf callers to place calls to those that are hearing. Users face a video screen and sign their message to a hearing interpreter who relays the conversation verbally to the hearing caller or recipient. nTouch enables deaf and hard of hearing users to be freed from the burden of having to place calls from home on their standard videophone. nTouch features the ability to customize their experience with e911 and myRumble functions, options that integrate vibration and flash patters for individual callers. Return to Top |
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More On - The Vermont Assistive Technology Program
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Websites: atp.vermont.gov
and vt.at4all.com
Phone: 800-750-6355 (voice)
The Vermont Assistive Technology Program (VATP), part of Vocational Rehabilitation Vermont, strives to make Assistive Technology (AT) accessible to as many people with disabilities across our state as possible. AT includes an array of creative strategies and tools to support individuals in achieving and maintaining greater independence across all aspects of their lives and has numerous, significant applications in the workplace.
Both low and high tech devices, such as adapted office supplies, switch activated appliances, screen enlargers, speech-to-text software, and even apps for communicating through an iPad are just a sampling of the array of technologies that are available. To explore a variety of tools, visit vt.at4all.com, where you can browse our entire program inventory and request short-term loans of equipment for trial purposes.
The Vermont Assistive Technology Program (VATP) offers a range of services:
- Hands-on demonstrations of AT for living independently; which includes accessing computers and other information technology, hearing, seeing, communicating, learning, playing and recreating, responding to emergencies, and controlling one's environment.
- Short-term loan of AT equipment for Vermonters to try out at work, home, school, and in the community
- Public awareness activities to help inform Vermonters about AT and its applications.
- Technical assistance in selecting and implementing appropriate AT equipment, practices, programs, and policies for agencies, businesses, schools and other organizations.
- Training and specialized workshops on specific AT devices and software for educational, rehabilitation, and other professionals.
- AT Reuse Project to help maximize the availability and affordability of AT for Vermonters and extend the useful life of AT devices through:
For more information on how the Vermont Assistive Technology Program might meet your needs, please call 800-750-6355 or 802-871-3353.
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