All News Blog Posts

Hadley Family Courses Now on eReaders!

Hadley is now offering their free Family Education Program on ebooks. This is especially convenient for busy parents on the go!

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Wingbo Giveaway!

Original Baby Company is giving away a free Wingbo tummy time swing to one lucky winner! And it's not just for babies, you can also hang it with long ropes for older children, so check out the giveaway and enter!

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Artificial Retina Approved for Sale in Europe

Second Sight announces that their artificial retina (also known as a retinal microchip), the Argus II, is now available for public purchase in Europe.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

2012 Mission Believe Camp

If you live in Missouri, be sure to check out this free summer camp for blind students in middle and high school from the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Stem Cell Therapy Found Safe in Phase 1/2 Study

Advanced Cell Technologies, a leading research company in the field of regenerative medicine, is reporting that a recent study to test the safety of stem cell treatment for common forms of retinal degeneration has been successful.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Mrs. America Raises Awareness About RP

Watch this video with Mrs America on Fox News. She talks about RP and LCA and explains how we can help support exciting new research that may cure these diseases.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Jumping Out a Window & Repelling Down the Wall

Watch two videos of brave Elizabeth repelling down the side of a church steeple. She's got a lot of us adults beat in the daring department!

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Watch a Baby Walking with His Cane!

Watch ten month old Alan walk around his living room with his new cane. He's totally blind, but does a wonderful job getting around obstacles!

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Webcast on Sexuality

Tom Miller, from the Perkins School for the Blind, talks about social interaction and sex education in a new webcast. He discusses how to model proper behavior and how to teach self protection.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Communication Apps on 60 Minutes

Read about iPad apps used to help disabled children communicate. Watch a video from 60 Minutes discussing iPad apps for children with autism.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Special Needs Toys Holiday Sale

TFH (specialneedstoys.com) is having a big holiday sale. Everything is 10% off and if you order $50 or more you get a free toy!

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Cindy's Corner: A New Resource

Cindy O’Connell is a Teacher of the Visually Impaired. She will show you how to create simple activities that are easy to adapt for any skill level and teach multiple lessons - all while being fun!

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Teaching Braille Reading and Writing Webcast

Lucia Hasty and Perkins School for the Blind have developed this webcast that discusses how to teach braille reading and writing to blind children. The video is in seven parts and available for free.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Poncho Giveaway!

Enter to win a children's fleece poncho! These are great for keeping kids warm during the fall and winter when they are out in their wheelchairs. The poncho will stay on and not fall in the mud or slip under the wheels.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Vision Sim

Find out about the Vision Sim app from the Braille Institute that allows users to see the world through the eyes of people who are visually impaired.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Webcast on Behavior Issues

Watch a video interview with Dr. Hartshorne where he discusses common behavior issues with children who are deaf-blind and how to deal with them.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Ask Dr. Ferrell a Question

FamilyConnect and AFB Press are excited to announce a special opportunity for families to interact directly with one of the foremost experts on blindness and visual impairment in early childhood, Dr. Kay Alicyn Ferrell. Dr. Ferrell will personally respond to questions posted on the FamilyConnect Ask the Experts blog between July 18th and 29th.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Gene Therapy Works for Mice with GUCY2D

Researchers at the London's UCL Institute of Ophthalmology have had success with gene therapy in a mouse model of LCA which is caused by mutations in the GUCY2D gene.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

HumanWare Braille Literacy Scholarship Program

HumanWare is sponsoring a braille and literacy scholarship for children ages 3 to 8. The winner will receive a Mountbatten Learning System Educational pack containing: MB Learning System, Mimic Display, keyboard and MB comm PC to MB communication software.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Spatial Awareness Video

Perkins just uploaded a video to their YouTube channel where Lucia Hasty discusses how important it is to teach young children about where they are within their environment. This concept is often referred to as spatial awareness and even though it sounds simple enough, it can be a really hard idea for kids with vision impairments to understand. What does it mean to be "in front of" something? How do I know which is the desk "to my left?"

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

APH Video Contest

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) invites customers to submit videos of blind or visually impaired persons demonstrating uses of their favorite APH products. The inaugural Products Video Contest is open to teachers, administrators, rehab instructors, parents, students and other APH customers.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Next Generation Song

Have you heard the cool song about the Perkins Brailler? Wait a second... a song about a brailler? Yep, you heard right, Raul Midon has written and recorded a song about the Perkins Next Generation Brailler. There are stranger things to sing an ode to!

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

More Artificial Retina News

News about artificial retinas, sometimes called retinal microchips, seems to be coming fast these days. Europe has just approved a device developed by Second Sight Medical and they are working on getting FDA approval in the US. Check out this video from the Early Show on CBS:

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 3 comments

Drawing with Your Brailler Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Congratulations to Debra and thank you to everyone who entered!   Kids want to be kids, no matter what their abilities or disabilities. And even though learning braille is all about literacy and reading, those bumpy dots can also be fun and creative too! Why wouldn't you want to learn how to make images with your brailler, from the simple to the intricate, that you can play with for fun or give out as birthday and holiday cards? Doesn't that sound neat? The book Drawing with Your Perkins Brailler teaches you to do just that. And we're giving away a free copy to one lucky reader (in either print or braille). Entering the giveaway is easy! Simply leave a comment below or send me an email letting me know that you want to enter this contest. Please be sure to include your full name. I’ll be accepting entries until April 14th at midnight.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 17 comments

Perkins Family Conference 2011

The Early Connections: Taking Care of Our Children... Taking Care of Ourselves conference is coming up! Please join us for the 28th regional conference for families of children with visual impairments including those with additional disabilities or deafblindness ages birth-seven years. Date: April 30th, 2011 Time: 8:15am to 3:00pm Location: Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown MA This year's sessions will include:

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Disable Bullying

It's no secret that bullying is a problem amongst today's youth, but there has been little discussion about the problem of bullying children with special needs, even though they are often the most affected. This will change on Tuesday, February 15 when AbilityPath, in coalition with Special Olympics, Best Buddies, and Glee's Lauren Potter launches the nationwide "Disable Bullying" campaign that engages parents, educators, activists, and policymakers in educating the public on this widespread problem.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Info on Retinoblastoma

The Perkins School for the Blind is conducting a series of lectures on genetics and visual disorders. Each lecture will take place in the evening at the Perkins Watertown campus in Massachusetts and you must register ahead of time if you'd like to attend.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Win a Copy of More Story Songs & Sing Alongs!

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Congratulations to Jennifer, Linnea, and Debbie and thank you to everyone who entered!   One of our all-time favorite kids' bands is Debbie & Friends. Their songs are happy, upbeat, and so easy to sing along to. Debbie's songs make Ivan laugh, clap, stomp, and squeal! I love how Debbie takes simple concepts or familiar stories and turns them into timeless tunes. Ivan's favorite song is Simon Says, where Debbie starts with the familiar follow-the-leader game, but turns it into dancing, rhyming fun. He also loves So, So Happy because, well, it's fun to be happy! (You can download a free copy of So, So Happy on Debbie's website.) Debbie & Friends just seem to have this sweet honesty about them—they really love what they're doing and kids respond so well to that. Debbie also has a bunch of really talented kids singing on her CDs and I've noticed that Ivan really enjoys hearing other children sing. Their newest CD, More Story Songs & Sing Alongs, is a big hit in our house! Do you want to win a free copy of More Story Songs & Sing Alongs? Of course you do! Debbie is giving away three copies of her CD for three lucky winners. Entering the giveaway is easy! Simply leave a comment below or send me an email letting me know that you want to enter this contest. Please be sure to include your full name. I’ll be accepting entries until March 9th at midnight.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 19 comments

Infant Massage for Visually Impaired Babies

This is a post from Sonja Biggs, MA, TVI, COMS, Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired: I know that many of you are looking for ideas about how to work with your infant or toddler who is blind or visually impaired. One of the areas that is different between a blind and sighted baby is the way they initially communicate with mom, dad, and siblings. For example, a sighted baby will turn his head, look at you, smile, and make eye contact when you come into the room. He might even start making noises or reach for you.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 3 comments

An Accessible Kindle?

There's been a lot of debate over the accessibility options on the Amazon Kindle, or lack there of, but it looks like Amazon may be finally creating a reliable text-to-speech feature for their ebook reader.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

The Story Behind the Song

Last month I ran a contest to win a very cool CD by Leeny & Tamara.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Welcoming Students Guide Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Congratulations to Shannan and thank you to everyone who entered!   Welcoming Students with Visual Impairment to Your School is a guide published by the Perkins School for the Blind intended specifically to help teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs) train public school teachers on how to teach and adapt the classroom for visually impaired students. In many cases, TVIs may only see a blind student once or twice a week, sometimes even less often. The rest of the time the student is dependent on their regular classroom teacher to provide them with an adequate education. But if this teacher has no experience with visual impairment, will they know what to do? Will they follow through on the TVIs recommendations? As a parent, you know that you have to be aware of what's going on in your child's classroom and what is agreed to in their IEP. This guide, though designed originally for TVIs, would be a huge asset for parents as well. This guide could help you communicate with your child's teachers and assist you and your child's school in creating the perfect IEP. Do you want to win a free copy of Welcoming Students with Visual Impairment to Your School? Of course you do! Entering the giveaway is easy! Simply leave a comment below or send me an email letting me know that you want to enter this contest. Please be sure to include your full name. I’ll be accepting entries until January 25th at midnight.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 13 comments

Music Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Congratulations to Chelsea and thank you to everyone who entered!   Getting kids to eat healthy can be a challenge. Getting kids to eat period can be a challenge, too. Trust me, I've been there. Anything that makes meal time fun is a plus! Jay Mankita's album, Eat Like a Rainbow, is full of fun songs about food. He sings about eating healthy, about how food grows, and how food makes you grow big and strong. If you like to play music during meal times like we do, this is the perfect CD. Singing about food while you're eating is a great way to signal to your child that it's time to eat, especially if your child has communication difficulties. I'm giving away a free copy of Jay's Eat Like a Rainbow and I'm also going to throw in a copy of Jeff Jam's new CD, Elephant Shoes. Jeff is one of our favorite local performers who plays sing alongs at a nearby toy store. He is so much fun and full of energy and that really comes through in his CD, too. Elephant Shoes is a great album for families looking for classic kids' music, from Oh! Susanna to Miss Lucy & The Lady with the Alligator Purse and everything in between. Of course, my favorite song is his original Crazy Monkey Day. How could you not love a song called Crazy Monkey Day? Do you want to win a free copy of both Eat Like a Rainbow and Elephant Shoes? Of course you do! Entering the giveaway is easy! Simply leave a comment below or send me an email letting me know that you want to enter this contest. Please be sure to include your full name. I’ll be accepting entries until January 25th at midnight.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 14 comments

Bionic Eye in the News

The bionic eye, or retinal microchip as it's also known, has been making great strides in Europe. Doctors reported in November that they were having great success with a temporary chip in Germany and in December British doctors announced that they would begin trials with permanent chips.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

NBP Giftcard Holiday Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Congratulations to Holly and thank you to everyone who entered!   National Braille Press has generously donated a $40 Gift Card to our holiday giveaway series! Enter this contest to win $40 to spend on all sorts of great gifts for your blind child! What could you get at NBP? Well, let's see... NBP has lots of baby board books with pictures and braille. Our favorites have to be the Sandra Boynton books because they're silly and have great rhyme and rhythm. We're also big fans of Ten Chirpy Chicks. Ivan loves touching the chicks on the page!     NBP also offers neat tactile cards. My favorite kit is their Noah's Ark Set that comes with a print/braille picture book, a print/braille Fun Facts About Noah's Ark book, and a set of tactile pictures. What fun! You could also check out their Tactile Alphabet Letters and their Illustrated Alphabet Flashcards. For older kids you might want to look into their very cool Pathfinder Mazes.     Puzzles are always great gifts, and NBP has taken the classic shape puzzle and added braille! Check out their Chunky Puzzle. It's big and colorful, the puzzle pieces are easy to grab, and each shape is labeled in both print and braille!     Another toy from NBP that is kind of like a puzzle is the Braille Caravan. This toy is both fun and educational. Each piece has six dots that can be pushed up or in, so you can create any braille letter, then stick them together to make words! The Braille Caravan is great for little kids who are just learning about the braille cell and for older kids who are beginning to put letters together.   And while you're checking out all NBP has to offer, sign up for their Free Braille Book Club. You'll receive a flyer in the mail every month letting you know about their new braille children's books and calendars. It's a great way to keep up with what's going on at NBP.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 60 comments

Tactile Book Holiday Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Congratulations to Lorraine and thank you to everyone who entered!   The American Printing House for the Blind creates some really interesting and unique tactile books for young children with vision impairments. The tactile illustrations in APH books are more than just raised drawings — they create molded images, items that can be removed and touched, and other objects that are a part of the story and bring meaning to the book. Creating interest in reading is the first step to literacy! (You can learn more about teaching your child to enjoy reading in the APH book, On the Way to Literacy.) A favorite APH children's book at the Perkins Early Learning Center is That's Not My Bear. In this story a little boy loses his favorite teddy bear (which appears in the book as an object your child can remove and hold). The teddy is soft, but has some worn spots because he's been loved so much. It's fun to help your child find the bald patches! As the little boy searches for his bear, he comes across other teddy bears that are like his, but not quite. Each bear appears on the page as a three-dimensional object your child can touch and feel. It's a wonderful opportunity to talk about same and different. I probably shouldn't ruin the ending for you, but, yes, he does find his bear (in the closet, of course), and you and your child can help by tucking the bear into bed under the covers! The story is adorable and meaningful and the tactile illustrations really bring the concepts to life for kids with vision impairments.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 36 comments

Braille Board Book Holiday Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Congratulations to Miranda and thank you to everyone who entered!   Finding braille books for kids can be a challenge, especially print-braille books that are baby-friendly! One of our favorite places to find baby board books with braille alongside the printed text is Seedlings, an online braille book store that provides braille, print-braille, and braille picture books for kids.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 26 comments

The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks

Oliver Sacks, best-selling author of Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Just in Time for Christmas...

A father of an eight-year-old visually impaired boy created PlushTalk Ornaments, a set of fun, talking Christmas toys. PlushTalk Ornaments are plush stuffed talking ornament toys that attach to a 24" tall soft plush stuffed Christmas trimming tree. Each themed PlushTalk Ornament has a name and states a different phrase in a unique and interesting voice when squeezed.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Another Free Screen Reader

Two blind computer programmers have developed a new screen reader program, called NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access), that they are offering free of charge. They said that "We really are in the information age - everything is online these days. So access to computers for the blind and vision impaired is incredibly important, which is why we wanted our software to be free." Read more about the program and download it for free.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Help Perkins Products!

Perkins Products is beginning some user research on a new product they are developing. They are looking for children and their parents who are either early in the process of learning braille, or at the intermediate level and are willing to participate in some user research on a new product. They would like to meet with people for about an hour on October 12th and 13th to ask questions, understand what technology they use, show them some ideas, etc. This could be done during the school day or after school, or even in the evening at their homes if necessary.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Perkins Discover Conference 2010

The Discover Conference is for families of school age children who are blind, visually impaired and deafblind, including those with additional disabilities. It will be held on Saturday, October 23rd at the Perkins campus in Watertown, Massachusetts. The key note speaker, Marlyn Minkin, is a licensed family therapist and Mental Health Counselor. She will address the main theme of the conference this year: how to help families build networks and find support from each other.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

In the Tall, Tall Grass in Print/Braille

National Braille Press recently released In the Tall, Tall Grass in print/braille format. This adorable book is perfect for kids who prefer rhymes (like my son) and also has beautiful illustrations for kids with vision. Print/braille books like this one are so nice to read to your blind or visually impaired child along with their sighted friends or siblings. Everyone finds something to enjoy!

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 1 comment

Friends in the News

Here are a couple of videos about visually impaired kids that recently appeared in local newscasts. Though at 18, maybe I should stop referring to Brandon as a kid? Click here to watch Brandon's video.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • 2 comments

Stem Cells Cure Blindness Caused by Burns

Researchers have been working with stem cells to replace damaged cornea tissue in patients. The stem cells come from their own eyes, so the patient must have at least some healthy tissue in one eye. Of course this technique wouldn't work for patients with damaged retinas or optic nerves, but it is still very promising.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Free National Trust Album

The National Trust in Britain has teamed up with Jarvis Cocker, best known as the former front man for the band Pulp, to create an album comprised solely of natural sounds taking the listener on an audio journey around Britain.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Computer Gadgets for Disabled Users

I'm always on the lookout for cool technology that makes life easier for people with physical and sensory disabilities. This article lists some neat gadgets that can help people access their computer. Click here to read the article.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

Babies & Sign Language Webinar

Join Marsha Peterson of Talking with Baby for a free webinar on teaching babies sign language on July 14th. Marsha's technique for teaching babies sign language works really well with special needs kids, too. You can learn more about Marsha and her son, Chad, here. This webinar will share the many benefits of signing, why it works, and the importance of giving babies a language. Learn how reading while teaching can be easy and fun.

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment

On the Media Covers Accessibility Issues

WNYC's radio program On the Media recently covered a few interesting issues related to accessibility and disability. In their May 21st episode they discussed the decline in braille literacy and how this might effect the blind population in the US, accessibility issues on the internet and what it would take for all websites to become handicapped accessible, and accessible video games (including which mainstream games are the most popular with disabled players).

• shared by Amber Bobnar
• • Add new comment