All, The first ever convention of the International Association of Visually Impaired Technologists will be held on the weekend of October 22 - 24, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. The convention will be hheld in conjunction with the 2010 Vision Midwest Conference in Madison. I will be moderating an open discussion at the Vision Midwest Conference about the greatest technical challenges facing blind technologists today. So far, this is the only official IAVIT event scheduled. But there will be many other events of interest to blind technologists scheduled through Vision Midwest. A list of the presenters at the conference is below. Note that the list of events is quite extensive and includes everything from a talk by Dr. Greg Vanderheiden of the University of Wisconsin Department of Engineering Trace Center to a talk on beer making. More information about the Vision Midwest Conference can be found at the following sites: www.VisionMidwest.org http://www.visionmidwest.org/ http://www.facebook.com/visionmidwest http://twitter.com/VisionMidwest *Basic Conference Information* Target Audience - Blind and visually impaired individuals and professionals serving the blind and low vision population initially focused on the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, but also including the other Midwestern states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota. Conference Date/Duration - (2010) October 22 - 24, 2010 (including a three- day conference Diabetes Symposium (including Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetic Macular Edema), a two-day Braille Symposium and a one-day Retinitis Pigmentosa Symposium). Location - (2010) The Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI (main), with other locations in Madison and adjoining municipalities. Main Conference Elements - Educational Presentations (professional- and consumer-oriented), Sports (blind bowling, GPS hunt, running, tandem cycling and yoga), Vendor/Service Provider/Nonprofit Exhibition Hall and Cultural Amenities (including Chazen Art Museum tactile tours and a live music concert). * **Partnerships* 1. WisTech is a sponsor of the conference and we will be having an AT training at the conference. The AT training will be utilized by the Wisconsin Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and is being promoted to other professionals throughout Wisconsin and other Midwestern states. 2. Pathways to Independence (Wisconsin state employment entity) is a sponsor of Vision Midwest Conference employment and career programming. 3. The Vision Midwest Conference 2010 is the annual conference of WAER and the Wisconsin Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and will be the location and programming provider for a meeting of the Blinded Veterans Association of Wisconsin. 4. The Vision Midwest Conference will have reciprocal programming and be working with ILAB (http://ilab.psu.edu) who is having a conference on the same time at UW-Madison, and the Vision Midwest Conference will also benefit from shared programming and attendees of the International Association of Visually Impaired Technologists, which is holding their convention on the same weekend in Madison. 5. Wisconsin Braille, Inc. will provide significant programming and guidance for the Braille Symposium. 6. We have arranged tactile art museum tours at the Chazen Museum of Art - see http://www.12state.org/2010/04/chazen-museum-of-art-tours 7. American Printing House for the Blind (APH) will be having a National Instructional Partnership program the Sunday of the conference with Dr. Lauren Lieberman on adaptive physical education for visually impaired children. * **Confirmed Conference Presenters* Adaptive Technology Resources (ATR) staff (Wisconsin), on "NetTaker - Portable Computing and Notetaking Solution", "OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Solutions for Blind & Visually Impaired Individuals", "Accessible Cell Phones - Look what I can do with my cell phone!" and "Screen Magnification & Reading for Low Vision". Sharlyn Ayotte (Ottawa, ON, Canada), Chief Strategy Officer, Founder and former CEO, T-Base Communications Inc., panel on assistive technology policy and an individual presentation on VIPs creating and developing private sector businesses. Lindsey Baker (St. Paul, MN), Rehabilitation Counselor Supervisor for State Services for the Blind, on vocational assessments/evaluation for individuals who have a vision loss and a panel on transitioning from volunteering and internships to paid professional work. Cory Ballard (Milwaukee, WI), Adaptive Products Specialist at the Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, on cell phones and on digital talking book players. William Bielawski, Director of Adaptive Technology at The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, four presentations on Adaptive Technology. Amy Bigna (Racine, WI), Senior Research Services Manager, SC Johnson Company, panel on VIPs working in the private sector. Gwen Botting (Michigan), President of Michigan Parents of Children with Visual Impairments and Chair of Quality Education Team for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired, on "'I can do it myself!' How Parents' Attitudes Make All the Difference!" and panel on parenting. Clyde Brewer (Indianapolis, IN), Employment Services Specialist BOSMA Enterprises, panel on transition to adulthood/work. Robert Buettner, Rehabilitation Services Director at the Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, on "Living Successfully with Low Vision" and a panel on "Current Challenges and What the Future Holds for VIP Organizations". Larry Caplan (Evansville, IN), Master Gardner, Horticultural Educator for the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, on sensory gardening. Mark Carson (Illinois), Midwest Sales Director for HumanWare, on braille notetakers. Center for Sight and Hearing (Rockford, IL) will have staff demo current technology for remote captioning and video-remote interpreting at the conference. Jane Charlton (Janesville, WI), Content Editor for AFB Senior Site eLearning Center on Aging and Visual Impairment, on the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Senior Site. Joe Cioffi, President of St. Paul, MN-based ClickAndGo Wayfinding Maps, on wayfinding technology. Kristina King Cohen (Palo Alto, CA), Education Program Manager of Bookshare/Benetech, on "Bookshare - Everything You Need to Know About the World's Largest Online Library of Accessible Books". Dr. Norman Coombs (California), CEO EASI Equal Access to Software and Information, on removing barriers to online learning. Tracy Curley (Princeville, Hawaii), Founder and CEO of Rousettus LLC, on Yoga instruction using the Visually Impaired Yoga Mat. Jeremy Curry (courtesy of ATR), Director of Training at GW Micro, on "Notetakers for Blind Consumers - Classroom, Wayfinding and Personal Benefits", "DAISY Players - Educating, Informing and Entertaining Busy People" and "Screen Reading with WindowEyes". Susan Dalton (Marengo, IL), M.S.Ed., CVRT, Transition Specialist TransVision, panel on transition to adulthood/work, and presentation "On the Road to Independence". Mary Ann Damm (courtesy of WisBrl), NLS Certified Transcriber and National Braille Association (NBA) Certified Textbook Transcriber and co-author of NBA Braille Formats Course, "Translating Print into Braille" (for TVIs and Transcribers). Larisa DeZayas, COMS and President of WAER, on "Accessible design for safer street crossings". Kurt Fiene, President of the Elmhurst Running Club (Illinois) and national championship for visually impaired runners marathon winner, on VIP running and training. Beth Finke (Illinois), NPR commentator, award-winning author, teacher and journalist, panels on blogging and writing. Kelly Ford (Redmond, WA), Test Lead with Microsoft, presentation on accessibility from a development perspective and panel on VIPs working in the private sector. Dr. David M. Gamm, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus, Edwin and Dorothy Gamewell Retina Research Professor, on stem cell research. Don Golembiewski (Spring Green, WI), Hadley School for the Blind Instructor, developing/improving support groups. Dr. Justin Gottlieb, UW-Madison Associate Professor and Director of the Retina Service Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, on Diabetic Retinopathy. Dr. Betsy Gruba, Director of Technology for the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, panel on marriages with blind and sighted spouses, and knitting. Naomi Harm (Brownsville, MN), K-12 technology specialist and the Technology Director for the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association, whose credentials include being a/an National Intel Senior Trainer, National/International Keynote Speaker, 21st Century Skills Affiliate, Smart Technology Trainer, Thinkfinity Field Trainer, 21st Century Literacy Specialist, Adjunct Faculty at UW-Lacrosse and a consultant, on collaborative education technology topics. Marilyn Harmon, Teacher of the Visually Impaired in Milwaukee Public Schools and Associate Lecturer at UW-Milwaukee Exceptional Education Department, on blind and visually impaired infants and pre-schoolers. Dr. Mark Harris, Director Student Disability Services at University of Iowa, presenting on a panel of directors of college/university Student Disability Services with a visual impairment focus. Earle Harrison, President and Founder of Handy Tech North America, on "Have a Free Screen Reader, Whether You Need One or Not!" and "Active Tactile Control, the World's Most Sensitive Braille Displays". Debra Hegstrom, Minneapolis Institute of Arts Associate Educator of the Docent Program, on museum accessibility. John Heim, International Association of Visually Impaired Technologists President, chairing round table discussion "Accessibility Issues for Professional Computer Technologists". Dr. Heather Hinson, Advisory Council Member and Low Vision Service Optometrist at the Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, on low vision evaluations. Kevin Hollinger (St. Charles, MO), Orientation and Mobility specialist for the Francis Howell School District and Director S.T.E.P. (Summer Transition and Employment Program), on utilizing online maps in O&M, and on transition to adulthood/work panel. Dr. David Hurd, Professor of Geosciences at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning staff on panel "Building Connections with the project Visualizing Science with Adapted Curriculum Enhancements (ACE)" and in workshop "A Tactile Guide to the Solar System with Digital Talking Text." Erica Ihrke (Rochester Hills, MI), Manager of Technology & Extended Services for Leader Dogs for the Blind, on dog guides. Dr. Gaylen Kapperman (DeKalb, IL), Professor and Coordinator of Visual Disabilities Program at Northern Illinois University, on Nemeth code. Dr. Arthur Karshmer, Professor and Chair, Department of Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Director of The Universal Math Lab, University of San Francisco, on AutOMathic Blocks System for independently teaching young blind students math. Diane Kernan-Schroeder (Hines, IL), RN, MSN, BC-ADM, CDE, Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialist at Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital, on diabetes. Mike Knezovich (Chicago), freelance writer, panel on marriages with blind and sighted spouses. Dr. Amol D Kulkarni, Ophthalmology Resident, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, on Retinitis Pigmentosa. Stephen Kuusisto, University of Iowa Professor/Poet/Blogger "Planet of the Blind" Author, on blogging and/or careers. Anne Lambert, Curator of Education at the Chazen Museum of Art (UW-Madison), panel presentation on museum accessibility/universal exhibit design. Dennis Lembree (Cupertino, CA), Computer Accessibility expert, blogger, podcaster, and award-winning Accessible Twitter programmer, on accessible computer technology. Natasha Lemler (St. Paul, MN), Rehabilitation Counselor/Vocational Evaluator for State Services for the Blind, on vocational assessments/evaluation for individuals who have a vision loss and a panel on transitioning from volunteering and internships to paid professional work. Dr. Lauren Lieberman, Professor of Adapted Physical Education at SUNY Brockport, on adapted exercise. Gil Lutz (Ohio), Training and Technical Support with the Sendero Group, on GPS instruction and a GPS treasure hunt. Rod Maccoux (Green Bay, WI), Home Brewer and Wine Maker, on Home Brewing and Wine Making. Scott Moore (Manchester Center, VT), VP of Marketing at Ai Squared, on "What's New in ZoomText". Liam Moran, ATLAS Digital Media at University of Illinois, on Scene Description technologies for online educational video. Dave Moyle, Martial Arts Trainer, on self-defense for the blind and visually impaired. Jerry Munden (Charlotte, NC), Vice President of Business Development Prodigy Diabetes Care, on VIP accessible diabetes and medical equipment. Erin Narloch (Wausau, WI), Curator of Education at the Woodson Art Museum, panel presentation on museum accessibility/universal exhibit design Jill Oswald, Public School Speech Therapist, panel on marriages with blind and sighted spouses. Jennifer Ottowitz, Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist at the Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired and Associate Lecturer University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Health Sciences, on "I Can Pick Out My Own Clothes Now". Dr. Danielle Poole, Low Vision/Primary Care Attending Optometrist at the Illinois Eye Institute, on seniors and low vision. Karen Poppe (Louisville, KY), Tactile Graphics Project Leader for American Printing House for the Blind (APH), on Tactile Literacy project for children. William Powell (Indianapolis, IN), Assistive Technology Manager at BOSMA Rehabilitation Center and Lecturer III at Indiana State University, Literary Braille Transcriber NLS, Lifetime Member, National Braille Association, 26 Years as a classroom teacher for K-12 aged students, 15 Years as a Braille Instructor at the college level, on Braille topic for consumers TBD (possibly "Overview of Braille - Infancy to Adulthood") and on "BOSMA Rehabilitation Build Your Own Computer Program". Mary Powers (Wausau, WI), Orientation and Mobility Instructor at Blind and Visually Impaired Services of Northcentral WI, facilitating panel on when to use a cane with Retinitis Pigmentosa. Kevin Price, Assistive Technology Specialist and Chair of the UIC Web Accessibility Committee, University of Illinois at Chicago, presenting on a panel on four-year college/university services to students with disabilities with a visual impairment focus. Christopher Quinn (Madison, WI), First Settlement Counseling, moderating panel on marriages with blind and sighted spouses. Mark Richert (Washington, DC), Director of the American Foundation for the Bind Public Policy Center, panel on assistive technology policy and individual presentation on health care policy. Constance Risjord (courtesy of WisBrl), National Library Service (NLS) Certified Transcriber and author of Instruction Manual for Braille Transcribing (Fifth Edition 2008), on "A Literary Braille Update" (for TVIs and Braille Readers). David A. Ross, Biomedical Research Engineer, Rehab Research and Development Center Department of Veterans Affairs in Atlanta, GA, on Cell Phone Accessibility Evaluation Study for Persons with Visual Impairments (ongoing study) and one of the following two presentations (with the other one being held Thursday, October 21 at the free UW AT Expo), Passive RFID tags to Provide Signage Access and Indoor Navigation Information (includes demo), and SeeScan: Camera Cell Phone-based Object Recognition System for People with Visual Impairment Jean Salzer, Student Accessibility Center, UW-Milwaukee, presenting on a panel on four-year college/university services to students with disabilities with a visual impairment focus. Dr. Axel Schmetzke, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (University Library) Professor, on "Accessibility of online library resources: trends, policy issues, and perspectives". Dr. Katherine Schneider, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Senior Psychologist, Emerita, will present "Your Treasure Hunt: Nurturing Resilience in Blind and Low Vision Children and Youth". The Seeing Eye, Inc. (Morristown, NJ), staff member, on dog guides. Nancy Smith, Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Birth to Six Vision Teacher (retired and now consulting), on early childhood development. Ken Sosalla, Director, Southeastern Wisconsin BOLD, on the history of and how to create a Lions BOLD (Blind Outdoor Leisure Development) group. James Stachowiak, Associate Director of the Iowa Center for Assistive Technology Education and Research (ICATER) at the University of Iowa College of Education, on ICATER and assistive technology in higher education. Dr. Kimberly Stepien (Milwaukee, WI), Assistant Professor at the Ophthalmology-Medical Retina Eye Institute of the Medical College of Wisconsin, presenting on Stargardt's. Dr. Jessica Thull, Rehabilitation Psychology Fellow, Hines VA Hospital Psychology Department, on visual impairment and mental health. Sean Tikkun, Madison Metro School District Instruction Technology Resource Teacher and Teacher of the Visually Impaired, on "Apple Universal Design: accessibility out of the Box". Dawn Turco (Winnetka, IL), Hadley School for the Blind Senior Vice President of Educational Operations, on leisure travel. Dr. Gregg Vanderheiden, Director of the Trace R&D Center and Professor Industrial & Systems Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at UW Madison, on panel on assistive technology policy and an individual presentation covering topics around http://RaisingTheFloor.nethttp://raisingthefloor.net/and http://NPII.org http://npii.org/. Eric Wagenfeld, Assistant Dean of Students & Director, Services for Students with Disabilities, Indiana Purdue University, Ft Wayne, presenting on a panel of directors of college/university Student Disability Services with a visual impairment focus and presenting on "Redefining Accessible Technology: Accessible Technology on a Budget". Naomi Wedel (Madison, WI), MS, RD, BC-ADM, CDE, Dean Health Care, on diabetes. Wicab, Inc. (Middleton, WI) will have staff direct a BrainPort presentation/panel and technology demonstration. Michelle Williams of Enhanced Vision (courtesy of ATR), on "Ergonomics of Electronic Magnification Today". Wisconsin Braille Inc. (WisBrl) members, "Make-a-Shape Book" (for Blind Parents of Preschoolers and Parents of Blind Preschoolers) Ed Vitu, owner E. M. Vitu, Inc., on PACMate with built-in JAWS screen reader. Gerard V. Xavier, Milwaukee Area Technical Technical College-Madison Counselor, facilitator of panel on parenting. Charles Young (Winnetka, IL), Hadley School for the Blind President, on careers/employment.* * On Fri, Jul 2, 2