Technology Seminars
Welcome to the VLRC Technology Seminars archive where you can download audio recordings of these popular events and their accompanying handouts.
Build Your Own Website (Fri, Dec 4, 2009)
Web DIY is easy and fun! Attendees told us they worried the topic would be way too complex, but instead found the presentation quite easy to follow. A longtime LightHouse friend said, “I really feel like this is quite do-able. I am 62 and not super tech-savvy, but after listening to today’s seminar, I feel like I can have my own website!”
Build Your Own Website Seminar.mp3 (18.00 MB)
Social Networking (Sept 25, 2009)
Magnification: Spot Reading on the Go (Tue, Jul 14, 2009)
Need to read that cereal box or check the price on that power drill? What about your birthday card? The LightHouse Technology Seminar series continues with a teach-in on products including portable video magnifiers, pocket magnifiers, and a talking barcode scanner. These devices allow for print access anytime and anyplace!
Magnification Seminar.mp3 (32 MB)
Accessible Cell Phone Seminar (Tue, Mar 24, 2009)
The future is in hand-held technology. How can blind individuals access this technology and not be left behind? Cell phones are being used to organize people's lives, to download music, to watch TV, to browse the internet, to send and receive e-mail and text messages, and... to make telephone calls. There are cell phones that work right out of the box for folks who are blind or low vision, and phones that require the user to install software like screen magnification. Our goal is to give you information to choose the best type of phone for you. Learn about the newest PDAs, cell phones and calling options for the visually impaired! Learn about products that are ready to use out of the box, third-party software that provides navigation on many phones, and services that help you connect like AT&T's National Call Center for Customers with Disabilities. Featured phones and PDAs such as the Pantech Breeze, Verizon’s Samsung Knack, the KNFB Reader and more!
- Panel 1
Anthony Dong, Manager AT&T Stores
Gilbert DelToro, Director of Retail Sales Jitterbug
Barbara Kaplan, Accessiblity Expert Verizon
Dave Wilkinson, Western Region Blindness Product Specialist Humanware -
Blackberry Screen Reader
- Panel 2: Third Party Software
Kevin Chow, Sendero Group - Mobile Geo
Damian Pickering, Consumer - KNFB Reader
Peter Cantisani, Senior Assistive Technology Advisor RL & Associates
- Panel 3: What was new at CSUN
Lucy Greco, UC Berkeley Assistive Technology Specialist
Peter Cantisani
Richard Rueda, Consumer
Accessible Cell Phone Seminar (40 MB)
NLS Digital Conversion Seminar
The National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is converting their talking books to a digital format. This allows users to listen to books on digital talking book players. Now you can read in DAISY or MP3 format, bookmark favorite passages, or download your news and go! Topics covered include the new NLS player, Braille Plus Mobile Manager, the LevelStar Icon, Victor Reader Stream and Plextalk Reader.
NLS Digital Conversion.mp3 (47MB)
Adaptive Technology and Health
Innovations that make your day-to-day health routines easier. Learn about products such as a talking glucose meters, prescription bottles that speak, and many more accessible options to keep you healthy.
Adaptive Technology and Health.mp3 (36 MB)
Adaptive Technology and Health Handouts (compressed "zipped" folder - 249 KB)
Affordable Technology
Accessible software solutions that are no cost or low cost (under $200). The seminar begins with a discussion about System Access To Go, followed by two panels about the Linux and Apple screen readers respectively. We conclude with a discussion of Microsoft's built-in accessability tools and the AT&T accessability rebate.
Affordable Technology.mp3 (41 MB)
Affordable Technology Handouts (compressed "zipped" folder - 224 KB)
Employment Rights
Presenters Herb Levine and Diane Rovey provide background on civil rights, and the basics of employment law. They also discuss: disability disclosure, reasonable accomodations, filing complaints, access technology and how this impacts your employment situation.
Employment Rights.mp3 (28.5 MB)
Employment Rights Handouts (compressed "zipped" folder - 271 KB)
Diabetes
Paul Raskin, instructor at VISTA Center for the Blind, has been teaching diabetic education skills for many years. He joins us to discuss information on vision loss and diabetes, accessible diabetic devices, and helpful hints.
Diabetes.mp3 (15 MB)
GPS Navigation
GPS navigation devices specifically designed for the blind and visually impaired such as: Trekker, BrailleNote GPS, and Street Talk. “GPS” is the acronym for Global Positioning System. GPS technology has lead to the creation of accessible hand-held electronic devices capable of providing detailed walking directions.
GPS.mp3 (39.5 MB)
Reading Machines
Tired of waiting for days to have your mail read? Would you like to be able to read books and magazines by yourself without having to rely on someone to produce them in an accessible format? If so, it may be time for you to get a reading machine. Please join us for the fourth in our series of technology workshops to discuss electronic devices that give the blind and visually impaired access to print documents by means of magnification or Optical Character Recognition. Learn about products including the new KNFB Mobile.
Reading Machines.mp3 (28.8 MB)
Reading Machine Handouts (compressed "zipped" folder - 2.31 MB)
To request a TMAP, send an email (Subject: TMAP Request) to 
