April 19 – May 5
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10AM NoonCourse Instructors: Bobbi Pompey (Independent Living Skills Specialist) and Debbie Worstman (Access Technology Specialist)

Course Description

The whistle of a teapot, or bubbles in a pot hint at tasty things to come. The whizz of cars in front of us are warnings, while those traveling beside us are protective. The dial tone that lets us know we are one step closer to speaking to a loved one. In this series of classes we will discuss the many ways we can sharpen our listening skills to make the most of what we hear. Whether your goal is to get out and travel, prepare a special meal, return to school or work, or write the great American novel, we will help you separate the useful signals from all the noise, and to level up your listening skills.

Student Criteria

Students interested in this course can be of any skill level and fall anywhere on the spectrum of blindness. They should be comfortable learning in a group setting, willing to actively participate in classes, able to commit to attend all six (6) sessions in there entirety, be able to access the Zoom platform, and be able to hear and understand spoken English and sounds of various pitches/tones.

Course Materials

A pair of over the ear headphones with a microphone.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be more prepared to transition from utilizing visual input to using auditory input text to speech
• Students will understand the clues about documents provided by text to speech.
• Students will learn to analyze their environment, identify sounds, and determine how to best use the auditory information they are receiving in order to problem solve and complete various tasks of daily living
• Students will be provided with a foundation of interpreting audio cues when traveling indoors and outdoors

Course Schedule

• Session 1 (Tuesday April 19)- Welcome & Course Overview- This session will include staff/student introductions, a course overview, and introduction to auditory skills, the completion of a pre-test, and time for questions.
• Session 2 (Thursday April 21)- A Deep Dive into “Thinking in Sound”- The goal of this session is to introduce common examples of how to utilize auditory cues. Students will begin by identifying the type of learner they are and how to supplement that with auditory input. Tips for reading comprehension and interpersonal communication will also be covered.
• Session 3 (Tuesday April 26)- Around the House- This session will focus on the application of auditory skills within the area of independent living. Cooking, note-taking, object location-identification, and labeling are some of the skill areas that will be covered.
• Session 4 (Thursday April 27)- Voices, Tones, and Beeps! Oh My- This session will introduce students to the audio information provided by various forms of mainstream and access technology. Students will be exposed to various types of voices and indication sounds. They will learn how to determine what the certain indicators mean and which voice characteristics are most appropriate for various tasks.
• Session 5 (Tuesday May 3)- Out & About- An O&M Specialist will join this session to discuss the intersection of orientation and mobility skills with auditory skills. Students will be provided with relevant examples and guided through the process of siphoning out the most useful auditory information amongst the plethora of noise in outside and unfamiliar environments.
• Session 6 (Thursday May 5)- Putting It All Together- This session will include time for final questions, a discussion about the process of transitioning to the usage of more auditory input, and a discussion of how t determine when it may be appropriate to use vision as well(this is known as the “Use Your Vision When it is F.U.N.,” technique). Students will also complete the post-test during this session.

If you'd like info on when this class will be offered again contact Briana Kusuma at bkusuma@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7335.

May 3: #GetSocial
If you’re new to social media or want to explore social media platforms that are new to you, you won’t want to miss this session. What’s a friend, a like, a follow, a hashtag? Do your friends keep asking if you’re on Facebook? How do you use Twitter with a screen reader? Join us for what’s sure to be a fun and informative whirlwind tour of the many flavors of social media.

RSVP to #GetSocial

May 10: Computers Part 1: Let's Talk Hardware
What is a CPU, and what does it do? What is RAM, and how much do you need? If you've asked these questions, you are certainly not alone. Join the Access Technology team, and we'll discuss computer hardware components as well as specifications that will serve you best as an access software user and help you in your decision-making process. We'll even demystify some of the jargon along the way!

RSVP to Computers Part 1

May 17: Accessibility Advocacy for Global Accessibility Awareness Day
Did you know that Thursday, May 19th is Global Accessibility Awareness Day? We’ll talk about how this day is observed and discuss how to advocate for our digital accessibility needs.

RSVP to Accessibility Advocacy for Global Accessibility Awareness Day

May 24: Computers Part 2: Let's Talk Peripherals
Following our earlier discussion about computer hardware, the Access Technology team will be discussing the types of devices you can connect to your computer to streamline your productivity and overall experience: keyboards, headsets, USB drives, printers and more.

RSVP to Computers Part 2