President: Sarah Calhoun
Editor: Andrea Giudice
Co-editor and GDUI Immediate Past President: Penny Reeder
Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI) A special interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) since 1972
Toll-Free: 866.799.8436
From the editor: Hello fellow GDUISters
No, this is not an April Fool’s joke, a trick, or even a figment of your imagination… it is truly the current, much awaited, Paws for GDUI News You Can Use! I realize it was October of 2021 when last your inbox was graced with such, so happy to be back!
While things trending on social media, stuff going viral, is all well and good for Influencers and the antics of nameless puppies and kittens, having my personal life do so is disconcerting to say the least. Never the less, following on the heels of the time-sucking and emotionally draining events of guide retirement, class, and moving came more fun of the not really fun variety. Difficulties with my new guide which I believed would end the partnership, were followed (literally a week after a successful follow-up with an instructor) by my Daddy and Step-Mom being hit by a car, while riding their Harley, and severely injured- doing a great job of impersonating Humpy Dumpty! Now, 7 weeks later, as all the king’s people (surgeons, physical, occupational and speech therapists) have worked their magic to put them back together, I am determined to get Paws out.
My list of apologies …. First, Madame President, I am sorry I have done this in one evening, while waiting for Paratransit to bring me home from the Rehab center where I have been visiting the parental units, hence not getting a president’s message from you. Next, to all of you, I have let you down, again, and I don’t like that at all. I take pride in GDUI, this publication and anything that has my name attached to it. My word is my honor, my promise reliable. I am not doing my best work by any stretch of my, or anyone else’s, imagination. For this I am truly sorry.
Well, having said that, here is your newest issue. Exciting news about the service animal eye exams. A few surveys looking for participants, some interesting learning opportunities, news from NBP, and fun snooze news about our dogs. Enjoy!
Sending cyber hugs and wags,
Andrea and Super T
Announcement: 2022 ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam Event
The 2022 Eye Exam Event is Happening on a Limited Basis!
We are pleased to announce that after working with our diplomate members and our sponsor, the 2022 ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam Event will be taking place in 2022 on a limited basis!
We are grateful to our members and sponsor (Epicur Pharma) for donating their time and resources. Please note that due to limitations/shortages resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, not all clinics may be fully staffed and locations and/or appointments may be limited in your area. Due to these limitations, we ask for patience and kindness to the clinics’ staff, as we would love for this event to continue to be a positive experience for everyone involved.
Registrations will take place April 1st – 30th, with the event occurring throughout the month of May. More information about the event and qualification information can be found on the ACVOEyeExam.org website.
The list of Participating Cities will be updated by the end of March.
https://www.acvoeyeexam.org/participating-cities
Announcement: Demo of BlindShell Accessible Phone available
A demonstration of the updated BlindShell accessible cell phone was presented by J. J. Meddaugh of A T Guys at the January 21, 2022 Roundabout sponsored by the Greater Louisville Council of the Blind.
Over 100 people attended the demo. Many people were unable to get in on the call because the Zoom room was full or for other reasons, and we have received many requests for a link to the recording.
Sound Prints is available as a podcast from the KCB website, through the iTunes store, or on the Victor Stream. Add kentucky-acb.org/soundprints.xml to your favorite podcast device, or subscribe by searching for soundprints under podcasts in the iTunes store or the Victor Stream database, and you won’t miss a single show.
Sound Prints is now available on KCB’s Audio Information Service from any landline or cell phone. Dial (773) 572 – 6318 and select number 2 from the menu.
Visit the Kentucky Council of the Blind website at
http://www.kentucky-acb.org/soundprints
and listen to current or past programs.
Sound Prints is available on CD, playable on any standard music CD player. Request a subscription by calling us at 502-895-4598.
For more information, call the Kentucky Council of the Blind at
502-895-4598 or email us at kcb@kentucky-acb.org.
Announcement: From National Braille Press- Braille & Brew
We’re hosting Braille & Brews in 2022 to celebrate our 95th birthday! Join us over the course of the year at four different local Boston breweries. The first of our 2022 series will be at Mighty Squirrel in Waltham, MA on Sunday, April 10th. Come with a friend or two to spend a Sunday afternoon at Mighty Squirrel and enjoy the warmer weather!
(don’t worry if you are not local to Boston, you can still participate!)
Your ticket purchase will include a blindfolded flight tasting of Mighty Squirrel’s finest brews paired with some great pizza and bar snacks. This is a fantastic opportunity to socialize with friends while supporting NBP’s work and enjoying great company!
Not local? Tell us your favorite brew and make a donation using the link below to celebrate 95 years of NBP!
https://www.classy.org/event/braille-and-brew-2022/
Announcement: (from- Top Tech Tidbits Email Newsletter
(https://www.toptechtidbits.com/tidbits2022/03312022/)
Hadley Free Technology Workshops
Hadley has a great collection of free technology workshops for learning how to use your device or app:
https://hadley.edu/learn?topic_id=14
TeamViewer Scripts for JAWS | Hartgen Consultancy
You will find below a link to free JAWS scripts for TeamViewer version 15. As of later releases of TeamViewer, it is difficult to find your User ID and password. Once located, pressing the Left and Right arrow keys do not allow you to read the item character by character. With these scripts installed, pressing function key F1 will place the user ID and password into the JAWS virtual viewer for easier reading. When focused on any field, you should also now be able to press the JAWS keystroke to virtualise the focused control, Shift+Insert+V. These scripts are offered freely to the blindness community and were developed for personal use. No support is available:
https://www.hartgen.org/teamviewer
New Justice Department guidance explains businesses’ role in making sure websites can be used by everyone:
Beauty’s Accessibility Shift: Inside The New Priority
Shopping with a disability can be challenging. Now, belatedly, the beauty sector is showing signs of taking action:
https://www.voguebusiness.com/beauty/beautys-accessibility-shift-inside-the-new-priority
Mastercard Puts Visual Impairment In The Spotlight
The financial services company’s new campaign is a stylish film that shows how the brand’s new Touch Card makes transactions more accessible for blind and partially-sighted people:
https://www.shots.net/news/view/mastercard-puts-visual-impairment-in-the-spotlight
Surveys
(From- Top Tech Tidbits Email Newsletter) Surveys)
CSUN Presentations
Here is a list of CSUN presentations and associated resources:
Survey- Help Researchers To Understand The Audio Perception Behavior of People With Visual Impairments
April 25th 2022 deadline to submit. | Hello. We are researchers from Indiana University Bloomington conducting an online survey to understand the audio perception behavior of people with visual impairments. I am inviting you to take part in a 25-30 minutes online survey from a place of your convenience. To participate in the survey, you must identify as visually impaired, must have normal hearing, and should be a native or bilingual speaker of English. You need to have access to a computer or laptop with a screen-reader and Internet connection. You should use headphones and should complete the survey in a quiet environment. For your participation, you will be paid $5 by an Amazon e-gift card. You will receive the URL link of the e-gift card within 3-5 business days after your participation. If you are interested in participating in our survey or have any questions about the study, please fill out the sign-up form below. Once you provide the details, one researcher will contact you via email or phone and send you the web link to participate in the survey. Alternatively, you may email Taslima Akter at takter@iu.edu. Please click here to sign up:
https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bCt4WOvUkJworBA
Featured Webinars and Training Courses
iPhone Chat for Voiceover Users: Beyond the Basics
Andrew Heiskell, Braille And Talking Book Library
April 2nd 2022, 11:30AM PT, 12:30PM, 1:30PM CT, 2:30PM ET, 6:30PM GMT
First Saturdays (April 2, May 7, June 4) from 2:30 – 4:00 PM ET. Talk about customizing gestures and settings, exploring new apps, choosing accessories, dealing with bugs, and whatever else comes to mind. This is a space for any and all Voiceover topics that go beyond the basics of using common gestures and built-in apps. This event will take place online:
https://nypl.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcuiqqjwtHdzr8bnEn6y-ypuxRhgkdvwz
iPhone Chat for Voiceover Beginners
Andrew Heiskell, Braille And Talking Book Library
April 2nd 2022
10AM PT, 11AM MT, 12PM CT, 1PM ET, 5PM GMT
First Saturdays (April 2, May 7, June 4) 1:00 – 2:15 PM ET. If you’re new to using Voiceover on the iPhone or if you’re still working toward confidence, this discussion group is for you. We’ll spend some time going over the theory of how screen readers work, gestures everyone needs to know, and some strategies for getting help. Then, we’ll open it up for questions and networking. This event will take place online:
https://nypl.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcuiqqjwtHdzr8bnEn6y-ypuxRhgkdvwz
From the editor- The next 2 articles are about sleep and our pups. Interesting stuff, I don’t even think they will put you to sleep! *smile*
Article: Dog sleeping positions decoded
(https://vcahospitals.com/shop/articles/dog-sleeping-positions-decoded)
Dogs have many aww-inducing sleep positions that are just too cute not to share. Is it possible these very same sleeping styles might reveal something about our dogs’ moods or needs as well?
Science is sorely lacking in this adorable area of study, but we’ve given it a great deal of thought, and here’s what we think these poses could mean.
Put our theories to the test! Do these interpretations match your dog’s behavior?
The side slumber- Your dog is in deep sleep on their side with their feet out from under them. This is the most relaxed of all sleep positions. Your dog is feeling the Zen.
The sphinx- Just like a sphinx statue, your dog is crouched square on all fours but resting their head on their front legs. Your dog is full of energy and ready to jump into action at any moment.
The superman- It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s your dog taking a nap on their belly with their back legs stretched out behind them and their front legs sticking out ahead. Your little superhero is all tuckered out from a long day of play and is in need of a good stretch to boot.
The curl- Your dog is curled up into a tiny ball. Bonus: the tip of their tail is resting on their cute little nose! Your furry friend is feeling the cold and is keeping warm in this cozy pose.
The feet in the air- Wave your feet in the air like you just don’t care! Maybe that’s what your friend is thinking when they lie on their back with all their limbs sticking straight up. Or maybe they’re a bit on the warm side and letting off steam.
The cuddle- Easily the cutest of all, this sleeping option requires snuggling up with a favorite toy, another pet or—best of all—you! Your cuddle bug is feeling the need for love and connection.
Article: Do dogs dream?
(https://vcahospitals.com/shop/home/articles/do-dogs-dream)
If your dog had a dream journal, what do you think it would say? Although we can’t speak to our dogs to know for sure, scientists studying this fascinating question have deduced some interesting facts about our dog’s dreams.
During sleep, dogs have the same two stages of brain wave patterns as people: a slow, steady wave pattern of quiet, still sleep and a fast, irregular wave pattern of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when the mind is more active and the eyes dart rapidly beneath the eyelids. Your dog may whine, breath rapidly and move their legs during REM sleep.
We dream, and since dogs have the same sleeping brain wave patterns as people, scientists have concluded that it is safe to assume that our furry companions do indeed dream, too!
What do we know about dog dreams?
During REM sleep, the brain functions much like it does when awake, so people—and it is believed dogs as well—dream about the events of their day. It is a chance for the brain to process all that happened while awake and sometimes even relive it through the dream. So, your dog may “sleep run” as they chase a squirrel or fetch the ball in their dreams.
Puppies, who have a lot of new information to process as they explore their new world every day, tend to dream more often than adult dogs.
Interestingly, a dog’s size also affects the number and length of dreams they have. Smaller dogs have more dreams than their bigger friends. A toy poodle may dream every 10 minutes, while a Labrador retriever may only dream once every 60-90 minutes. However, the poodle’s dream may last only a minute while the Labrador’s dreams may be 5-10 minutes long.
Additionally, dogs who are tuckered out from staying active may sleep more soundly and experience longer phases of REM sleep, giving them more time to dream.
Lastly, just like ourselves, dogs who are startled out of a dream may wake feeling defensive or alarmed. In fact, many of the dog bites thar occur in children happen because the child wakes a sleeping dog.
So always remember to let sleeping dogs lie . . . and dream.
Editor’s note:
announcements and articles, for GDUI- News You Can Use, are culled from a variety of sources; Hence inclusion herein does not imply GDUI endorses, supports or verifies their contents. Information, ideas, or expressed opinions are not advice, therefore should not be treated as such. Factual errors are the responsibility of the listed source.
Sincerely,
Sarah Calhoun, President
Guide Dog Users, Inc.
Andrea Giudice, Editor
Paws for GDUI News You Can Use
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