[Athen] Independence Science Newsletter Fourth Quarter 2022

[foreigntype at gmail.com]

This might be of interest to many on the list. Consider subscribing.
Independence Science is now offering PDF remediation for STEM subjects. The
link is in the email below received from Linda Petty from the NOAT listserv.

Wink Harner

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Linda Petty <linda.petty.ot at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 14, 2023 at 4:44 AM
Subject: [N.O.A.T.] Fwd: Independence Science Newsletter Fourth Quarter 2022
To: <noat at googlegroups.com>


For anyone looking for info on STEM accessibility,  this is a good
newsletter to subscribe to.
Linda


---------- Forwarded message ---------
*From:* Independence Science <ben at independencescience.com>
*Sent:* Sunday, January 15, 2023 7:09:49 PM
*To:* Linda Petty <linda.petty at alum.utoronto.ca>
*Subject:* Independence Science Newsletter Fourth Quarter 2022

You don't often get email from ben at independencescience.com. Learn why this
is important <https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification>

Independence Science Newsletter Fourth Quarter 2022

Published and distributed by Independence Science 3000 Kent Ave Suite 1718
West Lafayette, IN 47906
<https://www.google.com/maps/search/3000+Kent+Ave+Suite+1718+West+Lafayette,+IN+47906?entry=gmail&source=g>
Phone: (866) 862-9665
Email: info at independencescience.com
http://www.independencescience.com
To reach Robert Jaquiss, press #4. Email: rjaquiss at independencescience.com

Robert Jaquiss, Editor

>From the Editor


Happy Fall! The staff at Independence Science hope our readers are keeping
safe and enjoying Fall weather. We wish everyone a happy and joyous new
year. This issue's Content:

   - The 2022 ISLAND conference wrap-up
   - Opportunities for teachers teaching STEM for grades 3-5
   - Community Tools for Making Tactile Graphics & Objects
   - Learn about and Track the Artemis I mission
   - Product and Service Offerings
   - Computer Science Resources
   - Tactile Adaptation Kits now available
   - Consulting Services on Science Accessibility
   - Technical tips: Brailler repair, upgrading TLQ2
   - Independence Science custom trainings for STEM Access
   - Service! PDF Remediation for Science and Mathematics
   - Meet the Element: Hydrogen
   - Jokes of the Quarter
   - We want your feedback on our products
   - External announcements: Genes In Space, Freedom Scientific,
   Scholarships etc.
   - The Rock, an accessible comic
   - Conclusion: See you next quarter!

ISLAND 2022 Hybrid Conference Wrap-up

The Inclusion in Science, Learning A New Direction, Conference on
Disability and STEM was held as a hybrid conference on Friday, September 16
and Saturday, September 17, 2022. This year’s conference was hosted by
Princeton University. The presentations were very informative.
Listed below are the titles and author of the presentations:

Changing the Landscape of STEM Education for B/VI Students
Dave Schleppenbach
Tactile Engineering, Lafayette, Indiana

High-Power, Low-Cost, Tactile Actuation Arrays Enabled by Soft
Microcombustion
Ronald Heisser
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

An Autobiography on Changes of Blindness
Charis Glatthar
Metro State Denver, Denver, Colorado

B/VI Accessibility Technology Adapted for Chemistry Students with
Language-Based Disabilities
Christin Monroe
Landmark College, Putney, Vermont

Synergizing Braille and Science: Real-Time Tactile Graphics Access in
Science Laboratory Settings for Students Who are Blind
Ashley Nashleanas
Independence Science, Hinton, Iowa

APH Presents the Submersible Audio Light Sensor (SALS): A Device That
Fosters Inclusion in Science
Rosanne Hoffman
American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, Kentucky

Including BVI Students in NSF Funded Research Experience Programs
Daniel Steinberg
Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals Diversifying the STEM Workforce
through Increased Access to STEM Education
Jason Nordhaus and Jessica Williams
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York

An Introductory Course in Electrical Circuits and Coding for Deaf and Deaf
Blind Middle School Students
Christina Yang
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Keynote Speaker Bryan Shaw
Baylor University, Waco, Texas
Using AI to Instantly Make STEM Images and Documents Accessible
Vijayshree Vethantham
Continual Engine, Dallas, Texas

Mission Inspire: Having a BLAST with Students with Visual Impairments
Learning STEM
Tiffany Wild
The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Tina Herzberg
University of South Carolina Upstate, Valley Falls, South Carolina

TVIs Mathematical Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Tasnim Al Shuli
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Information on Wolfram Syndrome
Ellie White
Ellie White Foundation, Aurora, Colorado

Development, Implementation, and Preliminary Outcomes from the Connecting
Students with Autism to Geographic Information Science & Technology
(CSA-GIST) Program
Jamie Pearson
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Project ATOM
Martin Goldberg, Ph.D.
Tinski Tech Inc. New York, New York

Evaluation in a Science Assessment Context
Mark Hakkinen
Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey

A number of the presenters will be submitting papers based on their
presentations to the Journal of Science Education for Students with
Disabilities (JSESD) a free open access journal in the Spring Of 2023 so
stay tuned.
The organizers of the 2022 ISLAND conference would like to thank all of the
presenters and participants for their participation in this year’s
conference and helping to make it a huge success. With out your interest
and active involvement, the ISLAND conference would not be possible. For
that we thank you.
We are excited about the 14th annual ISLAND conference to be held October
13-14, 2023 in Princeton. Do check the ISLAND conference website in the
Spring of 2023 for more details as they become available.
Opportunities for teachers teaching STEM for grades 3-5

Dear TEACHER,

STEM Storytelling through Podcasts for Sighted, Blind, and Visually
Impaired Students (or SSP for short) is an NSF-funded project involving the
use and creation of podcasts in the classroom. We are attempting to broaden
participation for blind and visually impaired and sighted upper-elementary
students through engaging with podcast technology to tell stories about
scientists, including those who are Blind and Visually Impaired. We would
like to invite you to consider being a part of our teacher advisory board.

About the Teacher Advisory Board

For this project, we want to make sure to include a range of teachers’
voices, expertise, and experience. We will use our teacher advisors’
feedback in designing and modifying our podcasts and resources developed as
part of this project. We are looking to recruit 25 teachers from classrooms
with sighted students and those with blind and visually impaired students,
who teach STEM courses in grades 3-5, and are working in a variety of
schools and conditions across the country.

Our teacher advisors will help review our material throughout the year,
providing feedback via short questionnaires and focus group discussions
with other teachers. They will also help by testing some of our resources
in their classrooms with their kids. We expect that involvement with the
advisory board will take roughly 10 hours over this academic year.

Duties will involve:

   - Reviewing materials 2-3 times throughout the year
   - 1-hour focus group discussions at 2 times throughout the year
   - Completing 2-3 short questionnaires throughout the year that take
   roughly 15 minutes each
   - As appropriate and reasonable, testing resources in your teaching

Teachers who are selected as a teacher advisor for this project will
receive a $500 stipend for the year. They will also receive recognition as
a teacher in a national project, as well as early access to podcast
resources and professional learning opportunities. There will be an
opportunity for teachers to continue in years 2 and 3 of the project, as
well.

If you are interested, please go to the teacher interest form
<https://sable.godaddy.com/c/529133?id=116.49.1.4add0b377e18506a6f874d8b7136c7de>
to apply!

Thanks,
Marshall Escamilla
Community Tools for Making Tactile Graphics & Objects

The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, a branch of The New
York Public Library has a program called Dimensions: Community Tools for
Making Tactile Graphics & Objects. Interested BLV persons can attend
training sessions on creating both 2d and 3d graphics. OpenScad is taught
and a totally blind person can create 3d objects.

For more information, see the link:
https://www.nypl.org/about/locations/heiskell/dimensions

More information can be found on the link:
https://wayback.archive-it.org/18689/20220311193013/https://www.nypl.org/blog/2017/10/18/dimensions-tactile-graphics-objects

A basic introduction to OpenScad targeted to BLV persion is on the site:
https://cleezyitp.github.io/screenReader3DModeling2019/

BookShare.org has two books on OpenScad.
A person who is blind will need to use a text editor to enter the OpenScad
code and to use OpenScad in command line mode.
The following books are available:

Simplifying 3D Printing with OpenSCAD: Design, build, and test OpenSCAD
programs to bring your ideas to life using 3D printers
by Colin Dow Copyright: 2022 ISBN: 9781801811798
Programming with OpenSCAD: A Beginner's Guide to Coding 3D-Printable
Objects
by Justin Gohde, Marius Kintel Copyright: 2021 ISBN: 9781593279554
Learn About and Track the Artemis I Mission

You can learn about and Track the Artemis I Mission. Early November 16, The
Artemis I mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center. The mission is
testing the Orion Space Launch System. The Orion capsule will eventually
carry people to the Moon.
For more information see the site:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/track-nasa-s-artemis-i-mission-in-real-time
To track how far the Orion capsule is from Earth, distance from the Moon
and its speed see the site: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/trackartemis/
Product And Service Offerings

Computer Science Resources
The Independence Science website has a section devoted to Computer Science
Resources. Please see the link:
https://independencescience.com/computer-science-resources/

Tactile Adaptation Kit and LabGear Kits Now Available!
The Tactile Adaptation Kit and LabGear kits are now available. These two
multi-sensory kits have proven to be valuable resources for teachers of
Blind and low vision students by helping to make science learning more
accessible in a hands-on way. Parents will also find these kits of use. The
Tactile Adaptation Kit includes materials to make tactile representations
in numerous ways, along with an instruction manual documenting different
methods and illustrative examples. The LabGear kit includes an instruction
manual illustrating how students can use adapted measuring tools in their
middle and high school laboratory learning experiences. For more
information, or to order, please call us at (866) 862-9665 or email
info at independencescience.com.

Consulting Services on Science Access
Independence Science offers consulting services to make STEM (science,
technology, engineering and mathematics) classes more accessible to blind
and low vision students. We provide both individual and group training to
faculty teaching STEM classes to students who are blind or vision impaired.
For more information, please contact Independence Science at
consulting at independencescience.com

Technical Tips
The following technical tips are offered in hopes they may be of use. Due
to the many possible variations in PCs and equipment, Independence Science
cannot be responsible for any undesirable outcomes.

   - With the cold weather upon us, remember to keep your smart phones
   warm. Lithium-ion batteries do not work well in cold weather.
   - For many of us, a classic Perkins brailler is still an essential tool.
   If you need to get yours repaired, here is a link to a list of brailler
   repair services:
   https://nfb.org/resources/braille-resources/braillewriter-repair-resources
   - Warning! Independence Science strongly advises all current and future
   IS customers to not upgrade the operating system on their Sci-Voice Talking
   LabQuest 2 device without being notified by Independence Science. There are
   other versions of operating systems that are not compatible with the
   text-to-speech features of Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest. Therefore, we
   strongly advise all ISci customers to not upgrade the OS on your device
   without prior notification. Failure to do so will likely disable the
   text-to-speech on your device.

Independence Science Custom Trainings
Independence Science now offers custom-designed trainings in STEM access.
Do you know someone interested in STEM? If so, we can offer them an
individually tailored curriculum based on their specific science interests
and skillset needs with professional blind science instructors.
Some of our frequently requested trainings include:

   - Laboratory Safety
   - Hiring and Managing Assistants
   - Dissections
   - Microscopy
   - Titrations
   - Optics
   - Learning Basic Code Additional topics and advanced topics are
   available. Call us today to start a discussion for a custom training at
   (866) 862-9665 or e-mail info at independencescience.com. All trainings
   have a minimum of 2:1 teacher to customer ratio.

PDF Remediation for STEM
Struggling with inaccessible PDFs in science and math? Independence Science
is here to help! We know that professionally done accessible PDFs are hard
to come by so we now offer PDF Remediation services for individuals,
schools, teachers, and more! Imagine not having to worry about data loss,
and wrestle with inaccessible research articles or class assignments,
handbooks, calendars, or posters. Instead you will have beautifully tagged
PDFs with headings, image descriptions, and proper reading order that will
work with screen readers without needing OCR processing commands. Simply
send us your PDF for a confidential and risk-free estimate. Only pay for
the time you use and never pay any more than the estimate in your quote
even if extra time is required. Have your science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) images described by science content experts! It’s a
win-win! For a quote or for more information, contact us today at
pdf at independencescience.com <%20pdf at independencescience.com> or visit
https://independencescience.com/pdf-file-remediation/
<https://sable.godaddy.com/c/529133?id=116.50.1.c0a6d8f6c9d2ef09aec7f91517c2d13c>
for example projects.
Meet the Element: Hydrogen

Hi, my name is Hydrogen and I hang out at atomic number 1. My chemical
symbol is H. I am a gas and the lightest of all elements. There is lots of
me around but I don’t occur in a pure state naturally. Since I am a gas,
the only way to keep me is in a container. Combined with Oxygen by burning,
I form water. The formula for water is H2O. I burn very hot. I combine with
other elements, so if you eat or drink something, you are consuming me. In
1766, Henry Cavendish was the first to recognize me as a discrete
substance, by naming me from Greek words meaning water generator. In 1898,
I was liquefied for the first time by James Dewar. In 1899, James Dewar
also produced a solid form of me. A lot of me is used for rocket fuel. I
have been used as the lifting gas in balloons and dirigibles. I do this
very well, but being very flammable, accidents are spectacular. The most
famous of these was the crash of the Hindenburg in 1937.

Jokes of the Quarter

Jokes of the Quarter:

   1. Did you hear about the famous microbiologist who visited 30 different
   countries and spoke 6 languages? He was a man of many cultures.
   2. A fellow accidentally ingested some alpha-L-glucose and discovered
   that he had no ill effect. Apparently he was ambidextrose

Science Behind the jokes:

   1. Microbiologists study dishes of bacteria known as cultures. To be a
   "man of many cultures" is to be someone who is well traveled. This is a
   double meaning of the word cultures.
   2. This joke is a play on words of ambidextrous which is to be able to
   use both left and right hands proficiently. Ambidextrose, on the other
   hand, means to be able to handle both types of glucose, alpha-l glucose and
   regular D-glucose.

Request for Feedback on Our Products

Independence Science would like customer feedback on our products. What do
you like, what works, what you want improved, and what new features would
you like to see? We welcome any photographs or videos of how people enjoy
using their LabQuest and their favorite activities. We want to make our
products better and make your lives easier. Please send comments to
feedback at independencescience.com
<https://sable.godaddy.com/c/529133?id=116.51.1.dd75100b32200962cc8ce3f651d6c812>.


External Announcements The following announcements are STEM and education
related. Independence Science reprints this information as we receive it.
We make no warranty as to the accuracy of these items although we will
endeavor to only print legitimate items. We reserve the right to edit for
space and clarity. We will also repeat some announcements such as
scholarships etc. until the opportunities expire.

Doug Lee Collection of JAWS Scripts
Doug Lee has a collection of JAWS scripts which he has written. These are
for a wide variety of programs. See the site: https://www.dlee.org
<https://sable.godaddy.com/c/529133?id=116.52.1.20e363b384621611b34e3afa92f62f11>
Scholarships

Anyone wishing to apply for a scholarship should start the application
process as soon as possible.

American Council of the Blind Scholarship
The American Council of the Blind is offering scholarships for the 2023
school year. Applications will be accepted from November 1 through February
14. For more information, see the site: https://acb.org/scholarships
<https://sable.godaddy.com/c/529133?id=116.53.1.e6634f539e8dfe2c177127fa4682cdbb>

National Federation of the Blind Scholarships

Each year, the National Federation of the Blind awards thirty scholarships
at its national Convention. Scholarship recipients are provided assistance
in order to attend the NFB’s national convention. Applications are due by
March 31, 2023. https://nfb.org/scholarships
<https://sable.godaddy.com/c/529133?id=116.54.1.99db57bc89503b28273db3001388732b>

Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
The Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest starts December 5 and ends January
23, 2023.
To register go to the site:
https://actionfund.beanstack.org/reader365
<https://sable.godaddy.com/c/529133?id=116.55.1.f45148f7d43f1693669c1a1255dc269c>
As always, the American Action Fund does not want to exclude any interested
contest participant who cannot use Beanstack or does not have access to the
internet.

Please contact BrailleReadingContest at actionfund.org or call 410-659-9315 to
discuss other reading log options.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DATES
November 7: Registration is open: create your account and register for the
contest.
December 5: The beginning of the contest and the first day participants can
count log their minutes.
January 23: The end of the contest, the last day participants can track and
add more minutes, and the last day to submit a registration form.
January 27: All minutes read during the contest period must be logged on
Beanstack by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.
February 10: Winners will be announced/notified.
Mid February: Prizes will be mailed out.

For more information on the American Action Fund, see the site:
https://www.actionfund.org/
<https://sable.godaddy.com/c/529133?id=116.56.1.6c23a88fe5e566c2352859628877b067>

Best Disability Friendly Colleges

Best Disability Friendly Colleges and Universities for 2022.

See the site:
https://www.collegeconsensus.com/rankings/best-disability-friendly-colleges/
<https://sable.godaddy.com/c/529133?id=116.57.1.2894ce3b4460351e017bbfccf457b763>
THE Rock

My colleagues at Independence Science are creating an accessible comic
featuring three blind dogs; Isci a black lab, Stella a yellow lab and
Gadget a chocolate lab. Isci, Stella and Gadget are the smartest dogs on
earth. They talk, read braille and their front paws are more like hands so
they can type, fly a spacecraft, explore and do science. Let your
imagination run as these three lovable labs deal with a big rock headed our
way. Instead of pictures, captions are provided to describe the action.
Note: Picture captions start on a new paragraph and are preceded by PC:.

https://independencescience.com/comics/the-first-mission/
<https://sable.godaddy.com/c/529133?id=116.58.1.d61bbb2d9dc29d082d0251f476828076>
Conclusion

Independence Science acknowledges that we have had disruptive times.
Hands-on science learning experiences have proven themselves to be
challenging during this pandemic. With your support and enthusiasm
Independence Science will continue to work hard to make accessible science
experiences more possible for blind and low vision students. We know the
upcoming months will be difficult for us all and if there is anything
Independence Science can do for you, please feel free to reach out to us at
info at independencescience.com. We want all of you to stay safe and remember
to maintain social distance, when appropriate wear a mask, and wash your
hands. We are looking forward to serving you by developing the next
generation of science access tools in the months a nd yearsto come.

Independence Science 3000 KENT AVE SUITE 1303 West Lafayette, IN 47906 US
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