PaTTAN BVI Newsletter

The Expanded Core High School Readiness Checklist was developed by Robbin Clark and the Utah School for the Blind. The checklist is divided into three grade bands beginning in preschool and runs through 8th grade. You can request a free copy of the checklist by visiting the Expanded Core Website for Teachers at Utah School for the Blind.

Do you have families that are looking for connections? FamilyConnect is described as a treasure trove of resources for families. Families can find articles by student age and specific resources. APH ParentConnect also runs monthly parent support meetings, offered in connection with the Chicago Lighthouse. These meeting run on the first Wednesday of each month and are designed for families to connect with and learn from one another. Families may register on the ConnectCenter Events Website.

Teachers and families do you need to make accessible tests or study materials? If so, you may want to take a look at Teacher's Pet Online through APH. This website allows you to create, edit, upload, export and take teacher created tests. Students can easily use a screen reader to navigate the created tests.

The Braille Institute released a font called Atkinson Hyperlegible. This font is unique from other fonts used in the past. It does include serifs, which make each character distinctly unique. This font was designed for individuals with low vision in mind. You may want to consider providing your students access to this font.

GoodMaps announced that it has acquired Sendero GPS subscription apps, Seeing Eye GPS, RNIB Navigator, and Guide Dogs NSW. All of these apps are now available to be under the name GoodMaps. The apps will now be free and an Android version will be released shortly. The iOS version is now live.

Since 1964, October 15th has been recognized as White Cane Safety Day. The day was created to celebrate the achievements of people who are blind and visually impaired. Consider celebrating your students' accomplishments in October. VisionAware is running a blog with online resources to support celebrations.

The Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services will continue its STRIVE On Program to support students with visual impairments across the state. The program focus is secondary transition from high school to post secondary education and training. The Fall Session runs September 16 - December 9, 2021. Currently, 17 students are participating in the fall program. BBVS plans to continue the program in the Spring. Be on the look out for the Spring Session application. You may want to consider encouraging eligible students to participate.

American Printing House (APH) has released some new products. You can view the full catalog on the APH Catalog Website. Some of the newest releases are listed below. The links will take you directly to the products.

• Laptime and Lullabies: Storybooks

• Laptime and Lullabies: Parent Handbook

• Build-A-Cell

• Music Braille Flash Cards

• Desert Creatures

• Barraga Visual Efficiency Program

• Mantis Q40

• Chameleon 20

• Juno

It is time to think about nominating your colleagues and their outstanding contributions to our field. Penn-Del AER annually recognizes outstanding students and professionals that are working in the field of visual impairments and blindness. Penn-Del will recognize these individuals at the annual Awards ceremony, which is embedded into their annual conference. For more information about each award see the links below. Nominations are set to open in November 2021.

• Penn-Del AER Scholarship Award
• Richard L. Welsh Award
• Elinor Long Educator of the Year

Vision iPads within the Short Term Loan Program have been updated. The updates include a variety of apps that you may want to try with your students. Visit the Short Term Loan iPad request page to view the list of updated apps.

New products are now available! The new additions are listed below:

• Mantis Q40
• Clearview Go 17”
• OrCam Read Smart
• Code Jumper

The window for the 2021-22 school year will begin March 14th and run through May 20th, 2022. PaTTAN has released the Instruction and Assessment Plan Calendar. Within the calendar you will find important dates and associated trainings. These trainings kickoff in October 2021 and continue through the start of the PASA testing window.

We will be offering credit for attending our virtual discussions this year. Registration is available through the PaTTAN Calendar. Discussions will run from 3-4 PM. Each discussion will be relevant to all professionals in the field. The entire series will focus on self-determination for students in various grade bands. The remaining dates in the series is listed below. Consider registering today.

• December 1, 2021
• February 9. 2022
• March 30, 2022

HELIX will be held at the Penn Stater from November 8-10, 2021. The conference is offered in a hybrid format, with both in-person and virtual learning opportunities. You may find conference details on the HELIX webpage. The Schedule at a Glance document outlines session availability. You will find sessions ranging from the CVI Complexity Framework to assistive technology feature matching for students with blindness and visual impairments. The hotel registration code is HELI21A. We look forward to connecting with you!

The Annual Penn-Del AER Conference will run from April 27-29, 2022. The annual conference will also be offered in a hybrid format. As more details become available, they will be posted on the Penn-Del Annual Conference website.

AER International has rescheduled their conference in St. Louis to run July 21-24, 2022. AER has just released a request for proposals for the Annual Conference. Consider submitting a proposal that represents some of the excellent work you are doing with students! Proposals are due November 15, 2021.

Save the date! PaTTAN's Annual Retreat will run February 1-3, 2022. Topics will be relevant to supervisors across the state who oversee programs for students with sensory impairments including blindness and visual impairments, deaf-blind, and deaf hard of hearing.

AER continues with synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities, with a discount if you are an AER member. AER is releasing has a slew of exciting upcoming live opportunities , which can be viewed on their events page. They also created an extensive library of recorded courses, presented by experts in the field. Complete your continuing education from anywhere: home, work, even at the park! Every webinar on this site is approved for ACVREP credits and will provide a certificate upon completion.

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) Hive offers a variety of free online courses for vision professionals and educators to increase their ability to respond to the needs of students with visual impairments. This “one-stop” for professional development offers ACVREP continuing education units upon successful completion of a course.

APH is also hosting many live events, including a focus on transition. Visit the APH Connect Event page to register for live online learning opportunities and earn ACVREP credits.

Have you ever lost something and wondered where it went? I think we have all can answer unequivocally, "yes!" Hadley is offering training opportunities on Apple Air Tags. There are two training opportunities, Air Tag for Low Vision and Air Tags for Voice Over. Visit the links for more information.

We encourage all supervisors and professionals in the field of visual impairment to sign up for access to our drives. We will be posting recorded presentations, resources and much more! Sign up today! Select your group below to request access.

• Supervisor Access Request Form
• Professional Access Request Form