Greetings All!

I am the founder of BrlBOX and just wanted to chime in on the conversation. First of all, thank you very much to those who have sent donation requests! You will be hearing from me soon and the students out in the FSM will truly appreciate your support.

I agree, there are many resource-deprived countries. I think people like Connie and myself are doing the best we can to help areas in need that hold a special place in our hearts. It is a humbling experience to realize how lucky we are to have the access to materials that we do in the United States.

BrlBOX has a limited scope because UMass Boston recently trained seven teachers (we are working with the 8th) to become TVIs. Thus, there is continued support at the university level to assist these teachers. Since I am one of the people going to the FSM supporting teachers, I am able to generate material lists for specific students which allows me to make very specialized donations.

It is true; canes are needed, although they may not be used. There is a large need for old AT equipment for children with low vision. When thinking about the needed materials, I urge us to also consider the context of the environment. Many kids in the FSM don’t use canes for three reasons: 1. they are not readily available, 2. the environment (dirt roads, no sidewalks, vegetation) makes it difficult and, 3. it is culturally not understood.

While we all may want to donate everything we possibly can, we need to make sure that the item is truly needed and culturally relevant. I recommend doing what Connie did and talking to someone who has in-depth knowledge of the situation and context to find out what the most needed materials and equipment are. I find math-type manipulatives can go a long way in developing countries because they benefit all learners — a true UDL resource.

One of my next goals is figuring out how to train people to fix Perkins braillers. Like Connie mentioned, there are many broken braillers in many countries waiting to be fixed and put to use. How can we, as a community, support this?

Thank you Kevin, for starting these great conversations that encourage collaboration! And thank you Paul and Connie for your knowledge and perspective.

Callie M Brusegaard
PhD Candidate
Research Assistant
Northeast Resource Center for Vision Education (NERCVE)
School for Global Inclusion and Social Development
University of Massachusetts Boston
callie.brusegaard001@umb.edumailto:callie.brusegaard001@umb.edu
cbrusegaard@hotmail.commailto:cbrusegaard@hotmail.com
callie@brlbox.commailto:callie@brlbox.com

On Nov 9, 2017, at 8:26 AM, Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu> wrote:

I was sent this Interesting response below from Connie Zuber in an opportunity in Liberia. It's at least good to know that these kinds of things are happening. I wonder how they can be developed further?

-----Original Message-----
From: luckyd@iland.netmailto:luckyd@iland.net [mailto:luckyd@iland.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:00 PM
To: Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] BrlBOX

Kevin,
I am currently getting ready to send Brailed materials to a
school/orphanage in Dimeh, Liberia, Africa.  I am working with two
foundations.  Very little is known about this school or it's program
for the blind.  They have no electricity or running water.  One of the
founders of the Kick for Christ Foundation I am working with called
his brother in Liberia and the brother took his cell phone to the principal.
I was able to do a conference call that lasted less than 4 minutes.
The connection was very poor.  What I learned was that the school has
45 blind students and that they have no working braille writers and
can't repair them when they go breakdown.  They produce braille using slate and stylus.
The principal said they are using the BANA and UEB Braille codes.

I am sending them about 50 various slate and stylus thanks to a
wonderful donor school for the blind here in the US.  I am producing
short stories and poetry in Braille on my old Romero Embosser.  I am
also planning on purchasing one set of Braille on Patterns and
adapting the stories to what I think will be appropriate for these
children.  You cannot send materials to this group through the mail because they would never receive them.
Luckily, the foundation is sending a container ship and I can only
hope that all my hard work will actually get to the school.

There are very few Ophthalmologists in Liberia and I'm sure that many
of these 45 blind children could have their vision improved if there
were more doctors in their country.  Any ideas for materials would be
greatly appreciated.  I plan on sending a letter to the principal and
will learn more about the needs in Liberia when the foundation visits
in the summer of 2018.  At this point I'm pretty much just "flying by
the seat of my pants" as to what the actual need is.  The principal
said that they don't have much in the way of materials.  Again, any
suggestions from other TVI's would be appreciated.

Connie Zuber TVI
660-338-3895

"BrlBOX was created to connect teachers across the world to provide
materials to students who are blind and visually impaired in
countries that have less access to educational materials."

http://www.brlbox.com/

This is a neat idea. At this point this organization focuses on the
Federated States of Micronesia but I wonder if it would be helpful in
other contexts. Do any of you have experience in providing
instructional materials to places that had little to no access?

[Title: Signature of Kevin McCormack] Kevin McCormack, COMS Certified
Orientation and Mobility Specialist PhD Student in Global Inclusion
and Social Development University of Massachusetts Boston

[Title: COMS logo]  [Title: UMass Boston logo]

Intlglobal mailing list
Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/intlglobal_lists.aerbvi.org

Intlglobal mailing list
Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/intlglobal_lists.aerbvi.org

Callie:

Regarding the training of TVIs from the FSM, do you and your colleagues go to the country to provide short-term training there that leads to degree or certification, or do you bring the cohort of candidates to Boston?

Who funds the training?

John Price and I have just collected data showing the urgent need for Perkins Brailler repair (tied to UEB training) in Nigeria. For folks who do not know, Nigeria has a very large blind population, with hundreds of broken Perkins braille machines, and TVIs who need re-tooling.  Getting funds to carry out our project has been a challenge.

Connie mentioned the need for ophthalmologic service in Liberia, and I am with her on that point. Unfortunately, quality healthcare provision is unattainable in most developing countries. Luckily, the Africa Mercy Ship, headquartered in Texas, provides volunteer eye surgeries and other medical services to indigent folks in developing countries that welcome them.

From: Intlglobal [mailto:intlglobal-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Callie Brusegaard
Sent: Thursday, November 9, 2017 7:55 AM
To: Kevin McCormack Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu
Cc: Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] FW: BrlBOX

Greetings All!

I am the founder of BrlBOX and just wanted to chime in on the conversation. First of all, thank you very much to those who have sent donation requests! You will be hearing from me soon and the students out in the FSM will truly appreciate your support.

I agree, there are many resource-deprived countries. I think people like Connie and myself are doing the best we can to help areas in need that hold a special place in our hearts. It is a humbling experience to realize how lucky we are to have the access to materials that we do in the United States.

BrlBOX has a limited scope because UMass Boston recently trained seven teachers (we are working with the 8th) to become TVIs. Thus, there is continued support at the university level to assist these teachers. Since I am one of the people going to the FSM supporting teachers, I am able to generate material lists for specific students which allows me to make very specialized donations.

It is true; canes are needed, although they may not be used. There is a large need for old AT equipment for children with low vision. When thinking about the needed materials, I urge us to also consider the context of the environment. Many kids in the FSM don’t use canes for three reasons: 1. they are not readily available, 2. the environment (dirt roads, no sidewalks, vegetation) makes it difficult and, 3. it is culturally not understood.

While we all may want to donate everything we possibly can, we need to make sure that the item is truly needed and culturally relevant. I recommend doing what Connie did and talking to someone who has in-depth knowledge of the situation and context to find out what the most needed materials and equipment are. I find math-type manipulatives can go a long way in developing countries because they benefit all learners — a true UDL resource.

One of my next goals is figuring out how to train people to fix Perkins braillers. Like Connie mentioned, there are many broken braillers in many countries waiting to be fixed and put to use. How can we, as a community, support this?

Thank you Kevin, for starting these great conversations that encourage collaboration! And thank you Paul and Connie for your knowledge and perspective.

Callie M Brusegaard
PhD Candidate
Research Assistant
Northeast Resource Center for Vision Education (NERCVE)
School for Global Inclusion and Social Development
University of Massachusetts Boston
mailto:callie.brusegaard001@umb.edu callie.brusegaard001@umb.edu

cbrusegaard@hotmail.com mailto:cbrusegaard@hotmail.com

callie@brlbox.com mailto:callie@brlbox.com

On Nov 9, 2017, at 8:26 AM, Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu mailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu > wrote:

I was sent this Interesting response below from Connie Zuber in an opportunity in Liberia. It's at least good to know that these kinds of things are happening. I wonder how they can be developed further?

-----Original Message-----
From: luckyd@iland.net mailto:luckyd@iland.net  [mailto:luckyd@iland.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:00 PM
To: Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu mailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu >
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] BrlBOX

Kevin,
I am currently getting ready to send Brailed materials to a
school/orphanage in Dimeh, Liberia, Africa.  I am working with two
foundations.  Very little is known about this school or it's program
for the blind.  They have no electricity or running water.  One of the
founders of the Kick for Christ Foundation I am working with called
his brother in Liberia and the brother took his cell phone to the principal.
I was able to do a conference call that lasted less than 4 minutes.
The connection was very poor.  What I learned was that the school has
45 blind students and that they have no working braille writers and
can't repair them when they go breakdown.  They produce braille using slate and stylus.
The principal said they are using the BANA and UEB Braille codes.

I am sending them about 50 various slate and stylus thanks to a
wonderful donor school for the blind here in the US.  I am producing
short stories and poetry in Braille on my old Romero Embosser.  I am
also planning on purchasing one set of Braille on Patterns and
adapting the stories to what I think will be appropriate for these
children.  You cannot send materials to this group through the mail because they would never receive them.
Luckily, the foundation is sending a container ship and I can only
hope that all my hard work will actually get to the school.

There are very few Ophthalmologists in Liberia and I'm sure that many
of these 45 blind children could have their vision improved if there
were more doctors in their country.  Any ideas for materials would be
greatly appreciated.  I plan on sending a letter to the principal and
will learn more about the needs in Liberia when the foundation visits
in the summer of 2018.  At this point I'm pretty much just "flying by
the seat of my pants" as to what the actual need is.  The principal
said that they don't have much in the way of materials.  Again, any
suggestions from other TVI's would be appreciated.

Connie Zuber TVI
660-338-3895

"BrlBOX was created to connect teachers across the world to provide
materials to students who are blind and visually impaired in
countries that have less access to educational materials."

http://www.brlbox.com/

This is a neat idea. At this point this organization focuses on the
Federated States of Micronesia but I wonder if it would be helpful in
other contexts. Do any of you have experience in providing
instructional materials to places that had little to no access?

[Title: Signature of Kevin McCormack] Kevin McCormack, COMS Certified
Orientation and Mobility Specialist PhD Student in Global Inclusion
and Social Development University of Massachusetts Boston

[Title: COMS logo]  [Title: UMass Boston logo]

Intlglobal mailing list
Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org mailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/intlglobal_lists.aerbvi.org

Intlglobal mailing list
Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org mailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/intlglobal_lists.aerbvi.org

Paul et al,

The program at UMass Boston is an online program, therefore students were able to participate in the full masters degree remotely. However, instructors did take trips to the pacific region to support students throughout the program. In this case, we partnered with University of Guam, which received an OSEP grant, to provide training to those students in the Pacific. The grant has now ended, but UMass Boston is committed to continued training of teachers in that region.

In the Pacific we see the same needs that you are seeing in Africa regarding the need for medical services, in general, and specifically ophthalmological services. The North Pacific region in which we work, being made up of many islands, has a variety of genetic eye disorders that continue to be passed down from generation to generation. Recently, the Albert Einstein Institute, headed by Dr. Adele Schneider, went to the state of Chuuk to do a study on children and families with microphthalmia. The results are not available yet, but I will share with the group when they are published. It is progress towards an understanding and recognition of the needs in these countries.

I would like to see more options and opportunities for grants to support the on-going needs. A little can go a long way.

Callie Brusegaard
cbrusegaard@hotmail.commailto:cbrusegaard@hotmail.com

On Nov 10, 2017, at 8:15 AM, Paul Ajuwon <hscmltd@gmail.commailto:hscmltd@gmail.com> wrote:

Callie:

Regarding the training of TVIs from the FSM, do you and your colleagues go to the country to provide short-term training there that leads to degree or certification, or do you bring the cohort of candidates to Boston?

Who funds the training?

John Price and I have just collected data showing the urgent need for Perkins Brailler repair (tied to UEB training) in Nigeria. For folks who do not know, Nigeria has a very large blind population, with hundreds of broken Perkins braille machines, and TVIs who need re-tooling.  Getting funds to carry out our project has been a challenge.

Connie mentioned the need for ophthalmologic service in Liberia, and I am with her on that point. Unfortunately, quality healthcare provision is unattainable in most developing countries. Luckily, the Africa Mercy Ship, headquartered in Texas, provides volunteer eye surgeries and other medical services to indigent folks in developing countries that welcome them.

From: Intlglobal [mailto:intlglobal-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Callie Brusegaard
Sent: Thursday, November 9, 2017 7:55 AM
To: Kevin McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Cc: Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] FW: BrlBOX

Greetings All!

I am the founder of BrlBOX and just wanted to chime in on the conversation. First of all, thank you very much to those who have sent donation requests! You will be hearing from me soon and the students out in the FSM will truly appreciate your support.

I agree, there are many resource-deprived countries. I think people like Connie and myself are doing the best we can to help areas in need that hold a special place in our hearts. It is a humbling experience to realize how lucky we are to have the access to materials that we do in the United States.

BrlBOX has a limited scope because UMass Boston recently trained seven teachers (we are working with the 8th) to become TVIs. Thus, there is continued support at the university level to assist these teachers. Since I am one of the people going to the FSM supporting teachers, I am able to generate material lists for specific students which allows me to make very specialized donations.

It is true; canes are needed, although they may not be used. There is a large need for old AT equipment for children with low vision. When thinking about the needed materials, I urge us to also consider the context of the environment. Many kids in the FSM don’t use canes for three reasons: 1. they are not readily available, 2. the environment (dirt roads, no sidewalks, vegetation) makes it difficult and, 3. it is culturally not understood.

While we all may want to donate everything we possibly can, we need to make sure that the item is truly needed and culturally relevant. I recommend doing what Connie did and talking to someone who has in-depth knowledge of the situation and context to find out what the most needed materials and equipment are. I find math-type manipulatives can go a long way in developing countries because they benefit all learners — a true UDL resource.

One of my next goals is figuring out how to train people to fix Perkins braillers. Like Connie mentioned, there are many broken braillers in many countries waiting to be fixed and put to use. How can we, as a community, support this?

Thank you Kevin, for starting these great conversations that encourage collaboration! And thank you Paul and Connie for your knowledge and perspective.

Callie M Brusegaard
PhD Candidate
Research Assistant
Northeast Resource Center for Vision Education (NERCVE)
School for Global Inclusion and Social Development
University of Massachusetts Boston
callie.brusegaard001@umb.edumailto:callie.brusegaard001@umb.edu
cbrusegaard@hotmail.commailto:cbrusegaard@hotmail.com
callie@brlbox.commailto:callie@brlbox.com

On Nov 9, 2017, at 8:26 AM, Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu> wrote:

I was sent this Interesting response below from Connie Zuber in an opportunity in Liberia. It's at least good to know that these kinds of things are happening. I wonder how they can be developed further?

-----Original Message-----
From: luckyd@iland.netmailto:luckyd@iland.net [mailto:luckyd@iland.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:00 PM
To: Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] BrlBOX

Kevin,
I am currently getting ready to send Brailed materials to a
school/orphanage in Dimeh, Liberia, Africa.  I am working with two
foundations.  Very little is known about this school or it's program
for the blind.  They have no electricity or running water.  One of the
founders of the Kick for Christ Foundation I am working with called
his brother in Liberia and the brother took his cell phone to the principal.
I was able to do a conference call that lasted less than 4 minutes.
The connection was very poor.  What I learned was that the school has
45 blind students and that they have no working braille writers and
can't repair them when they go breakdown.  They produce braille using slate and stylus.
The principal said they are using the BANA and UEB Braille codes.

I am sending them about 50 various slate and stylus thanks to a
wonderful donor school for the blind here in the US.  I am producing
short stories and poetry in Braille on my old Romero Embosser.  I am
also planning on purchasing one set of Braille on Patterns and
adapting the stories to what I think will be appropriate for these
children.  You cannot send materials to this group through the mail because they would never receive them.
Luckily, the foundation is sending a container ship and I can only
hope that all my hard work will actually get to the school.

There are very few Ophthalmologists in Liberia and I'm sure that many
of these 45 blind children could have their vision improved if there
were more doctors in their country.  Any ideas for materials would be
greatly appreciated.  I plan on sending a letter to the principal and
will learn more about the needs in Liberia when the foundation visits
in the summer of 2018.  At this point I'm pretty much just "flying by
the seat of my pants" as to what the actual need is.  The principal
said that they don't have much in the way of materials.  Again, any
suggestions from other TVI's would be appreciated.

Connie Zuber TVI
660-338-3895

"BrlBOX was created to connect teachers across the world to provide
materials to students who are blind and visually impaired in
countries that have less access to educational materials."

http://www.brlbox.com/

This is a neat idea. At this point this organization focuses on the
Federated States of Micronesia but I wonder if it would be helpful in
other contexts. Do any of you have experience in providing
instructional materials to places that had little to no access?

[Title: Signature of Kevin McCormack] Kevin McCormack, COMS Certified
Orientation and Mobility Specialist PhD Student in Global Inclusion
and Social Development University of Massachusetts Boston

[Title: COMS logo]  [Title: UMass Boston logo]

Intlglobal mailing list
Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/intlglobal_lists.aerbvi.org

Intlglobal mailing list
Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/intlglobal_lists.aerbvi.org

Hi Paul and All,
I am happy to address the university piece of the Pacific preparation.

Donna McNear connected us (Donna had been providing training in the islands for a decade) with the wonderful folks at the UCEDD in Guam. They wrote the grant!

The original cohort was funded by an OSEP grant awarded to the University of Guam CEDDERS to prepare TVIs and O&Ms in the Pacific. The preparation was online and in person. Initially, the students came to Guam for the in person portions of each course (we would go there for a few weeks at a time). Then the in person integration was achieved by us going to the islands for application and follow up.

As Callie mentioned, we continue to support this endeavor as the need for teachers and materials remains.

Thanks Callie for this individualized support for FSM!
Best,
Laura

Sent from my iPad

Laura Bozeman, Ph.D., COMS, CLVT
Associate Professor/Director: Vision Studies
School for Global Inclusion and Social Development
UMass Boston
Laura.bozeman@umb.edumailto:Laura.bozeman@umb.edu
www.nercve.orghttp://www.nercve.org
781-588-4274

[X]

On Nov 10, 2017, at 8:17 AM, Paul Ajuwon <hscmltd@gmail.commailto:hscmltd@gmail.com> wrote:

Callie:

Regarding the training of TVIs from the FSM, do you and your colleagues go to the country to provide short-term training there that leads to degree or certification, or do you bring the cohort of candidates to Boston?

Who funds the training?

John Price and I have just collected data showing the urgent need for Perkins Brailler repair (tied to UEB training) in Nigeria. For folks who do not know, Nigeria has a very large blind population, with hundreds of broken Perkins braille machines, and TVIs who need re-tooling.  Getting funds to carry out our project has been a challenge.

Connie mentioned the need for ophthalmologic service in Liberia, and I am with her on that point. Unfortunately, quality healthcare provision is unattainable in most developing countries. Luckily, the Africa Mercy Ship, headquartered in Texas, provides volunteer eye surgeries and other medical services to indigent folks in developing countries that welcome them.

From: Intlglobal [mailto:intlglobal-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Callie Brusegaard
Sent: Thursday, November 9, 2017 7:55 AM
To: Kevin McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Cc: Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] FW: BrlBOX

Greetings All!

I am the founder of BrlBOX and just wanted to chime in on the conversation. First of all, thank you very much to those who have sent donation requests! You will be hearing from me soon and the students out in the FSM will truly appreciate your support.

I agree, there are many resource-deprived countries. I think people like Connie and myself are doing the best we can to help areas in need that hold a special place in our hearts. It is a humbling experience to realize how lucky we are to have the access to materials that we do in the United States.

BrlBOX has a limited scope because UMass Boston recently trained seven teachers (we are working with the 8th) to become TVIs. Thus, there is continued support at the university level to assist these teachers. Since I am one of the people going to the FSM supporting teachers, I am able to generate material lists for specific students which allows me to make very specialized donations.

It is true; canes are needed, although they may not be used. There is a large need for old AT equipment for children with low vision. When thinking about the needed materials, I urge us to also consider the context of the environment. Many kids in the FSM don’t use canes for three reasons: 1. they are not readily available, 2. the environment (dirt roads, no sidewalks, vegetation) makes it difficult and, 3. it is culturally not understood.

While we all may want to donate everything we possibly can, we need to make sure that the item is truly needed and culturally relevant. I recommend doing what Connie did and talking to someone who has in-depth knowledge of the situation and context to find out what the most needed materials and equipment are. I find math-type manipulatives can go a long way in developing countries because they benefit all learners — a true UDL resource.

One of my next goals is figuring out how to train people to fix Perkins braillers. Like Connie mentioned, there are many broken braillers in many countries waiting to be fixed and put to use. How can we, as a community, support this?

Thank you Kevin, for starting these great conversations that encourage collaboration! And thank you Paul and Connie for your knowledge and perspective.

Callie M Brusegaard
PhD Candidate
Research Assistant
Northeast Resource Center for Vision Education (NERCVE)
School for Global Inclusion and Social Development
University of Massachusetts Boston
callie.brusegaard001@umb.edumailto:callie.brusegaard001@umb.edu
cbrusegaard@hotmail.commailto:cbrusegaard@hotmail.com
callie@brlbox.commailto:callie@brlbox.com

On Nov 9, 2017, at 8:26 AM, Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu> wrote:

I was sent this Interesting response below from Connie Zuber in an opportunity in Liberia. It's at least good to know that these kinds of things are happening. I wonder how they can be developed further?

-----Original Message-----
From: luckyd@iland.netmailto:luckyd@iland.net [mailto:luckyd@iland.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:00 PM
To: Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] BrlBOX

Kevin,
I am currently getting ready to send Brailed materials to a
school/orphanage in Dimeh, Liberia, Africa.  I am working with two
foundations.  Very little is known about this school or it's program
for the blind.  They have no electricity or running water.  One of the
founders of the Kick for Christ Foundation I am working with called
his brother in Liberia and the brother took his cell phone to the principal.
I was able to do a conference call that lasted less than 4 minutes.
The connection was very poor.  What I learned was that the school has
45 blind students and that they have no working braille writers and
can't repair them when they go breakdown.  They produce braille using slate and stylus.
The principal said they are using the BANA and UEB Braille codes.

I am sending them about 50 various slate and stylus thanks to a
wonderful donor school for the blind here in the US.  I am producing
short stories and poetry in Braille on my old Romero Embosser.  I am
also planning on purchasing one set of Braille on Patterns and
adapting the stories to what I think will be appropriate for these
children.  You cannot send materials to this group through the mail because they would never receive them.
Luckily, the foundation is sending a container ship and I can only
hope that all my hard work will actually get to the school.

There are very few Ophthalmologists in Liberia and I'm sure that many
of these 45 blind children could have their vision improved if there
were more doctors in their country.  Any ideas for materials would be
greatly appreciated.  I plan on sending a letter to the principal and
will learn more about the needs in Liberia when the foundation visits
in the summer of 2018.  At this point I'm pretty much just "flying by
the seat of my pants" as to what the actual need is.  The principal
said that they don't have much in the way of materials.  Again, any
suggestions from other TVI's would be appreciated.

Connie Zuber TVI
660-338-3895

"BrlBOX was created to connect teachers across the world to provide
materials to students who are blind and visually impaired in
countries that have less access to educational materials."

http://www.brlbox.com/

This is a neat idea. At this point this organization focuses on the
Federated States of Micronesia but I wonder if it would be helpful in
other contexts. Do any of you have experience in providing
instructional materials to places that had little to no access?

[Title: Signature of Kevin McCormack] Kevin McCormack, COMS Certified
Orientation and Mobility Specialist PhD Student in Global Inclusion
and Social Development University of Massachusetts Boston

[Title: COMS logo]  [Title: UMass Boston logo]

Intlglobal mailing list
Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/intlglobal_lists.aerbvi.org

Intlglobal mailing list
Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
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Oops sorry for the repeat of Callie’s email.
Laura

Sent from my iPad

Laura Bozeman, Ph.D., COMS, CLVT
Associate Professor/Director: Vision Studies
School for Global Inclusion and Social Development
UMass Boston
Laura.bozeman@umb.edumailto:Laura.bozeman@umb.edu
www.nercve.orghttp://www.nercve.org
781-588-4274

[X]

On Nov 10, 2017, at 8:54 AM, Callie Brusegaard <cbrusegaard@hotmail.commailto:cbrusegaard@hotmail.com> wrote:

Paul et al,

The program at UMass Boston is an online program, therefore students were able to participate in the full masters degree remotely. However, instructors did take trips to the pacific region to support students throughout the program. In this case, we partnered with University of Guam, which received an OSEP grant, to provide training to those students in the Pacific. The grant has now ended, but UMass Boston is committed to continued training of teachers in that region.

In the Pacific we see the same needs that you are seeing in Africa regarding the need for medical services, in general, and specifically ophthalmological services. The North Pacific region in which we work, being made up of many islands, has a variety of genetic eye disorders that continue to be passed down from generation to generation. Recently, the Albert Einstein Institute, headed by Dr. Adele Schneider, went to the state of Chuuk to do a study on children and families with microphthalmia. The results are not available yet, but I will share with the group when they are published. It is progress towards an understanding and recognition of the needs in these countries.

I would like to see more options and opportunities for grants to support the on-going needs. A little can go a long way.

Callie Brusegaard
cbrusegaard@hotmail.commailto:cbrusegaard@hotmail.com

On Nov 10, 2017, at 8:15 AM, Paul Ajuwon <hscmltd@gmail.commailto:hscmltd@gmail.com> wrote:

Callie:

Regarding the training of TVIs from the FSM, do you and your colleagues go to the country to provide short-term training there that leads to degree or certification, or do you bring the cohort of candidates to Boston?

Who funds the training?

John Price and I have just collected data showing the urgent need for Perkins Brailler repair (tied to UEB training) in Nigeria. For folks who do not know, Nigeria has a very large blind population, with hundreds of broken Perkins braille machines, and TVIs who need re-tooling.  Getting funds to carry out our project has been a challenge.

Connie mentioned the need for ophthalmologic service in Liberia, and I am with her on that point. Unfortunately, quality healthcare provision is unattainable in most developing countries. Luckily, the Africa Mercy Ship, headquartered in Texas, provides volunteer eye surgeries and other medical services to indigent folks in developing countries that welcome them.

From: Intlglobal [mailto:intlglobal-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Callie Brusegaard
Sent: Thursday, November 9, 2017 7:55 AM
To: Kevin McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Cc: Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] FW: BrlBOX

Greetings All!

I am the founder of BrlBOX and just wanted to chime in on the conversation. First of all, thank you very much to those who have sent donation requests! You will be hearing from me soon and the students out in the FSM will truly appreciate your support.

I agree, there are many resource-deprived countries. I think people like Connie and myself are doing the best we can to help areas in need that hold a special place in our hearts. It is a humbling experience to realize how lucky we are to have the access to materials that we do in the United States.

BrlBOX has a limited scope because UMass Boston recently trained seven teachers (we are working with the 8th) to become TVIs. Thus, there is continued support at the university level to assist these teachers. Since I am one of the people going to the FSM supporting teachers, I am able to generate material lists for specific students which allows me to make very specialized donations.

It is true; canes are needed, although they may not be used. There is a large need for old AT equipment for children with low vision. When thinking about the needed materials, I urge us to also consider the context of the environment. Many kids in the FSM don’t use canes for three reasons: 1. they are not readily available, 2. the environment (dirt roads, no sidewalks, vegetation) makes it difficult and, 3. it is culturally not understood.

While we all may want to donate everything we possibly can, we need to make sure that the item is truly needed and culturally relevant. I recommend doing what Connie did and talking to someone who has in-depth knowledge of the situation and context to find out what the most needed materials and equipment are. I find math-type manipulatives can go a long way in developing countries because they benefit all learners — a true UDL resource.

One of my next goals is figuring out how to train people to fix Perkins braillers. Like Connie mentioned, there are many broken braillers in many countries waiting to be fixed and put to use. How can we, as a community, support this?

Thank you Kevin, for starting these great conversations that encourage collaboration! And thank you Paul and Connie for your knowledge and perspective.

Callie M Brusegaard
PhD Candidate
Research Assistant
Northeast Resource Center for Vision Education (NERCVE)
School for Global Inclusion and Social Development
University of Massachusetts Boston
callie.brusegaard001@umb.edumailto:callie.brusegaard001@umb.edu
cbrusegaard@hotmail.commailto:cbrusegaard@hotmail.com
callie@brlbox.commailto:callie@brlbox.com

On Nov 9, 2017, at 8:26 AM, Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu> wrote:

I was sent this Interesting response below from Connie Zuber in an opportunity in Liberia. It's at least good to know that these kinds of things are happening. I wonder how they can be developed further?

-----Original Message-----
From: luckyd@iland.netmailto:luckyd@iland.net [mailto:luckyd@iland.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:00 PM
To: Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] BrlBOX

Kevin,
I am currently getting ready to send Brailed materials to a
school/orphanage in Dimeh, Liberia, Africa.  I am working with two
foundations.  Very little is known about this school or it's program
for the blind.  They have no electricity or running water.  One of the
founders of the Kick for Christ Foundation I am working with called
his brother in Liberia and the brother took his cell phone to the principal.
I was able to do a conference call that lasted less than 4 minutes.
The connection was very poor.  What I learned was that the school has
45 blind students and that they have no working braille writers and
can't repair them when they go breakdown.  They produce braille using slate and stylus.
The principal said they are using the BANA and UEB Braille codes.

I am sending them about 50 various slate and stylus thanks to a
wonderful donor school for the blind here in the US.  I am producing
short stories and poetry in Braille on my old Romero Embosser.  I am
also planning on purchasing one set of Braille on Patterns and
adapting the stories to what I think will be appropriate for these
children.  You cannot send materials to this group through the mail because they would never receive them.
Luckily, the foundation is sending a container ship and I can only
hope that all my hard work will actually get to the school.

There are very few Ophthalmologists in Liberia and I'm sure that many
of these 45 blind children could have their vision improved if there
were more doctors in their country.  Any ideas for materials would be
greatly appreciated.  I plan on sending a letter to the principal and
will learn more about the needs in Liberia when the foundation visits
in the summer of 2018.  At this point I'm pretty much just "flying by
the seat of my pants" as to what the actual need is.  The principal
said that they don't have much in the way of materials.  Again, any
suggestions from other TVI's would be appreciated.

Connie Zuber TVI
660-338-3895

"BrlBOX was created to connect teachers across the world to provide
materials to students who are blind and visually impaired in
countries that have less access to educational materials."

http://www.brlbox.com/

This is a neat idea. At this point this organization focuses on the
Federated States of Micronesia but I wonder if it would be helpful in
other contexts. Do any of you have experience in providing
instructional materials to places that had little to no access?

[Title: Signature of Kevin McCormack] Kevin McCormack, COMS Certified
Orientation and Mobility Specialist PhD Student in Global Inclusion
and Social Development University of Massachusetts Boston

[Title: COMS logo]  [Title: UMass Boston logo]

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Hello All,
I took the Perkins Brailler repair training this past summer with 10 others. Three were from France one from Australia and the rest of us were from the US. We learned that most braillers sent in for repair are unusable due to dirt. Many times well-meaning people think they need to oil a machine to make it work when oil does the most harm be collecting dust. If we could put together a video (or get one from Perkins Youtube) that shows what pieces to remove and how to clean them it may help in the repair of many machines without a lot of expense. If we just had one person trained in repair who could travel with the necessary oils and parts they could train others in the country.
I know that Peter and his team from Perkins Brailler Repair have traveled to many countries to teach them how to repair these.
Hope this gives you some ideas how to further serve people with low vision or blindness,
Sincerely,
Gina Carr
Braille & AT Educator
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired

From: Intlglobal [mailto:intlglobal-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Paul Ajuwon
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2017 7:16 AM
To: 'Callie Brusegaard'; 'Kevin McCormack'
Cc: Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
Subject: [External] Re: [Intlglobal] FW: BrlBOX

Callie:

Regarding the training of TVIs from the FSM, do you and your colleagues go to the country to provide short-term training there that leads to degree or certification, or do you bring the cohort of candidates to Boston?

Who funds the training?

John Price and I have just collected data showing the urgent need for Perkins Brailler repair (tied to UEB training) in Nigeria. For folks who do not know, Nigeria has a very large blind population, with hundreds of broken Perkins braille machines, and TVIs who need re-tooling.  Getting funds to carry out our project has been a challenge.

Connie mentioned the need for ophthalmologic service in Liberia, and I am with her on that point. Unfortunately, quality healthcare provision is unattainable in most developing countries. Luckily, the Africa Mercy Ship, headquartered in Texas, provides volunteer eye surgeries and other medical services to indigent folks in developing countries that welcome them.

From: Intlglobal [mailto:intlglobal-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Callie Brusegaard
Sent: Thursday, November 9, 2017 7:55 AM
To: Kevin McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Cc: Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] FW: BrlBOX

Greetings All!

I am the founder of BrlBOX and just wanted to chime in on the conversation. First of all, thank you very much to those who have sent donation requests! You will be hearing from me soon and the students out in the FSM will truly appreciate your support.

I agree, there are many resource-deprived countries. I think people like Connie and myself are doing the best we can to help areas in need that hold a special place in our hearts. It is a humbling experience to realize how lucky we are to have the access to materials that we do in the United States.

BrlBOX has a limited scope because UMass Boston recently trained seven teachers (we are working with the 8th) to become TVIs. Thus, there is continued support at the university level to assist these teachers. Since I am one of the people going to the FSM supporting teachers, I am able to generate material lists for specific students which allows me to make very specialized donations.

It is true; canes are needed, although they may not be used. There is a large need for old AT equipment for children with low vision. When thinking about the needed materials, I urge us to also consider the context of the environment. Many kids in the FSM don’t use canes for three reasons: 1. they are not readily available, 2. the environment (dirt roads, no sidewalks, vegetation) makes it difficult and, 3. it is culturally not understood.

While we all may want to donate everything we possibly can, we need to make sure that the item is truly needed and culturally relevant. I recommend doing what Connie did and talking to someone who has in-depth knowledge of the situation and context to find out what the most needed materials and equipment are. I find math-type manipulatives can go a long way in developing countries because they benefit all learners — a true UDL resource.

One of my next goals is figuring out how to train people to fix Perkins braillers. Like Connie mentioned, there are many broken braillers in many countries waiting to be fixed and put to use. How can we, as a community, support this?

Thank you Kevin, for starting these great conversations that encourage collaboration! And thank you Paul and Connie for your knowledge and perspective.

Callie M Brusegaard
PhD Candidate
Research Assistant
Northeast Resource Center for Vision Education (NERCVE)
School for Global Inclusion and Social Development
University of Massachusetts Boston
callie.brusegaard001@umb.edumailto:callie.brusegaard001@umb.edu
cbrusegaard@hotmail.commailto:cbrusegaard@hotmail.com
callie@brlbox.commailto:callie@brlbox.com

On Nov 9, 2017, at 8:26 AM, Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu> wrote:

I was sent this Interesting response below from Connie Zuber in an opportunity in Liberia. It's at least good to know that these kinds of things are happening. I wonder how they can be developed further?

-----Original Message-----
From: luckyd@iland.netmailto:luckyd@iland.net [mailto:luckyd@iland.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:00 PM
To: Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] BrlBOX

Kevin,
I am currently getting ready to send Brailed materials to a
school/orphanage in Dimeh, Liberia, Africa.  I am working with two
foundations.  Very little is known about this school or it's program
for the blind.  They have no electricity or running water.  One of the
founders of the Kick for Christ Foundation I am working with called
his brother in Liberia and the brother took his cell phone to the principal.
I was able to do a conference call that lasted less than 4 minutes.
The connection was very poor.  What I learned was that the school has
45 blind students and that they have no working braille writers and
can't repair them when they go breakdown.  They produce braille using slate and stylus.
The principal said they are using the BANA and UEB Braille codes.

I am sending them about 50 various slate and stylus thanks to a
wonderful donor school for the blind here in the US.  I am producing
short stories and poetry in Braille on my old Romero Embosser.  I am
also planning on purchasing one set of Braille on Patterns and
adapting the stories to what I think will be appropriate for these
children.  You cannot send materials to this group through the mail because they would never receive them.
Luckily, the foundation is sending a container ship and I can only
hope that all my hard work will actually get to the school.

There are very few Ophthalmologists in Liberia and I'm sure that many
of these 45 blind children could have their vision improved if there
were more doctors in their country.  Any ideas for materials would be
greatly appreciated.  I plan on sending a letter to the principal and
will learn more about the needs in Liberia when the foundation visits
in the summer of 2018.  At this point I'm pretty much just "flying by
the seat of my pants" as to what the actual need is.  The principal
said that they don't have much in the way of materials.  Again, any
suggestions from other TVI's would be appreciated.

Connie Zuber TVI
660-338-3895

"BrlBOX was created to connect teachers across the world to provide
materials to students who are blind and visually impaired in
countries that have less access to educational materials."

http://www.brlbox.com/

This is a neat idea. At this point this organization focuses on the
Federated States of Micronesia but I wonder if it would be helpful in
other contexts. Do any of you have experience in providing
instructional materials to places that had little to no access?

[Title: Signature of Kevin McCormack] Kevin McCormack, COMS Certified
Orientation and Mobility Specialist PhD Student in Global Inclusion
and Social Development University of Massachusetts Boston

[Title: COMS logo]  [Title: UMass Boston logo]

Intlglobal mailing list
Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/intlglobal_lists.aerbvi.org

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Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
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State of Illinois - CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged or attorney work product, may constitute inside information or internal deliberative staff communication, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. Receipt by an unintended recipient does not waive attorney-client privilege, attorney work product privilege, or any other exemption from disclosure.

A friend who is considering braille writer repair as a retirement job searched YouTube for videos very recently and was able to find several that were very helpful.  He just searched “braille writer repair” and found just what he needed.

Janie

Janie Blome
Director of Field Services
American Printing House for the Blind
Phone:502-899-2367

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix

From: Intlglobal [mailto:intlglobal-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Carr, Gina
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2017 9:25 AM
To: Paul Ajuwon hscmltd@gmail.com; 'Callie Brusegaard' cbrusegaard@hotmail.com; 'Kevin McCormack' Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu
Cc: Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] [External] Re: FW: BrlBOX

Hello All,
I took the Perkins Brailler repair training this past summer with 10 others. Three were from France one from Australia and the rest of us were from the US. We learned that most braillers sent in for repair are unusable due to dirt. Many times well-meaning people think they need to oil a machine to make it work when oil does the most harm be collecting dust. If we could put together a video (or get one from Perkins Youtube) that shows what pieces to remove and how to clean them it may help in the repair of many machines without a lot of expense. If we just had one person trained in repair who could travel with the necessary oils and parts they could train others in the country.
I know that Peter and his team from Perkins Brailler Repair have traveled to many countries to teach them how to repair these.
Hope this gives you some ideas how to further serve people with low vision or blindness,
Sincerely,
Gina Carr
Braille & AT Educator
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired

From: Intlglobal [mailto:intlglobal-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Paul Ajuwon
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2017 7:16 AM
To: 'Callie Brusegaard'; 'Kevin McCormack'
Cc: Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
Subject: [External] Re: [Intlglobal] FW: BrlBOX

Callie:

Regarding the training of TVIs from the FSM, do you and your colleagues go to the country to provide short-term training there that leads to degree or certification, or do you bring the cohort of candidates to Boston?

Who funds the training?

John Price and I have just collected data showing the urgent need for Perkins Brailler repair (tied to UEB training) in Nigeria. For folks who do not know, Nigeria has a very large blind population, with hundreds of broken Perkins braille machines, and TVIs who need re-tooling.  Getting funds to carry out our project has been a challenge.

Connie mentioned the need for ophthalmologic service in Liberia, and I am with her on that point. Unfortunately, quality healthcare provision is unattainable in most developing countries. Luckily, the Africa Mercy Ship, headquartered in Texas, provides volunteer eye surgeries and other medical services to indigent folks in developing countries that welcome them.

From: Intlglobal [mailto:intlglobal-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Callie Brusegaard
Sent: Thursday, November 9, 2017 7:55 AM
To: Kevin McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Cc: Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] FW: BrlBOX

Greetings All!

I am the founder of BrlBOX and just wanted to chime in on the conversation. First of all, thank you very much to those who have sent donation requests! You will be hearing from me soon and the students out in the FSM will truly appreciate your support.

I agree, there are many resource-deprived countries. I think people like Connie and myself are doing the best we can to help areas in need that hold a special place in our hearts. It is a humbling experience to realize how lucky we are to have the access to materials that we do in the United States.

BrlBOX has a limited scope because UMass Boston recently trained seven teachers (we are working with the 8th) to become TVIs. Thus, there is continued support at the university level to assist these teachers. Since I am one of the people going to the FSM supporting teachers, I am able to generate material lists for specific students which allows me to make very specialized donations.

It is true; canes are needed, although they may not be used. There is a large need for old AT equipment for children with low vision. When thinking about the needed materials, I urge us to also consider the context of the environment. Many kids in the FSM don’t use canes for three reasons: 1. they are not readily available, 2. the environment (dirt roads, no sidewalks, vegetation) makes it difficult and, 3. it is culturally not understood.

While we all may want to donate everything we possibly can, we need to make sure that the item is truly needed and culturally relevant. I recommend doing what Connie did and talking to someone who has in-depth knowledge of the situation and context to find out what the most needed materials and equipment are. I find math-type manipulatives can go a long way in developing countries because they benefit all learners — a true UDL resource.

One of my next goals is figuring out how to train people to fix Perkins braillers. Like Connie mentioned, there are many broken braillers in many countries waiting to be fixed and put to use. How can we, as a community, support this?

Thank you Kevin, for starting these great conversations that encourage collaboration! And thank you Paul and Connie for your knowledge and perspective.

Callie M Brusegaard
PhD Candidate
Research Assistant
Northeast Resource Center for Vision Education (NERCVE)
School for Global Inclusion and Social Development
University of Massachusetts Boston
callie.brusegaard001@umb.edumailto:callie.brusegaard001@umb.edu
cbrusegaard@hotmail.commailto:cbrusegaard@hotmail.com
callie@brlbox.commailto:callie@brlbox.com

On Nov 9, 2017, at 8:26 AM, Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu> wrote:

I was sent this Interesting response below from Connie Zuber in an opportunity in Liberia. It's at least good to know that these kinds of things are happening. I wonder how they can be developed further?
-----Original Message-----
From: luckyd@iland.netmailto:luckyd@iland.net [mailto:luckyd@iland.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 9:00 PM
To: Kevin D McCormack <Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edumailto:Kevin.McCormack001@umb.edu>
Subject: Re: [Intlglobal] BrlBOX

Kevin,
I am currently getting ready to send Brailed materials to a
school/orphanage in Dimeh, Liberia, Africa.  I am working with two
foundations.  Very little is known about this school or it's program
for the blind.  They have no electricity or running water.  One of the
founders of the Kick for Christ Foundation I am working with called
his brother in Liberia and the brother took his cell phone to the principal.
I was able to do a conference call that lasted less than 4 minutes.
The connection was very poor.  What I learned was that the school has
45 blind students and that they have no working braille writers and
can't repair them when they go breakdown.  They produce braille using slate and stylus.
The principal said they are using the BANA and UEB Braille codes.

I am sending them about 50 various slate and stylus thanks to a
wonderful donor school for the blind here in the US.  I am producing
short stories and poetry in Braille on my old Romero Embosser.  I am
also planning on purchasing one set of Braille on Patterns and
adapting the stories to what I think will be appropriate for these
children.  You cannot send materials to this group through the mail because they would never receive them.
Luckily, the foundation is sending a container ship and I can only
hope that all my hard work will actually get to the school.

There are very few Ophthalmologists in Liberia and I'm sure that many
of these 45 blind children could have their vision improved if there
were more doctors in their country.  Any ideas for materials would be
greatly appreciated.  I plan on sending a letter to the principal and
will learn more about the needs in Liberia when the foundation visits
in the summer of 2018.  At this point I'm pretty much just "flying by
the seat of my pants" as to what the actual need is.  The principal
said that they don't have much in the way of materials.  Again, any
suggestions from other TVI's would be appreciated.

Connie Zuber TVI
660-338-3895
"BrlBOX was created to connect teachers across the world to provide
materials to students who are blind and visually impaired in
countries that have less access to educational materials."

http://www.brlbox.com/

This is a neat idea. At this point this organization focuses on the
Federated States of Micronesia but I wonder if it would be helpful in
other contexts. Do any of you have experience in providing
instructional materials to places that had little to no access?

[Title: Signature of Kevin McCormack] Kevin McCormack, COMS Certified
Orientation and Mobility Specialist PhD Student in Global Inclusion
and Social Development University of Massachusetts Boston

[Title: COMS logo]  [Title: UMass Boston logo]

Intlglobal mailing list
Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/intlglobal_lists.aerbvi.org

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Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.orgmailto:Intlglobal@lists.aerbvi.org
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State of Illinois - CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged or attorney work product, may constitute inside information or internal deliberative staff communication, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. Receipt by an unintended recipient does not waive attorney-client privilege, attorney work product privilege, or any other exemption from disclosure.