Wright State gets $3 million to help teachers of disabled

Thanks to my father Dr. C. Richard Dorn for drawing my attention to this article from last weekend's Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch.

Doctoral students at Wright State University will be able to concentrate on technology-based methods for teaching disabled students, thanks to a $3 million National Science Foundation grant. A team of more than 20 faculty members will create the concentration during the five- year grant. Research under the program will center on how to create experiences for the disabled that allow them to overcome obstacles in their lives and learning. The new concentration will operate through one of four Ph.D. programs at the Dayton school.

Notice in Diversity Inc.'s newsletter (x-SDS)

Open Call for People With Disabilities and their Stories

Diversity Inc is planning a feature story for the October magazine issue about diversity within the disability community. We're looking for people of color and GLBT individuals with disabilities to talk about their experiences. If you're interested in participating, please send your name, phone number, disability and race, ethnicity and/or sexual orientation via email to editor@diversityinc.com by July 15.

Marking the 15th Anniversary of the ADA

How are you celebrating the 15th anniversary of the signing of the ADA in July 1990? We went to one of the many events in the Los Angeles area today--at Kidspace Children's Museum in Pasadena. An all-day schedule of events, from dance troupes to art projects to the Fast Breakin' Lakers (a men's wheelchair basketball team, formerly the Los Angeles Stars), and information booths from community organizations serving families and kids with disabilities. It was too bright outside, but the usual indoor activities at the Playspace were fun too.

Newest Harry Potter in Braille and Audio formats

A press release from Scholastic today says that, in conjunction with the National Braille Press, they plan to release a Braille edition of the newest Harry Potter book within a week of its July 16 printed text release. This is a big improvement over the lag time of months or even years that many popular novels take in getting a Braille edition, and a sign that someone has noticed how kids' reading culture works--reading an OLD HP book isn't any fun when your friends are all reading the latest. (On the other hand: the Braille edition will be a nine-volume, eleven-pound stack of books, requiring more than a foot of shelf space--hardly backpack material.) For Potter fans who don't read printed text or Braille, there will be an unabridged audio version recorded by volunteers in a marathon session ON July 16; that should be available within the week as well.

iPods, Podcasts, and Accessibility

On Cliopatria, Jonathan Dresner mentions his wife Anna Dresner's new book for the National Braille Press, guiding blind users through the iPod Shuffle. The Shuffle is the only device in the iPod line that doesn't have a menu screen, which is a good start--but there's still the challenge of navigating the iTunes music store, and using iTunes to get your music onto your iPod. Her next project is about podcasting and blind culture--Jonathan explains some of that too, then goes into a concluding paragraph about the general issue of technological lags as experienced by various segments of society.

The Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center at UCLA

I gave a talk today about one of my research projects at the Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center at UCLA, as part of their "Women, Knowledge, and Power" speaker series. What a fun bunch of women (and one man): they really embraced my subject, Marion Brown (1843-1915), a Scotswoman who had an array of serious, chronic health issues. They shared how much of their own experience was echoed in excerpts of Marion Brown's letters to her American cousins. Wonderful feedback, wonderful questions, wonderful stories. They're the kind of audience I like best. (And I got a piece of someone's birthday cake in the bargain.)

research on 'blogworld'

Hi readers! I know I haven't been posting much lately, but I have been giving some thought to blogs as a way of communicating across distance and as a way of forging flexible yet robust communities. Researchers at MIT are interested in these kinds of social networks, so I invite those of you who are active in this sphere to consider participating in their on-line survey. Simply select the button below.

(Or is the Bell Curve me?) Mike