Table of contents
1 Ask the expert
2 Business commentary
3 From the soap box
4 The reader’s choice
5 News and views
6 Helpful tips
7 Accessibility news
8 Editorial
9 Comments to the editor
10 Notes
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the following contributors to this month’s STAE issue.
The Sterling Creations accessibility team, the Sterling Creations business team, the Sterling Creations research team, Scott Savoy our managing editor, Christian Robicheau our assistant editor, our readers, and Donna J Jodhan our president.
Donna J Jodhan is the founder and president of Sterling Creations which was founded in 1994. As a blind woman she has had to overcome mountainous challenges in order to get where she is today. She is a very successful business woman, consultant, and author and she continues to help produce daily blogs that contain weekly features on topics of interest and relevance. She is never tired, always willing to help others, and never gives up when it comes to helping others to voice their opinions. As she puts it: "My undying commitment is to ensure that the kids of tomorrow have a more level playing field when it comes to such things as employment opportunities, equal access to the Internet and technology. I think that if I can do my little part to help someone else succeed then in turn they will help others."
We are all very proud to be part of the Sterling Creations team but above all, we are pleased and delighted to have Donna J Jodhan as our leader.
Message from the president
Dear readers
I’d like to thank you for your continuing support and feedback. The STAE magazine has just celebrated its third anniversary and we could not have done it without you. Thank you for helping us to be what we are and I’d also like to thank all of my staff for having made it so easy to bring this magazine to you each month.
All of our teams work extremely hard to bring you tidbits and articles each month that are interesting, newsworthy, and exciting. We strive to keep you informed of the latest news and breakthroughs in the fields of business, health, and technology as they pertain to persons with special needs and we always appreciate your feedback because it is only through you that we can hope to get better.
I hope that you continue to enjoy our magazine and invite you to read our latest newsletter. To obtain a free electronic copy please email us at info@sterlingcreations.ca.
Finally, I’d like to invite you to visit our newest sister website, www.onestopbookcafe.com and there you’ll find oodles of tips on a wide range of topics ranging from consumer tips to healthy eating tips, tips on home business opportunities for women, seniors, retirees, and parents to security tips for home computer users, and tips on how to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression. In addition, we have a wide selection of books that will enable you to spend less and save more, and coming soon will be a collection of e books written by me. These books are designed to help you gather info that will enable you to enrich your daily lives. At www.onestopbookcafe.com, the goal is to motivate you to follow your dreams.
You will also be able to make your own contribution free of charge to our Café Talk page. I hope you enjoy this month’s magazine.
Ask the expert
Website accessibility for business dummies: Squiz names the six reasons you should care
June 2008
By the Sterling Creations Accessibility team
Hello there! This month we’d like to answer a continuing question that we often get asked by several companies. These companies often ask us to explain to them the benefits of having accessible websites. More often than not they are seeking reasons for making their websites accessible and above all they are wanting to know how accessible websites can help them to bring in more revenue.
We are going to share an article with you that we found some time back and hopefully this article will help to shed more important light on the matter at hand. Hope this helps to address your concerns.
Website accessibility for business dummies: Squiz names the six reasons you should care
By Press Release
Website accessibility for business dummies: Squiz names the six reasons you should care
Squiz, developer of leading enterprise open source CMS, MySource Matrix, today announced the availability of its new report on Web Accessibilty, which suggests that businesses of all sizes are missing simple opportunities to create new leads and generate new sales as a result of neglecting standard web accessibility practices.
The paper outlines six key business cases for implementing web accessibility measures, and how they will help to improve a company's bottom line. In addition, it provides a wealth of information about best practice guidelines from the W3C and how firms can build accessibility into their web production processes at low cost and with a minimum of fuss.
Squiz's six 'business cases' for implementing accessible web sites are:
to generate more site traffic through improved SEO
to create better user experiences, leading to more conversions
to attract and retain a wider audience, including those with disabilities
to reduce ongoing maintenance costs through the use of more flexible technologies
to reduce site development times by creating greater site flexibility
to reduce general legal exposures
The 20 page report is available for download free via Squiz's web site at:
The implementation guidelines, which have been compiled by Squiz's top development team, provide readers with a step-by-step overview of how to best build an accessible web site, including detailed breakdowns on key technology considerations, such as best practices for implementing accessible HTML, CSS, Javascript, Flash and Video. In addition, the paper examines each of the W3C's 'Priority 1' Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 1.0) and suggests how they can be satisfied in line with current web technologies.
"Through our work with leading public organizations like The Royal College of Nursing and Oxford University, we've come to learn a thing or two about web accessibility," said Steve Morgan, Managing director at Squiz UK. "And aside from showing firms how it should be done, we can also demonstrate that the benefits of good accessibility are further reaching than most people assume."
"Whilst extending your services to an important audience - the disabled - is critical, we can show you that an accessible site will enhance your SEO, make your site more usable, reduce your ongoing costs and widen your future development choices. Now in my book that's pretty much a 'wish list' for the ideal web site - and this new, free white paper tells you how to do it."
About Squiz
Squiz helps some of the UK's leading organisations to gain more control of their web sites and intranets. For example, Oxford University, The Royal College of Nursing and Future Publishing all use Squiz's MySource Matrix Content Management System. In doing so they're saving money, improving the services they're delivering to users, and gaining more control of their web development. We develop MySource Matrix as an open source product and then provide support services around it to help our clients get more value from their web spend. We're kind of like the Red Hat of the CMS world. Our approach is successful because of the strength of our CMS and our experience in diverse fields. We're also cost-effective because being open source, MySource Matrix costs nothing to acquire or use.
Bold Bottles: Wine labels talk, glow, and shock.
June 2008
By the Sterling Creations business team
Hey there! Hope everyone is enjoying their spring activities. We as a team rub our hands with delight each time we see someone or some company using their creative juices to carve out niches and niche markets. We found this neat article and were just waiting for an opportunity to share it with you. Hope you enjoy it.
Have a great June month.
Conde Nast Portfolio, NY, USA
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Bold Bottles: Wine labels talk, glow, and shock.
By Sharon Kapnick
How to stand apart from the other 99,999 wines? With labels that talk, glow, and shock.
Extract: "Michel Chapoutier's Rhône Valley wines have had braille on their labels since 1996. There are even talking bottles-several high-end Brunello di Montalcino producers have had chips embedded in their labels so that "each wine can explain itself in the first person," according to Daniele Barontini, owner of Modulgraf, the Italian company that creates them. "
Winemakers have but a few square inches in which to encourage a sale. And until recently, most filled that real estate with sober images-stately châteaus, humdrum landscapes, intricate crests-meant to convey the refined nature of what was inside.
But several factors have conspired to push wine labels in a new direction. The modern attitude toward wine is more casual and less elitist; in Australia, Cassella Wines' Yellow Tail has seen phenomenal success with the wallaby "critter" on its packaging; and not least, there are now more than 100,000 wines currently available in the U.S., according to wine-industry consultants Gomberg Fredrikson & Associates.
To make their products stand out, many winemakers are taking clever, daring, and sometimes even radical approaches to labeling. They're putting as much attention into what's on the bottle as what's in it, turning to labels that shout "Buy me!" or, in some cases, "Touch me!"
Mollydooker, an Australian company known for its rich, intense wines, learned that buyers are "much more likely to purchase a wine they actually touch on the shelf," says Alicia Kelley Raymond, its U.S. director of marketing. Hence, what's attached to Mollydooker's flagship Velvet Glove Shiraz, made in outstanding years only, is, well, a black velvet glove.
While it has one of the more unusual labels, Mollydooker isn't the only company getting creative with its packaging. To commemorate its 130th anniversary, Veuve Clicquot used exotic ostrich, alligator, and stingray skins on its limited-edition Yellow Label Champagne. Napa Valley's Carneros della Notte labels glow in the dark. Michel Chapoutier's Rhône Valley wines have had braille on their labels since 1996. There are even talking bottles-several high-end Brunello di Montalcino producers have had chips embedded in their labels so that "each wine can explain itself in the first person," according to Daniele Barontini, owner of Modulgraf, the Italian company that creates them. Finally, if none of these labels appeal, wineries such as New York's Millbrook Vineyards let consumers create their own.
Though winemakers must take on the expense-and time-involved in designing such labels, they often cost only slightly more than conventional stickers. (One winemaker said they're cheaper than the better-quality labels he uses on his more expensive wines.) Even the Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz label costs just $1.43, close to the $1.20 price of the cork. Many winemakers, though, are simply using playful labels that don't add any extra expense.
The wines can be terribly serious, if the packaging isn't. Mollydooker, which is owned and run by husband-and-wife team Sparky and Sarah Marquis, has earned ratings in the 90s-many of them actually 99s-from wine critic Robert Parker and influential wine magazines.
"We put as much thought into the designs of our labels as we do into our wines themselves," Sarah Marquis says. "We want the whole experience with Mollydooker to be fun, rewarding, stimulating, and memorable."
Other labels feature illustrations of Sarah playing her violin or of Sparky racing on his scooter or fumbling as a maître d'. Daughter "Gigglepot" Holly and son "Blue Eyed Boy" Luke have their moments, too. Mollydooker also created labels that are written sideways so shoppers have to turn the bottles horizontally to read them. Small, perforated informational tabs can be torn off the back labels to make it easier to find the wine again.
Among the other Australians in the vanguard of the eye-catching label craze is Wayne Anderson, owner and winemaker of Killibinbin (from an Aboriginal word meaning "to shine"). "My old, plain, simple labels were getting lost on the shelves," Anderson says. "It was time for a change, so I figured I might as well do something completely different, something that doesn't look like a conventional wine label at all." After he opted for shocking images that resemble horror-movie posters, with women screaming and a man being choked, business-and buzz-picked up. Sales in Australia doubled, and in the U.S. his wines sold twice as fast. Killibinbin went from producing 400 cases a year in 1997 to 5,000 cases currently.
Aussie winemaker Some Young Punks also went for the dramatic, choosing seedy pulp-paperback-cover-style images for its labels, depicting young women in various states of undress. The wines are called Quickie, Naked on Roller Skates, The Fire in Her Eyes, and Passion Has Red Lips. "We need you to see us," its website explains, "and we don't have lineage, or tithe-not even a family crest to take up the paper on the glass."
Clark Smith has a day job at Vinovation, a wine-production consulting firm in Sonoma Valley, California, coaching 1,200 winemakers. He also crafts wines for two of his own labels, WineSmith and CheapSkate. He thinks packaging should tell consumers what to expect, ensure that they remember the wine, and endear the product to them. "We use whimsy," he says. "CheapSkate-they're gonna remember that. And the labels [convey] that you can get really high-quality wine that's not famous for a cheap price."
Jobs cause far more stress than household chores: study; Paid work still
biggest factor in time crunch, researchers say
June 2008
By Scott Savoy
Hi all! I’ve chosen an article this month that will hopefully help to settle the argument of which causes more stress: Jobs in the workplace or household chores. I’ll let you be the judge.
Jobs cause far more stress than household chores: study; Paid work still
biggest factor in time crunch, researchers say
Shannon Proudfoot
Ottawa Citizen
Children, aging parents and household responsibilities may be gobbling up
people's evenings and weekends, but a new Canadian study reveals it's
actually their paid jobs that cause them the most stress.
What's more, the type of work, timing of shifts or holding down more than
one job aren't as important to "time-crunch" pressure as the sheer number of
hours spent on the job. The good news is this stress declines as people age,
the authors say. The bad news is that it's likely to get worse before it
gets better for most Canadians.
"People are working more hours," says Robert Andersen, a sociology professor
at the University of Toronto, who co-authored the study. "We work more than
most countries already; there's no indication the number of hours is going
to drop."
Paid work is seven times more stressful for men than "unpaid work" such as
care of children and seniors, housework, yard work and home maintenance, he
says.
Women are five times more stressed by their day jobs than by their household
responsibilities, but they report higher levels of "time-crunch" from both
sources than men did.
"No doubt that the amount of hours of unpaid work are more stressful for
women than they are for men," says co-author Roderic Beaujot, a sociology
professor at the University of Western Ontario. "I think for men, the unpaid
work looks, at least for some, more like leisure and has that flexibility."
Mr. Andersen and Mr. Beaujot also looked at how different family
arrangements affect people's stress levels. They found that the traditional
"breadwinner" model, in which the man does most of the paid work and the
woman looks after things at home, is actually the most stressful for
everyone involved.
"It's kind of nice that it's a model that's in decline," says Mr. Beaujot.
"Nonetheless, it still represents close to half of couples."
Perhaps not surprisingly, "men's double-burden" families in which he does
most of the work outside the house and in it is the least stressful for
women, followed by "gender-reversed" couples in which she mostly brings home
the bacon and he does the laundry. The results suggest men are also least
stressed by that arrangement, although the numbers aren't as stark.
The study, published in the Canadian Journal of Sociology, is based on
responses from almost 6,000 Canadians aged 30 to 59.
Winnipeg's Kari Lynn Roy says she actually finds household responsibilities
more stressful than work. Her job as program director at the YMCA involves
personal training, fitness instruction and oversight of three departments
and a lot of staff, but she says it's when she comes home that the real work
starts.
Ms. Roy's husband often cooks dinner and looks after yard work and snow
removal, as well as playing with their eight-year-old son, Ethan. He also
pitches in on laundry and vacuuming when needed. Ms. Roy does the dishes and
handles most of the laundry and household chores, makes sure Ethan is on top
of his homework and piano practice, puts him to bed and prepares his lunch.
"It's not the work part that stresses me -- it's when I get home and have to
do all that that stresses me," she says. "Have I considered hiring a maid?
Absolutely!"
Mr. Beaujot's advice for reducing time-crunch stress is to cut back at work,
especially if things are hectic outside it. That sounds good, Ms. Roy says,
but it's easier said than done.
"I wanted to retire when I was 45 or 50, but because I'm used to this
fast-paced life, if I retired at that age, I don't know what I'd do with
myself," Ms. Roy says. "I'm so used to going and going and going, it gets to
the point where if you slow down, I almost feel guilty."
The reader’s choice
Blind fishing boat
June 2008
Contributed by Daniel Torshon of Ottawa Canada
Hi there! Thank you for choosing my contribution. I think that Lawrence Euteneier has come up with a very neat and exciting idea for other blind folks to explore. Way to go Lawrence.
Hi everyone,
I wanted to draw your attention to a new look and a whole lot of new content
on my web site including sea trial reports on the world's first fishing boat
for the "blind" www.BlindFishingBoat.Com.
Pasted below is a short article explaining why I do what I do, and please
stay tuned for some really exciting news coming down the pipe!
Feel free to add a link to my web site or to use the below article as you
see fit.
If you feel you have received this email by mistake, please reply with a
request that your email address be removed from the list.
Following your Dreams and the Importance of Community
Leaving my home town and moving to the city to attend university signalled
the beginning of a profound change in my life that was further magnified by
my increasing loss of vision. Starting a family and building a career
further distanced me from my hobbies that once dominated my existence --
being out-of-doors. More importantly however, successfully negotiating this
transition in my life was possible because of the support I received from
numerous individuals.
Having since accomplished many of my goals I'm once again able to focus on
my hobbies. Even though I no longer have any residual vision, the unique
experience I have gained over the years is allowing me to excel in ways
that, I'm told, deserve to be shared.
The "Blind Fishing Boat" is my endeavour to transfer my knowledge and
experience of fishing and boating as a person without sight to others.
Being without sight can be tough, no doubt, but sharing what I've learned
can save a lot of people from having to "reinvent the wheel". I'm also not
beyond learning myself, and having the opportunity to fish with others makes
it possible to assess new fishing techniques from my own unique perspective
as a fisher without sight.
There is a lot of fishing equipment being sold for just about every possible
species of fish and method of catching them. Much of it is designed to
catch the fisher first. Sorting out what works and how to best use it to
ones advantage is just part of what I'm posting reports about on my website.
Narrative descriptions on performing tasks without sight such as tying
knots, netting and releasing fish, and even cleaning and cooking ones catch,
are all areas I intend to thoroughly research. Educating others such as
guides and fishing lodge owners on appropriate ways to interact with those
without sight is also a service I'll provide having written my undergraduate
thesis on, "Etiquette When Interacting with the Blind". Finally, responding
to requests for information from fishers and boaters who are themselves
losing their sight is probably one of the more challenging and potentially
rewarding aspects of hosting this on-line service.
While my field trialing of various fishing and related technologies is
important, I'm also going beyond what's already available. It's my dream to
conceive new innovative technologies that will make fishing and boating more
fun and safe for everyone. I had a fair bit of experience in this field
already by leading on projects such as Web-4-All (see article: "Canada
Stands Tall with Web-4-All" http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw060307&select=1
As much as I love fishing, I'm driven by my need to discover technologies
and their application in creating the world's first fishing boat that can be
independently operated by a person without sight. After spending almost two
years researching and trialing different devices, I can relate to the Wright
brothers when their first attempts to fly ended less than satisfactorily.
Like every seemingly obvious answer, the devil always seems to be in the
details. Thank goodness for supportive friends and sponsors who share my
dream.
Some might wonder if what I'm doing is safe, or even legal? I have my
Pleasure boat operator's certificate and marine radio license. I'm also not
zooming around on lakes by myself. While I admit that I do go fishing alone
on small isolated bodies of water in my 12-foot plastic folding Porta-Bote
with the Minn Kota electric motor, even then there is always someone sighted
who I can communicate with via radio, or visa versa, should the need arise.
In the case of the larger 20-foot power catamaran research vessel, a sighted
spotter will always be on board.
I'm fortunate in that I have an ever-increasing community of friends
supporting me in realizing my dream. I know it's not because they think
there are millions of people without sight itching to fish from their own
boats, and it's not just because aging baby-boomers live in fear of losing
their sight. People view this as good for everyone as we can all benefit
from learning to better utilize our non-visual senses. After-all, if you
think about it, fishing is really about pursuing the unseen. In the end
though, it really comes down to just having the opportunity to get out on
the water and go fishing.
Lawrence Euteneier www.blindfishingboat.com
Info@BlindFishingBoat.com
Copyright Jan 2008 by BlindFishingBoat.Com
News and views
What Is Juvenile macular degeneration
June 2008
By Christian Robicheau
Hey out there! This month I’ve chosen an article which I hope will be of interest to both parents who have kids that suffer from Juvenile macular degeneration as well as those youngsters who suffer from Juvenile macular degeneration. I hope that my selection this month will help to explain a lot.
Female First Magazine (UK)
What Is Juvenile macular degeneration
It's true that the most common form of macular degeneration is age-related but other types of macular degeneration affect much younger people, from teenagers and children to infants.
These different forms are known as juvenile macular degeneration, early-onset macular degeneration or macular dystrophy.
The macula is located at the back of the eye at the centre of the retina. It enables us to see what is directly in front of us and also allows us to see finer detail. So it plays a vital role in helping us to read, write and perform other detailed tasks. It also enables us to recognise faces and see colours.
When macular degeneration occurs, the light-sensitive cells at the centre of the macula become damaged, and they malfunction and die. This results in central vision becoming blurred while peripheral vision remains clear.
The different types of juvenile macular degeneration are caused by genetic mutations that affect the macular cells.
The commonest form is Stargardt's disease, which is estimated to affect about one in 10,000 people. It's inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning that a person has a one in four chance of inheriting the problematic gene.
Although symptoms may not start until someone is in their 30s or 40s, it's most common for symptoms to begin between the ages of seven and 12, with loss of central vision by the time they reach adulthood.
The second most common form of juvenile macular degeneration is Best's vitelliform retinal dystrophy. It's also inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, and a child has a one in two chance of inheriting the defective gene from their parents.
It's usually identified during childhood or teenage years and doesn't always affect both eyes equally. Sometimes good central vision can remain in one eye.
Information about other types of juvenile macular degeneration can be found at the Macular Degeneration Foundation.
In the UK, 220,000 people who are registered blind or partially sighted have age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The Royal National Institute of the Blind estimates the total number of people with AMD is closer to 400,000.
Central vision becomes blurred with symptoms similar to looking at a faded photograph. This loss of central vision makes it difficult for people affected to see what is directly in front of them and makes reading, writing, recognising faces and performing detailed tasks difficult.
Peripheral vision remains clear, so a person with juvenile macular degeneration does not develop total blindness. There is no pain or redness of the eyes.
Juvenile macular degeneration cannot be cured, but additional lighting and magnifiers can help to alleviate the symptoms. It's important to protect the eyes by eating healthily and avoiding ultraviolet light exposure.
Hey all! Hope all is well with everyone out there! Here are our tips for June.
Helpful tips for June
Some helpful facts about prescription medication?
They usually have a shelf life of about three to five years.
After they have expired, they may still be used but they are not as potent.
Best to take them back to your pharmacist and let him/her destroy it instead of you flushing it down the toilet.
Some very important tips about wi fi?
Wi fi connections are not as secure as you may think.
True it is that you can use wi fi connections to connect to the Internet and check your email from almost anywhere these days but...
There is no default incription thus making your info exposed to hackers.
There is no accountability.
The next time you go to use those wi fi connections at the airport or at a train or bus station or anywhere outside your home, think carefully.
Hey diabetics, did you know?
According to a recent health report, they are now saying that Ti Chi is good for you.
It helps to lower the sugar level for diabetics.
Maybe you would like to give it a try?
Something for those of you who enjoy eating walnuts?
These types of nuts are filled with oil.
The longer you take to eat them they more oily they taste.
Their life span is not as long as other types of nuts.
What is the difference between perennials and annuals?
According to the plant experts, perennials bloom all year round.
Annuals as their name suggest bloom annually for a specific period of time.
Such herbs as sage, oregano, rosemary, and time, are all perennials.
What's this about being careful with debit cards offered by store and supermarket chains?
According to some very prominent consumer watch magazines, be careful when you use these types of debit cards.
Why? There are some hidden user fees imbedded in the cost of using these types of cards and you should read the fine print of your contract before signing up for them.
If not, and you have already signed up, read your contract before the next time you use them.
We guarantee that you will find that there are indeed some hidden user fees for you to discover.
Are mushrooms really good for you?
According to the health experts they are.
Mushrooms are loaded with lots of vitamin D.
Looking for tips on how to save some electricity?
Here's one for you!
Wear your jeans at least three times.
When you wash them do it in cold water.
Do not put them in the dryer.
Instead, hang them up to dry.
Besides, they shrink if you put them in the dryer.
Looking for some useful tips on recycling?
Here's one for you.
Nokia recently shared some very helpful green mobile-phone tips.
A simple way to save energy in your home is by unplugging your phone charger when your phone is fully charged.
Accessibility news
Exploring The Cosmos With NASA Space Braille
June 2008
By the Sterling Creations research team
Hey again! Our turn again! Here’s a very interesting article for you. Enjoy!
Space Daily - Rancho Palos Verdes,CA,USA
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Exploring The Cosmos With NASA Space Braille
Washington DC (SPX) Jan 29, 2008
Images from NASA telescopes are jewels of the space program, marvelous to behold. But how do you behold them when you can't see? The answer lies between the covers of a new NASA-funded book written in Braille, Touch the Invisible Sky. In an inspiring forward to the volume, blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer writes, "Sight ... is only one of the many tools with which to experience the marvels of the world."
Touch the Invisible Sky uses Braille, large type print, and tactile diagrams of celestial images observed by space telescopes Hubble, Chandra, and Spitzer to reveal the cosmos to the blind and seeing-impaired.
Many of the pictures in the book show the cosmos at wavelengths that no human eye can see--e.g., infra-red, ultraviolet and x-rays. "By showing these images, we remind readers that most of the universe and its beauty is hidden for all of our eyes unless we use special telescopes," says Doris Daou, a NASA astronomer who co-authored the book along with Noreen Grice and Simon Steele.
According to Kathleen Lestition, who coordinates Education and Outreach for the Chandra X-ray Center, "The Touch the Invisible Sky project began as a small mission grant, but NASA is making this book a national resource, distributing copies of the book at no cost to schools of the blind around the US, the Library of Congress, several blind technology and training centers, and state libraries that have astronomy collections."
Science@NASA asked two blind readers to review the book. Until age 15, Tim Hendel could see light and dark, colors, shadows, and large objects such as the sun and moon. He could not read print but learned to read Braille. Deborah Saylor was born totally blind and also reads Braille. Hendel and Saylor live in Huntsville, Alabama, and have been space enthusiasts since childhood. Both experienced Touch the Invisible Sky and shared their comments.
Tim Hendel
"Even though I've lived in Huntsville, which is nicknamed the 'Rocket City,' for twelve years, I had no idea what a space telescope looked like or how a star might be depicted on a map. There's not much information on this kind of thing in Braille, so I was thrilled to read Touch the Invisible Sky.
On page 4 is a depiction of all the wavelengths of the electro-magnetic spectrum, from radio to gamma-rays. It shows, in a way, that all humans are partially blind. No one can see gamma-rays! Yet the cosmos is bright and lively in these 'invisible' wavelengths.
I'm a ham radio operator, so I already had a good understanding of the radio part of the spectrum, but it's useful to see the entire spectrum shown on one diagram. I can show this diagram to some of my other blind friends to explain how the whole spectrum comes together and how astronomers use different kinds of telescopes to 'see' everything from radio waves to gamma-rays.
I knew that our sun emits light and heat, and I had a vague notion that there were other kinds of radiation that our sun and other stars emit. But looking at the diagrams in the book brought home to me just how little of the actual energy sent out by stars can be seen with the eyes or felt on the skin."
Deborah Saylor
"I moved to Huntsville a few years ago. After all these years of living here in the Rocket City and hearing about the space industry, I'm finally able to appreciate space exploration in the same way everyone else does! So I am, to say the least, very excited about being able to see this book!
The thing that impressed me so much about Touch the Invisible Sky was the way the authors put things together so I could experience what people with sight are seeing. The diagrams helped me to see, but, through touch. The explanations of the diagrams were very helpful for getting the ideas across.
I like this book a lot, and I recommend it to others. It's really something!"
Touch the Invisible Sky ends with the following analogy: "Imagine that you could only hear sound from the middle three keys on a piano and were asked to name a song.... Being able to study a star, nebula, or galaxy across the entire electromagnetic spectrum gives us the big picture, providing clues to unravel the greatest mysteries ...."
Saylor, a Van Cliburn finalist who plays entire piano concertos from memory, agrees: "The way to seek and learn the most is to develop as many ways of 'seeing' things as possible. And keep your sense of curiosity and wonder alive, always!"
That's exactly what scientists do as they journey through the cosmos, and now the blind can ride along.
Touch the Invisible Sky was authored by astronomy educator and accessibility specialist Noreen Grice of You Can Do Astronomy LLC and Museum of Science,
Boston, astronomer Simon Steel of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA, and astronomer Doris Daou of NASA. NASA funded the astronomy Braille book, which was publicly released Tuesday, January 15, 2008.
The tactile diagrams feature raised outlines and textures superimposed on the images themselves to indicate how the objects appear differently according to wavelength viewed in - for example, radio, infrared, visible, ultra-violet, or x-ray. The text clearly and concisely explains what each image shows, and even describes how the different types of telescopes capture the images.
The Braille and the tactile diagrams are done in clear acrylic overlay, so the large print type and high-resolution color images can be viewed as well as felt. Touch the Invisible Sky is therefore a useful teaching tool for mainstream classrooms and parents with blind children, making the same information accessible simultaneously by sighted, non-sighted, and reduced-vision readers.
Editorial
How call centers in India are affecting special needs workers in North America
June 2008
By Donna J Jodhan
How call centers in India are affecting special needs workers in North America
For the past few years we have seen where more and more companies have been relocating their call centers to India. It started off as a small group of elite or blue chip companies doing it, but nowadays it appears that even the medium sized ones are doing it and they are no longer hiding the fact that they’re doing it in order to reduce their overhead costs.
While I generally do not have a problem with anyone wanting to reduce their overhead costs, even those big bad corporations, I do take issue with the fact that by relocating call centers to India, many jobs have been lost right here in North America and surprise of all surprises! The job losses have been highest among our special needs labor force. Statistics continue to show that the unemployment rate among our special needs labor force has hovered at around 80% and above for at least the last 20 years and in Canada statistics show that over 70% of disabled persons live below the poverty line.
Up till when the trend to relocate call centers to India started, many persons with special needs were able to find employment at call centers. They were jobs that were opened to them for a variety of reasons and many of them depended on income from these types of jobs to keep themselves afloat but more importantly to keep themselves from slipping below the poverty line. Now, this picture has changed and in an economy where it is so difficult for anyone to find gainful employment, companies have unwittingly made it even more difficult for special needs persons to find gainful employment.
If mainstream employment seekers are finding it difficult to find jobs then think what it is like for special needs employment seekers. The spectrum of job opportunities for persons with special needs is already so narrow and when a major source of employment is taken out from under their feet and sent abroad then what?
There is yet another dark side and it’s this. Special needs jobs seekers are not the only ones who have been greatly affected by this trend. Those retirees seeking to supplement their incomes have also been affected. Those who do not have the right type of skills to seek higher-paying jobs have also been affected by this and those who have been depending on part-time employment to help them make ends meet have also been affected.
Added to this are the following factors: In a land where English is the primary language, consumers have to put up with customer service reps whose first language is not English and accordingly it is often difficult to communicate with them. The companies who have relocated their call centers abroad seem to have forgotten how to train their call takers when it comes to product knowledge and phone manners and they have also seem to have forgotten how to treat their loyal customers.
I urge all of those companies who have relocated their call centers to India to re-think your strategy. Charity begins at home and surely you large companies who have done this could find it in your corporate hearts to see the goodness in returning your call centers to North America. I have no doubt that you have managed to reduce your overhead costs but in so doing you have also managed to inflict damage on yourselves; your corporate image. In addition, you have managed to create great dissatisfaction among your North American customers. Complaints against your call center personnel in India are increasing with each day and if you don't address this problem sooner than later then you may very well find yourselves being forced to change your strategy.
Comments to the editor
June 2008
From the desk of the editor
Hello there! Here are this month’s letters.
From Justin Madison of Kansas Missouri:
I have a blind sibling and I’m trying to find a cell phone that has speak or voice software for him. Can anyone help?
Thanks.
From Shane Verdetta of Miami:
Hey folks! I really love this magazine. It has lots of stuff to read about, lots of good editorials, and Madam president you keep up the great work.
From Kim Tai of South Korea:
I’m wondering if this magazine would like to do a feature article on how blind people are being treated in Korea?
Maybe someone can get back to me?
From Pablo Casado of Barcelona Spain:
Greetings to you in Canada,
I started reading this magazine not too long ago. A friend told me about it. Would it be possible for you to talk a bit more about blind sports? Like sailing, what blind athletes are doing, like that?
From Nadia Cachenkov of Moscow:
Ms Donna, I really liked your April editorial. You talked about not letting anyone take away your dreams. I’m a blind pianist living in Russia and it is my dream to visit America one day to work as a blind piano teacher.
From Pete Gray of Chicago:
Okay people! Has anyone thought of ways to find jobs for our under employed blind labor force? I’m tired of lip talk and it’s time for real action. Too much talk and not enough action to help blind folks find real jobs. Stop all of this talk and get to work on creating real jobs for us.
Please send your comments and letters to info@sterlingcreations.ca. We would be delighted to publish your contribution. All submissions are screened to ensure that profanity is not included.
Notes
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