Vispero Assistive Technology And Accessibility Showcase

Your one-stop accessibility shop.

Dates: February 9th and 10th, 2020

Time: 11:00AM – 4:00PM EST

This two-day event will include sessions on training, software updates, licensing options, hardware for users who are blind and who have low vision, and information about digital accessibility tools and solutions.

Join representatives from Vispero’s hardware, software, and consulting teams to find out the latest and greatest about Freedom Scientific, Enhanced Vision, Optelec, TPGi, and parent company Vispero. Sessions will cover what’s new in our software line, training tips and materials, low vision and blind product options, using Microsoft Teams with JAWS, scripting best practices, and leveraging JAWS Inspect for testing.

NOTE: This event will offer Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP) credits.

Sign up for this free two day event at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FIh3nl8FSBGrAqndRVwByA

The event will be live captioned. Please email our team at lmiller@vispero.com with any request for accommodations

Schedule for Feb 9th

Introduction to Vispero by Matt Ater

Time: 11-11:45 am
Description: Have you ever wondered who Vispero is? What are the brands, products, and services of Vispero? This session will provide an overview of the Vispero brands and their different offerings. Additionally, it will lay out the agenda for the event and discuss how federal agencies can purchase or contract with Vispero companies.

About the presenter: Matt Ater is a subject matter expert on the user experience for people with disabilities and brings over 25 years of experience in developing solutions for people with disabilities. As a person who is blind himself, Matt brings a unique understanding of the barriers faced by people with disabilities. Matt has been supporting organizations in the design of accessible customer-facing technology. Matt is the Vice President of Business Development and Software Engineering for Vispero, the world’s leading assistive technology provider for the visually impaired.

 

What is New in JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion 2021 by Eric Damery

Time: 12-12:45 pm

Description: Review of the most recent features and enhancements for users over the past year. Focusing on Windows 10, Office 365, OCR Options, and new Voice Assistant.

About the presenter: Eric Damery, VP of Software Product Management for Vispero, began in the Access Technology industry in 1994, one year before the first JAWS for Windows product was released. Damery has worked in Sales, Business Development, and Software Product Management for Henter-Joyce and Freedom Scientific during his 27-year career. Prior to working with JAWS, he served in the US Army and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from the University of South Florida.

 

Where Do I Find Training Material by Rachel Buchanan

Time: 1-1:45 pm

Description: This session will acknowledge the obstacles inherent to learning and teaching assistive technology and detail our strategy for providing user education to anyone interested in Fusion, JAWS, or ZoomText. We will detail Freedom Scientific’s current and upcoming online learning options available to users for Fusion, JAWS, and ZoomText. We will highlight our new Training Center pages, social media platforms, and allow participants to contribute suggestions to our future training offerings. Freedom Scientific’s training department has provided customers with various free training formats for both live-streaming and download. This library of resources presently includes short YouTube tutorial videos on JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion, audio, including MP3’s, Daisy books, and archived training webinars. All downloaded currently available webinars do have a companion HTML with the text of the relevant lesson.

About the presenter: Rachel Buchanan has been with Vispero for almost three years. She currently leads the User Education and Outreach team at Freedom Scientific, which is responsible for creating and maintaining the training and documentation for Vispero products. With over 15 years’ experience in working directly with individuals who are blind or low vision, in both public and private agencies, Rachel has experience in teaching various assistive technologies, vocational program development, and strategic project implementation. Rachel has managed and taught at the Carroll Center for the Blind, World Services for the Blind, and now Freedom Scientific. Rachel holds a Master of Education in blind and visually impaired Studies from Hunter College CUNY and is a Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist.

 

How State and Systemwide License Models can Increase Access to JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion by Douglas Gerry

Time: 2-2:45 pm

Description: This session will focus on software license programs that can widely expand access to residents or students. We will share how states and Vispero can partner to design creative programs that provide access to software for more of their citizens. We will also discuss license and annual program options that broadly widen access throughout college and university systems.

About the presenter: Douglas Gerry has been in the assistive technology industry for more than 20 years, and with Vispero for almost four years. Douglas is currently the National Strategic Software Sales Manager for Vispero, and primarily focuses on multiuser licenses and annual license contracts. After losing his vision in his mid-20s, Douglas quickly learned the independence assistive technology could offer when he was first introduced to JAWS while living in San Francisco in 1996. Douglas returned to his home state of Maine four years ago to be closer to his family. He now spends much of his off-time working on various woodworking and home improvement projects as an excuse to play with power tools.

 

Using Microsoft Teams with JAWS by Matt Ater

Time: 3-3:45 pm

Description: Microsoft Teams is a commonly used chat-based application that promotes organizational collaboration. Learn how to navigate the Teams interface with JAWS and use valuable features.

About the presenter: Matt Ater is a subject matter expert on the user experience for people with disabilities and brings over 25 years of experience in developing solutions for people with disabilities. As a person who is blind himself, Matt brings a unique understanding of the barriers faced by people with disabilities. Matt has been supporting organizations in the design of accessible customer-facing technology. Matt is the Vice President of Business Development and Software Engineering for Vispero, the world’s leading assistive technology provider for the visually impaired.

 

 

Schedule for Feb 10th

Ask the Expert (Vispero Panel)

Time: 11-11:45 am

Description: Ask the Vispero team your questions in this open session with panel members including Matt Ater, Eric Damery, Rachel Buchanan, Douglas Gerry, Ryan Jones, Larry Lewis, Bill Kilroy, Jeff Bazer, Ron Miller.

 

On the Go with Low Vision Hardware from Vispero by Bill Kilroy and Michael Wood

Time: 12-12:45 pm

Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for assistive technology to be able to move easily with the user for on-site and remote learning and work, without sacrificing functionality, usability, and durability. In this session, Vispero team members Mike Wood and Bill Kilroy will highlight key Freedom Scientific, Optelec, and Enhanced Vision low vision hardware that offers easy setup and configuration, robust functionality, and moves easily with the user between home, school, work, and community settings.

After the session, attendees will be able to identify multiple low vision hardware solution options to evaluate with clients in each class of low vision hardware: handheld, transportable and desktop.

About the Presenters:

Bill Kilroy has spent over 25 years in the assistive technology industry serving those with vision loss and is an original Freedom Scientific team member from when it formed in 2000. Bill strives to ensure that anyone with a vision loss has an awareness of and exposure to the appropriate tools and services to help them achieve their goals for education, vocation, and independence.

Michael Wood has been working in the Assistive Technology field for 15 years. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing before beginning his career in AT. Currently, he focuses on supporting students and educators in the Blindness and Low Vision areas by providing software and hardware to help individuals succeed with independence.

 

Vispero’s Complete Windows and Mobile Speech and Braille Solutions by Jeff Bazer and Ron Miller

Time: 1-1:45 pm

Description: Learn about Vispero’s current offerings, designed to provide better access while working in today’s Microsoft Windows and mobile platforms. Coupled with Vispero’s vast and growing training resource network, this session will introduce you to a new comfort level for learning how to use the Focus Blue Braille Display, the ElBraille 40 Windows Based Notetaker, use of JAWS on the ElBraille, and important JAWS features which enhance the user experience, along with use of the Focus Blue Braille Display with mobile devices and with a laptop or desktop PC.

About the presenters: Jeff Bazer’s career in the assistive technology industry spans 20 years, 11 of which have been at Vispero and Freedom Scientific. He currently serves as Director of Sales for the South-Central Region including Texas, and primarily works through his robust dealer network. Jeff believes that outstanding customer service and support make the difference with his customers and is most proud of the vast network of training tools Vispero offers. Before his move to Vispero headquarters in Florida, Jeff also spent 15 years in radio, working in Minnesota and South Dakota. He attributes his communications background to his presentation style and always remembering that listening can be even more important than sharing.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Counseling/Psychology from Christian Heritage College (now San Diego Christian College), Ron Miller has been involved in the Blindness Access Technology field for 20 years. He has worked at Freedom Scientific (now Vispero) since the spring of 2000 in several roles, including Blindness Hardware Product Manager and currently as Blindness Technology Product Specialist. Ron is passionate about using access technology as a way to successfully attain one’s goals and pursue one’s interests and the importance of Braille literacy both for youth and adults.

 

Utilizing JAWS Scripting to Accommodate Accessibility Barriers In The Classroom and Workplace by Larry Lewis and Ryan Jones

Time: 2-2:45 pm

Description: This session will introduce common accessibility barriers vision-impaired students and employees face in educational and vocational settings and identify challenges faced by educators and employers when providing “reasonable accommodations” to overcome these barriers. Attendees will learn how to offer reasonable accommodations to vision-impaired employees by executing a targeted assessment coupled with JAWS for Windows scripting services. The session will emphasize independent and efficient task completion that will result in maximum productivity and efficiency when operating in competitive educational and vocational environments. Participants will be able to define what a JAWS Script is; why JAWS Scripting is necessary; when to pursue a JAWS Scripting engagement; and how Vispero uses these engagements to improve the lives of persons who are vision-impaired. Real-life examples of successful scripting outcomes will be presented.

About the presenters: Ryan Jones is a Project Manager and Accessibility Consultant at TPGi (a Vispero company) and has worked in the accessibility field for fifteen years. He works with various Fortune 500 companies to help make sure their digital assets are accessible to all.

He has a Bachelor of Information Management from Auburn University and a Master’s of Vision Rehabilitation Therapy from Florida State University. Ryan lives in Lexington, Kentucky, and has been visually impaired since birth.

Congenitally blind from cataracts that developed into a juvenile form of glaucoma, Larry Lewis was fortunate to have been mainstreamed into the public school system. As a result of the excellent instruction that he received as a child, he is a fluent Braille reader and writer and a strong advocate for Braille literacy for students who cannot effectively access large print. Thanks to his acquired Braille reading and writing skills, he attained a comprehensive formal education: a Master of Arts in English and a Master of Science in Special Education (Blind Rehabilitation). The latter has broadened his once myopic perspective of persons who are blind and visually impaired, and persons who have secondary disabilities that may or may not be associated with their visual impairment. Larry currently serves as Director of Government Sales and Strategic partnerships for TPGi – a Digital Accessibility Firm committed to ensuring that electronic desktop and mobile content conform to today’s accessibility guidelines.

 

Using JAWS Inspect to Test Your Content For JAWS Usability by Larry Lewis

Time: 3-3:45 pm

Description: This session introduces participants to the JAWS Inspect testing tool and provides strategies for testing online content for JAWS users. It can be complicated for sighted staff and service providers to validate how the JAWS interacts with web and PDF content for JAWS Users. JAWS Inspect minimizes the training required to test this content for accessibility and usability. JAWS Inspect will be demonstrated as an inclusive means of identifying, sharing, and remediating accessibility defects for JAWS users.

About the presenter: Congenitally blind from cataracts that developed into a juvenile form of glaucoma, Larry Lewis was fortunate to have been mainstreamed into the public school system. As a result of the excellent instruction that he received as a child, he is a fluent Braille reader and writer and a strong advocate for Braille literacy for students who cannot effectively access large print. Thanks to his acquired Braille reading and writing skills, he attained a comprehensive formal education: a Master of Arts in English and a Master of Science in Special Education (Blind Rehabilitation). The latter has broadened his once myopic perspective of persons who are blind and visually impaired, and persons who have secondary disabilities that may or may not be associated with their visual impairment. Larry currently serves as Director of Government Sales and Strategic partnerships for TPGi – a Digital Accessibility Firm committed to ensuring that electronic desktop and mobile content conform to today’s accessibility guidelines.

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