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Welcome to Access Academy
About Access Academy
Access Academy (formerly #AtHomeWithAPH) is your one-stop resource for the meaningful education and training webinars you need to get the most out of APH products and services. From tutorials on new products and hacks on how to get the most from your beloved tech, to information on resources, services, and programs: our goal is to give you the info you need for home, the classroom, and the workplace.
The majority of Access Academy webinars also provide Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP) credit. Credit is only available for the live presentation at this time. To collect ACRVEP credit, please listen for the opening and closing codes during the live session and submit these on the ACVREP Certificate Request form linked from our Education Training page. Following submission, a certificate will be emailed to you within a week.
Upcoming Access Academy Webinars
All times listed in Eastern Time. This world clock can help provide local equivalents.
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- Title of Webinar
- Code Jumper 101B
- Date
- Monday, October 19th, and Monday, October 26th
- Time
- 2:30 to 4:00 PM EDT, October 19th and 26th
- 5:00 to 6:30 PM EDT, October 19th
- Duration
- 90 Minutes
- Description
- Jump start interest in STEM activities through exploration of the Code Jumper kits. Join our presenters, Beth Dudycha and Robin Lowell, to examine advanced lesson plans, and ways Code Jumper prepares all students for the next steps in computer science.
- Instructors
- Robin Lowell, Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments / Senior Accessibility Manager at i2e
- Beth Dudycha, Senior Manager, Content Development at i2e
- Primary Core or ECC Area
- Assistive Technology
- Target Audience
- Teachers, Parents, Assistive Technology Specialists
- Pre-requisite knowledge
- Must have participated in or viewed Code Jumper 101A webinar from September 2020.
- Lesson Plan Goal
- Introduce participants to the Code Jumper advanced lesson plans and importing custom sounds.
- Learning Objectives
- Participants will engage in 10 advanced lessons for Code Jumper
- Participants will learn how to add customs sounds to the code Jumper app
- Participants will discuss how Code Jumper prepares all students for the next steps in computer science
- Materials Needed
- Code Jumper Kit
- Code Jumper Lessons: 9-19
- Code Jumper App
- Collect ACVREP Credit
- Credit is only available for the live presentation at this time. To collect ACRVEP credit, please listen for the opening and closing codes during the live session and submit these on the ACVREP Certificate Request form linked from our Education Training page. Following submission, a certificate will be emailed to you within a week.
- Registration Links
- Register for Monday 10/19 2:30 PM Code Jumper 101B
- Register for Monday 10/19 5:00 PM Code Jumper 101B
- Register for Monday 10/26 2:30 Code Jumper 101B
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- Title of Webinar
- Why Wait? A freedom first approach to fostering self-determination in babies and young children with blindness visual impairment
- Date
- Thursday, October 22nd (Part 1), and Thursday, October 29th (Part 2)
- Time
- 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM EDT
- Duration
- 90 Minutes
- Description
- Using an adaptation model of blindness based on brain plasticity, this webinar will explore the fundamental principles of self-determined freedom of movement and achievement. Practical strategies that foster natural development of brain processes will be shared. Specific focus will be given to perception-based cane training, a self-determined model of engagement and managing guides and supports, and audition/FlashSonar.
- Instructor
- Daniel Kish, President and Lead Instructor at World Access for the Blind
- Primary Core or ECC Area
- Early Childhood, ECC: O&M
- Target Audience
- O&M Specialists, TVIs
- Pre-requisite knowledge
- Catalyst Australia, Apr 12, 2016: The blind man leading the blind to see
- Toddler Echolocation (YouTube)
- Toddler Perception Cane (YouTube)
- Take Charge (YouTube)
- Lesson Plan Goal
- Participants will understand the developmental impact of perceptually directed mobility and how to foster it, including: taction and early cane training; self-determined engagement and management of guides and supports; and FlashSonar development.
- Learning Objectives
- Participants will learn at least three perception-based principles that support activation of brain mechanisms, which foster self-determined freedom and achievement in young children and across the lifespan.
- Participants will learn at least three concrete strategies for fostering development of the four major brain processes – perceiving, acting, thinking, and socializing. Participants will learn at least three concrete strategies for fostering development of the four major brain processes – perceiving, acting, thinking, and socializing.
- Collect ACVREP Credit
- Credit is only available for the live presentation at this time. To collect ACRVEP credit, please listen for the opening and closing codes during the live session and submit these on the ACVREP Certificate Request form linked from our Education Training page. Following submission, a certificate will be emailed to you within a week.
- Registration Link
- Register for Why Wait? webinar
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- Title of Webinar
- Read All About It! NFB-NEWSLINE® is Available with APH’s Mantis and Chameleon
- Date
- Tuesday, October 27th
- Time
- 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
- Duration
- 60 Minutes
- Description
- Extra! Extra! Read all about it! NFB-NEWSLINE now available to use with the APH Mantis or Chameleon. Get connected with your community and world with over 500 publications, by downloading local papers or magazines directly to either device and then read with a preferred braille table.
- Instructors
- Scott White, Director of Sponsored Technology Programs at the National Federation of the Blind
- Joe Hodge, Software Quality Assurance Analyst at APH
- Primary Core or ECC Area
- Assistive Technology
- Target Audience
- Adults, Students, Teachers, Assistive Technology Specialists
- Pre-requisite knowledge
- none
- Lesson Plan Goal
- The presentation will clarify how Mantis and Chameleon users can use NFB Newsline to access newspapers, magazines and other periodicals.
- Learning Objectives
- Participants will learn the eligibility criteria for NFB-NEWSLINE service.
- Participants will compare and contrast two applications that can be used with the Mantis and Chameleon to access the NFB-NEWSLINE service.
- Participants will identify at least four types of news and or periodicals that can be accessed with NFB-NEWSLINE.
- Materials Needed
- None
- Collect ACVREP Credit
- Credit is only available for the live presentation at this time. To collect ACRVEP credit, please listen for the opening and closing codes during the live session and submit these on the ACVREP Certificate Request form linked from our Education Training page. Following submission, a certificate will be emailed to you within a week.
- Registration Link
- Register for Read All About It! Webinar
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- Title of Webinar
- Guiding Principles of Using the Barraga Visual Efficiency Program (Part 1 of 2)
- From Evaluation to Instruction Using the Barraga Visual Efficiency Program (Part 2 of 2)
- Dates
- Friday, October 30th (Part 1)
- Friday, November 6th (Part 2)
- Time
- 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM EDT (October 30th)
- 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM EST (November 6th)
- Duration
- 90 Minutes
- Description
- The Barraga Visual Efficiency Program (BVEP) provides information and materials to evaluate needs and to design instruction to maximize use of available vision to address the needs of students with low vision who have ocular impairments and who have achieved cognitive developmental skills at or beyond the 3-year-old level. Attend this two part webinar to learn about this revised evaluation tool, foundational principles of visual efficiency, evaluating students, designing interventions, and delivering instruction.
- Instructors
- Millie Smith
- Tristan Pierce, APH Project Lead
- Primary Core or ECC Area
- Assessment, ECC: Sensory Efficiency
- Target Audience
- Teachers of Students with Visual Impairment, O&M Specialist
- Pre-requisite knowledge
- Experience conducting Functional Vision Assessment and analyzing data.
- Lesson Plan Goal
- Participants will learn about Barraga Visual Efficiency Program, foundational principles of visual efficiency, evaluating students, designing interventions, and delivering instruction.
- Learning Objectives
- Compare and contrast original Barraga Visual Efficiency information (1964) with the revised Barraga Visual Efficiency Program (2019).
- Differentiate visual capacity from visual efficiency.
- Discuss steps of evaluating students using BVEP.
- Identify accommodations, modifications, and supports that help build visual efficiency skills.
- Describe 2 categories of visual skills instruction.
- Materials Needed
- None
- Collect ACVREP Credit
- Credit is only available for the live presentation at this time. To collect ACRVEP credit, please listen for the opening and closing codes during the live session and submit these on the ACVREP Certificate Request form linked from our Education Training page. Following submission, a certificate will be emailed to you within a week.
- Registration Links
- Register for Guiding Principles of Using the Barraga Visual Efficiency Program (Part 1 of 2)
- Register for From Evaluation to Instruction Using the Barraga Visual Efficiency Program (Part 2 of 2)
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- Title of Webinar
- Collaborative Partnering in O&M: Now More Than Ever
- Date
- Monday, November 2nd
- Time
- 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EST
- Duration
- 90 Minutes
- Description
- Given the pandemic facing our country, assisting students with visual impairment to develop orientation and mobility skills is more imperative than ever. Attend this webinar and learn how educators can collaborate with families and other team members using principles shared in the new book Partners in O&M: Supporting Orientation and Mobility for Students Who Are Visually Impaired.
- Instructors
- Rona Pogrund, PhD, COMS, TSVI, Professor at Texas Tech University
- Nora Griffin-Shirley, PhD, COMS, Texas Tech University
- Primary Core or ECC Area
- Orientation & Mobility
- Target Audience
- Orientation and mobility instructors, others interested in O&M principles
- Pre-requisite knowledge
- none
- Lesson Plan Goal
- Participants will learn how educators can collaborate with families and other team members using principles of Orientation & Mobility.
- Learning Objectives
- Describe the eleven topics included in the Partners in O&M book and its use with different team members.
- Describe five successful features of a collaborative team in an O&M program and some of the challenges that may impact teaming.
- State why a transdisciplinary team model is effective, particularly during a pandemic.
- Materials Needed
- None
- Collect ACVREP Credit
- Credit is only available for the live presentation at this time. To collect ACRVEP credit, please listen for the opening and closing codes during the live session and submit these on the ACVREP Certificate Request form linked from our Education Training page. Following submission, a certificate will be emailed to you within a week.
- Registration Link
- Register for Collaborative Partnering in O&M Webinar
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- Title of Webinar
- Studio Recorder from APH: A New Look for Recording the Spoken Word
- Date
- Thursday, November 5th
- Time
- 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST
- Duration
- 90 Minutes
- Description
- Studio Recorder is a powerful digital recording and editing software solution designed by APH. It is ideal for making recordings of the spoken word. Huddle up to hear what is new with Studio Recorder and how it is being used by educational professionals and individuals to capture creative thoughts and ideas.
- Instructors
- Rob Meredith, Programmer at APH
- Dan Kelley, Teacher at Ohio State School for the Blind
- John Zinninger, Senior Technician at APH
- Randy Rusnak
- Primary Core or ECC Area
- Orientation & Mobility
- Target Audience
- Adult Consumers, Students, Teachers, Parents
- Pre-requisite knowledge
- none
- Lesson Plan Goal
- The presentation will identify how Studio Recorder can be used to record the spoken word.
- Learning Objectives
- NA
- Materials Needed
- NA
- Collect ACVREP Credit
- Not available at this time
- Registration Link
- Register for Studio Recorder Webinar
Access Academy Archives
Missed a chance to attend one of our webinars or just looking for more resources? Many of our past Access Academy webinars are available on our Access Academy YouTube playlist.