Leader Dogs for the Blind is Accepting Applications for its 2016 Summer Experience Camp
Are you a teenager who could use a week of fun, outdoor activity and friendship this summer? Does kayaking, rock wall climbing and tandem biking sound good to you? Would you enjoy the challenge of developing new travel skills and stretching your independence? If so, the Leader Dogs for the Blind Summer Experience Camp was designed with you in mind.
The program combines outdoor activities with things exclusively Leader Dog—audible pedestrian GPS training and the opportunity to spend time with Leader Dogs in training and guide dog mobility instructors. The combination will help you increase the skills you need to live independently!
Summer Experience Camp is for boys and girls ages 16 and 17 who are legally blind. The program is completely free including airfare to Michigan—and everyone receives a free HumanWare Trekker Breeze+ GPS device to keep. Summer Experience Camp is scheduled for June 25—July 2, 2016. Applications are due by April 1, 2016.
For more information and to download an application, go to or call the Leader Dogs for the Blind client services department at 888-777-5332.
Announcements from Microsoft Accessibility and Inclusive Hiring Programs
Accessibility Roadmap: Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer
Deep Dive into O365: John Jendrezak, Office of Inclusive Hiring
NEW Inclusive Hiring Website: This will be a new landing spot for all Microsoft's Inclusive Hiring efforts going forward including 'hot jobs' and advice on working at Microsoft with a disability.
M-Enabling Summit Conference and Showcase will be June 13–14, 2016 in Washington, DC
The M-Enabling Summit, a leading conference and showcase promoting accessible technology and environments for seniors and users of all abilities, will be held on June 13–14, 2016 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel, in Washington, DC
With its theme of "Accessible Technologies and Environments for All," the 2016 M-Enabling Summit will provide a platform for empowering mobile technologies and focus on next-generation innovations and breakthroughs for users of all abilities. Supported by major disability and senior organizations, as well as industry associations and the private sector, the Summit is expected to attract hundreds of participants from more than 40 countries, underlining the global scope of new mobile opportunities for users and developers alike.
The Summit's program will focus on accessibility innovations, with over 120 speakers, private sector leaders, app developers, policy makers, mobile accessibility experts and disability advocates sharing their knowledge and experience. Confirmed presenters include representatives of leading organizations facilitating the accessible technology market.
Experts will discuss accessibility solutions highlighting 4 major tracks: Mobile enabling solutions, IoT and Smart Cities, Innovation, and Scaling up Accessibility for Business and Government.
2016 M-Enabling Summit key topics:
- Mobile enabling solutions leveraging latest OS and human interface features
- IoT, Smart Homes, and Smart Cities
- Wearables
- Ecosystem in support of Innovation
- Scaling up accessibility in large organizations
- Compliance trends
- Higher Education best practices in leveraging information technology for inclusion
The 5TH edition of the M-Enabling Summit is organized in cooperation with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Take AFB FamilyConnect's Short Survey!
AFB FamilyConnect staff requests your assistance and participation in a survey for its website. The goal of FamilyConnect is to provide an online community for the parents of visually impaired children, and to provide parents, grandparents, and other caretakers a place to find the comprehensive and up-to-date resources and support they need, 24 hours a day.
To help us improve FamilyConnect services and outreach we have hired a respected outside evaluation firm, Rockman et al to develop a survey to help us better understand the needs and perspectives of individuals like you who have accessed the site. We also want to assess the level of your satisfaction with site features, as well as capture any knowledge or tangible benefits you, your child, or family may have acquired as a result of your interactions on FamilyConnect.
Again, the purpose of this survey is to provide information, which can help us monitor and improve the quality of FamilyConnect for you or your child as well as for future users.
The survey should take no longer than 15-20 minutes to complete. By completing this survey you will be automatically entered into a drawing for a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
In addition to the survey, we may, at a later date, ask some of you to participate in a follow-up phone interview with the evaluator. Interview participants will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card.
Please note that all data that we collect will be kept completely confidential. We will not use any identifying information in our analyses or reports. No one other than the evaluator and AFB staff will see this information.
If you have any questions about this survey please contact Scott Truax at struax@afb.net.
Thank you for your participation and support! Your feedback will provide useful information to AFB in our efforts to continue to help you and your loved ones manage the practical and emotional challenges of blindness and visual impairment.
