Assistive Technology at Perkins School for the Blind for Education Week

Jamie LeDuc, 15, (in red) uses a BrailleNote Apex Notetaker in computer class with Kate Crohan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired in the Secondary Program at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, on Tues., Oct. 15, 2013. The Apex has wifi capabilities and works as a word processor, web browser, calculator, and email device. LeDuc has been at Perkins since the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. LeDuc is learning how to use the Apex Notetaker. Here, Crohan is teaching him about how email management works on the device and what to do about spam email. LeDuc was happy to get his email inbox down to zero messages during this session. Emails and other documents are displayed in braille across the bottom row of the device.

Laura Boelens, 15, (in white) and Adam Roberge, 20, (right) use BrailleNote Apex Notetakers in computer class with Kate Crohan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired in the Secondary Program at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, on Tues., Oct. 15, 2013. The Apex has wifi capabilities and works as a word processor, web browser, calculator, and email device. Roberge, here, also uses a computer that reads the contents of the screen to him. Boelens is using the Apex to read news articles that Crohan has picked out for her. The Apex device is controlled through the braille keyboard buttons at the top. Emails and other documents are displayed in braille across the bottom row of the device. Crohan’s class helps familiarize students with these devices and also general computer literacy.

Michael Daggett, 19, (in gray) uses a BrailleNote Apex Notetaker in computer class with Kate Crohan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired in the Secondary Program at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, on Tues., Oct. 15, 2013. The Apex has wifi capabilities and works as a word processor, web browser, calculator, and email device. Daggett will be at Perkins for two years in training for personal independence, and has been at the school for one year already. Daggett has been using the Apex Notetaker for about a week. Crohan was helping Daggett learn some of the functions of the email application on the device, which is controlled through the braille keyboard buttons at the top. Emails and other documents are displayed in braille across the bottom row of the device.

Assistive technology, including the Braille Sense Plus Notetaker, rest on shelves in a classroom at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, on Tues., Oct. 15, 2013. Students use the devices for wordprocessing, email, web browsing, and other educational activities.

Logan Kelly, 18, uses a computer and Braille Sense Plus note taker in computer class with Kate Crohan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired in the Secondary Program at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, on Tues., Oct. 15, 2013. Logan was troubleshooting some computer issues and working on the word of the week, “pilgarlic.” Logan’s computer uses screen-reading technology to give an audio picture of what is happening on screen. The Braille Sense Plus note taker is a word processor that uses standard Brailler input to write in braille and displays the contents of files on a row of changing braille letters on a row close the user.

Laura Boelens, 15, (in white, right) talks to Siri to use an iPhone during computer class with Kate Crohan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired in the Secondary Program at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, on Tues., Oct. 15, 2013. Crohan’s class helps familiarize students with these devices and also general computer literacy.

Jamie LeDuc, 15, (in red) uses a BrailleNote Apex Notetaker in computer class with Kate Crohan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired in the Secondary Program at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, on Tues., Oct. 15, 2013. The Apex has wifi capabilities and works as a word processor, web browser, calculator, and email device. LeDuc has been at Perkins since the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. LeDuc is learning how to use the Apex Notetaker. Here, Crohan is teaching him about how email management works on the device and what to do about spam email. LeDuc was happy to get his email inbox down to zero messages during this session. Emails and other documents are displayed in braille across the bottom row of the device.

Michael Daggett, 19, (in gray) uses a BrailleNote Apex Notetaker in computer class with Kate Crohan, Teacher of the Visually Impaired in the Secondary Program at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, on Tues., Oct. 15, 2013. The Apex has wifi capabilities and works as a word processor, web browser, calculator, and email device. Daggett will be at Perkins for two years in training for personal independence, and has been at the school for one year already. Daggett has been using the Apex Notetaker for about a week. Crohan was helping Daggett learn some of the functions of the email application on the device, which is controlled through the braille keyboard buttons at the top. Emails and other documents are displayed in braille across the bottom row of the device.

A binder titled “Listening to the Internet: Training Kit” rests among other books on a shelf in Kate Crohan’s classroom at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, on Tues., Oct. 15, 2013. Crohan is a Teacher of the Visually Impaired in the Secondary Program at Perkins and teaches computer classes to students.