Yield: 8 to 10 Servings

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil spray
1 loaf challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes, (14-ounce), (12 cups)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
9 large egg yolks
1 cup Nutella spread
3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar or Splenda sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon Sea salt
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, or Splenda brown sugar

Directions:

1. Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar, then line with foil sling and coat with vegetable oil spray. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees F. Spread bread over rimmed baking sheet and bake, shaking pan occasionally, until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes. Let bread cool slightly, then transfer to very large bowl.

2. Mix chocolate chips into dried bread; transfer to prepared slow cooker. Whisk cream, milk, egg yolks, Nutella, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in bowl, then pour mixture evenly over bread. Press gently on bread to submerge.

3. Mix remaining tablespoon granulated sugar with brown sugar then sprinkle over top of casserole. Cover and cook until center is set, about 4 hours on low. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

In response to Braille thoughts in past issues, David wrote:

I wonder if a student using a slate and stylus can really keep up with college lecturers. Most people talk about 250-300 words per minute and I heard the best slate writers attain a rate of 25 wpm. How can that work? I say this because I heard from so many people especially from a certain organization of the blind who stressed slate writing. Even with Grade 3 Braille it would be hard. I don’t even think any existing Braille software can produce the same. I don’t think NLS has any downloadable books in Grade 3.
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Howard Geltman wrote in to say:

In our town we have a main thoroughfare, Silas Deanne Highway, a two-way road with two lanes on each side, and a buzzer that sounds when the traffic lights turn red so persons with disabilities know when it is “safe” to cross the street.

When the buzzer sounds I tell my trusted companion, Valor, a Yellow Labrador, “Forward”. We walk at a normal pace, and usually by the time we get to the center of the road where the two white lines are the light changes, and cars just start going regardless if we are stuck in the middle of this very busy road with nowhere to go.

Of course, you can’t move in any direction with cars zooming by, because the draft from them actually causes Valor and I to rock from their motion.

You would think people would have the common courtesy to let you finish your walk across the street before they start moving, which might delay them an extra thirty seconds. It seems drivers these days are so eager to get somewhere they would put a blind person’s life in jeopardy rather than using some common sense.

In this case, a specific group of people were targeted to help with a problem–video game players. As part of a collective effort between the Center for Game Science and various biochemists, the online game “Foldit” was created. Foldit is essentially a puzzle game designed to figure out a new way to redesign enzymes in order to get the best score–one that yields the lowest energy configuration for the enzyme.

As the players continued to work at the puzzle, designing increasingly better ways to reconfigure the virtual enzyme, scientists were testing their solutions in a real-world lab to see which ones worked best. The result, which was published in the January 22 edition of Nature Biotechnology, yielded an enzyme with 18 times more activity than it originally had.

“I worked for two years to make these enzymes better and I couldn’t do it,” said Justin Siegel, a post-doctoral researcher. “Foldit players were able to make a large jump in structural space and I still don’t fully understand how they did it,” he said.

While the new super enzyme that was created using this method has no real world application, it sets the precedence for future games to be used to solve the most intricate problems surrounding enzyme redesign and efficiency. Foldit could easily yield an enzyme that could cure multiple strains of the flu virus, for instance.

To think that something this important could come from a bunch of people solving a puzzle video game isn’t just a neat idea–it’s revolutionary.

Crowd-sourcing, in many ways, is the future of problem solving. With the increased ability to effortlessly communicate with people all over the world, the potential to put many ideas together on one issue is huge. In instances where the cure for a disease is concerned, it could mean the difference between life and death.

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=victory-for-crowdsourced-biomolecule2

When I first learned XP, I set it to classical view like the older Windows 98–that later became a hindrance to me learning 7. But I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to take a class offered by the state of Illinois that helped me learn where everything is. When first getting to the Start menu, Jaws offers a search window. The easiest way to find a program or file on the system is to simply start typing the first few letters of the program or file. Then if it does not say the one you want, just arrow down. Usually it will be right there. Another way is to up arrow once and then right arrow. This will put you in your programs list. Then you can arrow down. (Note: with Jaws it says “opened” or “closed.” This meaning the folder has sub folders within it. By using the right arrow you can open the list and then arrow down). To close the folder submenu, you must up arrow to the top of the list and then left arrow until it says closed. This is a major change from the XP system where you simply entered into the file and then the subfolders opened. Attempting this with 7 results in you starting the defaulted folder in the program. Also, if the program is one you use often, you may find it in the quick links menu which you can quickly access by down arrowing from the initial search box.

To access your folders, the easiest way I have found is to simply press tab once from the initial search box in the start menu. This will land you on a file which usually will have the computer name on it. You can press enter here and in it will be folders to which most windows users will easily recognize. Or you may down arrow and will find document, pictures, and music–the big three folders for most of us–then, continuing down, you’ll find games, computer, control panel, and printers and other devices, default programs, and help and support. Of these most are just like the XP version, or at least similar enough an experienced Windows user should be able to navigate them. But the control panel is completely different and set up much like the XP version if you don’t change it to classical view.

I’ve been having problems sending out my publication because Verizon decided to tag it as spam material. When I called the Verizon office, a very nice woman answered the phone, and as I explained my problem to her, she tried to refer me back to tech support. I told her that being blind, I wasn’t able to work well with tech support, and furthermore, neither tech support nor their supervisor admitted any responsibility on behalf of Verizon for the problem. Despite what I told her, the woman could not help me any further because she didn’t have the resources.

If Verizon has an office exclusively to assist consumers with disabilities, shouldn’t they have some kind of accommodation process? Tech support people who work for Verizon do not know how to help blind people with computer issues because they aren’t trained in adaptive methods. I feel that this office needs to be a bit more progressive if it’s going to live up to its title.

In order to properly serve the blind, they could easily reach out to a number of agencies for the blind to offer sensitivity training to the Verizon administrators and tech support staff. As great as this sounds, and as much as it would solve the impasse between blind consumers and Verizon, it would be very tough for the agencies to train a tech support staff spread all over the world. If it’s easier than I’m making it sound, then I hope our readers can tell me what I’m missing.

Another possibility is for blind computer users to offer their own workshops for the Verizon staff. Verizon could pay for these one-on-one sessions as they could with any contractor, and the tech support staff could get hands on training with someone to see how they use a computer without sight. This might be the better solution, so long as there are enough people worldwide who are able to host a tech support member for this type of session.

Either way, Verizon will then have enough knowledge to work with a blind person, because right now, they don’t know how, even though they call themselves the Verizon Center for Persons with Disabilities. If they take even a little bit of initiative, they could set the bar for many other corporations who could use some help in this area as well.

As always, your comments are welcome in the Reader’s Forum.

According to the Weather Service, the decline does not come as a complete astonishment. For several decades, Lightning deaths have steadily diminished, and the drop off can be attributed to better public education.

During a storm, taking precautionary measures does make a difference in a chance for survival. Safer hiding places provided by the Weather Channel include, remaining in a metal vehicle, or a building with plumbing and wiring. Stay away from electronic devices, and wait a half an hour after the storm ends before moving along.

Having the knowledge and applying it does go quite a long way. For example, 70 years ago, when the country had less than half the population of today, more than 400 people perished in lightning storms. In addition, consider the fact that there were not as many electronic devices and appliances back then, yet annual death totals were astronomically higher. Of course being struck by lightning does not always result in death, but acting responsibly can decrease the chances for injury too. A strike of lightning can cause damage to the nervous system, as well as the brain.

With a mild winter that has produced lighting storms and tornadoes in the South just this month, storm preparedness and safety measures are as important now as they are in the middle of the summer.

Source: www.usatoday.com/weather/news/story/2012…/lightning-deaths…/1

One of these issues involves the Business Enterprise Program, a program that gives blind people preference in regards to vending machines. They also get preference in regards to food service in other buildings as well. Activists who have been involved with the Business Enterprise Program and have been at odds with the Commission for years are calling for change.

Many people involved with this issue feel that the Commission Administrator Linda Mock should step down. Among these people that feel she should go is Art Stevenson–President of The National Federation of the Blind and a Manager in the Business Enterprise Program. “I do not feel that she should be the administrator of the Oregon Commission for the Blind,” Stevenson said.

The audit which was done this past October involved poor record keeping and poor accounting practices. This audit was similar to the ones done in 1995, 2000, 2001, and 2009. In addition, the Commission for the Blind didn’t have copies of contracts, didn’t have any records of blind vending machine businesses, and didn’t keep records of where the money was spent.

One main issue that the Commission for the Blind has is that the Vending Stand Program is used as a dumping ground. In other words, if blind people can’t get jobs anywhere else, they are placed in the Vending Stand Program. In addition, there was no tracking system for employees who leave.

Yet another issue which had to be dealt with involved automobiles belonging to the state ending up at employee’s homes–a violation of state policy and a practice has been discontinued. Now, only home-based employees who need state vehicles for transporting clients have motor vehicles. Auditors also found was state vehicles were used very little each month. Mock said that these vehicles are used for mobility purposes and are used for short distance trips. She also said that clients can’t ride in employee’s cars because of liability and insurance.

They also found that there were cell phones with monthly plans not getting any use while others were used in excess of their plans, creating steep cell phone bills. Mock said that in the past, cell phone bills were just paid because the bills were hard to read. Now, Mock said that cell phone bills are paid by each department and that some phones have been eliminated. She also said that other phone plans have been adjusted to avoid charges and overuse.

There’s always one person who gets blamed and everybody feels they should be let go–such is the case with Linda Mock. However, there were other people at The Oregon Commission for the Blind who had something to do with the audit. Maybe they should be penalized as well.

Let’s hear your thoughts in the Readers Forum.

Source: http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm12/bm1201/bm120102.htm

According to Michael, “The premise on which [he] based Project Gutenberg was: anything that can be entered into a computer can be reproduced indefinitely…”
He coined it “Replicator Technology,” and the concept is simple. “Once a book or any other item (including pictures, sounds, and even 3-D items) can be stored in a computer,” he says. “Then any number of copies can and will be available. Everyone in the world, or even not in this world (given satellite transmission), can have a copy of a book that has been entered into a computer.”

What this means for those of us who live with a print disability is instant access to information. For example, I was able to find all the literary works of early 18th and 19th Century novelists for college, forgoing the burden of finding the book from the local public library. One collection of short stories wasn’t even available through the National Library Service on tape, but it was available on the Project Gutenberg database for free.

The only snag, however, is copyright law. For instance, U.S. and International copyright laws in most cases can prohibit the reproduction of copyright protected materials for the lifetime of the author. Comparatively, a number of authors do release some titles from collections to the public domain to promote good public relations.

Even with copyright regulations, the quantity of eBook selections is almost limitless. I use the ibook app on my iPhone and have found it the best way to obtain free eBooks. I was thrilled to find a complete collection of Jack London, Thomas Hardy, and even stories by Tess Garretson.

It is because of his efforts to spread knowledge to as many people as possible that Michael Heart-Gutenberg is one of the unsung heroes of the internet age.

What is your favorite way to listen to eBooks? Let us know in the Reader’s Forum.

Source: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_History_and_Philosophy_of_Project_Gutenberg_by_Michael_Hart

Since Apple has done a good job of making their native apps accessible, I wanted to check iTunes U out for myself to test its accessibility, but more importantly to learn new things. I’m happy to report that the app is very Voice Over friendly.

I decided to start with a course on Volcanoes offered by the Open University. The course consists of reading materials, videos, audio presentations, and an outline of learning objectives. So far, I’ve had no problem accessing these materials, and the learning process has been fun.

Since the app is so new, there aren’t many courses to choose from, but I foresee colleges offering more and more as the app gains popularity. Here are some of the courses available now: Future Energy, Core Concepts in Chemistry, Ecosystems, Autism and Related Disorders, and Introduction to Robotics. The app is available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPad.

This app has huge potential for changing the way people learn. Because the courses are available to anyone with an iOS device, learning can happen anywhere in the world. Higher education is still something that is primarily for the privileged, but this app and the idea of free learning will open the doors to those who didn’t have access before. It is also exciting for people with disabilities because the app is so accessible.

We stayed at a nice hotel in Wilmington and the next morning, we drove to Calabash, where Whitlee would live. We didn’t even realize that we had arrived in the place we needed to, which was a gated community area, and all of a sudden, I was only minutes away from saying goodbye to the dog who had changed my life for the better, the dog who I had been with for the last 8 and a half years. That was a tough thing to swallow.

We arrived at the foster parents’ home and as soon as Whitlee saw them, she was wiggling, wagging her tail, and excited. This helped me because I always loved when she was excited. We went into their home where we met the two other dogs that Whitlee would live in her golden years. It turns out that she is the tallest and longest of the three dogs in her new group of friends. I gave all of Whitlee’s belongings to her foster family, had a melt-down, and then gave her a few pats before we left. I didn’t say goodbye, though, because I know I am welcome to visit anytime I wish.

After leaving their place, we visited some family in the area and it was a nice distraction for me. The entire area is quite nice–flat lands, green trees, nice people, and they get mostly mild temperatures all through the winter and only average about 2 or 3 inches of snow per year.

The trip home was also interesting, except that as we drove north, it got colder and colder because some arctic air had made its way into the region. By the time we got back to CT, the temperature was 19 degrees with lots of wind. Coming back to my apartment was a hard thing to do for sure. My home didn’t seem like a home without my dog. I decided to keep very busy until the day I had to leave for guide dog school–the next chapter in my journey.