American Foundation for the Blind Announced Availability of New Online College Curriculum at American Association of Community Colleges Conference; Legendary Blind Athlete and Verizon Literacy Champion Erik Weihenmayer Unveiled Curriculum in Keynote Session.DALLAS -- Braille Textbook Transcriber Curriculum Offers Rewarding Lifelong Career Option and Addresses National Shortage of Braille Textbooks and Learning Materials The future of education for students who are blind or have vision loss is dramatically changing. Yesterday, at the American Association American Association refers to one of the following professional baseball leagues:
n.pr an advocacy group for individuals with visual disabilities. (AFB AFB abbr. acid-fast bacillus AFB Acid-fast bacillus, also 1. Aflatoxin B 2. Aorto-femoral bypass ) announced the availability of a new online college curriculum that directly impacts the futures of thousands of students who are blind or have vision loss. Through the pioneering efforts of Northwest Vista College Northwest Vista College is a community college within the Alamo Community College District in San Antonio, TX. History The college was established after a land donation by World Savings and Loan Association in 1994. in San Antonio San Antonio (săn ăntō`nēō, əntōn`), city (1990 pop. 935,933), seat of Bexar co., S central Tex., at the source of the San Antonio River; inc. 1837. , TX, the Braille Textbook Transcriber online curriculum will be available to students everywhere in the Fall of 2006. As new Braille Textbook Transcribers are trained and available for work, students who are blind or have vision loss will no longer wait months for textbooks to be transcribed, allowing them access to an education equal to that of their sighted peers. "The Braille Textbook Transcriber online curriculum is a critical step toward meeting the needs of students who are blind and have vision loss," said Carl R. Augusto, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of the American Foundation for the Blind. "We are deeply appreciative of Northwest Vista's persistence to make this opportunity a reality." Legendary athlete, author, braille literacy advocate Erik Weihenmayer Erik Weihenmayer (born November 19, 1968) is the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on May 25, 2001. He also completed the Seven Summits in September 2002. His story was covered in a Time article in June 2001 titled Blind Faith. unveiled the curriculum to community college presidents and leaders at a special session from 11:15 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. at the Long Beach Convention Center, Promenade Ballroom, Room 104C. Erik is a former teacher and the Verizon Literacy Champion for the American Foundation for the Blind. "Being faced with blindness in my teens, I quickly learned that braille literacy was critical to my future success -- it allowed me to be academically competitive, complete college, become a teacher and now an author," said Erik Weihenmayer, Verizon Literacy Champion for the American Foundation for the Blind. The Braille Textbook Transcriber curriculum will provide students with the necessary general education coursework, applicable workforce skills and transcribing experience to successfully transcribe To copy data from one medium to another; for example, from one source document to another, or from a source document to the computer. It often implies a change of format or codes. textbooks and learning materials in a standardized format. This unique and rewarding curriculum is conducted entirely online in three multi-disciplinary semesters. Successful completion of the 36 credit hours results in a national Braille Textbook Transcriber Certificate. For more detail and a full description of the courses, visit http://www.accd.edu/nvc/areas/default.htm and click on Braille Textbook Transcriber. "After receiving hundreds of inquiries from prospective students, we are pleased to be the first college to offer this specialized Braille Textbook Transcriber curriculum," said Dr. Jackie Claunch, president of Northwest Vista College. "As our students and students across the nation evaluate career options, it is exceptional for Northwest Vista to have diverse, rewarding, flexible, lifelong career training like this." It is estimated that the U.S. needs 380 full-time transcribers now, will need 735 additional transcribers in five years, and 1,020 additional transcribers in 10 years. Additionally, the Federal government recently passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) 2004, requiring states to adopt a standard format for publisher files of K-12 textbooks and instructional materials -- allowing Braille Textbook Transcribers to make more accurate, consistent and timely transcriptions. This effort is the result of a four-year collaboration between AFB, Northwest Vista College, the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications, Inc. , through the Verizon Foundation, and 48 of the leading national organizations and associations in education, literacy and service. Verizon Foundation has invested more than $800,000 in its partnership with AFB to develop and promote the new career of Braille Textbook Transcriber, and improve literacy for America's blind and low-vision schoolchildren schoolchildren school npl → écoliers mpl; (at secondary school) → collégiens mpl; lycéens mpl schoolchildren school . "In an age where technology has pushed the standards for literacy even higher, Verizon is celebrating this new online curriculum as a standard-setting look at how e-learning can impact society," said Kathy Brown Kathy Brown is a House music singer from South Carolina. Career She had scored #1 success as the lead singer of Praxis before having Stateside dance hits on her own. , senior vice president of corporate responsibility and public policy development for Verizon. "We salute AFB and Northwest Vista and the many students who will enroll in the Braille Textbook Transcriber curriculum and change the future for schoolchildren who are blind or have vision loss." About American Association of Community Colleges The American Association of Community Colleges is a national organization representing the nation's almost 1,200 community, junior and technical colleges. The colleges comprise the largest sector of higher education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. , enrolling close to half of all U.S. undergraduates. About Northwest Vista College Northwest Vista College, which opened in 1995, is part of the Alamo Community College District The Alamo Community College District (ACCD) is a system residing in San Antonio which currently governs over 5 Community Colleges. These 5 Colleges are: San Antonio College, St. . Located at 3535 N. Ellison Drive, Northwest Vista College's expanding agreements with business and higher education partnerships provide a wealth of opportunities for students and the community. Its exclusive national offering -- the Braille Textbook Transcriber curriculum -- is poised to meet a critical need in America, and provide a lifelong, rewarding career option for its students. About Verizon Foundation Verizon ensures that technology touches peoples' lives. The Verizon Foundation supports initiatives that improve literacy, K-12 education, support families victimized by domestic violence and facilitate the use of technology to improve health care. In 2005, the Verizon Foundation awarded more than $74 million in grants to charitable and nonprofit agencies in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and abroad. The foundation also supports Verizon Volunteers, one of the largest employee volunteer programs in the United States responsible for two million hours of community service since 2000 and $35.6 million in combined contributions to nonprofits in 2005 alone. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizon.com/foundation. About Verizon Communications Inc. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :VZ), a Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other communication innovations to wireline and wireless customers. Verizon operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 51.3 million customers nationwide; one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks; and one of the nation's premier wireline networks, serving home, business and wholesale customers. Based in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , Verizon has a diverse workforce of approximately 250,000 and generates annual consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com. About American Foundation for the Blind The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) -- the organization to which Helen Keller devoted her life -- is a national nonprofit that works to expand the possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB promotes wide-ranging, systemic change by addressing the most critical issues facing the growing blind and low vision population -- including braille literacy. In addition to its New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. headquarters, AFB maintains offices in Dallas, San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , Atlanta, Washington, DC and Huntington, WV. |
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