SOUTH DAKOTA ASSOCIATION OF TOWNS & TOWNSHIPS 33 RD ANNUAL MEETING
rd Annual Meeting
Transcript of rd Annual Meeting
About This Year's Annual Meeting For 163 years, the American Printing House for the Blind has created specialized materials,
products, and services for people who are blind and visually impaired. 2021 continued to
present us with COVID-19 related challenges, and underscored what we learned last year,
that an accessible world with opportunity for everyone is more important than ever! Over
the last year, we have had to be creative in our approach to learning, both for ourselves as
professionals, as well as for our students and clients. This year’s theme, Learn Your Way,
celebrates the innovative, creative, and just plain amazing ways we have discovered to learn
and teach. It also celebrates that fact that we are all individuals who have our own preferences
in how we learn.
The 2021 Annual Meeting will showcase our new products, services, and initiatives. You can
learn more about all of these virtually while also enjoying related meetings, and connecting
with old friends. We will recognize four leaders in the field with special awards, and we will
honor two new inductees to the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field.
We’ll wrap up the conference with the celebration of our APH InSights Art award winners!
Mobile event app: Attendees will go to the App Store or Google Play store to download
CrowdCompass AttendeeHub 1. Search for "APH 153 Annual Meeting" 2. Download event 3. Login to the event by entering your first name, last name, and
email address (used to register for annual meeting) 4. A 6-digit verification code will be sent to your email 5. Enter the code into the app and you're logged in!
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The American Printing House for the Blind Honors the 2021 APH Scholars
Once again, we have awarded four full Annual Meeting scholarships to deserving individuals. These first-time Annual Meeting attendees were all nominated by EOTs, and were selected by the APH Educational Services Advisory Committee (ESAC).
▪ Rachel Antoine, CA — Nominated by Sergio Oliva
▪ Spencer Churchill, AZ — Nominated by Jared Leslie
▪ Stacey Gibbins, WA — Nominated by Scott McCallum
▪ Michelle Shanley, MN — Nominated by Kristin Oien
#APH21 #APHInSights21 #APHLearnYourWay Are you posting about your Annual Meeting experience on Facebook
or Twitter? Consider using the official Annual Meeting hashtag: #APH21. For the InSights Art banquet and Meet the Artists Event
use: #APHInSights21
Find all posts marked with this hashtag by searching for the tag in
your social media app search box.
Future Annual Meeting Dates Mark your calendars now and plan to join us for next year's Annual Meeting event in Louisville, KY, USA!
2022: October 6 - 7 2023: October 5 - 6
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APH — 153rd Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
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10:00 am – 11:00 am Learn What's New with the APH ConnectCenter,
CareerConnect, and National Transition Conversation (NTC)
APH Pre-Meeting
Contacts: Olaya Landa-Vialard, Richard Rueda
Join us for a brief overview of the APH ConnectCenter and
highlights of new services coming to CareerConnect. Learn
more about the National Transition Conversation (NTC)
focus on mentoring and information about the coming
attractions for the NTC morning sessions.
10:00 am – 6:00 pm Related Meeting
Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB) Leadership
Contact: Brian Darcy
11:15 am – 12:30 pm NTC – CareerConnect: Peer Mentoring
APH Pre-Meeting
Contacts: Olaya Landa-Vialard, Richard Rueda
Panelists will explore inclusive youth peer mentoring
programs and the emerging practice of peer mentoring
as a transition support in Vocational Rehabilitation (VR).
APH CareerConnect and National Transition Conversation
discuss peer mentoring as a Pre-Employment Transition
Service (PreETS) and the emergence of technical
assistance supporting program practice and fidelity of
service provision.
12:45 pm – 2:00 pm NTC – CareerConnect
APH Pre-Meeting
Contacts: Olaya Landa-Vialard, Richard Rueda
Panelists will share about program designs, service
objectives, and the challenges and opportunities in
the field of peer-mentor-supported youth and student
transition, including program design and the benefits of
peer mentoring to Rehab Service Providers.
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Wednesday, October 6, 2021
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1:00 pm – 3:00 pm National Prison Braille Forum Part A
(Separate registration is required)
APH Pre-Meeting
Contacts: Jayma Hawkins, Christine Genovely Join us for the 20th annual Prison Braille Forum
"Learn Your Way"
10:00 am – 11:00 am CareerConnect Mentoring: Intro and Recap
APH Pre-Meeting
Contacts: Olaya Landa-Vialard, Richard Rueda
Learn more about the APH ConnectCenter and why
mentorship is the focus of this National Transition
Conversation. We'll review the previous day's
presentations and discussions, including information
about the coming attractions for the NTC morning
sessions. Information about the coming attractions for
the NTC morning sessions and upcoming Mentorship and
Employment Summit in late-October of 2021.
10:00 am – 11:15 am Related Meeting
Principals of Schools for the Blind (POSB)
Contact: Sean McCormick
11:15 am – 12:30 pm NTC – CareerConnect Mentorship: How Does It Work
APH Pre-Meeting
APH Pre-Meeting
Contacts: Olaya Landa-Vialard, Richard Rueda
A panel of agency leaders, mentors, and mentees share
and explore how different blindness agencies have
successfully implemented peer mentor programs in
a variety of ways to meet the needs of their diverse
clientele.
11:15 am – 12:30 pm Related Meeting
Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB)
Contact: Katy Borg
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1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Opening Session
Leveling the Educational Playing Field The COVID pandemic has brought to light the disparities
that exist in our educational system. Join us at our
Opening Session to learn how you can break down barriers
and ensure your students have the tools and resources
they need to succeed.
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm Break 1
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm Concurrent Sessions (A)
Learning by the Book: Everything You Need to Know About
APH Press Meet with APH Press staff to learn about our new releases,
future publication plans, and how you can get involved,
including: submitting book proposals and engaging with
The Press as authors, editors, and peer reviewers.
Digital Learning: APH Hive Courses Built for You In the past twenty years, e-learning increased globally
by 900%. Its self-paced, student-centered, and quick
delivery of instruction makes it appealing for many
whom want to learn more. Now, professionals in the
field of Visual Impairment have access to a new hub of
learning opportunities called the APH Hive. Attend this
presentation and discover how this free resource equips
educators to meet the service needs of individuals with
visual impairment, including blindness.
Learning Through Innovation: Aira, the Visual Interpreter At APH, we work hard to ensure that everyone has what
they need to truly belong, both in our company and in
the field of education for the blind and visually impaired.
We center and amplify the voices of the blind and visually
impaired community, and all intersectional identities. Join
us to hear more!
Learning Illuminated: Redesigning Light Box Materials
Levels 1-3 Join us for a modernization brainstorming session on our
Light Box Materials kits. These kits have served us well
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Wednesday, October 6, 2021 Continued...
for many years, but a lot has changed in the field since
their debut. Our goal is to re-design these kits to meet as
many visual needs as possible, while also reflecting the
current research. Please stop in and share ideas to help us
to create a product that works for you and your students!
(For those who may be new to the field, we will have a
brief introduction to each kit’s contents and examples of
suggested activities.)
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Break 2
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3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Concurrent Sessions (B)
Learning Abroad: APH and International Partnerships International expansion is an integral part of the APH
Strategic Plan. During this session, you will meet some of
APH's international partners and learn more about how
APH products and services are reaching people who are
blind and visually impaired across the globe.
Foundational Learning: The New Louis Database The Louis Database of Accessible Materials contains
over 200,000 accessible materials produced by over 75
organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada. In October
2021, APH will launch our new and improved Louis
database. Join us to learn more about the new features of
Louis, including improved search functionality, single sign-
on, and integration with the APH.org e-commerce site.
Foundational Learning: APH Huntington - Addressing the
Needs of a Rural Community In July 2020, APH launched APH Huntington – a new
program developed to provide national expertise, and
accessible technology and trainings to people who are
blind and visually impaired in Cabell and Wayne Counties,
WV. In 2020, APH Huntington carried out interviews with
people who are blind and visually impaired to learn about
the needs of the regional blind and visually impaired
community. During this session, we’ll share the results
of our interviews, the challenges we uncovered, the
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partnerships we are creating, and the solutions we’re
developing to address those challenges.
4:30 pm – 4:45 pm Break 3
4:45 pm – 6:00 pm Advisory Committee Meetings (one room that will split) Educational Services Advisory Committee (ESAC) and
Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC) (By invitation only) Contact: Leanne Grillot
Thursday, October 7, 2021
8:00 am – 10:00 am Louis Advisory Council Contact: Linda Turner
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Related Meeting Instructional Resource Centers for the Blind and Visually
Impaired (IRCBVI) Contact: Carrie Brasier
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm General Session 1
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Report on the State of the Company,
Introduction of APH Scholars Join APH President, Craig Meador, as he presents the
annual State of the Company. Following the State of
the Company, we will introduce our 2021 APH Scholars.
APH Scholars are nominated by our EOTs based on their
outstanding service to their region.
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm Break 4
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm Concurrent Sessions (C)
Learning Page by Page: Instructional Strategies for
Students with Complex Learning Needs No one learns exactly the same way. Students who are
blind and visually impaired, and/or who have multiple
disabilities may not engage in conventional learning/ teaching methods as their peers do. Meet four students
with multiple disabilities who have meaningful
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Thursday, October 7, 2021 Continued...
connections for shared storytelling, classroom activities,
and communication.
Learning Through Play: Teaching Literacy and Numeracy
with LEGO Braille Bricks Discover a world of new LEGO® Braille Bricks activities,
plus a sneak peek at LEGO Braille Bricks MOOC (Massive
Open Online Course), set to launch in October 2021! You
won't want to miss this exciting opportunity to Learn
Through Play.
Learning Through Innovation: How the DTD and eBRF will
Change the Education Landscape The future of braille is changing! If you haven't heard
already, The Dynamic Tactile Device (DTD) is a multi-line
braille and graphics device being developed by APH and
HumanWare. Learn more about the exciting implications
of this new technology. We will also discuss the work
we've been doing on the proposed braille standard that
we've been calling eBRF. This new standard will allow
braille readers to customize and navigate their formatted
braille in ways that were previously not possible.
Learning Magnified: Hands-On with the Juno Handheld
Magnifier Meet Juno – APH’s newest handheld magnifier. Designed
to accommodate the needs of students and adults with
low vision, Juno is a great magnifying solution for use
during work and recreational activities. With OCR, a
180-degree rotating barrel camera, and 24 high-contrast
color modes; learn how Juno could be the perfect
solution for your student or client.
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Break 5
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3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Concurrent Sessions (D)
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Learning to Travel: GoodMaps Learn how GoodMaps is using technology to make
buildings more accessible and safe for any person
entering the building. Learn how GoodMaps and APH are
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partnering to develop GoodMaps Education, a product
that will benefit students who are blind and visually
impaired across the U.S.
Learning Through Innovation: Using NaviLens to Expand
Your Product Resources Discover the capabilities of NaviLens technology. Join a
discussion of how this tech could provide value to APH
product packaging and whether it would be advisable for
APH to adopt such tech.
Learning Through Play: Using Embossers to Create Fun
Student Activities Be the boss of your embosser, and learn how to use
your APH embosser to create fun, tactile graphic-based
activities for your students. We'll show you how to create
these activities using free tools, and how to conduct them
in the classroom. You will also learn about the differences
between the PixBlaster and PageBlaster embossers, view
and hear descriptions of the graphics made by each, as
well as samples of braille.
Foundational Learning: Online Instruction Strategies for
Students with Vision Loss Providing online lessons? This session is for you! We
will cover some best practices, ideas, and examples for
providing effective and accessible online lessons for
students of all abilities.
4:30 pm – 4:45 pm Break 6
4:45 pm – 5:45 pm Mandatory EOT Meeting Ex Officio Trustees and Assistants Only (By invitation only) Contact: Leanne Grillot
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Friday, October 8, 2021
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Concurrent Sessions (E)
Learning:NIMACUpdatesandAEMTechSupport
Conversation
We'll begin with a quick update on the NIMAC project,
followed by an opportunity to discuss the technical
assistance support needs in your state.
LearningThroughPlay:FunandEngagingWaystoLearn
UEBContractions
Discover fun and engaging ways to help students learn
and practice UEB contractions. Products demonstrated
will include Fun With Braille UEB, Quick Pick Braille
Contractions, Braille Contraction Cards, and Expanded
Dolch Word Cards.
LearningSmART:LearningConceptsThroughArt
Learning a variety of concepts through art activities is at
everyone’s fingertips with a variety of tools provided by
APH. The audience will learn to think outside the box on
ways to use products, such as TactileDoodle, PictureMaker,
Graphic Art Tape, Quick-Draw Paper, Color-by-Texture
Marking Mats, Tactile Drawing Film, Carousel of Textures,
and more, to make concepts come to life in meaningful,
engaging, and creative ways. Attendees are invited to
share some of their own creative approaches to teaching
concepts using art-related APH materials.
STEMLearning:Build-A-CellandAdaptedScience
MeasuringTools
Divided into two parts, the beginning of this session will
dive into all elements of the Adapted Science Materials Kit:
how they are commonly used in the science classroom, and
a description of the difficulties and successes experienced
with the kit. The second half of the session includes
a demonstration of the Build-A-Cell kit and how it is
typically used in the classroom. Attendees are encouraged
to share their experiences teaching their students with
these same products, and exchange information to assist
TVIs with science lessons for their students.
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm Break 7
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2:15 pm – 2:30 pm Concurrent Sessions (F)
Learning Through Play: Braille Gamification with Polly In partnership with Thinkerbell Labs, APH is currently
developing Polly, an early braille literacy device. Polly
makes remote braille instruction easy for early learners,
incorporating an online monitoring and customization
platform for teachers. Polly will make practicing braille
skills fun, while reinforcing reading, spelling, vocabulary,
and writing with both a Perkins-style keyboard and an
electronic slate. Polly will provide instruction in both
uncontracted and contracted braille, vocabulary lessons
with short stories and spelling instruction for CVC words,
games that students will enjoy playing, and allow for
individualized lesson creation by teachers. This session
will provide an overview of the product and the online
platform, a demo of the existing games, and will seek
feedback from attendees for future modules provided
with the product. Please join us and share your ideas!
Learning Through Play: Fun with Braille Displays Let's have fun with braille! Have your braille displays
ready as we go over games that you can play with
students using braille displays, like the Mantis Q40 and
Chameleon 20, including a variation on Hangman called
Monster Maker, tracking games, and easy to set up Cloze
reading games. We will use BrailleBlaster for some of
these activities as well, so participants are encouraged to
have the latest version installed from brailleblaster.org.
Learning Through Innovation: Using Voice Assistants to
Improve the User Experience "Alexa, make it accessible." The world of voice assistants
is growing rapidly as more people adopt voice-navigable
technology and integrate it into their daily lifestyle. In
this session, learn how this inherently accessible medium
is changing the way we engage with technology and the
world and experience one of APH's newest innovations,
APH Museum.
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Friday, October 8, 2021 Continued...
Foundational Learning: The APH ConnectCenter Transition
Hub Join the APH ConnectCenter as we unveil our latest
resource, the APH ConnectCenter Transition Hub. The
APH ConnectCenter Transition Hub is an easy-to-use,
one-stop, searchable database of transition programs
across the United States. The resource is available
for school age students, family members, TSVIs, and
vocational rehabilitation professionals. Users can search
for transition programs by state, program type, program
language, attendance fees, and program season. Come talk
with APH ConnectCenter staff and learn how to maximize
this valuable new tool and how to let our community
know about your transition program.
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Break 8
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3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Concurrent Sessions (G)
Learning by the Number: Using APH's Math Products in the
Classroom With math products from APH, learning is easy as 1, 2,
3! Learn first-hand from a teacher who has used Tactile
Algebra Tiles in her classroom. We will also share the
results of a recent math product survey and get your
suggestions for making math products more widely
available to teachers and students.
Learning to Code: Engaging Students Across Multiple
Settings with Code Jumper Learning the basics of coding is important for all of
our students, and Code Jumper is just the ticket for a
hands-on multi-sensory experience! As teachers, we
have students in many different settings: from remote,
to classroom-based, to residential. In this session, we
explore how Code Jumper can be used across settings by
experiencing it ourselves. Bring your Code Jumper kits to
walk through and brainstorm all the ways that you can use
Code Jumper, regardless of the setting.
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Learning Reimagined: What COVID Taught Us about Hybrid
and Virtual Learning (Scholars Panel) Join us as we learn about, and celebrate, the outstanding
and innovative work of four individuals in our field who
were nominated by Ex Officio Trustees to be APH Scholars.
Their creative use of APH products, their provision of
outstanding service and support to children or adults with
visual impairments, and their leadership role within their
school or agency will be highlighted during this webinar
training.
Learning Through Innovation: Exploring the Reduction of
Eye Pressing In May 2021, APH launched a survey to gather information
on the physical, psychological, and psychosocial impact of
eye pressing on those who are blind or visually impaired
and their families. During this session, we will present the
feedback we received from nearly 400 respondents, and
some the technology available to prevent the potentially
damaging effects of this behavior.
4:30 pm – 4:45 pm Break 9
4:45 pm – 5:30 pm
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Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Join the field as we honor Samuel Bacon and Ambrose
Shotwell at the always inspiring Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony. Joining the sixty-six outstanding legends
already in the Hall, these two pioneers had long careers of
service that opened doors and changed the landscape for
people who are blind and visually impaired.
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Tuesday, October 12, 2021.
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm National Prison Braille Forum Part B (Separate registration is required) APH Pre-Meeting Contacts: Jayma Hawkins, Christine Genovely
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Related Meeting Keystone Library Automation System (KLAS) Contact: James Burts
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Related Meeting State Vision Consultants Contact: Kristen Oien
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm General Session 2
Listening, Learning, Collaborating: An Inclusion Challenge What does it mean to welcome and support diversity
in representation and participation? How do disability
advocates support the policies and programs they care
about in this political environment? We must work to
ensure that funding and support remain available for
students who are blind and visually impaired. And, we
have a responsibility to ensure that we welcome and
ensure services and supports for diverse groups of
people, including people of different genders, races
and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, religions,
cultures, ages, sexual orientations, diverse backgrounds,
experiences, skills, and expertise. Two of APH’s newest
leaders will describe their work in these fractious
environments and engage the audience in our efforts
to create positive change in policy and in accessibility,
diversity, equity, and inclusion.
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm Break 10
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Wednesday, October 13, 2021 Continued...
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2:15 pm – 3:15 pm Product Showcase Concurrent Sessions (1)
Learning STEM and a Little Bit of O&M Join two APH Product Managers for this intro to STEM
and O&M education as they highlight a combination of
legacy, new, and coming-soon APH products: Step-By-
Step, 2nd Edition (new), Submersible Audio Light Sensor
(coming soon), and a number of tried-and-true accessible
electronics and coding products.
Learn about APH's Braille Trail: Braille Tech from Early
Literacy, Onward Braille is unique, but it shouldn't be rare. Join us to
learn more about APH's braille trail (a variety of braille
technology products), and bring your best questions!
APH Legacy Products: "Learn" Something New Join us as we showcase the new digital format of APH's
legacy product, Child-guided Strategies: The Van Dijk
Approach to Assessment (CGS) and two new additions to
the Sensory Learning Kit (SLK). Attendees will have the
opportunity to provide product feedback on new and
legacy products discussed in this session.
Assessing our Assessments We look forward to showcasing APH's current catalog
of assessment kits as well as a sneak peek at the
supplements joining the catalog in early 2022! Come
along, and share your feedback on WRAT-5, WJIV, Key
Math 3, Boehm 3, and Brigance. Prepare for our journey by
re-exploring the kits that you already have, and make a
wish list for APH's next steps in assessments.
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Break 11
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3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Services Showcase Concurrent Sessions (1)
Learning Technology: Center for Assistive Technology
Training (CATT) Services Meet the CATT team and learn about this exciting
collaboration between The Alabama Institute for the
Deaf and Blind (AIDB) and APH. This federally funded
opportunity provides quality training on APH assistive
technology equipment to teachers, students, and families.
Foundational Learning: APH Website Updates The passion of the APH Web Team is to support and meet
the needs of our customers during the peak periods
throughout the year, and always. Join APH's CIO/VP
of Information Technology for a review of new, key
enhancements to aph.org and the upcoming development
work designed to improve the website experience for 2022.
Foundational Learning: Resource Services and NIMAC Learn the basics of how to locate and obtain Accessible
Educational Materials, with updates from the Louis and
NIMAC teams.
Learning is a Family Affair: FamilyConnect, Parent Session 1 Get ready to be inspired by one parent who stopped
viewing blindness as a barrier and instead focused on
addressing the real barriers: lack of access to the right
tools, knowing what questions to ask, and access to
family resources for their child(ren) who is blind/visually
impaired.
4:30 pm – 4:45 pm Break 12
4:45 pm – 5:15 pm APH Awards Ceremony
Join us for the presentation of the Horizon Award
(Product Innovation), Louis Award (Creative Use of Braille),
Navigator Award (Advocacy and Support for our Field),
and APH's highest honor, the Wings of Freedom Award
(presented for exemplary leadership in the areas of
education or rehabilitation).
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Thursday, October 14, 2021
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
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Product Showcase Concurrent Sessions (2)
Tactile Learning You're invited to learn, give feedback, and share ideas
about APH's tactile literacy development products that
support the transition from 3D to 2D representations:
Setting the Stage for Tactile Understanding, Flip-Over
Concept Books: PARTS OF A WHOLE, Tactile Treasures, Giant
Textured Beads with Pattern Matching Cards, Tactile Town,
StackUps, TactileDoodle, Picture Maker Kit, and Quick-
Draw Paper.
Legacy APH Products are Learning UEB Several beloved APH products now include UEB (Fun with
Braille, Math Symbol Reference Booklets, Quick Pick Braille
Contractions, and the new Reach & Match Alphabet Tiles),
but there are more coming-soon products that still need
to learn UEB (Paint Pot Palette, Swirly Mats, and Rigby
Non-fiction Kits 4-6). Join us for examples of classroom
use, creative ways to use each product, exciting features,
and upcoming demonstrations and blogs.
Learning Fractions Using APH Math Products Nothing is 1/2 as exciting as learning fractions with APH!
From tactile manipulatives to apps, we will showcase
APH products that help make teaching fractions fun for
teachers and students.
Learning Through Books, and Beyond Stop in and check out the new early learning materials
that will be making their debut soon! We look at what
"ingredients' are needed to understand parts of an
animal, updates to Jellybean Jungle, and more books with
manipulative images!
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm Break 13
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2:15 pm – 3:15 pm Regional Connections (ET, CT, AST)
Join in for a discussion of regional support available to
you regarding APH product and services. We are working to
create a national network of individuals. Be a part of our
hive of busy bees.
Southeast states, VI and PR Calling all EOTs, vision professionals, parents, and
interested folks from the following places: Southeast:
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee,
and Virgin Islands.
Northeast states Calling all EOTs, vision professionals, parents, and
interested folks from the following places: Atlantic Coast:
Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West
Virginia.
Northcentral states Calling all EOTs, vision professionals, parents, and
interested folks from the following places: North Central:
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Break 14
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm EOT & Assistant Federal Quota Training EOTs and their designated Assistants are invited to attend
a session on the Federal Quota Program, EOT and Assistant
responsibilities, and any updates regarding the Student
Registration System and the 2022 Federal Quota Census.
Bring your questions and get answers!
5:00 pm – 5:15 pm Break 15
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Thursday, October 14, 2021 Continued...
5:15 pm – 6:15 pm Regional Connections (CT, MT, PT, AK, HI, SST, ChST)
Join in for a discussion of regional support available to
you regarding APH product and services. We are working to
create a national network of individuals. Be a part of our
hive of busy bees.
Northwest states, Alaska, and outlying areas Calling all EOTs, vision professionals, parents, and
interested folks from the following places: Northwest:
Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Idaho, Montana, North
Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, South Dakota,
Washington, and Wyoming.
Southcentral states Calling all EOTs, vision professionals, parents, and
interested folks from the following places: South Central:
Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.
Southwest states, Hawaii Calling all EOTs, vision professionals, parents, and
interested folks from the following places: Southwest:
Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
Friday, October 15, 2021
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm General Session 3
A Look Forward Census happens every year. Learn about the ways you can
encourage the registration of students, as well as the
benefits of being a part of the Federal Quota Program.
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm Break 16
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2:15 pm – 3:15 pm Products Showcase Concurrent Sessions (3)
Worm Your Way into APH Press Books Take an in-depth look at the newest releases from APH
Press: Babies with CVI: Nurturing Visual Abilities and
Development in Early Childhood, Foundations of Vision
Rehabilitation Therapy, and Access Technology for Blind
and Low Vision Accessibility while also learning about these
great resources that have been around for a while: Reading
Connections: Strategies for Teaching Students with Visual
Impairments, and Keys to Educational Success: Teaching
Students with Visual Impairments and Multiple Disabilities.
Expert Tips for Using Braille Tech Whether it's a braille display or an embosser, we've got
some tips and tricks up our sleeves for using your braille
technology. But we also want to learn from you! What do
you like, love, and even dislike about APH's current braille
tech products, and what do you want to see in the future?
Ideas to Flip Over!
A variety of Flip-Over Concepts Books are now available
from APH, including Line Paths, Textures, Parts of a Whole,
Fractions, as well as a Flip-Over Faces App. Join us to
discuss your favorite books in this series and brainstorm
additional books for future development (hint: Telling
Time is coming soon).
Learn to the Beat of Your Own Music Check out some out-of-the-box solutions to teaching and
learning the braille music code, and see how these APH
products engage students in the learning process.
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Break 17
APH — 153rd Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees 23
Friday, October 15, 2021 Continued...
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
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Services Showcase Concurrent Sessions (2)
Foundational Learning: Updates from the APH Museum and
Helen Keller Archive Get an update on our work with the AFB Helen Keller
Archive and give us input and reactions on our plans for an
upgraded APH Museum Experience (hint: we may not even
call it a museum). Come prepared to join the discussion on
accessible storytelling!
Learning Connections: A Customer Experience Roundtable Help APH learn from you, while attendees learn from
each other. This open-discussion session will guide APH in
designing future order fulfillment processes and services
to better meet the needs of Trustees, ordering assistants,
IRC operators, as well as teachers, TVIs and other
professionals in the classroom: How is a student’s need
for textbooks, products, and services determined in your
state or district, and how are those orders or requests for
support communicated to your Ex Officio Trustees? How
are requests for materials fulfilled by an Instructional
Resource Center, and how do those Centers differ? We will
also share updates from the APH Customer Experience
team, including accomplishments throughout 2021.
Inclusive Learning: Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion At APH, we work hard to ensure that everyone has what
they need to truly belong, both in our company and in
the field of education for the blind and visually impaired.
We center and amplify the voices of the blind and visually
impaired community, and all intersectional identities. We
offer a wide variety of services related to accessibility,
diversity, equity and inclusion. We can customize trainings
for your organization, and will be expanding to provide
accessibility consulting in the future. Join us to learn how
we can serve you, your students, and all serving the blind
and visually impaired community. Please come prepared
to share your needs and ideas!
24 APH — 153rd Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees
Learning is a Family Affair: FamilyConnect, Parent Session 2 Join us to learn about the National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) and how they help
families maximize opportunities for their child(ren) who
are blind/visually impaired. Connect to stories, tips, and
more from families of children who are blind, as well as
from the expertise of people who are blind.
4:30 pm – 4:45 pm Break 18
4:45 pm – 5:15 pm
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APH InSights Art Awards Ceremony
We are proud to present a celebration of artistic
excellence during the 2021 InSights Art Awards. Thirty
award-winning artworks, from artists of all ages, will
be announced and described for a world-wide audience.
Please join us for this festive, annual event!
5:45 pm – 6:15 pm Closing Session
Wrap up the 2021 Annual Meeting by joining Craig and
Leanne for our Closing Session.
APH — 153rd Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees 25
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Committees, Trustees, and Officers
Ex Officio Trustee Advisory Committees (two added to each during Annual Meeting)
Educational Products Advisory Committee – 2021 Pepper Watson, Oklahoma, Chair Scott McCallum, Washington Kay Ratzlaff, Florida Leslie Bechtel Van Orman, Wyoming
Kathy Segers, Tennessee Dawn Soto, Wisconsin Armando Venegas, Utah
Alt: Nancy Moulton, Maine
Educational Services Advisory Committee – 2021 Rob Hair, Maryland, Chair Carson Cochran, Georgia Brian Darcy, Idaho Jared Leslie, Arizona
Jennifer Buzolich, California Tanya Armstrong, Nebraska
Alt: Mary Lane, New Hampshire
Educational Products Advisory Committee – 2022 Scott McCallum, Washington, Chair
Kay Ratzlaff, Florida Leslie Bechtel Van Orman, Wyoming
Dawn Soto, Wisconsin Armando Venegas, Utah Alt: Kathy Segers, Tennessee
Educational Services Advisory Committee – 2022 Carson Cochran, Georgia, Chair Brian Darcy, Idaho Jared Leslie, Arizona
Jennifer Buzolich, California Tanya Armstrong, Nebraska Alt: Rob Hair, Maryland
APH Board of Trustees Phoebe A. Wood, Chair
Dr. Charles Barr
Gayle Dorsey
Angie M. Evans
Jane Hardy
Judge David Holton II
Dr. Marjorie Kaiser
Dr. Julie S. Lee
Dr. Craig Meador
Yung T. Nguyen
W. Barrett Nichols
Herbert W. “Bart” Perkins, III
Russell Shaffer APH Corporate Officers
Dr. Craig Meador, President
William G. Beavin, VP, Finance
Vicki G. Buns, VP, Human Resources
Anne Durham, VP/Chief Officer, Innovation and Strategy
Alejandro Erick Franco, VP, Information Technology
Paul Schroeder, VP, Government & Community Affairs
Steve Paris, VP, Production
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27
Acknowledgments
APH gratefully acknowledges the following APH staff for their support and assistance in the planning and implementation of the 153rd Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and Special Guests:
Cindy Amback Troy Ambrose Chris Argabright Matt Ballard MaryGen Boley Amy Campbell Theresa Close Anne Durham Bobby Fulwiler Nicole Gaines Christine Genovely Laura Greenwell Leanne Grillot Robert Guillen Jayma Hawkins Kate Herndon Micheal Hudson
Laura Huff Ricky Irvine Cathy Jenkins Anthony Jones
Heather Kennedy-MacKenzie Leslie Farr Knox Jim Kreiner Stephanie Lancaster Olaya Landa-Vialard
Craig Meador Meg Outland Lori Pike Abby Pullis Charlotte Ramsey Mark Renfrow Paul Schroeder Jeff Swartz Liz Shaller Greg Stilson Jim Sullivan Jane Thompson Tai Tomasi Linda Turner Leslie Weilbacher
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