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   FALL 2009 NEWSLETTER
Ben Foss, Takes a Small Step for Man, Giant Step for all with Dyslexia - Invents Machine That Reads! The LD community was rocked this fall by a new stage in the evolution of assistive technology with the launch of the Intel Digital Health’s first consumer product, the Intel? Reader. The Intel? Reader is a mobile handheld device that is designed to increase independence and productivity for people who have trouble reading standard print, such as those with dyslexia and other reading specific learning disabilities. Combining a high-resolution camera with an Intel? Atom? processor, The Intel? Reader converts printed text to digital text that it then reads aloud to the user and when used with the Intel Portable Capture Station can conveniently capture entire books. Its small size, about that of a paperback book, means that it is easy to transport and its straightforward design makes it extremely user friendly. The Intel Reader is also the first and only product to be endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association who called the device an "important advance in assistive technology." Ben Foss, long time friend of Project Eye-To-Eye and creator of the Intel? Reader, is the Director of Access Technology at the Intel Digital Health Group where he heads a team of industrial designers, mechanical engineers, and software architects who develop mobile computing systems for individuals with disabilities. His work focuses on improving communication and access of information for all people, a subject of great importance to Ben as a person with dyslexia. Ben's goal in creating the device was to help people access knowledge but also to create an accommodation that can heighten self-esteem through independent living. "It's important that people remember reading is not just about books and school," Ben urged. "There was a 7th grader who was part of the user testing for the Reader that had always relied on his friends to explain board game rules to him, but after using the device to read the instructions for the game Risk, he found out that his friends had been cheating. That is what independence feels like and that is what the Intel? Reader can give." For more information on the Intel? Reader please visit http://www.intel.com/healthcare/reader/index.htm
Project Eye-To-Eye Co-Founder Jonathan Mooney honored alongside Vice President Biden This fall Project Eye-To-Eye Co-Founder Jonathan Mooney was honored with the Outstanding Learning Disabled Achiever Award presented by The Lab School. The Lab School is nationally renowned LD school located in Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland which employs a unique arts-based curriculum in the classroom. The Outstanding Learning Disabled Achiever Award is given annually to adults with learning disabilities who have found success and made a significant contribution to society. Past recipients include Tom Cruise, Harry Winkler, Magic Johnson, and James Carville. After spending the day visiting students at both campuses of The Lab School, Mooney and two other recipients were honored at their annual gala at The National Building Museum. The gala was emceed by George Stephanopoulos and drew a crowd of 1,500 people. Vice President Joseph Biden delivered a keynote address where he told the story of his struggle with stuttering as a child and praised the Lab School for creating an environment in which children’s differences are embraced. "It was an inspiring experience," Jonathan reflected. "I really believe learning disabilities play an important role in society and The Lab School embodies that. It enforces the mission of Project Eye-To-Eye by celebrating these differences and helping families, teachers, and young people to see dyslexia and ADHD as meaningful human experiences."
Project Eye-To-Eye Club causes HWS College to think about what is "Normal" Last year students at Hobart and William Smith Colleges formed the first Project Eye-To-Eye Club whose mission is to bring LD and non-LD students together in order to spread awareness of LD issues and create an inclusive environment on campus. While focusing on fundraising for their first semester, this fall club members were able to turn their attention towards raising awareness of LD issues. On Thursday, October 22nd the Project Eye-To-Eye Club hosted a campus-wide art room where college students were invited do art projects similar to those done by mentors and mentees in the Project Eye-To-Eye chapter. In addition to providing more information about the work of Project Eye-To-Eye, club members facilitated a conversation about metacognition among the participants. Jamie Billington, Co-President of the Project Eye-To-Eye Club, was amazed by how many students seemed to have never thought about how they learn; "Thinking about how you learn best is something that everyone should do, but that students with LD are forced to think about constantly." In addition to the art room, club members posted sheets of paper in the colleges’ library for two weeks, encouraging students to write down how they defined the words "Normal" and "Disability." After the art room, students were invited to reflect on the event and discuss the definitions that their peers had written during the two-week period. "While the definitions of ‘normal’ were very vague," Jamie reflected, "there were such clear definitions of 'disability.'" Jamie and other club members led the discussion, pushing students to consider how disability is often hidden along with ways in which it could become more visible on their campus. The Project Eye-To-Eye Club created at Hobart and William Smith Colleges is a model that Jamie presented to chapter coordinators at the Organizing Institute last summer and is being replicated at a number of chapters across the country.
Project Eye-To-Eye Board Member, Peggy Ogden, reflects on growing up with Dyslexia Peggy Ogden attended Brown University starting in the late 1940’s when learning disabilities were virtually unheard of. While she recognized her trouble with reading early on, it wasn’t until after college in the mid 1950’s that a close friend who was doing research on learning disabilities introduced her to the term "dyslexic." Although no formal accommodations existed while she was in school, Peggy found ways to work around her dyslexia. When book reports were due in school, Peggy always chose a book that had been turned into a movie, and during her college years, Peggy sought help with spelling and punctuation from roommates and peers. She also recalled how helpful it was when television news programs began in the late 1940’s as she could get more information without having to read the newspaper. Peggy’s biggest challenge at Brown came when she had to take the English proficiency exam in order to graduate from Brown. "I kept failing it," Peggy recalled, "until I finally asked what the requirements were to pass. They only specified that there could be no punctuation, grammar, or spelling mistakes." Peggy retook the exam and passed by only using three or four word sentences with shorter words that she knew she could spell and no punctuation except for periods. Upon entering the professional world Peggy recognized that she had to hide her dyslexia from her employers and in order to succeed she would need someone to help her with writing. Peggy went on to have an incredibly successful career. She became the first female store manager of a major retail store in the east in the 1960’s and later became Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations for a City University college. She attributes much of her success to the help she received along the way; "I have had a great career and that was thanks to a lot of very helpful administrative assistants." Peggy became involved in Project Eye-To-Eye after attending an event in 2005 and joined the governing board shortly thereafter. Peggy’s dedication to Project Eye-To-Eye is centered around her desire for all children with learning disabilities to know that they should never give up hope and should always have faith in themselves. "It is so important they understand that it doesn’t mean that they are dumb. They can definitely succeed with a learning disability."
An Interview with Jill Lauren: author of That's Like Me This fall marked the release of learning specialist and author Jill Lauren’s second publication, That's Like Me!, a children's book that profiles fifteen children and adults with learning disabilities, all of whom have succeeded in life despite struggling in school. Each profile describes how the person struggled, ways in which they navigated the school environment, and most of all the importance of a hobby they had as a kid. Hobbies can play a hugely important role in the life of a child with LD/ADHD, Jill noted. Even when parents work hard to take care of a child's self esteem, some kids will continue to doubt themselves unless they find success on their own. "An activity they can do independently," Jill explained, "makes them feel like they are capable and allows them to showcase their strength." Micah Ash, a Project Eye-To-Eye mentor is one of the fifteen profiled in That's Like Me! While excelling in his athletic endeavors, high school was full of academic struggles for Micah. When he got to college Micah found himself entirely unprepared and feeling lost. However, with the help of supportive advisors and accommodations and the Project Eye-To-Eye community, not only did he became the first member of his family to graduate from college, but is currently seeking his master's in history. It is Jill's hope that children with LD/ADHD will see the special qualities of Micah and the others and find ways in which they relate to those people, leading to them to ask themselves what they can do to be happier and feel better about themselves. However, children aren't the only ones who can benefit from That's Like Me!. Jill explained that parents often focus on their child's struggle and fear a lack of intelligence, "the book shows parents that their child can succeed with a learning disability and that they can be instrumental in helping their kids develop a special talent they may have." Jill encourages parents to be on the alert for times in their children's life when their eyes light up about a topic or experience, as it could lead to a hobby that changes their self-image.
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