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We have the technology

jennfree — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:02:10 +0000

I did a little deeper research after the last post, and found that there seems to be more of a story than I originally thought with Rite Aid.

In 2000 the National Federation for the Blind, its D.C. affiliate, and several blind individuals sued Chevy Chase Bank, Rite Aid Corp. and Diebold over ATM accessibility issues.

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, “instructions and all information for use be made accessible to, and independently usable by, persons with vision impairments.” The suit argued that while some of the defendants’ ATMs had Braille keypads and labels, the Braille was an “ineffective accommodation.”

Not all persons who are blind can read Braille,” explains Dr. Maurer, president of the National Federation for the Blind.

“Moreover, Braille keypads and labels are static. They do not provide accessible and independently usable, sequential, computer screen instructions to guide a blind customer through a bank transaction. As a result blind customers basically have little choice but to rely on others to do their banking for them.”

According to the NFB, the only effective means to make ATMs accessible to the blind is voice-guidance technology, which allows blind persons to hear step-by-step instructions. Voice-guidance technology is accessed by plugging personal headphones into a universal audio jack installed in the ATM or by using a telephone handset, also installed in the ATM.

The NFB has long been actively involved in promoting adaptive technologies for the blind so that blind people can live and work independently in today’s technology-dependent world.

Click after the jump for the full text of the press release from NFB and an article about the case from ATMMagazine.com. As a side note, if you click on the link on the headline of the press release, it will take you to the source on NFB’s Web site. This is an outstanding page for the visually impaired. No navigation links, no complicated HTML, nothing that can trip up a screen reader. Just plain text.

NFB Sues for ATM Access

From the Editor: At 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, 2000, President Maurer, Technology Department Director Curtis Chong, and NFB attorneys Daniel Goldstein and Paul Kay met members of the press at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to announce that the NFB, its D.C. affiliate, the Disability Rights Council of Greater Washington, and several blind individuals were filing suit against Chevy Chase Bank, Rite Aid Corp., and Diebold over ATM accessibility. The NFB had been discussing and planning such a move for a number of months. Last fall Chong opened a checking account at the Royal Bank of Canada and then traveled to Toronto to be video-taped independently conducting financial business using one of the bank’s talking automatic teller machines (ATMs). According to Rob Evans, Director of Self Services for NCR, a Diebold competitor in the ATM-development and production field, it is not yet possible for every kind of ATM transaction to be voiced by audio software, but most can be. Mr. Chong, the Director of Technology for the National Federation of the Blind, contradicted Mr. Evans’s statement, saying that it is most definitely possible to articulate all kinds of ATM transactions, especially if the designers of these transactions make plans to do so early on. Chevy Chase Bank’s 800 ATMs in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs of Washington and in tourist attractions and other public places in the nation’s capital are inaccessible to everyone who cannot read the ATMs’ tiny computer screens. In addition, despite the availability of truly accessible ATMs today, in fulfillment of an agreement with Rite Aid, Diebold has chosen to place inaccessible models of its ATMs in Rite Aid drugstores.

The ADA mandates that instructions and all information for use in ATMs be made accessible to and independently usable by blind people. But the law’s language is far from specific. As a result Diebold argues that its current access arrangements are a sufficient accommodation. The NFB maintains that a static set of Braille key labels cannot provide access to complex financial activity for which sighted users depend upon a video display to conduct their ATM business.

As always in a lawsuit, the press conference was only the first step in a long process that will unfold in the coming months, perhaps years. Here is the press release the NFB circulated. It is followed by an article that appeared late that same afternoon:

For Immediate Release

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND SUES OVER ATM ACCESSIBILITY

Suits Against Chevy Chase Bank, Rite Aid, and Diebold Charge ADA Violations

WASHINGTON, D.C. (5/24/00)

In a warning shot to ATM owners and operators nationwide, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), its local affiliate the National Federation of the Blind of the District of Columbia, the Disability Rights Council of Greater Washington, and several blind individuals filed suit today against Chevy Chase Bank, charging that the bank’s more than 800 automated teller machines (ATMs) in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

In a separate suit the plaintiffs charged Rite Aid Corporation and Diebold, one of the leading manufacturers of automated teller machines (ATMs), with violating the ADA.

The lawsuit against Chevy Chase Bank states that the bank’s ATMs–many of which are located in major visitor sites such as the Smithsonian (including the National Air and Space Museum), the National Zoo, and all three area airports–are inaccessible to blind people because they use computer screen text prompts to guide customers through transactions. These screen text prompts are not translated into a medium that is accessible to the blind, such as audio output.

A recent agreement between Diebold and Rite Aid under which Diebold is installing and operating ATMs in Rite Aid stores nationwide also violates the provisions of the ADA, according to the plaintiffs, because the ATMs being installed use screen text prompts that are inaccessible to the blind.

“Our nation’s capital should set the example for the nation to follow by being fully accessible to persons who are blind or otherwise disabled,” says NFB President Dr. Marc Maurer. “It is distressing to know that the only ATMs available in such national treasures as the Smithsonian are inaccessible to the blind. It is equally troubling that a company like Diebold, which manufactures and sells voice-output ATMs that can be used independently by the blind, has chosen instead to install machines in Rite Aid stores that rely solely on screen text prompts.”

The two lawsuits, both of which were filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ask the court to order the defendants “to make the necessary technological modifications to their ATMs to allow access by persons who are blind or visually impaired,” says NFB attorney Daniel Goldstein.

Because Diebold manufactures voice-output ATMs, but chose not to install them in Rite Aid outlets, the suit also seeks punitive damages against Diebold under the provisions of the D.C. Human Rights Act. “The bottom line is that the technology exists to make these ATMs fully accessible,” Maurer said.

“Unfortunately, the defendants are installing ATMs that are inaccessible to the blind, even though the cost for voice-output ATMs is negligible, and providing them would not fundamentally alter the nature of ATM services or retail drugstore facilities.”

The ADA requires that “instructions and all information for use [in ATMs] be made accessible to, and independently usable by, persons with vision impairments.” While some of the defendants’ ATMs have Braille keypads and labels, the suit charges that this feature is “an ineffective accommodation under the ADA.”

“Not all persons who are blind can read Braille,” explains Dr. Maurer.

“Moreover, Braille keypads and labels are static. They do not provide accessible and independently usable, sequential, computer screen instructions to guide a blind customer through a bank transaction. As a result blind customers basically have little choice but to rely on others to do their banking for them.”

According to the NFB, the only effective means to make ATMs accessible to the blind is voice-guidance technology, which allows blind persons to hear step-by-step instructions. Voice-guidance technology is accessed by plugging personal headphones into a universal audio jack installed in the ATM or by using a telephone handset, also installed in the ATM.

The NFB has long been actively involved in promoting adaptive technologies for the blind so that blind people can live and work independently in today’s technology-dependent world.

The organization runs the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind at its headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. The Center, which houses more than $2 million worth of hardware and software designed specifically for the blind, is the world’s most extensive demonstration and evaluation center for computer-related technology serving the needs of blind people.

That was the press release, and it wasn’t long before members of the press covering technology and the ATM industry took note. The following story appeared in the May 24, 2000, issue of ATMMagazine.com, an Internet publication.

ATM Accessibility

The National Federation of the Blind drew a line in the sand for the ATM industry today.

Contending that the industry has not done enough to make its machines accessible to the visually impaired, the Federation–along with its District of Columbia affiliate, the Disability Rights Council of Greater Washington, and several blind individuals–filed two lawsuits charging ATM deployers with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.

NFB President Marc Maurer said his organization felt compelled to file the suits because other, less aggressive efforts have failed. “We have tried negotiation and tried urging the regulators, and it hasn’t worked. Today we are asking the court to make the requirements of the law plain.”

In the first suit the NFB names Chevy Chase Bank, noting that the bank’s 800 ATMs, many of which are located in high-profile sites like the Smithsonian and the National Zoo, are inaccessible to blind people because they use computer text screen prompts to guide customers through transactions.

“Our nation’s capital should set the example for the nation to follow by being fully accessible to patrons who are blind or otherwise disabled,” Maurer said. “It is distressing to know that the only ATMs available in such national treasures as the Smithsonian are inaccessible to the blind.”

In a separate suit the NFB charges Rite Aid Corporation and Diebold, the nation’s leading manufacturer in 1999, with violating the ADA. Diebold is installing and operating ATMs in Rite Aid stores nationwide under an agreement signed last year. Again the NFB contends the machines use screen text prompts that are inaccessible to the blind.

Because Diebold manufactures voice-activated ATMs, but did not install them in Rite Aid stores, the suit also seeks punitive damages against the manufacturer under the provisions of the D.C. Human Rights Act.

“The bottom line is that the technology exists to make these ATMs fully accessible,” Maurer said. “Unfortunately, the defendants are installing ATMs that are inaccessible to the blind, even though the cost for voice-activated ATMs is negligible and providing them would not fundamentally alter the nature of ATM services or retail drugstore facilities.”

While Diebold did not comment on the pending litigation, spokesperson Joseph Richardson said, “Diebold firmly believes its products meet current federal guidelines regarding access for persons with disabilities. Diebold actively promotes a wide range of solutions that help consumers access and use its products.”

And, he added, “Diebold is committed to work within any and all legal requirements to help consumers access its products.”

The lawsuits, both of which were filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ask the court to order the defendants “to make the necessary technological modifications to their ATMs to allow access by persons who are blind or visually impaired,” said NFB attorney Daniel Goldstein.

The ADA requires that “instructions and all information for use (in ATMs) be made accessible to, and independently usable by, persons with visual impairments.” While some of the Chevy Chase Bank and Rite Aid ATMs have Braille keypads and labels, the suits charge that these features are “an ineffective accommodation under the ADA.”

“Not all persons who are blind can read Braille,” Maurer said. “Moreover, Braille keypads and labels are static. They do not provide accessible and independently usable, sequential computer screen instructions to guide a blind customer through a bank transaction. As a result blind customers basically have little choice but to rely on others to do their banking for them.”

According to the NFB, the most effective way to make ATMs accessible to the blind is voice guidance technology, which allows blind ATM users to hear step-by-step instructions. The user typically activates the voice guidance feature by plugging headphones into a universal audio jack installed in the ATM or by using a telephone handset installed in the machine.

In a written statement W. Scott McSween, executive vice president of Chevy Chase Bank, said, “Talking ATMs show promise. However, the challenge is that the technology is still in development and may not be readily achievable.

“Chevy Chase Bank will continue to pursue technologies that make banking services more convenient and accessible to all consumers and would be pleased to work with representatives from the National Federation of the Blind in this regard.”

At a press conference announcing the lawsuits, the NFB showed a videotape featuring an audio ATM deployed by the Royal Bank of Canada. The bank began developing the audio ATM in 1996 and has installed fifteen of them across Canada, mostly in Ontario.

Several U.S. financial institutions, including Wells Fargo, Citibank, and Bank of America, have announced plans to install audio ATMs. Citibank has deployed five such machines in California. Wells Fargo intends to install twenty audio ATMs in California this year, then roll the technology out to 1,500 California locations over the next three years.

BofA, the nation’s largest ATM owner, has installed four in California and is testing about a dozen more there. The bank’s plans call for a total of 2,500 ATMs in Florida and California during the next three years.

BofA spokesperson Ann DeFabio said the bank may install more machines in other states as well. “We strive to meet, if not exceed, the ADA standards wherever we do business.”

Maurer hinted that more lawsuits could follow. “This is the beginning,” he said. “We are not prepared to have these machines and others like them established throughout the U.S. in a continuing pattern that prevents an entire class of people from having the opportunity to do the same kind of business and banking as the rest of society.”

Moving

jennfree — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:03:49 +0000

This blog has moved to a hosted site at http://jennfree.com

Thanks for reading!

Mr. Roboto

jennfree — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:47:12 +0000

Screen readers are helpful tools for visually impaired folk trying to navigate the Web, but they’re only as useful as the page design allows. This video shows a demonstration of what happens when screen reader gets trapped by navigation link text and never gets to the main content of the page.

Add a skip navigation link to your pages!

To caption or not to caption

jennfree — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:37:30 +0000

An interesting YouTube video discussing the choice to add captions to online video. The man in the video is signing in ASL, then he explains that he has translated the ASL into English for sign language. The translation is not perfect English, and may be a little difficult for people who have not been around ASL to understand. But, I think it is a very good explanation of some of the feelings the deaf community has in regard to captioning.

Web accessibility for the blind and visually impaired

jennfree — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:22:23 +0000

By Mike Paciello

Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim electronic copies of this article for non-commercial purposes provided this permission notice is preserved on all copies. All other rights reserved.

Print-impaired persons include the blind and low vision users. However, the term is not limited to individuals who experience sensory loss in their eyes. Print-impaired people also include those who have limited or no use of their hands or fingers in order to turn pages of a book or to access a keyboard or mouse interface for electronic documents. People with cognitive disabilities (for example, dyslexia) are sometimes included within the print-impaired category.

It’s important for the sake of information and client design that you keep in mind the broader category of the print-impaired. By doing so, you’re sure to design user interfaces and information that is accessible to the blind and visually impaired.

Blind users generally will have either a synthetic speech synthesizer or refreshable Braille display attached to their PC. The speech synthesizer vocalizes the onscreen data. Refreshable Braille displays convert ASCII character streams to Braille and then output that data to a Braille display. (If you’ve never seen a refreshable Braille display, rent the movie “Sneakers”. The movie character “Whistler” is blind. He uses an ALVA refreshable Braille display to read the imbedded code on a computer microchip.)

The key to reading a web document or displayed server messages is that the output stream is ASCII text. Since many blind users rely on character-cell browsers (LYNX, W3, CERN Line Mode Browser) that read the ASCII in conjunction with their synthesizers and Braille displays, it is critical that imbedded images also contain meaningful text descriptions. This is accomplished by using the ALT attribute to the in HTML.

If you cannot use the ALT attribute (probably for aesthetic reasons), try to include a description of the image, picture or graphical element somewhere physically close to the image as possible. This is even more important when the image intent is to convey a concept. Be sure to use text to convey conceptual images.

Never use bitmap images of text. They are impossible for the blind to read. Low vision users can enlarge them, but persons who are legally or totally without any sight, can never read text images.

Navigation is a challenge for blind and visually impaired users. Wherever possible, try to minimize the number of multiple hypertext links that appear in a single line of text.

Navigation is also difficult in web pages that feature multi-column displays. These are a nightmare for the blind. In addition to speech synthesizers, blind users require application software called “screen access” or “screen reader” software. Most of these applications (including those for GUI interfaces) are only capable of reading one line of text at a time. Thus, when the browser displays a multi-column document, the screen reader reads each line, jumping from column to column until it reaches the end of the line. This makes it very difficult for the user to follow, since there is no logical construct for the screen reader to follow. If you are a publisher of on-line journals, newspapers, or magazines, consider providing an alternative view of your text that is not multi-column in format and that can be downloaded.

Client (particularly browser) developers should look at opportunities to include hooks for screen readers and screen magnifiers. Additionally, in every case, include keyboard equivalents for mouse commands.

Lastly, the richness of the description of the document structure is the greatest friend of the blind user, particularly those who use Braille displays or print documents that must be translated to Braille. As a result, HTML is ideal because it provides knowledge about a document’s construct that is important to the Braille translation software. Titles, paragraphs, lists, tables, etc..etc.. all contain their own formatting constructs. Braille translation software identifies the entity, associates that with a format, and then does the proper translation for the blind user.

Documents that contain no tangible entity or formatting information are useless to blind users. Recently, this issue was raised to Adobe concerning their Portable Document Format (PDF), which is becoming increasingly popular on the Web because of it’s appealing visual appearance through a browser. This is ideal for a sighted user, but the source document provides no internal element descriptors that can be easily accessed and subsequently translated for the blind user. The good news is that Adobe is aware of the problem and has recently responded with an accessibility plan to deal with the inaccessibility of PDF.

Web accessibility for the mobility impaired

jennfree — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:14:49 +0000

When I started researching the idea of Web accessibility I was thinking mostly of people with hearing and vision impairments. But, I have found that mobility impairments also need to be taken into consideration. For at-home use, some people will have equipment like joysticks or headpointers. However, public kiosks will not have these accessories.

Mike Paciello has published some guidelines for easy readability and to make public Web usage accessible to those with mobility impairments.

For people with mobility disabilities, accessibility issues can take on a wide range of challenges. Some people have use of their hands, others do not. Some have the ability to use mouth sticks and headpointers, others rely on infrared devices. Still others appear to have no barriers presented when their interaction with the Web is via a personal computer. However, faced with a public kiosk these same users may be presented with inaccessible physcial control options.

As a result, Web pages and Web access do not present any major barriers to the physically challenged. Still, presentation of content should be given some credence. Because of various physical difficulties, head and eye movement are not always easily accomplished. Keep the following guidelines in mind:

Maintain a simple design that is easy to view.

Be sure to provide on-screen navigational controls that are easily identified. People who require the use of an assistive device like a headpointer (a stick-like device that is attached to a headband and secured to a user’s head so he/she is able to type keys on a keyboard. Newer devices allow users to interact with onscreen keyboards.) need to be able to easily access those controls.

Browser developers should provide keyboard mappings to all browser operations.

If you are designing a web application that runs on a public kiosk (for example in libraries, museums, or government agencies), the kiosk itself should be accessible to a person using a wheelchair. Kiosk height, control knobs or buttons and input mechanisms should be easily accessible.

Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim electronic copies of this article for non-commercial purposes provided this permission notice is preserved on all copies. All other rights reserved.

Web accessibilty for the deaf and hearing impaired

jennfree — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:01:02 +0000

As I’ve mentioned before, my grandparents are hearing impaired. Even though they learned to adapt, I have been amazed at the impact the Internet has had on their lived. My grandmother still prints out every email she receives and saves it in a binder because she doesn’t fully trust that box made out of plastic and metal, but they instant message with friends across the country and can conduct business that would have been five times as hard through mail or by interpreter.

However, the Internet is evolving into a world rich with sight and sound. If a Web site communicates instruction through audio or a video includes sound, deaf and hearing impaired people are locked out. Through simple additions and techniques, the sounds of the Web can be made available to everyone.

From Mike Paciello:

The World Wide Web, perhaps more than any interface before it, presents an incredible opportunity to people with disabilties. In addition to providing a communication protocol that is inherently accessible and relatively easy to use, people with disbilities find that they can pursue education, employment and entreprennerual opportunities never before thought possible.

However opportunity always implies challenge. One of those challenges is found in the current evolution of the Web: moving it from a text-based interface to a multmodal, multimedia operating environment. It is this environment that presents barriers to the deaf.

For example, each time a web site includes a video clip which also includes sound, the deaf are locked out.

The solution is relatively simple: implement closed captioning. You may know that captioning is now an industry standard for televisions. As a result, you see televisions with built in capitioning functionality. Deaf users are no longer required to purchase a separate captioning box. For general information about captioning please refer to the Closed Captioning Web http://www.weizmann.ac.il/deaf-info/cc/ Additionally, you may refer to http://www.verbatim.com/ which features closed captioning.

Current implementions of “Web captioning” are not the same as television captioning. Rather than captioning within the video clip, Webmasters are including captioning or script indicators on their pages. These indicators are located in close proximity to the video clip hyperlink (or image). When a user clicks on the captioning indicator the script of the clip is displayed.

One of the better implementations of Web captioning can be found at the Web site of Boston-based public broadcasting station WBGH http://www.wgbh.com/ Among many beneficial services provided for people with disabilities, WGBH runs the National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM), directed by Larry Goldberg. On the WGBH Educational Foundation/Access Instructions web page http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/access/accessinstructions.html , you will see an example of web captioning.

There are a couple of guidelines you should consider before implementing captioning on your web page:

Be sure to inform users that you have implemented captioning. Providing a specific set of instructions on your homepage is ideal.
Try to use a textual captioning indicator rather than an image or icon. This makes it easier for the deaf-blind to access the indicator. If you do use an image, be sure to provide alternate text.
Remember to include the size of the video file. This is a usability measure that will assist all users. Likely you will find that many users will preview the script before they download the video clip.

Increased accessibilty on the Web for the deaf and hearing impaired can also be improved by ensuring that all emmitted messages (error or information, system or application) are displayed through visual cues as well as audible. This is particularly true for browsers, authoring tools, and public kiosks.

Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim electronic copies of this article for non-commercial purposes provided this permission notice is preserved on all copies. All other rights reserved.

Learn something new every day.

jennfree — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:41:32 +0000

The WordPress software has been very helpful as I got this blog up and running. Everything is very convenient and easy for someone like me, who has trouble programming her alarm clock, to jump on the blog bandwagon.

But, the idea of this blog is to provide news and information concerning new products, events and topics of interest to people with handicaps and disabilities, while making the format of the blog accessible to people with different needs. In the next few days I will be moving the blog to a new domain name, www.jennfree.com, and I will be able to play with html and learn all the fun techniques to provide that accessibility.

So commences my journey to learn how the Web can work to make accessibility easier for everyone.

No more whistling!

jennfree — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:18:44 +0000

New Product Alert

The New York Times has a review about Lyric, a new hearing aid made by InSound Medical. The Times is a big fan of the product, claiming that Lyric offers much better sound quality than competitors and can be inserted into the ear canal, just four millimeters from the ear drum. It is not considered an implant, but it can be worn 24-hours a day, and the battery will last from one to four months. The device is currently being used by 500 patients through a dozen clinics, but InSound hopes to make Lyric available at over 100 sites by the end of the year.

FAQs from Lyric Web site

Who is a good candidate for Lyric?
Lyric is designed for people with mild to moderately severe hearing loss. Your ENT physician and audiologist will assess your hearing needs, ear size and shape, medical condition and lifestyle to determine if Lyric is right for you.

Does Lyric require any surgery?
Lyric is NOT a surgically implanted device. It is placed and programmed by your ENT physician and audiologist in the office. No anesthesia is required. The initial sizing and fitting process takes about one hour.

Can I take the Lyric Hearing device out?
Lyric can be self-removed if you require an MRI or need to remove it for any reason prior to visiting your ENT/audiologist office. You will be provided with a removal tool for such purposes.

How long does the Lyric Hearing device last?
Lyric may be worn until it ceases to function or for a maximum of 120 days. Patients should expect to return to their ENT/audiologist office for approximately six 10-minute replacement visits per year. However, individual replacement needs may vary as device longevity is affected by usage patterns, environmental differences and the lifestyle of each patient.

What does Lyric feel like?
Lyric’s exterior is made with a soft material specifically designed to contour to your ear canal. This soft exterior helps make Lyric comfortable to wear. After an initial adjustment period (1-7 days) most patients no longer feel Lyric in their ear.

Can I swim with Lyric?
Lyric is water resistant. You can shower with Lyric, however, swimming and diving under water is not recommended.

Is Lyric safe?
Lyric is the world’s first and only extended wear hearing device and can be worn for up to 120 days at a time. The device has been safely worn in hundreds of clinical research patients since 2001 and was first launched commercially in January of 2007.

What does Lyric cost?
Lyric is a completely different kind of hearing device. It is the only 100% invisible, extended wear device on the market. Lyric is sold on a subscription basis, meaning you will purchase one year of Lyric devices at a time. There is no need for repairs or battery replacement. You will always be guaranteed to have the most advanced Lyric Hearing technology currently available since you will be receiving new Lyric devices throughout the year. Talk with your ENT physician and audiologist to discuss pricing and payment options.

Does the initial evaluation and exam cost anything?
Your audiologist and ENT physician will determine the cost of your visits. There will be a hearing evaluation performed by the audiologist and an ear exam performed by the ENT physician which will have a cost associated with it. Your ENT physician or audiologist can help you determine if your insurance will cover these costs.

Art School Confidential

jennfree — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:49:32 +0000

Art has long been used as a therapeutic tool. VSA arts, an international nonprofit organization that works to help people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts, is bringing sculptor Mark Parsons to a special education class at Alger Middle School in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Parsons will be with the class from April 21-22 and will teach the students about the relationship between art and science. Parsons has multiple sclerosis and will also speak to the students about his experience living with a disability.

“VSA arts believes it is important to bring artists with disabilities directly into the classroom both to teach and to serve as role models,” said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts, in a press release. “The arts have been proven to play a crucial role in cognitive and motor skill development, and the children learn while stretching their imaginations.”

New York Sculptor Mark Parsons Visits Alger Middle School in Grand Rapids, Mich.

WASHINGTON, April 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — VSA arts is bringing acclaimed New York sculptor Mark Parsons to Karen Rashewsky’s special education class at Alger Middle School in Grand Rapids, Mich., from April 21-22. Parsons will spend two days with the students, exploring the relationship between art and biology. Students will learn about hereditary characteristics by examining similarities and differences in human faces, explore the relationship between the artistic process and scientific process, and learn about the science involved in making a sculpture. Parsons, an established professional sculptor who has multiple sclerosis, will also speak to the students about his experience living with a disability.

Parsons works out of his Brooklyn Studio and is currently director of production for the Pratt Institute School of Architecture. His work has been exhibited at The United Nations, The Kennedy Center, The Provincetown Art Museum, the New Bedford Art Museum, and in numerous private galleries. Parsons’ Foundations series was featured in VSA arts/Weekly Reader’s “Portrait of an Artist-Scientist,” a nationally distributed cross-disciplinary educational resource. In the Foundations series, Parsons altered the scale of architectural drawings and compared them to enlarged images of DNA to reveal similarities.

“VSA arts believes it is important to bring artists with disabilities directly into the classroom both to teach and to serve as role models,” said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. “The arts have been proven to play a crucial role in cognitive and motor skill development, and the children learn while stretching their imaginations.”

“Alger Middle School is excited to partner with VSA arts to be able to provide this rare opportunity to our students,” said Michael Gareeb, principal of Alger Middle School. “Ms. Rashewsky regularly incorporates the arts into her curriculum, and the students have benefited greatly from this.”

Rashewsky’s self-contained special education class has six students, with both developmental and physical disabilities, ranging from 12-16 years of age. VSA arts provides a number of resources to educators to enable them to help children learn through the arts, and Rashewsky’s class has participated in these programs for more than 10 years via artist residencies, art workshops and other programs, such as the Grand Rapids annual Festival Day. Last year, she hosted an artist residency sponsored by VSA arts that featured the exploration of musical instruments.

About VSA arts

VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in 55 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, please visit http://www.vsarts.org/

Source: VSA arts