Funding Your Tiger Embosser

Finding funding for assistive technology can be difficult. For this reason we have put together a little information on ways that you can find funding for your needs. Getting a Tiger embosser may be easier than you thought after all!

To begin, we would like to mention that visionaware.com is a great online resource for those with vision loss. Their site includes a state by state list of resources, national organizations that serve the visually impaired, and international resources for those who live outside of the U.S.

In the U.S. the three primary funding sources for people with disabilities are Medicaid, special education, and vocational rehabilitation programs. Medicaid programs differ by state which can make it difficult to understand what they might cover. To know more about your local program, connect with a Medicaid representative in your area. Special education and Section 504 are programs open to children with disabilities usually up to the age of 21. It is good to acquire equipment when a child is young so that they know what assistive technology will work best for them in adulthood. Vocational rehabilitation programs are designed to help adults with disabilities become employed and offer funding for resources necessary in the work environment. For further information about these three programs please read this article.

Once you've narrowed down who in your area to contact, then you can begin the process of figuring out what the best funding source will be.

We wish you luck on your funding search and hope this post pointed you in the right direction!

The Fun Times at Sight Village 2009

Each year, QAC hosts Sight Village in Birmingham, England. This is one of the premier events in Europe for the blind, visually impaired, and the people who work with them. The event features vendors from around the world showcasing products and services important to this population. This year's new venue at the New Bingley Hall provided more space for exhibitors and brought in a larger group of attendees.

This year's ViewPlus team included Kayleen Hagen, Jeff Gardner, Emily Axelsson, Alex Axelsson, and Dorine in 't Veld. Some highlights for the team this year included: showing teachers and other professionals how easy it is to use IVEO Hands-on-Learning System, showing how high-resolution tactile graphics can be brought to life for the blind with the Tiger embossers, reconnecting with customers, and handing out our signature stuffed baby tigers.

As a co-sponsor of the conference, ViewPlus helps vendors have fun. The exhibitor reception and infamous Sight Village party are great ways for members of the assistive technology industry to get to know each other and spend time together. This year the party was Hawaiian themed, complete with leis, island decorations, and of course plenty of stickers!

To see photos and participate in the discussion about Sight Village, please visit our Facebook
What was your favorite experience at Sight Village?

NFB Convention 2009

The July 4th holiday marked this year's National Federation of the Blind's (NFB) convention. Almost 3,000 people attended this year, which was a great turnout. Mike Sivill, one of our marketing representatives attended the conference and also represented us at our booth in the exhibit hall. I had a chance to sit down with him and ask him about what his experience was like.

Mike worked long and hard for us at the booth, nearly 4 days of exhibiting. According to him, there was never a dull moment. The people who visited our booth were really interested in our products and how they worked. Parents in particular were really happy about how easy it is to use the Tiger Software Suite (TSS), and braille transcribers were impressed with how easy it is to make tactile graphics with the Tiger Embossers. Mike said that he really enjoyed talking with visitors about the different ways to make tactile graphics and how our technology is different and easier to use.

Mike is one of our blind employees. He really enjoyed representing us at the conference because he feels that going to NFB is very valuable for our company. The NFB conference in particular brings out more parents and students who are often the end users of our embossers and translation software. He hopes that by representing our company at the conference that he was able to connect with our end users on a more personal level.

Some of the highlights of his experience included making braille examples for visitors, showing off the Emprint SpotDot (our ink and braille printer), connecting with old friends and new people, and talking with a Doctor of Linguistics since that was his major in college.

If you attended NFB, what was your favorite part? If you visited our booth, what did you learn?

Entering the World of Social Media

Here at ViewPlus we are embarking on a new journey. As many of you know, in the digital age that we're living in, people are connecting in ways that were never thought to be possible. No longer are we limited by where we live or where we can go. We now have the chance to meet people throughout the world by focusing on our passions. This is what social media is all about, and that's why we want to join in. We feel that our products and our commitment to accessibility can bring together a community of people who are passionate about braille, tactile graphics, and learning.

One of the things that we want to be sure of is that we're reaching out to all generations. Social media started off being popular amongst the younger generation, but it is now spreading to all generations. Since we are aware that the web can be an unfriendly place to those with disabilities, our community will have access to information and the ability to connect with others in multiple places.

You can already find us on Twitter, where you can read our tweets and join in the discussion. We also plan to make our blog posts more frequent, informative, and engaging. We even want you to get involved in the blog since you are who we care about.

As ViewPlus continues it’s journey into social media we hope that you’ll come along for the ride. What social media sites would you like to see ViewPlus on? Who do you hope to be able to connect with in our community?

Announcing Everyday Braille Solutions

We have recently introduced our Everyday Braille Solutions. These braille packages include everything from the printer, paper, translation software, and even customized on-site training! The on-site trainings are perfect for any organization because a ViewPlus expert visits your site and custom-tailors the workshop to teach your organization how to make braille graphics and documents fast and easy.

There are four different packages. The first is the "Beginning Braille Aid," and is specific for teachers or employers who have a new blind employee or student. The next package, "Math Made Simple," is for math teachers who need to produce materials in an accessible format. The third package, "Inclusive Tactile Learning," includes the IVEO Hands-on Learning System to make any tactile graphic accessible through touch, sound, and sight. Finally, "Office Production Assistant," provides options for any production job - whether you need double-sided braille, ink and braille only, or both!

The variety of packages offered by ViewPlus will ensure that every braille need is met. To find out everything that is included in each package visit the ViewPlus website!

CSUN 2009

We recently attended CSUN at the LAX Marriot this March. Crowds swarmed the booth to see what new and exciting products we had this year. Our "Make it a Double" campaign continued to promote the new line of Elite and Premier embossers capable of double-sided printing in one pass.
In addition we were showing the prototype for the re-designed desktop series. With a new sleek design, USB connection, and new braille dot, the new model was a huge hit! While this new design has not been officially released yet, it will be in the very near future.

Lastly, the prominent Emprint SpotDot was on display. This embosser, capable of both ink and braille, makes using the IVEO Hands on Learning System a breeze! If you attended CSUN and were not able to stop by the booth, check out the ViewPlus website for all the latest information; you did however miss out on our great new tradeshow bags – they are reusable.

Ziezo 2009

We recently attended Ziezo in Houten, Netherlands February 5th – 7th. Jeff Gardner and Kayleen Hagan, from the US office, as well as Dorine in 't Veld and Christian Herden, from the EU office, represented the company. This year the show was a combined effort between ViewPlus and our Dutch dealers Babbage and Thinkable.


In attendance were many end-users of low vision or blindness equipment, as well as educators and other professionals. The show was a great success for ViewPlus as the Dutch market continues to be very fond of the ink and braille technology made possible with Tiger embossers.