Welcome to Virtual Vision Technologies Since 1991, the premier source for disability access solutions that work. The Virtual Vision Technologies Mission is to support people with disabilities in work and school environments, enabling them to excel at academics and employment. The VVT Goal is to help employers recruit, screen, hire, retain, and work with those individuals and to foster accessibility on campus and in distance learning initiatives.. VVT strives to prepare individuals with disabilities for job readiness, full employment, job retention, and career advancement within the mainstream competitive workforce. We provide workplace and academic support for people with disabilities and the professionals that serve them. This support includes access technology assessment, equipment selection and purchase, product and system training, AT and IT tech support, work site modification, 508 compliance for web and desktop application accessibility. For every access technology product we sell, we offer pre-sale consultation, delivery, integration, training, Help Desk/tech support, site licenses, maintenance, warranties and upgrades. Our professional workforce consists primarily of people who have visual disabilities and who are skilled users of the technology that they teach and support. VVT provides world-class solutions to public and private sector business and industry, nonprofits, educational, and Federal, state and local agencies. If any of the following questions match your needs or concerns, follow the corresponding links to learn about the most comprehensive solutions in the industry:
As a contemporary employer seeking productive employees, how do I evaluate the competitive employability of a visually impaired candidate? How do I train, support, and retain such an employee in the use of my business applications? As a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, how can I be sure that my client has the skill level to compete for a job in the integrated workplace? If they do not have the appropriate aptitude, how much additional training is needed? What is the full range of VVT Training offerings? Course content? Available methods of delivery? Outcomes reporting options? Looking for industry-leading Assistive Technology (AT) tools? Are you wrestling with extraordinary ACCESSIBILITY issues? Less-than accessible proprietary applications? Website or Web application compliance concerns? Unusual or inaccessible hardware or telephony? What is an Access Technology Learning Center? What does it look like? How does it operate? Do you have other questions? | | | Product and Service Spotlight |
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News From The Virtual View:
VVT and Verizon Wireless Partner in HR Magazine Article (October 2009)
The just-published October 2009 issue of HR magazine contains an article by J. A. "Adam" . Shoemaker of Verizon Wireless.. Entitled " A ‘Welcome Back’ for Workers with Disabilities", the article describes the organized, proactive strategies adopted by Verizon Wireless over the past 5 years to ensure productive retention of employees who are struck with a sudden disability. Dr. Shoemaker includes bottom-line cost saving for Verizon Wireless that emphasizes the win-win nature of their retention strategy. (Note: Society of Human Resource Management – SHRM – members can access this article at http://www.shrm.org/Publications/hrmagazine/EditorialContent/2009/1009/Pages/1009shoemaker.aspx The vendor/partner relationship of Virtual Vision Technologies (VVT) in this project is acknowledged up-front in the article and described in more detail as the steps in the retention strategy are rolled out. Key VVT ‘connection points’ include initial assessment, role (job) analysis, access (application software) analysis and software remediation and employee training and support. Although not featured in the article, VVT has also partnered with Verizon Wireless on the recruitment, skills assessment and (if applicable) early on-board training of new disabled employees. (see our website Technical Services portal for more detail on these services).
Free AT-SAM for VR? Ohio and Pennsylvania say YES!! (September 2009)
In response to the VVT offer of a free AT-SAM (Access Technology Skills Assessment) , published in our May 2009 website article, the Dublin, Ohio and Pittsburgh, PA offices of Vocational Rehabilitation (departments of Blindness & Visual Services) have seized the moment! During September, both organizations selected job-candidate clients to test their skills against the skill level required to compete in the integrated workplace. In both cases, an outcome report was generated that clearly showed the areas that needed strengthening and recommended a training path to bring the candidate to the desired level. Both VR agencies were enthused about the level of targeted feedback provided and both organizations plan to pursue follow-up training and additional AT-SAM evaluations (the Ohio group has already implemented and executed such a follow-up plan). This offer of a free AT-SAM evaluation will expire on Monday, November 31, 2009! If your VR organization is interested, but hesitant, reference contacts from the Ohio and PA organizations can be obtained by calling VVT at (610) 734-0711.
The Unemployment Rate for the Disabled - What is it? (June 2009) A quantitative measure of the size of the unemployment problem for the disabled has always been elusive. A figure of 70% unemployment has been used for so long that its accuracy needs to be tested. But how? A possible answer - as of January 2009, the official monthly unemployment statistics released by the Department of Labor (DOL) include numbers that reflect the disabled population ( http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm ). But early results are surprising and raise some serious questions. The March 2009 DOL statistics show the unemployment rate for the disabled to be not all that different from the unemployment rate for the non-disabled (13.1% versus 8.9%). How can this be? One possible factor -- not counted in the unemployment calculation are those considered ‘not in the workforce’ and this rate is shown as a startling 77.2% for the disabled and only 29.1% for the non-disabled. If only half of this 77.2% were considered ‘in the workforce (and unemployed)’ the unemployment rate would jump to 67.8%!
Free AT-SAM Trial Offering for VR Agencies (May 2009)
VR Counselors: What does your client really know about using a PC with Access Technology and Microsoft Office applications? Enough to compete with sighted applicants for a job in the integrated workplace? If not, what are the skills they lack or need to improve? By how much? What is the skill proficiency level required to compete in this environment? VVT is offering one free trial session of AT-SAM to any VR agency that wants to evaluate this innovative approach to comprehensive job-ready assessment. AT-SAM Access Technology Skills Assessment Measure, developed by VVT, is the “standardized test instrument” to evaluate the skill level of a person who uses access technology to use a Windows computer equipped with Microsoft Office applications. The AT-SAM Outcome reporting charts the position of an Access Technology (AT) user with regard to current skill level and the necessary course work to achieve employment in various competitive corporate environments. Read more about AT-SAM ....
VVT is on FaceBook (March 2009)  | In addition to more business-oriented networking portals like LinkedIn, Monster, and Spoke, VVT now has a page on FaceBook , the leading social networking site. We've let our hair down and created a decidedly relaxed presence on FaceBook that includes pictures, events, updates, and a place to gather and discuss everything that is AT and employment for Persons With Disabilities. Log into FaceBook and visit the page to become a fan! VVT Fans receive updates and can connect with our staff through their FaceBook, who as luck would have it, are also fans! *smirk*. See you online! |
VVT Touches Veracruz, Mexico (February 2009) Morgan, Ed, and Abbot headed south of the border to the friendly city of Veracruz for Spanish language immersion. They learned a lot of Spanish, made life-long friends, and started a movement—a movement to help fund the bringing of guide dogs to Veracruz. The Language Immersion School, following guidelines from Morgan and Ed, is initiating an aggressive campaign this summer to develop a self-sustaining funding program. Spanish immersion is the school’s business, but helping the warm and friendly locals is the school’s constant desire. Many wonderful people in Veracruz are ready to be of service, but, as is often the case with a winning recipe, funding is the toughest ingredient to find. Thanks to what Morgan and Ed began and the Spanish immersion staff is carrying forward, that funding will now be found! Check the Language Immersion School Website for more information!
10th Annual ATIA Conference (January 2009) ATIA (the Assistive Technology Industry Association), is a not-for-profit organization of manufacturers, sellers and providers of technology-based assistive devices and services. The ATIA will host its 10th Annual conference (http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3280 ) in January, 2009 in Orlando, FL The annual conference has an overarching goal of providing enhanced benefits and opportunities to people with disabilities. The conference (January 28 – 31) will host More than 125 exhibitors and more than 275 educational sessions and hands-on labs. Virtual Vision Technologies (VVT) will participate at ATIA 2009 in the Leadership Forum on Accessibility as a sponsor. This is a 2-day independent forum (Jan. 29 -30) within the ATIA conference. The Leadership Forum is designed specifically to help large corporations government agencies and educational institutions to derive business values through the use of accessibility. VVT will speak to all of these areas based on its extensive experience in providing accessibility solutions that ensure the productive presence of a disabled employee or student.
VVT Enhances V-Learning Training (December 2008) What is V- Learning? V-Learning is Virtual Learning – training delivery options that permit an instructor to work with a student at a distance through electronic resources to provide training to students unable to come to an on-site Learning Center. V-Learning allows students to have training provided in inclement weather, at work locations or home through phone, the Internet, Websites and even direct computer to computer contact. VVT has offered V-Learning courses since early 2007, using a combination of phone teleconferencing and e-mail to provide one-on-one instruction, to guide the students pace and focus and to test the students progress by e-mailing assignments to the instructor. These delivery methods have been exercised and refined in both individual and corporate environments. Learning In Tandem (LIT) is a brand new addition to the VVT V-Learning training delivery arsenal. LIT allows a VVT instructor anywhere to access a student’s computer remotely to facilitate training or even technical support. Just as the two riders of a tandem bike can both pedal, and therefore learn how to balance a bike, with LIT, both the student and instructor can use the computer at the same time, allowing the student to learn and grow in a safe environment. This new offering takes advantage of the fact that Freedom Scientific has just released JAWS Version 10, and a revolutionary new add-on, JAWS Tandem. This add-on allows Both the student and the instructor to have control of the PC, enabling the instructor to guide the student through exercises and closely monitor the student’s progress. The instructor and student have equal access to the student’s PC, and both the student and instructor can start and or terminate the connection at any time with a simple key press Learn more about Learning In Tandem Learn more about VVT's V-Learning
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