Looking for orientation and mobility specialist or retired orientation and mobility specialist!

By Chelsey Zumpano

I’ve already posted this on various social media‘s, but I want to post it here because it’s extremely important. I’m also going to post my reasoning behind it.

Orientation and mobility! (I’ve also posted this on my personal Facebook).

I’ve came up with an awesome idea! I need to help build my confidence with orientation and mobility skills again and just refresh my skills. I want to create a Facebook group where some orientation and mobility specialists can give people feedback on videos that they post

I got this idea from doing homeschool the dog, which is a dog training program I’m going through with Hazel. I watch videos and then I post Hazel and I working through the training game. Then I post a Video in the Facebook group and people give me their feedback. Plus I can watch the videos through and write my own observations on it. It is really helped me gain confidence in dog training and it has helped hazel gain more confidence.

I thought this would definitely help me gain confidence in my orientation and mobility skills by creating this group, so please let me know in the comments if you know someone who would be willing to help or if you’d like to join it.It is really helped me gain confidence in dog training and it has helped hazel games more confidence.

I thought this would definitely help me gain confidence in my orientation and mobility skills by creating this group, so please let me know in the comments if you know someone who would be willing to help or if you’d like to join it.

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Preparing for Thanksgiving!

By Chelsey Zumpano

Well since tomorrow’s Thanksgiving we’re getting everything ready for the next day! Tonight me and my mom made two batches of keto biscuits. They tasted really yummy because you know I just had to have a taste test. Tomorrow I’m going to make mashed potatoes and we have chocolate pie to have. All the usual things we are having turkey, ham, and stuffing,.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving and I’ll see you in tomorrow’s post!

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Some of my favorite movies!

By Chelsey Zumpano

(I’m really tired and don’t have the energy to go to edit this right now because my orbit reader 20 is still not working and I have a headache. I will edit this in the morning).



I like movies, but I don’t compare to books. I figured I just do a list of my favorite movies anyway. It’s odd because my taste in books is way different my taste in movies! Like I watch all of the Nicholas Sparks movie book adaptations, but I don’t really like reading the actual books. I have nothing against Nicholas sparks writing, but Romance books just don’t hold my interest as much as the movies do.

  • I can’t think of the movie’s name right now, but it’s about this boy who is in love with this girl from high school and the movie starts out with them at graduation. She lost her brother from cancer during high school and wasn’t really like living that much. I remember that her name was Jane Butterfield. The dad didn’t really approve of the two dating. They fall in love over the summer and it’s really beautiful. There’s obviously more to the plot, but I don’t wanna spoil it too much.
  • Snow dogs
  • Eight below
  • All the marvel movies
  • A dogs way home
  • A dog’s purpose
  • Fantastic beasts
  • The new beauty and the beast
  • All the Nicholas Sparks movie adaptations
  • 5 feet apart
  • Beautiful creatures
  • The little mermaid
  • Alex Strangelove
  • Aqua marine
  • The breakfast club

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A rant about dictation!

by Chelsey Zumpano

The mistakes with punctuation and lack of punctuation and words not making sense are intentional. I want to preface this post by saying I’m just extremelyfrustrated because my orbit reader 20 is still not working right! So this is a rant! Don’t get me wrong dictation is really good because it’s good to be to be independent when you don’t have a keyboard or braille device to type on!

• doesn’t get all my words

• sometimes replaces words with cuss words

• sometimes replaces words with make fucking sense

I’m fucking aware that it is super ironic that I’m writing this with dictation! Dictation is really good like I said, but I personally just don’t like it because I’d rather type out my words and say it aloud! When I’m typing long sentences or paragraphs I’m able to put the punctuation, but when I’m using dictation it doesn’t do it for me and I have to say it.  The really weird thing is that when I’m using dictation with voiceover or just reading it back with voiceover I mean it has numbers sometimes randomly at the end of the word, but the words aren’t actually there on the screen I mean the numbers aren’t actually there on the screen. I just feel like my words come across better when I’m physically typing them out on a Braille keyboard. 

Dictation is a great accessibility tool, but all tools have their flaws.. They can all be frustrating at times. Let me know your favorite accessibility tools or devices in the comments below!



If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see next for Nanowrimo, please let me know in the comments or send me an email to: viblindresources@gmail.com

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I’m having problems with my orbit reader 20!

By chelsey Zumpano

This is the fourth or fifth post this week that I am writing with dictation on my phone! It’s very frustrating because I’ve been having problems with my braille note, excuse me I mean orbit reader 20. I keep forgetting that braille note is a brand.

• it hasn’t been charging

• it deleted my entire journal

• it’s been disconnecting from my phone

So my to do list on tomorrow is to call the company and see if they can help me figure out what’s going on with it! Having my orbit reader has given me a lot of independence! I hate using dictation! With the orbit reader I am able to write this blog post! I love knowing how to spell things, being able to physically write stuff down makes me feel more accomplished, reading all my words on the screen helps me figure out how to correct my mistakes better. It’s a lot easier to navigate my iPhone. I like being able to physically read things a pop up on my screen, just when I’m reading a fellow bloggers post, or reading kindle books! I love being able to write and read with out having to look at my screen or strain my eyes!

I’m hoping tomorrow I can figure out what’s wrong with it! Wish me luck!



If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see next for Nanowrimo, please let me know in the comments or send me an email to: viblindresources@gmail.com

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I Took An Intro To Dog Training Class! Was It Accessible? #DogTraining&Blind

by Chelsey Zumpano

I started taking a intro to dog training class on New Skills Academy. It’s a website to take courses and you get certificates. I saw an add on Facebook talking about the intro to dog training course and it was only $25! So I took my chance because all those other dog training courses are thousands of dollars. (you are not required to be certified). Taking a course for me makes me feel more productive than just reading a book because you can interpret books anyway and I like the idea of taking tests and quizzes because it shows me what I’ve learned.

The website is accessible, (for the most part), I was able to read all the articles for my classes and take notes. The one thing I had trouble with was finding the text box to take notes and the fact that sometimes it randomly go to the notes and start reading them to me. I was able to answer the quizzes and the test at the end. I wasn’t however able to fill out the worksheets because they were not accessible at all! (Thankfully the worksheets were not required).

Taking the class makes me realize I knew lots more about dog training than I thought. It makes me feel more confident in my dog training ability and has taught me some new things. I got a certificate for completing the course I’m going to frame it and put it on my wall! 

(Also I’m sorry if this post sounds a bit weird because I had to use the Tatian to write it, since my orbit reader 20 didn’t charge!).

If you also want to take a course here’s a link to the website:

https://newskillsacademy.com/

If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see next for Nanowrimo, please let me know in the comments or send me an email to: viblindresources@gmail.com

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My Favorite Author!

by Chelsey Zumpano

Rick Riordan is my all time favorite author! You might know this by now because of all the times I’ve talked about the Magnus Chase series. His books are for all ages and his characters are a diverse bunch! The thing I love most about his first series is that most of the characters have learning disabilities.

The characters live in the modern world, but where the Greek Gods exist and have children with mortals. Percy (the main character), is one of those kids! He (like most of his fellow Demigods), has A.D.H.D. and dyslexia. The cool thing is that the A.D.H.d. helps him to have faster reflexes in battle and the dyslexia is because his brain is hardwired to read ancient greek. Neither of the learning disabilities gose away and remain apart of the story!

The thing I love is the fact that “The Percy Jackson series,” started out as a bed time story for his son who has A.DH.D. and dyslexia. I think it’s an amazing thing that these books I love so much started out as just a story to give his son a hero just like him. This is why I aspire to be like him and to write characters to touch people’s heart, (like his have mine).

All his books are on Audible-

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Lightning-Thief-Audiobook/B002V0JZOO

The books are also on BaRD:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bard-mobile/id705229586

If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see next for Nanowrimo, please let me know in the comments or send me an email to: viblindresources@gmail.com

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Using A Leaf Blower For The First Time!

by Chelsey Zumpano

I know it might sound weird that I’m 24 and just using a leaf blower for the first time, but I just haven’t had been interested until now! It’s very easy and I like it! All I do is move it back and ford, (just like my cane). I did my yard in sections, (just like with vacuuming). It reminded me of when I was little and we used to do yard work all together.

If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see next for Nanowrimo, please let me know in the comments or send me an email to: viblindresources@gmail.com

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A Letter To Customer Service Workers!

by Chelsey Zumpano

So I was at the pet store with my sister and the guy who was ringing us up didn’t talk much. I also want to note that the guy was not being rude, just shy, and I want to help others know what to say. So here’s my letter to customer service workers!

Dear people who work at stores,

Please talk to us when we come into the store! You could say, “hi, welcome in,” or “Hi, do you need any help'” or “Hi, is there anything your looking for today?” Then when you help us; you can ask us about our day, ask us if we like a certain brand, talk about the products, or suggest things you think we might like.

Then when we are checking out: you can ask us, “What kind of dog do you have?” Or you can make conversation about your own animals. Just make polite conversation.

If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see next for Nanowrimo, please let me know in the comments or send me an email to: viblindresources@gmail.com

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