As winter eches on, so too does CAP, and success stories are pouring in from all networks! Once again, the Capstats newsletter is highlighting some of these excellent stories, and sharing the experiences different sites have had over the course of the year. This is a way for us to share ideas and to help celebrate achievements made through CAP, by it's many talented and creative youth interns. If you have a story or something you would like to share, please do so! Please also make sure you are also checking out the resources available on the Cybercamp Wiki and posting your questions and comments to the Webboard. ENJOY! :)

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Within the Chinese community, especially within Mandarin-speaking newcomers, they encounter many difficulties, such as lack of computers, and lack of skill to use them. Toronto Community & Culture Centre helps them in offering free computer use as well as giving basic lessons as to how to use the computers to do basic internet searches to help them find job positions in Toronto.

TCCC helps many youth in the creation of their résumés and finding job positions as well. This program has helped many young immigrants find jobs that suit them and their skill sets. We used to publish ads about the positions in only one local Chinese newspaper, but due to youth not being able to see the advertisements or not being able to find them, we have created a website to cater to youth where they can search and find information about our events easily.

Yan Dou was 22 when she immigrated to Canada in mid-2008. She graduated in Beijing with a finance degree yet when she arrived in Toronto, could not find a job catered to her degree and eventually settled for a labour job where her financing knowledge was unused. While searching through the internet, she found the TCCC website and we were offering an intern job position. She came in for an interview and the job was given to her. She did many things, such as helping out with the programs that TCCC provides for seniors and for youth and especially, doing finances for TCCC. She became more communicative with others around her, her networking group expanded and her English language skills improved greatly. Since then, she has decided to apply for Canadian Master of Business programs and we wish her the best of luck with her applications.

Since TCCC began, we have increased our community members to 200% and we are continuing to grow. The funding provided by CAP enables TCCC to help more and more people, and many more people have been successful in learning about computers and finding job positions that suit them. We are grateful to be a part of an ever-growing community and to be able to partner with CAP to provide services for the Chinese community in Toronto.

-Simon Zhong, Toronto Community Cutlural Centre

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I have been working with a lady almost every week since I have started at the library. She comes to me once a week and we will start off our sessions by going over what we did the week before. By doing this, I get to see that she does understand what I have shown her the previous week.

When we first started, she told me she knew how to use e-mail and she uses it almost everyday. She was using it just for basic e-mailing, but she wanted to know how to use all the tools and become more efficient with e-mailing.

So I started off showing her what all those buttons could do. I showed her how she could center the text, change the colour and size of it, and how to insert emotions. (She says she likes the emoticons and has been using them in almost every e-mail).

We then moved onto copy and pasting text from a website into an e-mail. Then we moved up to copy and pasting pictures into e-mails. This past week I showed her how to send someone a link to a website.

I will first show her how to do something, she will make notes, then she tries to do it on her own. I just sit by her and guide her when she needs my help. When its her turn to try it on her own, she will send the e-mail to one of her friends. She will say This week at my training session I learned how to copy and paste pictures? and she will send a little picture with the e-mail. Its always a different person each week that she sends the email to.

The next thing she wanted to learn was how to find song lyrics. I then introduced her to the wonderful world of youtube. She doesn’t own a computer, so she comes to the library frequently to use the ones there. Every time she has come into the library since I’ve shown her You Tube, she asks for a pair of head phones so she can listen to music on You Tube.

The last session I had with her she was looking for lyrics for a song. We found the lyrics and I noticed that part of the song was in a different language. I asked her if she would like me to show her how to find the lyrics translated to English and she was shocked that it could be done. She was so happy when she printed the lyrics off in English.

Music is really important to her and its feels great showing her how she can access and enjoy music from the internet. It?s great to see how far she has come with what I have shown her. Before, she would come use the computers just for e-mailing and typing up stories. I notice the time she spends on the computers by herself is increasing as well as the frequency of her visits. The next step I think she is going to take is to invest in a memory stick. I would love to be able to help upgrade from floppy disk!

-Briana Steinke, Massey Public Library

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Assistive Technology: Software or hardware that has been specifically designed to assist people with old web browsers, slow internet connections, different operating systems, those who speak other languages, people with limited vision, hearing, and movement, those who have difficulty with reading and comprehending text, those who are not able to use or don’t have access to a keyboard or mouse, those people working in loud environments etc.

Examples of Assistive Technology

In the area of Web Accessibility, common software-based assistive technologies include screen readers, screen magnifiers, speech synthesizers and voice input software that operate in conjunction with graphical desktop browsers (among other user agents). Software assistive technologies include alternative keyboards and pointing devices.

Accessibility Wizard
Don’t let the size of the font, icons, cursor or scroll bar influence the way one feels about the computer. Even if one is partially blind, or hard of hearing the computer has a program that will enable one to participate in any task. Here is a list of easy steps one can take to make ones life a little easier:

1. On your main Computer screen you should be able to locate the start menu bar located at the bottom left hand of the screen in the corner. (usually green )

2. Left click on the word start once. This should bring up the start menu with several different options to click on.

3. Locate All Programs (near the bottom) and left click once.

4. From here you should be able to find Accessories located near the top of the new menu, left click once. (this should bring another menu)

5. Accessibility should be found at the top, then after clicking that Accessibility Wizard will appear at the top of the new menu.

6. Click once on Accessibility Wizard.

7. A new window should appear, Click Next.

8. Now it will bring you to a choice of how large you want the text to be. Choose one that suits you.

9. Display settings are next. Check off the box?s that apply to your needs.

10. Now after clicking next, the wizard options will appear. Read through your options and select the ones that suits you.

11. Some options include: Changing the mouse speed, switching the mouse to suit a left handed person, having the computer talk to you if you are hard of hearing, increasing the overall screen size or using a magnifier and several more options.

12. Once you are done, continue clicking until you are able to click finish!

13. The window should disappear and your new options should be noticeable.

In order to change back to the options before go back and repeat the same steps, this time clicking on the smaller option apposed to the larger one, or setting the options back to regular size.

Help with Seeing and Reading Websites

Making Text Larger (online) In your Web browser, Open the View Menu, select Text Size, choose size and press Enter.
Changing Your Colours (online) Click Start, then Control Panel, pick Category, click Display, click Appearance and then Colour Scheme.
Changing the Font (online) Click on Start, click Control Panel, click Display, click on Appearance, click on Advanced and pick a new font.
Magnifying the Screen Open Start menu, click Programs, chose Accessories, click on Accessibility, pick Magnifier, then you can change the magnification level.

Help with Hearing Websites

Making Your Computer Talk Narration software helps anyone who has difficulty seeing a website by verbally explaining the different functions of the computer. In order to begin the program, open the Start Menu, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Accessibility, click Narrator and then click Ok.
Creating a Virtual Representation of Noise There are many software programs that use audiovisual methods to help those who have difficulty hearing. For example, such programs as eSign and SynFace use visual representations such as hands, lips and faces to depict audio material.
Voice Recognition Softwareis useful for filling out Web forms, dictating text, sending e-mails and navigating the Web. An example of voice recognition software that can be downloaded or purchased is Dragon-Naturally Speaking 7.

Help with Keyboard and Mouse

Using the Keyboard Instead of the Mouse There are several shortcuts that one can use to perform certain tasks. For example, holding down the Windows logo key with the letter E opens Windows Explorer. There is a lot of information regarding such shortcuts on the Web and in the Help Menu of Microsoft Office.
Making Your Keyboard Easier to Use There are certain settings of a keyboard that can be changed in order to help a person who is disabled. Some of these settings help those who have trouble holding down several keys at once, who accidentally hit the same keys repeatedly or for those who would like a sound played if certain keys are accidentally pushed (ex. Caps Lock, Num Lock, etc). In order to perform such functions, begin by clicking the Start Menu and chose Programs. Then click Accessories, chose Accessibility and select the Accessibility Wizard. Make the necessary adjustments and press Enter in order to save your work.
On-screen Keyboards And on-screen keyboard displays a virtual keyboard (on the computer screen) that allows people with mobility impairments or who have trouble typing to use a mouse or joystick. In order to begin using an on-screen keyboard, click the Start Menu and select Programs. From Programs, point to Accessories, then select Accessibility and select On-Screen Keyboard.
Making Your Mouse Easier to Use To make the mouse easier to use by changing the size or speed of the pointer or to making the mouse left or right-handed, follow these instructions. First, go to the Start Menu, chose Programs, point to Accessories, chose Accessibility and select the Accessibility Wizard. Make the necessary adjustments and press Enter in order to save your work.

For more information please visit Capstats Wiki

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Have a success story? Take a minute to share the great programs that are taking place at your CAP site with the rest of Ontario, send your stories and photos to your Regional Co-ordinator. Stories and ideas will be shared, space permitting, in the upcoming Newsletters.

Find a great resource? Share it with your Regional Co-ordinator.