by Sarah Blake
The announcement of products and services in this column is not an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its staff, or elected officials. Products and services are listed free of charge for the benefit of our readers. “The Braille Forum” cannot be held responsible for the reliability of products and services mentioned.
To submit items for this column, you may e-mail Sarah Blake at [email protected], or call ACB at 1-800-424-8666 and leave a message in mailbox 26. Please remember that postal regulations prohibit us from including advertisements, and that we need information two months ahead of actual publication dates.
Holiday Shopping Column
Next month’s column will be a holiday shopping column. If you or your company has gift items, useful products, or other holiday-related fare for sale, please send that information to [email protected] before October 1. Be certain to include a brief description of the item(s), cost, shipping and handling charges, and contact information for you or your company (mailing address, telephone number, e-mail address). Anything received after October 1 will not be included in the column.
New Book Available
“Wilderlust,” a new book published by NHEST Inc., shows how blind and visually impaired people explore and enjoy the outdoors. Edited by Chrissy Laws and written by 18 outdoor enthusiasts from all over the United States and Canada, “Wilderlust” includes chapters on hiking, gardening, fishing, birding, skiing, cycling, spelunking, whale watching and much more. The book costs $19.95 plus $3 shipping and handling for the first copy, and $1 for each additional copy. (Maine residents please add $1 per copy for sales tax.) The book comes in regular print, large print and CD-ROM versions; it will soon be available on audio CD. To order the book, make a check or money order payable to NHEST Inc. and send it to NHEST Inc., 144 Atkinson Rd., Bradford, ME 04410; call (207) 327-1453, or visit www.nhest.org.
Iowa Educational Program Eligible for Award
For taking a giant leap forward in making sure children with disabilities receive the public education services they deserve, the State of Iowa’s Project Resolve for Special Education has been named one of 15 finalists for the highly esteemed Innovations in Government Award, a program of the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. The award is administered in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government. The program is now eligible to win $100,000 in what is often referred to as “the Oscars” of government award programs.
Search Engine for People with Disabilities
YouSearch.com is a new search engine designed to be accessible to people with disabilities or who are using text-based browsers. Visit the site at www.yousearch.com.
CIGNA Offers New Service
CIGNA is set to begin offering a new service to customers with disabilities who are currently receiving Social Security disability benefits and have been out of work for many years. The company has set up an alliance with Integrated DisAbility Resources, Inc. (IDR), which serves as an employment network for the Social Security Ticket to Work Program. Under this plan, IDR will reach out to CIGNA customers with disabilities who have received a ticket to work, offering them the chance to enroll in a return-to-work program, in which IDR will provide a full array of vocational rehabilitation and employment support services. IDR will also stay in touch with them after they begin working again to ensure continued support and success. For more information, contact CIGNA at (215) 761-1000, or visit www.cigna.com, or IDR at (888) 683-4950, or visit www.myidr.com.
Mark Your Calendars!
The 2005 Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute will take place in Boston, Mass. March 11-13, 2005 at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel. For more information, call 1-800-232-5463, or visit www.afb.org/jltli.asp.
Seeking Teacher
Bob Groff is seeking someone who knows Nemeth Code, preferably a Hadley student, to teach him the code and help him with math. He is also seeking math books. If you can help, contact him at 487 PC Circle, Quitman, AR 72131, phone (501) 589- 2886.
New Low Vision Product
Get more out of life with Enhanced Vision’s new LCD Panel Platform which integrates with either Flipper or Max video magnifiers to create the FlipperPanel and MaxPanel. This all-in- one product allows individuals to use video magnification anytime, anywhere for reading, writing and distance viewing.
The new Panel Platform is powered by a battery pack that runs up to 5 hours without recharging. Select from 7- or 10-inch screens that display 2x to 22x magnification. To learn more, visit www.enhancedvision.com, or call 1-888-811-3161 ext. 200 or (714) 374-1829. Ask about our specials on product demonstration units for agencies! Mention this offer and save $100 on any panel product purchase. Offer good through September 2004 on MSRP only. Not valid on international sales.
Houston Taping for the Blind Online
Houston Taping for the Blind Radio (HTBR) is now available on the Internet. It is at http://www.tapingfortheblind.org. Check it out!
New Product for Use with Kurzweil Musical Equipment
The KeySounds Kurzweil Display Reader (KDR) is a Windows program that allows blind users of Kurzweil musical equipment to have access to the text portion of the LCD’s on this equipment by copying the text from the LCD to a computer monitor via MIDI. Once on the computer monitor, it can be read with screen reading or enlarging software. The following Kurzweil products can be read with KDR: all models in the K2000, K2500, and K2600 series, including keyboards, racks and samplers.
The program works with any version of Windows from 95 on and requires a MIDI-capable sound card and a screen reader. It is available in an electronic version or on CD-ROM. To order, call Keysounds at (203) 735-1288, or e-mail [email protected].
Free Booklet from NBP!
After 13 years of analysis, research and debate, the International Council on English Braille has given the go-ahead for English-speaking countries to use the Unified English Braille Code. The United States has decided to wait, but other countries — Canada and New Zealand — are giving it a go. National Braille Press has published several perspectives on this change, as well as some history and recent press releases.
Order “Unified English Braille Code Perspectives” online at http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/UEBC.html. Or call toll-free (800) 548- 7323 or (617) 266-6160 extension 20.
Ski For Light Seeking Participants
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Ski for Light coordinators are recruiting sighted individuals who are willing to assist in guiding for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, hiking and other activities. The group is also seeking visually impaired participants. The event will be held Jan. 16-23, 2005 at the Land of the Vikings Lodge in Sherman, Pa. It costs $415 for a double room; singles and triples are also available. For an application, or more information, contact Barry or Louise Wood at (201) 868-3336.
For Sale
Barbara Mattson has the following items for sale: tape recorders, two-track duplicators, and mailers. Contact her at 519 E. Main St. #8, Spartanburg, SC 29302, (864) 585-7323, or email [email protected].
New Pocket PC for the Blind
Maestro is an HP iPAQ Pocket PC made accessible by VisuAide using text-to-speech technology and a tactile keyboard membrane over the PDA touch screen. Now, visually impaired people can enjoy the ultra-compact size of a PDA and essential information-access functionality: text and vocal note-taking, agenda, contact directory, etc.
Maestro uses wireless communication networks such as Bluetooth, and can be operated with or without an external keyboard (braille or standard). For example, Maestro allows braille input using either the tactile keyboard on the unit for brief notes, or an external braille keyboard for extensive note-taking.
Maestro begins shipping in September. For more information, call (819) 471-4818.
New GPS Product
Freedom Scientific has developed a product that allows a popular GPS package to run on the PAC Mate, called StreetTalk™. PAC Mate users can purchase the Destinator application and GPS receiver from retail outlets or over the Internet, then load StreetTalk to make it accessible and to add special functionality for pedestrian use.
Destinator’s maps cover the USA, Canada, and western Europe. CompactFlash cards can hold maps of several states. Packages range from $299 for a CompactFlash GPS receiver and maps of the USA and Canada to $699 for the USA, Canada, and western Europe with a GPS receiver equipped with Bluetooth® wireless technology.
Freedom Scientific is offering StreetTalk at a special introductory price of $79.95 through October 31, 2004. Users can add a complete GPS solution to their PAC Mate for as little as $378.95. To order, contact Freedom Scientific at 1-800-444-4443.
Brailler Repair and Used Braillers for Sale
The Braille Writer Repair Service in Brooklyn, N.Y. will repair any Perkins brailler starting at $65 with a 5-day turnaround time. The company will also buy any broken Perkins brailler and has many used Perkins braillers for sale starting at $250. Shipping not included. Contact Paul Jackanin at (718) 384- 2945.
Seeking Old Braille Magazines
Do you have back issues of braille magazines that you’re not using? Are you ready to toss them out? Don’t! C. Muraleedharan, Chathrattil House, PO Muriyad, Kallettumkara Via Trissur DT, Kerala State, India, is seeking back issues of English braille magazines for use in school. If you have some, please send them to him.
Auction Site for Blindness Products
There is always a need for used vision impairment products. The problem is where to find them and where to sell them. At www.ocutrade.com, visitors can buy and sell both new and used low vision and blindness products at auction.
New Novel Featuring Blind Character
Published in an audio book edition this month, “Luminescence” by Will Addison tells the story of a blind man, his guide dog, a prisoner raising puppies for a guide dog school, a female veterinarian, and the remarkable bonds that tie them all together. You can listen to a sample of the audio book at www.LuminescenceBook.com.
New Site Supporting Scholarships
Blindmicemart is your one-stop site for affordable gifts for all occasions. Proceeds support the Mouse Hole Scholarship, given each year to a visually impaired student or a sighted child of a visually impaired parent. The speech-friendly site offers more than 3,000 items. Visit www.blindmicemart.com today, or call Dale Campbell at (713) 876-6971.