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.
Convention Tapes Available
Just in time for the holidays, tapes of the 2004 ACB convention in Birmingham are now available! A full set consists of 20 tapes. There is no banquet tape. The legislative and diabetes seminars were canceled this year, so there are no tapes of those sessions either. The full set costs $35; separate sessions, $6 each. Call 1-800-424-8666 to order.
Ski for Light
Join over 300 active adults for a cross-country skiing vacation at the 30th annual Ski for Light International Week, January 30-February 6, 2005 in Granby, Colorado. Participants will stay at the Inn at Silver Creek and ski each day at Snow Mountain Ranch.
Ski for Light pairs visually and mobility impaired skiers with sighted instructor/guides. The skiers set the pace, asking their guides to assist with skills, technique, endurance or simply enjoying the outdoors. Those interested in attending may contact Lynda Boose at (906) 250-7836 or [email protected] or apply online at www.sfl.org. The application deadline is Nov. 1, 2004; applications received after that date will be considered as space permits. Full payment is due by Jan. 3, 2005.
Hadley’s Holiday Cards
The Hadley School for the Blind is holding its annual braille holiday card sale, sponsored by Hadley’s Woman’s Board. The card features a colorful embossed topiary on the front; the following message appears on the inside in print and braille: “Wishing you peace, happiness and the spirit of the season.”
A photo card is also available that carries the same message in print and braille. A box of 25 cards costs $25. The sale benefits the Hadley School. Cards can be viewed and ordered online at www.hadley.edu or by calling 1-800-323-4238.
ROPARD’s Holiday Cards
ROPARD is pleased to announce that 2004 holiday cards are now available. This year there are a limited number of cards available with “Season’s Greetings” embossed in braille. To view the cards, visit http://www.ropard.org/greeting_card.shtml. Personalization of both the inside of the card and the return address on the envelope are also available for an additional charge. For more information, contact ROPARD by phone at 1-800-788-2020, or by e-mail at [email protected].
Diabetic Committee
A new committee has formed in ACB that is dedicated to educating diabetics. Every year there is a diabetes seminar at the ACB convention; there will be one in Vegas! We are looking for more members to join us on our next conference call in January or February. Committee members are Pat La France-Wolf at (626) 279-2954, e-mail [email protected]; Dee Clayton, chair, at (515) 282-1275, e-mail [email protected]; Shirley Roberts, (937) 898-1989, e-mail [email protected]. Call or e-mail any of us for more information.
Loving In The Dark
“Loving In The Dark, An Incredible Journey,” vol. I of Lois Dingess Howard’s autobiography is now available for $8 including postage. At this time, Lois’ book is available in print only. In this book, Howard shares many of her memories of the events that filled her young life, including her very early childhood in Huntington, W.Va.; her life on a farm in Ohio during the ‘40s; her fifth year of school when she was faced with the shocking realization that she was gradually losing her vision; and of the four-plus wonderful years that she spent as a student at the Ohio State School for the Blind. These heart-warming accounts, along with some historical facts and touches of trivia, combine to make the book interesting, informative, and inspiring. To order your copy, send a check or money order to: Lois Howard, 61951 High Hill Road, Cambridge, OH 43725.
National Braille Press Offerings
National Braille Press offers two new keyboard command guides: Windows XP Keyboard Commands and Office XP Keyboard Commands. Each guide is available for $10. NBP also offers “A Child’s Calendar,” a print-and-braille book that features a poem for every month of the year. For more information, visit http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html or call 1-800-548-7323.
Color and Note Teller Discounts
Brytech is offering special discounts for the Color Teller and Note Teller 2 through December 31, 2004. For more information, call 1-800-263-4095.
Alaska Smokehouse, Good Desserts
Want to buy something good and help ACB at the same time? Visit www.alaskasmokehouse.com or call 1-800-422-0852 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific. ACB will receive 40 percent of the proceeds from items purchased from the Pacific Northwest Gourmet Dessert Company and the Alaska Smokehouse. Purchases must be made online in order for the ACB to receive payment. If using the toll-free number, ask the customer service representative for assistance.
Cooking in the Dark Recipes
The Cooking in the Dark Recipe Collection is composed of favorites and family traditions of the members of the Cooking in the Dark and blind cook e-mail lists. To order online, visit http://www.blindmicemart.com. For additional information, send e-mail to [email protected] or contact Dale Campbell at (281) 486-1840.
Cooking Aprons Available
Aprons featuring the logo of a new television show, “Cooking Without Looking,” are available for $22.95 ($19.95 for orders of 10 or more) from Vision World Foundation, 12410 SW 113 Lane, Miami, FL 33186. Postage and handling are included in the price. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.
Wild Things
Special Treasures is having a clearance sale on “Babes In The Wild” plush and porcelain dolls by Showstoppers. These limited edition dolls have porcelain faces and plush bodies designed to depict different animals. Each doll stands approximately 9" tall. Many animals are available. Each doll costs $9.95. For information on availability, contact the company via e-mail, [email protected], on the web site, www.spectreasures.com, or via phone, (585) 244-5837.
New Scholarship Program
The Jewish Guild for the Blind recently announced the creation of a new scholarship program for college-bound high school seniors who are legally blind. The GuildScholar Program will award each student selected with a cash scholarship of about $15,000. The program has been created in part through a generous grant from the Jeannette A. Klarenmeyer Trust. As many as 15 students will be selected for the scholarships, which will be awarded for the first time for the academic year beginning September 2006. The 2006 scholarships are open to all legally blind students entering their senior year of high school in fall 2005. Students must be U.S. citizens, have an excellent academic record, be able to demonstrate financial need, have exhibited leadership traits and have performed community service. All applications will be reviewed and the applicants judged by a scholarship selection committee. For more information, visit http://www.jgb.org or call (212) 769-6237. To obtain an application, contact Gordon Rovins via e-mail, [email protected].
ZoomText Update
Ai Squared’s latest ZoomText update, version 8.11.3, is fully compatible with Service Pack 2. Other important fixes and enhancements are also delivered in this update. All users of ZoomText 8.1 are encouraged to obtain the latest ZoomText update release, even if they are not installing Service Pack 2. This free update can be acquired online using automatic updating, the ZoomText update wizard, or manual updating at http://www.aisquared.com/support/updates.htm.
New Religious Publication Available
Order a summary in braille (a full-size, double-sided sheet) of the Seven Commandments of Noah! These divine laws date back to Adam, Noah and Abraham. The sheets can be ordered for a limited time at no charge. Send your order by regular mail to Ask Noah, PO Box 1, Pittsburgh, PA 15230. Or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Visit http://www.asknoah.org to learn about the Noahide faith and this growing movement, and about Torah’s messages for Gentiles in amazing depth. The web site links to the full text of the book “Path of the Righteous Gentile,” which is also available from RFB&D (1-800-221-4792) on request.
New Magazine
Eastex Access is launching a new monthly cassette magazine for the blind. This publication is called “Love Is Blind,” the audio magazine for singles, and will debut in February 2005. If you would like more information, send an e-mail message to [email protected]. In the subject line, type “love is blind” and the company will e-mail you the information. For more information, call 1-877-222-0679.
Sweeper & Perfume
Carpet sweeper, simple to use, no electricity needed. Asking $60, which includes shipping and handling. Vanilla perfume, 1.75 fluid ounces, $17, includes shipping and handling. If interested, call Alice Crespo at (718) 545-1529 or write to PO Box 9174, Long Island City, NY 11103.