edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins
The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. “The ACB E-Forum” cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned.
To submit items for this column, send a message to [email protected], or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in Sharon Lovering’s mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date.
Home, Garden & Agriculture
Home, Garden and Agriculture is an ACB Community call on the second Saturday of each month. We’ve also now launched a listserv, Homesteading by Touch, for discussion of any and all topics related to homesteading. This group is not limited to those who are blind and visually impaired; homesteading is usually a family and often a community effort. This is a safe place for people who are blind and visually impaired, their family members and friends to share homesteading experiences. We welcome discussions on gardening, food preparation, food preservation, keeping livestock, home management and home maintenance. This is a place to ask questions, share knowledge and discuss adaptive techniques. It does not matter if you live on a large acreage or in an apartment; homesteading is a mentality, not where you live.
To subscribe to the homesteading listserv, send an email to the following address: [email protected]. You will then receive a message to confirm your subscription.
Utah Lions Club and NBP Book Project
Utah Lions Club-Multiple District 28 joined forces with National Braille Press to build and donate over 400 books. Members of the Utah Lions Club along with NBP staff assembled hundreds of books for blind children and those with low vision. They assembled the braille children’s books “Love You to the Moon and Back” and “Froggy Get Dressed.”
Baking Blind World Cookbook
Blind cook Penny Melville-Brown recently released her new cookbook, “A Cook’s Tour: Baking Blind Goes Global.” Cooking with professional chefs and home cooks (sighted or not), the book covers six continents, more than 100 recipes, and links to over 50 demonstration videos, plus practical insights into living with a disability. The book is available on Amazon and Kindle. For more information, visit www.pennymelvillebrown.com.
NLS Launches Braille-on-Demand Pilot Project
As part of its braille modernization initiative, NLS launched the Braille-on-Demand pilot project on Monday, June 20, 2022. This project allows active NLS patrons to request and receive one hard-copy braille title per month, which they can retain for their personal use. Braille titles will be limited to books that are currently available on BARD. The form to request a braille-on-demand book can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NLSbrailleondemand.
ASCO’s 2022 Special Recognition Award Recipients
- Lifetime Achievement Award — Dr. David S. Loshin
- Dr. Jack Bennett Innovation in Optometric Education Award — Awarded to all the teaching faculty, both didactic and clinical teachers, at ASCO’s member institutions in the U.S. and Canada
- Ophthalmic Industry Leadership Award — Vernon Dela Cruz
- Rising Star Award — Dr. Lucy Kehinde
- Student Award in Clinical Ethics — Dr. Andrea Meagher
All award winners were acknowledged during ASCO’s annual business meeting in June.
2022 HKS AccessAbility Awards Recipients
Helen Keller Services recently announced the winners of its 2022 AccessAbility Awards. They are:
- Clean Logic
- Service Skills
- UniDescription
- Accessible Pharmacy
- WundermanHealth
“The companies we are recognizing have made significant contributions to improving the everyday life of those who are DeafBlind, blind and have low vision” said Larry Kinitsky, Chairman of HKS.
Lighthouse Guild Scholarships
Lighthouse Guild recently awarded its 2022 scholarships. The winners are listed below.
Undergraduate Scholarships
- Noah Carver, Beals, Maine, University of Rochester, Eastman School of Music
- Una Fonte, Vergennes, Vt., Smith College
- Yael Korc, Herndon, Va., Dickinson College
- Cindy Liu, Flushing, N.Y., Yale College
- Iliana Mejia, Woodhaven, N.Y., Marymount Manhattan College
- Caroline Mizer, Akron, Ohio, Otterbein University
- David Mo, Ridgewood, N.J., Stevens Institute of Technology
- Camille O’Neill, Gretna, Neb., Creighton University, Heider College of Business
- Avery Sallean, Cary, N.C., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Brandon Swallow, Rockingham, N.C., University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Graduate Scholarships
- Emma Chambers, Vestavia Hills, Ala., Samford University, School of Health Professions
- Marieke Davis, Columbus, Ohio, Columbus College of Arts & Design
- Katelyn Kelel, Redford, Mich., Seattle University
- Jannik Pesch, Sarasota, Fla., Florida International University, Chapman Graduate School of Business
- Blake Tarrants, Blue Springs, Mo., Missouri State University
Penny Forward Launches Innovative Online Courses
This paid membership service provides self-paced, online financial education courses, regularly-scheduled group discussions held virtually, and access to one-to-one coaching services — all designed to help members improve their financial health. For more information, call 1-888-332-5558 or visit https://www.pennyforward.com/.
New Books from National Braille Press
Newly released is Usborne Books’ “That’s Not My Otter!” It’s available in UEB for ages baby through preschool. Little ones will love exploring the various textures on the otters.
Also available is “Papa’s Mechanical Fish,” by Candace Fleming and Boris Kulikov. It’s available in UEB for ages 4 to 8. This story is based on a real-life inventor who creates a submarine that can take his family for a trip to the bottom of Lake Michigan.
Looking for new recipes to try? Take a look at “5-Ingredient Whole-Food Plant-Based Cookbook: Easy Recipes with No Salt, Oil, or Refined Sugar,” by Jennifer Marie Sinyerd. It’s available in hard-copy braille and as a BRF. This cookbook includes 70 easy meal recipes with no salt, oil, or refined sugar.
Trying to teach your little ones about permission and boundaries? Check out the new “C Is for Consent,” by Eleanor Morrison and Faye Orlove. It’s available in UEB for ages baby to 3.
If you have a patriotic music lover in your household, they’ll enjoy “For Spacious Skies: Katharine Lee Bates and the Inspiration for ‘America the Beautiful,’” by Nancy Churnin and Olga Baumert. It comes in UEB for ages 4 to 9. Katharine Lee Bates first wrote the words to “America the Beautiful” after a visit to Pikes Peak in 1893. Ms. Bates believed in the power of words to make a difference. And we’re still singing her song today.
For more information, call toll-free 1-800-548-7323 or visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html.