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 Braille 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.
DRA Announces New President and CEO
Kathy Martinez, an internationally recognized disability rights leader, is the new President and CEO of Disability Rights Advocates. Ms. Martinez is a seasoned leader, having served as the Executive Director of World Institute on Disability, as U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, as well as her most recent Senior Vice President role at Wells Fargo. A graduate of San Francisco State University, Kathy Martinez – who was born blind – speaks and publishes on a wide array of topics related to disability justice.
Lighthouse Guild Announces New Director of Rehabilitation Services
Judith Katzen will lead the Rehabilitation Department, which helps people who are blind or visually impaired obtain skills needed to navigate their world and attain their goals. She will work closely with the New York State Commission for the Blind. With over 30 years of experience in services for the disabled, Ms. Katzen was most recently Director of Catholic Charities Community Services at Catholic Guild for the Blind.
Accessible Graphics Consortium
National Braille Press, LightHouse of San Francisco, and the University of Alabama-Huntsville recently launched the Accessible Graphics Consortium. This new consortium of researchers, teachers, and non-profits in the blindness community will work to provide a new standard of tactile graphic equity for the blind and visually impaired. The primary goal of the AGC is to promote greater tactile graphic literacy through research, improved production methods, and curriculum development. AGC will collect, analyze, advance, and disseminate best practices to the community, first focusing on the creation of a recognized program for training teachers in tactile graphics for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math).
ObjectiveEd Wins Federal Grant
ObjectiveEd has been awarded a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) to build a system to teach pre-employment skills to blind and visually impaired students.
New from National Braille Press
National Braille Press has a wide variety of new books available for children and adults.
Now available is “The Day You Begin,” by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López. This book is available in contracted braille (UEB), for ages 5 to 8.
Also new is “Martin & Anne: The Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank” by Nancy Churnin and Yevgenia Nayberg. It’s available in contracted braille (UEB), for ages 6-14.
And don’t forget to check out “Alma and How She Got Her Name” by Juana Martinez-Neal. For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may become.
Got a little baseball fan in the house? Take a look at “Little Baseball” by Brad Herzog and Doug Bowles. It’s available as a print-braille board book so that even the smallest fans can enjoy a baseball book.
And now that we’re well into spring, the hibernating animals are coming out of their lairs. “Old Bear” by Kevin Henkes, also a print-braille board book, tells how the old bear celebrates the best of all seasons, including spring’s blossoms.
Over in the technology section are a number of brand-new books, including “Getting Started with Windows 10: Using Windows 10 with Screen Readers,” by Chris Grabowski and Kim Loftis. It is available in braille (3 slim volumes) as well as BRF, DAISY and Word. Those who are new to Windows 10 will find that this book helps demystify the operating system, and shows how to use your PC in the ways that best suit your preferences.
Also available is “What’s New in iOS 14: A Guide for Blind Users” by Anna Dresner. It is available in braille (one volume) as well as BRF, DAISY and Word. Dresner’s iOS 14 Reference Card is available to go with it.
For more information, call toll-free 1-800-548-7323 or visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html.