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.
Ski for Light 2023
The 48th annual Ski for Light International Week will take place from Sunday, January 29 through Sunday, February 5, 2023, in Granby, Colo. Ski for Light, an all-volunteer nonprofit, organizes an annual, week-long event where blind and mobility-impaired adults enjoy the sport of cross-country skiing. The event attracts approximately 250 skiers, guides and volunteers from throughout the United States, as well as international participants. Each participant is paired with an experienced, sighted cross-country skier who acts as ski instructor and on-snow guide.
This winter, attendees will ski and stay at Snow Mountain Ranch, part of the YMCA of the Rockies, located near Winter Park. In addition to skiing on 100 kilometers of wide and wonderfully groomed Nordic trails, participants will have the opportunity to compete in the Olav Pedersen Race/Rally and enjoy many off-snow activities.
Registration forms are now available at www.sfl.org. For more information, contact Bob Hartt via email, [email protected], or call him at (703) 851-8149.
Potential Diabetic Macular Edema Treatment
AbbVie/Regenxbio’s RGX-314 (gene therapy candidate) has the potential to address a key unmet need for drugs that reduce patient burden for diabetic macular edema (DME) patients — namely, multiple hospital visits for treatment. If approved, RGX-314 would be a one-time treatment.
Job Seeker’s Toolkit
American Printing House for the Blind’s ConnectCenter and NSITE have created a Job Seeker’s Toolkit – an accessible, self-paced, free online training course to assist individuals to develop career exploration and job-seeking skills. The course provides five 60-minute sessions that cover self-awareness, career exploration tools and resources, the preliminary employment process, the interview, and maintaining employment. To learn more, visit https://communities.nonprofitleadershipalliance.org/nsitecommunity/home.
JAWS and ZoomText Update
The JAWS® Student Edition and ZoomText Student Edition are now available for purchase via the American Printing House (APH) website. For more information, contact APH Customer Service at 1-800-223-1839 or [email protected].
Freedom Scientific has created training for teachers and support staff. Visit www.freedomscientific.com/teachers.
Free and Accessible Training for the Tech Sector
Fable Pathways is a free, on-demand, accessible skill-building program for people with disabilities interested in working in the tech sector. These courses are delivered by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. Sign up at www.fablepathways.com. For more information, email [email protected] or call 1-888-212-3532.
New Books from National Braille Press
Have you ever wondered just what these emoji things look like? Check out “Emoji Tactile Graphics: Names, Meanings, and Tactile Graphics.” It’s available in UEB, and includes 97 tactile illustrations. It will give you the names and meanings of these 97 emoji, as well as the tactile version.
Are you working on a document for school or work, and need some help with design? Take a look at Judy Dixon’s “Designing Documents for Appearance: Using a Screen Reader to Create Eye-Catching Newsletters, Flyers, Certificates, and More.” It’s available in braille, BRF, DAISY or Word. In this book you’ll learn how to make visually appealing documents using Microsoft Word, JAWS and NVDA. It goes from basic design to sharing your work online.
Are you or a student you know studying history and/or geography? Then “Tactile Map of the United States of America” may be helpful. It’s a full-color tactile map of the United States with braille state abbreviations and larger dots indicating the state capitals. A key includes the full state names and their capitals.
Over in the children’s section, the newest book is “Thunder Boy Jr.,” by Sherman Alexie and Yuyi Morales. It’s available in UEB for ages 4 to 8.
Also new is “Also,” by E.B. Goodale. It’s available in UEB braille for ages 4 to 7. This book is an ode to the way memories allow us to be in many places at once.
For more information, call toll-free 1-800-548-7323, or visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html.