edited by Sue Lichtenfels
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 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.
New Online Courses for Job Seekers
AFB's CareerConnect web site has launched the Job Seekers Tool Kit. This is a free, self-paced online course designed for young people and unemployed adults who are blind or visually impaired. The course covers self-awareness, career exploration tools, the preliminary employment process, the interview, and maintaining employment. It also includes an option for parents and professionals to track and evaluate a student's progress. Visit www.afb.org/careerconnect to learn more.
B Canes
B Canes markets canes for the blind, and also employs blind people. Visit www.bcanes.com, e-mail [email protected], or call (402) 727-5806 for more information.
Learn to Fly on Your Computer
It's Your Plane (IYP) is an add-on software program that makes the Microsoft Flight Simulator program accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. Through voice commands, aviation buffs can fly planes from the point of pre-flight checks through landing and shutdown. An interactive virtual co-pilot performs the commands and maneuvers the plane as instructed. The IYP software works with Microsoft Flight Simulator versions 2004 and FSX. To get started with this fascinating hobby, or to learn more, visit www.itsyourplane.com.
Choice Magazine Listing
Choice Magazine Listening (CML) is a bimonthly anthology of audio magazine articles for the visually and physically impaired. Some of the anthology's articles are taken from The New Yorker, The Iowa Review, Gourmet, National Geographic, Atlantic Monthly, Smithsonian, New York Times Style Magazine, The New York Review of Books, McSweeney's, Commentary, and many more magazines. The New York Times report in May about the passing of legendary singer and actress Lena Horne, an interview with renowned writer Ray Bradbury from The Paris Review, and an audio interview from the final broadcast of Bill Moyers' Journal are examples of features that were included in the July 2010 edition of CML. For more information about CML, contact Paul Rabin at (516) 503-0271 or [email protected]. CML is available through NLS on audio cassette or via download from the BARD website.
Scholarship Winners Announced
The National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families at Through the Looking Glass recently announced the winners of its 2010 college scholarships. They are: Cameron Allen, Spokane Valley, Wash.; Anna Butrym, West Columbia, S.C.; Ivy Crowder, Orlando, Fla.; Mary Katherine Fanning, St. Louis, Mo.; Jessica Guzman, Columbia, Md.; Megan Hasenyager, Rockwall, Tex.; Bridget Hickey, Chicago, Ill.; Jenna Morris, Springville, Calif.; Wendy Ramirez, Houston, Tex.; and Stephen from the southeastern U.S.
New Book
"You Might Be a Moron" is a new book written by a couple from Hawaii with multiple disabilities. The book is a tongue-in-cheek look at the goofy, crazy, off-the-wall things that average people say, do, think or believe is true. It is available as a downloadable PDF file from the couple's web site, www.giantdolphin.com.
Stitch by Stitch
"Stitch by Stitch: Sewing with Low Vision" by Kathryn Hodges is now available in large print. The book is designed specifically for individuals with vision loss who have an interest in learning or re-learning to sew, embroider, knit, or learn other needlework. It provides detailed descriptions and large images of adaptive techniques and tools to make the process easier. If interested in a copy, contact Horizons for the Blind at (815) 444-8800 or visit www.horizons-blind.org.
Bookshare Offers Free Memberships
As part of a $32 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Bookshare offers free membership access to qualified schools and students with print disabilities across the country. Its extensive online library includes its best-sellers, textbooks, teacher-recommended readings, and two software programs for reading digital books. Educators and parents can sign up for the service at www.bookshare.org/signUpType.
Repository of Accessible Textbooks
The AccessText Network is a national online database of alternative college materials. Students with disabilities who are enrolled at member colleges and universities can receive books in accessible electronic formats in just a few days. The network has more than 500 colleges and universities in 49 states currently enrolled, providing students with disabilities access to more than 360,000 textbook titles. You can learn if your school participates in this network by contacting its office for students with disabilities. For more information, visit www.AccessText.org.
Jumbo Braille Alternatives
Sandy Price offers two books in uncontracted jumbo braille for individuals who have difficulty reading standard braille. The first is a braille instruction book entitled "The Easy Jumbo Book," which is available in one volume. The second is "Touch by God's Word." This includes 100 inspirational verses from the Bible and is available in both jumbo and standard braille. To learn more about these books, contact Sandy Price at (804) 550-3733 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Brailler Repairs
Bring your brailler back to life! The Selective Doctor, Inc. specializes in the repair of Perkins braillers. Repairs cost $60 for labor, plus the cost of parts. To have the company repair your brailler, send it to: The Selective Doctor, Inc., P.O. Box 571, Manchester, MD 21102. Free matter shipping is accepted. Please insure your brailler. The company will add the cost of return insurance to your invoice. For more information, call (410) 668-1143 or e-mail [email protected]. Or you may visit www.selectivedoctor.com.
Read Your Way to CEUs
Since July 2010, the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) have partnered to offer professionals in the visual impairment field a new way to earn continuing education units (CEUs). Each month, select articles in the AFB's Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) will be worth credit from the ACVREP when read by these professionals. Credits can be used toward recertification for professionals such as orientation and mobility specialists, vision rehabilitation therapists, and low vision therapists. For more information about ACVREP, go to www.acvrep.org. To subscribe to JVIB, go to www.afb.org/jvib.
Seeking Migraine Sufferers
Do you suffer from migraines with piercing pain? Do they last for hours? Ojocion has developed her own home remedy that gets her up and out in 40 minutes 95 percent of the time. If you would like to try it, she'll give you tips from her book in exchange for a 25- to 50-word statement of your results. Contact her at (415) 846-2027 and leave your name and telephone number. Please speak slowly and clearly.