edited by Sharon Strzalkowski
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.
NASA Internships: Start Applying Now
It’s not too early to start planning for summer. NASA is now accepting applications for its summer internship program. NASA has internships for high-school students and for rising freshmen through doctoral students in STEM fields. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for college and 3.0 for high school. High-school students must be at least 16 years old at the time the internship begins. Internships run for 10 weeks for college students and six weeks for high-school students.
To apply, register for an account at http://intern.nasa.gov/, then read through the opportunities available. The deadline to submit applications is April 1, 2019.
Internships are available at all NASA centers nationwide. If you have questions, or need help applying, contact Kenneth A. Silberman at (301) 286-9281, or via e-mail, [email protected].
To subscribe to an announcement-only list about NASA internships for persons with disabilities, send an email to [email protected] with “subscribe” in the subject field, or visit www.freelists.org/list/nasainterns.
Carroll Center Training Electronically
The Carroll Center for the Blind is now providing computer instruction to individuals who cannot physically travel to a training center. eCarroll Technology Instruction brings technology training directly to blind and visually impaired individuals in the comfort of their own home. Using Zoom Meetings, an easy-to-use and accessible video and web conferencing software, expert instructors offer individualized instruction in a wide range of areas; from the nuances of different web browsers to using pivot tables in Microsoft Excel. For a limited time, sign up now for a free 30-minute lesson! To learn more about eCarroll Technology Instruction, visit https://carroll.org/technology-services/ecarroll/.
NBP Award Winners
National Braille Press recently named the Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation as this year’s Hands-On! Award recipient. This award is given to an organization or individual who has made a difference in the world of braille literacy and whose accomplishments have helped blind children and adults succeed in their own lives. The foundation was instrumental in launching the “ReadBooks! Because Braille Matters” literacy program for young children in 2003. Since then, the program has distributed over 18,000 free bags across the U.S. and Canada filled with braille books and resources.
NBP’s 2018 Volunteer Awards went to Tufts Health Plan and Roger Pelissier.
Tufts Health Plan employees have dedicated large amounts of time and energy assembling print/braille books for blind children, including titles such as “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” and “Interrupting Chicken.”
Roger Pelissier of Wellesley, Mass., has given back to his community with portrait donations to countless organizations, including NBP. Along with making in-kind donations to the A Million Laughs for Literacy Gala, Roger has taken product, website, publicity, and staff photos pro-bono for NBP, and has served as a guide for the Blindfold Challenge.
Indiana Launches Museum App
The Indiana State Museum recently unveiled the Indiana State Museum Guide, a new app specially tailored to people who are blind or visually impaired. As visitors walk through areas of the museum, an audio tour guides them to different artifacts or interactives, providing descriptive information about each stop on the tour. The app features tours of the museum’s two newest galleries — Frozen Reign and First Nations — as well as three of the museum’s cultural galleries. More tours will be added to the app over the next several years.
The app is available for download through the app store for iPhones and Androids. The museum also has iPods available that are pre-loaded with the app for free rental during a visit. For more information, contact the museum at (317) 232-1637, or send an email to [email protected].
BANA Publications Available
BANA recently approved a revision of “Guidance for Transcription Using the Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts.” This document is accompanied by a change log that lists updates to the original “Guidance for Transcription Using the Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts” that was posted in June 2016. Individuals who downloaded the file prior to the new April 2018 version should note the indicated changes. Both the guidelines document and the change log are available in BRF and PDF versions at http://www.brailleauthority.org/mathscience/math-science.html.
Also available in BRF and enhanced PDF is “Provisional Guidance for Chemistry Notation Using Nemeth in UEB Contexts.” BANA’s Chemistry Committee developed this provisional guidance for transcribing chemistry using Nemeth in UEB contexts. BANA welcomes feedback from users of this publication. Just click on the “Send a message to the Chemistry Committee” link and enter your comment or question. You can download a copy from http://www.brailleauthority.org/mathscience/math-science.html#chem.
Hard-copy print and braille versions of “Braille Formats: Principles of Print-to-Braille Transcription, 2016” are available from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). The print version is catalog number 7-09653-00; the braille version, 5-09653-00. Visit www.aph.org, or call them toll-free at 1-800-223-1839.
Also available from APH are hard-copy print and braille versions of “Music Braille Code, 2015.” The print version is catalog number 7-09651-01; braille, 5-09651-01.
Does Anyone Have a Copy of …
Does anyone out there know of and have a copy of “The Handbook for the Blind” from Talking Books in the 1950s? There’s a group out there that would like to re-record it. The author was extremely practical. Please contact [email protected].
New from National Braille Press
“Little Bear” by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak is newly available in contracted UEB for ages 4 to 8. This 1957 classic remains as beloved today as it was then. An ALA Notable Children’s Book, this Level One I Can Read book is full of warm and lovingly playful stories that are perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.
Newly available from National Braille Press is “What’s Wrong, Little Pookie?” by Sandra Boynton. It’s a print-braille board book for ages 1 to 5, in uncontracted braille.
Also available is “Frog and Toad Are Friends,” by Arnold Lobel. It’s available in contracted UEB braille for ages 4 to 9. This book is a Caldecott Honor Book celebrating the power of friendship. From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other — just as best friends should be. This book is best for Level 2 beginning readers.
And what little boy doesn’t dream about being a sports hero? Newly available is “Little Baseball,” a print-and-braille board book for ages preschool and up.
For more information, contact National Braille Press at 1-800-548-7323, or visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html.