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.
SSA Unveils Redesigned Retirement Benefits Portal
The Social Security Administration’s newly redesigned retirement benefits portal can be found at www.socialsecurity.gov/benefits/retirement. The redesigned portal will make it easier for people to find and read about Social Security retirement benefits, with fewer pages and condensed, rewritten, and clearer information. The portal also is optimized for mobile devices so people can learn and do what they want from wherever they want. It now includes the ability to subscribe to receive retirement information and updates.
Picture This!
Are you using audio description but finding it hard to keep up on what’s new in the field? Are you new to the audio description profession or industry and hoping to find one place where you can stay connected with the most current news and developments in the field?
Then here’s the podcast for you: Picture This – a show about audio description and accessible entertainment. This semimonthly podcast will talk about the world of audio description; discuss the latest technology trends, and interview industry insiders, movers and shakers. We will hear from consumers, personalities, creators, and content producers.
Your co-hosts are Carl Richardson and Brian Charlson, longtime consumers of audio description.
Picture This is now available for download. New episodes will be available on the 15th and 30th of each month. To access the podcast, go to https://picturethisaudio.libsyn.com/rss or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/picture-this/id1518632352.
You can also do a search for the title Picture This in iTunes or wherever you download podcasts and subscribe.
To leave feedback, suggestions, or ideas for a future podcast, please get in touch with the Picture This team by emailing your comments to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (857) 302-2817. We may use your email or voicemail in a future episode.
2020 ASCO Award Winners
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) recently announced the recipients of its 2020 Special Recognition Awards.
Dr. Janice Scharre is this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner and ASCO’s first female recipient. This award recognizes an outstanding individual who, over an extended period of time, provided exceptional leadership to ASCO and to optometric education; made outstanding contributions to the optometric community; and displayed exemplary commitment and dedication to the association.
The ASCO Rising Star Award is given to an outstanding faculty member or administrator with less than seven years of service who has made noteworthy contributions to fulfilling the mission, strategic objections, or programs of ASCO. This year’s Rising Star awardee is Erik Mothersbaugh, OD, MPH, dean of the Illinois College of Optometry.
Ryan Yuan is the winner of the 2020 Student Award in Clinical Ethics. This annual national award, sponsored by Alcon, is available to optometry students during any point of their professional program at an ASCO-affiliated school or college of optometry in the United States and Canada. The application consists of an essay of up to 1,500 words describing any one of the following scenarios: a patient-based case study that the student encountered as part of their clinical learning experience, or a research-based case scenario that the student has encountered during their clinical or didactic learning experience, or a professional ethics-based scenario that the student has encountered during their clinical or didactic learning.
AbleData Discontinued
Due to a realignment of the priorities of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), AbleData will be discontinued on Sept. 27, 2020.
New from National Braille Press
Newly available is Deborah Kendrick’s “When Your Ears Can’t Help You See: Strategies for Blind and Low Vision Individuals with Hearing Loss.” It is available in braille (two slim volumes), BRF, DAISY and Word. Whether you grew up blind or lost your sight in your 50s, there are techniques and technologies to help you adjust to hearing loss.
“Fitness Over Fifty: An Exercise Guide” by the National Institute on Aging is now available in braille (2 volumes) or BRF. This book includes everything you need to begin your own exercise program, including nutrition tips, easy-to-follow exercises, and expert advice.
“The Keto Diet: Slow Cooker Favorites” by Topix Media Lab is also available in braille (2 volumes) or BRF. It includes more than 100 recipes, tips and tricks for the ketogenic diet. These delicious slow cooker recipes will help you meet your wellness goals.
Looking for a way to celebrate freedom? NBP has the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution available in braille (one volume) or as a BRF. These items are free; limit one per customer.
Also available is the tactile American flag with the Pledge of Allegiance, in contracted or uncontracted braille. The flag is red, white & blue and has tactile stars and stripes. The Pledge of Allegiance is in large print over the red and white stripes, and is also in braille over the red stripes.
Breaking news! National Braille Press has resumed the paper edition of “Syndicated Columnists Weekly” with the June 22nd issue.
For more information, call toll-free 1-800-548-7323, or visit https://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html.