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.
Wildfire Destroys Southern Oregon ESD Office
The Southern Oregon Education Service District, which provides accessible materials to blind students, lost their main office in the wildfires in Phoenix, Ore. If you can contribute materials or funds, please send to:
Attn: April Love
Southern Oregon ESD
409 NW 3rd Street
Grants Pass, OR 97526
Want to Find an Audio-Described Movie?
ACB’s Audio Description Project has made a new search function available where you can enter a title or part of a title, and the system will find the matches in a Master Audio Description (AD) List. The Master AD List contains over 4,300 titles. Looking for a particular movie? Search for it at www.acb.org/adp/findavideo.html.
Lighthouse Guild Launches New Podcast Series
Lighthouse Guild’s new podcast series, “On Tech & Vision with Dr. Cal Roberts” (the new president & CEO), provides information and insights about technological innovations that are removing barriers for people who are blind or visually impaired.
The podcast is available online at Lighthouseguild.org and for downloading on Apple Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Tunein.com. You can also find it on Twitter, @LighthouseGld #OnTechVision.
GoodMaps Announces Breakthrough Indoor Positioning Technology
GoodMaps Explore is an accessible indoor and outdoor wayfinding app that uses audio instructions and digital maps. It’s now available at the Apple App Store.
USABA Names New CEO
The United States Association of Blind Athletes has chosen Molly Quinn as its first chief executive officer. Quinn comes to USABA from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she served as the vice president, fitness and endurance partnerships.
In her new role at USABA, Quinn will work with the board, staff, members, and other stakeholders to develop, implement, and achieve a new strategic plan to increase membership, expand programs, and develop new revenue streams, among other goals.
New Test for Macular Degeneration
Visible Genomics recently launched a new, non-invasive genetic eye test for age-related macular degeneration. AMD is one of the leading causes of irreversible vision loss in the U.S. It affects over 11 million Americans. For more information, visit https://www.visiblegenomics.com/ or call 1-855-MY-EYES-7 (1-855-693-9377).
Accessible Patterns Index
Calling all needle and loom knitters and crocheters! The Accessible Patterns Index has nearly 600 accessible patterns from 60 designers available at https://accessiblepatternsindex.com/, with more being added each week.
Inspirational Stories of the Visually Challenged
“Inspirational Stories of the Visually Challenged” by Margaret Phalor Barnhart is now available in large print, e-book and audio. The book is a collection of stories from 11 blind and/or visually impaired adults from the Tucson Society of the Blind, and is available on Amazon.
New from National Braille Press
“Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day” by Leanne Brown is newly available in braille (3 volumes) or BRF. Created for people who have to watch every dollar — but particularly those living on the U.S. food stamp allotment of $4 a day — this cookbook is filled with more than 100 healthful, economical recipes, including spicy pulled pork, barley risotto with peas, vegetable jambalaya, and caramelized bananas. For more information, call National Braille Press at 1-800-548-7323, or visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html.