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.
Tax Time Is Coming …
The Internal Revenue Service has updated information on IRS.gov regarding the Alternative Media Center (AMC) at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/information-about-the-alternative-media-center and on its Accessible Forms & Publications page at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/accessible-irs-tax-products. The AMC provides a variety of services to assist visually impaired taxpayers. For more information, call 1-800-829-1040.
Eclipse Soundscapes Citizen Science Project Selected for NASA Grant
Over 5 years, ESCSP and NASA will explore how U.S. ecosystems are impacted by solar eclipses. The project will promote inclusive and accessible learning, with a special focus on people who are blind or low vision. It will introduce accessible opportunities for citizen scientists to participate in eclipse research. Citizen scientists will collect audio recordings from eclipses and analyze acoustic data to determine how disruptions in light and circadian rhythms may affect ecosystems. For more information, visit www.ArisaLab.org.
Summer 2021 Internships at NASA
NASA offers internships for high school, college, graduate and post-graduate students. Internships provide students with the opportunity to participate in either research or other experiential learning, under the guidance of a mentor at NASA. Information is available at https://intern.nasa.gov/. For specific information about applying for internships as a student with a disability, please join the listserv. Subscribe by sending an email to [email protected] with “subscribe” (minus the quotes) in the subject field, or by visiting the announce-only list page at https://www.freelists.org/list/nasainterns. For further information, contact Kenneth Silberman via email, [email protected].
New COO at Lighthouse Guild
Paul Misiti is the new Chief Operating Officer at Lighthouse Guild (New York). Prior to joining Lighthouse Guild, he was with Bausch + Lomb, where his most recent position was Executive Director of Medical Office and Medical Science Operations R&D. He has also held positions at TRICO®, Eaton, and Chrysler Motors.
New from NBP
National Braille Press has a variety of new products available. Among them are a variety of magnets with memorable quotations, such as:
“Friends are the family you choose for yourself.” — Unknown
“Whatever you’re meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.” — Doris Lessing
“Us. Friends. Always.” — Mary Anne Radmacher
Over in the children’s section are two new books, “Bearnard’s Book” by Deborah Underwood and Misa Saburi, and “How to Read a Book” by Kwame Alexander and Melissa Sweet. Both are available in contracted braille (UEB).
Also new is “Owl at Home,” by Arnold Lobel. It’s available in contracted UEB, and is for ages 4-8. Learn about Owl’s life and home in the woods.
Brand-new and now available is “Thursday Morning Quotations – Volume 2.” It comes as one small spiral-bound braille booklet, and includes 52 memorable quotes.
For more information, call National Braille Press toll-free at 1-800-548-7323, or visit
www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index.html.
NBP Receives Grant
National Braille Press received $150,000 from the NewCo Foundation for the Children’s Braille Book Club (CBBC). Over five years, this grant will allow the CBBC to provide free braille books for blind and visually impaired children and their families. Applications for the free subscriptions opened on Jan. 4, 2021. This initiative will begin by offering free 1-year (12 book) subscriptions to 125 eligible families on a first-come, first-served basis from March 2021 to February 2022. For more information, visit https://info.nbp.org/cbbc-info.
News Podcast by Phone
Missing the TellMe service? Good news! MTech has come up with a replacement service for computer-free folks. You can reach its news podcast at (814) 322-9352, and hear news from Fox, ABC, NPR, SRN, and several other sources. The first 30 minutes of listening per day is free. There’s also a number to call to hear the weather, (814) 308-5074.
Any Camp Bloomfield Alums Out There?
I am looking for alumni from Camp Bloomfield from 1965 to 1973. I went to Bloomfield and participated in the talent shows there. I am looking for campers, counselors, and specialists. If you were at Camp Bloomfield during those years, call Walter Chavira at (661) 748-7249.
Mentorship for Blind People
Are you new to blindness? Would you like a mentor? David White has started a mentorship program for blind people. You can reach him at (540) 988-5079 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern; after 5 p.m., you can reach him at (540) 970-6320.