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.
Access-Ability Award Winners
Helen Keller Services’ Access-Ability Awards recognize companies, non-profit organizations and individuals doing work to support the DeafBlind, blind, or low vision communities. The recipients of this year’s Access-Ability Awards are:
- NaviLens – The company has developed a system using your mobile camera to scan and get the necessary information contextualized throught the NaviLens accessible QR code, to enhance accessibility for visually impaired individuals, including those who are DeafBlind.
- Kellogg’s - This company has incorporated NaviLens codes on the packaging of some of its most iconic cereals in the U.S. The technology allows blind, partially sighted, and DeafBlind people to find the boxes from a few feet away and hear information on the products using the NaviLens app on their smart phones.
- Procter & Gamble - P&G actively promotes accessibility and inclusivity in their products and work environment. Their commitment extends to the DeafBlind community, including haircare brand Herbal Essences, one of the pioneers in the accessibility field, adding raised stripes to their shampoo bottles and raised circles to their conditioner bottles.
- Netflix - Through expanding Audio Description and Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to be available in more languages and in more films and series, Netflix is working to create an entertainment experience for everyone regardless of language, device, connectivity, or ability, and connect members to their next favorite story.
- NV Access - Through their free and open-source screen reader, NVDA, blind and deaf-blind individuals are empowered worldwide. Their software is available in 175 countries, 55 languages and is used by 250,000 people worldwide.
- Compass 365 - As a Microsoft Gold Partner and employee-owned, they had the opportunity to make HKS intranet accessible at Compass365 transforming organizations using Sharepoint/Microsoft 365. Helen Keller Services benefitted directly when Compass helped make HKS’ new intranet, Helen’s Hub, accessible to blind and deafblind employees.
Pneuma Solutions’ Android App Updated
The Android App for Sero has been updated to version 3.2.0. For more details, visit https://pneumasolutions.com/products/sero/.
Touch of Genius Prize Winner
The 2023 winner of the Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is Gregory Hargrove and the team of inventors who created the Paige Connect. What is Paige Connect? It’s an adaptation for the traditional Perkins Brailler that replaces the base of the brailler with a sturdy printed circuit board. This board has its own Wi-Fi with sensors that convert the physical keystrokes on the brailler to a digital output that can be read on a phone, tablet, or laptop instantly.
Lighthouse Guild College Scholarship Recipients
Fifteen college and graduate school students will each receive a $10,000 scholarship in recognition of their academic accomplishments and merit. Since 2005, the Guild has awarded more than $2.7 million in scholarships to worthy students across the country.
The 2023 Lighthouse Guild 2023 scholarship recipients and their schools are:
Undergraduate Scholarships
- Skylar Adad, Danville, CA, Boise State University
- Kenny Calhoun, Aldie, VA, College of William & Mary
- Matthew Cho, New York, NY, Marymount Manhattan College
- Holly Connor, Clayton, MO, Webster University
- Jack Freeburg, Volin, SD, University of Notre Dame
- Julia LaGrand, Grand Rapids, MI, New England Conservatory
- Haley Nisperly, Wheeling, WV, University of Charleston
- Caden Roebke, Gypsum, CO, Colorado School of Mines
- Ashleigh Rogers, Duncannon, PA, Lebanon Valley College
- Charlotte Wismer, Drexel Hill, PA, Rochester Institute of Technology
Graduate Scholarships
- Trisha Kulkarni, Dayton, OH, Stanford University
- Jack McPadden, Winchester, MA, Spalding University
- Emely Recinos, New York, NY, Syracuse University College of Law
- Elizabeth Rouse, Durant, IA, University of Minnesota School of Law
- Maryam Abdul Sattar, San Diego, CA, San Diego State University
NBP’s Online Store Is Moving!
National Braille Press’ online store is moving to Shopify. The old online store will be retired very soon, and any existing NBP accounts will retire with it.
Please note: If you have purchased any downloads, log into nbp.org, navigate to the Accounts/My Downloads page, and download and store all of your purchases. After the old store is retired, you will not have access to these downloads. The new store is at shop.nbp.org. If you have questions, email [email protected], or call (617) 266-6160 ext. 520.