by Sarah Blake
The announcement of products and services in this column is not an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its staff, or elected officials. Products and services are listed free of charge for the benefit of our readers. "The Braille Forum" cannot be held responsible for the reliability of products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, you may e-mail Sarah Blake at [email protected], or call ACB at 1- 800-424-8666 and leave a message in mailbox 26. Please remember that postal regulations prohibit us from including advertisements, and that we need information two months ahead of actual publication dates.
A Note from Sarah
I am very pleased to have the opportunity to edit this column. I have been active in the ACB since 1992 and have served as editor for both the National Alliance of Blind Students and the National Association of Blind Teachers. I am self-employed as a freelance writer and am delighted to find a way to use my skills to benefit the ACB and its members once again.
Important Online Survey Seeks Participants
The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Workplace Accommodations is researching the technology needs of people with visual impairments. To ensure people who are blind or visually impaired are well represented in the survey population, join our consumer advisory network by signing up on our web site, http://www.workrerc.org/Contact/advisorylist.cfm. The survey will be sent to all those signed up for the network. Our first survey will ask about problems which people with disabilities have encountered finding and maintaining employment and about barriers they may have encountered. Interviews to gather more details about specific problems are also being planned.
If you have difficulty filling out the form on the web site, send an e-mail message to [email protected] to request a text copy.
ICEB General Assembly & Call for Papers
The International Council on English Braille (ICEB) is accepting papers for the Third General Assembly, to be held from March 29 to April 2, 2004 in Toronto, Canada. Your paper must be related to the Unified English Braille Code Research Project (UEBC) or relevant ICEB work. All papers intended for presentation at the 2004 conference must be received by November 15, 2003. Send them to: Darleen Bogart, CNIB Library for the Blind, 1929 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario Canada M4G 3E8; phone (416) 480-7530 (work), fax (416) 480-7700, e-mail [email protected]. Include your name, address, telephone and e-mail address with each paper you submit.
For further information on the conference, or to discuss specific guidelines for papers, contact: Raeleen Smith, Secretary, ICEB, Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, PO Box 2237, South Dunedin, New Zealand; phone 6434664244; fax: 6434554319; e-mail [email protected].
Very Special Arts Festival
The 2004 International VSA Arts Festival to be held June 9 through 12, 2004 will be unlike any other festival! VSA Arts will have a presence in some of Washington, D.C.'s premiere and exciting locations. Opening ceremonies will be held in the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which has the capacity to seat an audience of over 2,000. Union Station, a historical landmark visited by over 70,000 people daily, will exhibit and stage some of our finest visual artists and performers. The Smithsonian Institution, one of the nation's most significant art venues, will host some of our master artist workshops and demonstrations. In addition, The Millennium Arts Center, Washington, D.C.'s seven-wing, 150,000 square foot facility, has committed to exhibiting our artwork, particularly installation art.
VSA Arts is currently conducting an open call to artists (literary, media, performing, and visual) to participate in the festival. You can download, complete, and submit the application form at the web site, http://www.vsartsfestival.org/.
Connie's Kitchen
Many ACB members will remember Connie Weadon, a visually impaired cook and teacher who wrote for "Dialogue." Blindskills, Inc., in partnership with the Washington Council of the Blind, has released a cookbook called "Connie's Kitchen: A Compilation of Recipes and Tips from the Pages of Dialogue." Recipes range from healthful main and side dishes to rich desserts; there are even recipes for use in the microwave oven. The book is available in braille and large print for $20 per copy. Call (800) 860-4224 to order. MasterCard and Visa are accepted.
Access Loans Available from DCU
Members of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) can join the Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) to take advantage of access loans, which are now available for any product, device, or building modification designed to assist someone with a disability. Borrow from $1,500 to $25,000 or more for up to 72 months with no down payment required. The borrower need not be the beneficiary of the purchase. Qualified purchases include, but are not limited to: assistive technology, durable medical equipment, housing modifications, and rehabilitative equipment. DCU offers convenient repayment methods, including electronically, at a DCU ATM, at any DCU branch, or by mail with a loan payment coupon. If you direct deposit your net pay, Social Security, or pension into your DCU checking account and make electronic payments for the full term of your loan, your interest rate will be one-half percent below that for other payment methods. Rates are also based on your personal credit history.
There is no fee to join the credit union; all you have to do is open a savings or checking account for as little as $5. If you are already an AAPD member, or if you would like to join AAPD and DCU at the same time, you can call DCU directly for further information and an application at (800) 328-8797 (800-395-5146 TTY). Or visit DCU's web site at www.dcu.org.
Access Technology Course
The Hadley School for the Blind's course, "Access Technology: Beginnings," can provide the information to decide which hardware, software and access technology best meet your requirements. Anyone interested in helping a visually impaired family member, client or student select a computer system would also benefit from enrolling. This tuition-free distance education course enables you to learn at your own pace in the comfort of your home.
The four lessons in this course enable you to select a personal computer (PC) that meets your needs. After presenting a brief history of computers, the course describes the components of a typical PC system. It not only explains how computers are used today, but also how visually impaired people access computers. Steps for selecting a PC and appropriate access technology are listed, and alternatives for financing the purchase are suggested. A Technology List includes companies and organizations that provide computer equipment and services to people who are visually impaired.
To enroll, call Student Services at (800) 526-9909 or visit us on the web at www.hadleyschool.org.
User Evaluations of AT
The AT Connection is a new web-based forum where users of assistive technology can confidentially post product reviews and exchange information about their experiences with assistive technology products. There is no cost or commitment for use of this resource. Visit www.techconnections.org/forum.cfm. Call the AT Network information and referral hotline at 1-800-390-2699, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., for assistance with finding the products that meet your needs.
Accessible Software for Cell Phones
Mobile Accessibility software makes your cell phone talk. With Mobile Accessibility you can create and edit your contact list; create, edit, send and read text messages; use audible caller ID; and much more. Contact Tom Rash via e-mail at [email protected] for more information.
New Web-Braille Viewer
WB-View, NLS's new Web-Braille viewer, a software program designed specifically to read electronic braille books on the PC, is now available. The program allows users to flip through the pages of a book by braille page. Additional features include: automatic return to the last line read when a volume is reopened; support for up to 10 bookmarks to be saved when a volume is closed; the ability to open all volumes of a book by opening any one of its volumes; a unique autoread function that allows a user to set the speed at which the braille display will advance, depending on the length of the line; automatic launch of WB-View in association with .brf and .brl Windows files; and support for find and find again commands, which will leave the braille display ready for reading at the found position. WB-View also provides a similar reading experience with plain text files.
WB-View's development was funded by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped to facilitate access to its own electronic braille book collection, known as WebBraille. WB-View, which is designed to work with all popular screen readers and refreshable braille displays, sells for $69. To order, contact Computers & Assistive Technologies, Inc. at (772) 546-8950 or (772) 546-2473 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time; or send e-mail to [email protected].
RFB&D Now Digital
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic has gone digital! Last September, we launched RFB&D's Audio Plus (TM) digitally recorded textbooks on CD. A single RFB&D's AudioPlus CD (developed adhering to DAISY format standards) holds the equivalent of 10 to12 four-track cassettes! Call RFB&D to learn about our special offers for existing members. If you haven't borrowed a book since you were a student, call our toll-free number below and ask about renewal options.
To see which books in RFB&D's extensive library are currently available on CD, visit www.rfbd.org/catalog and look for book titles with the designation AD or DT. Or, call toll- free, (800) 221-4792, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Eastern.
New Portable Reading Product
Book Port (TM) is a flexible book reading device that consists of a small, portable unit with a keypad and earbuds, plus accompanying software. It features both text-to-speech capabilities for electronic text or braille format files and digital audio support for electronic audio books. The unit contains a universal serial bus (USB) connector and a CompactFlash card slot for removable mass storage. The device works only with computers with a Windows 2000 or later operating system. Book Port also acts as a recorder, letting you take audio notes on the material you read.
The included software and cable lets you use your PC to transfer material to Book Port. You can then disconnect Book Port and take it anywhere you go. The Book Port is available from the American Printing House for the Blind for $395. To order, call 1- 800-223-1839.
Newsletter of Note
Planning for Elders publishes a monthly newsletter, Long Term Care News and Views, available at www.planningforelders.org in PDF or text format or by mail. Topics include funding and legislative issues, programs, features about items of interest to people with disabilities, and more.
Blind-Novel-Tees Announces New Designs
T-shirts and sweatshirts now available starting at $16.95 plus shipping. Slogans include: "I See With My Heart," "I Don't Miss the Ugly Stuff," "Long Time No See," and "Hound Sight is 20/20." Visit Blind-Novel-Tees online at www.bntonline.com.
Seeking Students for Master's Programs
The Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Department of Graduate Studies in Vision Impairment, is seeking people who are blind or visually impaired and interested in receiving a master's degree or certification in education of children and youth with visual and multiple impairments, rehabilitation teaching, orientation and mobility, or low vision rehabilitation. The programs encompass a mixture of classroom, laboratory, clinical, research and field-based learning geared toward meeting professional preparation needs in the field of vision impairment. Rolling admissions and scholarships are available. For more information, contact Sharon Jackson at (215) 780-1363 or [email protected]. You may also visit www.pco.edu and select "academic programs."
Braille Transcription
"Eazy" Braille Transcription Service is offering new prices. Non-bound documents are transcribed from print to braille, or from braille to print, in English or Spanish. Most projects take between one and three hours. The cost is $8 per hour at a minimum of one hour. Contact Meagan Green, P.O. Box 18696, Salem, OR 97305, by phone at (503) 581-3948, or by e-mail at [email protected].
New Ann Morris Catalog Available
The 2004 Ann Morris Enterprises product catalog is now available in large print or four-track cassette free of charge. Braille costs $12. Downloads are available from www.annmorris.com or at [email protected]. New items include a talking TV remote, talking sign, light gathering magnifier, two color identifiers, and much more. Contact us at 551 Hosner Mountain Rd., Stormville, NY 12582 or call 1-800-454-3175.
New Phone Number for Shadows in the Dark
For information about our braille cards in English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Norwegian, and Japanese (coming soon), visit the web site at www.shadowsinthedark.com. Or write to Shadows in the Dark, 4600 Pine Hill Rd., Shreveport, LA 71107-2716. Call (318) 459-1256 or send e-mail to [email protected].