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, send a message to [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.
** EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RESOURCES
This September, in conjunction with National Preparedness Month, Bridge Multimedia will be offering a free online series entitled 30 Days, 30 Resources. This program will feature articles, guides, lists, and links to timely facts regarding disaster readiness for homes, schools, businesses, and communities. All articles in the program are available for publication and distribution free of charge with attribution to Bridge Multimedia. These resources will be posted online at www.EmergencyInfoOnline.org.
** TOUCHABLE ART EXHIBIT
For the 16th year, the USArtists: American Fine Art Show will offer a free program for the visually impaired. The show's 55 art dealers bring touchable art to the event, including sculptures. This exhibit runs from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, 2007 at the 33rd Street Armory, located on 33rd St. between Market and Arch streets in Philadelphia.
** CTEVH CONFERENCE SEEKS PRESENTERS
The workshop committee for the 49th annual California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped Conference is seeking potential presenters to share research, offer practical solutions or demonstrate interactive activities and usable tips for the enrichment of conference participants. Poster sessions are also available to share more limited information. The conference will be held Feb. 28 to March 2, 2008 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. Applications for workshop and poster session proposals are due immediately. For additional information, or to view and download the proposal form, visit the conference web site at www.ctevh.org/conference.htm, or call Adama Dyoniziak, conference co-chair, at (323) 906-3130.
** TOUCH OF GENIUS NOMINATIONS
National Braille Press is pleased to announce the Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is now open for applications. The Gibney Family Foundation initiated the Touch of Genius prize as a tie-in to NBP's recently published biography of Louis Braille to stimulate new thinking in the area of tactile literacy. The Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation will be granted to an individual or group of individuals who advances the cause of tactile literacy for blind and deaf-blind people worldwide. Louis Braille was an innovator, and this $20,000 award seeks to identify a similar pacesetter and inspire future innovators. For more details and an application, visit www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/braille/louisbrailleprize.html.
** STUDY SEEKS PARTICIPANTS
Dr. Rami Burstein at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School is conducting a study on migraine headaches and photophobia. He would like to interview individuals who are between 18 and 65, and who meet one of the following criteria: have albinism, who ARE and ARE NOT migraine patients; are blind and photophobic, who ARE and ARE NOT migraine patients; or are blind migraine patients, and ARE NOT photophobic. After the 30- to 60-minute phone interview, individuals may be invited to meet in person in the Boston area, if possible, for further study. If you are interested in participating, contact Dr. Burstein at (617) 667-0806, or e-mail [email protected].
** APH ASSESSMENT CATALOG AVAILABLE
The American Printing House for the Blind is proud to debut its first-ever Assessment Catalog 2007-2008. The catalog features standardized accessible tests, tools and manipulatives that can be used in assessment situations, as well as information about APH's custom production of assessment materials. The accessible materials advertised not only allow students who are blind or visually impaired to undergo the same assessment evaluations as their sighted counterparts, but also provide them with specific tools and materials to support their individual learning experience. The Assessment Catalog is available in regular print, on CD-ROM, and online. To request a free copy, visit www.aph.org, e-mail [email protected], or call 1-800-223-1839.
** UTAH SCHOOL ALUMNI
Alumni of the Utah School of the Blind are looking to contact people who have been students at the Utah School for the Blind. If you are such a person, or if you know of someone who was a student at USDB, please contact David Arellano at 1-800-366-4447 or e-mail [email protected]. You can also contact Terri Lynne Pomeroy at (801) 299-8522 or e-mail [email protected].
** SLEEP STUDY NEEDS PARTICIPANTS
Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston is currently evaluating how light and behavior influence sleep and wakefulness under real-world and laboratory conditions in people who are totally blind. The study consists of living in the sleep lab for 21 or 34 days across two separate visits. You will also be asked to collect information while living at home. The results may help to develop therapies to treat sleep-wake disturbances related to jet lag, shift work and visual impairment. Eligible candidates are totally blind, between the ages of 18 and 70, have no light perception, and take no prescription medications. The study covers travel expenses and could earn you up to $9,300. For more information, contact Joe or Lisa at 1-888-828-4294 or e-mail Joe, [email protected].
** NEW MUSEUM TOUCH TOUR
The Rubin Museum of Art, a cultural and educational institution dedicated to the art of the Himalayas, is now offering Verbal Imaging and Touch tours for partially sighted and blind audiences. Touch tours are free with museum admission; the tours are one hour in length and take visitors through the culture, history, religion, and arts of the Himalayas. Group and individual tours offered. Please book two weeks in advance by calling Emilie Dufour for reservations at (212) 620-5000 ext. 345 or e-mail at [email protected]. The Rubin Museum is located at 150 W. 17th St., New York, NY.
** OPPORTUNITY FOR BLIND VETERANS
Elroy Day, a former Navy man who was blinded in a home invasion, recently completed the Purple Heart Service Foundations job training program to become an at-home call center agent. He wants other blind veterans to come and join him. He has a dream of opening a blinded veterans call center that would be staffed by former members of the U.S. military who are now blind. You can help with his dream by spreading the word to veterans who are visually impaired and looking for work. Contact Elroy Day via e-mail at [email protected] or call Ms. Thompson at (703) 835-3531.