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.
Scholarship for Women
The Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation, Inc. (ELA) has its scholarship application available on its web site, www.ela.org. This scholarship provides financial assistance to women with physical disabilities who are enrolled in a college or university graduate program in the United States. Awards are based on merit. Scholarships range from $500 to $2,000 per year. The application deadline is June 1, 2004. Contact Deborah Lewis at [email protected] for more information.
JFWLite E-Mail List Closed
Debbie Scales has closed the JFWLite list. However, she has assured subscribers that both the JFWLite archives (which are public, requiring no membership to read, nor logging in), along with the JFWLite.com home page, will remain operational and updated. For more questions, please see Debbie’s farewell messages at the top of the archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jfwlite.
But don’t fret. There is now a JAWS users mailing list, created to provide a place where users can discuss any aspect of the program. To subscribe to it, send a message to [email protected] with the word “subscribe” on the subject line. For additional commands, send the same message, replacing the word “subscribe” with “help.” This list is run independently and is not maintained by Freedom Scientific.
Job Hunting Resources
Job Hunting Resources for People with Vision Impairments, recently published by Blindskills, Inc., is the definitive contemporary career guide for blind and visually impaired people because it focuses on topics other career books do not address. It includes information on interviewing techniques in a post-ADA world and pointers on resume and cover letter writing, as well as emphasizing social and communications skills as they apply to visually impaired job hunters.
This dynamic new book also includes the latest thinking on successful job-hunting strategies. You won’t find a more comprehensive current career resource list anywhere. In addition to an excellent bibliography, the reader will find extensive online resources, which will continue to link him to future job opportunities.
The book is available for $10 per copy in large print, cassette, and computer diskette. The computer diskette edition includes braille-ready files, as well as an Internet directory that contains the entire book in HTML files. A braille resource list is available on request for those who purchase the book.
To order, contact Blindskills, Inc. at 1-800-860-4224 or (503) 581-4224; fax, (503) 581-0178. Make checks and money orders payable to Blindskills, Inc. and send to P.O. Box 5181, Salem, OR 97304- 0181. Blindskills accepts MasterCard and Visa.
NIB Job Opportunities
Are you currently looking for a job or thinking about a career change? If so, be sure to stop by the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) booth at the ACB convention and learn about a broad range of employment opportunities available for people who are blind across the country. If you are unable to attend the conference, but would still like more information, please feel free to e-mail or call NIB's Human Resources Manager, Kathy Gallagher, at [email protected] or (703) 578-8343.
Art Show Seeks Submissions
The 15th annual Insights Art Exhibit is calling for submissions. Work by legally blind artists in all media except video will be considered. The show will run in the fall of 2004 at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery at City Hall. Cash prizes will be awarded. The submission deadline is May 3, 2004. To receive an application by mail, contact Kari Orvik at (415) 431-1481 ext. 286. To download an application, visit www.lighthouse-sf.org.
ZoomText 8.1 Released
Ai Squared recently released ZoomText version 8.1. It delivers a host of user-requested features, including Web Finder, AppReader (ZoomText’s in-application reading mode), and Desktop Finder.
ZoomText also includes fractional magnification levels. Powers of 1.25x, 1.5x and 1.75x allow users with mild visual impairments to get more information on the screen. The new Line Zoom mode magnifies a single line at a time, while automatically adjusting to the height of text in documents. It also adds support for reading PDF documents.
To keep users up-to-date with maintenance releases, ZoomText now includes automatic updating via the Internet. Each time ZoomText is launched, it checks to see if program updates are available. If so, the user is given the option to download and install the update. For more information, contact Ai Squared at (802) 362-3612 or [email protected].
Free Braille Tiles for Children
Are you a parent or teacher of blind children? Free braille alphabet tiles in grades 1 and 2, as well as Spanish, Russian, and Polish braille, are available from Arnold Dunn, (727) 867-3818. Write to him at 5130 Brittany Dr. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33715. When writing, please include your name, address, telephone number and the best time of day to call you.
Social Savvy for Children
The Hadley School for the Blind offers a tuition-free series of courses to enable family members and caregivers to help a child who is visually impaired acquire and refine social skills. This series consists of three mini-courses. “Foundation” (the series’ prerequisite) provides fundamental information on social skills development in children who are visually impaired. “Preschool Years” provides ways to teach very young children the skills they need to interact with family members, caregivers, and peers. “Elementary Years” addresses social skills development during this period, including ways to foster friendships and the importance of role models. Each course includes a study guide, a video, and an activity book full of hands-on advice for parents and caregivers. For more information, visit http://www.hadley-school.org or call 1-800-526-9909.
Speak To Me Spring Catalog
Give the gift that says something. Speak To Me’s spring 2004 catalog is now available. Besides singing and animated Easter products, the catalog includes a selection of new electronic items. Some featured items are a talking money/color identifier with two-hour digital recorder all in one unit; a new, more powerful voice organizer with five hours of recording time; a new easy-to-use voice phone dialer, and much more. Oh, yes, the company still offers the Road Runner Talking Pocket Bible (King James and New American Standard versions).
The catalog is produced in three formats: print, audio CD and e-mail. To get a copy, call 1-800-248-9965. If you would like an e-mail copy of the catalog, type “catalog” in the subject line and send to [email protected]. You can also download a text version at http://www.speaktomecatalog.com/speak.txt.
Congratulations!
ALVA B.V., a provider of assistive technology, has been honored with the SWIFT Award. The SWIFT Prize rewards makers of technology that “links people through technology.” ALVA received recognition for its work in developing the ALVA MPO, the first fully integrated cellular phone and personal organizer designed exclusively for blind and visually impaired people.
NASCAR Racing Schedules Available in Braille
Braille International, Inc. offers a free NASCAR racing schedule in braille. The schedule includes the NASCAR Nextel Cup, NASCAR Busch Series, and Craftsman Truck Series races. Contact Linda at 1-888-336-3142 or e-mail [email protected].
Audio Dart Tournament
Audio Darts of Pittsburgh will host its fifth regional tournament this fall. The Harold Schlegel Dart Tournament will be held the weekend of October 8-10, 2004. It will take place at the Best Western located at 3401 Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh, PA. For overnight accommodations, phone the hotel directly at (412) 683-6100. The rate for the weekend is $80 a night plus 14 percent tax for up to four occupants. Reservations must be made by September 17 in order to guarantee this great rate.
The tournament will begin with singles events on Friday evening. Saturday’s events will be 501 doubles, 301 doubles, and count-up. Sunday’s events will be 501 and 301 triples, both luck of the draw. The Saturday and Sunday events will start at 8:30 a.m. Registration for all six events is $75 or $15 per individual event. The total prize money will be $4,500, plus $50 for high ton.
All participants will be required to use occluders. Spotters will maintain close watch on the occluders and their use. Darts may not exceed eight inches in length or weigh more than 16 grams. To register for the tournament, mail your name, contact information, and registration payment to: Louis Wassermann, 2503 Silver Oak Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15220 no later than October 1, 2004. No refunds will be available unless a substantiated emergency occurs. For additional information or questions, call Gene Barton at (412) 732-0860 or Joe Wassermann at (412) 687-5166.