by Billie Jean Keith
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 responsible for the reliability of products and services mentioned.
To submit an item for “Here and There,” send an e-mail message to billiejean@2keiths.com. Or you may call the ACB toll-free number, (800) 424-8666, and leave a message in mailbox 26. Please bear in mind that we need information two months ahead of actual publication dates.
Social Security Rates for 2002
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will increase 2.6 percent in 2002. Benefits increase automatically each year based on the rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In real terms, this means that, if you are blind or visually impaired and you are working and receiving SSDI, the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level will rise from $1,240 to $1,300 per month. For individuals receiving federal SSI payments, the monthly rate will change from $530 to $545. For a couple, the maximum federal SSI monthly payment will rise from $796 to $817. For more information, call your local Social Security office, or visit the web site at www.ssa.gov.
Dr. Otis Stephens Receives Migel Medal
Dr. Otis Stephens recently received the Migel Medal for 2001 from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). The award honors professionals and volunteers whose dedication and achievements have significantly improved the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired. Otis received the Volunteer Award.
All his life, Otis Stephens has worked to promote excellence — from his early education at the Georgia Academy for the Blind to his current position as the College of Law’s resident scholar of constitutional law of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He has authored and co-authored books on the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court, and has published many professional papers. He held a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Law School, and, in addition to UTK, has taught at Johns Hopkins University and Georgia Southern. Dr. Stephens earned his Ph.D. in political science from Johns Hopkins University.
Along the way, he paid some college expenses by forming a band called “The Bulldogs” and played piano in that group, and friends recall another band known as “The Red Coats.”
Otis was an early, vociferous advocate for braille literacy, especially for children mainstreamed into local schools. He sought to promote harmonious working relationships within the blindness field as president of the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped from 1979 to 1983, as president of ACB from 1987 to 1989, and as a member of AFB’s board of trustees from 1987 to 1999.
Today, besides his distinguished political science career, Otis chairs a committee tasked with writing the history of the Georgia Academy for the Blind, as well as the ACB history committee. And he still plays piano, sometimes prior to ACB general sessions. When you see him, ask him about hitting a hole in one, playing golf. Warmest congratulations to Otis Stephens — truly a man for all seasons.
More Talking ATM Locations
Bank One has installed talking ATMs in several states, including Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Ohio and Illinois. For information about locations in Ohio and Illinois, call toll-free (877) 241-8665. (Sorry, no contact information for other locations.)
Steven Tingus Appointed Director of NIDRR
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige has announced that Steven James Tingus will serve as Director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). As director, Tingus will serve as chief advisor to Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Robert Pasternack and direct research programs and activities related to maximizing employment and independent living opportunities for individuals who are disabled.
Prior to joining the Education Department, Tingus served as Director of Resource Development and Public Policy Director for Assistive Technology at the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers. In that capacity, Tingus developed and implemented model policies and activities to broaden access to assistive technology for persons with disabilities to help them live independent and productive lives.
Large Print Music
Stephens Development Company publishes a wide variety of large print music, including classical, popular, religious and traditional, especially for music lovers with low vision. For more information, contact Stephens Development Company, 3542 Fair Oaks Lane, Longboat Key, FL 34228, phone (941) 383-4398, toll-free (888) 714-4419, fax (941) 383-5759, e-mail Stevepub@home.com.
Catalogs on Tape
Home Readers makes shopping easier by providing mail-order catalogs on 4-track cassette free of charge. Catalogs include: Radio Spirits; Audio Editions Books on Cassette; Blair Men’s and Women’s; Chadwick’s of Boston; Lands’ End; L.L. Bean; Vermont Country Store; Doctors Foster and Smith Pet Products; Puritans Pride Health Products; Walter Drake; San Francisco Music Box; Miles Kimball; Spice Etc.; Sugar Free Market Place; Figi’s Holiday Foods and Schwann’s.
For requests, or a complete list of catalogs, cookbooks and magazines, call toll-free (877) 814-7323 between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays (Central time), or write in print, braille or tape to Home Readers, 604 W. Hulett, Edgerton, KS 66021.
Jett Enterprises
The 2002 Jett Enterprises catalog is now available! It features many products for blind and visually impaired people, guide dog and pet items, jewelry, kitchenware, and all-occasion gifts. Gift tags and instructional tapes are available free. To order a copy of the catalog on tape or disk, call toll-free (800) 275-5553 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Pacific time). Braille catalogs cost $10. Send your check or money order to Jett Enterprises, 3140 Cambridge Ct., Palm Springs, CA 92264. The web site is http://www.jettenterprises.com.
Learn to Play the Piano
Have you been promising yourself that you really are going to learn to play the piano? Here’s your chance. Pianist Daniel Abrams, who is blind, has a series of four audio tapes to teach you. They include “Put Your Hands On The Piano And Play”; “Play Piano by Ear”; “Play Your Favorite Piano Classics”; and “Understanding The Language of Music.” Check to see which series are available through NLS. All series can be purchased from Homespun Tapes, Ltd., toll-free phone (800) 338-2737. The cost for each series of tapes is $49.95.
Cruises for People Who Are Blind
Sea Ventures is a cruise only travel service that offers two free cruises a year as raffle prizes in an annual walk-a-thon to benefit Southeastern Guide Dogs Inc. The travel service owner is a guide dog user, and he and his dog guides have made more than 35 cruises to date. Sea Ventures specializes in cruises for people who are blind or disabled, traveling with or without a guide dog. The cruise scheduled for January 19 is a seven-day cruise on Holland America’s M/S/Veendam to the eastern Caribbean. Fares are heavily discounted, but are not advertised on the Internet.
For more information, contact Ed Eyre at Sea Ventures, 517 South Carolina Dr., Stuart, FL 34994, phone/fax (561) 287-3115, e-mail mee9169@ircc.net.
Accessible JWOD Catalog
National Industries for the Blind (NIB) has produced an accessible CD-ROM catalog featuring products and services available from NIB and NISH through the Javits-Wagner-O’Day (JWOD) program. The 2002 JWOD catalog, recently issued in print media, is now available in CD-ROM format that is user-friendly for both sighted and visually impaired federal customers. The NIB catalog CD contains visual product photography and descriptions as well as an accessible catalog in Microsoft Word format. When the CD is inserted into the drive, an autostart utility will prompt the user with voice and text to open the accessible Word version of the catalog. Once opened, the catalog can be read with any compatible access technology, such as a screen reader or screen magnifier program.
For a print or CD-ROM copy of the 2002 JWOD catalog, contact NIB’s customer service center at 1-800-433-2304 or e-mail your request to customer_service@nib.org.