by Elizabeth M. Lennon
The announcement of new products and services in this column should not be considered an endorsement of those products and services 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 or services mentioned.
Primaries
Are you interested in helping select your party’s candidate for president? Go to the primaries, listed alphabetically below.
Alabama: GOP and Democratic primaries: June 6
Alaska: GOP and Democratic caucuses: March 25
Arizona: GOP primary: February 22; Democratic, March 11 (tentative)
Arkansas: GOP and Democratic primaries: May 23
California: GOP and Democratic primaries: March 7
Colorado: GOP and Democratic primaries: March 10
Connecticut: GOP and Democratic primaries: March 7
Delaware: GOP caucus: February 15; Democratic primary, February 12
Florida: GOP and Democratic primaries: March 14
Georgia: GOP and Democratic primaries: March 7
Hawaii: GOP caucuses: February 1-7; Democratic, March 7
Idaho: GOP primary: May 23; Democratic caucus, March 7
Illinois: GOP and Democratic primaries: March 21
Indiana: GOP and Democratic primaries: May 2
Iowa: GOP and Democratic caucuses were held January 24, 2000.
Kansas: GOP and Democratic primaries: April 4
Kentucky: GOP and Democratic primaries: May 23
Louisiana: GOP caucuses were held January 15, 2000. GOP and Democratic primaries will be held March 14.
Maine: GOP and Democratic primaries will be held March 7.
Maryland: GOP and Democratic primaries will be held March 7.
Massachusetts: GOP and Democratic primaries will be held March 7.
Michigan: GOP primary will be held February 22; Democratic caucus, March 11.
Minnesota: GOP and Democratic caucuses will be held March 7.
Mississippi: GOP and Democratic primaries will be held March 14.
Missouri: GOP and Democratic primaries will be held March 7.
Montana: GOP and Democratic primaries will be held June 6.
Nebraska: GOP and Democratic primaries will be held May 9.
Nevada: GOP caucuses, May 25; Democratic caucuses, March 12.
New Hampshire: GOP and Democratic primaries, February 1.
New Jersey: GOP and Democratic primaries, June 6.
New Mexico: GOP and Democratic primaries, June 6.
New York: GOP and Democratic primaries, March 7.
North Carolina: GOP and Democratic primaries, May 2.
North Dakota: GOP caucuses, February 29; Democratic, March 7.
Ohio: GOP and Democratic primaries, March 7.
Oklahoma: GOP and Democratic primaries, March 14.
Oregon: GOP and Democratic primaries, May 16.
Pennsylvania: GOP and Democratic primaries, April 25.
Rhode Island: GOP and Democratic primaries, March 7.
South Carolina: GOP primary, February 19; Democratic caucuses, March 7.
South Dakota: GOP and Democratic primaries, June 6
Tennessee: GOP and Democratic primaries, March 14.
Texas: GOP and Democratic primaries, March 14.
Utah: GOP and Democratic primaries, March 10.
Vermont: GOP and Democratic primaries, March 7.
Virginia: GOP caucuses, February 9, district conventions, May 12-June 13; Democratic, April 15 or 17, district conventions May 13-17.
Washington: GOP and Democratic primaries, February 29; GOP caucuses, March 7; Democratic caucuses, March 7.
West Virginia: GOP and Democratic primaries, May 9.
Wisconsin: GOP and Democratic primaries, April 4.
Wyoming: GOP and Democratic primaries, March 10.
Help with Dissertation
John J. Frank, a Ph.D. student with a visual impairment, would like to interview adults with visual impairments concerning their requests (successful or not) for any kind of print access accommodation made over the past few years. This includes requests for braille, large print, audio cassette, digital formatting or readers, or barrier removal for access to printed material. These requests may have been made to anyone, such as employers, schools, banks, stores, restaurants, libraries, utility or phone companies, or any government agency. He especially wants to learn about additional efforts that were made if a request was not fulfilled, such as additional discussions or negotiation, or an appeal to another source.
To tell your stories, call him, e-mail him or send him a letter. Give your telephone number and the best time to reach you. He will call you back for the interview. Only U.S. residents over age 18 please. You may end the interview any time or decline to answer any questions you don’t want to answer. Your name will not be published. Contact John Frank at (315) 476-1142; e-mail jjfrank@syr.edu or write him c/o Rehabilitation Counseling Department, 259 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244-2340.
Directory
National Braille Press is working on a directory of computer trainers, to be published in the spring. If you would like to be listed in it, send in your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address (if you have one), and statement discussing your qualifications and the adaptive and mainstream programs you are prepared to teach, to Dean Martineau at deamar@eskimo.com. Please include your rates (a range of rates is fine). If you plan to volunteer your time, include any limits on whom and when you will train.
The fee to be listed in the directory is $20, payable to Diane Croft at National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen St., Boston, MA 02115. If you are volunteering your services, there is no fee.
Sister Kenny
The Sister Kenny Institute’s 37th annual International Art Show by artists with disabilities will be held April 14 to May 11. But it needs your artwork! Any artist with a disability that causes a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities (such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, learning and working) is eligible. All forms of fine art may be entered and are subject to committee approval. Crafts are not accepted. All work must be original and created within the past five years. Previous submissions to Sister Kenny art shows are not accepted. Artwork is limited to two entries per artist; one must be for sale. If multiple artists from an organization submit art, the submission must include a contact person’s name and a master list of the artwork. No more than 25 pieces of art will be accepted from any one organization. Each piece of artwork must be framed and not exceed 36 inches in any direction. All work should be packed in reusable shipping containers. Do NOT use styrofoam peanuts or coins as a packing filler. Shipped works must be framed with Plexiglas; do NOT use real glass, especially for international shipments. Sister Kenny Institute is not responsible for breakage during shipping.
Your entry form and biography information must be submitted in English. It must include your name and address; title of artwork(s) and medium(s) used; asking price; and your signature. The hospital auxiliary will retain 25 percent of the selling price of each piece of artwork to help defray show expenses. Exchange rates will be determined at the time of installation. Artwork must be received by March 20, 2000. Space is limited to the first 300 entries.
A $500 cash award will be given to the artist’s work chosen as “Best of Show.” First, second and third place and honorable mention ribbons will be awarded in all categories; winners will receive $100, $75, $50 and $25 respectively. Work will be judged in six categories: graphic (includes printmaking, charcoal, ink, computer design, pastels, colored pencil); photography (black and white and color); watercolor; mixed media; oils and acrylics; and sculpture (includes relief, ceramics, woodcarving, metal, clay and stone).
Send your complete information, including a short biography (75 words or less), to: Sister Kenny Institute, Administration, First Floor, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, 800 E. 28th St., Minneapolis, MN 55407-3799. Questions? Call (612) 863-4463. Remember, all artwork must be received no later than March 20.
Towers Press
Overbrook School for the Blind recently formed Towers Press. The first book, “Braille Literacy Curriculum” by Diane P. Wormsley, went on sale in January. Towers Press is located on the Overbrook campus, 64th Street and Malvern Avenue, and will publish books and articles related to the work that the school does with children who are blind, low vision, or deaf-blind, many of whom have other handicapping conditions. For more information, visit the web site, http://www.obs.org.
Free Braille Books
Goosebumps and Baby Sitters Club books are available in braille every month at no charge through a program sponsored by the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults. Blind youngsters, teachers of the blind, schools, and libraries serving the blind are eligible to participate in this program. Submit your request to participate in the free braille children’s book series program, along with the student’s or participant’s name, birth date and parents’ names (if student); state whether you are a student, teacher, library or other; and give your address. Send it to: Free Braille Children’s Book Series Program, American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, 1800 Johnson St., Baltimore, MD 21230.
KYFF
Keep your food fresh with Tupperware. Twenty percent of the proceeds of all sales to ACB members will be donated by KYFF to ACB, so stock up on Tupperware and help ACB do all the things that are important to you. Contact KYFF at 1000 Kiely Blvd. #13, Santa Clara, CA 95051, or call (408) 296-7648.
New E-Mail List
The braille-books list is a moderated e-mail list to announce the availability of newly brailled leisure reading books produced according to BANA standards for braille readers in the United States. Subscriptions are open to anyone with an interest in the availability of braille leisure reading materials. Only announcements of in-progress or completed books will be approved; no files of books or discussions of books will be sent through this list. It is not a substitute for listing books with Louis or any other index; it is simply a means for speeding up the distribution process. Subscribers are expected to adhere to current copyright laws. The administrators of the braille-books list are not responsible for the quality of the braille. To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to braille-books- subscribe@egroups.com and follow the instructions in the e-mail you receive. To read previous messages, visit http://www.egroups.com/list/braille-books.
WSVH
Did you attend the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped, or know someone who attended? The year 2000 is a big year: the school will be 150 years old. To celebrate, the alumni association is holding a grand reunion June 9-11, 2000. The reunion will be held in Janesville, Wis. at the school. If you attended WSVH at any time, even if you did not graduate from the school, you may attend. To receive further information on the reunion, please send your name and address, along with your graduation year (if you graduated from WSVH) or the years between which you attended, to: Kathy Hudziak, 1319 Monterey Lane, Janesville, WI 53546; phone (608) 752-1116, or e-mail hudziak@execpc.com. And if you know people who attended, and have their names and addresses, forward them to Kathy also.
Online Store
Project ASSIST’s Online Store is now open for business! You may purchase step-by-step tutorials and keyboard guides 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visit http://www.blind.state.ia.us/assist. You may order a tutorial on cassette, or download a tutorial and keyboard guide. Taped tutorials cost $35, downloaded tutorials cost $25, and keyboard guides cost $5. Of course, you can still order a tutorial by calling (515) 281-1357 or by mailing your order to 524 Fourth St., Des Moines, IA 50309.
Available tutorials are: Windows 98 with JAWS for Windows 3.3; Windows 98 with Window-Eyes 3.0; Internet Explorer 5 with JAWS for Windows 3.3; Internet Explorer 5 with Window-Eyes 3.1; Excel 97 with WinVision 5; Word 2000 with JAWS for Windows 3.31; and Word 2000 with Window-Eyes 3.1. Tutorials in the works include Outlook 2000 with JAWS for Windows 3.31; Outlook 2000 with Window-Eyes 3.1; Internet Explorer 5 with JAWS for Windows 3.31, and Outlook Express 5. Questions? Call the number listed above, or e-mail ASSIST@blind.state.ia.us.
Deaf-Blind Conference
The Australian National Deaf-Blind Conference will be held in Fremantle, West Australia April 7-10, 2000. The venue is the Esplanade Hotel, near the Fremantle waterfront. There are also cheaper accommodations available, including the YMCA. Registration and a welcome cocktail party will be held on Friday, April 7. Alternative activities for those who arrive early on Friday are being explored. A “chat room” will be provided to enable delegates to get together informally. April 8-10 will be conference days, with plenary sessions and workshops. Graham Hicks will be the keynote speaker. Sunday, April 9 will be a social day.
Conference languages will be English and Australian sign language. Interpreters other than AUSLAN and tactile two-hand manual will not be provided; international delegates will be expected to provide their own interpreters. For more information, contact the Western Australia Deafblind Association at wadba@nw.com.au, or write the organization at PO Box 14 Maylands, West Australia 6051, Australia.