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.
Position Available
Helen Keller National Center has a job opening for senior instructor in the adaptive technology center. It requires three years of experience in teaching individuals who are either deaf or blind, preferably deaf-blind; knowledge of adaptive technology; computer proficiency; sign language skills (or proficiency within two years); and braille skills are preferred. Duties include: evaluating students’ abilities to use a broad range of adaptive equipment, including braille displays, screen magnification programs, voice output systems, TTYs and various other devices designed for individuals who are deaf-blind; recommending, planning and providing training in the field of adaptive technology for individuals who are deaf, blind, and deaf-blind; recording progress and submitting scheduled written reports; and providing in-service training to consumers, teachers, in-house staff and at various workshops/conferences outside HKNC (may include local and distant travel). Salary is $38,226 per year plus paid benefits, including tuition reimbursement. There is a collective bargaining agreement in effect between HKNC and Local 1199 Hospital and Health Care Employees Union; employment in this position is conditional upon joining and maintaining membership in the union. Send your cover letter and resume to William J. O’Keeffe, Director of Human Resources, Helen Keller National Center, 111 Middle Neck Rd., Sands Point, NY 11050; fax (516) 767-2302.
Art Exhibit
Wildenstein & Company, 19 E. 64th St., New York City, is holding an exhibition of Picasso’s 30 original copper plates for his etchings illustrating Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” May 2-26. The exhibition features touchable objects made from a number of the plates. The Picasso exhibit is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.wildenstein.com.
Beijing Plus 5
In early June, the United Nations will hold “Beijing Plus Five,” a meeting of its general assembly to review progress in the advancement of women since the 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing. It is essential that women with disabilities have a presence at this event and its related activities to build on the momentum toward inclusion and collaboration between disabled and non-disabled women that started in Beijing.
There will be a series of workshops held in New York June 1-4, the days preceding the general assembly, and involve participants in the Beijing Plus Five events June 5-9. Topics include: disability initiatives and the United Nations; priorities and achievements of international disability non-governmental organizations; disability and international human rights law; women and the UN; and many more. Workshops will be conducted by an international faculty knowledgeable about disability and women’s rights, and will offer information-sharing and skill development, with a strong emphasis on active, participatory learning. For more information, contact Kathy Martinez at the World Institute on Disability by phone at (510) 251-4326, or via e-mail at kathy@wid.org; or contact Barbara Duncan at Rehabilitation International by phone (510) 527-1719.
Reunion
The Arkansas School for the Blind Alumni Association will hold its annual convention/reunion at the school June 2-4, 2000. All graduates, former students, and friends of the school are welcome to attend. For more information contact Travis or Margaret Johnson, 302 Woodford Pl., Paragould, AR 72450; phone (870) 236- 8498. If you know you won’t be able to attend this year, but would like to be added to the mailing list, contact them also.
News from AFB
The American Foundation for the Blind honored several companies with Access Awards at its Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute. The winners are: IBM Special Needs System, for its range of assistive technology products; Pitney Bowes Inc., for developing the Universal Access Copier System; L’Occitane, for its policy of providing braille labels on its products; and Dancing Dots, for its innovative GOODFEEL braille music translation software.
AFB also launched “AccessWorld: Technology for Consumers with Visual Impairments” recently. This periodical offers the latest information on technology for the home and office. It is available in large print, braille, on-line and on audio cassette, and is published six times a year. Included in it are AFB’s product evaluations (two per issue), product announcements, a question-and- answer column, a calendar of events and book and video reviews. Subscriptions cost $29.95 per year. Contact Access World at AFB Press, Subscription Services, 450 Fame Ave., Hanover, PA 17331; phone (888) 522-0220. International subscribers call (717) 632- 3535.
AFB Press recently released “Essential Elements in Early Intervention: Visual Impairments and Multiple Disabilities” by Deborah Chen. It explains functional and clinical vision and hearing assessments, descriptions of evaluative and educational techniques, and suggestions for working with families and professional teams. It also offers information on specialized assessment techniques, early caregiver-child interaction, and early communication. The book also includes contributions from numerous professionals. Its ISBN number is 0-89128-305-6 (paperback); it costs $34.95 plus $6 shipping and handling. For orders, call AFB Press Customer Service toll-free at (800) 232-3044, or send your order and payment to AFB Press, PO Box 1020, Sewickley, PA 15143- 1020.
Milestones Achieved
During 1999, the National Aging and Vision Network focused its efforts on achieving Milestones 2000 for the National Agenda on Vision and Aging. Through the national agenda, network participants seek to shape public policies and attitudes, so as to enable individuals age 55 and older who are blind or visually impaired to participate fully in all aspects of society.
A 12-member steering committee, which includes the American Council of the Blind, oversees the agenda. Overall, 51 individuals, representing 39 agencies and consumer organizations throughout the vision rehabilitation field, have been working on the agenda.
Milestones achieved to date by the working groups of the National Agenda include: completing a draft self-advocacy curriculum; developing a poster targeted at senior centers and eye-care professionals; achieving funding for Title VII, Chapter 2, Independent Living Services for Older Individuals who are blind or visually impaired in the amount of $14,850,000; developing a draft fact sheet regarding employment of older persons with visual impairments; developing a draft Nationally Standardized Minimum Data Set, which will be useful for service providers, to describe demographic, outcome, and satisfaction information.
There are still many opportunities to get involved in the national agenda by joining one or more groups which are working on the seven goals of the project. An ACB affiliate which is working to improve services and dispense information to older adults who are visually impaired is the Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss (AAVL). For more information on this affiliate, contact Teddie Remhild at 1100 W. Olive Ave. #220, Burbank, CA 91506. For information about the agenda contact Alberta Orr, chair of AFB’s Aging Team at (212) 502-7773 or e-mail alorr@afb.net.
Camp 2000
Applications for Enchanted Hills Camp’s summer sessions will be mailed soon to all campers who have attended within the past two years. The camp is sponsored by the Rose Resnick Lighthouse of San Francisco. The deadline for all applications is Friday, June 9. Sessions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If enough complete applications are received, sessions could become full before the deadline. If your address has changed, or you would like to be added to the mailing list, call Kathryn Sheldon at (415) 431-1481, extension 218.
The sessions are as follows: alumni and senior week, June 23- 27; family camp weekend, June 29-July 2; adults with special needs, July 6-11; elementary school, July 14-19; veterans weekend, July 21-23; junior high school, July 25-August 3; high school, August 7- 18.
This summer will mark 50 years of camp at Enchanted Hills. Three events are planned for counselors and campers: the alumni retreat, counselor reunion and 50th anniversary party. If you were a counselor, staff member or camper before 1995, come to alumni and senior week. It is for those who attended Enchanted Hills between 1950 and 1995; it costs $200. Space is limited.
The counselor reunion will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25. Counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, volunteers and interns who worked between 1950 and 1995 are invited to attend. Alumni counselors, staff etc. may attend on either Saturday or Sunday for $40; if you’d like to stay overnight, for $80. To register, contact Kathy Abrahamson at the number above (extension 236) or via e-mail at kabrahamson@lighthouse-sf.org.
And what would an anniversary be without a party? The official 50th anniversary party will take place on Sunday, June 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be music, barbecue and a variety of special activities to commemorate 50 years. Reservations are required to attend; the cost is $20, which includes a barbecue lunch and a commemorative T-shirt. Charter bus transportation will be available from the Bay Area for an additional $20. To reserve a space, contact Kathy Abrahamson.
If you have camp songs, newsletters, arts and crafts projects, photos or other camp trinkets you’d be willing to share or donate, an EHC Memorabilia Walk is in progress, and needs as much history as possible. Contact Kathy Abrahamson. And if you’re interested in volunteering, contact Hilary Anne Exon at the number above (extension 237).
Church Conference
The National Church Conference of the Blind will hold its annual convention at the Kentucky Inn in Lexington July 23-26. The conference will feature a guest Bible teacher, talent time, tours to local attractions, a display room, music and lots of good Christian fellowship. For more information and registration forms, contact NCCB Secretary Rheba Finkenbinder, PO Box 163, Denver, CO 80201; phone (303) 789-7441, or e-mail rheba@stimobile.com. Or you may call Bob Green, president, at (612) 561-6955.
Braille Info
Attention all braille readers! The Braille Group of Buffalo offers several diabetes publications in braille, thanks to a grant from the Josephine Goodyear Foundation. The group only requests a donation of the print copy of the item(s) you select. For more information, contact Jill Pariso, Diabetes Braille Project, Braille Group of Buffalo, 4660 Sheridan Dr., Buffalo, NY 14221; e-mail brlgrp@juno.com or call toll-free (800) 561-8253.
Touch the Future
According to the Daily University Science News, blind people may be able to find their way around with an invention based on an echolocation system similar to what bats use. The Spatial Imager emits ultrasound in the same way bats do to maneuver around obstacles in the dark. The device sends vibrations to the fingers corresponding to where the obstruction is, providing the user with a tactile map of the environment. This device can be made to fit onto a white cane or into a glove. It may also be useful for firefighters and divers in situations where visibility is bad, such as smoke-filled buildings or murky waters. The inventors have formed a company, Sound Foresight Ltd., to develop the concept further; they hope to have the device commercially available within two years. Stay tuned!
Winners
National Industries for the Blind recently announced the selection of three National Employee of the Year winners. They are: Seprena Jackson of the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind in D.C., who received the Milton J. Samuelson Career Achievement Award; Susan Muhlenbeck of Virginia Industries for the Blind, who received the Peter J. Salmon Service Award; and Roosevelt Stevenson of the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind, who received the Peter J. Salmon Manufacturing Award.
Seprena Jackson is a purchasing agent within the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Acquisition and Material Management. She began her career with the VA as an administrative assistant through a VA service contract with the Columbia Lighthouse. Susan Muhlenbeck works as a collections representative with the Virginia Department of Taxation through a contract with Virginia Industries for the Blind. Roosevelt Stevenson works as a production specialist in the Boeing department of the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind, producing numerous parts for use in Boeing aircraft, from sun visors to brackets.
Talking ATMs
Bank of America announced on March 15 that it would install more than 2,500 talking ATMs in California and Florida, its largest retail markets. The plan, worked out by the bank with the California Council of the Blind and several blind individuals, schedules installations of the talking ATMs over the next three years. Additional plans to install the ATMs in other states where the bank operates will be worked out early next year.
The bank will use talking ATMs that have been developed by NCR Corporation and Diebold Corporation, the largest ATM vendors in the country. These ATMs will provide audible instructions to blind and visually impaired people, making it easier for blind users to withdraw cash, deposit money and perform other transactions. The machines will have audio jacks to provide information privately to the individuals using them. Bank of America will also make other information, such as bank account statements and product materials, available in alternative formats to visually impaired people and take steps to ensure that its web site and online banking services are accessible to blind people using screen readers on their computers.
New at Relay
At Maryland Relay, there are several new features. One is that those who use voice carryover and ASCII to access it now have toll-free numbers to use it. The VCO number is (888) 826-9673; the ASCII number is (877) 735-5151. The VCO number will always answer with “Voice now, GA.” Those who use the ASCII number should set their computers to 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit and half duplex (300 baud modems); 1200 baud modems and up should be set to 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit and full duplex. It may help to set your "time out" to 100 seconds.
Also, relay users are receiving a 50 percent discount on long-distance calls within the state when they use Sprint as their long-distance company. And Turbo Code is available for all TTY users who have an Ultratec unit with TC capability. Turbo Code increases the sending and receiving speed of information for the unit; it offers transmission speeds up to 110 words per minute.
Which number is best for you to use? If you use a TTY, have a customer database or are a branded user (meaning that relay answers your call by your preferred method of communication), then use (800) 735-2258. Voice carryover users should use (888) 826-9673. ASCII users should use (877) 735-5151. The 7-1-1 number is set up to answer first by voice.
Utah Paralympics
In March 2002, Salt Lake City will host the eighth Paralympic winter games. Salt Lake City is the first Olympic/Paralympic city to combine the Olympic and Paralympic planning committees. Pat Gann of the Utah Council of the Blind is serving on the access committee for the event. She is trying to get both games narrated so that they will be accessible to the blind and other disabled individuals. For more information, call Pat Gann at (801) 943- 1559.
Braille Info
Do you enjoy baseball, but have trouble navigating in the ballpark? The Tampa Bay Devil Rays, in cooperation with Omega Eye Associates, have produced the “Braille Ballpark Information Pages” to insert in the team’s official program. This sells for $4 at Tropicana Field and Devil Rays Dugout stores. Pages include basic ballpark information about concessions, guest services, disabled seating, restrooms, and the in-park radio broadcast of the game.