edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins
The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. “The ACB Braille Forum” cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned. To submit items for this column, send a message to [email protected], or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in Sharon Lovering’s mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date.
Holiday Cards Available from Hadley
Braille holiday cards make unique gifts. Hadley’s 2024 braille holiday card carries the interior greeting, “Wishing you peace, happiness and the spirit of the season” in both print and braille. This year’s artwork features a partridge perched in a pear tree with ripe pears and green leaves. For tactile effect, the bird, pears, and branches have been embossed.
This year’s artwork was created by Susan Underwood. Discover more of her work at https://susanunderwoodpaintings.com/.
For more information, or to order, visit https://brailleholidaycard.hadleyhelps.org/. If you have questions, call 1-800-323-4238 or email [email protected].
Seeing Eye Holiday Cards & Calendar
The Seeing Eye has three types of cards this year. Their Christmas card features a black Labrador puppy wearing a bright red bow. The holiday card features a collage of four puppies playing in the snow, with the saying “Happy Pawlidays” centered between the photos. The third card contains an image from The Seeing Eye’s archives, and is a tribute to The Seeing Eye’s co-founder, Morris Frank and his Seeing Eye dog Buddy.
Also available is the 2025 Seeing Eye Puppy Calendar, featuring an adorable puppy each month.
For more information, or to order, visit https://www.seeingeyeholiday.com/, or call Michelle Rhoades at (973) 539-4425 ext. 1768.
More Holiday Cards
The Braille Bookstore has a variety of religious and secular holiday cards. To view the religious cards, visit http://www.braillebookstore.com/Merry-Christmas,-Bible-Verse.g. For the secular cards, visit http://www.braillebookstore.com/Happy-Holidays.g. If you need more information, or assistance in ordering, call 1-800-987-1231.
National Church Conference of the Blind
In August, I really needed time to renew my faith in view of so much turmoil, both in our own country and in so many places throughout the world. I longed to find that inner peace that truly passes understanding. I am happy to say that I found such a place filled with so many gentle and kind people. I experienced a very uplifting week of worship, music, Bible study, and lots of good food and fellowship. For the first time, I attended the National Church Conference of the Blind, commonly referred to as NCCB, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
For several years, my sweet friend from Hawaii, Cynthia Hirakawa, had invited me during our visits at the ACB conference. She never failed to remind me to take part in the NCCB annual conference held in August of each year. During the NCCB conference, I enjoyed tours, talent show, worship, and met so many loving friends who, like me, are students of the Bible and followers of Christ. The Fox in Socks Party featuring the book by Dr. Seuss brought laughter, and wonderful memories were made. We also recorded an opening for the Internet show “The World and Everything In It” and our recording played during the opening of a recent show.
Do you need encouragement from friendly and kind individuals in these troublesome times? Please consider attending the 2025 NCCB Conference, to be held in Philadelphia, PA from August 9-15. This is a great way to refresh and renew your body, mind, and soul!
For more information about National Church Conference of the Blind (NCCB), please contact President Duncan Holmes via email, [email protected].
Touch of Genius Prize 2025
Have you developed an innovative and accessible product? National Braille Press is now accepting applications for the 2025 Louis Braille Touch of Genius Award. The project must demonstrate some aspect of tactile literacy for blind persons and promote braille literacy or access to information. Examples include:
- Professional or education software and apps
- Software or apps that promote tactile & braille learning
- Braille or tactile-related hardware
The winner of this prize will receive up to $10,000, which will help them to continue to innovate in the fields of technology and education for the blind community. The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is provided by the support of the Lavelle Fund for the Blind.
For more information, or to apply, visit www.touchofgeniusprize.org. If you have questions, send an email message to [email protected].
EZ2See Planners and More
Have you heard of EZ2See® Products LLC? I make one-of-a-kind large-print Weekly Planner/Calendars and other items for staying organized. I’m an ACB member and started my company in 2015.
As I reached my mid-60s I could no longer use the so-called large-print calendars. I realized then that it took much more than just large print to make a calendar usable for those with low vision. Out of necessity, I made a weekly-style calendar for myself. I included various unique features that made it easy to see and use.
When folks saw me using it, they asked where I got it. When they heard my story, they urged me to start producing them so they and others could get one. Initially I said, “Coming out of retirement to start a business is the last thing I want to do.” But as months passed and others said the same thing, I changed my mind. I decided this could be my way to give back to the low-vision community of which I am a part; so, I dove in.
Long story short, since 2015, EZ2See® Products annually sells thousands of its annual calendar based on that original design. I’ve since added a second version based on the fall to summer school-year schedule that includes teacher-recommended features.
Here are some features of the two calendars:
- Printed on 8.5” x 11”, spiral bound on heavy-weight paper covering 58 weeks
- Uses only black ink
- Letters are over 5 times the size of newsprint; no tiny print
- Daily cells nearly equal two 3” x 5” cards
- Black page edges prevent writing off the paper
- Spiral bound so you can fold it in half and lay it flat
- It’s thin as a wooden pencil
Both type of calendars are $24.99.
We now offer our own no-bleed pen and bold marker now that the 20/20 pen and Bold Writer 40 are no longer made. To see our other unique products, visit EZ2SeeProducts.com, or find us on Amazon. For more information, send email to [email protected], the exclusive distributor, or call them at 1-800-234-8291 with questions.
Texas A&M and Accessible Sports
Texas A&M Rec Sports recently launched Outdoor Adventures’ Adaptive Climbing Clinics, a program designed to make rock climbing accessible to all at the Student Recreation Center’s Indoor Climbing Facility.
Adaptive sports modify the experience of an activity to match a person’s abilities through different equipment, tools, or other adjustments. Climbers already use sticky shoes and ropes to aid in climbing, and adaptive climbing introduces additional equipment or rigging to make the sport accessible to climbers who may not have thought it was possible.
The two-hour clinics offer a personalized adaptive climbing experience through one-on-one sessions with staff, tailored to each participant’s ability. Climbers define their own challenges and determine how they want to engage with the sport, resulting in a collaborative process to test a harness setting or rigging setup to retain the right amount of challenge.
To view the fall 2024 Adaptive Climbing Clinics schedule, visit the Rec Sports Outdoor Adventures page. For questions, contact Todd Grier at [email protected] or (979) 862-1999.
NIB Names Samuelson Award Winner
Terrie Collins has been selected as National Industries for the Blind 2024 Milton J. Samuelson Career Achievement Award Winner. Collins, who is blind, serves as a recruiter for Alphapointe in Kansas City, Mo. The award recognizes employees who are blind, low vision or visually impaired and have demonstrated career advancement at an NIB associated nonprofit agency or in the private sector.