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. Services and products 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. 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.
Correction
The e-mail address for “Dialogue” Magazine and Blindskills, Inc. should have been listed as blindskl@teleport.com.
Executive Director Sought
The Miami Lighthouse is seeking a new executive director to be responsible for its $2.5 million center-based programs. Available January 2002. Salary negotiable. Excellent benefits. Mail resume to: Dennis McCarthy, Chair, Executive Search Committee, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, 601 SW 8 Avenue, Miami, FL 33130.
Students to Design Talking Book Machine
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) and the Industrial Designers of America (IDSA) are challenging student designers to create the next generation of digital talking book playback machines. The student design competition will begin January 1, 2002, and awards will be made during the national conference of IDSA in July 2002. The goal is to design a unique product that will help thousands of people who are visually impaired or disabled enjoy books and magazines. A million new machines will be produced in the first 10 years after introduction. The digital playback machines will be specifically tailored for people with disabilities, and must adhere to the principles of universal design. For more competition details, visit www.idsa.org.
Day Planner Works with Mouse or Keyboard
Day by Day World Edition is an easy-to-use daily planner program for Windows. It can be used as a diary, planner, appointment organizer, bill tracker, and anything else you may want to schedule. The cost is $22.95 from www.blindsoftware.com. For questions, e-mail support@blindsoftware.com.
EMonocle Reader
ION Systems, Inc., a developer of Internet software for simultaneous use by sighted, low-vision and blind users, has released a beta version of its eMonocle Reader.
EMonocle Reader’s patent-pending technology allows text and graphics to be resized and reflowed by individual users for maximum readability. The eMonocle Reader can resize text from 4- point to 144-point font sizes, exceeding the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act for low-vision users. The eMonocle Reader performs standard word and phrase searches using either keyboard or mouse commands. The eMonocle interface is designed to work with most existing Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems, and can open any OeB publication for free. Future releases are planned to include interfaces for existing braille readers and connection to ION Systems’ www.GalaxyLibrary.com e-publishing and e-commerce service.
ION’s eMonocle Reader is available for free to the end user. Readers can find a free download and demonstration of the ION eMonocle Reader at: http://www.ionsystems.com/emonocle/.
Meet Your Mate
There’s a new listserv called “Meet Your Mate,” a discussion group for singles who are blind or visually impaired, and who would like to meet that special someone. To join this group, please send a blank e-mail message to Meet-Your-Mate-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. After you have subscribed, please send an introductory message providing your real name, age, city and state, your interests, the qualities you are looking for in a person and a way for people to contact you. You may want to check out the singles telephone conferences held every weekday evening at 10 p.m. (Eastern time), 9 p.m. (Central), 8 p.m. (Mountain) and 7 p.m. (Pacific). To take part, phone (561) 939-1800. And when you meet that special person, remember you read about Meet Your Mate in “The Braille Forum!”
UEBC Samplers Available
The Braille Authority of North America has produced sample materials on the proposed Unified English Braille Code (UEBC) for braille readers, educators and transcribers in the United States and Canada to review and provide BANA with feedback. If you are interested in receiving a copy of either Sampler 1 or Sampler 2, and haven't already received one in the mail, you may request a braille or print copy from the following sources:
Sampler 1 (literary braille, non-technical material and simple math) Braille edition: Kim Charlson, Braille and Talking Book Library, Perkins School for the Blind, 175 N. Beacon St., Watertown, MA 02472, phone (617) 972-7249, or e-mail charlsonk@perkins.pvt.k12.ma.us.
Sampler 2 contains examples of technical material including algebra, calculus, chemistry, and computer programs written in the UEBC. To request a braille copy of Sampler 2 produced in two braille volumes contact: Eileen Curran, BANA Chair, National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115, phone (888) 965-8965 or (617) 266-6160 extension 17, or e-mail ecurran@nbp.org.
For a print edition of either Sampler 1 or Sampler 2 (including original print and simulated braille examples) contact Frances Mary D’Andrea, American Foundation for the Blind, National Literacy Center, 100 Peachtree St., Suite 620, Atlanta, GA 30303, phone (404) 525-2303, or e-mail literacy@afb.net.
Canadian residents may request either print or braille copies from Darleen Bogart, The Canadian National Institute for the Blind Library, 1929 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4G 3E8, phone (416) 480-7530, or e-mail bogartd@lib.cnib.ca.
Jobs That Matter
The book “Business Owners Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired” is one of a series written by Deborah Kendrick, an award-winning journalist who is blind. This book demonstrates the wide range of careers and talents that can be pursued by people with visual impairments. Each profile features a successful individual who has accomplished his or her dream of business ownership. From a lawyer and an accountant to a florist and a gourmet cook, the range of engaging stories will inspire young adults with visual impairments and their parents, teachers, and counselors. Other books in the series are “Teachers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired” and “Health Care Professionals Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired” (to be published later this year by AFB). Each book is available in paperback and cassette, and the teacher volume is available in braille. The cost is approximately $22 per book.
To order, phone (800) 232-3044, fax (412) 741-0609, e-mail afborder@abdintl.com, or write to AFB Press, P.O. Box 1020, Sewickley, PA 15143.
American Literature on CD-ROM
Here’s a chance to own and read classic American literature, published before 1920. The collection contains 360 books of prose and poetry, including westerns, in plain text. There is a comprehensive html index page with links to all the texts for easy navigation. The table of contents for the American literature CD is available at http://www.samizdat.com/amlitcd.html. For the children’s collection, visit http://www.samizdat.com/childcd.html. Each CD costs $29 (less than nine cents per book). Disks cost $10 each.
Send your orders with payment by check or credit card to: B&R Samizdat Express, P.O. Box 161, West Roxbury, MA 02132, phone (617) 469-2269, e-mail seltzer@samizdat.com.
Described Video Guide
“Making Theatre Accessible: A Guide to Audio Description in the Performing Arts,” is a new publication of Cultural Access Consortium (CAC) and the Bay State Council of the Blind (BSCB). This guide, targeted to theaters and various performing arts organizations, is also a valuable advocacy tool for access coordinators, education and outreach personnel, and advocates in the blindness community. While it contains some resources specific to the New England audio description community, it will be valuable for anyone in the United States or other countries looking to establish a new or enhance an existing audio description program.
The guide’s contents include: what is audio description; why audio-describe theatre from the perspective of a member of the blindness community, an audio describer, a theatre producer, and a regional theatre education and outreach director; a brief history of audio description; outreach initiatives for audio description education; a step-by-step program plan which includes a chronological and categorical listing of process steps, fund-raising, marketing, box office, and production elements; appendices including information resources, examples of program book inserts, signage, sample describer’s contract; and a glossary.
Guides are now available for $6 per copy in braille, large print and on computer diskette. Checks or purchase orders are accepted and should be payable to the Bay State Council of the Blind. The guide may be ordered from Kim Charlson, Bay State Council of the Blind, 57 Grandview Avenue, Watertown, MA 02472- 1634. Call (617) 926-9198 or e-mail kimcharlson@earthlink.net.
Romance Romance
For readers of romance novels, find original romance books and a collection of short stories and poems on 3.5-inch diskette in MS-DOS format by going to http://honeypot_pub_books.tripod.com/honeypotpublications/. Select the “emotional literature” page. Other pages include erotic novels, erotic books on cassette and all catalogs of braille books from TFB Publications. Write to 238 75th St., North Bergen, NJ 07047, phone (201) 662-0956, e-mail tfb@rockpile.com.
Request for Assistance
Emmanuel S. Ezekwe needs a Perkins brailler, a typewriter, a braille watch, a white cane and a four-track tape player in order to further his education. If you have such items, please send them to him at Eziowelle Postal Agency, Idemmili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, West Africa.
Blind Family Listserv
A new listserv called blind-family focuses on discussion of issues specific to family relationships (i.e. spouses, siblings, parent/child) when one or more family members are blind or encountering eye diseases. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to blind-family-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Curious About Blindness Lists?
Learn about the various blindness-related mailing lists! Join BlindList-Announce! Send a message to BlindList-Announce-subscribe@topica.com and the computer listbot will take care of the rest.
PC Talking Typing Tutor
The PC Talking Typing Tutor is designed for people with disabilities. It teaches touch typing skills using speech and text instructions. The tutor features 14 lessons to learn the keys on the QWERTY computer keyboard, and allows you to practice typing skills by typing letters, words and sentences. It also gives feedback on typing speed and accuracy. The program, which is compatible with Microsoft Windows 95 and 98, has speech output using Microsoft SAPI Speech Engines with the sound card of a user’s computer. Learners can adjust fonts, colors and speech. The educational version supports multiple students. For more information, visit http://www.talktypetutor.com/.
Free Classes from MIT
According to an article by Will Woodward, education editor of the Guardian newspaper, MIT is planning to offer its courses free on the Internet. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the world’s foremost universities, is pushing back the boundaries of education by making nearly all its courses freely available through the Internet. Over the next 10 years, MIT will offer assignments, reading lists, outlines and notes on 2,000 courses on its web site. The venture is intended to counter what MIT calls the “privatization of knowledge.” The university will not give degrees to those using the material on the MIT OpenCourseWare site. But the innovation could revolutionize e-learning and threaten the plans of universities which have seen Internet courses as a source of revenue. The MIT president, Charles Vest, said: “It will provide an extraordinary resource, free of charge, which others can adapt to their own needs.” About 500 courses are likely to be made available within two years at a cost of $7 million to $10 million. The ultimate cost is expected to be about $100 million.
Knitting Patterns on Audio Tape
Crocheting and knitting patterns are available on audio tape. Patterns are read by a knowledgeable craftsperson with row-by-row guidance. Select from our pattern library, or send your favorite pattern. Contact Janet at (215) 412-0466, or e-mail arlene@concentric.net.
Three Visually Impaired Students Win Trip to French Perfume School
L’Occitane, Inc., creator and retailer of fragrances and personal care products, and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) sent three visually impaired American students to L’Occitane’s perfume school in Provence, France. The school’s objective is to alert the human senses to the scents and traditions of Provence; to promote the perfume of that region; and to provide an opportunity for students to consider perfumery as a career.
AFB administered the essay contest. The three American students selected attended a three-day course at the perfume school in late summer. The contest winners were: Cassie R. Lucarelli, 16, West High School, Madison, Wis.; Sarah Sykes, 18, graduate of North Platte High School, North Platte, Neb. and Carla Valpeoz, 17, Blanco High School, Blanco, Texas.
L’Occitane was a winner of a 2000 AFB Access Award for placing braille labels on its products.
Free Gift Opportunity
Want to earn some free gifts? Sponsor a Fuller Brush and Stanley demonstration. For more information, call Alice Crespo at (718) 545-1529.
Listserv for All Cooks
Even though there are many cooking lists available, this one is a bit different. On some cooking lists, posted recipes can be overwhelming. With this list, we want only recipes you use and really like. Also, we hope you can help list members locate specific, hard-to-find, or unique recipes, such as real Memphis barbecue sauce, or the Neiman Marcus famous cookie recipe.
If you wish to join, send a blank message to kitchen-chat-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Hope to see you and your recipes there.
New Catalog Available
If you have someone on your holiday gift list who loves cooking, knitting, crocheting or tatting, the new Horizons for the Blind products catalog is just the ticket. Cooks will especially find our new, seven-volume “Recipes from Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars” a most welcome addition to the kitchen, while the crocheting crowd will enjoy our new Cro-Hook Instructions. With the holidays fast approaching, our holiday crafts and learn-how books may be just what you’ll need to get ready. To order this free catalog, telephone (815) 444-8800 (voice/TDD); fax (815) 444-8830; e-mail mail@horizons-blind.org. Please specify whether you prefer braille, large print, or audio cassette.
Great Children’s Books
Usborne Books offers over 1,000 high-quality children’s books and other products in its new fall catalog. Fiction, reference books, and innovative and imaginative nonfiction in all subject areas. Packed with great pictures and lots of action; creative puzzles, experiments, activities and crafts. Great kits and sets for gift-giving. Books for kids of all ages; many titles in large print. Some print/braille available by special order. Request regular print or cassette catalog. Fund-raisers and work-from-home opportunities also available. Contact Carla Ruschival, Independent Educational Consultant, Usborne Books at Home, 148 Vernon Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206; phone (866) 266-5743; e-mail carla@learnwithusborne.com. For on-line catalog and secure shopping cart, visit www.learnwithusborne.com.