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.
Donate Your Guide Rails
Good used bowling guide rails needed for use overseas! Several organizations overseas are interested in starting 10-pin bowling programs for the blind, but they do not have and are having great difficulty obtaining portable guide rails of the type that have been used in the USA for many years. Unfortunately, there is no longer a dependable producer of such rails in this country and the American Blind Bowling Association has sold the few it had on hand. Anyone who is willing to donate a rail in usable condition should send it to the U.S. Association for Blind Athletes, c/o 4708 46th St. NW, Washington, DC 20016. Anyone wanting additional information should call Oral Miller at (800) 424-8666, voice mailbox 25.
Integrating
Candle in the Window, a small national non-profit organization, will hold its 14th annual conference August 9-13, 2000 at the Kavanaugh Life Enrichment Center outside of Louisville, Ky. The conference this year is entitled “The Souls of Blind Folk: Integrating Spirituality into the Fabric of Our Lives.”
Topics to be explored are: experiences which led each participant to join their respective faith traditions; activities that center us spiritually; and development of strategies to build more harmonious relationships with each of our faith communities. There will be provocative presentations and discussions, time for swimming, hiking, eating, singing, quiet reflection and hanging out. Two lodging options are available: a dorm-type setting with three or four people to a room, and a double-occupancy hotel-type setting. The dorm setting costs $200; the hotel, $295. If a $35 deposit is made by July 1, there is a $15 discount. Limited scholarships are available, as are payment plans. For more information, call Kathy Szinnyey at (502) 895-0866 or e-mail her at fredkate@iglou.com; or call Peter Altschul at (202) 234-5243, e-mail atschu@erols.com.
Pitney Bowes Wins
Pitney Bowes Inc., a provider of high-performance mailing systems, copiers and fax machines, was recently selected to win an “IndustryWeek” Technology of the Year Award for its Universal Access Copier System. The copier integrates traditional print access with speech recognition, braille labeling and touch screen technology. For more information, visit the web site, http://www.pitneybowes.com.
20 ATMs Up
Wells Fargo and the California Council of the Blind announced recently that 20 Wells Fargo Talking ATMs are now up and running in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles and San Diego areas. Through voice instructions, these new ATMs tell blind and visually impaired users how to deposit money, withdraw cash, transfer funds and buy stamps. The ATMs have audio jacks to deliver that information privately.
ATM locations are: 2144 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley; 3452 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley; 585 San Ramon Valley, Danville; 2959 College Ave., Berkeley; 4767 Hopyard Rd., Pleasanton; 1 California St., San Francisco; 1705 N. First St., San Jose; 80 Moraga Way, Orinda; 39265 Paseo Padre Pkwy., Fremont; 464 California St., San Francisco; 6320 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood; 333 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles; 6245 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles; 1910 W. Main St., Alhambra; 7202 S. Greenleaf Ave., Whittier; 276-A N. El Camino Real, Encinitas; 7714 Girard Ave., La Jolla; 16901 Bernardo Center Dr., San Diego; 245 Santa Helena, Solana Beach; and 401 B St., San Diego.
Bible Lands
The Princeton Braillists recently came out with a new tactile product: “Maps of the Bible Lands — Old Testament.” This set of maps is intended for serious students of the Bible or of ancient near-eastern history. Maps are detailed; no descriptive background material is included. Familiarity with the subject material and some tactile experience are recommended.
“Maps of the Bible Lands” contains 25 maps and accompanying key pages, plus an index, in two bound volumes totaling 96 pages. It costs $22. Send check or money order (or institutional purchase order) to The Princeton Braillists, 28-B Portsmouth St., Whiting, NJ 08759. Allow four to six weeks for delivery. For more information, call (732) 350-3708.
Seven Gables
The House of Seven Gables Settlement Association has many forms of help for disabled tourists. Available are: large print handouts, braille tours, a telecommunications device for the deaf, and a staff trained by the Historic Sites Accessibility Committee that includes members from the Salem Commission on Disabilities. For more information, call (978) 744-0991, or write to: The Settlement Association, 54 Turner St., Salem, MA 01970.
Smell the Roses
Are you passing through Kansas City, Mo. during your vacation travels? Stop and smell the roses. The Kansas City Garden Club has created a fragrance and texture garden, located 75 feet north of the Loose Park Garden Center Building, 5200 Pennsylvania. It includes many varieties of fragrant and/or textured plants to be touched by visitors. The garden also includes braille and print signs for all the plants. Brochures in braille and in large print are available for visitors in the Loose Park Garden Center Building. For more information, call (816) 561-9710.
Captain Cook’s
Planning a vacation? Captain Cook’s Travel & Cruise is a new travel agency specializing in travel for the visually impaired. It is owned and operated by visually impaired people. The company has three cruises planned this year: Alaska, Aug. 19; Canada and New England fall foliage cruise, Oct. 20, and southern Caribbean, Dec. 13. Both the October and December cruises provide great chances for holiday shopping while having a great time with a group of visually impaired participants. Cruises are based on a minimum of at least 16 people. Are you interested? Call toll-free (888) 564- 8501, or e-mail rick@cookstravel.com.
If tours are more your thing, the company has several to choose from this year, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Rose Festival and Oregon Tour; walks in Nepal and trips to South Africa and Ethiopia. For more information, call the number above, or contact Rick at the e-mail address above. Cruise and tour information can be provided in large print, on cassette tape or on computer disk.
Also, the company has a newsletter, “Cruises & Vacations by Touch.” It was created exclusively for visually impaired and reading impaired clients. It is available on tape, CD-ROM, 3.5-inch computer disk and in large print. Call (541) 552-9388, or e-mail Rick at the address listed above.
Rocks & Ropes
Challenge Aspen is offering “The Wilderness Experience,” a rock climbing and ropes course for people with disabilities. Participants must be able to climb alone. The course will be held August 4-7 in the Rocky Mountains. Lead climbers are Erik Weihenmayer and Tom Perkins. Other activities offered include fishing, tandem cycling and white-water rafting. The total cost for participants is $350 per person; guides/buddies, $150 per person. Registration is limited to 10 participants; the deadline is July 4. Full payment must be received by July 4.
Lodging is available at the Silvertree Hotel, located on the slopes in Snowmass Village. The hotel is offering a discounted rate of $75 per night, based on double occupancy. For reservations, call the Silvertree at (800) 525-9402 and indicate that you are with Challenge Aspen. If you need help finding a roommate, contact the Challenge Aspen office at (970) 923-0578.
Scholarship
The Merle E. Frampton Scholarship is available to any North American student who has been accepted into a university program recognized by AERBVI as meeting standards for training teachers of the blind and visually impaired. Applicants must be formally accepted into a program and intend to become a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. The scholarship will not fund rehabilitation teachers or orientation and mobility specialists as stand-alone certifications, although if a dual program is being pursued (vision teacher plus), the scholarship will fund such programs. Funds may only be used for payment of tuition costs and will be made directly to the university. Request applications from jbickford@wssb.org or by calling (360) 696-6321 extension 140. Applications must be received by July 15.
New at NLS
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped recently added more than 38,000 bibliographic records from the Royal National Institute for the Blind of the United Kingdom into its Union Catalog of braille and audio reading materials for blind and physically handicapped readers. The catalog now holds more than 340,000 bibliographic records representing special material collections in the United States, Ireland, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
Also, the Library of Congress has moved one step closer to being able to produce digital talking books for users of its National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. It recently installed a digital recording facility. This new studio follows installation of a digital duplication system at the library’s facility in Cincinnati in 1999. The experimental digital audio mastering equipment is called a Digidesign Pro Tools 24, and operates on a personal computer.
Envision Moves
Envision has moved! The new address is 2301 S. Water, Wichita, KS 67213-4819; phone (316) 267-2244. The Technologies and Training Center, currently located at the Wichita mall, also moved to 2301 S. Water. The center’s new phone number is (316) 425-7121.
Bible Conference
The Bartimaeus Bible Conference will be held August 7-11, 2000. The theme this year is “The Practical Effects of Prophetic Events.” Pastor Ron Matlock will be the primary Bible teacher, and will explore with participants how the future should influence the spirituality of life. Accommodations are the same as last year: deluxe motel, two to a room, linens provided, meals in a private dining room. The Siden Conference Center cost has increased this year; the conference costs $275 for 11 meals and four nights lodging. A non-refundable check for $25 must accompany all reservations and/or requests for assistance with a campership.
Send your reservation to either Bartimaeus Bible Conference, 404 Larch Ave., South San Francisco, CA 94080-1609 or Christian Services for the Blind, PO Box 26, South Pasadena, CA 91031-0026. For more information, call Grant Metcalf at (650) 589-6890 or Frank Tucker at (626) 799-3935.
Speak To Me!
Speak to Me has several new items in its spring-summer catalog, including the Echo 1 Talking Pager. The pager is lightweight and easy to use; it includes a full-featured numeric display with vibrator and beep tone alert, and will speak any numeric message stored in memory. It requires 1 AAA battery (not included) and costs $89.95. Also featured in the catalog are a talking VCR, voice recognition cordless phone, talking pedometer, talking tape measure, talking calendar/clock and a variety of digital recorders, as well as talking key chains, magnets, stuffed animals and novelty gifts. For more information, or a catalog, call the company at (800) 248-9965, or visit the web site, http://www.speaktomecatalog.com.
Travel
Kathleen Prime is an independent contractor with Tivoli Travel of Massapequa, N.Y. She arranges travel for disabled and able-bodied clients, including blind people. Prime can arrange domestic and international trips, including airline tickets, hotel reservations, tour packages, cruises and any other accommodations you may require. If you or your family would like to plan a trip, contact Kathleen Prime at (631) 698-5149, or write her via e-mail at kprime@suffolk.lib.ny.us.
Subscription List
Do you want to keep abreast of the latest developments in the world of access technology, but lack the time or inclination to sift through hundreds of messages on e-mail lists? Do you sometimes delete messages because you aren’t willing to read through extraneous headers and ads? If so, Amy Ruell may have the thing for you.
She monitors more than 12 e-mail lists and subscribes to several newsletters and magazines that focus on adaptive technology. For an annual fee of $20, you can receive timely information about new products and resources, updates to your adaptive equipment, and speech-friendly programs. You will also be alerted to changes in vendor contact information and publications, and will be informed when new lists become available. To subscribe, send a check for $20 payable to Amy Ruell and mail it to her at 9 Quail Run, Hingham, MA 02043. If you have questions, contact Amy via e-mail at aruell@world.std.com.
Listserv
HANDS is a new listserv primarily aimed at blind high school and college students. Its main goal is to let blind students exchange techniques for dealing with student life and allow them to vent their frustrations. To subscribe to HANDS, write an e-mail message to Listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu. Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message type the words (without quotes) “subscribe hands firstname lastname,” where firstname is your first name and lastname is your last name. Then send the message.
Museum Tours
The Smithsonian Institution’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery offers free twice-monthly tactile tours of its major summer exhibition, “Music in the Age of Confucius.” This exhibit opened April 30 and will run through September 17. It presents a set of 36 rare bells, chimestones, zithers, flutes, drums and pan pipes, representing the largest, best-preserved cache of ancient musical instruments ever discovered.
Tour dates are June 10 and 24, July 8 and 22, and August 12 and 26. Tours begin in the lobby area of the Sackler entrance pavilion at 9:30 a.m. Tours are limited to eight people per Saturday; reservations are required. To make a reservation, or for more information, contact Raina Johns at (202) 357-4880 extension 402 or via e-mail, raina.johns@asia.si.edu.
New Audiobook
BFI AudioBooks of Stamford, Conn., recently published a biography of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt which also describes the FDR Home and Museum in Hyde Park, N.Y. It consists of five cassettes which describe the displays and tell the story of the lives of Franklin and Eleanor from childhood to their deaths, explain the world they lived in and much of the history they created. The book is titled “Seeing the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home& Museum with Julian Padowicz” and may be followed in the future with such topics as Ellis Island and Gettysburg. The FDR book is available now in bookstores; it costs $24.95. It is also available from the publisher, (800) 260-7717.
Award Winners
The American Foundation for the Blind recently presented its 2000 Helen Keller Achievement Awards. The winners are: Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and CEO of the McGraw-Hill Companies; Kiyoshi Kawakami, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc.; and jazz vocalist and pianist Diane Schurr. McGraw received the Helen Keller Achievement Award in Communications for the “Assistive Technology” column written by John M. Williams and published by “BusinessWeek Online.” Kawakami received the Helen Keller Achievement Award in Corporate Philanthropy for Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation’s founding the AFB Product Evaluation Laboratory Student Internship Project. Schurr received the Helen Keller Personal Achievement Award in recognition of her achievements as a distinguished performing artist and as a role model for people who are blind or visually impaired.
And speaking of Helen Keller, a book of her quotes has recently been published. It is called “To Love This Life: Quotations by Helen Keller”; it has a foreword by former president Jimmy Carter and a preface by Keller Johnson-Thompson, Helen’s great-grandniece. It costs $21.95 in print or on tape; order it by calling (800) 232- 3044, or by e-mail at afborder@abdintl.com. Orders must be accompanied by payment (for individuals) or institutional purchase orders, and should be sent to AFB Press, PO Box 1020, Sewickley, PA 15143-1020.
AFB Press also recently released “Vision Loss in an Aging Society: A Multidisciplinary Perspective,” edited by John E. Crews and Frank J. Whittington. Its ISBN is 0-89128-307-2, and it costs $27.95 plus $5 shipping and handling. For information, or to order, call AFB Press Customer Service at the number above. Send orders and payment to the address listed above.
Two New Tools
The American Printing House for the Blind has two new tools to help students improve their computer skills, Talking Typer and Learn Keys. Talking Typer is a typing and computer keyboard training program for the PC. It shows and speaks a series of letters or words and waits for students to type them. It can be used by individuals and groups, and uses the computer’s sound card and screen to instruct, practice and/or play games with typing lessons. Teachers may make modifications to fit their students’ needs.
Learn Keys gives students high-quality digitized human speech feedback as they explore the PC keyboard. It works with several versions of Windows and with a variety of keyboard styles. Learn Keys operates in full screen and background modes. When it’s in full screen mode, it speaks any single key you press and displays the name of the key on the screen; in background mode, it provides keyboard feedback while other Windows programs are open.
A free demonstration version of these products is available on the APH web site, http://www.aph.org.
APH also has available a program called Math Flash, designed to help elementary students improve their math skills. The program allows students to select their favorite Math Mentor to lead the exercises; the mentor guides the student through problems in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Teachers can modify the number of problems and the degree of difficulty, insert new problems of their own design into the exercises, and adjust the program to the student’s level of vision. A free demonstration version of this is available on the web site listed above.
Braille Music
Opus Technologies has signed a braille music publishing agreement with Hal Leonard Corp. of Milwaukee which grants Opus Technologies the rights to publish and sell braille editions of music titles from Hal Leonard’s extensive catalog of print music. For its first offering, the company is publishing braille editions of 25 individual sheet music pieces. These consist of piano-vocal-guitar (pvg), easy piano (ep), or piano solo (ps) versions of the following 10 best-selling popular songs: “Forrest Gump Main Title” ep, ps; “Great Balls of Fire” pvg; “Heart and Soul” pvg, ep, ps; “Imagine” pvg, ep, ps; “Memory” pvg, ep, ps; “My Heart Will Go On” pvg, ep, ps; “Tears in Heaven” pvg, ep, ps; “Unchained Melody” pvg, ep; “What a Wonderful World” pvg, ep, ps; and “Yesterday” pvg, ep.
Opus Technologies is selling both the braille and the corresponding print sheet music at the following prices: $9.95 (braille), $3.95 (print), and $12.95 (braille and print). Shipping and handling cost $5 per U.S. order ($10 for Canada). Contact the company at 13333 Thunderhead St., San Diego, CA 92129; phone (858) 538-9401; e-mail opus@opustec.com, or visit the web site, http://www.opustec.com.
GW & Adobe
GW Micro announced recently that it is working with Adobe Systems Inc. to develop compatibility between Window-Eyes and a future release of Adobe Acrobat software. The most likely solution will involve use of Microsoft Access software. Stay tuned for more developments on this in the future.
Freedom Scientific
Henter-Joyce has merged with Blazie Engineering to form Freedom Scientific Inc., a new company dedicated to offering a broad line of assistive technology products for people with sensory impairments and learning disabilities. The company is headed by Richard H. Chandler, founder and former CEO of Sunrise Medical, one of the world’s major manufacturers of rehabilitation products for the elderly and disabled.
Freedom Scientific has been funded with an equity commitment from two leading private equity firms, Patricof & Co. Ventures and Summit Partners, each of which has successfully invested in the past in businesses focused on disability products. Henter-Joyce and Blazie will continue to design, develop and manufacture their respective product lines in separate business development units, but sales, marketing, order entry and administrative functions will be combined at the Freedom Scientific Blind/Low Vision Group, to be located in St. Petersburg, Fla.