by Sharon Lovering
Wanna Be A Columnist?
“The Braille Forum” has received several inquiries from members who are interested in putting together our very popular “Here and There” column. We will accept applications for this unpaid position of “Here and There” contributing editor until September 15. Please send a resume and cover letter to: Penny Reeder, Editor, The Braille Forum, American Council of the Blind, 1155 15th Street NW, Suite 1004, Washington, DC 20005.
E-mailed applications are also quite acceptable. If you attach files, please do so in MS Word or WordPerfect 5.1 formats. If you are uncomfortable with attachments, you may paste your resume and cover letter directly into your message. E-mail to: preeder@acb.org. Thank you.
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.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Marla Runyan, a legally blind runner, who made the Olympic track team in the 1,500-meter run. She came in third in the trials despite her knee injury.
APH File Repository
The American Printing House for the Blind now has a file repository in addition to its Louis database. This pilot project calls for the inclusion of braille textbook files, publishers’ textbook files, and APH educational software products. The repository currently includes braille files from APH in Duxbury format, as well as braille files in various formats from volunteer, non-profit and government agencies. It is available through the APH web site, http://www.aph.org from the Louis database. Anyone searching Louis will be able to see if a file is available for download. The cost for each textbook file downloaded is $25.
How can you help? APH will pay non-profit agencies $50 for any braille textbook file below college level copyrighted after 1993. APH is especially interested in getting files for the “hard to do” braille, such as math, science, geography, spelling and social studies.
Blindskills
If you would like to receive information about skills that visually impaired people use in their daily lives at home, work and play, consider subscribing to “Dialogue: A World of Ideas for Visually Impaired People of All Ages.” In “Dialogue” you will learn methods for coping, cooking, gardening, accessing technology, parenting, working, studying, traveling, writing and many other activities. The magazine is available in braille, four-track audiocassette, large print and on IBM-compatible diskette. A four-issue subscription is $28 annually for legally blind readers and $40 annually for those who are not legally blind. Call (800) 860-4224 and order a sample copy free of charge. To subscribe, use your MasterCard or Visa, or send a check or money order in U.S. funds to Blindskills Inc., P.O. Box 5181, Salem, OR 97304-0181. For information about “Dialogue,” call the number above.
Congrats to Susan!
Susan Sygall, executive director of Mobility International USA, was recently awarded a MacArthur Fellowship by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. This award will give her five years of support, no strings attached, for Mobility International. Sygall may be the first woman with a disability to receive such recognition, according to the Eugene Register-Guard. Her mission is to include people with disabilities in international programs, and to focus on the rights of people with disabilities, especially women.
Blue Moon
“Blue Moon” is the newest electronic suspense novel by Carla Ledbetter. It is available at http://www.dlsjpress.com. The book retails for $5.65, and is 412 pages.
Able-Net
ABLE-NET has a variety of Internet services available: DSL, dial-up and ISDN. It offers discounts for people with disabilities and non-profit organizations. There are accessible services available in 32 states and Canada. Unlimited Internet access and e-mail start at $11.50 a month. To sign up, call toll-free (888) 221-4900, or visit http://www.able-net.net.
Congratulations!
George Kerscher was recently elected chairman of the board of directors of the Open E-Book Forum. OEBF is an organization for stakeholders interested in electronic books, and includes publishers such as Random House, technology companies like Microsoft, and other organizations. For more information about OEBF, visit http://www.openebook.org.
Craft Books
Marjorie Arnott has available a wide selection of knitting, crochet and cooking books at reasonable prices. They include several afghan and blanket books (knitting); potpourri; sweaters for adults and children; wash cloths; hats, gloves, scarves, mittens, etc.; slippers; knit and crochet toys; knit and crochet baby shower books; and many more. Recipe books include: Meals across the miles; three-ingredient cookbooks; Lipton mix; Mexican; vegetarian; crock pot; chili recipes and more. In the catalog are sections with poetry books, kitchen cupboard remedies, and a book written by Diana Braun from Australia.
If you want a selection of patterns to your own specifications, she may be able to put a book together for you. Or if you want something put into braille, she may be able to do that too. Call or write to Marjorie Arnott, 1446 N. Coronado St., Chandler, AZ 85224-7824; phone (480) 345-8773. A shortened version of the catalog is available at http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rowan/marjorie-crafts.html. Braille inquiries appreciated.
Good Eatin’
Healthy Choices specializes in teaching people how to improve their health through proper nutrition. If you wish to learn about eating right, or need to lose some extra pounds, contact the company at (800) 253-1866 or e-mail Dianedt553@aol.com.
Miniguide
GDP Research has developed a tiny electronic mobility aid called the Miniguide. It is about the size of a small box of matches and weighs less than an ounce. It indicates the distance to the nearest object via an audio tone. The higher the pitch, the closer the object. There is a small speaker on the aid, as well as a set of earphones that have volume control. A single push of the button turns the aid on and off, and selects different modes. The device costs $390 Australian (about $235 U.S.). For more information, visit the web site, http://users.senet.com.au/~gphillip/ultra.htm.
Disability Resources
“The Disability Resources Monthly Guide to Disability Resources on the Internet” is now available at http://www.disabilityresources.org. Bell Atlantic Foundation provided a grant to Disability Resources, which helped get the new web site address, as well as other new features. Disability Resources, Inc. is a national non-profit organization. It provides information about resources for independent living. The organization is seeking additional site sponsors as well as volunteers to build, edit and update subject and state pages. For more information, contact Avery or Julie Klauber between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at (631) 585-0290, or send e-mail to info@disabilityresources.org.
TLC Products
TLC Distribution invites you to check out its web site, http://www.shaklee.net/wakefieldtlc. It offers you a variety of health information as well as a chance to purchase Shaklee products, including nutritional supplements, skin care items, environmentally safe cleaners and water purification systems. If you do not have access to the Internet, write to Loren and Teresa Wakefield, 722 Denver St., Waterloo, IA 50702.
Don’t Mow Your Lawn!
According to a recent press release, Friendly Robotics Inc. has developed a robotic lawn mower; advertisements state that “It mows. You don’t.” The device is called the RL500. It cuts grass while guided by a low-voltage perimeter cable installed around the lawn. Its suggested retail price is $795. Readers in Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia and Seattle are probably already seeing and hearing advertisements. More ads will appear later in the year, just in time for the holiday season. For more information, or to order, call toll-free (888) 404-7626.
Welcome Back to DC!
Paul Schroeder was recently named the new vice president of governmental relations at the American Foundation for the Blind. His duties include overseeing all of AFB’s advocacy efforts on behalf of blind or visually impaired people before Congress and government agencies. Prior to this appointment, Schroeder headed AFB’s National Technology Program and the AFB Midwest office in Chicago. But before joining AFB, he was the director of governmental affairs at the ACB national office.
LCD Telephone
Adaptive Innovations recently released BrailleStream-LCD 1.1, an assistive technology solution for offices using Digital business telephones that present call data in an LCD window on the telephone. It was designed to assist visually impaired people by sending the data shown in the LCD window to a speech synthesizer, using JAWS for Windows. For those with low vision, a screen magnification program like MAGic can provide the necessary information in large print. For more information, visit http://www.adaptiveinno.com, or call (905) 737-6388.
New Opportunities
A new web site, http://www.disability-marketing.com, is helping companies get in touch with the buying power of America’s people with disabilities. The site is the online home of The Solutions Marketing Group, and features a description of the benefits of disability marketing, monthly highlights of companies with successful disability marketing campaigns, descriptions of the company’s services, and links to disability marketing resources. It will feature a broad range of services to help companies target and address the needs of consumers with disabilities. According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Americans with disabilities command $796 billion in income, of which $176 billion is discretionary income. While this community purchases the same products and services as other consumer markets, people with disabilities and their families are often not sought after as a viable consumer market.
Need Shell?
Do you need a shell account to use the Internet? There is a shell account provider out there: shellworld.net. It features the latest versions of all popular Unix shell applications as well as some less common ones, and intends to keep it that way. The company has access to OC48 (fast) connections to three service providers and gives you access to technical support. To receive a sign-up form, send a blank e-mail to shell@shellworld.net. If you have questions, send an e-mail message to riddler@dreamhaven.net or admin@shellworld.net.
Woolly Pen
Blind children now have the chance to create drawings they can see by using a Woolly Pen. This pen was designed by Quantum Technology of Australia as a way for blind and visually impaired children to draw pictures. Wool binds to a reusable adhesive pad and makes images the children can feel. For more information, contact Quantum Technology, PO Box 390, Rydalmere NSW 2116, Australia; phone 011 61 2 9684 2077.
Golden
Rebecca Kragnes has her debut CD, “Golden,” available for sale. It is comprised of 11 tracks, all of which are her original compositions. She is an ACB member, on the board of directors of the Minnesota chapter, and twice received ACB scholarships (you may remember her as Rebecca Rupp). CDs cost $15 each. Send your check or money order to Rebecca Kragnes, PO Box 52008, Minneapolis, MN 55402. For a single CD, shipping costs $2; for multiple copies, song samples, and so forth, visit http://www.RebeccaK.com or call (612) 827-2132.
Fellowships
The American Antiquarian Society is now accepting applications for fellowships for historical research by creative and performing artists, writers, film makers and journalists. The deadline to return your applications is October 5, 2000. Applicants will be notified on or around December 5. Fellowships will be awarded to people whose research objectives are to produce works dealing with pre-20th century American history designed for the general public, rather than for academic/educational communities. These fellowships will allow recipients to conduct uninterrupted research, reading and collegial discussion at the AAS. To get an application, contact the Artist Fellowship Program, American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609-1634; phone (508) 363-1131, or e-mail wyoung@mwa.org.
CanVote 2000
CanVote 2000 is a new service of CanDo.com that offers articles and tools designed to get you involved in the democratic process. It also offers in-depth disability-rights focused coverage of the presidential election, as well as U.S. Senate and state gubernatorial races. Visit http://www.CanDo.com for more information.
Harvard Biz
The Massachusetts Association for the Blind can send you audiocassette copies of the “Harvard Business Review.” A one-year subscription costs $75. Archived issues (past three years only) are also available upon request. Contact Robert Pierson at (617) 972-9117, or within Massachusetts, toll-free at (800) 152-3029.
Computer Games
Bavisoft is a new computer software company dedicated to creating computer games for the blind and visually impaired that are based purely on sound imagery. The company’s first product, Grizzly Gulch Western Extravaganza, is an action and adventure game set in the old west. You will meet and interact with numerous crazy characters, have a chance to visit the saloon for a game of chance, and maybe even try upholding the law against some of the “baddest outlaws in the West” with a six shooter. It features four-key control interface, CD quality sound, original music, complete audio help, and much more. For more information, reviews and downloadable demos of Grizzly Gulch, visit http://www.bavisoft.com.
Audio Internet
Have you ever traveled without your computer and wished you could have access to the Internet? Wish no more! The following free information services give news, stock market quotes, weather, traffic and more. They can get you the information you want from the Internet via telephone. TellMe.com requires that you sign up on its web site first, http://www.TellMe.com. After you’ve signed up, you may call (800) 555-8355 and get the information you need.
MyAudioPoint.com can be reached at (888) 382-8346. And Quack.com may be reached by calling (800) 737-8225.
Voices to Access
People with disabilities, listen up! You now have improved access to Smithsonian Museum exhibits. The Smithsonian Institution has published numerous brochures and script texts on audio tape, including its current exhibit, “Piano 300: Celebrating Three Centuries of People and Pianos.” Volunteers record, review and duplicate tapes of “The Associate,” the institution’s monthly members’ magazine describing all events offered by the resident program, as well as exhibit brochures and catalogs, event calendars, museum guides, scientific papers, educational materials and exhibit scripts. This group of volunteers will also record publications on request of an organization or patron. Forty volunteers from the Washington bureau of ABC News are recording two Friends of the National Zoo newsletters, and “Wildlife Adventures.” WMAL radio is also supporting the “Voices to Access 2000” project. For more information on the tapes currently available, or to request taping of a particular Smithsonian publication, call (202) 786-2942. The audio tapes list is also available on the web site, http://www.si.edu/resource/access.
NCAA Info
The 2000 NCAA college football schedule in braille is now available! It lists 132 division 1-A and some requested division 1-AA teams. The results of the 1999 bowls, the top 25 teams in the AP final polls, the 2000 pre-season poll, and the 2000-2001 bowl schedule are included. Each schedule costs $10. The schedules will be sent free matter. Send your check to Allen H. Gillis, 302 Schaeffel Rd., Cullman, AL 35055.
Another Acquisition
Freedom Scientific recently acquired the business operations and product lines of Arkenstone, Inc., as well as its name, intellectual property and business assets. The Arkenstone engineering group, including Jim Fruchterman, will continue in California as a non-profit entity, to be renamed Benetech, and will develop new adaptive technology products for people with disabilities. Freedom has also engaged Fruchterman’s group to continue research and development work on the purchased software product lines, including future upgrades of each.
Perkins Reunion
On May 6, a group of former Perkins students gathered at the Atlantic 101 restaurant. About 26 people met for a fun-filled afternoon of dinner, memories and entertainment. Bob Branco, class of 1977, wishes to thank the staff of the Atlantic 101 for their kindness and generosity. If you were unable to attend this year, and wish to put your name in for the next gathering, write to Bob Branco, 359 Coggeshall St., New Bedford, MA 02746, or call (508) 994-4972.
Ruff Wear
Ruff Wear manufactures numerous items for dogs on the go, including collapsible food and water bowls, packs, boots, overcoats, “float coats,” first aid kits, travel bags, training and grooming supplies and gear. Recently the company launched its web site, http://www.ruffwear.com. The web site is Bobby approved; people who use screen readers will be able to navigate the web site. Check it out!
Enhanced Phone
Full Life Products now has available a talking big button braille-enhanced telephone, the Dialogue JV-35. Jumbo-sized buttons with braille characters help you dial quickly and correctly. The phone announces the numbers as you dial. It also has 10 programmable “speed dial” buttons, and three programmable emergency buttons; when you use these, it will announce the name of the person you’re calling. Call Full Life Products at (800) 400- 1540 or visit http://www.superproducts.com/textonly.htm.
Humanitarian Award
The International Association of Lions Clubs recently awarded Narrative Television Network the Lions International Humanitarian Award for NTN’s efforts in making movies and television accessible to blind and visually impaired people. Past recipients of the award include former president Jimmy Carter, former first lady Nancy Reagan, and Mother Teresa.
Ladybug Press
Ladybug Press recently released a book titled “Women and Disabilities: It Isn’t Them and Us.” Written by Mona Hughes, a single parent with a disability, the book intends to convey the message that nobody’s perfect. It includes a resource list. It costs $18.95. Fifteen percent of the sales of this book will be donated to “Mouth: Voice of the Disability Nation,” a magazine to give the disabled population a sense of community and contact. To order, call (888) 892-5000, or write Ladybug Press, 751 Laurel St., Suite 223, San Carlos, CA 94070-3113.