by Sharon Lovering
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 HYPERLINK "mailto:slovering@acb.org"slovering@acb.org, 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.
Monarch 2 Now Available
Monarch continues to evolve with new tools designed to support students who are blind or low vision across assessments, mathematics, tactile graphics and digital learning.
What’s new about it? Exam Mode allows educators to choose which apps and tools students can access during an assessment or exam. The redesigned KeyMath graph viewer provides greater detail and a simpler experience when exploring graphs. MathCAT also improves the translation of mathematical content between print and braille. And the Tactile Viewer now offers additional zoom levels for supported graphics, including SVG files. The new Describe with AI feature can also generate a verbal description of an image.
For more information, visit this link, or call 1-888-723-7273.
A Very Accessible Print Calendar
Staying on schedule is important for all of us, regardless of our age. For those who prefer a print calendar, its design must recognize the unique needs of those with low vision. Many of you already know, but for those who don’t, there is a calendar out there that meets that need.
The EZ2See® Weekly Planner/Calendar was designed by a legally blind ACB member to meet his low-vision condition. Its multiple unique features are what make it the most accessible product of its kind. Like all “large print” calendars, it has large print; but that is only the beginning. Add to that its:
- Bold, Aspira sans serif font,
- Only black ink used throughout,
- Each week presented across two full-size facing sheets,
- Each daily cell is nearly the size of two 3 by 5 cards,
- A black page border reduces the chance of writing off each page.
See and read more about it and our other helpful products at EZ2SeeProducts.com, or call 1-800-234-8291. You can also find it on Amazon, Independent Living Aids, Walmart Online or Shopify.
Young People Making a Difference
The HYPERLINK "https://barronprize.org/"Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes , a national award that recognizes inspiring, public-spirited young people, announces its 2026 winners. Founded by bestselling author T. A. Barron, the Barron Prize annually recognizes 25 outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive impact on people and the planet. Fifteen top winners each receive $10,000 to support their service work or higher education.
Among the winners are:
Alexander Du, age 17, of Pennsylvania, who invented IRIS (Intelligent Responsive Imaging System), a low-cost wearable AI navigation assistant for the blind and visually impaired.
Lucas Rojas, age 16, of Florida, who created LINKball: Kickball for ALL, an inclusive kickball league that allows the special needs community to experience the joy of playing sports.
The Barron Prize annual application deadline is March 15th. Winners are announced each September. To see the whole list of 2026 winners, visit HYPERLINK "https://barronprize.org/meet-the-winners/2026-winners/"https://barronprize.org/meet-the-winners/2026-winners/. For more information, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.barronprize.org"www.barronprize.org.