by Sharon Lovering
The announcement of new products and services in this column should not be considered an endorsement 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 and services mentioned.
CVI Workshop
The American Printing House for the Blind and the Braille Institute of America are hosting a workshop focusing on the needs of children with cortical visual impairment. The workshop will be held July 23-25, 2001, and it will take place at the Braille Institute of America in Los Angeles, Calif. Dr. Christine Roman of Marshall University will talk about characteristics of children with CVI, techniques and strategies for intervention, and appropriate materials and activities.
Registration will be limited to the first 125 participants to sign up. There will be a $25 materials fee for each participant. Hotel rates for the conference will be $99 per night for a single room or $109 for a double room.
Registration information and materials are available on the APH web site, www.aph.org, or you can call Field Services Representative Janie Humphries toll-free at (800) 223-1839, ext. 367. E-mail responses or inquiries should be sent directly to Janie at jhumphries@aph.org.
Candle Conference
Candle in the Window, a small national non-profit organization, will hold its 15th annual conference entitled “The Ways We Work: Reflections On Our Place in Employment and Beyond” August 15-19, 2001 at the Kavanaugh Life Enrichment Center, located just outside of Louisville, Ky.
We aim to bridge the gap between those with and without mainstream employment experience; identify and communicate strengths and interests; share hobbies not connected with professional pursuits; increase understanding of nonverbal communication; and enhance interviewing skills.
In addition to provocative presentations and stimulating discussions, there will be plenty of time for swimming, hiking, eating, singing, quiet reflection, and just plain “hanging out.” The conference costs $220 ($15 discount if we receive a $35 non- refundable deposit by July 1); limited scholarships and payment plans are available.
For additional information, please contact Peter Altschul at (202) 234-5243, e-mail: atschu@erols.com, or Kathy Szinnyey at (502) 895-0866, e-mail: fredkate@iglou.com.
Oral Hull Summer Camp
Great fun! Good food! Fantastic fellowship! Nestled in the heart of the Sandy River Valley, at the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range, the Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind is hosting its annual summer camps. Adult camp, ages 21 and above, will be held July 21-28. Youth camp, ages 10 through 20, will be held August 18-25. Individual sporting competition, fishing, swimming, hiking, shopping sprees and a day at the Oregon coast are some of the activities that will fill the week. Completed registration must be received in our office no later than June 15, 2001. A $50 pre-registration fee will assure you a place with us. Interested? Call (503) 668-6195 or e-mail us at oralhull@ teleport.org.
Graduate Studies
The Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Department of Graduate Studies in Vision Impairment, is seeking persons who are blind or visually impaired and interested in receiving a master’s degree or certification in orientation and mobility, education of children & youth with visual and multiple impairments, rehabilitation teaching or low vision rehabilitation. The programs encompass a mixture of classroom, laboratory, clinical, research and field-based learning geared toward meeting professional preparation needs in the field of vision impairment. Rolling admissions and scholarships are available.
For further information, contact Traci Godwin at (215) 780-1363 or tgodwi@pco.edu. You can also visit http://www.pco.edu and click on Graduate Studies.
RNIB Research Library Goes Online
RNIB Research Library, Europe’s largest collection of research material on blindness and partial sight, is now accessible over the Internet, thanks to a joint project with the National Library for the Blind (NLB). By logging on to http://www.rnib.org.uk, visitors can search and browse RNIB’s catalog of books, journal articles, videos and other resources, join the library and request or reserve publications.
The site will provide answers to frequently asked questions about blindness, give access to online journals, and also links to other useful organizations such as government departments and other libraries of blindness and partial sight. With the launch of this online catalog, the RNIB collection is now more readily available to a wide range of users, including medical, social services and education professionals throughout the world. The site is accessible to all blind and partially sighted people, incorporating design features to aid users of screen magnification, speech and braille translation software. For further information, call on 020 7391 2052 or e-mail library@rnib.org.uk.
ABC Beep Baseball Chat
The Association of Blind Citizens announces the nation’s first live beep baseball audio chat. Come and chat with some of the nation’s beep baseball players, managers, coaches and team assistants. This forum will be aimed at providing an open exchange of ideas, information and tips in order to advance beep baseball as a competitive recreational opportunity for blind and visually impaired people.
Join moderator John Oliveira, president of ABC and Boston Renegades manager, for an informative and lively discussion relating to beep baseball. The first chat was held on Sunday, May 13 at 9 p.m.; subsequent chats will be available every Sunday night until October at 9 p.m. Eastern time. To join the beep baseball audio chat, visit http://www.assocofblindcitizens.org and click on our chat page link then click on affiliate rooms and click on the Association of Blind Citizens room. Then enter a name that you would like to use and join the chat. Remember that to participate in this audio chat you must have a microphone attached to your computer’s sound card. See you all in the chat and let us get ready to talk beep baseball.
NBP E-Mail Lists
National Braille Press has established three electronic mailing lists: NBP_General, which announces every NBP publication; NBP_Kids, which announces only children’s and educational publications, including the Children’s Braille Book Club; and NBP_Technology, which announces only computer publications, tutorials, reference cards, etc. To subscribe to any of these lists, send a message to majordomo@world.std.com. Leave the subject blank, and in the message body, write the word “subscribe” without the quotes, then the list name. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Stipend for Vision Specialist Certification
The Mississippi State University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center received funding for an academic certificate program to provide specialized training in vision disabilities for people employed in rehabilitation agencies serving people who are blind and/or people who are in graduate training programs leading toward a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling. The stipend-supported 2002 summer program provides four graduate courses for 12 semester credit hours. For more information, contact Stacy Butler at (662) 325-2001.
Fast Track Braille
“The Fast Track” is a no-nonsense, no-frills braille/tape/print manual for learning to read braille, which has been successfully used to teach braille to adults through a braille mentoring program. To obtain your copy, send $39.95 to Lois Wencil, 19 Parkview Dr., Millburn, NJ 07041. Mention ACB and $1 will be donated to the American Council of the Blind.
Bible Online
Would you like to be able to visit an accessible web site and download each book of the Bible in MP3, and play it on your computer for free? Then visit http://www.audiotreasure.com/. You can also order various versions of the Bible on CD-ROM from this site, or simply listen to it online.
Houlihan’s Menus
Houlihan’s restaurants now offer braille menus! The chain’s 52 corporate-owned locations will each have two braille copies of the menu.
More Talking ATM Installations
Bank One Corp. has installed 30 “talking” automated teller machines in Illinois and Ohio to help visually impaired customers complete their banking transactions. By the end of the year, the bank hopes to have 100 of the machines installed in the Chicago and Columbus areas. To find out if there’s a talking ATM near you, call (877) 241-8665.
CAST Summer Institute
The CAST Summer Institute will be held August 6-9, 2001, with the theme, “Teaching ALL Students: Universal Design for Learning.” Addressing the challenge of IDEA ‘97, the institute will teach you how to make the general curriculum accessible for ALL learners!
Educators are invited to attend a four-day, hands-on workshop that highlights Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an educational approach to teaching diverse learners through flexible applications of technology tools, networks, and digital content.
The Institute will feature presentations, case studies, hands-on activities, demonstrations of exemplars, teacher presentations of UDL successes, and plans for school-based dissemination, focusing on: concepts of Universal Design for Learning (UDL); application of UDL to classroom practice; process of UDL curriculum planning for ALL learners; design of accessible web sites for classrooms, schools, and/or districts, and practical implementation of UDL through development of an action plan.
This institute is for educators, technology specialists, and administrators of schools and universities who want to learn about Universal Design for Learning and its application in practice. Both individuals and teams of two to four people (recommended) from a school or institution are invited. Institute participants will receive a single copy of the CAST eReader (a text-to-speech browser that provides support for learners who have difficulty reading) and a certificate indicating the equivalent of 32 hours of professional development credit, and become CAST Summer Institute Fellows. As CAST Summer Fellows you will be included in the National Consortium, a community of educators who are involved applying UDL to practice. Three graduate credits will be available through Cambridge College in Cambridge, Mass.
Participants should be familiar with computers, including using Windows 95, 98 or 2000, word processing, e-mail, and Internet, and exhibit a willingness to learn new applications.
The Summer Institute will be held on-site at CAST, Peabody, Mass., 40 minutes north of Boston, August 6-9, 2001, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuition is $995 per person. Institute fees include all instructional activities, a resource binder of readings and materials, refreshment breaks, a certificate of completion, and membership in the CAST National Consortium on Universal Design for Learning. The tuition does not include travel, lodging, or meals. Three graduate credits will be available at an additional cost of $500.
For more information, please contact Brenda Matthis, Director - Professional Development, CAST, (978) 531-8555 or bmatthis@cast.org. An online registration form is available at http://www.cast.org/PDInstitutes.
Kurzweil Awarded Lemelson-MIT Prize
Raymond Kurzweil, the inventor who created the first reading machine for the blind, was recently awarded the world’s largest prize for invention: the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize. Congratulations!
New Bank Note Series in Canada
With the release of the $10 note in January 2001, the Bank of Canada has developed a comprehensive accessibility program as part of the design of its new series of bank notes. Four different features have been incorporated into the bank note design, to facilitate identification of note denomination.
The tactile feature is used to designate bank note denomination through a series of symbols formed by raised dots and separated by a smooth surface, in the upper right corner on the face of each note. Each symbol is composed of two columns of raised dots. The dots are embossed and back coated to enhance their durability.
The denominational numeral found on both sides of the note has a high print contrast, which is further improved given that the area behind the numeral is free of printing. The numeral on the front of the note is dark on a pale background while the one on the back of the note is white against a dark background. It is approximately 30 percent larger in comparison to the previous series.
The coloration difference for the various denominations has been maintained from the previous series (i.e., $5 is blue; $10, purple; $20, green; $50, red; and $100, brown) to help low-vision users identify their notes.
In addition, an improved bank note reader is a hand-held device being developed to denominate bank notes from the new series, as well as from the Birds of Canada series. The unit is expected to be approximately half the size and weight of the existing model. The selectable output modes (voice, tone and vibration) will address the privacy concerns that have been expressed by users.
For further information on the new series of bank notes, contact the Bank of Canada toll-free at (888) 513-8212.
New Toll-Free Number for Dolphin
In an effort to maintain the best in customer service, Dolphin is pleased to introduce a new toll-free phone number for customers in the USA. Dolphin clients can now enjoy free calls for all sales inquiries. The new toll-free number for all Dolphin product inquiries is (866) 797-5921. The usual phone and fax numbers also remain in operation: telephone (650) 348-7401 and fax (650) 348-7403. Dolphin can also be contacted by e-mail on info@dolphinusa.com.
NeedyMeds
Do you need medications, but have difficulty paying for them? Check out http://www.needymeds.com. This web site has a listing of 189 pharmaceutical manufacturers who have programs to assist people in getting their needed prescriptions. Each company has its own program with unique forms and procedures. Policies vary from company to company.
Online Medical Reference
The Merck Manual of Medical Information is now available as a free resource at http://www.MerckHomeEdition.com. The new version is complete with multimedia components such as videos, animations, color photos, links, and pronunciations of medical terms. There is a link to a text only version on the page.
Microsoft in the News
Windows 95 is no more! Microsoft has told its original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that it will no longer supply Windows 95. In addition, Microsoft has changed its policy with regard to technical support for users. Now, you are permitted two free calls for a particular product; hereafter, you must pay $35 per call.