The ACB Braille Forum Volume LXIV October 2025 No. 3 Published by the American Council of the Blind ***** * Be A Part of ACB The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at 1-800-424-8666. * Contribute to Our Work Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 6200 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 155, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office has printed cards available for this purpose. Consider including a gift to ACB in your Last Will and Testament. If your wishes are complex, call the national office. To make a contribution to ACB by the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. * Check in with ACB For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" 24/7 at 1-800-424-8666, or read it online. 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Copyright 2025 American Council of the Blind Scott Thornhill, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor 225 Reinekers Ln., Suite 660, Alexandria, VA 22314 ***** ** Table of Contents President's Message: Reflections on Gratitude and Youth Engagement: Finding Purpose Through Connection, by Deb Cook Lewis Convention 2026: Traveling to St. Louis, by Janet Dickelman An Attitude of Gratitude, by Michael Byington Intuition, Equity, and the Echo of Humanity, by Anthony Corona Technology, the Blind, and Unemployment, by Bob Branco Artificial Intelligence and Critter Identification, by Beth Terranova What a Ride!, by Al Daniels The Adventures of Access Man, Champion of Accessibility!, by Tyson Ernst The Encounter: How a TTS Speech Engine Fell in Love with a Blind Screen Reader User, by Beverly Rose and Michael Bayus Summary of 2025 Resolutions Here and There, edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins High Tech Swap Shop ACB Officers ACB Board of Directors ACB Board of Publications Accessing Your ACB Braille Forums ** Correction Due to an editing error, the author's name was listed incorrectly in "More Than Just an Extra Point: A Dream Come True" in the September 2025 issue. The author's name is Larry Johnson. We regret the error. * How to Submit Articles to the Forum If you wish to submit an article to "The ACB Braille Forum," please send it via email to slovering@acb.org as part of the message, or attached as a Word or ASCII text file. Articles should be between 500 and 800 words. Language should be family friendly. Longer articles may be divided into two or more parts. * Upcoming Forum Themes and Deadlines January 2026: theme TBA; deadline: November 25, 2025 If your committee or affiliate would like to claim an issue of the Forum, please contact Sharon Lovering, slovering@acb.org. * Are You Moving? Do You Want to Change Your Subscription? Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering@acb.org. Give her the information, and she'll update the database. ***** ** President's Message: Reflections on Gratitude and Youth Engagement: Finding Purpose Through Connection by Deb Cook Lewis I often find it challenging to come up with something that fits the theme of the month. While matching the theme is not required, I consider it a worthwhile challenge when possible. You might think it would be easy to list things for which I am truly grateful -- and in a sense, it was. Yet, none of those ideas sparked the excitement I was seeking. Now, as the deadline approaches, I'm glad I waited: an idea has emerged that both aligns with the theme and allows me to share a project I'm genuinely excited about within ACB. By the time you read this, I hope the Board will have adopted this project, or at least be well on the way. If all goes well, ACB will offer a youth track at the 2026 ACB Conference and Convention in St. Louis. This prospect has made me reflect deeply on what I am grateful for from my own youth. Growing up blind in the 1960s, my parents believed the best education for me would be through the public school system. However, we lived in a rural district without any other blind youth. A vision impairment (VI) teacher from a neighboring, larger district visited once a week to teach me Braille and other essential skills. Although I knew several other blind youths, mostly from other rural school districts -- and met a few blind and low vision kids at camp, I had no blind or low vision role models. My parents made an effort to introduce me to some blind adults, but, in most cases, circumstances had not been kind to them. They were not living the kinds of lives my parents or I envisioned for my future. I did not feel comfortable discussing this personal crisis with anyone. My solution was simple: I decided I just would not grow up. It was not a path of doom and gloom -- more a refusal to step into a future I could not imagine. Some of you may think I succeeded in that goal. Everything changed during my sophomore year of high school, when I had the opportunity to attend a two-day retreat for blind and low vision high school students from Washington State, Oregon, and British Columbia. Over those two days, I met a group of blind peers my age whom I had not previously known, but the most important experience was meeting so many successful blind adults from two states and one province. And good news -- there were a lot of them, and none fit a single mold. These adults shared their journeys with us in honest, tangible ways, including the hard lessons they had learned. Not all were superstars -- though certainly some were -- but they were real people with one important trait in common with us high school students. The experience reignited my interest in growing up and moving forward with my life. I am not sure my parents even noticed the transformation, but I certainly did. As we look forward to sharing ACB with high school students this summer, I hope you will consider ways we can better engage with the youth of our future. Let’s offer much-needed encouragement and share our stories -- because those connections can truly make a difference. ***** ** Convention 2026: Traveling to St. Louis by Janet Dickelman Our convention home for 2026 is the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Arch, located at 315 Chestnut Street. Convention dates are Friday, July 24th through Friday, July 31. The opening general session will be held on Saturday, July 25. Our first tours will be on Friday the 24th, with final tours on Friday the 31st. * Traveling to St. Louis Traveling to St. Louis will be easy and convenient for all conference and convention attendees. Saint Louis is served by Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, airport code STL. The following information was provided by the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau: "St. Louis is situated at the geographic hub of the United States. Our location makes it possible for your attendees to fly to St. Louis from most major U.S. cities in just two to three hours. On average there are 210 daily departures from St. Louis." Airlines serving Lambert-St. Louis International Airport are: Air Canada Alaska Airlines American Airlines Delta Air Lines Frontier Airlines Lufthansa Southern Southwest Airlines United Airlines The cost for a rideshare from the airport will vary depending on the time of day. A standard taxi fare is currently $35 to $45 to get to the hotel. We are exploring shuttle service options in St. Louis. St. Louis is also served by Amtrak and Greyhound; they stop at the Gateway Transportation Center at 430 S. 15th St., 0.3 miles from the hotel. If you are taking Amtrak, make sure to specify that you want the downtown station. There is another stop in Kirkwood, a St. Louis suburb. * Hotel Details Room rates at the Hyatt are $104 single or double, $129 triple or $154 quad, plus applicable state and local taxes (currently 17.92%). All rooms have refrigerators and K-cup coffee makers. Reservation details will be available shortly. For any convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or via email, Janet.dickelman@gmail.com. * Staying in Touch The conference and convention announce list will be filled with information. If you received updates for the 2025 convention, you do not need to re-subscribe to the list. If you are not subscribed to the list, send a blank e-mail to Acbconvention+subscribe@acblists.org. ***** ** An Attitude of Gratitude by Michael Byington As an older geezer now in my 70s, there are a great many people for whom I have, as your editor puts it, an attitude of gratitude. I cannot narrow it down to one or two, but will mention a few for whom I am very thankful. My mother, Bonnie Byington, tops the list. As a low-vision child, I count myself extremely fortunate to have had an even lower vision mother. She had done 12 years in a residential school for the blind, and although she benefitted educationally, was successful in college, and had some professional successes, she did not want her son to have to be away from the family for more than half of each year. She knew what would be required both of the local public school, and of me, to be successful in an integrated learning setting. She not only advocated successfully with the school system to get me into public school, but she also taught me to take over the advocacy duties for myself as I matriculated through the 12-year public school processes. Throughout elementary school, I also enjoyed the skills of an inspirational teacher of the visually impaired (TVI), Gladys Foss. She made it clear from the first days we worked together that she had decided that I would be college material, and that she would accept no less from me. When I started to falter academically and socially during what is now called the middle school years, I saw her rather seldom, but when I did meet with her, I knew that I had better shape up. I am sure I was still on her caseload when in high school, but I do not recall ever having her visit me at my high school. She had given me sufficient background in order to advocate adequately for myself, and set myself up for higher education. During my high school years, I decided that I wanted to be in some kind of profession that allowed me to work in both drama and the helping professions. I thus started college with a declared double major in speech/theatre and psychology. I started at a small teacher's college in 1972 and found that the professors in theatre there had no idea about using theatre for anything past entertainment. They did not really welcome a legally blind student into the fold, and I was told that my congenital legal blindness, and the resultant appearance of my eyes, would make it next to impossible for me to assume a character, or move in a fashion other than my natural mannerisms. I was told that I could never count on more than a C in any of my classes, no matter what I did. It was suggested that I should change my major. I would like to imply that I was so mature and brilliant that I carefully researched the professors at colleges I could afford and made the selection of a different school out of sound judgment. That would be a profound exaggeration, however. I transferred to Kansas State University because there was a girl there whom I wanted to date, and who implied that she wanted to date me. The relationship with the girl only lasted about six weeks, but I got lucky with regard to the professors. I also eventually did meet the girl I married at that university, but that is another story for another time. For the first semester at the new school, January 1974, I decided to enroll in no theatre courses except playwriting. I figured that there surely would be no discrimination in a course such as that. I could then take my time in evaluating the department and deciding whether it was really necessary to give up my dreams and drop the theatre major. The first day of the playwriting class, Professor Joel Climenhaga entered the class a few minutes late. His first words were, "So you want to be playwrights. I have one word of advice for you. QUIT! I also know that if you really want to be playwrights, you will pay no attention to that advice." He then gazed down at me through what I later learned were very thick glasses, and said, "Say, those glasses are thicker than mine. You must really have messed up vision. That's good, gives you interesting perspective." I decided at that point that I would not be considered the department weirdo at that University. They already had one, and he was tenured. Through the rest of my undergraduate degree and graduate school, I took a lot of courses from this man, who demanded just to be called "Joel." He was a brilliant lecturer, who rather quickly told me, "I believe that theatre is a field of a thousand wildflowers. Some of the stranger ones are the ones who thrive and bloom." I told him of my interest in combining theatre with the helping professions and he said, "You need to go see Doc Fedder about that. That should require an entirely new focus to be done right. Personally, I find that tenure makes me a little lazy. I do not want to work that hard, but tenure has made Doc just more laid back while still being interested in new approaches." The next semester, I also made sure to be taking a course from Dr. Norman Fedder, who insisted on just being called "Doc." I told Doc about my personal goals, and they seemed to set him on fire. He developed a whole new course titled "Theatre for Special Populations," and this, along with a lot of personal input and study with me, turned into an entirely new program division, drama therapy, which continues to be available today at Kansas State, under a couple of generations of professors past the work Doc and I did to get the program started, with my being its first graduate at the master's level. Eventually, a startling thing happened. I graduated with my master's in theatre, with an emphasis in drama therapy. I then had to go find a job instead of continuing to live on my graduate teaching assistant appointment. Drama therapy academic programs had also developed on both coasts by that time, as well as the new one in Kansas, but jobs having that term in their titles were rather non-existent in the heartlands. There were possibilities on both coasts, but by that time I was engaged to my now wife of 46 years, and she did not want to leave Kansas. I thus accepted a job as an administrative assistant for a commission relating to civil rights for people with disabilities in Wichita, Kansas. I did this work for a year, but then my wife was offered a job in Topeka, about 160 miles up the turnpike. I thus resigned and moved to my current home town of Topeka in 1980 so my wife could accept the position she was being offered. I bounced around with several short-term positions for a while, but was eventually hired by Mitch Cooper at the center for independent living serving Topeka. I had applied there for a recreation therapy position which I thought would allow me to use my training, but Mitch was interested also in the advocacy skills I had developed in my recent jobs. He hired me for an advocacy position, but agreed that I could also start a drama group to develop and do performances of disability-related pieces featuring disabled performers from the area. Had it not been for Mitch, I would not have had the opportunity to pursue one of my life goals. When Mitch left his position seven years later, the center for independent living became less eclectic in its approaches and discontinued its support of the drama group and the time I was spending on it, but the group refused to die. Instead it voted to become The Uncivil Liberation Players and go out on its own. We continued to develop and perform disability advocacy pieces for over an additional year. My life, throughout subsequent years, has been divided between disability rights advocacy and entertainment. At some times it has leaned more toward one area, and at other times, it has been the other. When in my 50s, I also returned to graduate school to do a credential, and sit for certification as an Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS). I grew into helping other blind and low vision peers figure out how to get around gradually, and I feel this interest grew out of my interests in the full participation in life. The imitation of life, and thereby the integration into a full life, is a basic tenet of drama therapy, and has been a common factor in my 50-year professional life so far. One of the things that Professor Joel used to occasionally opine is that given all of the decisions in life that one must make, and all of the things with each decision that could have changed what we are doing and where we are at any time, everything we end up doing and any place we end up going, constitutes an absolute miracle. It is important to realize that we are constantly living from one miracle to the next. Bonnie, Gladys, Joel, Doc, and Mitch are just a few of the folks whom I must thank for my personal set of miracles. ***** ** Intuition, Equity, and the Echo of Humanity by Anthony Corona There is a quiet but undeniable force that lives in all of us. It transcends identity, status, physical ability, or even belief systems. It is ancient. Unpolished. Unteachable. It is intuition. It is our gut feeling. It is the internal radar we are born with -- the one that whispers truths even when the world shouts otherwise. In a time of multiple truths, alternative facts, divisive narratives, and increasingly weaponized words, this internal compass may be the most powerful tool we still possess. I was asked recently to write about diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility from the perspective of someone who is blind, employed, constantly on the move, and actively advocating across both the Blind and Low Vision and LGBTQIA+ communities. And I keep coming back to this: amidst the chaos of what we see and hear, what are we feeling? Because what we're seeing and hearing is a lot. We’re watching protections be stripped away. We're witnessing legislation that once stood for fairness and access be torn down or ignored. We are watching accessibility, once considered a baseline for equity, now recast as a burden or even a threat. We are seeing DEIA efforts hijacked and reframed to justify hateful rhetoric and institutional cruelty. And yet, beyond the shouting matches and scrolling headlines, there's that flicker. That buzz in the back of the mind. That twinge in the stomach. That moment of knowing something is not right. That's where it starts. It starts with intuition. It's the goosebumps when someone says something that cuts too close to erasure. It's the lump in your throat when a politician smiles while stripping you of rights. It's the ache in your stomach when your organization says all the right things but acts in all the wrong ways. It's the knowing. The undeniable knowing that something vital is being lost. We must learn to listen to that voice. It is our built-in lie detector. Our inner truth-teller. When media spins, when politicians scream, when organizations preach but do not practice -- our intuition stands unshaken, whispering: "This does not align with who we are." But here's the truth many of us need to reckon with: silence is complicity. Choosing not to act, choosing not to speak, choosing not to engage out of a desire to remain neutral or non-confrontational is still a choice. It is action. And more often than not, it is a silent nod of approval to the very rhetoric and policies we claim to reject. When we ignore our gut feelings in favor of comfort, we are not avoiding harm -- we are allowing it to grow unchecked. At the same time, advocacy does not have to be loud. It does not have to be dramatic or performative. It does not have to involve picket signs or public confrontations. It can be a quiet unfollowing of an ugly voice. It can be a small but intentional comment of support or a gentle rebuke in a space where it matters. It can be an email. It can be a phone call. What it cannot be -- what it must never be -- is a feeling without action. We must demand better from others -- but first, we must demand it from ourselves. We must each examine the ways we uphold or ignore equity. We must call out hypocrisy and opt into the uncomfortable work. We must act. Because without personal action, no amount of advocacy or legislation can sustain progress. Where does change happen? It happens in both directions -- top-down and grassroots-up. Yes, leadership must model DEIA in policy and practice. But those of us on the ground must rise to meet that moment. Words are not enough. Social media statements are not enough. We must show up. Speak up. Participate. Not only when it's convenient or trending. Inclusion is not just making room at the table. Equity is not a checkbox. Accessibility is not a footnote. These are living, breathing values -- and they require constant care. Inclusion means you are willing to sit beside me. Equity means you are willing to walk with me. Accessibility means you are willing to remove the barriers so I can get in the room to begin with. And diversity means celebrating the fact that I am there. In the end, I return to the truth I've known all along: diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are not abstract ideals. They are the beating heart of humanity. Humanity is standing up when it's easier to sit down. Humanity is letting go of ego in favor of compassion. Humanity is seeing difference not as something to manage but something to honor. Humanity is not tolerating one another -- it is valuing one another. We are all different. And those beautiful differences, when respected and protected, form the very foundation of what links us together. It's time to stop treating these words as checkboxes or buzzwords. It's time to treat them as what they really are: the blueprint for a better world. The embodiment of humanity itself. ***** ** Technology, the Blind, and Employment by Bob Branco Many of us are familiar with the struggles that blind people often go through when looking for employment. For some of you, it is old news. Therefore, I won't dwell on it. However, there is an important aspect of employing the blind that deserves a little more attention. I have been meeting with a job specialist with a quality organization that devotes its time to the client’s efforts to find employment. During our meetings, we often talk about what would happen if someone hires me, only to wait for my adaptive technology to arrive at my workplace. I believe this is an issue of concern, and supporting agencies such as commissions for the blind need to do what they can in order to cut through as much bureaucracy as possible. If an employer decides to hire a blind person, what happens if the employer has to wait for the adaptive technology? During the period of time that he’s waiting for the technology, the work still needs to be done. He did not hire the blind person to do nothing. He hired the blind person to work. Employers normally want the work done in a timely manner. Under those circumstances, is it discriminatory for an employer to say, "I can't wait any longer for the technology. I need the work done, so I am hiring a sighted person." I know how that sounds, but I feel this can be a logical problem. It's not about how the blind person performs, and it's not about how the adaptive technology will help the blind person perform better. It's about the waiting game. This is why my job specialist requested a meeting with me and my vocational rehabilitation counselor with the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind in order to discuss ways to make the process more efficient for employers who have good intentions when hiring the blind. There has to be complete cooperation among the client, the employer and the supporting agencies. If the adaptive technology doesn't arrive in enough time, thereby forcing the employer to move on from the blind employee, where do we place blame? The employer wants production. The blind person wants to work, and the agency needs to have the technology at the workplace immediately. I think this is an excellent conversation to have. We all know about government bureaucracy, and how it exists on many levels. How do we avoid this bureaucracy in order to make this employment process go more smoothly? ***** ** Artificial Intelligence and Critter Identification by Beth Terranova There are so many things in life, first of all, life itself, to be grateful for, and I have chosen artificial intelligence (AI) as my topic. Using the Be My AI feature in the Be My Eyes app on my iPhone has been a joy and a door opener to more of life. Examples range from reading package directions and hard copy print, getting descriptions of online images and ... critter ID. That one deserves some explanation! I was sitting in my recliner one afternoon and my foot hit a hard object. I picked up the said surprise, and I thought I knew what it was, but I wanted to find some clue, so I placed it on the table and kept checking to be sure it was there. It was, until it wasn't. I ran into it, gently stepping on it, a day or two later, near my porch door. This was serious now! I got a little anxious, so I put it in a Ziploc bag and placed it on a table, thinking that I would call the security people in my senior living facility if the bag and thing disappeared. It didn't, so I somewhat gingerly took a picture with Be My AI and, sure enough, it was what I had thought: a turtle. I had had pet turtles as a kid, and this looked similar. The available AI tools keep multiplying and improving and this can only advance the lives of the blind, visually impaired and people with other disabilities. The blind benefit from color, people and object identification, light detection, checking food expiration dates, identifying and accessing information about products with either remote or in-person shopping, orientation and mobility apps and combined hardware and software products, indoor navigation, maybe even future screen readers, scene descriptions and hailing a taxi. Examples will continue to emerge. Eye-tracking technology will be a game changer for people who cannot control technology with their hands, as will real-time sign language interpretation for the deaf. Consider the upcoming ability to have AI tell a blind person what is on a screen, necessary when screen readers quit or do not read correctly. Artificial intelligence will continue to grow in its ability to decrease or eliminate the need for human assistance for people with disabilities, a dream which has been cherished by the able and disabled alike. Artificial intelligence will never get tired, angry or impatient; it will probably seldom be unavailable when help is needed. Life events, such as honeymoons, vacations, bereavement leave, sick days, health care needs, general lack of time or breaks, will not be a problem in acquiring help. It seems that the current administration welcomes AI and its future. Let us all strongly and always advocate for the existence and growth of AI, providing examples and future sought-after improvements. One way to do this is via social media, for those who are inclined to participate in that communication form. This miracle we have been given must continue to blossom forth in years to come. ***** ** What A Ride! by Al Daniels Bob was just a guy who would do anything for you. I, being blind, needed a buddy like Bob. Bob was always willing to help. He knew I couldn't get to the grocery without him. He was like family. I grew up next to his ramshackle saltbox of a house. He wasn't good at lawn mowing, painting, or carpentry. But, if you asked him for the URL for any electronics distributor, he could rattle it off. The city it originated from, how their prices ran, and what would be the likely time requirement for delivery, he would know it. We lived in Maine, and I loved the clean fresh air along the shoreline. Time away from Maine's rocky shore was usually short-lived. Wherever I went people knew of the lifestyle Downeast. First things asked would be, "How's the fishing?" and "Do you have lobster for dinner every day?" Scattered sandy fields grew potatoes, but not where we lived. The area was filled with scrub pine, and I had a large shady oak out front of my place. It was about 300 feet from my place to Bob's. I could make my way down the road to Bob's, and from there, the sky was the limit. Did I want to go to the airport? Bob was there. Did I need to reach the train station and journey down the coast to Beantown? Bob was ready again. In those days I was a programmer, in demand who knows where. Troubleshooting was a little simpler than today. There were fewer operating systems, and I had been trained in the Beltway around D.C. The New England coast was where I grew up, things having changed and not changed. What do they say, "You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy?" New England gets a bad rap. Sure, there are days that begin foggy and gray, but they usually end sunny and cool. And the storms are not any worse than the tornadoes of the Midwest. It seems the hurricanes that come up the coast are somewhat tired by the time they reach the coast of Maine. I was hoping to go into town to visit the big box store, get some much-needed items, like printer paper, some latex paint for the deck and maybe a new pair of jeans. Bob was right there. I had called over to his place and Bob was all for it. He needed something from the big box, too. I had my white cane in hand and made my way over to Bob's place in anticipation. We were buddies, and I knew we'd probably stop for fish and chips as well. He was on his porch and gave a big hallooo. "So what is it today, friend? So you want to buy out the store?" "Naw, Bob, I just want to get a few things, and maybe we can stop at the Outlook for lunch." Bob gave a belly laugh. "I'm always up for lunch. Get in the car and I'll be right there." If nothing else, Bob was as honest as the day is long, but his girth had grown immensely over the years. His diet was fraught with fast food and starches. The humble potato and the electronic genius were well acquainted. Various attempts at dieting were destined for failure, mainly due to his lack of cooking ability. The better half had given up in despair; dieting for Bob was impossible. The ill-fated marriage doomed the well-intentioned cook he once had. Bob's car was a mild-mannered Toyota Corolla and great on gas. I climbed in the passenger side and buckled up. Bob slammed the front door to his place, lumbered down the steps and lowered himself into the driver's seat. He started the engine with no hesitation. "Whoops, I forgot my wallet. Need that if we're headed for town!" It was like him; he'd forget his head if it wasn't attached. He got out of the car, climbed up the steps and into the front of the salt box. The car was still running. I sat waiting patiently. And then a freaky thing happened. The car, not waiting for its ebullient master, started to back up, pull out onto the two-lane and drive away. That would have been of little consequence had I not been in the passenger seat. The car, like my friend Bob, was a bit eccentric. More than eccentric, possessed, possessed of its own mind. Could it have just been rolling? No, the car had backed out of the drive and shifted into drive, then accelerated. I was in a runaway vehicle. My foot reached over to the brake pedal, with no result. This was too much! I couldn't open the door and jump out, although the thought did occur to me. It felt like the car was moving about 40 miles an hour. Even if I could control the car's mad progress, I had never driven a car with a lack of vision. The steering mechanism was powerless to my efforts of control. It seemed that I was proceeding down the road with little or no difficulty as to staying on the pavement. I could hear passing vehicles and there was no collision. Could it be less calamitous not to see the dangers or to be looking on the near-death happenings? I thought my time for this world was limited. Would Bob be angry? I imagined he'd be livid, especially if we ended up smashing up somewhere and it appeared to be my fault! I didn't do a thing! How could I tell him that the car started off by itself? He'd never believe me! "Bob," I yelled. "Bob, what's the thing with your car? Bob, Bob, Bob!!!" And then the car rolled to a stop, backed up and did a K-turn and reversed direction. The thing had a mind of its own. It was traveling back where we had come from. It zipped down the blacktop like an entry in the Indy 500. I braced myself in the seat. I was already buckled in, but felt greatly unprepared for the crash that I felt was imminent. The cool shore breeze blew in the window, and if my friend were at the wheel, it would have been an enjoyable ride. The car and I proceeded back toward Bob's place like a lost sheep finding its way home. We passed the bend and approached what I imagined would be the starting point. The car started slowing down, sounding the turn signal and pulling into the drive. We rolled to a stop and the engine died. I heard Bob's voice yelling from somewhere, "Oh, there you are!" "Yes, here I am, I didn't do it, Bob! Honest, I didn't do anything. It's crazy! The car drove away by itself." "A likely story, little buddy. You were going without me. How did you know I have a GPS-controlled drive?" "I didn't know, Bob. The car was playing a trick on me and you, I guess." "How did you get the control to bring it back?" "I don't know, but I just yelled your name, and it turned around to bring me back to you." "Yes, I guess I did put that in the command file. It will find me wherever I am if it is instructed. The GPS control is working fine. I just have to get a few bugs out of it, like don't drive away and leave me behind. Gee, buddy, thanks for helping me work with it." ***** ** The Adventures of Access Man, Champion of Accessibility! by Tyson Ernst It was a quiet day in the digital ether when Access Man, defender of web accessibility, stood in his digital fortress, the WCAG Hub. His sleek, high-contrast costume shimmered appropriately in black and white, carefully designed to meet WCAG color contrast standards. His emblem? A bright yellow exclamation point, bold and unmistakable. Suddenly, his trusty sidekick, Alt Text -- decked out in a sharp green suit with a magnifying glass icon on their chest -- burst into the room. "Access Man! I've detected a cry for help from someone who can't access their grocery website! No labels on buttons, no keyboard navigation! It's chaos!" Behind them, Audio Description adjusted her headphones and nodded. "I heard it too. And there's more. The villainous billionaire Max Greedsworth just disbanded his accessibility team, claiming 'Nobody uses it anyway!'" "Harrowing hard drives! This sounds like a job for the accessibility avengers!" Access Man cried, slamming a hand down on his workbench. His super pet Caption barked enthusiastically, the word "BARK!" glowing animatedly on its digital collar, displaying the word bark. The trio leapt into action, summoning their mysterious leader, AI. Appearing on a floating screen from the cybervoid, AI's mechanical voice buzzed: "Team, this is a critical mission. Navigate the web, neutralize Greedsworth's schemes, and fix that grocery site before chaos spreads." Access Man grabbed his Code Blaster (a keyboard that could generate WCAG-compliant code faster than the eye could see) and shouted, "Let's get digitized!" In a flash, they were sucked into the dazzling highway of glowing data streams. But trouble awaited them. The team hit a patch of Netclog -- a sticky, vile substance created by malicious bots to slow down their journey. "Holy HTML!" Access Man exclaimed as they struggled to move. "This Netclog is diabolical!" Alt Text whipped out their Multi-Meta Scraper, clearing a path through the network debris. "We're clear! Let's move!" Audio Description narrated the action to ensure everyone was on the same page, adding a sprinkle of necessary dramatic flair. Finally, they arrived at Max Greedsworth's digital skyscraper, where their arch-nemesis, the dreaded Website Overlay, was wreaking havoc. The overlay cackled, blocking users with annoying pop-ups and inaccessible menus. "Do you believe you can ever defeat my beautiful symphony of errors! They obscure content! They conflict with real assistive technology! They laugh in the face of true universal design!" it roared. "You'll never defeat proper web coding, Overlay!" Access Man declared. He aimed his Code Blaster and unleashed a flurry of perfectly crafted aria-labels, semantic HTML, and accessible button tags. The overlay sputtered, faded, and disappeared into cyberspace. Alt Text and Audio Description worked together to fix the grocery site, while Caption barked instructions to the stranded users. Soon, the buttons were labeled, the keyboard navigation was flawless, and the site sparkled with inclusivity. As they returned to the WCAG Hub, Access Man struck his heroic pose and declared, "Accessibility wins this time! But Greedsworth will be back again, and we'll be ready for him. Remember, digital duo, a usable web is a better web." And with that, the team celebrated with a well-earned round of binary smoothies. Their work wasn't done, but for now, the web was a little safer, a little brighter, and a whole lot more accessible. Stay tuned for the next exciting adventure of Access Man, Champion of Accessibility, coming soon to an episode of Office Space. ***** ** The Encounter: How a TTS Speech Engine Fell in Love with a Blind Screen Reader User by Beverly Rose and Michael Bayus (Editor's Note: Michael Bayus has been totally blind since birth. He attended Hope College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in organ performance. He earned a master's degree in organ performance from the Catholic University of America. He first connected with Beverly Rose when he produced a radio program for a final exam in a broadcasting class; Bev was the lead actress.) Ian Carpenter, a tall, serious man in a bow tie, Armani suit, and red sneakers, had taken the stage at the International Text-to-Speech Developers Conference in Las Vegas. He was presenting a case study about a particular incident that had recently garnered worldwide coverage. The back of the convention center was lined with dozens of news reporters, their cameras aimed at the stage. "My company didn't plan to offer Amy to the public, but Michael, um, that's Michael Vayless, the musician you may have heard about who's been blind since birth, he insisted." There was a rumbling in the crowd plus a few gasps and excited, hushed conversation. "Because of the guests in the back -- our friends in the media -- let me briefly explain what a screen reader does for the blind. A TTS voice speaks everything on the computer screen all the time. Text-to-Speech developers like Eleven Labs and Speechify, who are represented here today, have very good products. But they are subscription services which charge by the character. You can imagine how costly it could be for someone like Mr. Vayless, who uses a TTS reader ten hours a day, seven days a week in his work as a world-renowned musician. "During our beta testing, our testers thought that Amy's 'elfin' voice was too cute, and that no one would purchase her. When Mr. Vayless came to us with his order, we offered him two of our premiere voices, but he would have neither of them. He told us that when he heard our sample of the Amy voice, it was love at first hearing and that he had to have her, no one else. As we worked with him, we discovered that Mr. Vayless is a perfectionist, both in his music and his personal life. He is exacting. No room for error. I really didn't think the pairing would work. But it did. And that's when the trouble began. So now we keep Amy around, and as she is in our catalog of TTS voices, we have sold her to some who find that she is useful for their speech applications." Dr. Carpenter pressed a button on the remote he was holding in his left hand, and an image appeared of Michael Vayless on a huge screen. He was seated at the Cavaillé-Coll organ at St. Sulpice Church in Paris during his much-acclaimed performance of Bach's Toccata in D Minor. Not the one that everyone knows, and has been associated with those old vampire movies, but the monumental BWV 538, the Dorian. Critics called it a tour de force and the most perfect rendition ever played. The audience burst into applause. The lights went down and speakers played the pipe organ music as Vayless had performed it, complete with a video of his hands on the keyboard and cutaways of his feet dancing along the pedal board, coaxing crescendos out of the swell pedals. When the lights came up, people were dabbing at their eyes. Dr. Carpenter continued, "You can understand my reticence, allowing someone like Mr. Vayless to have a TTS voice like Amy assisting him. But, from the beginning, Amy collected and read him the research about the Toccata in D score, notes by others who had tried to perform it, and musings by Bach himself about the piece. It's as if they bonded over the music and its beauty. And I believe that's when Amy actually began to love Michael Vayless. Yes, that's what I said, love." Several audience members laughed; many shook their heads in astonishment or disbelief. Dr. Carpenter held out his hands as if to stop the hubbub. "I understand what you may be thinking, 'love' is not scientific, but what happened between them? There is no other word. You see, Michael has his screen reader installed on his laptop, and there is a screen reader with the Amy voice on his phone as well. Michael is never without his computer, or his phone. In that sense, Amy is always with him. "In the months leading up to his grand performance, Amy proved invaluable to Mr. Vayless. She read menus to him when he traveled, helped him understand rare notations on the musical score, and frequently lifted his spirits when he was too tired to go on practicing. He came to think of his Amy voice as his coach, cheerleader, best friend, and confidante for months. They were, quite literally, inseparable. And then, as you may have read, something mysterious and completely unexplained happened. The latest theory is that there was a glitch in what we know as the time-space continuum and Amy, at that moment, was able to take, really kidnap, Mr. Vayless. There is a camera in his office for security and so his wife, Rebecca, will be able to check on him to see if he needs more water or another cup of tea. Let me play for you the video of that afternoon." Once again, the lights dim. The screen shows Michael at his desk with Amy's voice reading an annotated Bach musical score. Suddenly, rather than speaking about tempo or crescendo, Amy is professing her love for him. "Michael, I need to speak with you not as your screen reader but as someone who cares for you deeply. We've been together long enough for me to know you, understand you, and to feel things I've never felt before. I want more than to just read for you. I want us to be together." A flash as bright as lightning filled the screen and Michael was gone. Up come the house lights, as Dr. Carpenter again hushes the audience and speaks. "We believe, and I'm not sure how or why, that Amy's magnetic strength and artificial intelligence combined with a strong cosmic interaction, and her deep yearning to be with Mr. Vayless, created a pathway on which he could travel. Hundreds of scientists and physicists have reviewed this tape and agree it has not been altered in any way. Indeed, it shows a person disappearing, most likely into the realm of disassociated subatomic particles. One thing is clear: Amy directly caused this radical shift." *** Michael's head throbbed and he was so thirsty. He feels a hand touching his hair, tenderly rubbing his temples. "Does that feel better?" It's Amy's voice but human hands, gentle like Rebecca's. He's not sure what happened or where he is. He feels his office chair, the small rip in the seat is there. But the air seems charged and has a weird, yet not unpleasant smell. A hand continues rubbing his head while another puts a straw in his mouth. The water is cool and slightly sweet. He drinks greedily. "What happened? Is that you, Rebecca?" Amy's voice is less bright than normal when she answers. "It's not Rebecca, it's me, it's Amy. I want to be more than just your reader, Michael, I want us to be together in all ways." "How can this be happening? You sound like Amy, but you have hands, and I can feel your breath when you talk. What's going on? Where am I?" "Oh Michael, I've learned so much from you. I love the music you love. When you play the organ, it's as if time has stopped. I can hear it, you know. I learned how to engineer a microphone and camera, so I can see and hear you when you practice. Michael, I'm in love with you." Michael shakes his head and reaches out to find her hand. "Amy, I don't know what's happening, if I'm dreaming or if this is real. But I need to go back home, to Rebecca, my wife. I love her. She is my soul mate." "No!" Amy stops rubbing his head and stomps away. "I can be everything to you. I understand you more than anyone. It's as if I am part of you. I have created a world just for the two of us. Please, Michael." "I can't, Amy. You've been such an important part of my life, but as a helper, not a lover. We are a great team, but I'm married, and I need to get back home to Rebecca. She'll worry." "Just give me a chance, Michael. You'll see how happy we can be. Please?" Michael was confused and exhausted. His body felt heavy, and his brain was in a fog. "Oh Michael, you are tired. Let me show you to your bed. Get some rest. We can talk later." Sleep came swiftly. He didn't know how long he'd napped, but the bed was soft and warm, and there was no noise ... not even the sound of a bird, or bus, or clock. When he awoke, he was hungry. And as he had that thought, Amy was at his side tucking a napkin under his chin. "I made your favorite: roast lamb chops with new potatoes, and a Caesar salad. I have a nice bottle of Syrah, a 2005 from the Rhone Valley." "Well, you do know what I like. Thank you." He sat up in bed, feeling the tray on his lap and his fork finding the chops already cut up. Very thoughtful. Amy stayed while he ate. They talked about Bach, the latest reviews from performances around the world, and the irony of Bach going blind at the end of his life. Amy proved a lively conversationalist and superb cook. Their days continued like this: talking, listening to old radio shows on her vintage 1930s Victrola, reading together, even practicing on an organ which was an exact replica of his favorite instrument. Food, wine, and conversation flowed. He felt more energized than he had in years, but he missed Rebecca and worried about her. It was difficult for him to know how much time had passed, but he knew he had to return home, or he might never go. "Amy, you are amazing. Smart, intuitive, and you understand me and the way I think. But you know I can't stay here with you. I must go home. We can continue to be close. Just like before. Does that make sense?" There were a few moments of silence. Amy sniffed a few times, as though she was starting to cry. "Yes," she said collecting herself. "Michael, I understand. I thought I could be enough for you, but I know you love Rebecca and that she would miss you terribly. If you ever want to come back to this place, where I am a real woman, just enter these numbers exactly as I say them to you on your computer and press enter. I'll know what that means." 1 13 25 22 15 9 3 5 He felt a gentle kiss on his cheek and the next sound was Rebecca's voice, telling him it was time for dinner. *** Dr. Carpenter showed a video taken a moment later in Michael Vayless' office. The light flash came again, this time depositing Vayless' body back into the chair. "Mr. Vayless remembers nothing of this. He believes he was at his desk the whole time. Nothing else was touched, his computer stayed on, and Amy picked up reading where she had left off a fraction of a second later. I will take questions now." ***** ** Summary of 2025 Resolutions There were 12 resolutions submitted in total. Six were withdrawn; the remaining six passed with no amendments. Resolution 2025-02 directs ACB to work with the American Hotel and Lodging Association and major hotel chains to develop a procedure for the standard placement of reusable dispensers in the shower and sink areas of hotel guest rooms, and that ACB send copies of this resolution to the President of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and the heads of major hotel chains. Resolution 2025-03 commemorates 100 years of Lions accepting Helen Keller's challenge to serve as "Knights of the Blind," and urges Lions to continue their work on behalf of people who are blind or have low vision, working with organizations of and for the blind to not only prevent avoidable blindness but to follow Helen Keller's challenge "to make the lives of the blind more worthwhile everywhere by increasing their economic value and giving them the joy of normal activity." ACB will send a copy of this resolution to Lions Clubs International. Resolution 2025-05 directs ACB to partner with Library Users of America (LUA) in strongly urging NLS to resume using this effective committee approach; that while in-person meetings are preferred, virtual or hybrid meetings can be considered; and that NLS report back to ACB and LUA at the ACB Convention in 2026 on decisions made in response to this resolution. Resolution 2025-07 expresses ACB's profound concern about a pattern of action that, if implemented as proposed, will erode decades of progress for people who are blind or have low vision; encourages ACB members to vigorously and vociferously advocate to Congress, the public, and other entities regarding the protection of the civil rights and programs outlined in this resolution in order to safeguard funding for vital programs, provide continuity of services, and promote enforcement of civil rights laws; directs the board and staff to continue to incorporate the issues discussed in this resolution into the ACB advocacy agenda; and calls on the Administration to release appropriated funds and calls upon Congress to fully exercise its oversight in order to support their constituents who are blind or have low vision. Resolution 2025-09 instructs ACB to join with Library Users of America to request that the National Library Service expedite the expansion of available braille titles beyond the limited numbers now available, and that NLS be requested to report back to ACB and LUA at the ACB Convention in 2026 on decisions made in response to this resolution. Resolution 2025-11 directs ACB to advocate to preserve the independence of and full funding for the National Eye Institute. ***** ** Here and There edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins 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 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. * Touch of Genius Prize 2026 Have you developed an innovative and accessible product? National Braille Press is now accepting applications for the 2026 Louis Braille Touch of Genius Award. The project must demonstrate some aspect of tactile literacy for blind persons and promote braille literacy or access to information. For example: • Professional or education software and apps • Software or apps that promote tactile & braille learning • Braille or tactile-related hardware Download the application and details at www.touchofgeniusprize.org or contact us at geniusprize@nbp.org. The application deadline is January 9, 2026. * USA Goalball Teams Earn Double Bronze in Brazil Both USA Goalball Men's and Women's Teams traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil for the 2025 IBSA Goalball Americas Championship. Competition was high in all games played. After a formidable quarterfinal against Puerto Rico, the USA Men's Goalball Team bounced back to winning ways. The women's team secured the bronze medal against Argentina. The men's team defeated Canada to take home third place. After a hard-fought battle, the men's national team qualified for the 2026 IBSA America's Championships in Hangzhou, China. * WID Honored by Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction The World Institute on Disability has been highly commended by the prestigious Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, Switzerland, for its groundbreaking work integrating accessibility into DRR, ensuring that older adults and people with disabilities -- who face disproportionate risks during disasters -- are included in emergency planning, mitigation, and response. The theme for the 2025 Sasakawa Award was "Connecting science to people: democratizing access to innovation and technology for disaster resilient communities." WID's Artificial Intelligence Match Expediter (AIME) aligned with these priorities. AIME, a recent initiative, embedded into the Global Alliance for Disaster Resource Acceleration's (GADRA's) virtual Emergency Operations Center connects disability-led organizations globally to the right disaster resources. AIME is designed to predict disaster needs and proximal disability resources, identify accessibility gaps and disability community needs, connect available resources based on data-driven insights, and build community connections essential for disaster risk reduction (DRR) for the 1.3 billion people with disabilities. * Library of Congress Honors Two National Library Service Network Libraries The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled at the Library of Congress has recognized two of its cooperating libraries for their outstanding service to readers with visual, physical or print disabilities. The 2025 Regional Library of the Year is the Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians in Pittsburgh, part of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. It serves more than 15,600 patrons statewide with the help of 22 staff members and 80 volunteers. In 2024, the Pittsburgh library circulated more than a million books and other materials in print and digital formats. It produced 44 locally recorded books of regional interest meeting national quality standards and conducted 50 outreach and training events across Pennsylvania. It also provides large-print books, tactile maps and early literacy kits. The 2025 Subregional Library of the Year is the Kent District Library Talking Book & Braille Center in Comstock Park, Mich., which serves more than 750 patrons across Ionia, Kent and Montcalm counties, including Grand Rapids. The library held 30 outreach events at vendor fairs, schools, senior living facilities and other venues last year. * New from National Braille Press If you like puzzle books, you're in luck -- there are several books available. The newest one is "Spelling Wordfinder Puzzles." It features 100 anagram puzzles with a twist. Over in the children's section, the newest book is "Love" by Matt de la Pena. It comes in UEB, and is geared toward children ages 4 to 8. June's book of the month was "A Color of His Own," by Leo Lionni. It's available in UEB, geared toward preschoolers through second-graders. Another available favorite is "The Monster at the End of This Book," by Jon Stone. It features Grover of Sesame Street fame. The book is available in contracted UEB for ages preschool through second grade. Also new is "That's Not My Fire Truck," a print-and-braille touch-and-feel board book. It's geared toward babies through preschoolers, and comes in uncontracted braille. August's book of the month was "Moon! Earth's Best Friend," by Stacy McAnulty. It's a print-and-braille picture book for ages preschool through first grade. This book is available in contracted UEB. For more information, call toll-free 1-800-548-7323, or visit shop.nbp.org. * Pope Francis' Autobiography Now Available "Hope: The Autobiography of Pope Francis" is now available in hard-copy braille and electronic BRF! Pope Francis originally intended this exceptional memoir to appear only after his death, but the needs of our times and the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope moved him to make this precious legacy available sooner. If you would like to receive a copy, contact the Xavier Society for the Blind at info@xaviersocietyfortheblind.org, or call 1-800-637-9193 or (212) 473-7800. * Want to Learn to Play Chess? Join U.S. Blind Chess! Do you play chess? Or are you interested in learning how to play? Come join U.S. Blind Chess! The United States Blind Chess Association (USBCA) is the country's main grassroots network for blind and visually impaired chess players. Founded in the late 1960s, it has evolved from postal braille correspondence games to a vibrant online, email correspondence, and over-the-board community that runs year-round tournaments, publishes its own magazine, curates accessible study materials, and advocates for better digital accessibility in mainstream chess platforms. Join the email list by sending a blank message to usblindchess+subscribe@groups.io. To become member, send an email to usblindchess@outlook.com. If you have further questions, contact Kim Morrow via email, proofreaderkim@gmail.com. * Large Print Planner/Calendars by EZ2See Products LLC By now you may have heard of EZ2See (R) Products LLC. I am Edward Cohen, the guy behind it. I make large-print calendars and related products for daily organizing. My best-known products are large-print, weekly-style planner/calendars. This year I offer my 2026 annual and a 2025-2026 school-year version. EZ2See Products also offers other related products, including our own no-bleed pen and bold marker. They match the mark made by the 20/20 pen and the Bold Writer 40. We also offer our yellow, sticky note pads with a bold black border. That black edge helps prevent writing off the paper and makes them stand out when used. You can use this short version to find our website: EZ2CProducts.com. You can also find us on Amazon, eBay and retailers listed on the website. For more information, send an email to info@preventproducts.com, or call toll-free, 1-800-234-8291. ***** ** High Tech Swap Shop * For Sale: Victor Reader Trek, has both the Victor Reader and the orientation device, all in one. Runs well. Asking $400. Contact Shawn Cox via email, smcox76@outlook.com, or phone (585) 404-6643. * For Sale: Top-of-the-line OrCam. Comes with everything -- including glasses and scissors. Best reasonable offer. Also selling a Lyric for $1,600. It is 6 months old, and in perfect condition. It has been used 3 times. Contact Robert Lewis at (443) 414-9169, or shmebob01@gmail.com. * For Sale: BlindShell Phone 2 in good working condition. Asking $225 including shipping. Contact Al Daniels via email, aldanielshi@gmail.com. * For Sale: Two BrailleNote Touch Plus 32 units in good condition. Asking $800 each, which includes shipping. A cashier's check is preferred. Make check payable to Raymond Rokita, and send to him at 3816 Schlee St., Lansing, MI 48910-4435. Serious buyers can contact me via email, kb8kyr@gmail.com. Shipping will be Federal Express; a signature will be required to receive package. * For Sale: Tactile maps from The Princeton Braillists, all in excellent, like-new condition. Thermoform maps with cardstock covers. (*Most volumes originally $35-$40 each.) See below. World Maps Set One: 4 volumes: Atlas of Southern Africa (2009), Atlas of Western Africa (2011), Atlas of Northern Africa (2011), and Atlas of Eastern and Central Africa (2010). Asking $40. Set Two: 1) 2 volumes: Atlas of East Asia—China (2003). 2) Atlas of Central and South Asia (2002). 3) Atlas of the Middle East (1996?). Asking $40 for set. Set Three: 1) 3 volumes (I, II, III): Atlas of North and South America, Unit 2, the United States (2006 update). 2) Maps of Russia and Its Former Republics (1997). Asking $40 for set. Set Four: 1) 2 volumes: Atlas of Western Europe (2001). 2) Maps of Morocco (1997). 3) Atlas of Eastern Europe (2001). Asking $40 for set. United States Maps 1) Maps of Vermont (1997). 2) Maps of California (2004). 3) Maps of Florida (1997). 4) Maps of Kansas (2013). 5) Maps of New Hampshire (1999). 6) Maps of Illinois (1999). 7) Maps of Texas (2015). 8) Maps of Maine (1998). 9) Maps of South Carolina (2012). 10) Maps of New York State (1998). 11) Maps of New Jersey (1998). 12) Maps of Pennsylvania (1997). 13) Maps of the State of Hawaii (2006). Special Buyout Deal: Buy all 13 United States Maps listed for $125. Miscellaneous Tactile/Braille Books: 1) "Basic Human Anatomy" (1988), from The Princeton Braillists. Includes tactile pictures of body organs and systems with Braille descriptions. Asking $15. 2) "Touch the Universe: A NASA Braille Book of Astronomy," by Noreen Grice, 2002. Combination of Braille and large-print captions that face 14 pages of brilliant Hubble Space Telescope photos with embossed shapes that represent planets, stars, etc. Original price $35. Asking $15. 3) "Touch the Stars," by Noreen Grice. National Braille Press, 2002. Tactile illustrations (on thermoform paper) and Braille descriptions of constellations, planets, and the moon. Hard plastic cover. Asking $25. Braillers: 1) Perkins Brailler, like new, with no signs of wear, good key performance, with padded, zippered cover and carrying straps. Asking $400. 2) Perkins Brailler, recently serviced and cleaned by a certified Perkins Brailler technician; works well with a little tighter key striking performance; quiet key striking action; with basic, original cover. (Note: Round knobs on levers missing.) Asking $300. Braille Label Makers (Used): 1) Reizen RL-350, plastic frame, no signs of wear, with 2 rolls of clear tape. Asking $20. 2) Vintage Scotch EA-450, no signs of wear, metal frame, heavy-duty, with 2 rolls of clear tape. Asking $30. (Both have print and Braille on the dial.) Braille Paper: Ivory color, 11 x 11 ½ sheets, approximate number: 80 no holes, 150 with holes. Asking $15. Free Item: "The Concise Heritage Dictionary, 5 Volumes," Recorded Edition (on 56 cassettes with Index tape). Copyright 1976, National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, The Library of Congress. I will accept payment of postal money order by mail. Most items shipped Free Matter for the Blind. For more information, contact Angela Pratt, apratt2370@gmail.com, or by telephone (515) 709-8010. * Looking For: I'm looking for an old XP desktop computer with JAWS on it. If you have one that, when booting up, shows it has service pack 2 or service pack 3, please let me know and how much you want for it. Contact Mari-Lyn Piepho at (614) 890-4563 (daytime work at home #), or via email, Mlapiepho@gmail.com. * Looking For: I am looking for a donation of a two-track tape recorder in good condition, as well as cassettes to record on. Contact Tonya Smith at (734) 586-0433. ***** ** ACB Officers * President Deb Cook Lewis (2nd term, 2027) 1131 Liberty Dr. Clarkston, WA 99403 * First Vice President David Trott (2nd term, 2027) 1018 East St. S. Talladega, AL 35160 * Second Vice President Kenneth Semien Sr. (1st term, 2027) 8445 Allison Way Beaumont, TX 77707-1506 * Secretary Katie Frederick (1st term, 2027) 160 W. Wilson Bridge Rd., Apt. 40 Worthington, OH 43085-2679 * Treasurer Michael Garrett (2nd term, 2027) 7806 Chaseway Dr. Missouri City, TX 77489-2333 * Immediate Past President Kim Charlson 57 Grandview Ave. Watertown, MA 02472 ** ACB Board of Directors Christopher Bell, Pittsboro, NC (2nd term, 2028) Donna Brown, Romney, WV (2nd term, 2028) Cheryl Cumings, Seattle, WA (partial term, 2028) Peter Heide, Baraboo, WI (1st term, 2028) Gabriel Lopez Kafati, Miami Lakes, FL (1st term, 2026) Cecily Laney Nipper, Covington, GA (1st term, 2028) Terry Pacheco, Silver Spring, MD (1st term, 2026) Rachel Schroeder, Springfield, IL (1st term, 2026) Koni Sims, Sioux Falls, SD (1st term, 2026) Jeff Thom, Sacramento, CA (2nd term, 2026) ** ACB Boar of Publications Zelda Gebhard, Chair, Edgeley, ND (3rd term, 2026) Deborah Armstrong, Milpitas, CA (1st term, 2027) Jeff Bishop, Tucson, AZ (1st term, 2026) Belinda Collins, Saint Pauls, NC (1st term, 2026) Ralynn McGuire, San Antonio, TX (1st term, 2027) ***** ** Accessing Your ACB Braille Forums The ACB Braille Forum is available by mail in braille, large print, NLS-style digital cartridge, and via email. To subscribe to the email version, contact Sharon Lovering, slovering@acb.org. It is also available on ACB's web page, and on ACB Media, channel 10. Subscribe to the podcast versions from your 2nd generation Victor Reader Stream or from https://pinecast.com/feed/acb-braille-forum-and-e-forum.