How to Access the Presidential Candidate Forum on Disabilities

An update to my previous post on the Presidential Forum on Disability Issues.... Instructions on how to access the forum (along with an FAQ) have now been posted at http://www.gsil.org/UserFiles/File/WEBCAST%20FAQ_Final.pdf. If you have problems accessing the webcast, or are not able to attend, the FAQ states, "If you still cannot access the webcast, the entire program will be available via download at www.manchesteraccess.com within 10 days of the webcast. We will also offer the entire program on DVD—details will follow."

Article: Honoring the 'Backbone' Of Federal Government

The Washington Post recently ran an article, "Honoring the 'Backbone' Of Federal Government: 38 in Program for Blind, Disabled Are Recognized" at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/29/AR2007102901885.html. The article states, "Almost 48,000 disabled people, including injured Army veterans, are employed nationwide under the auspices of AbilityOne, a federal program that tries to find them jobs providing services to the government."

Autism Speaks

I invite you to check out a website devoted to autism and related spectrum disorders at http://www.autismspeaks.org/. Of particular interest are the free community forums at http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/forums/index.php.

If you or someone you know is affected by autism, you will definitely want to investigate this website.

Presidential Candidate Forum on Disability Issues - Equality, Opportunity, and Access

Granite State Independent Living is hosting a Presidential Candidate Forum on disability issues through https://www.hovrs.com. According to Granite State Independent Living's website at http://www.gsil.org/, "On November 2nd, Granite State Independent Living, American Association of People with Disabilities, Manchester Community Television, and over 20 national disability rights organizations will co-host a National Forum on Equality, Opportunity and Access in Manchester, New Hampshire. Many of the 2008 Presidential candidates will be present at this event. The webcast will be available at www.hovrs.com ; details on how to access the webcast and other information will be available soon." For more information, check out Granite State Independent Living's website at http://www.gsil.org/ or Hovrs.com website at https://www.hovrs.com.

Holiday Gifts for Persons Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

Are you looking for a perfect gift for someone who is blind or visually impaired? If so, mark your calendar for Saturday, November 3, at 1 pm Eastern time. AccessibleWorld is hosting a five hour Holiday Stocking Stuffers Online Event, to be held at
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rs5affc3cfa191. There will be different speakers talking about various accessible items..... plus, there is no charge to attend the session, so don't miss it!

Handicapped Fraud Website... Help Report People Who Fraudulently Use Handicapped Parking

At some point in your life, you've probably seen someone fraudulently or illegally using a parking space for persons who are disabled. It is just plain wrong for people to do this!

However, if you see someone doing this in the future, you can now take action! Go to http://www.handicappedfraud.org/ for more information. This site will help you report people who are illegally using handicapped parking spaces. Basically, when you see someone abusing the system, you can leave a post-it note on the car, telling him/her you have reported the incident at http://www.handicappedfraud.org/. Then you go to the website and make a brief report, including the date and license plate number. The information will then be forwarded to local officials in the appropriate location.

What a great idea!

California Fires - Resources and Government Assistance

The federal government has created a website for those seeking information, resources, or government assistance regarding the recent California fires. You can go to http://www.usa.gov/californiafires.shtml for more information. There are links to locate family and friends in the affected areas, get help if you're living in California, donate to the cause, or volunteer.

Wow, the World Digital Library!

Are you aware that the World Digital Library is coming? You can see it online at http://www.worlddigitallibrary.org/project/english/index.html. The website states, "The World Digital Library will make available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from cultures around the world, including manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, architectural drawings, and other significant cultural materials."

The Library of Congress is one of the partners for the website. It's a great idea... should be interesting to see what comes of it!

Post offices in libraries?

An interesting idea..... It seems that in the UK post offices may be coming to libraries! Check out the article on the Norwich Evening News website.

Article: AT&T to help expand web access to visually impaired adults

An interesting article: AT&T to help expand web access to visually impaired adults is at http://www.easttexasreview.com/story.htm?StoryID=4944. The article states, "The AT&T Foundation, the corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), announced today a $25,000 grant to the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) to expand access to affordable speech and screen-magnification products for adults with vision loss or low vision."

Congratulations to AT&T and AFB! This is wonderful news for those with visual impairments!

Hooked on Books Club

Are you looking for a book club that's different than other book clubs? Then the Hooked on Books Club may be just what you're looking for. In this club, the books are read to you! How cool is that? For more information, go to http://www.friendsofbookshare.org/book_clubs.htm#Hooked_on_Books_Club

The book club is held at http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rs83ce590a4853 on Tuesdays at 2 pm Eastern and Fridays at 12 noon Eastern.

You can contact the reader, Bonnie Blose, at bookmaven@hughes.net if you have further questions.

Senior Friendly Libraries Blog Reviews cRANKy - the New Social Search Engine for People 50+

The Senior Friendly Libraries Blog has a review of a new social search engine for people ages 50 and older called cRANKy. Check out the review at http://seniorfriendlylibraries.blogspot.com/2007/10/cranky-new-social-search-engine-for.html.

I had heard of Eons, but not of the search engine... thanks to the Senior Friendly Libraries Blog for bringing the search engine to my attention!

Social Security Cost of Living Increase to be 2.3 Percent

The official news release from the Social Security Administration states that the 2008 COLA for Social Security recipients will be 2.3% For more information, go to http://www.capwiz.com/ncoa/attachments/2008_COLA_Press_Release__2_.pdf

Medicare changes for 2008 can be seen at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/

And as far as the age old question, will Social Security go bankrupt? Well, that's anybody's guess!

Have you seen the "Surprise! Internet actually a boon for books" article?

There is an interesting article on Reuters.com at http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSL1875026620071019?sp=true, titled "Surprise! Internet actually a boon for books." Apparently the internet is helping book sales, rather than hurting them... digital books have not won out... at least not yet!

Free Webcasts available from National Book Festival

Free webcasts are available from the National Book Festival held in September in Washington D.C. To view a webcast, go to http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/authors/ and click on the author's name, and then "webcast." So now even if you weren't able to attend the festival, you can still enjoy the speakers and authors from it!

Library of Congress' Webpage on National Disability Employment Awareness Month

The Library of Congress has a webpage devoted to disability awareness at http://www.loc.gov/topics/disabilityawareness/. There are links to related resources, famous Americans with disabilities, and even free lesson plans for teachers. The library has also been hosting a series of disability related events throughout the month.

Canadian Library Month

Did you know October is Canadian Library Month? Go to the official website at http://www.cla.ca/clm07/ for more details!

The calendar of events across Canada is at http://www.cla.ca/clm07/calendar.htm.

Read This To Me - a free reading service for blind and visually impaired persons

Have you heard of Read This To Me? It's a free reading service for blind and visually impaired persons.

How does it work? Basically, (according to their website) you fax them a document that you need read. The document can be about anything, but they recommend sending no more than 3 - 4 pages at a time. Then, a volunteer reader calls you and reads the document.

By the way, they are currently looking for more volunteer readers. The only "cost" to the volunteers is the cost of a long distance phone call. It sounds like a great program! Check it out at http://www.readthistome.org/

P.S. After writing this post and trying to get caught up with some of my online blog reading, I discovered that the Blind Chance blog by David Faucheux also mentioned this awesome resource recently. I guess the saying "Great Minds Think Alike" is true! :)

Montana State Library Closes (goes digital!)

The AP is reporting that the Montana State Library is closing... or perhaps we should say going digital... For more information, check out the Montana State Library at http://msl.mt.gov/news/dltp.asp

Wow, is this the start of a new trend? I hope not!

Talking Books - Production of Digital Cartridge Approaches

The NLS has posted an article titled, Production of Digital Cartridge Approaches, which explains the production plan for the new Talking Books cartridges and benefits for Talking Books patrons.

So yes, the digital talking books are coming, but exactly when they are available to all current Talking Books users remains to be seen. In the meantime, patrons with the Victor Reader Stream can take part in the NLS digital pilot download. See my previous blog post on the NLS digital download for more information, or go to https://www.nlstalkingbooks.org/dtb/.

American Printing House for the Blind October 2007 News

The American Printing House for the Blind October 2007 news is now available online at http://www.aph.org/advisory/2007adv10.html. The website states it is "your monthly link to the latest information on the products, services, and training opportunities from the American Printing House for the Blind."

American Foundation for the Blind Blog

Did you know the American Foundation for the Blind has a blog? Check it out at http://www.afb.org/blog/. The blog includes various information of interest to those who are blind or have low vision.

American Foundation for the Blind's Senior Site

I learned that the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has a Senior Site at http://www.afb.org/seniorsitehome.asp. The site helps promote independence for seniors with blindness or low vision. Links to resources are also provided. One can even search for local resources... give it a try!

October is National Book Month!

Did you know that October is National Book Month? The National Book Foundation is giving out the 2007 National Book Awards. The finalists will be announced at 9:30 am on October 10 at the Library Company of Philadelphia.

Crayola has some fun and FREE coloring pages and craft ideas for National Book Month, so even children can celebrate! Go to http://www.crayola.com/calendar/detail.cfm?event_id=138&year=2007&extended=true for more info.

Online Virtual Walk to Support Breast Cancer

This post is not specifically related to the focus of my blog, but it's so cool that I had to post about it.

Do you want to participate in a fundraiser walk to help fight breast cancer, from inside your own home? Now you can do so, online! Even if you are not able to walk or go outside, you can participate in this one by using a virtual avatar that will "walk" online. According to the website, the goal is to have 1 million walkers. Help them reach their goal! Check it out at https://www.galtogalwalk.org/

Auctioning Rare Harry Potter Books (complete set!) Signed by Author J.K. Rowling

USA Today is reporting that the Braille Press is going to be auctioning Harry Potter books signed by J.K. Rowling. More info on the story at http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2007-10-03-potter-braille_N.htm?csp=34

You can even bid online for this auction. How cool is that?

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Did you know that October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month? Be sure to read the President's proclamation about this. Throughout October, the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the Department of Labor will be profiling different individuals with disabilities who are working, as well as employer programs benefitting those with disabilities. The profile for October 4, 2007, can be viewed at http://www.dol.gov/odep/talent/10042007.htm.

ZoomText: A Feature Rich Tool for the Visually Impaired

On Monday, October 8, at 8 pm Eastern, AI Squared will be presenting a FREE program on ZoomText and BigShot: ZoomText: A Feature Rich Tool for the Visually Impaired. Not familiar with ZoomText or BigShot? The Accessible World website states, "ZoomText is a combination of two low-vision utilities; it's a screen magnifier and a screen reader. With magnification levels from 1.25 to 36 times, you're sure to find the one that's perfect for your needs. In the magnifier portion of the discussion, you will learn about the Magnifier toolbar, choosing magnification type, setting enhancements, and using the ZoomText finders. In the screen reader portion of the discussion, Cathy will touch on, the Reader toolbar, adjusting the synthesizer, using typing and mouse echo, verbosity settings, and when to use the ZoomText readers -DocReader, AppReader and SpeakIt tool. Cathy also promises to briefly discuss the merits of Ai Squared's other magnification product, BigShot, that helps those with normal vision to relieve eye strain." To attend the program, simply go to http://www.accessibleworld.org and enter the Auditorium. For more information, check out Accessible World's home page.

Listen to my blog posts here on my blog

Thanks to Talkr.com, you can listen to all postings on my blog! Just click on the "Listen to this Article" link at the top of each post to hear an audio version of the post!

If you have any questions or problems using Talkr.com to read my blog, please let me know. Thanks Talkr, for offering an invaluable service to increase blog accessibility!

American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) October 2007 Enews Now Available

The American Foundation for the Blind's (AFB) October 2007 enews is now online. Some of the news headlines this month include:

Verizon Joins AFB to Help Seniors with Age-Related Vision Loss Live Independently

Fall Workshops for Braille Transcribers

AFB Press Reissues the Endearing Story of a Woman Living with Macular Degeneration

Has anyone used Eons, social networking for Boomers and Older Adults?

Have any of you out there joined Eons? (I posted about this social networking site for ages 50+ a few weeks ago in my blog.) If you have joined Eons and are using it, please post a comment or contact me to let me know what you think of the site.

By the way, I saw today on Eons that they have an Empty Nest group. How cool is that? I also noticed that Jane Seymour appears to be using the site! I wonder if she actually does her own posts?

BrailleInk Children's Books

Have you heard of BrailleInk Children's Books? They publish books that both sighted and blind persons can read together. They are currently offering two books: The Dot (contracted Braille) and Guess How Much I Love You (uncontracted Braille).

You can see the format of these unique books at http://www.brailleink.org/format.php. The site explains, "Our books are published in a new, unique format that preserves the originals' print and illustration in the top portion of the page and adds braille in the bottom portion. In addition, directly above each braille cell is the corresponding print character(s). Thus, braille readers' hands don't cover anything that sighted readers are trying to see, and it's easy for anyone (e.g. parents, teachers, siblings) to tell what the braille says."

Visit their website at http://www.brailleink.org.

All Children Have Different Eyes

Someone recently brought a great book to my attention called All Children Have Different Eyes. You can read more about this book at http://www.lowvisionkids.com/. The website says, "All Children Have Different Eyes is the first of a series of picture books about how children with various kinds of visual impairment see, learn, and play. It is a powerful tool to help kids who cannot see well develop the interpersonal skills that are difficult for them to learn on their own, such as how to deal with bullies, explain their condition confidently, react to others’ expressions and emotions, enter play groups, and handle mistakes responsibly."

There is also a teacher's guide available at the site that can help children without visual impairments learn more about children with "different eyes."

Congratulations and kudos to the authors of this book. It helps to fill a void in today's book market. I anxiously await the future books in this series!