NLS Celebrates Telephone Pioneers

Library of Congress Talking-Book Program Honors
Pioneers for 100 Years of "Answering the Call"


For immediate release
November 3, 2011
Contact: Jane Caulton
(202) 707-0521, jcau@loc.gov

During a celebration of the Pioneers' 100th anniversary as a volunteer organization, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress today presented a proclamation, recognizing the group's role in serving blind and disabled readers.

"Talented and dedicated Pioneers volunteers have repaired more than 3.6 million audiobook machines for NLS since 1960, keeping books talking for blind and physically handicapped people. . . . Pioneers have saved United States taxpayers an estimated $216 million," noted the proclamation, which was signed by Ruth Scovill, NLS acting director and by Robert Fistick, deputy director."

John Brown, NLS Engineering Section head, presented the proclamation at an awards ceremony during the Pioneers' centennial meeting in Boston, Mass.

"NLS is very appreciative of the time and effort these employees and retirees from the telecommunications industry have committed to the talking-book repair program," Scovill said. "They have helped people with visual impairment and lack of dexterity continue to experience the joy of reading."

The Pioneers organization, originally the Telephone Pioneers of America, was founded on Nov. 2, 1911, at a meeting in Boston attended by Alexander Graham Bell. Under the slogan "Answering the Call of Those in Need," its members started repairing NLS phonographs in the 1960s, then cassette players in the 1970s and 1980s. Now Pioneers are being trained to troubleshoot the new NLS digital talking-book machines. About 1,000 Pioneers currently volunteer in the program, serving the NLS network of cooperating libraries and their patrons across the country.

For more information about the Pioneers, visit www.telecompioneers.org.

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress administers the digital talking-book and braille program, a free library service available to U.S. residents or American citizens living abroad whose low vision, blindness, or physical handicap makes reading a regular printed page difficult. Through its national network of regional libraries, NLS mails books and magazines in audio and in braille, as well as digital audio players, directly to enrollees at no cost. Music instructional materials are available in large print, braille, and recorded formats. Select materials are also available online for download. More information is available at www.loc.gov/nls/ or 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323).

NFB-Newsline Features "Braille Monitor"

An email from Renee West of the National Federation of the Blind:

Beginning today, November 28th, NFB-NEWSLINE will feature the Braille Monitor on its service. This magazine of the National Federation of the Blind offers information on organizational events and activities and is available eleven times per year. At the most recent NFB convention and in the August/September Braille Monitor it was announced that the December 2011 issue will be the last one produced on cassette. While other means for accessing the Monitor are available, we believe that NFB-NEWSLINE provides an easy and flexible way to read our organizational publication.

Subscribers may access this publication under the magazines option (available under option seven from the main menu when using the phone-based access method) under the “Blindness-Related” category. Please note that the Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind has also been placed into this category.

We hope that offering the Monitor on NFB-NEWSLINE makes it easy for you to keep up to date with all that the Federation does.

The NFB-NEWSLINE Team

If You Like...Jodi Picoult

You might like books by these other contemporary writers:

• Elizabeth Berg
  
  
• Luanne Rice
  
  
• Kristin Hannah
  
  
• Nicholas Sparks
  
  
• Anne Tyler
  

Teen and Guide Dog Run Cross-Country

Sixteen-year-old Sami Stoner is a cross-country runner in Ohio. Although she has Stargardt disease, which robs her of her central vision, Sami is able to run with the assistance of her guide dog, Chloe. Sami and Chloe often run in cross-country events at her high school, although she is not eligible to score or earn medals.

To read about Sami's accomplishments, please visit: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45034031/ns/today-today_health/?GT1=43001#.Trf_83KX03N.

Firmware Upgrade on Digital Books

The firmware on the digital Talking Book players needs to be upgraded from time to time, to install newly released features. You can always verify you have the most current firmware by checking this site: http://www.loc.gov/nls/DTBM/index.html.

For patrons without internet access, the firmware upgrade is going to be installed on digital books beginning in December. If you get a book in the mail and do not have the latest firmware on your player, you will hear the following message:

“Updating your player’s software; please do not power off your player or remove the cartridge from the player.”

There will be a series of beeps while the machine is updating. When the update is complete, the machine announces, "Software upgrade completed; stand by while your player is restarted.”


If you hear this, please DO NOT remove the book cartridge. After your player has updated, your book will begin playing. You do not need to do anything to complete the process.

If you have any questions, please call the Talking Book Center at 1-800-531-2063.

Thanksgiving Closing

The Talking Book Center will be closed next Thursday, November 24, for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be open the rest of the week, including Friday. Call us with your book requests and have a lovely holiday!

National Federation of the Blind Partners with Santa to Promote Braille Literacy

A press release from the National Federation of the Blind:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

cdanielsen@nfb.org



National Federation of the Blind
Partners with Santa to Promote Braille Literacy



Baltimore, Maryland (November 14, 2011): Once again, Santa has enlisted the help of the elves at the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Jernigan Institute to get Braille letters out to hundreds of blind boys and girls this Christmas season.



Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "Santa approached the National Federation of the Blind a couple of years ago and asked us to be his helpers. I'm quite fond of the fellow and was delighted that we could assist him in his work. Braille literacy is the key to success and opportunity for the blind, but unfortunately too few blind children are learning it today. This program will not only spread holiday cheer but will also serve an important educational purpose, as blind children will be able to practice reading Braille as they enjoy their letter from merry Saint Nicholas."



Between November 15 and December 20, parents can go online at www.nfb.org and fill out a Santa Braille Letter request form. The form can also be printed and faxed to (410) 685-2340. Beginning December 1, the Braille letters from Santa will start going out to boys and girls around the country. The Braille letter will also be accompanied by a print copy (for mom and dad to read), and parents can choose the contracted or uncontracted form of Braille for the letter. Requests for letters must include the writer's name, the child's name, birthday, gender, mailing address, and a telephone number or e-mail address in case Santa's helpers at the National Federation of the Blind have questions.



The deadline for letter requests is December 20, to ensure that a return letter in Braille is received before Christmas. For more information about this and other programs of the National Federation of the Blind, please visit our Web site at www.nfb.org.

First Wheelchair-Accessible Care

The MV-1, the world's first wheelchair-accessible car, was recently presented to Marc Buoniconti, president of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. The vehicle will retail for approximately $40,000.

To read more, please visit http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/10/18/wheelchair-accessible-car-unveiled-in-miami/.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served our country! Don't forget to let us know if you are a Talking Books patron and a veteran; you get first priority for Talking Books materials!

Font for Dsylexics

Dyslexia is a condition where the reader reverses or confuses letters, making reading very difficult. Now a Dutch graphic artist thinks he has invented a font that would make it easier for dyslexics to distinguish letters, and cut down on letter distortion.

To read about this, please visit: http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/03/8617458-do-dyslexics-need-a-specially-designed-font.

.

Blind High School Student Is Team Quarterback

Standley Lake High School, located in Colorado, made Rhett Gutierrez their junior reserve quarterback this year. Gutierrez is blind, afflicted with Stargardt disease. This macular degeneration-type illness has taken nearly all of Gutierrez's sight, although he can still make great football calls, based on a knowledge of predetermined routes and a sense of timing as to hand off the ball.

Read about this remarkable athlete here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/rhett-gutierrez-legally-blind-quarterback_n_1030778.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl10%7Csec3_lnk3%7C107670.

ACCA Health Fair

There will be a health fair at the Athens Council on Aging next Thursday, November 10. The fair will feature many health screenings and information tables.

Health Fair
Thursday, November 10
9:00am - 12:00pm
Athens Council on Aging

Please call 706-549-4850 for more information.

National EAS Test Next Wednesday

This is an email from the Director of the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination at the Department of Homeland Security.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, The Department of Homeland Security/FEMA announced that on November 9 at 2:00 p.m. ET, the federal government will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The test will last up to three and a half minutes. During this period, regularly scheduled television, radio, cable, and satellite shows will be interrupted as the system is being tested. The Department of Public Health would like to ensure that the employees of the State of Georgia and the larger public are aware that this event will be just a test, and not a real emergency alert.



The test is being conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as part of their ongoing efforts to keep the nation safe during emergencies and strengthen our resilience against all hazards.



The national Emergency Alert System is an alert and warning system that can be activated by the president, if needed, to provide information to the American public during emergencies. NOAA's National Weather Service, governors, and state and local emergency authorities also use parts of the system to issue more localized emergency alerts. The test is an important exercise in ensuring that the system is effective in communicating critical information to the public in the event of a real national emergency.



Similar to emergency alert system tests that are already conducted frequently on the local level, the nationwide test will involve television and radio stations across the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.



Under the FCC's rules, radio and television broadcasters, cable operators, satellite digital audio radio service providers, direct broadcast satellite service providers and wireline video service providers are required to receive and transmit presidential EAS messages to the public. A national test will help federal partners and EAS participants determine the reliability of the system, as well as its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential dangers both nationally and regionally. The test will also provide the FCC and FEMA a chance to identify improvements that need to be made to build a modernized and fully accessible Emergency Alert System.



The Department of Public Health, along with FEMA, encourages the public to use this event as a reminder that everyone should establish an emergency preparedness kit and an emergency plan for themselves, their families, communities and businesses. Visit www.Ready.gov for more information about how to prepare for and stay informed about what to do in the event of an actual emergency.



Thank you for your assistance in spreading the word about the November 9th, 2pm ET nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System!


Marcie Roth
Director
Office of Disability Integration and Coordination
Department of Homeland Security/ FEMA
202.212.1537 (office)
202.285.9231 (cell)

Family Caregiver Conference

This Saturday, November 5, there will be a Family Caregiver's Conference at the First United Methodist Church in Lawrenceville. The one-day event will feature a keynote speech by Denise M. Brown titled "Secret Stress Buster - Embracing Limits". There will also be a variety of vendors and breakout sessions covering topics such as burnout, legal/financial problems, raising grandchildren, coping with Alzheimers, and more. The Talking Book Center will have a table, so come by and see us!

To read more about the conference or to register, please visit the Gwinnett Daily Post: http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2011/oct/29/lawrenceville-church-to-hold-family-caregivers/.