Cobb County School for Dyslexia

A group in Cobb County is planning to open a school that would serve elementary and middle-school aged students who have dyslexia, an organic reading disability where the brain has difficulty interpreting letters.

To read about this school, please visit the Marietta Daily Journal: http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/17334906/article-New-private-school-would-serve-students-with-dyslexia?instance=home_news_bullets.

People of all ages with organic reading disabilities such as dyslexia qualify for Talking Book services.

GW Micro Releases New Vocatex Plus

A press release about a new talking CCTV:

GW Micro Releases New Vocatex Plus
Jan-26-2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Fort Wayne, Indiana (January 26, 2012) - GW Micro, Inc. (www.gwmicro.com) is proud
to announce the next major revolution in CCTV technology. Last March, GW Micro announced the first-ever talking CCTVs: the Orabis and the Vocatex Plus. These innovative solutions revolutionized the CCTV market, and the latest version of GW Micro's Vocatex Plus is transforming the CCTV market yet again.

The Vocatex Plus already has the unique capability to recognize and speak text, as
well as highlight each word as it is spoken on a live image using its patented technology.

The previous version of the Vocatex Plus required the user to press a button each
time they wanted a new column of text to be spoken or after the user adjusted the
magnification of the image. The new Vocatex Plus is much more dynamic enabling
the user to start text recognition, move or enlarge the text under the screen, and
the Vocatex Plus will automatically recognize the new text and continue reading the
live image while highlighting each word as it speaks.

"This is incredible technology that we could only dream of until now," said Dan Weirich, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for GW Micro. "While these were the first-ever talking CCTVs, we are now taking yet another huge step forward in CCTV technology."

Other CCTV manufacturers have been unable to develop a comparable solution and are
still attempting to produce a talking CCTV with a live image, but this incredible
functionality is already possible with the Orabis and Vocatex Plus. The Vocatex
Plus comes with your choice of a 26-inch, 32-inch, or 37-inch HDTV monitor. These
display options help make the new Vocatex Plus the most advanced talking CCTV as
well as a multimedia center for your favorite HD content including TV, Blu-ray and
Netflix. For customers who already have large screen HDTVs with an HDMI connection,
the Vocatex Plus may be purchased without a monitor.

You can see the new features of the Vocatex Plus talking CCTV in action at www.gwmicro.com/lowvision.

GW Micro has been a trusted pioneer in the adaptive technology industry since 1990,
and continues to lead with innovative, customer driven solutions.


Contact:
Dan Weirich, VP of Sales and Marketing
dan@gwmicro.com
(260) 489-3671
###

Stem Cells Improve Vision

Some research done with implanting stem cells into blind patients' eyes shows promising results, reports the Huffington Post. While the patients remain legally blind, they both showed some improvement in vision.

To read the article, please visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/stem-cells-blind_n_1224051.html?ref=science&icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl20|sec3_lnk2%26pLid%3D129644.

Outreach Visits in February

Keep up with Talking Books in February! Come see us give presentations or host vendor booths!

• Thursday, February 2
  Norcross Senior Center
  11:00am
  
  
• Saturday, February 4
  Northeast Georgia Transition Expo & Conference
  Tate Center, Athens
  9:00am - 1:30pm
  
  
• Tuesday, February 7
  10:30am - White Co. (Cleveland) Senior Center
  12:00pm - White Co. (Cleveland) Library
  

Braille Burgers

To celebrate National Braille Literacy Month, the South African burger chain Wimpy wanted to spread the word that all their stores offer Braille menus. They came up with a creative way of doing it - baking 15 buns with sesame seeds spelling out Braille words! Then they delivered the burgers to some of the agencies for the blind in the area.

To see the Wimpy commercial and read the Mental Floss article, please visit the following link:

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/113687

Browsing and Searching in BARD

The following is from an email from the BARD Technical Support Team to the BARD Support List. As it concerns browsing and searching in BARD, it may be useful to our blog readers.

Under the “Find Books” heading, located near the top of the BARD Main Page, we have seven options for exploring the BARD collection. Each of these options is a Level 3 heading, so you can jump quickly from one option to the next. Here’s what they are and how they work:

1. Recently Added Books: Displays a list of books added to BARD in the last 30 days. Books are grouped by the date on which they were added. The dates are in reverse chronological order. Since each date has its own Level 2 heading, you can easily jump from date to date in this list of most recently added books.

2. Most Popular Books: Displays a list of the books most frequently downloaded in the last 90 days. Level 2 headings for Fiction and Nonfiction group the entries by genre.

3. Search the Collection: Provides an edit box into which you can enter the terms you want to use when searching the BARD collection. If you know a book’s catalog number, you can find the book quickly by simply putting the five digit number (without the letters DB) into the edit box. If you are looking for a specific title, we recommend that you enclose it in quotation marks. Similarly, use quotation marks around an author’s name if you only want books by that author, or around a narrator’s name if you only want books read by that person. Note that authors’ names are catalogued in the form Last Name, comma, First Name, but narrators’ names appear as First Name, Last name. Thus, while you would search for “Shakespeare, William” (with a comma after his last name), you would search for Pam Ward, with no comma between her first and last names.

Of course, there will be times when you don’t want to limit your search to a specific title, author, or narrator. Let’s say, for example, that you would like to locate books of poetry by John Updike. You might try entering the author’s last name and the word Poetry, with no quotation marks, to see what entries contain both “Updike” and “poetry.” You will be shown all books where both terms appear. In this way, you can concentrate on his volumes of poetry without having to wade through all of his novels, short story collections, and essays. Similarly, you might choose to enter the terms William and Shakespeare, with no quotation marks into the edit box, in order to see every entry where those two terms appear. Instead of getting just the works he wrote, you would also get anything from a biography or an analysis of his plays to a book of science fiction where he appears as one of the characters.

4. Browse by Authors’ Last Names: Allows you to browse all the books by authors whose last names begin with a given letter. To choose a letter, you need to open a combo box and either arrow to the letter you want, or simply type it. (Note: To open the combo box, press Alt and Down arrow.) Once you have selected your letter, tab to the Go button and hit Enter.

5. Browse by Book Title: Allows you to browse all titles beginning with a given letter. To choose a letter, you need to open a combo box and either arrow to the letter you want, or simply type it. (Note: To open the combo box, press Alt and Down arrow.) Once you have selected your letter, tab to the Go button and hit Enter. Remember that the articles "A," "An," and "The" are ignored in the cataloguing process when they are the first words in a title. Thus, "The Family of Adoption" and "A Family of Poems" would both be listed under the letter "F," and "An Impartial Witness" would be catalogued under the letter "I."

6. Browse by Subject: Allows you to browse a list of books related to one of 85 possible subjects. Choose the subject which interests you by opening a combo box and arrowing to it. Then tab to the Go button and hit Enter. (To open the combo box, press Alt and Down arrow.)

7. Digital Foreign Language Collection: Provides a list of specially acquired digital titles in languages other than English obtained from agencies serving persons with print disabilities in other nations, as well as commercial vendors abroad. These are distinct from the foreign language titles produced by NLS (mostly Spanish) that are available for download from BARD. All titles in the DFL collection bear the prefix DBF - for digital talking book, foreign.

Since the Digital Foreign Language Collection is still in its infancy, it currently contains only books in Spanish. However, the structure of the page containing this list suggests that, once the collection has grown to include titles in other languages, you will be able to jump from language to language by means of Level 3 headings.

Finally, we want to call your attention to the fact that you can also search for BARD books in the NLS Voyager catalog. In addition to containing the same information you would find when searching the BARD website, Voyager contains complete annotations and publisher information. It also includes entries for new books coming to BARD and NLS which are listed as "in process". Voyager, like BARD, provides links for downloading BARD books.

To search the NLS catalog, go to

www.loc.gov/nls

and follow the link called "Search the Catalog," located near the top of the NLS Main Page. If you need more instructions on how to do this, we recommend calling your regional NLS library.

The BARD Technical Support Team
NLS BARD Technical Support
e-mail: NLSDownload@loc.gov
Read the BARD FAQ at: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/NLS/FAQ.html

Talking Books Closed Monday

The Talking Book Center will be closed Monday, January 16 in honor of MLK Day. You are welcome to leave us a voicemail at 1-800-531-2063 or an email at talkingbooks@athenslibrary.org and we'll get back to you on Tuesday.

PINES Upgrade January 12 - 16

PINES, the Georgia statewide library network, uses software called Evergreen. This weekend, all PINES libraries will be undergoing an Evergreen software upgrade. This means that most of the libraries functions, such as registering new patrons, placing holds on items, checking in books, searching the catalog, and renewing books will not be available. You WILL be able to check books out, however.

Software functionality should return Monday. Some libraries will be closed for the MLK holiday, but patrons will be able to use the PINES website found at www.gapines.org again beginning Monday, January 16. Libraries should reopen Tuesday at full capacity.

The PINES outage does NOT affect Talking Books, so please feel free to order your books!

BARD-Supported Devices

BARD now supports more players to playback downloaded Talking Books. Here is the current list of players:

• NLS-provided digital machine (DTBM)
• ABH Book Port Plus
• APH Braille Plus Mobile Manager
• Apex BrailleNote/VoiceNote
• HIMS BookSense (also DS and XT versions)
• HIMS Sense Notetaker
• Humanware Victor Reader Stratus
• Humanware Victor Reader Stream
• LevelStar Icon
• Milestone 212
• Milestone 312
• PLEXTALK PTN2
• PLEXTALK Pocket PTP1

To register a player, log into your BARD account and scroll down to "Update Account Settings". Then click on the "Add a Purchased Player" link and follow the directions.

NFB 2012 Leadership and Advocacy Program

A press release from the National Federation of the Blind:

The National Federation of the Blind Announces the 2012 NFB Leadership and Advocacy in Washington, D.C., (LAW) Program

Engaging the Voice of America�s Blind Youth

April 13-18, 2012

The NFB LAW program provides blind students with a unique opportunity to explore the inner workings of our country�s government, its history, and its culture. In addition to learning about the history of the organized blindness civil rights movement, how resolutions are passed, and how blindness legislation is created, participants will become familiar with advocacy work for blind individuals and available resources for blind students and adults. Highlights of the program include: visits to historical sites in Washington, D.C., meetings with influential government leaders, and presentations by prominent leaders in the National Federation of the Blind. Read more about this chance of a lifetime in the Summer 2011 issue of Future Reflections.

Twenty-four students (grades six to nine, or ages twelve to sixteen) will be accepted for the LAW program. All accepted students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, teacher, or blind/low-vision mentor from their home state. There will be a $250 fee per student/chaperone pair. Transportation, room, and board will be provided for students and chaperones.

Apply now by going to www.nfb.org/LAWProgram. Applications are due by February 1, 2012. For more information, call (410) 659-9314, extension 2312, or e-mail Natalie Shaheen at nshaheen@nfb.org.

2012 Calendars in Alternative Formats

Here are some resources for alternative format 2012 calendars:

American Printing House for the Blind (APH)

PO Box 6085
Louisville, KY 40206-0085
800-223-1839
(502) 899-2284 fax
cs@aph.org
https://shop.aph.org

Accepts orders by fax, mail, or telephone.



• Braille DateBook calendar in a two-ring binder. Calendar has
  tabbed pages of durable plastic. Catalog no.1-07899-12, $66.
  
  
• Calendar replacement pages, catalog no.1-07898-12, $18.
  
  
• Filler paper and extra tabs, catalog no.1-07897-00, $11.
  
  
• Large-print/braille (36 point) 8-1/2 x 11-inch APH InSights Art
  Calendar. Includes holidays and moon phases. Features selected art
  from the APH juried competition. Catalog no. 5-18971-12, $7.50
  
• Large-print (60 point) E-Z track Calendar low-vision calendar and
  appointment book in a three-ring binder. Each page enumerates and
  holds space for four days of the month, with room for notes.
  Calendar with binder, catalog no. 1-07900-12, $33.50. Inserts only,
  catalog no.1-07901-12, $29.
  
  
• Large-print/braille everyday activities calendar in a three-ring
  binder with color dividers between each month, two days per page.
  Calendar can be used year after year. For children ages three to
  eight. Catalog no.1-08121-00, $60.
  
  
• Large-print/braille individual calendar kit. Kit contains two
  brightly colored embossed bold-line grid sheets for making
  individual month-at-a-glance calendar. Catalog no.1-8971-00, $18.
  
  
  
  Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB)
  
  919 Walnut Street
  Philadelphia, PA 19107
  (215) 627-0600, ext. 3242
  (215) 922-0692 fax
  brusk@asb.org
  www.asb.org
  
  Accepts requests by e-mail, fax, or telephone.
  
  
  
• Large-print (42 point) month-at-a-glance desk calendar. Opens up to
  11 x 17 inches. Includes space for notes or appointments. Free to
  residents of DE, NJ, and PA; $4 for others.
  
  
  
  The Big Type Company
  
  W136 N5265 Campbell Court
  Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
  800-933-1711
  (262) 783-6599 fax
  bigtypeco@yahoo.com
  www.bigtypeco.com
  
  Accepts prepaid orders by mail, online, or telephone.
  
  
  
• Large-print (42 point) month-at-a-glance desk calendar. Opens up to
  11 x 17 inches. Includes space for notes or appointments. $11.50.
  
  
  
  Cleveland Sight Center
  
  Eye-dea Shop
  1909 East 101st Street
  PO Box 1988
  Cleveland, OH 44106-8696
  877-776-9563 (toll free)
  shop@clevelandsightcenter.org
  www.eyedeashop.com
  
  Accepts orders by mail, online, or telephone.
  
  
  
• Large-print (54 point) wall calendar. Opens up to 17 x 22 inches. $10.
  
  
  
  The Jewish Heritage for the Blind
  
  1655 East 24th Street
  Brooklyn, NY 11229
  (718) 338-4999
  www.jhbinternational.org
  
  Accepts requests by mail or online.
  
  
  
• Large-print 10 x 10 inch calendar in English and Hebrew. Free.
  
  
  
  The Lighthouse of Houston
  
  Attn: Reflections, The Lighthouse Store
  3602 West Dallas
  Houston, TX 77019
  (713) 284-8466
  (713) 284-8451 fax
  reflections@houstonlighthouse.org
  www.houstonlighthouse.org
  
  Accepts prepaid orders by fax, mail, online, or telephone.
  
  
  
• Large-print (36 pointt) 11 x 17-inch wall calendar. Catalog no.501,
  $5.50.
  
  
  
  Lutheran Blind Mission
  
  7550 Watson Road
  St. Louis, MO 63119-4409
  888-215-2455
  blind.mission@blindmission.org
  www.blindmission.org
  
  Accepts requests by e-mail, mail, or telephone.
  
  
  
• Braille 8 x 11-inch scripture calendar. Features a Bible verse and
  raised picture each month. Also available as a large-print (21
  point) 8 x 14-inch edition. Free.
  
  
  
  Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund
  
  3500 North Elm Road
  Jackson, MI 49201
  (517) 780-5096
  (517) 780-5448 fax
  info@mi-braille.org
  http://mi-braille.org
  
  Accepts requests by e-mail, fax, or telephone.
  
  
  
• Large-print/braille 6-1/4 x 3-3/4-inch purse-size, spiral-bound
  calendar. Includes a separate listing of major holidays. Free.
  
  
  
  National Federation of the Blind
  
  Independence Market
  200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
  Baltimore, MD 21230
  (410) 659-9314, ext. 2216
  (410) 685-2340 fax
  IndependenceMarket@nfb.org
  www.nfb.org
  
  Accepts prepaid orders by e-mail, fax, mail, or telephone.
  
  
  
• Braille 6 x 6-1/2-inch calendar. Features one page per month, a
  personal day page, and a listing of major holidays. Catalog no. BBC11
  B, free.
  
  
• Large-print 8-1/2 x 11 inch calendar. Spiral bound with inside
  pockets. Features 2-inch blocks for each day of the month, and a
  three-month calendar overview. Catalog no. AIL02C, $10.
  
  
• Large-print appointment planner and calendar. Measures 8-1/2 x 11
  inches, features current and upcoming year at a glance, pages for
  names and addresses, and a personal page. Catalog no. AIL11P, $20.
  
  
  
  National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
  
  Library of Congress
  Attn: Reference Section
  Washington, DC 20542
  (202) 707-9275
  800-424-8567
  nlsref@loc.gov
  
  Accepts requests by e-mail or telephone.
  
  
  
• Braille 6 x 6-1/2-inch datefinder and signature guide. Covers a
  twelve-month period from July to June. Measures 5 x 3-1/2 inches. Free.
  
  
  
  Olmsted Center for Sight
  
  1170 Main Street
  Buffalo, NY 14209-0398
  (716) 882-1025
  
  Accepts orders by telephone.
  
  
  
• Braille 5-1/2 x 8-1/2-inch desk calendar with two days per page and
  dividers for each month. $46.97. Refills, $38.99.
  
  
  
  Sight Connection Store
  
  9709 Third Avenue NE, #100
  Seattle, WA 98115-2027
  (206) 525-5556 v/TDD
  800-458-4888
  (206) 525-0422 fax
  store@sightconnection.org
  www.sightconnection.com
  
  Accepts prepaid orders by fax, mail, or telephone.
  
  
  
• Braille magnetic board calendar holds the days and months of the
  year in 1-inch tiles. Tiles are in braille and print with raised
  tactile numbers and letters. Includes extra tiles. Catalog no. PLU
  809, $33.75.
  
  
• Large-print spiral-bound calendar with 3/8-inch numbers in 2-inch
  squares. Each month includes a page for notes. Catalog no. PLU 434-
  12, $10.
  
  
• Large-print desk or wall calendar. Opens up to 17 x 22 inches and
  features 1-inch numbers and room for notes on each number. Lists
  major holidays. Catalog no. PLU 437-12, $10.50.
  
  
  
  Sioux Links Publishing
  
  Attn: Customer Service
  705 Eagle Run
  Dell Rapids, SD 57022
  888-201-5640
  (605) 428-5110 fax
  largeprintcalendar@yahoo.com
  www.largeprintonline.biz
  
  Accepts orders by e-mail, mail, online, or telephone.
  
  
  
• Large-print monthly 11 x 17-inch wall calendar that opens up to 23 x
  17-1/2 inches. $13.95.
  
  
  
  

Compiled by Ruth Nussbaum
NLS Reference Section
Dec. 2011

Home Delivered Meals

Would you benefit from having home-delivered meals? Sun Meadow can help! G.A. Food Service, Inc. offers home-delivered meals featuring optimal nutrition - low fat, low sodium, high protein, and your complete range of vitamin and nutrients. They offer both frozen and shelf-stable meals in 7-day shipments.

Meals are delivered to your home by a company representative - not the Post Office, FedEx, or UPS. The delivery driver can bring in the boxes and even unpack them and put the food away for you. This is also a chance for the driver to see if there is anything else you may need; help with medication or housekeeping. They can then consult with a case manager from the company who will work with you to get the services you need.

If you think you might benefit from this service, please call the Customer Service Call Center at 866-575-2772 or visit http://www.sunmeadow.com/. Your Medicaid benefits may even cover the cost of your meals!