ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Future Reflections Fall 2014
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Announcements
NEW NFB PRESIDENT ELECTED
On July 5, 2014, the National Federation of the Blind elected Mark Riccobono to serve as its next president. (See Mark Riccobono's article, "Taking Control and Becoming a Driver of My Life," elsewhere in this issue.) "Reflecting the Flame," a video celebrating the work and achievements of the outgoing president, Dr. Marc Maurer, can be seen at <http://youtu.be/j-E1Vp7l_MQ>.
BRAILLE BOOKS
Free Braille Books Program
American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
<www.actionfund.org/free-braille-books>
[email protected]
(410) 659-9315, Extension 2287
The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults has back selections from the Free Braille Books Program and would like to get them into the hands of children who will enjoy them. All of these gently used books are in contracted Braille. They are at two reading levels. The first level is for children in grades K-2. The second level is for children in grades 3-6. If you would like to have some of these books sent to you, please call or email to make your request. To sign up for new books in the program, visit the Action Fund website.
SLATES AND STYLUSES
Free Slates and Styluses
<https://nfb.org/free-slate-program>
The National Federation of the Blind believes every blind person should have all of the available tools as a means of gaining independence. The slate and stylus have long been and continue to be valuable tools for writing Braille, and they have the same flexibility, portability, and affordability as a pen or pencil. The NFB has launched a program to give a four-line, 28-cell, aluminum slate and round, plastic, bulb stylus, free of charge, to any blind person in the United States or Puerto Rico who requests them.
AWARDS
2013 Touch of Genius Winners
National Braille Press
<www.nbp.org>
In June 2014, National Braille Press and the Gibney Family Foundation announced the winners of the 2013 Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation. The first award went to the iBraille Challenge Mobile App submitted by the Braille Institute and California State University/Los Angeles. The mobile app supports Braille reading and writing for blind and visually impaired students and is aligned with the Braille Challenge®, a national Braille reading and writing contest. In addition, the iBraille Challenge App allows teachers to gather much-needed data on how children learn Braille. The second award went to Pranay Jain and Anshul Singhal of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for their Tactile Caliper. The Tactile Caliper is a mechanical device that displays complete measurements in Braille that can be read instantaneously with accuracy as fine as one-sixteenth of an inch. The innovative mechanical slide system that is used to form the Braille cells allows simple Braille read-outs to be added to an array of items, including home appliances, science and engineering tools, and educational devices at a low cost and without the need for electricity. Each of the award recipients received a prize of $20,000.
2014 APH Hall of Fame Inductees
American Printing House for the Blind
<www.aph.org/hall/news.html>
The APH Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving the tradition of excellence manifested by specific individuals through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired in North America. On October 17, 2014, APH will induct two new members into the Hall of Fame: Michael Collins and Newel Perry. Michael Collins (1947-2008) served as supervisor of the campus-based deaf-blind program at the Perkins School for the Blind and then as founder and director of the Hilton-Perkins International Program, with the mission of training teachers of children in the developing countries who are deaf-blind or have multiple disabilities. Newel Perry (1873-1963) is sometimes called "the father of the modern civil rights movement of the blind." His work spawned the California Council of the Blind in 1934 and the National Federation of the Blind in 1940.
SURVEYS
Digital Technology Access in Higher Education
<http://nfb.org/digital-tech-access>
Contact: Valerie Yingling, (410) 659-9314, Extension 2440
[email protected]
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, institutions of higher learning are required to provide equal access to their programs and services. However, blind and visually impaired students sometimes encounter barriers such as inaccessible websites, textbooks, exams, and laboratory equipment. The NFB is gathering information about the experiences of blind/visually impaired students in higher education through an ongoing survey. Students are encouraged to complete the survey at the close of each semester to keep the NFB up-to-date on their access experiences, both negative and positive.
AnimalWatch Vi Suite Research Project
<www.awvis.org>
Contact: Penny Rosenblum, (520) 621-1223
mailto:[email protected]
The AnimalWatch Vi Suite Research Project at the University of Arizona has developed an iPad app and supporting materials to help students build problem solving skills while learning about endangered species. Forty-eight blind or low vision students in the US will be recruited to participate in an intervention study during the 2014-15 school year. To qualify, students must be learning math content appropriate to grades 5-9; be able to access an iPad with screen enlargement, VoiceOver, or a Braille display; and be familiar with educational apps.
TECHNOLOGY
Web Accessibility Training Day
<https://nfb.org/web-accessibility-day>
NFB Jernigan Institute
200 E. Wells St. at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
September 9, 2014
The National Federation of the Blind, in partnership with the Maryland Technology Assistance Program, has gathered experts in the fields of access technology and policy. Topics will be of interest to persons in government, education, and business. The event will be conducted as a training initiative of the newly launched NFB Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access to Education, Public Information, and Commerce.
PUBLICATIONS
Matilda Ziegler Magazine
On July 25, 2014, the board of directors of the E. Matilda Ziegler Foundation announced that the Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind will cease publication. The magazine was founded in 1907 with the goal of producing reading material for the blind as much as possible like that available to sighted readers. The magazine helped to fill an information void that no longer exists today, thanks to the availability of Braille, recorded, and digital materials. The Ziegler Foundation will use its resources solely for scientific research through grants to highly innovative medical researchers who are making important advances in vision research.
The Future of Braille: NLS Braille Summit Presentations and Outcomes
<www.loc.gov/nls/index.html>
The Library of Congress has released a report that contains the proceedings of the June 2013 Braille Summit and reflects the hard work and great ideas generated by those who attended. The Braille Summit reflects the effort of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) to keep Braille at the forefront of library service. The summit recommended that NLS support efforts to update Braille technology and specifications. It also recommended that NLS provide a low-cost Braille display in the same way that it provides audio playback equipment.
The Journey to Life after High School: A Roadmap for Parents of Children with Special Needs
<www.abilitypath.org/lifeafterhighschool>
Available for free download, this report examines laws that impact youth with special needs and the various paths a young adult may take after completing high school. It explores steps to be taken before graduation and the young adult's legal and medical rights. The report includes a state-by-state directory of supporting agencies.

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