Monitor Miniatures 7/98

Monitor Miniatures 7/98

Monitor Miniatures

Information Needed:

Ann Boyd, an active Federationist and 1996 Distinguished Educator of Blind Children

Award recipient, writes to inquire whether anyone knows where she could purchase a

gold-filled pin or charm representing a Perkins Brailler. The National Braille Association

in Rochester, New York, used to carry these items, but the organization seems to have

moved or closed. If you can give Ann information on this subject, contact her at 6602

State Route 588, Gallipolis, Ohio 45631, e-mail: <[email protected]>.

New NFB Listserv:

David Andrews, system operator for the NFB computer bulletin board, NFB NET, recently

made the following announcement:

I am pleased to announce a new list called GUI-TALK, the purpose of which is to discuss

the use of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) by blind and visually impaired persons. The

GUI includes, but is not limited to, Microsoft Windows 3.X, Windows 95, Windows 98,

Windows NT, X-Windows, and the Macintosh OS. The GUI can also include graphical interfaces

used on consumer electronics devices, office equipment, bank machines, etc.

GUI-TALK provides a forum where we can ask questions and get answers. We can share tips

and tricks, discuss software and hardware used to access the GUI, and more. This list is

sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind and will occasionally carry

announcements of interest to NFB members and our friends and supporters. GUI-TALK also

gives you access to the resources and information provided by the International Braille

and Technology Center for the Blind, the world's largest demonstration and evaluation

center for computer technology used by blind people. GUI-TALK will be moderated, and

off-topic messages will not be permitted. People violating this rule will be warned

privately by e-mail. If violation of this rule continues, their names will be removed from

the mailing list by the moderator.

To subscribe to GUI-TALK, send a message to

<[email protected]>. Leave the subject line of the message blank, and in the

body write the following: "subscribe gui-talk." If you would rather receive the

list in a digest format—one message a day—then put the following line in the

body of the message: "subscribe gtalk-d."

To post a message to GUI-TALK or gtalk-d, please send it to

<[email protected]>. Use of this address will automatically post your message to

all subscribers to the GUI-TALK mailing list on the Internet. At the same time your

message will be posted to the GUI-TALK Forum carried on the NFB NET BBS, which is message

area 14.

To unsubscribe from this list, please send your message to the address:

<[email protected]>. Leave the subject blank and write "unsubscribe

gui-talk" in the body of the message. To unsubscribe from the digest, write

"unsubscribe gtalk-d" instead. For help with all Listserv commands, send a

message with a blank subject to <[email protected]> and write "help" in

the body of the message.

If you have any questions, you can send mail to the GUI-TALK moderator David Andrews at

<[email protected]>. You can also reach the NFB NET BBS using Telnet now by

pointing your Telnet client to <nfbnet.org> or <209.98.54.33>.

For Sale:

We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

Braille 'n Speak 640 for sale, asking $700 or best offer.

Call (732) 222-3510 (evenings) or e-mail to

<[email protected]>.

For Sale:

We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

Navigator LX 40-8, Version 3.2, refurbished with all accessories and latest software,

$2,500 with shipping.

Myna Palmtop with DECtalk speech, like new. Comes with 5MB ROM card and floppy, asking

$1,500 with shipping. Call Dan Kish at (714) 573-8880, extension 116.

For Sale:

We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

I have for sale a Perkins Brailler in excellent condition. I am asking $300. Contact

Tonya McCluskey at (406) 961-4333.

New Employment Web Page:

John Lucas, an IBM employee, recently wrote to Miss Rovig, Director of Job

Opportunities for the Blind, announcing a new IBM Employment Site on the Internet. It is

for those interested in computer technology jobs and has a jungle theme. The address is

<www.empl.ibm.com>.

Elected:

Ed and Toni Eames report the results of the Fresno, California, chapter elections held

in March. They are Jan Kafton, President; Toni Eames, Vice President; Mary Ann Haas,

Secretary;

Ed Eames, Treasurer; and Deloris Snorek and Carma Gale, Board Members.

Fordham School of Law Scholarship Available:

We have been asked to announce that Fordham University School of Law offers a

need-based three-year scholarship for a totally blind student who will commence law

studies in the fall of 1999.

The scholarship will cover two-thirds of the recipient's tuition for the 1999-2000

academic year and will be renewed for each succeeding year of attendance, provided that

the student maintains a grade point average of at least 2.3 for each academic year.

This scholarship is intended to facilitate needy blind students' pursuit of careers in

the legal profession and to assist them in obtaining a juris doctor degree. This

scholarship was initiated through the efforts of Amy Reiss and has been supported by the

Law School and many, many friends who are interested in advancing its goals.

The Law School will work with scholarship winners to ensure attention to their needs.

Depending on individual circumstances, these efforts include assisting them in acclimating

to the physical environment of the school, coordination of classroom requirements, and

assistance from the Office of Career Planning. The Law School's library is equipped with

an Arkenstone computer and a Braille printer.

Candidacy for this scholarship is, of course, conditional upon the applicant's

acceptance for admission to Fordham Law School. Individuals interested in this scholarship

should write to the Law School's Financial Aid Office, Attention: Director James A.

McGough, 140 West 62nd Street, New York, New York 10023.

Upon acceptance for admission to the Law School, interested candidates should send an

essay of approximately 1,000 words addressing why the candidate believes that he or she

should be awarded this scholarship to Amy L. Reiss, 150 East 58th Street, Twenty-first

Floor, New York, New York 10155.

Job Opportunity:

We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

Employment opportunities in cities of at least 200,000 population, must work full- or

part-time during business hours mainly on the phone, no financial investment, does not

involve selling products to individuals, good income potential, marketing of new, exciting

product to all kinds of organizations, big and small, training available. Openings for

adults of all ages. Apply in Braille or print, on cassette, or by fax or phone, to Easier

Ways, Inc., 2954 Shady Lane, Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80126. Call (303) 290-0987, fax

(303) 290-6446, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mountain Time.

For Sale:

JAWS for Windows 95. New, never installed, with all documentation, including

registration disk, asking $400 or best offer. Contact Gary Davis, 177 Lake Eden Road,

Black Mountain, North Carolina 28711, (704) 686-9180.

In Memoriam:

Hazel Staley reports with great sadness that on Saturday afternoon, May 9, 1998, Helen

Collins died in a skilled nursing facility. She had been battling a congestive heart

condition and colon cancer for several months. Helen's husband Clarence was the first

president of the NFB of North Carolina after the affiliate was reorganized in 1969. During

the 1960's Helen and Clarence attended all of our National Conventions and sat alone in

the North Carolina delegation. Clarence preceded Helen in death several years ago. With

her passing we feel that an important era in our affiliate's history has ended. Helen was

a wonderful person, a faithful friend, and a dedicated Federationist. North Carolina is a

far better affiliate for having had Clarence and Helen with us. Now that they are gone, we

can only strive to emulate their example.

Elected:

Lois Montgomery reports that on May 2, 1998, the Bix Beiderbecke Chapter of the NFB of

Iowa elected new officers. They are John TeBockhorst, President; Mary Hartle-Smith, Vice

President; Lois Montgomery, Secretary; Mike Smith, Treasurer; and Tom TeBockhorst, Board

Member.

Literary Works On-line:

We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

Assistive Media is an Ann Arbor, Michigan, non-profit entity producing free on-line

audio recordings of literary works for people with text-reading/access barriers. To access

this service, go to <http://www.assistivemedia.org>.

Art Appreciation for the Blind:

We have been asked to carry the following announcement:

Art History Through Touch and Sound: a Multisensory Guide for the Blind and Visually

Impaired is an innovative audiobook series spanning prehistory through contemporary times,

including some 600 tactile illustrations of major monuments in the history of art. Direct

your librarian to us if you would like your local or school library to acquire copies for

its collection. The audiobook series is developed by Art Education for the Blind.

OpticalTouch Systems, in New York City, is the publisher.

Baroque Art in the Seventeenth Century, available now, is the first release in the

twenty-two-volume series; subsequent volumes are scheduled for publication through 1999.

The illustrations use a lexicon of seven standardized patterns, giving readers familiarity

with the tactile vocabulary. The companion audio-narrative guides the reader through the

illustrations, providing art historical information as well as detailed descriptions of

the artworks. Highly regarded art historians collaborated with Art Education for the

Blind's development team to create narratives that convey the historical complexity and

formal range of some 30,000 years of visual art. Color and black-and-white photographs

accompany the tactile illustrations. Captions, including attribution, date, media,

dimensions, and the custodian or location of the work, are provided in large type and

Braille. Interpretive sound-compositions allow the reader to use hearing in the pursuit of

visual understanding. Art-appreciation activities and suggestions for further reading

enable readers to build upon the foundation offered by this basic survey of art history.

Contact Art Education for the Blind if you would like to order books in this series.

And lobby your librarians to add this audiobook series to their collection.

Art Education for the Blind, Inc. 160 Mercer Street, New York, New York 10012, phone

(212) 334-3700, e-mail <[email protected]>.

Correspondents Wanted:

Ngolela wa Kabongo writes on behalf of a blind friend who is a refugee in Abidjan,

Ivory Coast. She likes to read; however, she does not have access to many books in

Braille. She would like to have a friend to correspond with in Braille. Her address is Mme

Ekoko Kodiemoka, 14 Abidjan Bp 1626, Abidjan 14, Ivory Coast, West Africa.

Elected:

The Napa Chapter of the NFB of California recently elected the following new officers:

Yarl Gerringer, President; Jane Rhodes, Vice President; Irv Krenke, Treasurer; and Diane

Cassayre, Secretary. The Board Members are George Blackstock, Addie Wehrman, Martha Kirk,

Roby Hayworth, and Virginia Martin.

White Cane Safety Day Fund-Raiser:

Eric Duffy, President of the Capital Chapter of the NFB of Ohio, writes the following

brief report on a successful fund-raising idea:

At sometime or other most of us have been told to take a hike. The Parents of Blind

Children Division and the Capital Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

have taken that phrase literally. In recognition of National White Cane Safety Day, we

have organized a walk in the park for blind children and their families.

Each year a number of blind children and their families gather at Schiller Park in

Columbus to walk around the perimeter of the Park with blind adults. Because the kids have

gathered sponsors for the walk, they are raising money while at the same time getting

invaluable cane travel tips and inspiration from competent blind adults. Since White Cane

Safety Day is in October, it is a great time for doughnuts and cider after all the

exercise.

This has proven to be a successful fund-raiser for us. We made over $1,000 in both '96

and '97. Last year we had T-shirts available for any child who had $50 or more in pledges.

The shirts were also available in adult sizes for purchase. On the front of the T-shirt

are two stick-figures with canes. The text is "Take a Hike Annual White Cane Walk

Sponsored by Parents of Blind Children and the Capital Chapter." On the back are a

cane and the words: "The long white cane, a necessary tool for a blind kid to achieve

independence, acceptance, safety, and a future."

This activity doesn't require a lot of work. We simply make up fliers and pledge sheets

and send them to members of the Parents Division. It is then up to the kids to get

sponsors and collect the money. Blind adults must be on hand to walk with the kids, but

that's fun, not work. Someone has to make sure that all of the money is collected, but

mostly we have found that the kids bring the money with them.

This is an excellent fund-raiser, so we suggest that you get it together and take a

hike.

NFB PLEDGE

I pledge to participate actively in the effort of the National Federation of the Blind

to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and

programs of the Federation; and to abide by its Constitution.