Podcasts about national braille press

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 75:14

2024 ACB Summer Auction Saturday, June 22 at 6:00pm ET Broadcast on ACB Media One Shipping Donors Thanks to the Bay State Council of the Blind ($250), Veterans of ACB ($150), California Council of the Blind ($100), Council of Citizens with Low Vision International ($100), ACB Families ($100), ACB Teachers ($100), Illinois Council of the Blind($100), North Dakota Association of the Blind ($100), VisAbilities Show ($100), Terry Pacheco )$100), Merrilee Hill-Kennedy ($100), Pat Tusing ($80) ACB Next Generation ($75), Natalie Couch ($50), Angelo Lanier ($50), David Trott ($50), Chris Bell ($50), and Agnes Ferris ($10) for their generous donations for shipping. Segment One - Cindy Hollis and Deb Cook Lewis 100 $50 Gift Card to The Southern Grill donated by ACB Board of Publications Director Cachet Wells The Southern Grill, a local restaurant, has been serving hearty home cooked southern meals in Jacksonville since 1998. Besides serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with dishes such as BBQ, sandwiches/wraps, Greek platters, vegetarian options and more, along with beer and wine there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Located within 15 minutes and approximately 0.7 miles from the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The Southern Grill promotes local musicians that have become a favorite part of their dining experience with Open Jams and live band music several nights a week. 101 A Set of 5 Holiday Ornaments Handmade and donated by Jamaica Miller You will receive one ornament of each color: red, green, gold, blue and white. They are adorned with pins and beads in various bright colors, and each will have a tag of your choosing. You can have any combination of messages, or they can all be the same. The choices are: "Merry Christmas", "Happy Holidays", "Peace on Earth", or "Joy to the World". The tags feature Braille as well as printed text. The ornaments will be packaged in a decorative tin. 102A Two-pound Box of Ghirardelli dark chocolate Fudge donated by Marvelena Quesada You will receive a 2-pound box of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Fudge, made from San Francisco's own 100-year-old chocolatier's intense 72% Cacao Dark chocolate. She has crafted this rich, delicious fudge for family and friends for years. While it is especially wonderful around the holiday season, it works throughout the year for the chocolate lovers among us. Enjoy this delicacy with a morning cup of coffee or as an after-dinner treat. 102B Two-pound Box of Ghirardelli dark chocolate fudge donated by Marvelena Quezada You will receive a 2-pound box of rich Ghirardelli dark chocolate fudge, made from San Francisco's own 100-year-old chocolatier's intense 72% Cacao Dark chocolate. She has crafted this rich, delicious fudge for family and friends for years. While it is especially wonderful around the holiday season, it works throughout the year for the chocolate lovers among us. Enjoy this delicacy with a morning cup of coffee or as an after-dinner treat. 103 $50 Olive Garden Gift Card donated by ACB of Connecticut Do you ever get hungry for Italian food? Well, here's something just for you, a $50 gift card to Olive Garden. Hurry up and bid so you can get those wonderful bread sticks, salads, and delicious dinners. Braille menus available upon request. 104 Braille Read Necklace donated by Dorlyn Catron This necklace has a bright copper pendant with the word "read" written in contracted braille and features a tactile image of an open book. The pendant measures approximately 1.5 inches long by half an inch wide. Originally sold by National Braille Press, but there are no more left. Wow, this truly is an exquisite necklace to have either for yourself or someone special! 105 Snakeskin Printed Purse Created by Keri Bishop This purse had its start as a white, black, and gray pair of jeans in a rattlesnake skin printed design. Keri fell in love with this pair of jeans when she saw them at a local thrift shop. Soon the jeans were home and cut, sewn, and reconstructed into this lovely snakeskin printed purse. The words I (heart) ACB across the front in black glitter iron on vinyl. The medium sized purse makes use of the pockets in the jeans repurposed as the pockets for the purse. The shoulder strap is adjustable. 106 Amazon Echo Pop 5th Generation Speaker donated by Cheryl McNeil Fisher You will enjoy owning this ECHO POP compact smart speaker with Alexa. The speaker features full sound that's great for bedrooms and small spaces and is small enough to blend in and mighty enough to stand out. It controls music WITH YOUR VOICE, and you can Ask Alexa to play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from your favorite providers like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Sirius XM and more. Connect via Bluetooth to stream throughout your space. 107 Celebrate the State of Washington with Chukar Cherries donated by Washington Council of the Blind The recipient will enjoy the no-sugar-added Organic Rainier Cherries, a delicious variety of chocolate covered cherries, Cherry Apple Crisps, Pickled Asparagus, Smoked Salmon, and more. A great gift for anyone missing the Pacific Northwest—send a taste of our beautiful region to friends and loved ones. Arrives in a keepsake metal hamper with an oversized Seattle souvenir mug. What's inside this basket: Organic Rainier Cherries: This prized Northwest cherry is organically grown and picked fresh, then gently air dried with no added sugar or preservatives. Amaretto Rainiers: Honey-sweet, dried Rainier cherries are layered with luscious dark chocolate and almond essence. A unique treat from Washington State. Cherry Quartet: An assortment of four best-selling milk and dark confections, including Cabernet, Amaretto Rainiers, Cherry Bings, and Classic Milk. Cherry Apple Crisps: Healthy and addictive! Fresh Washington state apple slices are infused with cherry juice and cinnamon, then dehydrated to a delightfully crisp texture. Cherry Caramel Twists: Luscious caramels studded with dried cherry bits and almond essence. Gift box of individually wrapped pieces. Souvenir Mug: An oversized mug is adorned with famous Northwest landmarks. Lead safe. Dishwasher safe. Washington State Pickled Asparagus: Fresh Yakima Valley asparagus is pickled with garlic and red chilies for a zesty appetizer or cocktail garnish. Smoked Salmon: Tender, lightly flaked, boneless, skinless salmon in a Seattle-themed gift box. A choice gift for any salmon fan. 108 Two Hand-Crafted Pottery Chili Bowls donated by Mucie Allred Two hand-crafted pottery pieces shaped into unique “Chili” bowls. On each side of the bowl is a curved area to hold your crackers. A beautiful blue swirl color has been added. They are designed by Marcia Springston of Wake Robin Gallery. Don't restrict them to only chili because these one-of-a-kind bowls would be beautiful to display candy or nuts on your table as well. 109 West Virginia Gift Card Bundle donated by ACB Board Director Donna Brown Planning for your upcoming vacation has just gotten easier. This black and blue neck wallet is perfect to carry your necessities wherever you go. It is big enough for your cell phone, keys, credit cards, etc., but small enough to carry easily. Written on the neck wallet is: Wild and Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia. Plus, a $25 Texas Roadhouse and a $25 Cheesecake Factory gift card and they fit nicely in the wallet. What a fantastic gift for yourself or someone special. 110 Sweet and Savory Treats of North Carolina donated by North Carolina Council of the Blind Enjoy the following fine North Carolina goodies: Red Bird Hand-crafted Soft Puff Peppermint Candy from Lexington; Grammy's Gourmet Pretzels from Raleigh; Chad's Carolina Popcorn from Greensboro; Memaw's Country Cookies from Raleigh; Salem Baking Moravian Thin Cookies from Winston-Salem; Baker's Peanuts from Roxobel; Dark Chocolate/Pecan Toffee from Chapel Hill. You will savor these wonderful treats and treasure the North Carolina Ornament also included. 111 BITS- Blind Information Technology Specialists, full zip, black tote bag from Blind Girl Designs donated by Tricia Waechter on behalf of BITS. Blind Girl Designs has created a complete collection for BITS. We are proudly donating a 15 by 18-inch full-zip black tote bag on their behalf. The print is very circular. The center of the print is an image of the globe with the continents inverted vibrant green and the ocean in blue with North America facing front. Surrounding the globe on either side are hands holding the globe. The hands are created by drawing thin lines, all around the sides and the bottom of the globe. Overarching the globe and the hands in a half circle are the words “blind technology information specialists” with those words in braille underneath. There is a fold in the bottom of the bag to easily allow it to sit upright. It has a full zip across the top as well as a zippered inside pocket. It's a classic from Blind Girl Designs! 112 A Four Mini Loaves of Homemade Banana Bread donated by Kaila Allen You will enjoy four mini loaves of this mouthwatering banana bread made just the way you like it. Choose one of the following add ins: peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, walnuts, or pecans. What a fantastic treat to either have for yourself or share with friends! 112 B Four Mini Loaves of Homemade Banana Bread donated by Kaila Allen You will enjoy four mini loaves of this mouthwatering banana bread made just the way you like it. Choose one of the following add ins: peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, walnuts, or pecans. What a fantastic treat to either have for yourself or share with friends! 113 Movie Extravaganza Package donated by ACB Associate Director of Development Jo Lynn Bailey-Page Enjoy using this $50 Regal Cinemas gift card to watch the latest audio described movies with some friends or family. Plus, you will love adding some goodies to go along with your movie. 114 Ruby Heart Jewelry Set made and donated by Charlotte lang This lovely set features July's birthstone ruby in 1/2 inch puffed hearts. Each earring features a heart dangling from sterling silver hooks. The bracelet stretches easily on and off the wrist. The 20-inch necklace closes with a matching silver heart-shaped toggle clasp. The hearts on the necklace are separated by silver links. Wow, this would make a lovely gift for that someone special in your life! 115 Two Companion Framed Floral Collages donated by ACB Advocacy Director Claire Stanley The two decoupage style pieces include yellow, brown, and green flowers. The flowers have six petals each and overlap each other across the canvass. The pieces are finished with a gloss which gives off a shiny glare. The two canvasses have been framed in wooden, 10 by 10 picture frames. Wow, what a fantastic gift to have either for yourself or to give to someone special! 116 JBL Portable Bluetooth Speaker donated by Florida Council of Citizens with Low Vision This ultra-portable, waterproof Bluetooth speaker is small in size but with a surprisingly big sound. The JBL Clip 3 features a built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery with up to 10 hours of battery life plus a metal carabiner so you can easily hook it to your clothes, backpack, or belt loop. This portable speaker has noise cancelling and wireless streaming from your smartphone or tablet. Plus, take crystal-clear calls from your speaker with the touch of a button, thanks to the noise and echo-cancelling speakerphone. JBL Clip 3 is completely waterproof, and you can even immerse it in water. Plus, the improved, durable fabric material and rugged rubber housing protects it during all your outdoor adventures. 117 Kentucky Derby Pie donated by Kentucky Council of the Blind Kern's Kitchen Kentucky Derby Pie®! Kern's Kitchen crafts each pie, one at a time, according to a legendary secret recipe. Premium chocolate and choice walnuts are folded into a decadent filling, then baked in a delicate crust. Delicious when eaten at room temperature; incredibly heavenly when eaten all warm and gooey and topped with either whipped cream or ice cream. This 9-inch, 1-pound-4-oz. pie stays fresh for about 14 days. Ready to warm and serve or freeze for later use. Serves 8 to 10. 118 Enjoy A Game Night donated by Connie and Pete Jacomini and Lisa and Ron Brooks Be the host with the most! You have everything you need included in this package for a wonderful game night. All decks of cards are print/braille and dice are tactile. Card games include Classic Playing Cards, UNO, SKIP-PO, PINOCHLE, PHASE 10, ROOK, and MILLE BORNES. Lisa Brooks personally Brailed MILLE BORNES for this package. Also included are a pair of large tactile dice, LEFT RIGHT CENTER and LEFT RIGHT CENTER WILD dice games. You will also get a wood card holder and card shuffler. 119 $100 A T Guys Gift Certificate donated by Diane Scalzi A T Guys provides affordable technology solutions for consumers, businesses, and educational customers. Our product line includes mobile phone software and accessories, portable electronics, screen readers, braille translation software and accessible games. With over 30 years of combined technology experience, our trainers offer customized instruction both in-person or via phone or online voice chat on a wide array of assistive technologies including screen readers, braille displays, embossers, the iPhone and iPad, Android phones, and general accessibility consulting. 120 Welcome to Jacksonville donated by Florida Council of the Blind Are you coming to the ACB convention in Jacksonville? Enjoy one night at the hotel and a$50 Starbucks gift card and a $50 VISA gift card to use while you are at convention! 121 A Song from the Smitherman's donated by Michael and Alison Smitherman If you enjoy listening to country or Gospel music, for your summertime listening enjoyment, Michael and Alison would like to record a song for you. You choose the song from either of these genres, and we will sing it for you. The song will be sent to you in an mp3 file. What a treat for you or someone special to enjoy! 122 A Two Dozen Homemade Shortbread Cookies donated by Deb Trevino and Delaware Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired We are pleased to offer two dozen fresh-baked mouth-watering authentic shortbread cookies guaranteed to explode on your palate with luscious buttery goodness. These are great with milk, coffee, or your favorite tea. Next to Walker's, these are the best I've ever tasted. If you plan to give a tasty treat to someone you love, don't miss this opportunity! 122 B Two Dozen Homemade Shortbread Cookies donated by Deb Trevino and Delaware Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired We are pleased to offer two dozen fresh-baked mouth-watering authentic shortbread cookies guaranteed to explode on your palate with luscious buttery goodness. These are great with milk, coffee, or your favorite tea. Next to Walker's, these are the best I've ever tasted. If you plan to give a tasty treat to someone you love, don't miss this opportunity! 122 C Two Dozen Homemade Shortbread Cookies donated by Deb Trevino and Delaware Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired We are pleased to offer two dozen fresh-baked mouth-watering authentic shortbread cookies guaranteed to explode on your palate with luscious buttery goodness. These are great with milk, coffee, or your favorite tea. Next to Walker's, these are the best I've ever tasted. If you plan to give a tasty treat to someone you love, don't miss this opportunity! Segment Two- Dan Spoone and Kim Charlson 123 Holy Cow Baraboo Chocolate donated by ACB of Wisconsin Chocolaty goodness in every box! This yummy package includes: • 1-Milk Chocolate Cow Pie • 1-Dark Chocolate Cow Pie • 1-Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cow Pie • 1-Milk Chocolate Moo Chews • 1-Milk Chocolate Udderfingers • 1-Milk Chocolate Green Bay Puddles • 1-Milk Chocolate Horse Apples • 10-Individually Wrapped Chocolates including mini Cow Pies and assorted Homer's Meltys. plus TWO SURPRISE BONUS ITEMS. This item will ship in September or October once the weather permits. 124 Black Pearl Necklace and Bracelet Set donated by Cindy Hollis This lovely set features a 20-inch necklace and stretch bracelet in naturally shaped black pearls. They are 7 to 8 millimeter in size. The necklace is hand knotted between for added security and elegance. It closes with a lobster claw clasp. Wow, what a wonderful set to have either for yourself or someone special in your life! 125 Get Moving with Couch to Active donated by ACB President Deb Cook Lewis This online fitness program specializes in helping people who have chronic conditions or physical limitations that impact their ability to participate in standard fitness programs. More recently, they have expanded to make sure all their instructional resources and classes are accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. You may choose between: • The 6-pack: Six classes over the next year. This is ideal if you want to have instruction once a month or once a week. • All In! Up to nine sessions per week for one month. These include Pilates, yoga, strength, mobility/stability, dance /movement, and cardio. 126 Accessible Digital Portable Recorder donated by Kim Charlson You will love having this Zoom H1 essential Stereo Handy Recorder with 32-Bit Float, Accessibility, X/Y Microphones, Record to SD Card, USB Microphone, Portable, for Musicians, Podcasters, Filmmakers, & Content Creators. The hottest accessible digital portable recorder on the market. All menus talk, and it comes with accessible documentation. Stereo 32-bit float recording - perfect audio with no need to set gain, High-Quality X/Y Mics capture clean audio up to 120 dB SPL, Records up to 96kHZ sample rate to SD card, USB Microphone for PC, Mac, iOS, or Android using the USB-C Port, Accessibility - Audio guidance function for the visually impaired. 127 Megan's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies donated by Megan Sullivan Enjoy sharing three dozen homemade Megan's chocolate chip cookies either with family or friends with that favorite beverage. These cookies will melt in your mouth. 128 Bradford Exchange Music Box donated by ACB LIONS We all admire the quality products from the Bradford Exchange. This limited-edition handcrafted heirloom porcelain egg-shaped music box features a hand-enameled red Cardinal on light pink flowers inside the open egg mounted on a base. It is inspired by Peter Carl Faberge's prized eggs and is adorned with 22K Gold accents. It is beautifully hand glazed in a soft blue hue with more than 80 hand-set jewels. It plays, “Always in My Heart.” The abundance of handcrafted details makes each egg a one-of-a-kind treasure. 129 $100 VISA Gift Card donated by Mississippi Council of The Blind Use this card anytime while dining or doing some shopping for yourself or someone special in your life! 130 Lunch with the ACB Board of Director Koni Sims donated by ACB Board Director Koni Sims Enjoy one-on-one time with ACB Bord of Director Koni Sims over lunch in Jacksonville, Florida in 2024 to be determined by the winner and Koni. 131 ACBDA Sugar Warriors Tote Bag from Blind Girl Designs donated by Tricia Waechter on behalf of ACBDA This ACBDA tote bag features on the front a 12 by 12-inch colorful print to celebrate ACBDA! Across the top reads "SUGAR WARRIORS" which is printed in a velvety 3-D puff ink in both letters and Braille. Both sets of letters are a deep orange color and are very tactile. Beneath the words is a drawing of a fist with prominent knuckles, which is holding a 12-inch white cane diagonally across the bag, smashing through cubes of sugar. The white sugar cubes are flying through the air, struck by the mighty force of the white cane. To further emphasize the force, the words, “pow” and “bam” are colorfully included in yellow and red. The bottom of the print is in deep orange, the words “KNUCKLING DOWN ON DIABETES!” fill the entire length of the print. On the back of this classic navy-blue zippered tote bag, there is a white print in the center of the bag reading “ACB Diabetics in Action.” This deep navy-blue canvas tote is 15 by 20-inch full zip, canvas bag with a folded bottom so it can sit upright and a zip pocket on the inside as well! It has a generous strap so you can swing it over your shoulder. 132 Enstrom Milk Chocolate Almond Toffee Two- Pound Box donated by ACB Media and IT Manager Rick Morin This all-natural traditional almond toffee is handcrafted. It is the perfect blend of almonds, butter, and pure cane sugar, covered in a generous layer of milk chocolate and sprinkled with crushed almonds, creates a buttery toffee with a delicate crunch. Enstrom's Almond Toffee is lovingly handcrafted in small batches with a family recipe passed down through four generations. Includes simple ingredients like fresh California almonds, sweet cream butter, pure cane sugar and 36% milk chocolate. Enstrom's Almond Toffee is certified gluten free, kosher dairy and 100% preservative free. We will contact the winner to arrange shipment to consider options to avoid heat damage during shipping. 133 $200 Target Gift Card donated by Beth Corley and Dan Dillon Here's a $200 Target gift card for you to use in store or online. Enjoy this either for yourself or someone special in your life! 134 Jade 14K Gold Earrings donated by The Literacy Project You will love having these authentic small Jade earrings with gold trim. The earrings are oval and are on posts. Wow, these will dress up any outfit for a romantic outing! 135 Honoring our Heroes Patriotic Package donated by the Georgia Council of the Blind, Marsha Farrow and Blind Girl Designs This package comes in a red Blind Girl Designs bag with white lettering of the Braille alphabet in the shape of a heart. The bag contains a yard flag depicting a red truck with three labradors (yellow, black, and chocolate) flying an American flag. This package also contains a Christmas ornament with an angel holding a folded American flag, a beverage cup with the words “Fear not” on the background of the outline of the American flag, and an American flag pillow. Finally, a paper Braille American flag tactile graphic measuring 7.5 inches by 9.5 inches from the American Braille Flag project completes this gift package. 136 Phoenix Braille Embosser donated by HumanWare The Phoenix is our ninth generation of braille embossing technology that combines our durable and legendary Romeo Braille dot with a proprietary 25 DPI tactile graphics embossing system. All-in-one embosser! There is no longer a need to settle for poor-quality braille text to achieve high-definition tactile graphics. Imagine the ability to scan your pictures, graphs, and charts into your computer and with a few clicks of the mouse, emboss those images in high-definition tactile graphics without compromising the quality of your braille text. Phoenix includes the capabilities to emboss single-sided braille text and high-resolution graphics up to 25 DPI, in a simple to use format. The newly designed Phoenix is smaller and lighter, with an auto-install feature to make setup even easier. The Firebird Software Suite, included with the Phoenix, is a comprehensive set of productivity tools that powers the Phoenix Embosser. The Firebird Software Suite includes the Firebird Graphics Editor that provides you with a list of automatic tools to effortlessly create tactile graphic images. Phoenix is also compatible with your existing braille translator. 137A Homemade Triple Play Oversized Cookies donated by Brian Charlson Here we go again; it's time for Brian's triple play oversized cookies. Those who have won this item in the past will attest to the flavor, size, and overall quality of this perennial auction favorite. This year Brian is offering 1 dozen classic chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and lemon shortbread. They are packaged individually. Feel free to offer them up as additions to gift baskets or pop them in the freezer to savor them over a few months or weeks. 137B Homemade Triple Play Oversized Cookies donated by Brian Charlson Here we go again; it's time for Brian's triple play oversized cookies. Those who have won this item in the past will attest to the flavor, size, and overall quality of this perennial auction favorite. This year Brian is offering 1 dozen classic chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and lemon shortbread. They are packaged individually. Feel free to offer them up as additions to gift baskets or pop them in the freezer to savor them over a few months or weeks. 137 C Homemade Triple Play Oversized Cookies donated by Brian Charlson Here we go again; it's time for Brian's triple play oversized cookies. Those who have won this item in the past will attest to the flavor, size, and overall quality of this perennial auction favorite. This year Brian is offering 1 dozen classic chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and lemon shortbread. They are packaged individually. Feel free to offer them up as additions to gift baskets or pop them in the freezer to savor them over a few months or weeks. 138 IROBOT Roomba 677 robot vacuum donated by Connie Jacomini For effortlessly clean floors, the Roomba® 677 Series Robot Vacuum learns your cleaning habits to suggest personalized schedules that take care of daily dirt, dust, and debris. Effective cleaning is part of the 3-Stage Cleaning System's design. Dual Multi-Surface Brushes grab dirt from carpets and hard floors, while an Edge-Sweeping Brush takes care of corners and edges. 139 $500 Coupon to HumanWare donated by HumanWare Details for this Coupon: Coupon is valid until June 30, 2025, and may be applied to any HumanWare product sold by HumanWare USA Inc. 2. Coupon is transferrable. Winning auction bidder for this coupon need only send an email to David Bradburn, HumanWare's Vice President Global Sales at david.bradburn@humanware.com providing the name and contact information of the person who will be redeeming the coupon. The coupon has no cash value. 140 Fun in the Sun! A week at the Wyndham Ocean Walk Resort at Daytona Beach donated by Tim Paul Must be used August 18-August 25, 2024. This unit is a two bedroom, two bath, fully equipped kitchen, with washer/dryer, and all the amenities of home. The resort offers activities for family members of all ages: indoor and outdoor swimming pools, outdoor hot tub, beach, lazy river water, exercise equipment, bar and grill, live entertainment and more. 141 A Song with Kolby donated by ACB Development Officer Kolby Garrison Kolby will sing a song of your choice acapella. The file will be sent to you in mp3 format. What a treat to listen to with friends. 142 A Kermit's Key Lime Pie Duo Donated by Dan Spoone Direct from Kermit's Key Lime Shop, the winner will receive two 9-inch Key Lime Pies. The pies that started it all named “the best taste Key Lime Pie” by Food Network's Keith Famie's Adventures. Kermit's Key Lime Pie is baked fresh daily. True tart Key Lime flavor in a delicious graham cracker crust and topped with fluffy whipped cream. This Key West delicacy will arrive at your door just waiting to be shared with the people you love the most. 142 B Kermit's Key Lime Pie Duo donated by Dan Spoone Direct from Kermit's Key Lime Shop, the winner will receive two 9-inch Key Lime Pies. The pies that started it all named “the best taste Key Lime Pie” by Food Network's Keith Famie's Adventures. Kermit's Key Lime Pie is baked fresh daily. True tart Key Lime flavor in a delicious graham cracker crust and topped with fluffy whipped cream. This Key West delicacy will arrive at your door just waiting to be shared with the people you love the most. 143 $500 Gift Certificate to Jack Stack's BBQ donated by Melvin Smith Your Package Includes: Pulled Pork 2 Pounds. Pork Spareribs 1 Full Slab Beef Burnt Ends 1 Pound. Lamb Ribs 2 Racks Hickory Pit Beans 1 Quart Cheesy Corn Bake 1 Quart KC Original BBQ Sauce One 18.6 Ounce bottle KC Spicy BBQ Sauce One 18.6 Ounce bottle KC Hot BBQ Sauce One 18.6 Ounce bottle Pulled Pork – Pulled pork might be a Carolina staple, but Jack Stack's is deliciously unforgettable. Our BBQ Pulled Pork is perfect for sandwiches. Pork Spare Ribs – Our Pork Spare Ribs are expertly seasoned, slow-roasted to perfection over hickory logs, and a delicious choice. Beef Burnt Ends – When it comes to classic Kansas City barbecue, Jack Stack's Beef Burnt Ends are second to none. Meaty, juicy, and tender on the inside - with the smokey edges you could only get from double-smoking them over hickory. Hickory-Roasted Lamb Ribs – Tender, savory and hickory roasted, Denver-cut lamb ribs are a uniquely treasured culinary find. Hickory Pit Beans – Beans may be standard barbecue fare, but there is nothing typical about these Hickory Pit Beans. Thick, slow-cooked, and loaded with chunks of our hickory-smoked brisket. Cheesy Corn Bake – It doesn't get more craveable than this: Jack Stack's Cheesy Corn Bake is bubbly, velvety, and unforgettable. Four gourmet cheeses are blended with whole-kernel corn and slivers of our hickory-smoked ham. 144 Black Hills Gold Heart shaped Pendant necklace donated by South Dakota Association of the Blind Enjoy this beautiful and delicate 10KT yellow, Black Hills Gold heart shaped pendant with .02ct round brilliant diamond in the center. It has an 18-inch gold chain. This will dress up a casual outfit or look stunning in a formal setting. What a fantastic gift either for yourself or someone special in your life! 145 Aromatherapy Bundle donated by Seth and Koni Sims, ACB Board of Director This aromatherapy bundle will give you a variety of ways to take care of yourself and your best furry friend. You will find something to help sore achy muscles and joints and headaches. These products are by Wyndmere Naturals. Included in this bundle: Lava Bead Necklace – Aura, Lavender oil 10 ml bottle, Aches & Pains Cream 4 ounce, Detoxification Aide Bath Salts 24 ounce, Citrus Delight Body & Air Mist 4 fluid ounce, Sleepy Time inhalation Patch, Breathe Blend inhaler, Head Aide Roll on 8 ml, Less Stress Pet Mist 4 fluid ounce. Wow, you, and your pooch will really feel relaxed and pampered with all these wonderful items! 146 A DaVinci Pro CCTV donated by Kim Charlson DaVinci Pro is a high-performance desktop video magnifier, featuring a Full HD 1080p 3-in-1 camera and full-page Text-to-Speech (OCR). DaVinci Pro's OCR allows it to easily read your favorite article or book aloud. DaVinci Pro's 3-in-1 Full HD camera allows you to see near, far or a mirror image. It is great for applying make-up, shaving, reading, writing, viewing presentations and whiteboards and so much more! 24” high resolution HD LCD, Auto focus 3-in-1, Magnification up to 77x, Computer compatible, Save documents, pictures or books and export files to your PC. It is a higher end CCTV. 146 B DaVinci CCTV donated by Kim Charlson DaVinci Pro is a high-performance desktop video magnifier, featuring a Full HD 1080p 3-in-1 camera and full-page Text-to-Speech (OCR). DaVinci Pro's OCR allows it to easily read your favorite article or book aloud. DaVinci Pro's 3-in-1 Full HD camera allows you to see near, far or a mirror image. It is great for applying make-up, shaving, reading, writing, viewing presentations and whiteboards and so much more! 24” high resolution HD LCD, Auto focus 3-in-1, Magnification up to 77x, Computer compatible, Save documents, pictures or books and export files to your PC. It is a higher end CCTV. Segment Three- Michael Garrett and Zelda Gebhard 147 Power Tower Donated by ACB of Minnesota This multiple outlet power strip tower has twelve grounded 3-prong AC outlets spaced out to accommodate different size plugs. The five high speed USB charging ports will meet your electronic charging needs. Charge your iPhone, iPad, tablet, or other devices. The 16-foot heavy duty cord ensures high conductivity and safety. The 45dg low profile flat plug and the vertical design makes this tower more space-saving than a traditional power strip. 148 The Pocket Bible donated by Rev. Ray Raysor, President DC Council of the Blind The Pocket Bible is a self-contained digital device that contains the entire bible. It is about the size of the old cassette tapes and has navigation buttons that allow forward and backward movement by both book and chapter. It has no moving parts and is rugged and water resistant. The Pocket Bible has both an internal speaker and an earphone jack. Available in your choice of English Standard Version, King James Version, New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version NIV, New Living Translation ®. Audio Bibles in Spanish also are available. 149 The Bring it Home $300 Bundle donated by Arizona Council of the Blind Enjoy a $100 Gift Card to Door Dash, $100 Gift Card to Instacart and $100 Shipt gift card. You will welcome the handpicked groceries delivered from your favorite local stores along with your favorite fresh produce from the comfort of your own home. Enjoy On-Demand Delivery from Instacart. Order and have your favorite meals at your door in minutes with DoorDash. Like your avocados a little firm? Shoppers with Shipt go the extra mile to ensure you get the things you want, exactly how you like them. Local stores and national chains you know and love, delivered directly to you same day. Your shopper will keep you updated every step of the way. From special requests to last-minute changes, they are here to help. You will enjoy these three $100 gift cards to shop, shop and shop some more! 150 Lunch with the ACB President donated by ACB Enjoy one-on-one time with ACB President, Deb Cook Lewis, over lunch in Jacksonville, Florida in 2024 to be determined by the winner and Deb. 151 RSVA navy crewneck sweatshirt from Blind Girl Designs donated by Tricia Waechter on behalf of RSVA Come and support the Brenda Dillon Memorial Walk and the RSVA walk team! The print on this sweatshirt is 3-D tactile white puff ink mixed with red, slightly tactile ink. The words “at your service” are arched over the top of the print. Under the three-dimensional words there is matching three-dimensional braille. In the center of the print, there are three shields: a large center shield and smaller shields on either side. In the center of the big shield is a red checkmark and the side shields have red stars. At the bottom in 3-D tactile ink are the letters RSVA with braille underneath. Available in sizes small through five XL. You pick! The sweatshirt is cotton/poly blend and will not shrink. 152 Maker's Mark Bourbon Balls Donated by Greater Louisville Council of the Blind This is an elegant gift for family, friends, and business associates or a fantastic treat for yourself. Fine, handcrafted chocolates made from an old family recipe; laced with a generous touch of Maker's Mark Bourbon Whiskey. The one-pound gift box contains 32 delicious pieces. Shipped directly to the winning bidder. Shipping is not available to Hawaii or Alaska. 153 $150 Amazon Gift Card donated by ACB of Indiana It is time to treat yourself to something special and here's a gift card to help you do it. $150 in spending at Amazon! 154 Shell Hematite and Rose Quartz Jewelry Set made and donated by Keri Bishop The 21-inch necklace is made of alternating chips of hematite shell and rose quartz. The shell chips are spiral slices of shell. The bracelet is elastic with two row shell and hematite beads every six shells bead is double wide with two drilled holes going across both rows. This beautiful handmade jewelry set would make a fantastic gift for that someone special in your life! 155 Ferris wheel Music Box donated by Patty Slaby The Ferris Wheel carries bears as the music plays Night In the Sky, The key to wind it is on the motor. There are more bears standing in line at the bottom. The music box is 6 inches tall and about 4 inches wide. What a fantastic gift to have yourself or to give to someone special! 156 Explore 12 donated by HumanWare Explore is an easy-to-use, portable electronic magnifier that offers HD image quality for improved near and distance viewing. As the largest portable magnifier in our Explore series, its 12-inch touchscreen is perfect for anyone desiring a larger interface, plus it has the added benefit of a foldable stand enabling easy use for reading, writing, and other manual tasks. 157A Homemade Scotchies Cookies donated by CCLVI President Patti Cox These soft and chewy Oatmeal Scotchies are sweetened with brown sugar, packed with oats, and loaded with butterscotch chips. They have crisp edges and chewy centers. Every bite is buttery delicious and packed with flavor. What a delicious treat to enjoy yourself or share with friends! 157B Homemade Scotchies Cookies donated by CCLVI President Patti Cox These soft and chewy Oatmeal Scotchies are sweetened with brown sugar, packed with oats, and loaded with butterscotch chips. They have crisp edges and chewy centers. Every bite is buttery delicious and packed with flavor. What a delicious treat to enjoy yourself or share with friends! 158 Coffee, Coffee, and More Coffee donated by ACB of Minnesota If you have a Keurig coffee maker, this is a must bid for you. You can choose from a box of 100 pods of multiple flavors or of the same flavor. What a fantastic treat for you or the coffee lover in your life. 159 Big Texas Spending Bundle donated by ACB of Texas Enjoy lots of shopping or dining with these gift cards which include: a $50 certificate to the Berdoll Candy and Pecan farm, a $50 gift card to the Container Store, a $50 gift card to Sweet Taste of Texas, and a $50 VISA gift card and others to come! 160 Mantis ™ Q40 donated by American Printing House Keep braille at your fingertips anytime, anywhere, with the Mantis™ Q40: a Bluetooth® keyboard and 40-cell refreshable braille display. Users of the Mantis Q40 no longer need to choose between a keyboard or a braille device. A student or professional typing on the Mantis has a multimodal option of refreshable braille below the keyboard making it easier to participate in, and succeed at, school or work. Contains the following built-in applications: Basic editor to function as a user's pen and paper, book reader to download and read books in braille, calculator to perform basic mathematical calculations, clock to check the date and time, file manager to organize one's work, HumanWare signature thumb keys and home button, 15 hours of battery life with rechargeable, removable batteries and 16 GB of internal storage, SD card slot and USB host port for flash drives. 161 A Song with Lucy Arguijo donated by Lucy Arguijo Lucy will sing a song of your choice. The file will be sent to you in mp3 format. What a treat to listen to with friends. 162 Homemade Peanut Delights donated by Zelda Gebhard If you like salted nut rolls, you will love these! This delightfully delicious candy is all marshmallowy and nutty throughout. There are two pounds of individually wrapped pieces so there is plenty to enjoy and to share of this salty and sweet treat made by Zelda. 163 $150 Braille Superstore Gift Certificate donated by Braille Revival League “Come browse with us and shop to your hearts' content at the Braille Superstore. Check out their great selection of accessible games, toys, signature guides, braille and talking watches, braille card games, educational items for preschool and K-12 students, adapted timers and cooking instruments, tactile labeling items, talking calculators, thermometers, scales, MP3 players, audio Bibles, and braille books, just to wet your appetite.” 164 Purple Pearl Necklace donated by Cindy Hollis This lovely necklace features 7-to-8-millimeter naturally shaped purple pearls. They are hand knotted between for added security and elegance. The 20-inch necklace closes with a lobster claw clasp. This beautiful necklace will dress up any ensemble! 165 Summer Vacation Bundle donated by GDUI Yippee! Another GDUI Sweet Summer Vacation bundle! Rating: 4 paws! GDUI-branded harness pouch where you can store a roll of pick-up bags, keys, and cash/credit card; a gray collapsible bowl with carabiner clip which holds 36 ounces; a Nerf Collapsible 2-in-1 Agility Tunnel and Target Dog Game! Also included is a large, Invincible Triple Chain dog toy and a cute 29-inch plush carrot squeaky toy by Petlou; a package of five reusable Scrubby instant, waterless bath mitts; a large 56 by 28 inch pink microfiber dog bath towel with two white embroidered bones in one corner by Frisco; a blue Coleman roll-up 24 by 36 by 2 inch travel pet bed with a durable water-resistant nylon top, a waterproof PVC base and polyester fill. It folds in half lengthwise to roll up and fasten with two sturdy buckles. Machine wash and line dry. It's time to snuggle up and dream of another fun-filled, splendid sunny summer day tomorrow! (yawn) 166 Echo Show5th Generation donated by Library Users of America The latest and greatest Alexa Echo Show is now available for you to enjoy. The 5.5-inch screen can display the time, a calendar, the weather, photos, video calls, podcasts, read audio books, plus stream your favorite music, tv shows, and podcasts, all controlled with your voice. With the built-in camera, you may check in on children and pets, or drop in on your home when you are away. When not in use, you can set the background to a slideshow of your favorite photos. Prime members also get unlimited cloud storage. There are multiple layers of privacy controls including a mic/camera OFF button and encrypted Ring videos. The Echo Show now has 2 times the bass and a clearer sound for your enjoyment. 167 Joann's Fudge (6 slices) donated by Michigan Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired Joan and Frank Nephew opened the first Joann's Fudge Store on Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island. Today, Joann's Fudge is a third-generation family business that continues Joan and Frank's commitment to providing high quality products. Each slice is ½ pound for a total of three pounds. You can order six slices of one flavor or mix and match from the list below. Flavors: Butter Pecan, Chocolate, Chocolate Cherry, Chocolate Cookie Crunch, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Pecan, Chocolate Toffee, Chocolate Turtle, Chocolate Walnut, Double Dark Chocolate, Double Dark Chocolate Cherry Walnut, Double Dark Chocolate Espresso, Double Dark Chocolate Mint, Double Dark Salted Caramel, German Chocolate, Maple Walnut, Peanut Butter, Pumpkin Pie, Raspberry Truffle, Rocky Road, and Vanilla Salted Caramel. 168 Braille American Wall Flag donated by Veterans of ACB This beautiful flag is designed from very durable polymer and is recommended for permanent indoor display only. The flag measures 15 by 19 inches and weighs approximately 5 lbs. It has a brass-colored frame, mounting hardware and instructions included at no additional cost. Be proud and display your patriotism with this attractive flag. Segment Four- Jeff Thom and Terri-Lynn Higashi 169 $250 Pet Package donated by Tim and Maria Stone of Scoop Masters You will enjoy splurging on your pet and yourself with all the wonderful gift cards included: A $100 Chewy gift card, a $75 Amazon gift card, a $50 Cheesecake Factory gift card and a $25 Starbucks gift card. 170 Lunch with the ACB Executive Director donated by ACB Enjoy one-on-one time with ACB Executive Director, Scott Thornhill, over lunch in Jacksonville, FL in 2024 to be determined by the winner and Scott. 171 Canvas Tote Bag from Blind Girl Designs donated by Tricia Waechter on behalf of AAVL Join us in celebrating the AAVL with this beautiful canvas 15 by18-inch full-zip tote bag. The 12 by 12-inch print explodes with color. The top of the print has the words CELEBRATE in teal, EXPERIENCE in pink AND WISDOM in orange. The words are in a graceful arch. Beneath the words in the center of the print is a dynamic colorful fireworks display. The bottom of the print in 3D yellow puff ink are the letters AAVL and below that are the letters in tactile, readable braille. There is a fold in the bottom of the bag so that the bag can sit upright. It has a full zip across the top as well as a zippered inside pocket. It's a Blind Girl Designs classic! 172 Delicious Homemade Cookies from Patty's Kitchen donated by Patty Slaby Let your imagination guide your taste buds selecting 3 dozen of the same choice or 3 dozen of three 1 dozen choices. Choices include: peanut butter, oatmeal, molasses-ginger, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, or anything you can imagine, even lemon. Very popular! Yum, Yum! 173 $100 Honey-Baked Ham Gift Card donated by Leslie and Jeff Thom You will enjoy having this $100 gift card for Honey-Baked Ham plus scrumptious sides from the Honey-Baked Ham Store. Enjoy this delicious feist with family or friends anytime over the summer or during the holidays! 174 Touch of Hawaiian Beauty Earring and Necklace Set donated by Hawaii Association of The Blind You will dazzle in this pair of earrings that feature a shiny ball on the top with tiny white seashell hanging from the ball. The seashell has delicate lines within it. It comes with an 18-inch necklace and a basket charm. Within the basket there are 3 delicate white stones similar to the shiny balls of earrings. It also comes with some surprise treats such as chocolate, and coffee. 175 Two Bottles of Wine donated by the Oklahoma Council of the Blind 1 bottle of Sunset Bliss and 1 bottle of Sex-In-The-Vineyard Wines. Wakefield's Winery is in the rolling hills of central Oklahoma. They produce some of the best kept secrets of delicious award-winning wines in the state for the most discriminating tastes! "SUNSET BLISS", is a tropical fruit Riesling sweet white table wine with hints of kiwi, pineapple and mango is an Oklahoma State Fair Silver Medal winner. “SEX-IN-THE-VINEYARD” is a Black Cherry Pinot Noir. This sweet wine is an “Oklahoma State Fair Bronze Medal” winner and the “People's Choice Award” winner. If you like sexy wine, this is the wine for you! Wakefield's Winery does not ship to the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, and Virginia. 176 Explore 8 Magnifier donated by HumanWare Magnification up to 30X with HD stunning image quality, fully customizable functions, touchscreen to navigate easily through menus, twin Ultra HD cameras for desktop or distance viewing, large physical buttons to adjust magnification and contrast, can be connected easily to a large screen TV, battery life of 4.5 hours. 177 Two Pounds of Homemade Fudge donated by ACB Board Director Cecily Laney Nipper Indulge your sweet tooth. Enjoy two pounds of homemade fudge. Choose from flavors such as double chocolate, peanut butter, and coffee; with two pounds of the same flavor or one pound each of two different flavors. You will be contacted to customize this rich tasty treat. Enjoy yourself or share with friends or family! This will be shipped in September. 178 Fun Time in Hawaii donated by Hawaii Association of The Blind A porcelain Shaka wall hook by Hawaiian artist Jason Dow; Enamel mug with a design that says Hawaii in colorful letters below 3 pineapples; Hawaiian Harmony from Big Island Roasters 100% Kona coffee beans 7 ounces; Yellow Hau flower enamel key chain from Paradise Now Hawaii - made on Maui; Lucky Fortune Cat 3-D shaped sponge from Fred. Enamel flair pin shaped like a bowl of ramen noodle soup from Moxhi Kids; Vinyl sticker sheet with Hawaii's favorite smiling foods and 2 larger vinyl stickers shaped like spam musubi and Boba tea from Mochi Kids. These can be placed on water bottles, phone or iPad cases. Bid and enjoy all these fun items from Hawaii. 179 $100 Gift Card to Omaha Steaks donated by AAVIA Everyone loves a good steak! Omaha Steaks offers a wide selection of high-quality meats that are delivered to your doorstep. Yum, yum. 180 Handmade Story Book Quilt made and donated by Margarine Beaman You will love having this story book quilt with each page sporting a different color. The size of this quilt is 45 by 51-inches. This beautiful quilt is great for a young child to look at as they are going to bed. “My grandkids love to lay on top of their bed and look at the colors and animals.” Wow, what an entertaining quilt for that special person in your life! 181 “The Tom Kaufman Make Believe Hillbilly Band” Bundle donated by Tom Kaufman Come and bid on Tom Kaufman's choices from his Make Believe Hillbilly Band showcased during ACB Community Karaoke! You will be able to choose a song or some of Tom's exciting genres from Tom's Band. Tom will send you an mp3 file with your choices. Enjoy this amazing selection repeatedly by yourself or with some friends! 182 A Tony's Energy Bar and Banana Bread Delight donated by Anthony Akamine and Terri Lynn Higashi Akamine, members of Hawaii Association of the Blind Summer days are here again! Yummy for the tummy. Need some treats to kick your summer into high gear? Back by popular demand for the auction. One loaf of chocolate banana bread full of chocolate, bananas, and nuts. If you don't like bananas, we can do mangos. Also, Anthony is perfecting his mom's energy bar treats. Get a bag of these yummy treats packed with Rice Krispies, oatmeal, raisins, peanut butter, and nuts. If you don't like peanuts, we can throw out the nuts. Made by Anthony and his mom's creation. Perfect for those summer days. And the box may even come with a few extra goodies. 182 B Tony's Energy Bar and Banana Bread Delight donated by Anthony Akamine and Terri Lynn Higashi Akamine, members of Hawaii Association of the Blind Summer days are here again! Yummy for the tummy. Need some treats to kick your summer into high gear? Back by popular demand for the auction. One loaf of chocolate banana bread full of chocolate, bananas, and nuts. If you don't like bananas, we can do mangos. Also, Anthony is perfecting his mom's energy bar treats. Get a bag of these yummy treats packed with Rice Krispies, oatmeal, raisins, peanut butter, and nuts. If you don't like peanuts, we can throw out the nuts. Made by Anthony and his mom's creation. Perfect for those summer days. And the box may even come with a few extra goodies. 183 $100 Bloomin' Brands Gift Card donated by AAVL Bloomin' Brands gift cards are the freshest way to see for yourself how one card can offer so many appetizing choices from steak, seafood to classic Italian. Our card can be redeemed at any of the following restaurants: Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. What a wonderful way to enjoy a night out with family or friends! 184 Versa Slate Paperless Erasable Braille Slate and Stylus donated by Lucy Edmonds The Versa Slate is a braille slate that is paperless and erasable. It works just like a regular slate and stylus, but without paper. It features four rows of 20 cells each, and a magnetic stylus that is built into the side of the unit for easy storage. 185 Himalayan Salt Lamp donated by Jeff and Keri Bishop of Tucson, AZ You will love using this Himalayan Salt Lamp. It is 9 inches high, 4 inches wide with a 7W night light bulb inside. This lamp glows a lovely pink that shows all the different variations of color in the large salt crystal. It is a spectacular piece of decor that would look great on any mantel or end table. 186 Podcasting Bundle with Accessible Tools donated by BITS This package contains all you need to conduct the interview of your dreams! You will be able to record high quality music or just capture life as it happens. The Zoom H4essentials is an accessible digital voice recorder. The first thing you hear when you turn it on is it prompting you to enable speech and beeps providing independent navigation of most system options. The Zoom H4essentials has a built-in stereo microphone, with dual XLR connections available as well and it supports up to one terabyte micro SD card, and is powered by USB-C or AAA batteries, not included. The Samson Q2U microphone is a versatile handheld dynamic mic. This microphone allows you to connect via XLR into an audio interface, such as the Zoom H4essentials, or directly to your computer via an included USB cable. Great for rejecting off access noise, these microphones are ideal for interviewing individuals in an environment that might not be the most conducive for podcast interviews. Bid today on the great podcasting bundle including one Zoom H4essentials field recorder, 2 Samson Q2U mic's, 2 XLR cables, and 1 128 GB microSD card. 187 A Home Baked Cookies from Andrea Conner's Kitchen donated by Andrea Conner These delicious cookies melt in your mouth! The light, buttery goodness of a crescent formed into a ball, loaded with chopped pecans, flavored with a hint of vanilla, then dusted in powdered sugar. One dozen with almond flavor and one dozen cocoa flavor. They're sure to satisfy your cookie craving! Enjoy these scrumptious cookies yourself or share with friends or family. 187 B Home Baked Cookies from Andrea Conner's Kitchen donated by Andrea Conner These delicious cookies melt in your mouth! The light, buttery goodness of a crescent formed into a ball loaded with chopped pecans, flavored with a hint of vanilla, then dusted in powdered sugar. One dozen with almond flavor and one dozen cocoa flavor. They are sure to satisfy your cookie craving! Enjoy these scrumptious cookies yourself or share with friends or family. 188 One-on-One In-Person or Phone Conversation with Our Talking Book Narrator Donated by ACB Enjoy chatting with our talking book narrator, Mare Trevathan. Here's your chance for a one-on-one, behind the scenes conversation with a talking book narrator. The winner could either use this in person in Jacksonville or be contacted after the convention to make arrangements for a phone conversation. 189 $50 Amazon Gift Card donated by Delaware Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired It is time to treat yourself to something special and here's a gift card to help you do it. $50 in spending at Amazon! 190 One-hour Business Coaching Session and $25 Gift Card to Pete's Coffee donated by Ardis Bazyn Enjoy this one-hour business coaching session with Ardis Bazyn. Ardis coaches on positive image building, secrets for coping with challenges and change, creating a plan for professional/business success, speaking skills, writing skills, advocacy skills and inexpensive marketing/public relations initiatives. Also included is a $25 Pete's Coffee gift card to enjoy with some friends or family! Expiration Date: June 30, 2025. 191 Nebraska Black Tote Bag from Blind Girl Designs donated by Tricia Waechter on behalf of Nebraska The delightful Nebraska tote bag has white vinyl ink printed on a black canvas, full-zip 15 by 18-inch tote bag with an interior zipper pocket. The top of the 9 by 13-inch print starts boldly with the state name NEBRASKA and underneath it is spelled also in braille. Underneath the word NEBRASKA is the entire state outline of Nebraska exactly like a map. The only difference from a map is on the left side of the state there's a white cane instead of a straight line and on the northwestern border there is another white cane instead of a line. At the end of the strap of the white cane, the map continues along the river as it naturally would. The river continues all the way down to the southeast border of the state. In the middle of the west side of the state are the historic rolling sand hills, which are covered by prairie grasses. These sand hills are replicated by small wavy tactile hills as a nod to this critical and historic portion of the state, which supports the cattle industry. Starting in the middle to the right side of the print are three huge stalks of corn. There's a reason this is proudly called the Cornhusker state! 192 Berkey Creamery Bundle Package donated by Pennsylvania Council of The Blind One thing that most Pennsylvanians agree on is “Ice cream is good, and the Penn State Creamery makes some of the best.” We love ice cream, but we love the science behind it even more. By supporting the Berkey Creamery, you also are supporting food science, the dairy industry and agriculture across Pennsylvania and beyond. The PCB Package includes six pints of ice cream: Peachy Paterno; Cookies-n-Cream; Bittersweet Mint; Death by Chocolate; Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Vanilla Bean (BASED ON INGREDIENT AVAILABILITY). Enjoy this Penn State Creamery 100% cotton t-Shirt with color options of blue or white, sizes small up to 3XL. We've got some fashion for your sweet tooth! Simply stated, all roads lead to the Creamery! Also, enjoy the 21oz travel mug which is a stainless steel beverage container with the Penn State Berkey Creamery emblem on it. Segment Five- Kolby Garrison and Mary Haupt 193 $50 Amazon Gift Card donated by New Jersey Council of The Blind It is time to treat yourself to something special and here's a gift card to help you do it. $50 in spending at Amazon! 194 Doggie Gift Basket donated by Jeff and Keri Bishop This doggie gift bag comes with lots of goodies for your guide dog. This set includes: Two jumbo collapsible dog dishes for travel, A hard rubber giggle ball, a nylon dual length leash in bright safety green It's the same size and length as standard guide dog leashes, hillside farms chicken jerky for dogs, hillside farms jerky twist (dried chicken and sweet potato), a velour kennel blanket. A back seat cover or hammock (covers the entire seat and floor by putting 2 handles on the head rest in the back or a hammock by putting the second set of handles over the all 4 heads rest of the front and back), a dog safety seatbelt, a tug of war nylon bone, doggy poo bags, a grooming kit (has right and left grooming mittens, a comb and a grooming brush the straps around your hand. This gift set comes in a reusable shopping bag that has been sewn from a recycled dog food bag. 195 Disney 100 Years of Wonder Mickey Watch and Minnie Mouse Watch donated by Connie Jacomini You will love having these enchanting Mickey and Minnie Mouse watches that feature a detailed 3-layer dial with a laser-cut silhouette of your favorite character alongside the Disney 100 logo. Plus, it arrives beautifully packaged and ready for gift giving. Wow, what a fantastic gift either for yourself or someone special in your life! 196 Dry Aged Steaks for a Summertime Grill donated by ACB Development Director Bill Reeder Enjoy four luxury steakhouse prime grade ribeye steaks, dry aged for 45 days and hand cut two inches thick. Grill ready and perfect for a fancy summer BBQ. They are accompanied by two bottles of fine wine (red or white) and Kosmos famous BBQ steak rub. What a treat to have for a summer meal with friends or family! 197 Pat's Beef Jerky Gift Box donated by Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired This fantastic beef jerky is from A Land of Kansas Company. The box features four different flavors of beef jerky made from Kansas beef, and two packages of beef stick. Enjoy this delicious treat yourself or share with friends. 198 A Gift Box of Fragrance donated by Barry Carver of Mountain Crafted A box of sulfate-free fragrance available in Cactus Flower or Jade. You may request braille labels on all your items. This bundle includes: 8 ounces shampoo, 8 ounces hair conditioner, 8 ounces shower gel, 4 ounces moisturizing cream, 1 ounce body mist, 1 ounce room spray. A little dab goes a long way. 199 $100 VISA Gift Card donated by Mississippi Council of The Blind You can use this $100 VISA gift card any time for dining or doing some shopping for yourself or someone special! 200 a Maryland box of Goodies donated by ACB of Maryland Bid and enjoy this box of goodies from Maryland. It includes: Old Bay Fisher's Popcorn, Jeppi Nuts, Chocolate Crabs dusted with Old Bay, Hot Sauce, Crab Cake Mix, Old Bay Seasoning, and some Chesapeake Mouth Party Caramels! Special Add Ons: "Home is Where the Old Bay Is" 5 by 7 print, Bigs Old Bay Sunflower Seeds, Crab Towel, and an Old Bay Insulated Tumbler. 201 Hills of Purple Heather donated and performed by Jeanette Kutash The lucky winner will enjoy sharing this piano piece performed by Jeanette. As you hear this beautiful melody, imagine yourself walking through the hills with the purple heather, a beautiful flower which represents healing and quieting of the mind. The hills and the heather invite those who walk through them to revel in a feeling of confidence to pursue living life to the fullest with those you love. As the music increases and decreases in volume, we find gradual healing, calmness, and the feeling that we can get through all storms ahead with grace and tranquility. The piece culminates with a final chord which represents that feeling of being whole from the heather's qualities. 202 $100 Honey Baked Ham Gift Card donated by ACB Media Coordinator Larry Gassman Whether you're celebrating a loved one, marking a special occasion, or simply wanting to surprise a friend, show you care with a Honey Baked Ham. Enjoy this delicious treat with friends or family. 203 Baby Afghan in White, Yellow, and Green donated by Keri Bishop Enjoy this baby Afghan crocheted like a jumbo granny square or continuous granny square. The center is white bordered by a pastel green then white and trimmed in pastel yellow. Afghan measures 42 by 42 inches. Wow, what a beautiful Afghan to give as a gift for that someone special! 204 $100 Gift Card to Walmart Donated by Mary Haupt Fill your basket with treats for your family and friends. The $100 gift card offers a wonderful opportunity for you to treat yourself or to please and surprise others. 205 Four Bags of Healthy Dog Treats donated by ACB of Connecticut Here's something for the canines in your life. You will receive 4 bags of healthy dog treats baked, packed, and shipped by special needs students at Bellcate School in Vermont. They are freshly baked upon order and contain no preservatives. The flavors are Peanut Butter Pumpkin, Calming Chamomile and Honey Maple Mousse with the maple coming from the farm on the school property and Apple, Oatmeal and Cheese. They are truly making a difference for our dogs! 206 2012 Read Easy Move Scanning Device donated by Roberta McCall You can use this freestanding scanning device which will read out all printed text to users to assist you with everyday life. It includes headphones so you can hear what the scanner is reading to you. It has a custom carrying case, clear voices, Keypad Feature Pack For users requiring additional features such as multi-page documents, WIFI navigation control, saving, loading, importing, and exporting documents! Low Vision Pack that connects your Move to television or computer screen. Let's you view your documents in large print, (up to 2x newspaper headline size on a 22” screen), as well as listen to them. 207A Loaf of Homemade Pumpkin Bread Donated by Terri Nettles Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a party, this bread will delight all who love pumpkin any time of day. Enjoy this pumpkin bread either plain or with chocolate chips yourself or share with friends or family. It is delicious. 207B Loaf of Homemade Pumpkin Bread Donated by Terri Nettles Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a party, this bread will delight all who love pumpkin any time of day. Enjoy this pumpkin bread either plain or with chocolate chips yourself or share with friends or family. It is delicious! 208 Handmade Pottery Snack Tray and Butter Dish donated by Patty Fletcher You will enjoy this lovely snack tray which is a rectangular shaped plate with rounded edges. The edges and sides of this piece are textured. It is a marigold color with a glossy finish. Also enjoy the accompanying butter dish which is an oblong shaped plate. It is marigold with a glossy finish. These one-of-a-kind handmade pottery pieces are both useful and lovely. 209 $50 Amazon Gift Card donated by Friends in Art It is time to treat yourself to something special and here's a gift card to help you do it. $50 in spending at Amazon! 210 Four-piece Amalia Serving Set donated by Becky Gleason Enjoy having this four-piece set of elegant flatware. It will add sparkle to any table setting. Made from high-quality 18/10 Stainless Steel, each piece is beautiful, durable and dishwasher safe. The serving utensils feature a unique vine design and rope detail. This set includes a Serving Spoon, Slotted Spoon, Serving Fork, and Serving Spatula. Use this serving set yourself or make someone incredibly happy by making them the recipient of this useful and classy gift. 211 $50 Starbucks Gift Card donated by Merrilee Hill-Kennedy Everyone loves a good cup of coffee. It's even better with some friends or family members over some laughs! As an extra bonus, Starbucks also has goodies to eat. Bid so you can enjoy all the delicious choices from a great coffee establishment. 212 Two Dozen Homemade Cookies donated by Mary Cook of Outta Sight Sweets LLC Your choice of either snickerdoodle or triple chocolate chip cookies. The snickerdoodle is an old-fashioned d

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Calorie Free

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2023

Welcome to our annual food edition! Our friend and former co-host Lisa Salinger joins us to share in all things delicious. Get ready for fun, laughter, and easy recipes to love both during the holiday season and throughout the year. All recipes can be found below. First, though, a couple quick event-related announcements. Our phone comparison event is being made available as a download rather than a live event. Registrations were very low, so we made the decision to just put this up as a free download as soon as possible. I'll send an announcement to our free Events mailing list as soon as the audio is available. If you had hoped or intended to join us live, and you had questions, please send them to us via email and we'll do our best to answer in the audio. And speaking of events, we will be holding our annual open house on Friday, November 24, between 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM eastern time. You must register to join us at the event. To do so, please visit: https://www.mysticaccess.com/openhouse This is an annual event, and is always so much fun. Feel free to come for 20 minutes or stay for the entire time, it's all up to you. And no, you don't need to talk if you'd rather not. This event is never recorded, and we look forward to it every year. To make this episode even better, Kesel Wilson, editorial director with National Braille Press comes by the castle to talk about 2023 holiday picks. Is there much better to celebrate all things festive than books and food? We think not! Hope the start to your holiday festivities is simply wonderful! Now, on to the recipes! Citrus Rainbow Carrots (Excerpted from: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/citrus-rainbow-carrots/) Makes 6 servings Prep/Total Time: 25 min. Ingredients 2 pounds medium rainbow or regular carrots, diagonally sliced 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest 2 tablespoons orange juice 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Directions 1. Place carrots and enough water to cover in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain; return to pan. 2. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-high heat until carrots are glazed, 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test Kitchen Tips Rainbow carrots can be deep burgundy, golden yellow, jeweled orange or creamy white in color. Be careful to only zest the outer layer of orange peel. The white part underneath is bitter. One medium orange will yield about 4 teaspoons grated orange zest. Nutrition Facts 2/3 cup: 132 calories, 6g fat (4g saturated fat), 15mg cholesterol, 445mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 4g fiber), 2g protein. Lemony rice One and 3/4 cups chicken broth or 1 3/4 cups of water and two bouillon cubes or the equivalent 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 cup white rice, not instant or minute rice. Bring the broth and lemon juice to a boil in a saucepan. Add the rice, turn to low, cover and cook for about 18 minutes. If you normally cook your rice for 22 minutes, cook it for 20 instead. The acid in the lemon juice breaks down the rice a bit, and if you cook it for the normal amount of time, it will be too mushy. Applesauce Sweet Potatoes (Excerpted from: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/applesauce-sweet-potatoes/) Makes 8 servings Prep: 15 min. Cook: 4 hours Ingredients 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and sliced 1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup glazed pecans, chopped, optional Directions 1. Place sweet potatoes in a 4-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix applesauce, brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon; pour over potatoes. 2. Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours or until potatoes are tender. If desired, sprinkle with pecans before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon. Nutrition Facts 3/4 cup (calculated without pecans): 303 calories,

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Book Browsing

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2023 44:11 Transcription Available

In this episode Kim and Chris first talk about an update to the Stream 3 tutorial. Next we talk about convention sales at Mystic Acces with two updates. We spend most of the episode in the castle speaking with Kesel Wilson of National Braille Press about their summer pics.

stream browsing national braille press

Book Browsing

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2023

stream browsing national braille press

20230105 I Love Braille

ACB Community

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2023 63:20

20230105 I Love Braille Originally Aired January 5, 2023, on ACB Media 5 Quinta Nilla, Vice President National Braille Press, paid tribute to Louis Braille and discussed the role of NBP in promoting braille literacy. Sponsored by East Bay Center for the Blind Subscribe to I Love Braille email list Access Archives

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Charging Your Keys

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022 57:35

In this episode Chris and Kim announce the annual black Friday Open House. You can register at htttps://www.mysticaccess.com/openhouse They then give updates on black Friday sales as well as the BlindShell audio tutorial. Kim takes a trip into the Mystic Access Magic Castle where she speaks with Kesel Wilson from National Braille Press about this year's holiday catalog.

keys charging national braille press

Charging Your Keys

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022 57:35

keys charging national braille press

Blind Artist Teaches Boston-Area Visually Impaired Kids To Paint

WBZ NewsRadio 1030 - News Audio

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2022 0:44

John Bramblitt lost his sight 20 years ago, and came to the National Braille Press to teach kids how to paint. WBZ's Karyn Regal has more:

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An Interview With Harriet Go: Blind Teacher Of Sighted Students

White Canes Connect

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2022 52:55

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Harriet Go about being a blind teacher of sighted students. She discusses the discrimination she encountered when she showed up for her first day of her student-teaching. Harriet also tells us how she started in the NFB of PA. Show notes at https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/046 Links To Organizations Mentioned National Organization of Blind Educators - http://blindeducators.org/ National Braille Press - https://www.nbp.org Seedlings Braille Books For Children - http://www.seedlings.org/ Greater Lehigh Valley Chapter Fundraiser Dancing In The Dark To Be In The Light is Friday, 10/7, at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem in Bethlehem. The semi-formal event features dinner, dancing, and an auction. Tickets are $75. Contact Jemmie Jones at (908) 391-8375. Dancing Dots Presents Believe You Can! 2022 The Keystone Chapter is hosting its 3rd annual talent show for blind and visually impaired performers on 10/15. This year, Believe You Can! Has a new presenting sponsor, Dancing Dots. Buy tickets at https://www.BelieveYouCan.live/tickets. 2022 NFB of PA State Convention Registration Now Open This year's State Convention is in Pittsburgh from November 10 through November 13. Register online at http://nfbp.org/convention/reg. To make your hotel reservations at the Sheraton Station Square, call (412) 261-2000. Give Us A Call We'd love to hear from you! We've got a phone number for you to call, ask us questions, give us feedback, or say, "hi!" Call us at (267) 338-4495. You have up to three minutes for your message, and we might use it on an upcoming episode. Please leave your name and town as part of your message. Follow White Canes Connect Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon | IHeartRadio Connect With Us If you've got questions, comments, or show ideas, reach out on Twitter. We are @PABlindPodcast. You can also email us at WhiteCanesConnect@gmail.com.

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One Way Ticket

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2022 54:57

In this episode Chris and Kim have a conversation with Kesel Wilson, National Braille Press's editorial director, about the publisher's summer picks. Whether you want to increase your skills with technology, snuggle up with your kids to read a fun book, or find a helpful cheat sheet for learning more about nutrition, there's something here for you. Visit National Braille Press to check out their wide selection of braille books, magnets, and much more. We also discuss our two newest products, both featured specials through the month of August. Both our deep dive into the Hable One mobile device braille input keyboard, and our detailed walkthrough of the many methods to have delicious eats delivered directly to your door, are on sale now. Order them via the site anytime, but if you would rather call us to order, please do so no later than Monday, August 1, as we'll be away for a few weeks after that date. Hope you enjoy this episode.

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One Way Ticket

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2022 54:57

one way ticket national braille press hable one

One Way Ticket

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2022

one way ticket national braille press

Blind Android Users Podcast Episode 79, Android13Beta3 and a book on Android from Mystic Access

Blind Android Users Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2022 96:59

Episode 76: Storage This week, we are joined by Mystic Access and discuss Android 13. Announcements · Our friends at Aubile Vision are running a couple of surveys and they'd appreciate your input. The First is a baseline survey to understand how assistive technology users conduct certain activities. The second concerns the Audible Vision app itself. · The Blind Android Users site is currently undergoing construction. Please be patient while we rebuild it. You can still access our great content via your podcatcher of choice or on our Youtubechannel. Spotlight It's another double bill this week. Chris and Kim Nova from Mystic Access talk to us about their new book, “Getting started with Android: Android and Talkback for the Beginning User”, available from National Braille Press. We then talk about what's new in Android 13. Highlights from Talkback Warren brings us the next in the Highlights from Talkback Series. My Android journey This week, Amanda Hall brings us her Android journey. Staying in touch. Email us with suggestions or comments, Send inyour Android journey stories, subscribe to our Email list, join our Telegram group, follow us on Twitter,subscribe to our Youtubechannel and join our Club on Club house.

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ObjectiveEd: Reinforcement Learning for Students with Disabilities. Benefitting Teachers and Schools and their Blind and Visually Impaired Students

Blind Abilities

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2022 15:28

Marty Shultz from Objective Ed joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about all the new developments happening at Objective Ed. ObjectiveEd's mission is to provide students with disabilities, and the parents and professionals dedicated to their education, digital curriculum and integrated performance monitoring and reporting tools that will help the students achieve their best educational outcomes. ObjectiveEd has achieved recognition by winning the Louis Braille Touch of Genius award from the National Braille Press, the American Council of the Blind Annual Award and the Florida Association for Education and Rehabilitation for Innovator of the Year. Through interactive games and innovative software programs, teachers can teach and students can learn skills, retain skills and all in a fun way through Objective Ed's program. You can learn more about Objective Ed on the web at: https://www.objectiveed.com Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at info@BlindAbilities.com or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

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2221 Offerings from the National Braille Press (May 25, 2022)

Eyes On Success with hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2022 28:43

2221 Products and Programs from National Braille Press (May 25, 2022) Show Notes No matter what your age, interests, or career, chances are that the National Braille Press offers something for you. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Kesel Wilson, editorial director at the NBP, about books the NBP produces in braille and other … Continue reading 2221 Offerings from the National Braille Press (May 25, 2022) →

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Tek Talk welcomes Kim Nova, columnist and editor, to discuss the National Braille Press magazine Our Special. 03/28/2022

os magazine columnist our special national braille press

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2022 54:49

Our Special was founded in 1927, and is the most popular magazine published by National Braille Press. It comes out six times each year, and covers career issues, fashion, parenting, cooking, maternity, dating, health, and a panoply of other women's issues. Each issue of the magazine includes articles written by and for blind women, and the slim and convenient pull-out recipe section, "Kitchen Corner." Kim Nova is delighted to be a columnist for OS, and recently was thrilled to become the publication's newest editor. She's excited to share more about Our Special, the types of content you'll find in the magazine, how to obtain a subscription, and most of all, to introduce you to two of Our Special's columnists, Sylvia Reid and Holly Turri, who write wonderful travel and book-related columns, respectively, for the magazine. Kim is so pleased to have the opportunity to share more about this unique magazine with blind women and the men who love us. Presenter Contact Info Email: wordweaver546@tgmail.com To learn more about Our Special and obtain a subscription: https://www.nbp.org

Tek Talk welcomes Kim Nova, columnist and editor, to discuss the National Braille Press magazine Our Special. 03/28/2022

os magazine columnist our special national braille press

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2022 54:49

Tek Talk welcomes Kim Nova to discuss online dating. 02/14/2022

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Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2022 56:58

If you've considered dipping your toe into the world of online dating, congratulations on thinking about embarking on this adventure. However, before you begin there are many important things to know first. Fortunately, Kim Nova has been there and is happy to provide some helpful tips, tricks and advice for your journey. From dating sites and apps and their accessibility, to straight-forward help in creating dating profiles, and a bit on the red flags to look out for if he or she just seems way too good to be true, we'll cover it all in this Valentine's Day edition of Tek Talk. If you're hoping this will be your last February 14 without a valentine of your own, come join us for this discussion, and, of course, bring your questions... and a box of yummy heart chocolate to share! Presenter Contact Info Kim Nova Email: Kim@MysticAccess.com Website: https://www.mysticaccess.com Dating in the Digital Age, book written by Kim for National Braille Press: https://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/DATING.html?from_search=1Presenter

Tek Talk welcomes Kim Nova to discuss online dating. 02/14/2022

dating digital age online dating national braille press

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2022 56:58

Episode 19 – An Unstoppable Pioneer in Web Accessibility and Life with Mike Paciello

Unstoppable Mindset

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2022 64:43

It is not often that most of us have the opportunity and honor to meet a real trendsetter and pioneer. Today, you get to meet such an individual. Mike Paciello has been a fixture in the assistive technology world for some thirty years. I have heard of him for most of that time, but our paths never crossed until this past September when we worked together to help create some meetings and sessions around the topic of website accessibility. As you will hear, Mike began his career as a technical writer for Digital Equipment Corporation, an early leader in the computer manufacturing industry. I won't tell you Mike's story here. What I will say is that although Mike is fully sighted and thus does not use any of the technology vision impaired persons use, he really gets it. He fully understands what Inclusion is all about and he has worked and continues to work to promote inclusion and access for all throughout the world. After you hear our podcast with Mike, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to email me at michaelhi@accessibe.com to tell me of your observations. Some directories do not show full show notes. For the complete transcription please visit https://michaelhingson.com/podcast About our Guest: Mike Paciello has been a pioneer and influential figure in the accessibility industry for more than three decades. He wrote the first book on web accessibility and usability (Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities), and has since achieved many notable milestones. He is the founder of WebABLE.Com and co-founder of WebABLE.TV. Mike currently serves as AbleDocs VP of US Operations. Mike served as co-chair of the United States Federal Access Board's Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee (TEITAC), co-founder of the International Committee for Accessible Document Design (ICADD), and was recognized by President Bill Clinton for his contribution to the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). He was the recipient of the 2016 Knowbility Lifetime Achievement and the 2020 ICT Accessibility Testing Symposium Social Impact awards. Contact Mike at mpaciello@webable.com or mpaciello@abledocs.com About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes Michael Hingson 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset. Thanks for joining us this week, we have a guest I've been looking forward to for quite a while his name is Mike Paciello. And I'm not going to tell you a whole lot about him because he gets to do that himself, except I will tell you that he's very deeply involved in the web accessibility world. Why do we deal with web accessibility a lot on this podcast? And why do I continue to bring it up. Because if you've listened to many of these podcasts, you know that there is an ever widening gap between websites that are accessible and those that are not. And it is something that we all need to deal with. Because there are so many people in this world who don't get to access all the websites that everyone else can access for one reason or another. Mike has been very deeply involved in dealing with those issues for a lot of years. And I'd like to introduce you to him now. And we can talk more about it. Mike, welcome to unstoppable mindset. Mike Paciello 02:23 Thanks, Mike. Great to be here. Michael Hingson 02:27 So how did you even get involved in this? I mean, you you are cited you, you, as far as I know, don't have any what people would call physical disabilities and all that. So how did you get involved in all this? Mike Paciello 02:41 Well, it's a it's a long and winding story that probably folks have heard many times in the past, but I was worked at a a computer company that no longer exists anymore. It maybe exists in parcels at HP. But it was Digital Equipment Corporation back in the 80s. I actually Michael Hingson 03:03 just this morning was reading something from someone on a list where they were talking about the old desktop synthesizer. Mike Paciello 03:10 Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I know that memories. Yeah, I know the guys that worked on that. And Tony Vitaly was one of the lead engineers on that. And Tony, now we're good friends. He passed away several years ago from ALS. Ironically enough, it he discovered it while he was at the seaside conference. Boy, I think so. So this was in the late 90s, maybe in early 2000s. But at any rate, I was working as a technical writer at Digital in the mid mid 80s, right through the early 90s. And was asked to take on a project voluntarily, which involved providing our computer software documentation we did mostly operating system software, to the National Braille Press in Boston. And I just thought it was interesting. And so I followed up and they said, and maybe you'll get a request once or twice a year. I hadn't had the project for more than a few hours. And I got a cost a call right away from Bill reader who was the writer? Yep. You know, Bill, yes. And he said, Hey, we need this, this this this? Can you bring these down? And I said, Sure, I'd have been happy to. And so I hadn't carried the physical publications, which as I found out, they would then take and transcribe into and reproduce in Braille. And Bill was awesome. He gave me a complete tour of, you know, the factories and the offices and what they did. And right away he started talking about, you know, screen reader. Well, actually, it was a screen reader technology that was braille translation software at that particular time. It's so that that piqued my interest, and i i At the same time I was doing that I also happen to be working in the very first instances of markup language. This is pre SGML, which, as anyone that knows the standardized, standardized or Standard Generalized Markup Language was the precursor to HTML, which is makes up the web. But it was actually a, a markup language used to basically mirror what an editor, a physical editor of a red publication would do, you know, take a ticket document from an individual divided up into, you know, logical portions on on, you know, within a page. So this is a paragraph, this is a list, this needs to be indented. This is a title, this is a heading, those type of things. And Dale SGML could do that electronically. And at the time, I specifically was working on a project that involves converting our electronic documents or digital into postscript, which anyone knows a postscript is that free PDF? Yes. So I thought to myself, if we can do these electronic conversions from basically a text markup file, to a postscript file, which is, you know, kind of a graphical a page, right? Right. Why not output it to Braille? And that led me on my quest to go figure out how to do that. Michael Hingson 06:36 So what did you What did you end up doing? Mike Paciello 06:39 Well, I curse I had established a few contacts, because of this arrangement that digital had with the National Braille Press. And one of those contexts was George cursher. Anyone that knows anything about this business knows that George is a champion and a hero, and just one of the greatest human beings I've ever known. And Matt, and it's great to be to be called a friend and a colleague of his, Michael Hingson 07:08 and George was the person who kind of really was the proponent of the DAISY format, which is used today not only in audio recordings to make them fully accessible and navigable, but he did it for Braille as well. Mike Paciello 07:22 That's right. That's exactly right. And I'll tell you, a lot of people remember George for when he worked for what you would call it out there in New Jersey and Princeton for the blind index, Michael Hingson 07:36 RFP coding, right. Now Learning Ally, right, Mike Paciello 07:40 right, right, exactly. However, before he joined RFB, nd he had his own little company called computerized books for the blind, write it so I established a contact with him, he and I started talking about markup languages. He pulled it a couple of other people like Joe Sullivan, from Duxbury Systems. And Yuri Minsky, who was the President CEO of soft spot, which was a major producer of SGML editing software. And we formed together with many other colleagues, also international colleagues, what was a working group called the International Committee for accessible document design. We did that in the late early 90s, early 90s. Michael Hingson 08:30 So you, you put some processes together? And how successful were you at being able to get postscript translated into Braille? Mike Paciello 08:43 Well, no, no, as far as I know, there was no success there. Yes, story. The story with postscript is, you know, Adobe, eventually converted everything into a PDF. And that's where the success so to speak, relatively speaking, came in play. Adobe actually had members that were part of our, the internet international committee for accessible document design. And they got involved effect their lead engineer at that time was Carl Orthey. And Carl met with George myself in another great colleague, who worked with me at that time at Digital TV Raman. And we looked at ways of, again, taking the PDF and converting into something that was accessible. So that's that's so there's no real story as far as I know around postscript. It's all about PDF at that level. Michael Hingson 09:42 It's, it's interesting. You had a lot of good beginnings and laid a lot of foundations. But But today, it seems like a lot of the accessibility that we're seeing is still somewhat sporadic and spotty. In that not everything gets to be put into or can easily be put into an accessible form. Even with Adobe, there is a lot of document, there are a lot of documents that are released and created by various people that aren't accessible. Why is it that Adobe and other organizations don't really follow through and try to create native accessibility? Right from the outset? Mike Paciello 10:28 Yeah, well, you know what that is, it's it comes down very simply to it's a business decision. You know, corporations. for all intents and purposes, they've got a mindset, they're all about reporting back to their boards of directors, and reported profits. I mean, it's just a business's business, especially here in you know, in this in this country, where we're driven, you know, by a by, you know, why the markets in so businesses, businesses look at it, and I've yet to see this not be true. Even for those companies that I believe Excel, where accessibility is concerned, a businesses have never been able to figure out really how to turn accessibility as you and I know it into a business value proposition, they haven't figured out how to make it, how to make money out of it, there are all kinds of numbers that are thrown out there about discretionary income by people with disabilities. But it doesn't come down to that. It's it's channels, it's business lines, it's, it's we're talking about, you know, companies don't want to talk about making business unless we're talking about billions of dollars now. And then, you know, it won't take much longer looking at the recent, the recent profit reports, you know, by by Apple and Amazon, that we're going to be talking about trillions of dollars. So if we can generate that kind of thing, then then, you know, a business business really does want to want to investigate. And secondarily, designing architecting, developing all of the engineering lifecycle or product lifecycle disciplines that are associated with ensuring that whatever it is that we're building, and I'll just use just a software environment, because that's, that's what I'm most familiar with, whatever software platform or interface that we're designing or developing, you know, it has to be accessible, they're not doing enough, you know, out of the box, it's not being done in the concept, you know, conceptual design and architectural, and then fall all the way through. If you know, what I'm doing right now, as I'm illustrate, I'm using, you know, kind of a gesture to show, you know, for the beginning, all the way to the end of the lifecycle, there, every piece of that needs to be accounted for, where ensuring something is usable, and accessible to a variety of people, disabilities, and the persona types associated with it. And companies just typically don't make that kind of investment. Unless someone at the top is driving it. And, you know, you can look at, you know, I think Microsoft is a is a good company right now to kind of hold up there, because I believe that they've done a great job at raising the bar. Because all of its being driven by Jenny in by, you know, by their CEO, you know, he himself has, I think, at least one son with with a disability. So he's got a personal connection to it, but you don't see that at 90% of most businesses. So again, like I said, it's a, it's a value cost analysis, that, you know, from an accessibility standpoint, it's probably never going to really, truly wash. Now that even Michael Hingson 14:04 go ahead. Oh, go ahead. No, I was just gonna Mike Paciello 14:07 say, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. And that doesn't mean that we shouldn't tackle this pervasive, really, you know, like global challenge, using other means by which to, you know, kind of change the world and change thinking. And I really think that that's probably another big piece of it. Michael Hingson 14:28 We see them with Microsoft, but even with Microsoft, now with new windows 11. There are a lot of things that are technically accessible, but they're not obvious and they're not obviously located so that one can see them, you know, as an example. It used to be in his latest Windows 10. If you wanted to go to what we're now calling even with Windows and app that's installed on your machine, you hit the start button. And then you could use the arrow keys to go down and find the AP. But that's not the case in Windows 11 anymore. And there are additional keystrokes or other things that you need to do. They have not kept the same obvious process. And yes, it's accessible because you can find it. But is that really is usable, and was a lot of thought given to that when they were creating windows 11. And it seems to me that Jenny has has done a lot and we're speaking by the way for those who don't know, of Jenny Lefevere, who is the Chief Accessibility Officer for Microsoft, and Jenny is deaf, we met at a convention a few years ago. And obviously, you, you work with her pretty well. But I just think that there are things that they aren't, they're still not giving a lot of thought or as much thought as they should, to some of the architecture and ways to make Windows is obviously usable as it should be. Mike Paciello 15:59 You know, I mean, Mike, I can't, I can't deny that I totally agree. I think, you know, what we see out on the web in terms of social networking, social Mark marketing, we see what Microsoft wants us to hear, right, but we're not inside. In I am not at all surprised, because I frankly, I hear this about a lot of the other, you know, big companies, who was it was at Forbes was at Forbes, or was a fast company that just came out with this glowing article. It in mentioned, it was it was really kind of interesting. It mentioned Microsoft, Amazon, Google. Facebook, who else was in there apple in all these great, wonderful things that they do in I mean, you can't deny the fact that they've made some awesome, you know, steps forward and done some great things in behalf of the entire disabilities marketplace. Right. But force, but at the same time, you and I both know, I see every single day, if not hundreds, you know, dozens, you know, if not dozens, hundreds. So whichever way you want to look at it, I have people who are seeing exactly what you're saying. Yeah, great, but now I can't use Windows, I've seen that. I've seen that whole discussion on Windows 11. So what happened? Who's Who's not watching the the watching the ball there? How can you not at this point in the game, when you're in industry, as mature as Microsoft is? Including the accessibility space? How could you miss these things? You can't. So someone's making decisions that should either is, is not well educated, well versed and accessibility, or be and I think this tends to be more likely scenario. They're doing it because they're being driven by whatever financial incentives that they have. Right? Michael Hingson 18:04 Right. But But here's, here's another aspect of that. I agree that in especially in this country, we tend to be very driven by the financial aspects of it. What Uh, what about our stockholders, we've got to report directly to them. And they're the only ones who matter, which I'm not convinced is true. But that's what what companies do. But when do we get to see companies believe? It says much about the cost of doing business to include people with disabilities, and we'll deal with blindness here. But in general, to include people with disabilities as it is others look at Adobe, if you install Adobe Acrobat, or if you look at a lot of the things that that you can do with Acrobat, and Acrobat, DC today, we have Acrobat, DC, licensed as I do here, you get options for different kinds of languages, you get a variety of different kinds of settings. And obviously, those were put in because people somewhere thought it was important to have more than English, then of course, part of that is you want Acrobat to be able to be marketed all over the world. But even in this country, you want Acrobat to be able to produce documents and English and Spanish and Chinese and Japanese and other languages as well. But so there's a mindset there, that that's important. But I think part of the issue with corporate decisions is there isn't a mindset yet about dealing with disabilities, even though more than 20% of all people in this country and around the world have some sort of disability there isn't a mindset of inclusion for those people yet. Mike Paciello 19:56 Yeah, I totally agree. Um, you know, we all I often talk about culture, we often talk about acumen, we I used to have a domain that was called thinkaccessibility.com. And it's true with the mindset is, they're just not doing it. But I also feel like in I kind of apologize, because I haven't been able to come up with the right answer yet. But I used to talk in terms of what, you know, what, how do we change the world? I mean, that's, that's what we're trying to talk about, right? We're talking about changing the world change the world's mindset, as it relates to people with disabilities, in, in accessibility. In terms of any kind of interaction or, or or inclusive design doesn't matter whether it's hardware, or software, wood, or paper, or electronic. The same thing is true all the way across the board, I still see buildings that are built, and they don't meet the ADA standards. Right. Right. So So what is it? I used to talk about, you know, back in the, in the 90s, particularly, we went through this phase, where alternative energy became, you know, a big thing. In many governments, many, many governments put billions of dollars into alternative energies for a lot of reasons, right? They want to stop fossil fuel pollution and things along those lines, right? The the atmosphere, but there were a lot of reasons for doing it. But the the government's and the people, the scientists behind it, saw, had had the foresight, they saw a vision of what the world would be like, in 5060, you know, 100 years or decades ahead, in from the term from the standpoint of preservation, for from the standpoint of, you know, global warming, pollution, things along those lines, it became intrinsic to life, for every human. We haven't achieved that in the disability accessibility. A world in our world, we have not created a mindset that says, We need to change the world, because if we don't, this is what's going to happen in the years to come. Right? That makes sense. It does. Michael Hingson 22:31 And, you know, part of the problem is the term disability is still, we're great at redefining words, right? I mean, we've re defined, we've redefined diversity all over the place. And now diversity generally tends not to include disabilities. And will but we haven't been able to define disability yet to not mean you're not able. And so it is a problem. And I'm just not sure how we're going to get around that. But somewhere, we need to do that, to get the mindset to shift so that people can truly understand and accept that just because a person has a different ability set than they and it doesn't include some of the things that that their ability set includes. That does go the other way as well. And it isn't all of a physical nature necessarily. Mike Paciello 23:24 I totally agree. I tell you every I mean, what's also factually true is, you know, the profession, the business and the community that you and I are part of, is it is in and of itself kind of a civil rights notion, right? It is. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, in the US, it's absolutely that, well, actually, most countries, it's absolute. That's why you have, you know, Ada, like legislator, legislation and laws throughout, you know, throughout the world. But here's the interesting thing about that. Every great civil rights movement, every great movement, has always had a great leader and a vocal leader and a visible leader. And I've always thought that that's one of the things that we miss, we don't really have, we have some great leaders, we've got some great people out there. Jenny being one of them, for example. You know, when I, when I grew up, Ellen Brightman was like, it was like my hero key and Gary Moulton. Were just, you know, awesome. Good. George cursher, you know, to this day is, but we don't have, you know, a Martin Luther King, like individual, you know, a Mahatma Gandhi, like individual who, who doesn't just bring the cause, but brings the recognition in, in in creates change as a result of that in in so I still kind of think that that's something that we we probably need in this industry to to to change the world the way that we want to change it. Michael Hingson 24:56 Yeah. And and the problem is that to bring the recognition that take a Martin Luther King, the the thing is, there were some differences about him. But there were enough similarities between him and everyone else that people could rally around him. And I'm not sure that when you're viewing people as physically disabled or developmentally disabled, when you bring that disability in, there's, there's a part of it, that I'm not sure that anyone yet has figured out a way to get around the closest person who I ever encountered. And I never met him personally, but person who I think could have achieved that, although not in the exact same strident way that Dr. King did would be Jacobus timber, the founder of the National Federation of the Blind. He was he was the deep philosopher, and extremely vocal about it and very innovative, but he was blind. And I think that that's that problem is what we face in terms of dealing with disabilities. Mike Paciello 26:11 Yeah, yeah, I totally agree. Yeah, so I mean, I think that's just one, one piece of the, you know, of the puzzle, so to speak, to try to solve this worldwide mindset that that needs to be changed. Michael Hingson 26:31 Yeah, and I'm not sure how we're going to get around it. Because I think we also tend to not be violent, and we shouldn't be violent about what we do. But we do need to somehow cross this barrier. And maybe the way we need to do it is to be more forceful, collectively, and get people to to notice, but there are things that that companies could do take apple. So Apple, finally came to the realization and it took in part of the threat of a lawsuit to make it happen. But Apple finally took the iPhone and made it accessible. The iPod. And they even went so far as to make iTunes you available, although I don't hear as much about iTunes you today. But still, it was the method by which a number of people could get class lectures, and so on. And they made all of that accessible. The problem that I see with what Apple did is that they didn't take that last step. That is to say, there is still nothing in the App Store today that mandates any level of accessibility for the apps that they allow to go through the store. And they could make an incredible change in mindset and shift in mindset. If they would just say, your app has to have some level of accessibility. And that's going to be different for different kinds of apps. But at least I ought to be able to control apps that go through the store. And I recognize that a lot of apps are going to be graphical in nature, but they still ought to give me the ability to control the apps and manipulate the apps and my example that I use are star charts, you know, I'm not going to see star charts. But for me to take the time to describe it to someone and describe what I want to get them to manipulate it rather than me being able to manipulate it and then saying to someone, what do you see, I still don't even get that. And apps go in and out of accessibility in the app store all the time. Apple could, with a fairly simple process, make accessibility as mandatory in the store, as it does other things. It would seem to me. Mike Paciello 28:54 Yeah, well, what companies do about their own products is definitely one thing. But again, I still think it comes down to dollars and cents. No, they're not gonna push any harder than they have to, because they just don't have the C level people who should be, you know, putting this on their agenda and in prioritizing accessibility the way it ought to be, as we as we see it. Michael Hingson 29:21 Right. Right. But what's but what's the message there? The message, it seems to me is still we're still not really important enough for us to do that. Mike Paciello 29:31 Oh, that's right. You're not a viable entity? Yeah, absolutely. There's no doubt about that. They'll never say it. But in fact, that's really what's going on in the boardroom. Now. One One thing that we tried to do have been unsuccessful up till now. But when Jim Tobias and I shared the the last five weeks, one of the things that we had already laid groundwork for doing was implementing the Five weight requirements, which include all the the web accessibility requirements into the Americans Disabilities Act, because the Department of Justice was a participant there, they're following what we're doing. And we made some good head rows, headway into it. But it came to an abrupt abrupt stop. As a result of politics, frankly speaking. We, my my last meeting, ironically enough, at the White House, was the day before the 2001 or 2016 election. Yeah, yeah. 2016 election. And I listened to President Obama's chief technology officer, and his chief science officer, both talked about the players that they were laying out for the next four to eight years. In all those things got trashed right after that election. So again, not not not really, in no way am I see he could have a political position here, because I don't I stay out of politics, but I'm just sitting, having been the chair, a co chair, rather, of a committee, whose charter was to enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities by enhancing technology for accessibility. We lost, we lost, we lost quite a bit at that level. Now. You know, will it ever get into ADA? I don't know. I really don't know. It's it's more or less than table, that the Department of Justice position at this point is well, you know, things are fair, you know, are out there for everybody to follow. They don't need enforcement. But the reality is, lawsuits are gonna keep coming until until until enforcement is mandated. And then then corporations will do one or two things, they'll either comply, because they'll have to obey. Or they'll do what they typically do, which they send lobbyists groups in and fight it. Michael Hingson 32:06 Yeah, well, and you bring up a really interesting thing regarding lawsuits, because lawsuits can can be a powerful and valuable way to help the process if the litigation is brought for the right reason, namely, we really want to help fix the problem. But we're also seeing a lot of lawsuits. And it's been going on well, certainly before the ADEA. But we'll use the ADEA. And, and and our situations and experiences as the example, lawsuits today are often filed by lawyers who just want to make a bunch of money. They're very frivolous lawsuits. I saw one last week, where a lawyer decided to sue a company actually a bunch of different companies, because they said their websites were inaccessible. And they use the same boilerplate on on all of the lawsuits. And in reality, from the time the plaintiff, quote, looked at the website that I am aware of, until the time the lawsuit was filed was about a month. And in that time, unbeknownst to the defendant, or to the plaintiff, the company took action to make the website accessible because it was the right thing to do. So that by the time the lawsuit was filed, in reality, the claims were totally baseless because the website had become accessible and usable, demonstrably speaking, but yet the lawsuit was still fired filed, and there are so many of those frivolous lawsuits. It seems to me that one of the things that we ought to figure out ways to do is to get Bar Association's and others to go after these lawyers who are doing these frivolous lawsuits, because they're not doing anyone any good. Mike Paciello 34:07 Yeah, yeah, there's no doubt about there are a lot of evil, it's chases out there. They've been out there for as long as I've been, you know, in the software and web accessibility, because it's, I mean, I don't know if we'll ever be able to change that unless, unless we do what would there is there has been some inroads made in terms of how much a person can sue for and, and in some of the motivations for but yeah, yeah, I mean, it's sad, in unfortunately, they they bring in individuals with disabilities, you know, to be part of the of the suit itself. And that creates angst in the communities as well. Right. So I mean, it's, yeah, it's, it's funny, I gave a talk at the UN years ago on fear based incentives, and I hate them. I mean, it's such a stands for any kind of fear based incentives. But the fact of the matter is that we see it does. It does effect change, right. So you've seen large corporations in organizations in educational institutions who have made the changes because they were forced to as a result of those lawsuits. I don't like it. I don't think anybody likes to be quarter, you know, put into a corner and then have to fight out. It just gives accessibility and disabilities a bad name overall. But it is effective. Set Michael Hingson 35:36 offer, marketing, fear based marketing is all around us. I mean, turn on a television, and you hear commercials, like your check engine light is going to turn red at some point. And then it's going to be too late. You have to get our car warranty. Now I'm in fear marketing is all around us. Mike Paciello 35:56 Yeah, that's true. And I work separately. It is ironic, because it is kind of ironic that you're talking about that, because we are kind of talking about messaging, and marketing. It's one of the reasons why would I built web able, one of the things that I really wanted to focus on was trust based marketing, that anyone that I did business with, has to has to be truthful in everything that they say and everything that they do. And so I've worked really hard at that focus, I'm actually updating our pages right now to add another set of value statements associated with trust, and in truthful marketing, because I believe it's ironic my drive here is to make sure that people with disabilities and consumers with disabilities, you know, what they're being told, or what they're being sold, is, you know, an accurate reflection of what your product can or cannot do. So or what a service company or a service based company says they can and will do, because I believe, frankly, speaking, very analogous to the lawyer, you know, the English face lawyer scenario, is I believe that there that that individuals with disabilities, not unlike the elderly community are often take advantage, taking advantage of, because they don't know everything that's going on it, you know, their disability puts me into a situation where they, they, they often are not aware of what the true motivations of a corporation or organization really are. Michael Hingson 37:38 Right. And it's, it says an important for those of us in the disability community to understand corporate dynamics, and do as much as we can to become a part of the corporate world, because change does have to come from within, and it won't come unless we help bring it about and unless we work as hard as we possibly can to get other allies on the inside. But I still think ultimately, it's it's going to require that mindset shift. And I'm, I'm not convinced that it needs to be a costly thing to bring about accessibility, especially if you create a native way to make it happen right from the outset. Then you're building it into the cost of doing business, which is what Apple did, of course, with the iPhone, and the iPod and the technologies that are in the Mike Paciello 38:37 Mac voiceover voiceover right. And then voiceover, Michael Hingson 38:41 it's a cost of doing business. And I'm not even sure I totally like that. But it's, it's okay. It's a cost of doing business to make sure everyone can use the product. And I think that's a reasonable thing to do. But that's why I think that they, they need to take that last step. And get to the point of recognizing that part of that same cost of doing business has to be to say, to developers, you've got to have some sort of basic amount of accessibility, just like we do with the with the iPhone and the iPad and the Mac itself, because you're leaving people out. The The problem is that Apple put itself in that position by being a policing agency for what goes into apps and how apps work. I understand. I don't even I haven't looked lately, but I understand that if you create a piece of software that looks like it has a Windows desktop, that was true of Windows 10. Anyway, Apple wouldn't release it in the app store because it didn't look abolition often look to Windows II and of course their competitors. They have the ability to make and they do make decisions based on what they choose. Mike Paciello 40:02 Yeah, yeah, there's no no no doubt about that, again, businesses are in the business of doing business. Right. And, and, and that's why we have things, you know, like trademarks and copyright and, and patent infringement and patents, and, you know, all of that it's all proprietary, proprietary systems closed open. This that's, that is the world that we that we live in today is as as we started, as you said, from the beginning, the sad part of all of this is that in that the decision makers, the architects, the designers, are not really truly thinking about accessibility and building an infinite start. Michael Hingson 40:44 And it would make it just and it's not that hard to do. If they would do it. Tell me about the web accessibility initiative a little bit. Mike Paciello 40:53 Gosh, sure. Well, I'll tell you, as much as I know, I mean, I haven't. I've been on the fringes of it more or less for the last 15 years or so. But I'll tell you the, the interesting story about the about the way is that I and I was working as a volunteer, I was working at digital and working as a volunteer to kind of with MIT, in the WCC to just kind of build some content, leads, you know, email lists, you know, some some resource information, and just keep it there for accessibility. Organizations like trace ad, which then under Greg Vanderheiden, was at the University of Wisconsin, now down at University of Maryland, Baltimore, I think that's where they're at. And in WGBH, here in Boston, under Larry Goldberg's directorship in cast, they also were organizations that were kind of pulling together these resources around around the web. And so while I was there, I came in contact with a few key people like Daniel da, and of course, Tim Berners. Lee, I was working closely with with Uri Rybicki before he passed the 96. In others, Dave Raggett, just a few other people that were there, in ultimately, you know, we started talking about, you know, can we do something with this. But at the same time, conversations were being carried on with with the National Science Foundation is Department of Education, and a couple of European consortiums, including tide. And what happened was, Tim, as I understand it was approached by either Vice President Gore, or President Clinton at at that particular time said, hey, look, would with the W three C, would you guys be interested in kind of building a project around people disabilities that access to the web? And Tim came back to myself DlG Villar a dragon and said, Hey, do you guys think that we could do this, but would this be something that we could do and ultimately, that led to us putting together a plan and a proposal for an initiative at the time was called the web accessibility project or whap. And I never liked it. Never like, you know, from a marketing standpoint, you know, a branding simple, I just knew it wasn't gonna work. So when we decided that we were going to launch it in 1997, Danielle, and Danielle and I went back and forth, okay, what can we name this whole thing? And I came up with way Wi Fi. That was marketable, it was easy to say and easy to brand. And Daniel liked it. And and we were back in 1997. Now at the I think it What was it? Like everybody, I think it was the sixth, sixth or seventh. Why would conference, I think the seventh I want to say seven, but even six. And I've got my stuff right over here on my other shelf. I can't see it right now. But we launched it there. It's at Stanford and see in Santa Clara. And that's that led to, to the launch of the initiative. We got funding, US government funding matching funds from MIT in matching funds from the tide initiative for three years. So we built a three year business plan for it. Ultimately, I at that time, actually, I changed jobs and Dale Yuri had passed away 96 It's now 1997. And I was the executive director of the European ski and sky foundation. So under that notion, I went out and helped help lead and build the the Web Accessibility Initiative Program Office. And ultimately that led to us hiring Judy Brewer. Who was in Massachusetts, it had been very well known for her activity with. With her boy, I can't remember the name of the organization was I want to say the mass mass association for disabilities. But she had led the effort to requiring Microsoft to ship Windows, Windows 95, with certain accessibility features into it. And so she was a great hire, you know, to leave the office, I went back off and eventually left the OSI Foundation, and started up my own company TPG. Michael Hingson 45:43 And now you've since fairly recently sold TPG, right? Mike Paciello 45:49 Today, it's already been for almost five years. Michael Hingson 45:54 What did TPG do? What what did you form the company to do? Mike Paciello 45:59 Yes, so I, what I really wanted to do was forming a professional services organization, company that helped make web web applications and software, regardless of the platform, usable and accessible to people disabilities. So I built an initial team, we went through several iterations of the team, before I could pull the right group of people together. But ultimately, that's, that's, that's what we did. And that's how I sold it became one of the most, if not the most well known brand, in software, professional services around web and software accessibility in the world. And that led to the company at the time, was VFO. Now now known as Despero, and they acquired they acquired TPG is specifically for that we had the largest bring not the largest company, but the largest brand most well done. It was because we were built on a foundation of trust. Every client that we had, came to us by referrals, we never did outbound sales ever. And, and we had lots of lots of repeat business enough to keep you know, ultimately, I think when I saw that we had about 40 or so people on staff in some of the world's best, best of the world in this business. Now my drop it in their knees, because they're all there are there. So they've gone off and formed their own companies. You know, I find I find that a little bit of a legacy. They you know, a car girls would often in antennen, and now he's with level access. Leone, Watson went out and started petrological. And she's got, you know, seven or eight members of her key team are all former TPG employees. Sara Horton is going off. She's doing her thing. So and I've gone off and done my so there's, there's been a lot of it's kind of interesting, a lot of breakout companies from from TPG. Michael Hingson 47:52 And now you're doing web ABL. Mike Paciello 47:56 And now I'm doing web ABL. Yeah, I've kind of labeled right. Web evil and evil docs. Michael Hingson 48:02 And you're married. So you have three jobs. What's that? And you're married? So you have three jobs? Mike Paciello 48:08 I probably have five because yeah, there's that parent tells me I have like five jobs now. So yeah, we're able to able to access web people. It really started out at TPG. It was my idea to kind of build a marketing, but I wanted to honestly, I built a news aggregator which the front of it is front end of it is a news aggregator. But ultimately, I wanted to be a digital marketing social networking marketing company strictly within the context of of, of accessibility and disability. And that's, that's where it's at. Michael Hingson 48:47 And what Able Docs? Mike Paciello 48:49 Able Docs is a right now, it is primarily known for documentation accessibility across the board. So it's not just PDFs its word, its Excel, PowerPoint. We're dealing with Google Docs. But it is a company that is involved in digital accessibility. We've recently branched out and started building on our, our own web accessibility services. So we did an acquisition of web key it out in Perth, Australia, so that we brought them in. And we're buying some tools and we're building some business long there. So so I've been helping Adam Spencer's, the CEO there at Apple docs. Adam has a long history in documentation accessibility, and they're one of the world leaders in that. So I'm here to help them build their USN branch. Michael Hingson 49:43 Pretty exciting, isn't it? Mike Paciello 49:44 Yeah, yeah. Yeah. It's startup all over again. So it's kind of fun from that standpoint, but a lot of hard work Michael Hingson 49:52 well, and doing it in the COVID era. Well, you get to do it at home. So there's, there's there's lots of time do it. So at least you just don't have to travel as much right now. Mike Paciello 50:03 Honestly, that's the thing I missed the most. I love travel. Yeah, I do too. I love traveling. I love speaking, I will go no everywhere and anywhere to do that, you know, to kind of carry the mission. So I missed that the most. Michael Hingson 50:17 I I've never really minded being on airplanes, although I understand the whole issue with COVID right now, but I've never really had a problem with it. I enjoy traveling. I haven't been to a place yet that I couldn't find some things to like about it. And I've enjoyed everywhere I've gotten to go and all the people I've gotten to speak to and speak with and educate. Yeah, I miss it as well. Mike Paciello 50:42 Yeah. Well, you and I saw each other down in Washington, DC. We do in Baltimore. So the NFB and, and then m&a Bling. But I right after that COVID started to break out again with the Omicron variant. So I stopped all travel. So right now and I've done probably five or six other events since then. Right now, if all things work out, I'll be at CSUN. Michael Hingson 51:09 Tell me about that. You're going to be the keynote speaker this year? Mike Paciello 51:13 Yeah, I was kind of surprised. I got a call from from from CSUN. And they asked me there their executive director asked me if I would see any uploading, asked me if I would consider I was really shocked. To be honest with you. I haven't been at CSUN. In you know, in four years right now. Yeah, in four years. Because my first wife passed away. And I was like, at home for I retired after I sold TPG. I retired for, you know, for the better part of four and a half years. And you know, was caretaking for Kim. And I really couldn't travel. So I did go to C center. I've been to CSUN since 2018. Yeah, so be four years now. So when they call when I can't think it now just lost her name. Oh, see any? Sorry. I went didn't see anyone see any called me. I was really surprised. But she asked me if I would consider giving the keynote and, you know, see son to me. See, says where I got my start in terms of networking and meeting people and getting involved in the community, not just on the national level, but on the international level. And that I think really spearheaded an awful lot for me in just about every other company that that's out there. So it holds a very dear in your place to me, Harry Murphy's the director, the founder of CSUN. He and I are close friends, even to this day. He retired over 10 years ago. And I served on I served on two advisory committees to to see some over the years. So when Sandy? Yeah. Well, she asked me, I said, Yeah, I'd be happy to. So I've got so Michael Hingson 53:04 so what are you going to talk about? Can you give us a hint? Well, the theme Mike Paciello 53:07 is trying to get make it a little bit interesting, intriguing accessibility users and the golden goose, why trust is a vital digital asset. So kind of goes with what you and I've been talking about what we've been talking about. We we in I did actually talk about this at m&a Bling. That I think there are four key attributes of our business in our industry that needs to be pervasive and promulgated and in founded, organizations and companies need to be fully immersed in. And that's innovation, collaboration, transparency, and trust. When those four attributes are built together, then then I think we come out with a winning value proposition. And so I'm planning on taking using a trilogy of three stories, life stories, and bring them all together to show how they work out that way and the value behind them. Michael Hingson 54:12 Yeah, I've been in sales a long time having started while working for Kurzweil and taking. Actually, my first foray into sales was the Dale Carnegie sales course, which was a 10 week program once a week with live lessons and then other things during the week, but in Massachusetts, and the the interesting thing, and the overriding message that was constantly addressed during that course was that when you're selling, you're really advising you're, you're helping people and you're establishing a rapport and if you You're doing it just to drive somebody to get your product no matter what, then you're not selling the right way it is all about trust. Mike Paciello 55:08 Yeah, absolutely. There's no doubt. Well, I think it's all for these areas, I really, you know, especially because we're in high tech in a digital economy and digital society. So innovation is critical, right? Working together, right? dispelling the myths associated with with competition. And collaborating, I think is crucial, especially again, in our space, transparency, transparency, you know, organizations need to be, you know, transparent about what they can and can't do. This is one of I think, one of the, I don't know, I don't know exactly where to attribute it to. But this much, I do know that people with disabilities are more than happy to work with you or your organization, your company, they're there, they'll they're one of the first ones to jump on board, and help you to make things useful and accessible, right? Because it benefits that. But if you're not transparent with them, right, if you know, tell them what is what is truth, right? What my product can or can't do upfront, it worse, you, you know, you, you mark it, or you sell something that's not trustworthy, or truthful, you're gonna lose them as a community, and you're gonna, you're gonna, you're gonna get five bad vibes, because this is a very close knit community of individuals. So you've got to be transparent, it's okay to say, look, we've gone this far, I've done this much. Our plan is to go this far in over the next three, five years is what we're going to do. People with disabilities will, will will support you, they know you're making some inroads towards accessibility. They applaud the effort now, okay, so they see your plan for the future. As long as you stay true to that mission. They're all in, and you'll get all the support in the world that you need from them. Which is why trust is so important. Because once you break those first three, and you break the trust, then you got nothing. Michael Hingson 57:14 In 2016, the Nielsen Company did a study of brand loyalty. I don't know all the details of how it got commissioned, or whatever. But one of the main points of the study was that persons with disabilities tend to be very brand loyal to those companies that include them want to work with them want to make their products available to them. And the brand loyalty is extremely strong because of that, which really goes along with exactly what you're saying. Mike Paciello 57:48 Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I remember when Jacob did that, that study. I think I may have even been involved in it some at some level. But yeah, that's it's absolutely true. I think people with disabilities, with maybe the strict exception of possibly elderly individuals are the most free and loyal community of individuals population of individuals ever, period. When it works. Sorry, you're not going to, you know, people, I mean, you know, this, people are Jaws users use JAWS because it works. Right, right. Even though Jaws is flawed, JAWS has has bugs in it, right. Just like every other piece of it I've ever I've ever seen. I've never seen a bug free piece of software at all technology. But once users got into it and started using it, it became very, very clear that this is going to be even though they've got to pay for it. Compared to say, and, VA, right. They're very, very, very strongly loyal to it. And that's been true about all 80. Frankly, Michael Hingson 58:58 but NVDA is is catching up NVDA has come a long way and is working better it is free, but it is still not Jaws know, at least in people's minds. And still not Yeah, Mike Paciello 59:12 nothing. Nothing is just me just, you know, Freedom owns 80% Plus that market. Right and in who have you seen over the years that have kind of gone by the wayside? Be You know, because they just churn market. Right. So Michael Hingson 59:30 and that will, that will be the case. As long as as you said, the trust is there. If if the sparrow breaks the trust ever, that's going to be a big problem. Mike Paciello 59:43 Yeah, I totally agree. I absolutely agree. They know it. I know it. And more importantly, all of the individuals have visual disabilities, the users know it. Michael Hingson 59:54 Yeah, no doubt about it. It's it's been that way and I've been using For a long, long time and have watched how they've grown and developed, and they've done some things that that have been challenging, but in the long run, it works, as you said, and that's what really is important. Mike Paciello 1:00:13 Yeah, yep. No doubt about it, Mike. Michael Hingson 1:00:16 Well, we have been going on for an hour How time flies when we're having fun. And I want to really thank you, if people want to reach out to you, how might they do that, learn more about the things you're doing and so on. Mike Paciello 1:00:30 Well, if they want to learn about Web Able, if you get what we're doing, I mean, we are we're on a sponsorship drive right now. So we're really looking for sponsors going into 2022. So you can send me email at M as in Mike Paciello, P a c, i e l l o at webable.com if they want to contact me at Able Docs for documentation, accessibility and even professional services around software and Web. And you can send me email at mpaciello@abledocs.com. Michael Hingson 1:01:02 Well, we've been we've been working together now for what since September, and October, and m&a billing and all that. And I know you're talking with folks that accessiBe, and there's a lot of exciting stuff going on there. And hopefully, we'll all be able to work together and make this a little bit more of an inclusive world. And hopefully, we'll be able to change mindsets, and get people to maybe look at the world a little bit differently than they're used to, and maybe look at it in a little bit broader and more inclusive way. Mike Paciello 1:01:34 I totally agree. Totally agree. Michael Hingson 1:01:38 Well, Mike, thanks very much for being here with us. And hopefully, you'll you'll have a chance and come back again. We'd love to have you back anytime. If you would have anything you want to talk about, then let us know. We'll try to catch the speech at CSUN. Not sure whether I'm going to travel down there or not this year, we'll see. But hopefully we'll we'll we'll work it out somehow. But thanks again for being here on unstoppable mindset. And for those of you who want to learn more about us, you can you can find us at Michaelhingson.com that's M I C H A E L H I N G S O N.com/podcast. And you wherever you heard this podcast, you can go anywhere where podcasts are posted and and released and you can find us there. So join us next week for another edition of unstoppable mindset wherever you are, wherever you happen to be at the time, and with whatever hosts you use. We'll be looking forward to seeing you then. You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

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Snow Cone

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2021 55:17

In this episode we first provide you with a few important announcements, including items about holiday shipping deadlines and Mystic Access closing dates. We also share our featured product of the month for December, which is our comprehensive Android audio documentation. It's twenty percent off through the end of the year. Our main event this time around is a magic castle discussion with National Braille Press's editor and programs manager Kesel Wilson, and customer service representative Luis Barrios. We talk about all the great new holiday releases that are available now,as well as a sneak peak of Mystic Access's latest book coming out in mid February, 2022. Now's the time to get in those last-minute holiday orders. Enjoy! Thanks, as always, for listening.

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Snow Cone

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2021 55:17

android snow cone national braille press mystic access

Talking Tech 7th September 2021

Talking Tech - Vision Australia Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2021 14:31 Transcription Available

FlickType Keyboard for iOS being Discontinued Looks like Apple has finally pushed the developers of FlickType (the pattern recognition keyboard) to far this time, and they have decided to discontinue the iOS keyboard. Note you can with VoiceOver still use hand writing, slide to type, and BSI (Braille Screen Input). https://www.applevis.com/forum/ios-ipados/discontinuing-flicktype-keyboard-iphone Paralypics - Do as You Say So again like the Opening, the Closing show was not Audio Described. More concerning was the accident in the Olympic village last week where a VI Athlete got knock over by an electric vehicle used to carry athletes around, yes you guest it, it wasn't making a noise. Saving grace it was only moving at 1-2K, and the person is fine, and the vehicles were taken off the road. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/paralympics/toyota-halts-self-driving-vehicles-use-after-olympic-village-accident-1.6157569 Bursary Applications closing at the end of September 2021. https://www.visionaustralia.org/referral/benefits-and-funding/further-education-bursary Upcoming exploring tech webinar with DAVID WOODBRIDGE on the Apple Watch. As usual, last Wednesday of the Month (29 Sep 2021) from 12.30 to 13.30 EST. Registration page follows: https://visionaustralia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PfbH9oQITqqpJSbllR4RoA Apple Keynote Event iPhone and other possible devices launching this month: perhaps September 14??? https://www.techradar.com/news/iphone-13-launch-every-product-we-expect-to-see-from-apple Windows 11 Launch Date October 5 2021 https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/31/22649940/windows-11-release-date-features-devices-free-upgrade FitBit's with ECG Function Now Available in Australia. Remember, Fitbit devices are not self voicing. https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2021/08/fitbit-ecg-tga-approval-australia/ Book for Blind Android Users from National Braille Press in Multiple Formats https://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/AND-COMMAND-2ED.html?from_search=1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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20210721 - Audio Description: what it is and where to find it and how to use it

ACB Focus: Audio Description

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2021 67:12

~~Meet the Author: Attendees met Judy Dixon, Writer, Arlington, VA: Judy has just authored Audio Description: What it is, Where to Find it, and how to Use it, published by National Braille Press. Attendees learned about how she came to write this book, do her research, and asked her questions. Sponsored by: LUA, BRL, and ADP Recorded during the 2021 ACB National Convention on July 21 2021~~

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Interview with Judy Dixon, technology writer, on her latest book on Audio Description

Picture This

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2021 37:01

If you've ever tried to watch something on television that you were told would be described, only to find that there was no description, and wondered if you were doing something wrong, Judy Dixon's latest book is for you. Technology writer Judy Dixon joins Brian and Carl to discuss her latest book entitled “Audio Description: What It Is, Where to Find it, and How to Use It”. The book is available in multiple formats to purchase at the National Braille Press's website at . If you have any questions and wish to contact Judy Dixon directly, you may do so at . To leave feedback, suggestions, or ideas for a future podcast, please get in touch with the PictureThis team by emailing your comments to or leave a voicemail at 857-302-2817. We may use your email or voicemail in a future episode.

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Interview with Judy Dixon, technology writer, on her latest book on Audio Description

Picture This

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2021 37:01

technology writer audio description national braille press judy dixon

Interview with Judy Dixon, technology writer, on her latest book on Audio Description

Picture This

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2021 37:01

technology writer audio description national braille press judy dixon

Episode 127: Janet Ingber discusses her updated Mac Basics book and why you might want a Mac in your life

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2021 62:03

Interest in the Mac from the blind community has increased, particularly since iPhone was made accessible. And blind or not, many have had their interest in the Mac peaked or rekindled as a result of the remarkable technological prowess of the new Macs that sport the M1 chip. Operating systems change over time, so Janet Ingber has updated her popular book on Mac Basics. It's published by National Braille Press. I spoke with Janet about her book and the Mac in general. We were in Clubhouse, so we also got some great contributions from the Mosen At Large community discussing the pros and cons of the Mac in conjunction with VoiceOver, its built-in screen reader. Share your thoughts on these topics or any others. Drop me an email in writing or with an audio attachment, Jonathan at MushroomFm.com, or phone the listener line in the United States, +1864-60Mosen, that's +18646066736. Keep up with Mosen At Large between episodes. Follow MosenAtLarge on Twitter where you'll get audio extras, links to interesting news stories, sneak peeks about what's coming up and more. If you'd like to subscribe to our announcements only email list, please send email to media-subscribe@mosen.org And if you like the show, we'd love a positive review and for you to spread the word. Thank you.

Judy Dixon on Braille, More Braille, and the World’s Largest Collection of Slates and Styluses (Episode 23)

BrailleCast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2021 48:58

Judy Dixon is something of a braille icon. She is Consumer Relations Officer at the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, part of the Library of Congress in the United States; President of the International Council on English Braille; and has written a myriad of books for National Braille Press relating to ... Read more

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Episode 61: Moving from Broken to Brilliantly Resilient with guest Kristin Smedley

The Kris and Kristine Show

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2020 64:55

Join us this week as we chat with Kristin Smedley. A single mom of 3 kids, which 2 of them developed blindness. In 2011, Kristin launched a nonprofit to fund research and resources for children living with the rare eye disease her sons have, CRB1 LCA/RP. In just nine years, the Curing Retinal Blindness Foundation has raised over 1.4 million dollars and achieved a National Rare Eye Disease Awareness Day. That legislation, H.R. #625, was the first in US history to be submitted in Braille and it advocates for better resources for blind and visually impaired Americans. Kristin partnered with Spark Therapeutics to help achieve the first ever FDA approved gene therapy to treat an inherited retinal disease in the United States. She has done a TEDx Talk in New York City to change perceptions of blindness and she partnered with Comcast media to spread awareness of the inclusive X1 product. In 2019, Kristin published her first book called Thriving Blind: Stories of Real People Succeeding Without Sight. It achieved #1 New Release on Amazon for paperback and kindle. Kristin partnered with TMobile and the National Braille Press to make the book available in Braille. Kristin recently received one of the highest honors in the rare disease community: The Champion of Hope Award from Global Genes. During the COVID19 pandemic Kristin and a friend launched an online show/podcast called Brilliantly Resilient where they help their “tribe” Reset, Rise and Reveal their Brilliance after life's sucker punches. https://brilliantlyresilient.net/ Podcast Promos The Derek Duvall Show https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-derek-duvall-show-derek-duvall-NPO48BHytWQ/ Podbreed https://www.podbreed.com/ www.krisandkristineshow.com Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, rate and review, we love those five star reviews! Thanks for tuning in and until next time…keep moving forward! Twitter:https://twitter.com/k2showsandiego Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thek2showsandiego/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/k2showsandiego Support us on Patreon at: www.patreon.com/thekrisandkristineshow Email us at: krisandkristinepodcast@gmail.com The Kris and Kristine Show Podcast is recorded in Audacity https://www.audacityteam.org/ Post-production editing is completed using Levelator which can be found at: http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator Remote podcasts and interviews are completed using Cleanfeed which can be found at: https://cleanfeed.net/

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S1E10 - Tuesday Topics with Paul Edwards: Author Deborah Kendrick

ACB Tuesday Topics

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2020 57:29

My guest on this week's Tuesday Topics is Deborah Kendrick. Those of you who have been around for a while may remember her as the editor of TACTIC magazine. She has been a columnist for the Cincinnati Inquirer and a frequent contributor to Access World. She has written a new book which talks about how people who are blind can best navigate the daunting world of medicine. It is published (the National Braille Press and can be downloaded for free during the pandemic. Deborah will tell us why she wrote the book and you will get the chance to ask lots of questions if you participate in our Zoom call at 7:45222Eastern Daylight time on June 2nd. Silence is the enemy of truth! Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co

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Braillecast, Episode 18 – Brian MacDonald

BrailleCast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2020 43:43

Based in Boston Massachusetts since 1927, National Braille Press is a global leader in producing high quality, affordable braille materials and developing innovative technologies advancing braille literacy for blind and visually impaired children and adults everywhere. In addition to its first class braille transcription facility, producing everything from standardised tests to restaurant menus, NBP has ... Read more...

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Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Brian MacDonald - Center for Braille Innovation

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2020 14:37

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Brian MacDonald - Center for Braille Innovation

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Deborah Kendrick - Navigating Healthcare

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2020 13:17

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Deborah Kendrick - Navigating Healthcare

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Susie Stageberg - Susie on Style

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2020 13:46

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Susie Stageberg - Susie on Style

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Judy Dixon on Capturing and Sharing the World

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2020 14:25

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Judy Dixon on Capturing and Sharing the World

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Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Deborah Kendrick - When Your Ears Can't Help You See

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2020 13:46

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Deborah Kendrick - When Your Ears Can't Help You See

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Kim Loftis and Chris Grabowski - Dinner Delivered

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2020 12:18

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Kim Loftis and Chris Grabowski - Dinner Delivered

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Kesel Wilson and Tony Grima on Summer Picks

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2020 14:45

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Kesel Wilson and Tony Grima on Summer Picks

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Joe Quintanilla and Anna Kaczmarek - Virtual Events

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2020 14:57

Exhibitor: 2020 Convention - National Braille Press - Joe Quintanilla and Anna Kaczmarek - Virtual Events

Mosen At Large Episode 34, is there strong science behind the public wearing masks, iPhone SE 2 reviews, conferencing apps, notetakers versus a smartphone-based solution and more

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2020 115:21

Kia ora Mosen at largers. We trust you're keeping safe and well, both physically and mentally. At this time where we all need connection, it's a bumper podcast episode for you this week, full of listener contributions. Sonos move experiences,1:05.481 COVID-19 and the uncertain science of face covering for members of the public,2:24.783 How is the iPhone SE 2 working out?,9:15.250 More trouble with Samsung devices,11:04.690 Advice from the Scottish Government on protective covering for the public and COVID-19,12:42.740 More iPhone SE 2 feedback,16:26.573 Audio processing on Mushroom FM,17:21.644 Is there an alternative to Apple's discontinued Cards app?,19:07.651 YouTube Music on Sonos,20:47.817 Blind people and crypto currency,22:02.081 More on the Zoom F6 digital recorder,23:28.874 Success with Braille Screen Input on a Samsung device and question about Braille input on a PC,29:42.255 Zoom Cloud Meetings questions,32:11.663 iPhone SE 2 thoughts and envy in the blind community,36:26.381 More on Zoom Cloud Meetings,43:53.133 Granular control of different iOS volumes,45:03.552 The cloud meeting space is really heating up,49:01.190 Notetakers versus a Braille display and an iPhone,54:27.150 Question about places where blind people can meet during COVID-19,1:02:53.178 Notetakers versus a Braille display and iPhone,1:04:27.788 Michael Feir talks about his book Personal Power iOS edition,1:05:06.043 Talk stations in New Zealand,1:11:00.291 Phone Soap poor customer experience,1:12:14.328 Migrating data from one iPhone to another,1:15:08.999 The Bonnie Bulletin begins with a COVID-19 update,1:16:20.652 Bonnie's take on notetakers versus an iPhone with a Braille display,1:21:19.643 A request for a stereophonic Bonnie Bulletin,1:22:52.706 The iOS Camera Adapter kit,1:23:14.840 Reading Recommendation The Chronicles of St. Mary's by Jodi Taylor,1:25:25.999 Microsoft Word 365 dictation is worth checking out,1:29:03.604 Thankfully Microsoft Word is now flagging two spaces after a period/full stop as an error,1:29:44.876 Michael Feir's book and a new version of Ulysses for iOS and Mac,1:31:47.075 Exciting updates coming for Sonos,1:32:39.819 Tipping in the US versus New Zealand,1:35:27.555 Blind people in Hong Kong advocating for more accessible media apps,1:42:34.615 National Braille Press has some free kids' books to give away,1:44:32.848 British blind man says people are being judgmental about blind people during COVID-19,1:45:30.443 InstaCart and comments on tipping in America,1:47:31.566 Mike Feir's Book Personal Power iOS Edition,1:49:18.843 iPhone SE 2,1:51:32.013 Ways for blind people to connect during COVID-19,1:52:03.430 Closing,1:54:20.552

Support Each Other

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2020 73:24

Hi, Everyone, We're living in surreal times, so while we always try to have some fun on the podcast, and today's episode is no exception, we wanted to share some ideas for remaining calm and connected during this strange and…

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30 Years of Braille Proofreading

Embracing Braille

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2020

Donald Dawes, former proofreader at National Braille Press, discussed the significance of proofreading braille assignments and share his 30 years of proofreading experience.

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On the Inside Track for February, 2020

On the Inside Track

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2020

I’ve read an article here and there by Deborah Kendrick. Gayle Krause and Paul Edwards used to tell us each that we should get to know each other, that we each reminded them of each other. With her new book, published by National Braille Press, (NBP) http://nbp.org all I can say is, I think this book is one of the most important books to be out there for all of us! “Navigating Healthcare: (When All Others See Is That You Can’t” As people who are blind or visually impaired, this book touches all of our lives, whether dealing with our own health of the health of someone else. At the time of the interview, I had only started the book. The whole book is awesome! If you wish to contact Deborah, you may email her at: kendrickdeborah at gmail dot com I hope you enjoy it. Stay well, and when you need medical care, as much as possible, be your own advocate.

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On the Inside Track for February, 2020

On the Inside Track

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2020

community health talk inspiration radio blindness acb inside track paul edwards nbp national braille press

On the Inside Track for February, 2020

On the Inside Track

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2020 58:31

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Tek Talk welcomes two great friends, Kim Loftis and Chris Grabowski to discuss their new book: “Dinner Delivered, Accessible and Easy ways to receive Meals Direct to Your Door.”

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Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2020

Kim Loftis and Chris Grabowski are delighted to share their new book with you, “Dinner delivered, Accessible and Easy Ways to Receive Meals Direct to Your Door”. The book is available from National Braille Press, in two volumes.

#ATIA20 Audio: Speaking To The Power Of Braille Literacy With Objective Ed

Blind Bargains Audio: Featuring the BB Qast, Technology news, Interviews, and more

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2020 6:21

The BBQ Crew last caught up with Marty Schultz, Founder of Blindfold Games and Co-Founder of Objective Ed, at CSUNATC19 where he receive the Touch of Genius award From the National Braille Press for his work in providing new game based tools for Education. The accolades don't stop there, as Joe learns in this interview, the company was awarded a Microsoft AI For Accessibility grant for using Speech Recognition to teach Braille Literacy. Tune in to hear how Objective Ed is using a Refreshable Braille Display, speech and the Microsoft Cloud to build out skills. Plus, you get to learn about a Wayfinding game in a Medieval town. To learn more, and possibly be accepted for one of the company's upcoming pilot projects, visit the official Objective Ed website ATIA 2020 coverage is Brought to you by AFB AccessWorld. For the latest news and accessibility information on mainstream and access technology, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offerings, access technology book reviews, and mobile apps, and how they can enhance entertainment, education and employment, log on to AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's free, monthly, online technology magazine. Visit www.afb.org/aw.

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There Were No Chains

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2020 34:00

In this episode, we begin by telling you about our first free monthly event for 2020, which will be all about audio description services. Whether you're new to audio description services and want to learn what it's all about, are…

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A Million Laughs for Literacy Gala - September 26, 2019

ACB Events

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2019 201:29

ACB Radio was once again proud to broadcast live National Braille Press' “A Million Laughs for Literacy Gala” Thursday beginning at 6:30 PM Eastern, from the Museum of Science Blue Wing in Boston, MA where the full-size Tyrannosaurus rex model oversaw the festivities. For more than 15 years, the A Million Laughs for Literacy Gala has raised millions to support National Braille Press' Braille Literacy Programs which exist to ensure blind and visually impaired children are given an equal chance to read. Braille typically costs three times more to produce than the same materials in print, but NBP strives to make sure blind individuals do not have to pay more for the same information. Thursday's Gala features comedian Pat McGann. Pat is a stand-up comedian and television host from Chicago. In 2015, he made his second appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. Pat created and hosted the Emmy-nominated television show The Chicago Stand Up Project. He has been invited to The Great American Comedy Festival, Laugh Fest, The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival and has been heard on the nationally-syndicated The Bob and Tom Show as well as seen on AXS-TV's Gotham Comedy Live. His debut comedy album Sounds Good can be heard on Sirius/XM radio. Brian Charlson and Rick Morin host the event.

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Episode 62: Reflections on September 11th

OA On Air

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2019 37:46

This week on OA on Air, Cosmo and Cayenne reflect on 9/11 with former journalist from the Boston Herald Tom Farmer. Then, Ann speaks with activist and author Kristin Smedley. As a mother of two blind sons, Kristin Smedley is a fierce advocate for the blind and visually impaired. She is also an advocate for braille literacy, which is also the mission of Boston-based National Braille Press which published her book in braille, Thinking Blind. Ann Murphy sits down with Kristen to talk about her life's passion. Lastly, in 2 Minutes with Tom, Tom offers his thoughts on the closing of the infamous Doyle's Pub in Jamaica Plain.

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Tek Talk welcomes Judy Dixon to discuss her new book: “Getting Visual Assistance with an iPhone—Now, You Can Just Be Friends with Your Friends”

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2019

Judy Dixon will talk about her upcoming book being published by National Braille Press.

friends iphone new books visual assistance national braille press judy dixon

Hot Off The Braille Press

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2019

Todays episode is devoted to a segment in the Mystic access magic castle. We were delighted to chat with Kesel Wilson, editor and programs manager with National Braille Press. Kesel shares about NBPs founding, its mission and goals, and about the many de

press mystic braille hot off kesel national braille press

Hot Off The Braille Press

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2019 47:24

Today's episode is devoted to a segment in the Mystic access magic castle. We were delighted to chat with Kesel Wilson, editor and programs manager with National Braille Press. Kesel shares about NBP's founding, its mission and goals, and about…

press mystic braille hot off nbp kesel national braille press

Goofy And Unprofessional

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2019 42:50

We start out this episode by telling you about our free class for May: Asking Questions that Get Answers. It will take place on Thursday, May 31 at 8:30 PM Eastern. To get all the details, please subscribe to our…

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Meet Kristin Smedley: Author, of Thriving Blind: Stories of Real People Succeeding Without Sight. Interview by Simon Bonenfant

Blind Abilities

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2019 35:34

Full Transcript Below Show Summary: Life is funny… sort of. That’s how Kristin sees it! Kristin Smedley is an award winning non-profit leader, TEDx speaker, and author – but she never planned on any of that. Image of the Thriving Blind Book Cover however her personal path to greatness took an unexpected turn when two of her three children were diagnosed as blind. She had to learn the tools of blindness and build a team of experts that would help her navigate this path that she had not been trained for. Kristin’s two blind sons are now thriving. (taken from www.KritinSmedley.com) Blind Abilities Teen correspondent, Simon Bonenfant, sat down with Kristin to talk about her book Thriving Blind. Kristin shares her experience from raising 2 sons who happen to be Blind, and how she found confidence from others who were living successful lives without sight. Her journey through education and meeting parents who faced the limited expectations gave Kristin the incentive to do more. Learn about the foundation she created and what led her to write her first book, Thriving Blind. You can find Thriving Blindin paperback , and in Large Print, as well as in Kindle Edition. You can also go to www.KristinSmedley.comand get the Electronic Braille format. Contact: Thank you for listening! You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Storeand Google Play Store. Check out the Blind Abilities Communityon Facebook, the Blind Abilities Page, the Job Insights Support Groupand the Assistive Technology Community for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Full Transcript: Full Transcript Meet Kristin Smedley: Author, of Thriving Blind: Stories of Real People Succeeding Without Sight. Interview by Simon Bonenfant Kristen Smedley: I was pretty much told, "They might have to know Braille, they'll have to learn how to use a cane, and good luck." Jeff Thompson: Introducing Kristin Smedley, author of the new book Thriving Blind. Kristen Smedley: Nobody told me what was possible for them. I had no education on blindness whatsoever. I spent 19 years going out and finding people that were literally succeeding without sight. Jeff Thompson: Thriving Blind on Amazon for paperback and Kindle, and large print, and you can go to kristinsmedley.com for the electronic Braille version. Kristen Smedley: And how about this? I told our principal about it, and he sent Michael's entire IEP team to that high school to hear Eric talk. Jeff Thompson: Kristin is an advocate for parents of blind children, and herself is a parent of two sons who happen to be blind. Kristen Smedley: "I'm kind of nervous and all," and she goes, "Are you kidding? I was so happy to be invited because the first book I was in, it was about being a failure." Jeff Thompson: An interview conducted by our teen correspondent, Simon Bonenfant. Simon Bonenfant: We all have our cross to bear, and we all have something that's going on, and there's two ways to look at that. We could either get down about that, or we can find encouragement in each other through our sufferings, and turn into something good if we stand together through that. It sounds like your book promotes that as well. Kristen Smedley: I love that, Simon. Kristen Smedley: Whether they were blind from birth or came into blindness later in life, they all had a different strength that they found in themselves. Jeff Thompson: For more podcasts with the blindness perspective, check us out on the web at www.blindabilities.com, on Twitter @BlindAbilities, and download the free Blind Abilities app from the app store and Google Play store. That's two words, Blind Abilities. And be sure to enable the Blind Abilities skill on your Amazon device just by saying "enable Blind Abilities". Jeff Thompson: And now, please welcome Kristin Smedley and Simon Bonenfant. Kristen Smedley: When you're first told that you think you're going to have this life plan, and now you got to rethink your whole thing, it kind of stinks. Simon Bonenfant: Hello Blind Abilities, this is Simon Bonenfant here. Today I got a chance to talk to Kristin Smedley. How are you doing, Kristin? Kristen Smedley: I'm good, thanks. I'm so happy to be here, Simon. Simon Bonenfant: And you are the author of a book, Thriving Blind. Kristen Smedley: That's right, that's my new book. First book, new book. Simon Bonenfant: Very good, congratulations. Kristen Smedley: Thank you. Simon Bonenfant: And what is your book about? Kristen Smedley: So Thriving Blind is stories of real people succeeding without sight. It highlights 13 people that are chasing their dreams, living in the careers that they choose to have, regardless of vision loss. And I say 13, it's actually 12 interviews that I did, and the 13th person is Erik Weihenmayer, the blind mountain climber and adventurer extraordinaire that wrote the forward for the book. Simon Bonenfant: Very good. Simon Bonenfant: Let's just go back a little bit. How did you get the idea for the book, and what is your past interactions with blindness? How did you get in the blindness field? Kristen Smedley: I came about this by accident. Two of my three kids were diagnosed as blind 19 and 15 years ago. I was pretty much told, "They might have to know Braille, they'll have to learn how to use a cane, and good luck." Nobody told me what was possible for them. I had no education on blindness whatsoever. I spent 19 years going out and finding people that were literally succeeding without sight, because I wanted my boys to do that. I didn't want to just be that we would go home and be blind. Simon Bonenfant: What was their journey like throughout school? Kristen Smedley: They did all of the regular public schools. They were even on baseball teams and the swim team. All kinds of stuff in our town. I've worked myself silly to make sure that they could do everything that they wanted to do. Honestly, I never would've anticipated all of this, and I didn't think all of this was going to be possible when those first diagnoses came, until we met Erik Weihenmayer. Kristen Smedley: He had just come off of Everest and was climbing the other seven summits, and I thought, "Well... " That was when Michael was six. I thought, "Well, if he can do it, we can do it. We just have to find all the tools and resources to do it." Which has been an interesting journey with getting some things and fighting for others, as I'm sure your family can attest to. But we've made it work. Simon Bonenfant: And how did you meet Erik? How did you first meet him? Kristen Smedley: You know, somebody sent me his book when Michael was a year old, I believe, and then... I have to remember. Through happen circumstance, I found out he was going to be speaking at an event in my hometown of Philly, and there's the Associated Services of the Blind of Philadelphia— Simon Bonenfant: Yep. ASB, yeah. Kristen Smedley: Yeah, they put on an awards banquet every year, the Louis Braille Awards, and Erik was being recognized. Somehow I was able to get ahold of Erik's dad Ed. I got him on the phone and said, "Listen, while you're here, we'd love for Michael to meet Erik," and it turned out that Erik was speaking at a high school right near my house. And how about this? I told our elementary school principal about it, and he sent Michael's entire IEP team to that high school to hear Erik talk. Simon Bonenfant: Wow, that's incredible. Kristen Smedley: Yep. And I really credit that moment with, when they came out of Erik's speech, their minds were wide open to all the possibilities for Michael, and then eventually Mitchell when he went to that school. Simon Bonenfant: That's great. And I've heard you speak before [inaudible] and I've always taken away that you're a big advocate for the blind doing whatever they want to do. Kristen Smedley: Whatever they want to do. Yeah. Simon Bonenfant: It sounds like Erik really inspired you to get that way. Kristen Smedley: He was the number one inspiration for that, and the second person along those lines was a woman by the name of Kay Lahey who's a mom of a blind man, because he's now in his late 20s or early 30s on Capitol Hill, but she was the first mom that I met that said, "You can still have them do whatever they want, you're just going to have to do a lot of work behind the scenes in the early years to get them the tools that they need, and then watch them soar." So I was lucky. Simon Bonenfant: Very good. Simon Bonenfant: And when did you have the idea first to seriously pursue the book and chronicle your experiences and other people's experience? When did you first get the idea to say this is something that you're going to seriously pursue? Kristen Smedley: That's a great question. Right around 2011, I started the patient organization for our specific blindness. Initially it was set up to fund research for a cure, but then I was meeting all these parents through that organization that were pretty much, for the most part, sitting on the couch and crossing their fingers for that cure, because they still had no idea how to get out there and get the kids the tools and resources. A lot of schools were telling them that they didn't have the resources, and they were giving them some bad information in terms of Braille and activities and options and stuff like that. Kristen Smedley: So then I started sharing all the stories that I knew of these folks that I was meeting, blind architect and mechanic, all the possibilities that were out there, and I thought, "Okay. We've got to get this to everybody." It was going to be either a website or a pamphlet for doctors to hand these families so that they knew there was some potential. And that pamphlet and website evolved into a book. Simon Bonenfant: Wow, that's great. Simon Bonenfant: Just going back to your foundation, what is your foundation called, and how did you get the idea to start that up? Kristen Smedley: So crb1.org is the Curing Retinal Blindness Foundation, and like I said, it specifically started for kids like my boys that are, it's a mutation in the crb1 gene that causes their Leber's congenital amaurosis. We did initially start because there was work being down in the field that was using gene therapy to restore some vision, and initially that was my hope, that a miracle would come and they'd be able to see. All in a day's work, right? But then we quickly had to diversify the mission to realize that that's how we were going to help people get tools and resources to raise these kids. Kristen Smedley: Because honestly, there's a lot of people out there that are blind and happy with their lives that way. Simon Bonenfant: Oh, absolutely. Kristen Smedley: And honestly, in my house right now, one of two is saying, "I'm good. I'm fine. This is me, and this is my life, and I'm just fine." The other one's saying— Simon Bonenfant: That's the way I see it. Kristen Smedley: Yeah. And there's a lot of people in the blind community that are like that. And then the other half is saying, "Well, if I have an option to do some things that I can't do without sight, I'd like that option." Simon Bonenfant: And that's okay as well. Kristen Smedley: Yeah! Yeah. But you know, for a while there, the blind community wasn't open to... one side of the fence wasn't open to the other camp's way of thinking, and I think that we can all live in the same world with those two different options and be cool with that. Simon Bonenfant: Exactly. Because until that day comes, they're blind, and we can all learn from each other. Kristen Smedley: Yep. Simon Bonenfant: That's the way it works. Simon Bonenfant: So going forward to your book, how did you get the people that you were wanting to get? When you first started it, did you have instantly in mind these 13 people, or did it kind of evolve? Kristen Smedley: That's a great question. I just reached out to the people that I had met, and there's a few that I had not met at that point. It was just through conversations with the IEP team and other people. When I was saying, "I'm putting this book together," people said, "Oh you got to interview this person, and you got to interview that person." But for the most part, I met them all and they all jumped on board with it and said yes. Simon Bonenfant: Very good. Simon Bonenfant: So how did you conduct the interviews? Did you go to where they lived? [crosstalk] Kristen Smedley: It was all on the phone. Simon Bonenfant: Oh, on the phone. Okay. Very good. Kristen Smedley: Yeah, I found an app called... if I remember right, it was called Tape A Call, and I was able to record all the interviews and take notes, because my mind can't do one or the other, I have to do two things [crosstalk] And then I transcribed all of those interviews, and interestingly enough, initially I was writing the book in my take on their interview. And then a friend of mine said... I was in this Mastermind group where we all got together on Skype and talked about our businesses and our ideas and help each other work through stuff. And my Mastermind group said, "Wait a minute. People are going to want to hear their own words. From your people that you interviewed, do it in their words." That actually made it way easier. I just edited it down to fit in the book. Kristen Smedley: So it's totally written in, it's their own words, each of the people I interviewed, and you can tell one of my editors emailed me and said, "Is this guy that I'm going to... " it was Simon Wheatcroft... she goes, "Is he from the UK? Because he talks differently." The way I wrote it, I wrote it all in his voice. I said yeah. She's like, "Okay, I need to know that as an editor." Simon Bonenfant: Wow, so how long did it take you from the time of the interviews to the writing? Kristen Smedley: It was a few years, because I did all those interviews, and then it was trying to figure out what was the best mechanism to get it out there, and then it was... There was a lot of stuff that happened in my life, and kept getting put on the back burner, and the foundation was really taking off. Kristen Smedley: If I'm being perfectly honest, one of the biggest issues I had was fear. I was really nervous about; I had never written a book before and I wasn't a writer. I'm very good at speaking and— Simon Bonenfant: Yes you are. Kristen Smedley: I'm used to parties and stuff, but writing was one of my least talents on the list growing up, and in my adult life, and I was so nervous about putting a written work out into the world. And then my life just happened that I had to do something, I had to start getting some income, and it was also... This mission just had to get out there. I was meeting way too many moms that were struggling, and I didn't have this resource to hand them yet. Kristen Smedley: "You know what, Kristin? Get over it. You've got to get over yourself and your fears," and I went and talked to a lot of authors that had similar fears early on. Talked to people that published successful books, listened to a zillion interviews and podcasts, and just went for it. Simon Bonenfant: Wow. And who are the 12 other people? You mentioned Erik is the 13th person, but who are the 12 other people that you got? Kristen Smedley: Oh gosh, now I'm going off the top of my head. I'll give you a few highlights and then people can dive into the book. Kristen Smedley: One that really stuck with me, especially when I was editing and going through some stuff in my life, was Monty Bedwell. Did you ever hear of him? Simon Bonenfant: No, actually. Kristen Smedley: He's a good friend of Erik's. He kayaked the Grand Canyon and his book is called 226. That's how many miles are in the Grand Canyon. Simon Bonenfant: Wow. Kristen Smedley: But his story... I should mention that half of the people in the book... I didn't intend it this way, but half were born blind, and the other half went blind as adults. Simon Bonenfant: Oh, that's interesting. That's a good mix, then, I guess. Kristen Smedley: Right? And I didn't even intend that. But Lonnie is one of the ones that went blind as an adult, and the stuff he went through in his life, and being in the service, and all this stuff, and he goes blind from an accident that was caused by one of his best friends. Total freak accident. And the fact that Lonnie came through that, and his life is incredible now. His whole story, the undertone is loving and forgiveness and friendship and kindness. It got me through so many of the struggles in my own life. I always go back to Lonnie's chapter, and I talk with him every now and again, because he's just a cool, nice guy. He's a single parent, and his stories of how he handled... Kristen Smedley: It was actually his five-year-old daughter that was the pivotal moment of him handling his blindness. The story's hilarious of him... Let me just tell you, it involved driving a lawn tractor. Simon Bonenfant: Wow. Kristen Smedley: And his five-year-old putting her hands on her hips and telling him to get over himself and get on with his life. It's a hilarious story. Kristen Smedley: But Lonnie, that was a really cool one for me. Kristen Smedley: Chris Downey is another one that went blind as an adult. He was a very successful architect. Again, had a medical issue that there was something that saved his life, a surgery, caused his blindness, and when he woke up, totally blind. He said everybody came in and took his life away. Even his phone, because they said, "Your life is going to be different now. You're going on disability. You're not working anymore," and he said he had a 10-year-old son at home that he needed to set an example for. He got back to work as an architect within a month of that surgery, and he's more successful now than he was then. Kristen Smedley: That is a TED Talk that you should watch. Chris Downey on if we would design communities with the blind in mind, how much better those towns would be. Simon Bonenfant: Very good. Yeah, we could probably put that in the show notes. Kristen Smedley: Oh, that would be great! Simon Bonenfant: We have a show notes portion we put that. Simon Bonenfant: Getting on to TED Talks, you actually did a TED Talk. That's a good segue, right? You did TED Talk? Kristen Smedley: I did. I did. It was the hardest thing I ever did. Simon Bonenfant: Wow. What was that about, the TED Talk? Kristen Smedley: That was about how my perception of blindness changed, and it was from my two boys. Mainly Michael, because he was the first born. Kristen Smedley: For a long time, I wasn't proud to mention how horrible I was in dealing with the blindness diagnosis. I mean, if you want to see an epic example of how not to handle a blindness diagnosis, that was me. Kristen Smedley: But Michael changed my perception on that when he was three, and when I finally looked at the situation differently, that's when our journey just exploded into amazingness, and the talk is trying to teach the lesson that if you look at things differently, especially blindness, how much your life can open up. Simon Bonenfant: I'm sure you learned a lot from the book. What was the biggest takeaway that you learned from all the interviews that you apply to your own life? Because a lot of these stories can apply to anyone, really, not blindness. Just the idea of overcoming obstacles, whatever that is... that means blindness to some people, maybe it's not, maybe it's just in the mind for some people, overcoming fear and things. So what was your biggest takeaway that you apply to your own life from your interviews? Kristen Smedley: Oh my gosh, you have the greatest questions. Kristen Smedley: So I could probably talk for hours on this, but I think... I went into this to teach people about changing their perception of blindness, and that was the goal of each interview. But I'm telling you, when I was going through the process... remember I told you it took a couple of years to get it written and everything... every time I was going back to these chapters to rewrite and edit and get them perfect, something was going on in my life. Kristen Smedley: One of the biggest ones was when I got divorced. And then I was going through and editing these chapters, and I was taking stuff away from them, like Lonnie with forgiveness and friendship, and Diane Berberian is the iron man competitor, and her thing is just finding the fun in everything, and the joy. And her stories, you know, so much happened with her. She went through a divorce, too, and she went through a bunch of stuff, but she made me laugh through the entire interviews, and even when I was editing her chapter. Kristen Smedley: So I guess it's hard to pinpoint just one thing, but each person gave me a different takeaway, most of them being resilience, and everybody's got something. Everyone has something they struggle with. And even all these people, whether they were blind from birth or came into blindness later in life, they all had a different strength that they found in themselves along their journey somewhere. Simon Bonenfant: I always find that we could have encouragement from other people having struggled, because we all have struggles in our life. No one's perfect. I always say, "We all have our crosses to carry," and it's true that we all have our cross to bear, and we all have something that's going on, and there's two ways to look at that. We could either get down about that, or we could find encouragement in each other through our sufferings, and turn it into something good if we stand together through that. It sounds like your book promotes that as well. Kristen Smedley: I love that, Simon. That's... how old are you? Simon Bonenfant: 17. Kristen Smedley: Oh my god. That's an incredible way to look at this world, and let's promote that perspective more, because if people would do that, could you imagine? If people would realize everybody's got something going on, and let's see what we can do to help the other person out, that would be an incredible way for things to not be such big things in this world. Simon Bonenfant: Exactly. Simon Bonenfant: And going back to the book, when you were doing interviews for the people, did you have a set of questions, or did you kind of make it go as the conversation flowed? How did you end up having a method, too, to where you asked the questions and things? Kristen Smedley: You know what? I was so nervous about it, because I had never written a book before. So to that point, I had a list of questions, and then I'm like, "Nah, that's stupid. Let's do it this way. Nope. Let's do it this way." And then I was putting off all the interviews because I wanted it to be perfect. So then I'm like, "Okay, here's what I want people to get out of this." I went back to my, when I was trained to be a teacher, a lesson plan. What do they know? What do they need to know? What are the objectives? And how will I know that this will see success to measure it? Kristen Smedley: So I figured, all right, I want people to know what this person's condition is, what the blindness is. Were they born blind or did they go blind? What are their big tools and resources that are going to be helpful to everybody else to know about? But the biggest thing that I wanted to come out of this, and that's in each chapter, there's a section at the end called The Bright Side, because I didn't want this to be a downer. I didn't want it to be heavy. So I asked every single person... We call them blind perks in our house. Hey, let's face it, when you're at Disney World and they see the cane and they go, "Do you want to go to the front of the line?" We're like, "Yep." Simon Bonenfant: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Kristen Smedley: "It's 100 degrees and I'm standing in this line." Simon Bonenfant: I always do that in the airport with the security. That's a nice little perk, too. Kristen Smedley: And you know what? There's several people in the book that highlighted the airport as one of the biggest perks, that they just get to be treated like the red carpet. Kristen Smedley: Do you know Bill McCann? Simon Bonenfant: Yeah, I know him very well. Yep. [crosstalk] Kristen Smedley: So he's in the book, and he says that his partner Albert called— Simon Bonenfant: I know him, too. Kristen Smedley: Yeah, so Albert calls the cane the parting of the Red Sea. He's like, "Here we go. Stick the cane out," and everybody gets out of the way, especially when they're in a hurry. All that fun stuff. Kristen Smedley: But yes, I did go through... I had a list of questions. I was still nervous, though. And actually, I talked about Diane Berberian being all about fun. She was my first interview. I was so nervous, and then we got to talking on the phone, and I said, "I'm so happy that you agreed to do this. I'm kind of nervous and all." She goes, "Are you kidding? I was so happy to be invited because the first book I was in, it was about being a failure!" I said, "What?" She had trained for a triathlon and totally messed it up. She was awful. I don't even know if she finished. So somebody wrote a book about what not to do, and she was highlighted in that book. She's like, "I'm so excited that I'm involved in a book with the success word in it." Kristen Smedley: So then I had the questions and just kind of followed that format, but each of the interviews kind of took on a life of their own, and everyone's personality came through in those chapters. It was cool. Simon Bonenfant: Very good. That's the way I do my interviews. I don't really come up with a set question. I have obviously a topic that's going to come up, but as the conversation flows, I think up questions in my head and I ask them and answer them and it kind of segues in [inaudible] follow a strict format, it's not a from-the-heart conversation. It's so strict and rigid. It's got to come from the heart, and it's got to be a natural conversation. And those are the best ones. Kristen Smedley: Yeah. Simon Bonenfant: That's with podcasting, interviewing, writing, that's really what that's about, is the conversation. Kristen Smedley: Yeah. Again, your age and being able to do that, because that also takes a lot of... You have a very good talent for listening, then, because you really have to be a good listener to then know what you want to draw out of what that person is saying. That's cool that you can do that at 17. Simon Bonenfant: Thank you. Simon Bonenfant: Who is your biggest, or at the time was your biggest supporter when you were writing the book, and who really supported you in saying, "This is something that's going to be good," and supported your effort all the way through? Kristen Smedley: I'm extremely lucky, and I say it all the time, that I know how blessed I am to have the team that I have, in terms of family, friends and whatnot. I know a lot of people don't have that. Some of it I built through a network and all of that, and some I'm just blessed with, with my parents and I have a really big family, and then my kids. Kristen Smedley: But I would say, if I had to say who the number one person was, it was my three kids. They thought it was the coolest idea in the world. They knew that it was taking a lot of time and effort to get it together, and there was a lot of nights where they had to just... especially when I was doing the interviews, you know, you can't have anybody bursting in and yelling for something, and they'd have to sit outside and wait for me to finish that. But they had a lot of patience through the journey, but a ton of cheering, and now they're the ones out there helping me at book signings and interviews on Facebook and all that kind of stuff. Mitchell's here taking pictures and video for my social media. I mean, they're part of the book team, the launch team, and Team Kristin Smedley, I guess. Simon Bonenfant: That's great! I'm sure it's been good for them to see all the blind role models, and luckily they're going to have a network when they get into working. They're going to have a network of great people that they can tap into. And you're going to have that as well. [crosstalk] Kristen Smedley: Yeah. It's been cool. Of course, I guess they probably don't like it on the days where I'm like, "Really? You're acting lazy today? How about when this one had this issue," and I start quoting the book. They're like, "All right, get away." Kristen Smedley: Yeah, no, it is cool. They have a very big network of support and inspiration, for sure. Simon Bonenfant: Good. Simon Bonenfant: Yeah, I know you have a very big network. I was at your event back in March you did. Will you describe all about that event, and what was that event for? Because I was actually there, and I did a comedy act. I was telling jokes that night. But what was the broad scope of that night? Kristen Smedley: I'm still getting messages about how fun you were at the event, because we tend to always try to do something a little different than everybody else and you just really enhanced that that night. It was great. Simon Bonenfant: Oh, thank you. Kristen Smedley: So that's Cocktails for the Cure, and that is our big launch each year for the Cure Retinal Blindness Foundation. It wasn't actually designed in the beginning to be a fundraiser; it was a celebration of all the work that we've done. It's pretty much a gratitude party where we say thank you to everybody that's helped us, and get everybody geared up to do fundraising and outreach and help us build a network. The model of it has worked tremendously to grow that mission really far, really fast. Simon Bonenfant: Yeah, I got to meet some good people. I got to meet a friend of yours, [inaudible] that night, who actually was a teacher who taught your son Michael. Me and her got to meet up and talk, and that was great talking to her. I've actually reached out to her since, so she gets a little shout out in the podcast. Kristen Smedley: She's helping get book signings, too, for me. Simon Bonenfant: Very good. Simon Bonenfant: We ask this question a lot. It's sort of like a winding up question here at Blind Abilities. What advice would you give to either parents of blind children who are new to this blind world kind of thing, or blind children, or blind adults themselves who are trying to rebuild? What advice would you want to leave them with, listening to the podcast? Kristen Smedley: Here's the thing, I don't sugarcoat that diagnosis day. When they're handed something that is not anything that they had ever thought, like blindness, it stinks. When you're first told that you think you're going to have this life plan, and now you got to rethink your whole thing, it kind of stinks. Kristen Smedley: However, and I would say sit with those feelings for a little while. A lot of times, we say brush the feelings off and keep on going. I would say sit with it, find at least one person that you can talk to about all of your feelings around it, and then of course get Thriving Blind, and take a look at the different people in that book, and I would bet that each person that reads Thriving Blind will find one person, one chapter that is a person that's like them and start there. And then read through the stories where, because you'll see in every story, everybody grappled with that moment when their life changed, and then how they moved on. Kristen Smedley: The biggest piece of advice, though, is besides changing your perception and your attitude and your mindset, is get the tools that you need. You can have all the positive thinking in the world and all the role models and everybody cheering you on, but let's be honest. If you're a blind person in this world and don't know the tools of mobility and independence, like the cane or a guide dog, or literacy with Braille— Simon Bonenfant: And technology. Kristen Smedley: And audio, and technology, if you don't learn those things... Even if you're scared. I hated the words "Braille" and "cane" when I first was on this journey, because they meant my life was looking different. A lot of people go through that. Kristen Smedley: Once we embrace those, that's where it was Braille that Michael and Mitchell could sit in their school classrooms right alongside everybody and not only beat that 70%... they were expected to achieve a 70%... they not only blew that 70% out of the water... Michael was the class speaker at graduation, and stood up there surpassing everybody. That was Braille, that was confidence, and that was pushing the limits of what people expect you to. Kristen Smedley: I would say the number one thing is get those darn tools of what it is you need to succeed. Simon Bonenfant: Very good. Simon Bonenfant: I'm sure you've had to deal with people saying that your children could not do something. When someone said that to you, did you rise to the challenge? And what did you make sure that you did so that they would be able to do it? Kristen Smedley: I researched it, honestly, and I'll tell you a funny story real quick, if we have time. When they said at the kindergarten IEP meeting that Michael would only find his cubby... you know, the thing where you hang the jacket in? The hook? Simon Bonenfant: Yeah. Kristen Smedley: They said he would only find his cubby 70% of the time, that meant success because he was blind. And I said, "Hold on a minute." And we moved to a really nice school district, and I had been out of the classroom for years, and I knew that there was new technologies. I said, "Hold on a minute. The cubby. Does it move every day? Do cubbies move now? Or are they still the hook on the little closety thing?" I'm thinking maybe they circulate around the school or something, and they'd never be able to find it when they're blind. They're like, "No, it's attached to the wall." Kristen Smedley: So my question became, "What's expected of the sighted kids in this classroom? If the sighted kids are expected to find their cubby every day 100% of the time, Michael is expected the same," and they said, "You can't do that because he's blind." I said, "If he's missing it 30% of the time, then we're not doing our job, because that's an easy one." Simon Bonenfant: Yeah. Kristen Smedley: It's not driving a car. It's not looking across a room and seeing something. It's doing what other people do that really does not require vision. There's other ways to do it. So that was the mentality. Kristen Smedley: And honestly, I told you that it was right after that when I said that the principal took the IEP team to see Erik Weihenmayer. That sealed the deal for them that Michael could do all of that. So that was a game-changer for us. Simon Bonenfant: And I'm sure you've probably impacted countless other people who maybe wouldn't have their expectations changed about blindness, and when they met you, probably even raised their expectations for themselves and the sighted people around them as well. Kristen Smedley: Yeah. You know what? I just did a keynote for the Association for Clinical Research Professionals down in Nashville, and my one-hour speech was about setting extraordinary expectations and how I had to do that for Michael and Mitchell, and look where they are now. And usually people come up to me after my speeches and say, "You're such a great mom." Which is wonderful, everybody wants to hear that. This time, though, people said, "You just changed my life." And it had nothing to do with blindness. It was more what they're dealing with in their own lives, opening up their minds, changing their perception of it, and expecting a different journey than everyone anticipated for themselves. It's cool. Simon Bonenfant: Good. Simon Bonenfant: If someone wanted to find you on social media, what would they need to look up for you? Kristen Smedley: So first of all, when you say "Kristin Smedley" and "social media", all three of my children will roll their eyes at the same time because they're just thrilled that I'm on there and their friends follow me now, too. Karissa gets so mad. She's 14. She gets so mad when her friends comment on my posts. It's hilarious. Kristen Smedley: But anyway, my main ones are, on Facebook we have a Thriving Blind community, and it's just Facebook.com/thrivingblind. That's where you can follow stories of Michael and Mitchell, and now videos of the people in the book and then some. On Twitter, I'm @KristinSmedley. Same on Instagram, although Instagram is driving me crazy. I keep trying to learn it and it keeps surpassing me, but whatever. Kristen Smedley: Linkd.in is my big one now. Linkd.in has a lot of connections on there. Simon Bonenfant: Good. I always thought you do some Facebook live. Kristen Smedley: Oh man, Facebook live is a cool tool, man, because Facebook loves to push out that content, because it's their platform only. Kristen Smedley: Actually, Mitchell is my big Facebook liver. He does, on Thriving Blind, tech Tuesdays where he just highlights the technology that he's using. And the funny thing is, half the audience is moms and dads of blind kiddos that are watching it together to know what they should be asking for in their IEPs, but the other half is the sighted community. It just loves finding out this information, because they had no idea. Kristen Smedley: Did you see that campaign that went around about the blind people using phones? Somebody had an attitude, they put some negative things... "That woman must be faking being blind. She's got a cane and she's looking at an iPhone." Simon Bonenfant: Oh wow. Kristen Smedley: So then they were trying to do this whole educational piece to combat that of blind people do use phones. Well here on our little Thriving Blind community thing on Facebook, we're showing people every week the different things and how you use the phone and Braille and all that, so it's pretty cool. Simon Bonenfant: Oh yeah, technology has been a very, very big effort for the blind community. Well, for the sighted community, but also for the blind community in general, just open up a wide range of doors for us. Kristen Smedley: Oh, it's huge. And you know, did you ever meet Tom Lukowski at Comcast? Simon Bonenfant: No. Kristen Smedley: We'll have to get you guys together. He's right at Comcast in the city. He's their head of accessibility. Simon Bonenfant: I've heard about him, actually [crosstalk] Kristen Smedley: Yeah, he's cool. He's in the book, too. He actually, I think he went to college with Erik. And they were completely different, it's pretty funny. Kristen Smedley: His thing is, because he helped develop that X1 on Comcast where you talk into the remote, so his thing is don't build a technology product for the blind. Build it with all abilities and disabilities in mind, one product for everybody, and how that is such a positive impact on everybody is huge. Just like the X1. I mean, Karissa and I use that in our house and we can see just fine, but we're always yelling into that remote to change channels. Simon Bonenfant: Yeah. That's a nice feature. Comcast have always done a lot of good stuff. Simon Bonenfant: Yeah, and if someone wanted to buy your book, what formats do you have available, and where could someone find it, and what's the price and all that? Kristen Smedley: So right now on the print, the paperback and Kindle version are on Amazon, and a little plug for ourselves here, we hit #1 new release for both of those when they came out. They're on Amazon. Just search "Thriving Blind" on Amazon. Large print will be available, as of the recording of this interview, it'll be available in a week on Amazon. Then the super cool one that was one of the reasons that I started this whole journey in a book is the electronic Braille. That's coming out in, actually, while we're recording this, it'll be out in I think two weeks. And we have a whole team of blind youth around the country that are going to be doing a social media campaign that'll be really cool to follow on Thriving Blind on Facebook. Kristen Smedley: The e-Braille, the BRF file for that, was made possible by the CEO of T-Mobile, donated the money to National Braille Press to have that made. Simon Bonenfant: That's great. And the time of this recording, for the folks who would like to know, is May 4th today. Kristen Smedley: Hey, May the 4th be with you. Simon Bonenfant: Yeah, there you go. May 4th, 2019. So for those who are interested in getting the Braille version, that should be out in about two weeks. Kristen Smedley: And that'll be available at kristinsmedley.com. Simon Bonenfant: Oh good. So once this podcast is published, it'll be up there on the website so everybody can go grab it. All the Braille readers. That's great. Simon Bonenfant: Well Kristin, you're a very inspiring person, very inspiring advocate for the blind, and I truly want to thank you for the work that you do. Keep up the great work, because you are very inspiring and I know that your work is going to live on hopefully long past you. Kristen Smedley: Wow. Well thanks, Simon, and right back at you, dude. You've got some great stuff going on. It's fun to follow you. Simon Bonenfant: Oh, thank you very much. Simon Bonenfant: Well this is it. Reporting for Blind Abilities again, I'm Simon Bonenfant. Jeff Thompson: Be sure to check out the book Thriving Blind on Amazon and kristinsmedley.com. Jeff Thompson: Such a great job by Simon Bonenfant on doing this interview, and thank you so much to Kristin Smedley for sharing with all our listeners your story, your book, your experiences, and your passion. Jeff Thompson: A big shout out to Chee Chau for his beautiful music. You can follow Chee Chau on Twitter @LCheeChau. Jeff Thompson: I want to thank you all for listening. We hope you enjoyed. And until next time, bye-bye. [Music] [Transition noise] -When we share -What we see -Through each other's eyes... [Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence] ...We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities. Jeff Thompson: For more podcasts with the blindness perspective: Check us out on the web at www.BlindAbilities.com On Twitter @BlindAbilities Download our app from the App store: 'Blind Abilities'; that's two words. Or send us an e-mail at: info@blindabilities.com Thanks for listening. Contact: Thank you for listening! You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Storeand Google Play Store. Check out the Blind Abilities Communityon Facebook, the Blind Abilities Page, the Job Insights Support Groupand the Assistive Technology Community for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

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A Little Shark Fairy

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2019 72:55

We start by discussing our free event for May. If you'd like to subscribe to our Events list to keep up to date, you can find the info to join on our main site, as well as on all of…

events sharks fairies national braille press

That Voice in The Cloud

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2019 30:53

The team welcomes you to this podcast with news of April's free event. Kim will serve as our guide to online dating and online relationships in particular. To learn about this event, please subscribe to the Events List. You can…

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Tek Talk meeting features Kesel Wilson, Editor and Programs Manager, National Braille Press to discuss the founding of NBP and its great work in technology to produce fine books

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2019

Tek Talk welcomes Presenter Kesel Wilson, Editor and Programs Manager, National Braille Press to discuss the founding of NBP and its great work in technology to produce fine books, March 25, 2019.

Tek Talk meeting features The Mystic Access team presenting: Getting Started with Google Suite

united states president navigating streets in touch peter white national braille press

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2019

The Mystic Access team presents: Getting Started with Google Suite. Lisa, Kim and Chris have collaborated with National Braille Press to make available a one-volume resource on using the Google Suite of applications.

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The Future of Navigating Our Streets

In Touch

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2018 18:59

Over the next 12 months, In Touch is planning a series of stories and interviews looking at the changing landscape of our streets, and the ways in which councils, rehabilitation trainers and technology can help visually impaired people cope with this fast-changing picture. Professors Anna Lawson and Rich Romano are both leading on different projects looking at the future of towns and cities. Prof Lawson’s is focusing on the elements that cause people to feel excluded from the streets, while Prof Romano’s is looking at using virtual reality and digital means of putting planning in to the hands of the people. National Braille Press, a non-profit organisation in the United States, offers a prize of up to 20,000 US dollars to people inventing new ways of getting braille and tactile information in to the hands of visually impaired people. Peter White speaks to President of National Braille Press Brian MacDonald, and 2015 winner Betsy Flener. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Lee Kumutat

Episode 12: Ken Casey & The National Braille Press

OA On Air

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2018 33:10

This week Cosmo chats with Dropkick Murphys' bassist and singer Ken Casey about his new venture: boxing promotion. Plus, Ann Murphy takes over for Cayenne, and she and Cosmo discuss Melania Trump's ironic push against cyber-bullying, as well as why Boston was snubbed on this year's lists of best eateries. Then, Ann sits down with The National Braille Press to learn more about their recent acquisition of a set of amazing tactile maps. Finally, CEO Tom O'Neill has some strong feelings about Rudy Giuliani's "truth isn't truth" admonition.

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#IACast 87 – #NFB18 Wrap-up

The iACast Network

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2018 68:08

On this episode of the #IACast, Michael, Aleeha, Chelsea, Scott, and Meaghan discuss a lot of what the 2018 National Federation of the Blind convention had to offer. There was a lot that was discussed in this episode, so grab your favorite snack and settle in for a listen. In the news since we last spoke, there has been a lot going on. First up for discussion are the new MacBook Pros from Apple. There are a couple of convention related news items, including a ton of news from Aira, as well as KNFB Reader and NFB Newsline partnering to bring reading features to the Newsline app. Last, but certainly not least, we discuss the arrival of the Surface Go from Microsoft. In the middle of the show, we took a break to remind everyone of our training services, which are available for $18 per month. We also announced the availability of our help desk, information for which is being finalized. After the main discussion of the show, we discussed our picks for the week. Michael's pick is the SurfaceBook 2, a powerful laptop and tablet combo from Microsoft. For Anna, it's a new, inexpensive Braille display, being carried by National Braille Press, called the BrailleMe. Aleeha is back with another game pick, this one available for most common platforms, called Echos From Levia: Soulbound. Scott picks the Horizon glasses from Aira, which are rolling out to customers as we speak. Finally, Chelsea picks one of iAccessibility's newest apps, Current City. Don't forget to email us with feedback or suggestions at feedback@iaccessibility.net, and please consider supporting us at patreon.com/iacast.

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#IACast 87 – #NFB18 Wrap-up

iACast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2018 68:09

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AT Banter Podcast Episode 110 - Brian MacDonald and National Braille Press

AT Banter Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2018 53:52

This week we take a deep dive into all things Braille as we welcome Brian MacDonald, President of the National Braille Press into the Guitar Dungeon and discuss what the organization does to promote Braille and Braille Literacy. And while we’re on the subject of Braille, Ryan breaks down a new Braille Display coming to market called the QBraille. Show Notes QBraille Braille Displayhttp://www.hims-inc.com/product/qbraille-xl/ National Braille Presshttp://www.nbp.org/ Candice Elzinga Casting Directorcandice@cecastinginc.com BrailleMe by Innovisionhttp://innovisiontech.co/brailleme/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

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E92 Judy dixon's new book on writing with iOS, meet The Blind Perspective newsletter, specialist blindness players vs smartphones, and should religion ever override civil rights?

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2018 63:38

There's been plenty of social media discussion and other feedback following comments in the podcast last week about audio in Windows 10. Jonathan Mosen has written down his thoughts, with additional work-arounds, in a blog post called Sounds Frustrating.The prolific Judy Dixon has a new book. This one's called "Writing Your Way: Composing and Editing on an iPhone and iPad". It's available here from National Braille Press. Jonathan speaks with Judy about what the book covers, and some of her favourite apps and methods for writing things in iOS.Jonathan then speaks with Nat Armeni from The Blind Perspective. This monthly publication, produced by blind volunteers, brings news and articles from a blindness perspective.Listener comments this week include the question of potentially conflicting accommodations, whether someone's religion should be allowed to override legally-enacted civil rights, and the continuing discussion of the pros and cons of specialist blindness player devices versus smartphones.We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

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The Blind Side Podcast 92, Judy dixon's new book on writing with iOS, meet The Blind Perspective newsletter, specialist blindness players vs smartphones, and should religion ever override civil rights?

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2018 63:38

There's been plenty of social media discussion and other feedback following comments in the podcast last week about audio in Windows 10. Jonathan Mosen has written down his thoughts, with additional work-arounds, in a blog post called Sounds Frustrating. The prolific Judy Dixon has a new book. This one's called "Writing Your Way: Composing and Editing on an iPhone and iPad". It's available here from National Braille Press. Jonathan speaks with Judy about what the book covers, and some of her favourite apps and methods for writing things in iOS. Jonathan then speaks with Nat Armeni from The Blind Perspective. This monthly publication, produced by blind volunteers, brings news and articles from a blindness perspective. Listener comments this week include the question of potentially conflicting accommodations, whether someone's religion should be allowed to override legally-enacted civil rights, and the continuing discussion of the pros and cons of specialist blindness player devices versus smartphones. We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

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E75 Our very own Alexa skill, adjusting Spotify podcast pllayback, Samsung Galaxy S9, Delta sees sense, ADA gutting passes the house, Anna Dresner's new book, "You and your Apple Watch"

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2018 66:56

Episode 75 begins with more exciting news about how increasingly easy it is to hear The Blind Side Podcast wherever you need it. We're now on iHeart Radio, and we now have our very own cool Alexa skill for the Amazon Echo, which Jonathan Mosen demonstrates.Jonathan then demonstrates a hidden but cool Spotify trick, how to speed up playback of the podcast when listening through Spotify.Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S9, complete with some interesting news features, plus others that Apple has abandoned, and some customers miss, such as a fingerprint sensor, and the all-important headphone jack. Bixby has also been enhanced. Jonathan brings you the key points of the launch, and some analysis.Remember, to discuss all accessible phones, you're welcome to join the Blind Phones email group. Send a blank email to BlindPhones+subscribe@groups.ioThere's good news, as we follow up on a story we've covered previously relating to Delta's new policy on service animals. Advocacy has paid off, and guide dog handlers won't need to provide documentation 48 hours before they fly.We report further on the ADA Education and Reform Act, which has passed the US House of Representatives and is on a fast track in the Senate. We urge our listeners in the US to be in touch with advocacy organisations to find out what you can do.Our featured guest is Anna Dresner, who has written a new book, "You and your Apple Watch", published by National Braille Press. What does an Apple Watch do, why would you want one, how accessible is it, and how does it compare with cheaper alternatives?A reminder, to discuss the podcast with other listeners, you're welcome to join our discussion group by sending an email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

The Blind Side Podcast 75, Our very own Alexa skill, adjusting Spotify podcast pllayback, Samsung Galaxy S9, Delta sees sense, ADA gutting passes the house, Anna Dresner's new book, "You and your Apple Watch"

The Tech Doctor Blog and Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2018 66:56

Episode 75 begins with more exciting news about how increasingly easy it is to hear The Blind Side Podcast wherever you need it. We're now on iHeart Radio, and we now have our very own cool Alexa skill for the Amazon Echo, which Jonathan Mosen demonstrates. Jonathan then demonstrates a hidden but cool Spotify trick, how to speed up playback of the podcast when listening through Spotify. Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S9, complete with some interesting news features, plus others that Apple has abandoned, and some customers miss, such as a fingerprint sensor, and the all-important headphone jack. Bixby has also been enhanced. Jonathan brings you the key points of the launch, and some analysis. Remember, to discuss all accessible phones, you're welcome to join the Blind Phones email group. Send a blank email to BlindPhones+subscribe@groups.io There's good news, as we follow up on a story we've covered previously relating to Delta's new policy on service animals. Advocacy has paid off, and guide dog handlers won't need to provide documentation 48 hours before they fly. We report further on the ADA Education and Reform Act, which has passed the US House of Representatives and is on a fast track in the Senate. We urge our listeners in the US to be in touch with advocacy organisations to find out what you can do. Our featured guest is Anna Dresner, who has written a new book, "You and your Apple Watch", published by National Braille Press. What does an Apple Watch do, why would you want one, how accessible is it, and how does it compare with cheaper alternatives? A reminder, to discuss the podcast with other listeners, you're welcome to join our discussion group by sending an email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

Three Excellent Books

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2018 27:19

In this podcast, the tech doctors have the pleasure of talking with Anna Dresner about her three latest books. Anna’s books are available from the National Braille press. The easiest way to locate them on the National Braille Press website is to do a search for “Anna Dresner.” That way, you get to see all […]

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E42 Greyhound Lawsuit, “Go Where You Wanna Go” by Judy Dixon

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2017 63:33

A group of blind people in the United States are frustrated by their inability to book travel independently using the Greyhound website and apps. When they've sought help from the call center, they were charged a convenience fee. They've filed a lawsuit which is supported by the National Federation of the Blind. Jonathan Mosen speaks with Chris Danielsen from NFB about this specific suit, and looks at case law on web and app accessibility.“Go Where You Wanna Go” is Judy Dixon's latest book published by National Braille Press. It looks at GPS apps for iOS. Judy joins Jonathan to talk about the book, and the many choices we now have to help us get around.

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The Blind Side Podcast 42, Greyhound Lawsuit, “Go Where You Wanna Go” by Judy Dixon

Mystic Access Podcast: Where the Magic is in Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2017 63:33

A group of blind people in the United States are frustrated by their inability to book travel independently using the Greyhound website and apps. When they’ve sought help from the call center, they were charged a convenience fee. They’ve filed a lawsuit which is supported by the National Federation of the Blind. Jonathan Mosen speaks with Chris Danielsen from NFB about this specific suit, and looks at case law on web and app accessibility. “Go Where You Wanna Go” is Judy Dixon’s latest book published by National Braille Press. It looks at GPS apps for iOS. Judy joins Jonathan to talk about the book, and the many choices we now have to help us get around.

united states blind ios gps lawsuit greyhound blind side podcast42 national federation wanna go nfb jonathan mosen national braille press judy dixon

Snowballs in June

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2017 59:30

In this episode, we have a lot of timely information as well as a fantastic interview for you. Kim and Lisa share all about the four free teleclasses that we'll be holding in early July. Lisa also tells a cute story involving some little kids and a talking virtual assistant. You can sign up for all the teleclass details by typing your email into the form to subscribe to our teleclasses discussion list on this page. We'll be sharing all relevant info, including exact times and phone numbers,as well as the MP3 recordings,via that mailing list. We also provide some important info to keep in mind when using Amazon Payments on the site when you order. Remember that if you have any trouble ordering, or want to order via phone, we're happy to help you! We were delighted to interview Anna Dresner for this episode. We discuss her book, Ten Thousand Steps, Cane NOt Included, as well as other thought-provoking topics related to assistive technology. Check out all of Anna's terrific books from National Braille Press. As for why this episode is title Snowballs in June... well, you'll just have to listen to find out. :)

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E35 Anna Dresner's latest book, and the unhelpful Canadian Passport Office

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2017 59:48

We all know how important it is to exercise regularly to stay healthy and alert. Audio workouts and accessible gadgets are making it easier than ever for blind people to stay active. But where to start? Respected technology author Anna Dresner has written a new book for National Braille Press to get you started, entitled “Ten Thousand Steps, Cane Not Included”. Jonathan Mosen speaks to Anna about her writing in general, and this book in particular.You can purchase a copy of the book by visiting http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/10KSTEPS.htmlWhether you're blind or sighted, applying for a passport is a laborious process, requiring you to provide photos and numerous details. In Canada, if you want the Passport Office to assist you because you don't have, or choose not to rely on, sighted friends or family, you're out of luck. Canadian Press journalist Michelle McQuigge tells Jonathan about the controversy, and talks about it in the wider context o [...]

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The Blind Side Podcast 35, Anna Dresner’s latest book, and the unhelpful Canadian Passport Office

gala literacy national braille press

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2017 59:48

We all know how important it is to exercise regularly to stay healthy and alert. Audio workouts and accessible gadgets are making it easier than ever for blind people to stay active. But where to start? Respected technology author Anna Dresner has written a new book for National Braille Press to get you started, entitled “Ten Thousand Steps, Cane Not Included”. Jonathan Mosen speaks to Anna about her writing in general, and this book in particular. You can purchase a copy of the book by visiting http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/10KSTEPS.html Whether you’re blind or sighted, applying for a passport is a laborious process, requiring you to provide photos and numerous details. In Canada, if you want the Passport Office to assist you because you don’t have, or choose not to rely on, sighted friends or family, you’re out of luck. Canadian Press journalist Michelle McQuigge tells Jonathan about the controversy, and talks about it in the wider context o [...]

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National Braille Press for October 28, 2016

ACB Events

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2016 212:46

National Braille Press Million Laughs for Literacy 2016 Gala

Sound Prints - October 24, 2016

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2016 59:03

new books at National Braille Press; what happens at an ACB Board meeting; upcoming Kentucky Council of the Blind convention - a Kentucky Paradise

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Sound Prints - October 24, 2016

annual meetings national braille press

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2016

new books at National Braille Press; what happens at an ACB Board meeting; upcoming Kentucky Council of the Blind convention - a Kentucky Paradise

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National Braille Press Meeting for June 21, 2016

ACB Events

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2016 54:49

This is the archive of the 89th Annual Meeting of National Braille Press.

Main Menu for Fri, 29 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

braille matt king main menu national braille press

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2016

You will want to click on that Like button after this episode! First we talk with Matt King of FaceBook about their new Automatic Alternative Text feature and emphasis on accessibility. Then Mary Emerson continues The Year Of Braille with a close up look at the Braille-to-Go from National Braille Press. Finally Jenine dives in to her pantry and scans some items with Directions For Me.

Sound Prints - February 21, 2016

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Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2016

Talking prescription labels at Rite-Aid; Bluegrass Council expands; Diane Croft retires from National Braille Press; driverless cars

Sound Prints - February 21, 2016

sound prints rite aid national braille press

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2016 57:51

Talking prescription labels at Rite-Aid; Bluegrass Council expands; Diane Croft retires from National Braille Press; driverless cars

1513 The National Braille Press (Mar. 25, 2015)

Eyes On Success with hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2015 28:53

1513 The National Braille Press (Mar. 25, 2015) Show Notes The National Braille Press promotes literacy of blind children through Braille and provides access to information that empowers blind people to actively engage in work, family, and community affairs. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Brian MacDonald, president of NBP, about resources available from … Continue reading 1513 The National Braille Press (Mar. 25, 2015) →

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Main Menu for Fri, 25 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400

ACB Braille Forum and E-Forum

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2014

Main Menu is pleased to bring you the final episode of our exhibit hall coverage from the 2014 ACB Convention. In this show, we will hear the latest news, special pricing, and more from Abisee, National Braille Press, Irie AT, Hidow, and the Hadley School for the Blind. After the conclusion of exhibit hall interviews, Chase Crispin speaks with Jeff Bishop about the convention and changes in technology to wrap up our coverage of the 2014 conference and convention of the American Council of the Blind. We hope you have enjoyed our convention coverage, and please contact us with your feedback!

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THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume LI December 2012 No. 4

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2014 80:54

THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume LI December 2012 No. 4 Published by the American Council of the Blind The American Council of the Blind strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people. Mitch Pomerantz, President Melanie Brunson, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor National Office: 2200 Wilson Blvd. Suite 650 Arlington, VA 22201 (202) 467-5081 fax: (703) 465-5085 Web site: http://www.acb.org THE BRAILLE FORUM (TM) is available in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, data CD, and via e-mail. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to Sharon Lovering at the address above, or via e-mail to slovering at acb.org. The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at the number listed above. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 6300 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 195, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office has printed cards available for this purpose. Consider including a gift to ACB in your Last Will and Testament. If your wishes are complex, call the national office. To make a contribution to ACB via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 5 p.m. to midnight Eastern time, or read it online. Copyright 2012 American Council of the Blind All content made available in publications, in any media on any web site domains administered by ACB, or as a broadcast or podcast on ACB Radio, archived or not, is considered to be the property of the American Council of the Blind. Those responsible for creative content may allow their materials to appear elsewhere with prior notification to the ACB national office and with appropriate attribution. * TABLE OF CONTENTS In Memoriam: LeRoy Franklin Saunders, by Nolan Crabb Readers' Memories of LeRoy Saunders National Conference/Convention Report, Part III, by Mitch Pomerantz World Intellectual Property Organization Inches Toward Agreement on Reading Rights for People with Visual Impairments, by Melanie Brunson Build an Even Better IDEA: Promote the Anne Sullivan Macy Act, by Mark Richert ACB Convention 2013: Discovering the Hyatt, by Janet Dickelman Comments from the Credentials Committee Chair, by Jean Mann 'Tis the Season, by Kathy Brockman Learning Ally Offers Fee Relief for ACB Members Membership Committee Announcement Affiliate News Here and There High Tech Swap Shop CORRECTIONS Due to an editing error, "economics" was misspelled, and the name "Burson" left out of the name of the scholarship in the article "And the Winner Is " (October-November 2012). Due to an editing error, the third "W" was left out of National Braille Press' web site address, and the word "a" was left out of a sentence in "Here and There," October-November 2012. We regret these errors. FORUM SUBSCRIPTION NOTES You can now get "The Braille Forum" by podcast! To subscribe, go to "The Braille Forum" page on www.acb.org. If you do not yet have a podcast client, you can download one from the Forum page. To subscribe to "The Braille Forum" via e-mail, go to www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/brailleforum-L. ARE YOU MOVING? DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION? Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering at acb.org. Give her the information, and she'll take care of the changes for you.

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Main Menu for Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2012

This week, we begin by airing the first part of a podcast from Paul Warner of VICT Consultancy about the accessible OBI 2.0 software for creating DAISY books. Then, Jamie Pauls from the SeroTalk Podcast Network at the 2012 ACB convention interviews a representative from National Braille Press about some of their new books and products. Next, David Woodbridge from Vision Australia demonstrates accessing and writing text documents on iCloud using Voice Over and Text Edit in Mountain Lion. Jamie Pauls from the SeroTalk Podcast Network returns again with another interview from ACB 2012, this time he speaks with Dolphin computer access about some new updates and products coming soon from them. Finally, Shane Davidson continues his interview and demo of the Swamp audio game.

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Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius

Newman Library

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2012 56:55

"The Newman Library and the Baruch College Computing Center for Visually Impaired People (CCVIP) co-sponsor a lecture by Mike Mellor, the writer of the authoritative biography of the Louis Braille. This event marked the library’s official opening of the traveling exhibition on loan from the National Braille Press. The twenty-panel display, in print and Braille, celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. It takes a viewer through the highlights of Louis’s life, the Braille production process, and why Braille remains important today. Karen Luxon Gourgey, Director of CCVIP, makes the opening remarks. Konstandinos Chalkias, Coordinator, CCVIP Demo Center and Lynnette Tatum, Training Specialist, CCVIP, demonstrate a penfriend labeling system. Arthur Downing, Chief Information Officer and Chief Librarian, Baruch College, introduces the speaker. The event takes place on December 3, 2009, at the Baruch College Newman Conference Center, Room 750."

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Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius

CUNY-TV Specials

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2012 56:55

"The Newman Library and the Baruch College Computing Center for Visually Impaired People (CCVIP) co-sponsor a lecture by Mike Mellor, the writer of the authoritative biography of the Louis Braille. This event marked the library's official opening of the traveling exhibition on loan from the National Braille Press. The twenty-panel display, in print and Braille, celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. It takes a viewer through the highlights of Louis's life, the Braille production process, and why Braille remains important today. Karen Luxon Gourgey, Director of CCVIP, makes the opening remarks. Konstandinos Chalkias, Coordinator, CCVIP Demo Center and Lynnette Tatum, Training Specialist, CCVIP, demonstrate a penfriend labeling system. Arthur Downing, Chief Information Officer and Chief Librarian, Baruch College, introduces the speaker. The event takes place on December 3, 2009, at the Baruch College Newman Conference Center, Room 750."

Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius

Newman Library

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2012 56:55

"The Newman Library and the Baruch College Computing Center for Visually Impaired People (CCVIP) co-sponsor a lecture by Mike Mellor, the writer of the authoritative biography of the Louis Braille. This event marked the library's official opening of the traveling exhibition on loan from the National Braille Press. The twenty-panel display, in print and Braille, celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. It takes a viewer through the highlights of Louis's life, the Braille production process, and why Braille remains important today. Karen Luxon Gourgey, Director of CCVIP, makes the opening remarks. Konstandinos Chalkias, Coordinator, CCVIP Demo Center and Lynnette Tatum, Training Specialist, CCVIP, demonstrate a penfriend labeling system. Arthur Downing, Chief Information Officer and Chief Librarian, Baruch College, introduces the speaker. The event takes place on December 3, 2009, at the Baruch College Newman Conference Center, Room 750."

Louis Braille: A Touch of Genius

CUNY-TV Specials

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2012 56:55

Main Menu for Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400