Helen Keller Day in Second Life
By Alicia Waters | June 26, 2009
PRESS RELEASE: Helen Keller Day in Second Life
Contact person: Saxet Uralia
The 24-hour event PDT will be held all day Saturday, June 27 at the four
The Ye, Olde, Supporte, Faire sims.
Linden Lab is collaborating with and assisting Virtual Helping Hands and a
coalition of community volunteers who are proud to announce Helen Keller
Day in Second Life. Helen Keller Day is a community-event exploring how and
why to employ, educate, entertain, and engage everyone through virtual worlds.
Helen Keller Day is a day that is set aside for information acquisition,
education, exploration of employment opportunities, social engagement, and
enjoyment of arts and entertainment… There will be vendors, employers,
presentations, and pure, unbridled fun.
It’s a day dedicated to raising our level of awareness for our fellow
Second Life residents who cope with disabilities. At some time in our
lives, we’ve all felt what it feels like not to be able to
participate… not to be included. Knowing how to include someone with a
disability, and make them feel welcome, is an important social skill, and a
small but significant kindness that we can all benefit from and feel good
about.
Participants will meet people learn things, get freebies, and be
entertained for their efforts.
You will hear keynote speakers Keller Johnson Thompson, the great
grandniece of Helen herself and Linden Labs Education and Healthcare
Developer, John Lester, aka Pathfinder Linden. You will hear from experts
in the fields of virtual education, employment, social engagement and
entertainment. There will be building contests featuring skilled builders
doing accessible builds before our virtual eyes. There will be a world
premier “movie” featuring “Max,” the virtual guide dog developed in Second
Life for SL users who are blind or sight impaired. Also featured will be
an exhibition of Max’s abilities, a fashion show, chess, a Braille chat
display, dancing, singing quests and storytelling… even a virtual goldmine!
There will be experiences designed to spark the imagination and “see” and
“hear” the world with all the senses in new and thought provoking ways.
Join the pioneers in virtual worlds who are inspired by the spirit of Helen
Keller to explore ways in which everyone can participate…and create a
world that richer for all.
Please come and learn, connect, explore, be entertained, and pick up
freebies while sharing this positive and uplifting experience.
The words, The Ye, Olde, Supporte, Faire sims, has a link to another webpage.
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Braille Literacy Coin Funding
By Alicia Waters | June 10, 2009
January 4, 2009 was the bicentennial of the birth of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille method of reading and writing on paper. According to Gary Ray, President of the NFB of North Carolina, blind people who read Braille tend to be more successful and employable. Only 10% of the US blind population read and write Braille. In 2006, US Congress passed P.L. 109-247, The Louis Braille Bicenntennial- Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act. One of the unique features of the law is that $10 from the sale of each Braille coin will be set aside to be used to improve Braille literacy within the U.S. Every dollar raised for Braille literacy by coin sales must be matched in order to be used for literacy pruposes. Although sales of the coin will end on December 31, 2009, efforts to raise matching funds will continue well into the future. For more information, visit the braille.org website.
Information in this blog posting was found in an article by Gary Ray in Tar Heel Talk…Spring 2009, a State Library of North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped newsletter. The words in this posting, braille.org, are linked to another webpage.
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Equal and not separate Reading Rights
By Alicia Waters | May 20, 2009
The Reading Rights Coalition is a collaborative effort by 30 nationally recognized organizations that represent those who cannot read print. The coalition members believe access to the written word is the cornerstone of education and democracy and that new technologies must serve individuals with disabilities, not impede them. Ths group protests the threatened removal of the text-to-speech function from e-books for the Amazon Kindle 2.
The words in this posting, Reading Rights Coalition, have a link to another webpage.
Topics: Accessibility, Digital Update, News & Info | No Comments »
1st Phase of Digital System Rollout
By Alicia Waters | May 14, 2009
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, has entered the first phase of the rollout of digital talking books. In May 2009, NLS began a much-anticipated national prelaunch of the digital talking-book system to test for unforeseen challenges before mass production of the digital machines begins. Rhode Island is not one of the prelaunch states so Talking Books Plus participation for all of its members will be announced and is expected to begin in the Summer 2009. The prelaunch enables NLS and network staff in the selected participating states to evaluate players, book cartridges, and mailing containers in normal usage mode. Input from prelaunch libraries, their participating members, and machine-lending agencies will help ensure a smoother and more successful digital transition for Rhode Island and other states.
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Free Passes to Mystic Seaport
By Alicia Waters | May 8, 2009
NLS (National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) offers free passes to Mystic Seaport for our library members and their families. Please contact the Publications and Media Section at jwallace@loc.gov or (202) 707- 0717 for more information or to make reservations. To make reservations, provide your name, address, phone number and the date you want to attend. It is best to make reservations one to two weeks in advance. For more information on Mystic Seaport and a calendar listing of events, visit their website. Events include Lobster Day on May 23-25, 2009.
The words in this posting, Mystic Seaport, have a link to another webpage.
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Volunteer to Earn Bookshare Subscription
By Alicia Waters | May 5, 2009
Bookshare’s goal is to make the world of print accessible to people with disabilities. Bookshare is free for students with qualifying disabilities. If you are not a student but have a qualifying disability, you can earn a subscription to Bookshare. Bookshare awards $2.50 in credits for successfully submitting or validating a book. Bookshare applies these credits to your account as a volunteer once the book has been added to the library. Volunteers with print disabilities can apply these credits toward their membership fees. Sighted volunteers can donate their credits to Bookshare Members. For more information, visit the Bookshare Volunteer webpage. Bookshare books can be read on the Victor Stream Reader, , a product of HumanWare. And the Victor Stream Reader will read digital audiobooks from the new NLS BARD System .
The words in this posting, Bookshare Volunteer webpage, Victor Stream Reader, and NLS BARD System, have links to other webpages.
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Bibles for the Blind
By Alicia Waters | April 29, 2009
A paperless braille display is a device that transfers a computer generated file into tactile braille images on a display pad. Portable text-to-speech devices speak the printed words to a blind user. These devices have made it possible for Bibles for the Blind International to make the entire Bible as well as tracts and devotional material available as a free download on their web site. Paper copies are still produced and distributed for those who don’t have computer access.
The words in this posting, free download, have a link to another webpage.
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Download Pilot Service Replaced
By Alicia Waters | April 20, 2009
The pilot phase of the NLS downloadable audiobooks and magazine service will end April 28, 2009. It will be replaced by the permanent Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service which will be accessible at a new web site beginning Thursday, April 30, 2009.
Users who know their passwords will be able to log on to the new site. Users who rely on their browsers to remember their passwords will need new ones. All user accounts will be migrated to the new system so do not reapply. All materials previously downloaded will remain usable so no need to redownload reading material.
The words in this posting, new web site, have a link to another website.
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Facebook Commits to Accessibility
By tbp | April 13, 2009
Facebook is working with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) to make the social networking service more accessible to users who are blind or visually impaired. Carl Augusto, AFB President, explains:
About two years ago, AFB approached Facebook in order to combat the accessibility problems of blind members who were having trouble using the site and its applications, including AFB’s own cause on Facebook. From our very first interaction, Facebook has been responsive to our feedback and committed to finding solutions to these problems. This has underscored the fact that Facebook is a community dedicated to all of its members, including those with disabilities.
Read more about how the AFB is working with Facebook in Carl’s post Making Facebook Accessible for Everyone.
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RARI May Breakfast
By Alicia Waters | April 13, 2009
The 7th Annual May breakfast of Reading Across RI is May 9th. Meet Ron Carlson, the author of Five Skies, and hear him read and speak about his book. The registration deadline has been extended to April 24th. To sign up, download the registration form.
The words in this posting, registration form, have a link to another webpage.
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