<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">Hello friends,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">Ashley here from Maryland LBPD! I'm excited to share some great news with you. Maryland LBPD has joined with Hadley to offer free services to Marylanders! Feel free to share with friends and colleagues. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">Please see the press release below and feel free to contact me if you have any questions. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">Best,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br>Ashley</div><h1 style="text-align:left"><font face="arial, sans-serif" size="4">Maryland LBPD Joins with Hadley to Offer Free Services</font></h1>
<h2 style="text-align:left"><em><font face="arial, sans-serif" size="2">Cooking Classes, Vision Loss Support, Recreation Activities, and More</font></em></h2>
<p class="gmail-gd_p"><strong>Baltimore, MD</strong> \u2014</p>
<p>The <a href="http://lbpd.maryland.gov">Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print for the Blind and Print Disabled</a> (LBPD), a division of the <a href="http://msla.maryland.gov">Maryland State Library Agency</a> (MSLA), is proud to announce a new partnership with <a href="https://hadleyhelps.org/">Hadley</a>, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources, social connection, and support to individuals experiencing vision loss.</p>
<p>Through this partnership, Maryland LBPD patrons will gain access to Hadley\u2019s wide range of resources at no cost. With Hadley\u2019s on-demand and live services, patrons will have access to daily living skills, recreation, braille education, and employment tools. Hadley also provides its members with a supportive peer community where they can share experiences and insights as they live with vision loss. </p>
<p>Some offerings from Hadley include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Daily living courses that cover reading, cooking, orientation & mobility, labels, guide dogs, and more.</li>
<li>Adjusting to vision loss courses that cover various eye health concerns, seeking medical assistance, and communication tools for families.</li>
<li>Recreation materials that cover gardening, gaming, birding, sports & exercise, and crafting.</li>
<li>Technology education courses that cover Android, iOS devices, computers, books & TV, and smart speakers.</li>
<li>Braille education by touch and by sight.</li>
<li>Employment skills workshops covering assistive technology, how to talk with employers about low vision and blindness, and how to navigate common software applications.</li>
</ul>
<p>Hadley was founded in 1920 by William Hadley, an educator who lost vision later in life. As a 501 (c)(3), the Hadley organization does not charge for services and relies on donations and sponsorships to provide services across the nation and in 100 other countries. Services are provided online, by phone, or by mail. Since its relaunch in 2020, Hadley has helped over 100,000 individuals and aims to reach 1 million people by 2030.</p>
<p>\u201cWe are truly excited by this partnership,\u201d Ashley Biggs, Marketing and Outreach Librarian for the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, said. "LBPD\u2019s mission is to be more than a provider of books. We aspire to connect our library patrons with the tools and resources they need to thrive. This partnership helps us do that.\u201d</p>
<p>The library is encouraging all patrons, regardless of age, to take advantage of Hadley\u2019s offerings. </p>
<p>To gain access to all of Hadley\u2019s free resources, please navigate to: <a href="https://bit.ly/HadleyMD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://bit.ly/HadleyMD</a>.</p>
<p>Providing your information will enable Hadley to contact you and tailor services to your needs. If you\u2019re having difficulty navigating the Hadley website, please contact <a href="mailto:Ashley.Biggs1@maryland.gov">Ashley.Biggs1@maryland.gov</a> (410-230-2430).</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>About Hadley</strong></p>
<p>Hadley is a non-profit founded in 1920 that provides practical help, support, and community for individuals living with vision loss. Through its programs, individuals can connect with peers and services via phone, online, or by mail.</p>
<p><strong>About Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled:</strong></p>
<p>The Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) provides comprehensive library services to individuals who cannot access traditional print materials due to visual, physical, or reading disabilities, including dyslexia. Reading materials are delivered by mail or direct download. LBPD also offers community engagement opportunities, assistive technology training, and college textbook conversion. Services are free to qualified Marlanders.</p><br><br clear="all"></div><div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;border-collapse:collapse">
<tbody><tr>
<td width="218" valign="top" style="width:76.5pt;border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:1pt solid windowtext;padding:0in 5.4pt">
<p style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><img src="https://msla.maryland.gov/PublishingImages/Logo%20with%20words%20under.png" width="96" height="83"><br></p>
</td>
<td width="234" valign="top" style="width:175.5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt">
<p style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Ashley M. Biggs</span></b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br>
<i>Marketing & Outreach Librarian</i><br>Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled<br>Maryland State Library Agency<br>415 Park Avenue<br>Baltimore, Maryland 21201-3603<br>
<br>410-230-2430 (office) | 667-209-1563 (cell) | 410-333-2095 (fax)<br>
</span><a href="mailto:ashley.biggs1@maryland.gov" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)">ashley.biggs1@maryland.gov</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal"></p></td></tr></tbody></table><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><br></span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://msla.maryland.gov/Pages/LBPD.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline">Click here</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline"> to visit the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled website and sign up for weekly updates.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline">Follow us on Social Media!</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MDLBPD/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline">Facebook</span></a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://twitter.com/MDLBPD/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline">X</span></a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/marylandstatelibrary" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline">LinkedIn</span></a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/maryland_state_library/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline">Instagram</span></a></p></li></ul></span></div><div><br></div><div><div><ul></ul></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><input name="virtru-metadata" type="hidden" value="{"email-policy":{"disableCopyPaste":false,"disablePrint":false,"disableForwarding":false,"enableNoauth":false,"expires":false,"sms":false,"expirationNum":1,"expirationUnit":"days","expirationDate":null,"isManaged":false},"attachments":{},"compose-id":"17","compose-window":{"secure":false}}"></div>