From collinsdrue at yahoo.com Tue Jul 4 01:07:31 2023 From: collinsdrue at yahoo.com (drue Collins) Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2023 20:07:31 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Connect/ hangout References: <7ACB2A52-1724-4B79-B960-88516FB2747B.ref@yahoo.com> Message-ID: <7ACB2A52-1724-4B79-B960-88516FB2747B@yahoo.com> Hey everyone! I'm not sure if this is the place to do this, but if anyone is at the convention in Houston right now and wants to hang out and connect I'd love to meet up. My name's Drue Collins on facebook and the NFB app. I'm looking to make new friends, connect, hangout and have a good time. From PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu Tue Jul 4 16:28:02 2023 From: PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu (Justin Salisbury) Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2023 16:28:02 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Statement of the Board of Directors to the Federation Community Regarding Location of 2024 National Convention | National Federation of the Blind Message-ID: <79A26406-9359-480B-A2C4-14527371C80B@alumni.ecu.edu> Fellow Federationists: Here is a very important statement from our national Board of Directors regarding the 2024 national convention of the NFB. Check it out! https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/statement-board-directors-federation-community-regarding-location Sent from my iPhone Justin Mark Hideaki Salisbury Mobile: 808.797.8606 Email: 808salisbury at gmail.com ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. From cather.dustin at gmail.com Thu Jul 6 17:10:53 2023 From: cather.dustin at gmail.com (Dustin Cather) Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2023 12:10:53 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Together Achieving Dreams Foundation National Mentorship Program Message-ID: Greetings NABS! My name is Dustin Cathet and I am a former board member of NABS, and currently serve as Secretary for the Together Achieving Dreams Foundation. Please find below information on an exciting mentorship opportunity that will be firing up in the fall of this year! Are you a motivated student ready to embark on a transformative journey towards professional success? Look no further! The Together Achieving Dreams Foundation national mentorship program is designed to equip you with the essential resources, skills, and a powerful network that will propel you towards a prosperous future as a blind professional. Join us and become a true trailblazer. Hands-On Experiences for Lasting Impact Imagine a program that goes beyond theory, immersing you in real-world business scenarios and providing you with invaluable interactive experiences. Our immersive and experiential programming ensures that you gain practical knowledge that will set you apart. Throughout the program, you'll explore a wide range of subjects, including networking, business skills, technical proficiencies, and much more. Who Can Apply? Are you ready to seize this extraordinary opportunity? We are looking for exceptional individuals who meet the following criteria: - Blind or low vision - Currently enrolled as an undergraduate student or graduate program at an accredited college or university, or a recent graduate looking to gain employment. - Interested in a career field in the corporate landscape, finance, big law, and entrepreneurship If you possess these qualities, we invite you to be a part of our program and join the ranks of future blind leaders in the corporate world. Program Timeline Mark your calendars! Our mentorship program runs from September 2023 to August 2024, providing a year-long journey filled with growth and development. Throughout the academic year, you'll participate in a series of engaging events. Additionally, we'll have four immersive in-person modules held in the vibrant city of New York: Module 1: September 8-10, 2023 Module 2: November 17-19, 2023 Module 3: February 23-25, 2024 Module 4: May 3-5, 2024 These weekend-long modules will bring together like-minded individuals, fostering connections, and creating lasting memories. By joining our program, you are not just investing in your own future but also contributing to a larger movement of empowering blind individuals in the professional sphere. Take the leap and be part of a supportive community that believes in your potential to achieve greatness. How to Apply Ready to seize this life-changing opportunity? Apply now to secure your spot in our selective program. Visit our website at www.tadfoundation.org to access the application form and submit your materials. The application deadline is August 15th For more information, please contact info at tadfoundation.org Unlock your potential, shape your destiny, and illuminate the path for future generations. Together, we will redefine the possibilities for blind professionals in corporate America. Best, Dustin Cather Secretary - Together Achieving Dreams Foundation. From coughlan at ski.org Fri Jul 7 22:02:44 2023 From: coughlan at ski.org (James Coughlan) Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2023 22:02:44 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Functional Vision and Accessibility Conference, San Francisco, Aug 3-4, 2023 Message-ID: Functional Vision and Accessibility Conference, San Francisco, Aug 3-4, 2023 To celebrate our 60th anniversary, The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute is hosting a hybrid conference on Functional Vision and Accessibility, a 2-day international workshop on translational research to address visual impairment and accessibility. The conference will bring together stakeholders (those experiencing vision loss and blindness) and those doing translational research (scientists, clinicians, and inventors) to address long-standing and emerging vision problems with promising new approaches. Please disseminate this information widely as the early registration deadline is approaching (July 15, 2023). We solicit applications from early career attendees (graduate students, postdocs and those entering the accessibility field) to submit abstracts to present posters or lightning talks. Financial support for early-career attendees is also available. Deadline for abstract and financial-support applications is July 15, 2023. More details of the meeting can be found at www.ski.org/FVAconference. Information on abstract and financial support is also provided here: 1. Just-in-time abstract submission for early-career attendees * Abstract submission is now open for just-in-time abstracts for posters and lightning talks. * Lightning talks are 4 mins long with 1 min for Q&A. * Poster presentation will occur between 6:15 and 8 pm on August 3rd, and between 12 noon and 2 pm on August 4th * The deadline is July 15, 2023. * To submit an abstract, go here 2. Financial Support for early-career attendees. We have been notified by our Program Officer that our NIH R13 conference proposal has been selected for funding. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the funding comes through before the conference, but this is not guaranteed. * We are able to offer up to 30 waived registrations for in-person, early-career attendees (regardless of R13 conference funding). * We are also able to offer financial support to reimburse travel costs for up to 20 early-career attendees. * The maximum amount of this reimbursement will vary from $500 to $1500 per attendee (depending on whether or not the R13 funding comes in). * The deadline to apply is July 15, 2023. * To apply, go here 3. We have extended the early registration deadline to July 15, 2023 4. We now offer optional childcare for children 11 and under. * Free on-site child care is available at the conference location, from 8 am to 6 pm on both days of the conference * Child care is available to all conference attendees * If interested, please reply and indicate the number of children and their ages From aevans.nfb at gmail.com Sat Jul 8 17:19:08 2023 From: aevans.nfb at gmail.com (Asia Quinones-Evans) Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2023 12:19:08 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Convention and request Message-ID: During convention I was very happy to see some of our scholarships winners to be in the Sports Science field. This makes me so happy to know this because I have not seen very many other blind students in this field. Some days I feel like I am making stuff up with my college since they have not experienced a blind person in the Exercise field before. Actually going of that topic I would like some advice on a subject. I have had to complete a pre-assessment and will need to complete a post-assessment for a class called Nutrition and Weight Management. We are using a website called Cronometer. This is very much not accessible and when I completed the pre-assessment I had to use over an hour of my Aira minutes to have them take screen shots of the information the professor wanted for the assignment. This professor is looking for the Macro and Micros of the tracking you have done to use it for analyzing later in other assignments. My accessibility deparment and e-learning have been notified about it not being accessible. For the post-assessment they have suggested the only way they know how to help by having a sighted person next to me and telling me what is on the screen and where to put items in the text box. I have had an aid for in person classes that need visual feedback when professors have not been able to do so. This has worked out great but for this situation the aid has actually left my college and this is an online class. After this long explanation I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to go forward with completeing this assignment. I would be wasting my time and money to meet this person at my college since its an online class and i am doing most of the work at home. I am a little stuck with trying to let my accessibility department know that I can do assignments on my own and do not need a sighted person to be at my side at all times when things get difficult with a class. I loved having my aid to help with my in person classes but it looks like now that it was an option my accessibility department is only wanting to use that option. -- Yours truely, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: 440-670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back From ninam0814 at gmail.com Sat Jul 8 19:39:29 2023 From: ninam0814 at gmail.com (Nina Marranca) Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2023 19:39:29 +0000 Subject: [NABS-L] Convention and request In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi. Would your school consider paying for an Aira subscription for you? That seems like it could be a compromise here. Good luck. ________________________________ From: NABS-L on behalf of Asia Quinones-Evans via NABS-L Sent: Saturday, July 8, 2023 12:19:08 PM To: National Association Of Blind Students Mailing List Cc: Asia Quinones-Evans Subject: [NABS-L] Convention and request During convention I was very happy to see some of our scholarships winners to be in the Sports Science field. This makes me so happy to know this because I have not seen very many other blind students in this field. Some days I feel like I am making stuff up with my college since they have not experienced a blind person in the Exercise field before. Actually going of that topic I would like some advice on a subject. I have had to complete a pre-assessment and will need to complete a post-assessment for a class called Nutrition and Weight Management. We are using a website called Cronometer. This is very much not accessible and when I completed the pre-assessment I had to use over an hour of my Aira minutes to have them take screen shots of the information the professor wanted for the assignment. This professor is looking for the Macro and Micros of the tracking you have done to use it for analyzing later in other assignments. My accessibility deparment and e-learning have been notified about it not being accessible. For the post-assessment they have suggested the only way they know how to help by having a sighted person next to me and telling me what is on the screen and where to put items in the text box. I have had an aid for in person classes that need visual feedback when professors have not been able to do so. This has worked out great but for this situation the aid has actually left my college and this is an online class. After this long explanation I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to go forward with completeing this assignment. I would be wasting my time and money to meet this person at my college since its an online class and i am doing most of the work at home. I am a little stuck with trying to let my accessibility department know that I can do assignments on my own and do not need a sighted person to be at my side at all times when things get difficult with a class. I loved having my aid to help with my in person classes but it looks like now that it was an option my accessibility department is only wanting to use that option. -- Yours truely, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: 440-670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back _______________________________________________ NABS-L mailing list NABS-L at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ninam0814%40gmail.com From aevans.nfb at gmail.com Sat Jul 8 21:29:20 2023 From: aevans.nfb at gmail.com (Asia Quinones-Evans) Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2023 17:29:20 -0400 Subject: [NABS-L] Convention and request In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: No, Nina my college will not consider getting an Aira suscribtion. I have already asked. There is such a small blind population that even goes to my school considering online only, in person on the main campus and at the different learning centers. that they do not see it as a reasonable request. On Sat, Jul 8, 2023 at 1:19 PM Asia Quinones-Evans wrote: > During convention I was very happy to see some of our scholarships winners > to be in the Sports Science field. This makes me so happy to know this > because I have not seen very many other blind students in this field. Some > days I feel like I am making stuff up with my college since they have not > experienced a blind person in the Exercise field before. Actually going of > that topic I would like some advice on a subject. I have had to complete a > pre-assessment and will need to complete a post-assessment for a class > called Nutrition and Weight Management. We are using a website called > Cronometer. This is very much not accessible and when I completed the > pre-assessment I had to use over an hour of my Aira minutes to have them > take screen shots of the information the professor wanted for the > assignment. This professor is looking for the Macro and Micros of the > tracking you have done to use it for analyzing later in other assignments. > My accessibility deparment and e-learning have been notified about it not > being accessible. For the post-assessment they have suggested the only way > they know how to help by having a sighted person next to me and telling me > what is on the screen and where to put items in the text box. I have had an > aid for in person classes that need visual feedback when professors have > not been able to do so. This has worked out great but for this situation > the aid has actually left my college and this is an online class. > > After this long explanation I was wondering if anyone had any advice on > how to go forward with completeing this assignment. I would be wasting my > time and money to meet this person at my college since its an online class > and i am doing most of the work at home. I am a little stuck with trying to > let my accessibility department know that I can do assignments on my own > and do not need a sighted person to be at my side at all times when things > get difficult with a class. I loved having my aid to help with my in person > classes but it looks like now that it was an option my accessibility > department is only wanting to use that option. > -- > Yours truely, > > Asia Quinones-Evans > > Phone: 440-670-6509 > Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com > > > Live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back > -- Yours truely, Asia Quinones-Evans Phone: 440-670-6509 Email: aevans.nfb at gmail.com Live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back From stanley7709 at gmail.com Mon Jul 10 10:07:09 2023 From: stanley7709 at gmail.com (Steve Cook) Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:07:09 -0400 Subject: [NABS-L] Invited! Message-ID: <019001d9b316$4a564340$df02c9c0$@gmail.com> Everyone is invited, please share! The Computer Science & Technology Division would like to invite everyone to the below events. You can read more information about the Purple Rain movie and the Raise Right Funding below the Zoom information. Friday, July 14, 2023 Audio described movie Purple Rain at 8:00 PM Eastern Saturday, July 22, 2023 Presentation about Raise Right fund raising at 11:00 AM Eastern NFB of SC Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8032543777?pwd=QTVQd2RzN3l6QnNmZ0FmSnp6NG8vQT09 Meeting ID: 803 254 3777 Passcode: 124578 One tap mobile +19292056099,,8032543777# US (New York) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) Purple Rain Released in 1984 Run Time: 1:51 Rating: TV 14 The Kid is the talented but troubled frontman of his Minneapolis-based band, The Revolution. To escape his difficult home life—his father verbally and physically abuses him and his mother—he spends his days rehearsing and his nights performing at the First Avenue nightclub. The Revolution, the flashy Morris Day and his group the Time, and Dez Dickerson and his group the Modernaires hold the nightclub's three house band slots. Morris, aware that the Revolution's guitarist Wendy and keyboardist Lisa are frustrated that the Kid is unwilling to play their compositions, lobbies Billy Sparks, the club's owner, to replace The Revolution with a girl group which Morris is already forming. He targets the Kid's girlfriend Apollonia—an aspiring singer and new arrival in Minneapolis—to lead his group, and tries to persuade her that The Kid is too self-centered to help her. She eventually joins Morris's group, which Morris names Apollonia 6. When she reveals her newfound partnership to the Kid, he becomes furious and slaps her, as his father had struck him earlier. At the club, the Kid responds to the internal band strife, the pressure to draw more crowds, and his strained private life with the uncomfortably personal "Darling Nikki". His performance publicly humiliates Apollonia, who runs off in tears, and angers both Morris and Billy, worsening his situation. Billy confronts the Kid, castigating him for bringing his personal life onto the stage and warning him that he is wasting his musical talent as his father did. Apollonia 6 successfully debuts, and Billy warns the Kid that his First Avenue slot is at risk. The Kid seizes Apollonia from a drunken Morris and the two argue and fight; Apollonia then abandons him. Returning home, he finds the house in tatters, with his mother nowhere to be found. When he turns on the basement light, his father—who had been lurking in the basement with a loaded handgun—shoots himself in the head. Frenzied after a night of torment, the Kid tears apart the basement to release his frustration, only to find a large box of his father's musical compositions. The next morning, the Kid picks up a cassette tape of one of Wendy and Lisa's compositions, a rhythm track named "Slow Groove", and begins to compose. That night at First Avenue, all is quiet in the Revolution's dressing room until the Time stops by to taunt the Kid about his family life. Once on stage, the Kid announces that he will be playing "a song the girls in the band wrote", dedicated to his father—revealed to be "Purple Rain". As the emotional song ends, the Kid rushes from the stage and out the back door of the club, intending to ride away on his motorcycle. However, before he can mount it, he realizes that his new song has thrilled the crowd. The Kid returns to the club, with his fellow musicians greeting him with approval and a teary-eyed Apollonia embracing him. The Kid returns to the stage for two encores with the Revolution ("I Would Die 4 U" and "Baby I'm a Star") to the wild approval of the crowd and Morris. Overlaid scenes show the Kid visiting his father and mother in the hospital and sorting his father's compositions in the basement, accompanied by Apollonia. A montage of all the songs plays as the credits roll. Cast Prince as The Kid Apollonia Kotero as Apollonia Morris E. Day as himself Olga Karlatos as Mother Clarence Williams III as Father, a.k.a. "Francis L." Jerome Benton as Jerome Billy Sparks as Billy Jill Jones as Jill Dez Dickerson as Dez Wendy Melvoin as Wendy Lisa Coleman as Lisa The Revolution as themselves The Time as themselves Apollonia 6 as themselves Raise Right RaiseRight makes fundraising easy We help nonprofit organizations and their members to raise money with gift cards as an effortless part of their everyday lives. A history of redefining fundraising For more than 25 years, RaiseRight has been empowering individuals and families to use gift cards to turn their everyday spend into funding for their school, sports team, church and more. Unlike paying with cash or credit cards, every time participants purchase or reload their favorite brand gift cards from RaiseRight, they earn real money that goes directly toward their designated organization. It’s that simple.   Echo & Ring The Computer Science & Technology Division of the NFB of SC has a great opportunity for you to win an Echo Show 5 and a wireless Ring Doorbell! This awesome fundraiser is valued at $160! Yes, you read that correctly $160 value! For a small donation of only $5, your name will be entered in to the drawing once, but wait there is more! If you would like your name entered in to the drawing 3 times, please make a donation of $10! Go to the below link to donate! Be sure to put in the field labelled “Send a note with your contribution” Echo/Ring. If Echo/Ring is not in the above field, your donation to the general CSTD account will be greatly appreciated! If you do not have a PayPal account, you can still complete the form on the first page and submit it to let us know that a separate payment will be on its way. This alternate method does not collect any credit card information. You can then send a check made payable to NFB of SC CSTD, with “Echo/Ring” in the memo field. Here is the address . NFB of SC CSTD Federation Center of the Blind 119 S Kilbourne Road Columbia, SC 29205 Here is the link. Donate | National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina (nfbofsc.org) Our drawing will take place at our NFB of SC State Convention Banquet on Saturday, August 19, 2023 in Columbia, SC. You do not have to be present to win!!! If you are not in attendance at the state convention, your prize will be mailed shortly after the convention concludes. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or need help with this process. Two of the easiest contact methods are (803) 260-1292 or cookcafe at sc.rr.com Thank you for your support of the Computer Science & Technology Division! Steve Cook SteveCook at tweesecake.social @CSTDofNFBSC at tweesecake.social If you would like to join a brand new Email list dedicated to Mastodon and supporting apps! Below is the information to subscribe and post to the Mastodon list! To subscribe, send a message to: mastodon+subscribe at groups.io To post send a message to : mastodon at groups.io From elizabethrouse.nfb at gmail.com Mon Jul 10 11:21:59 2023 From: elizabethrouse.nfb at gmail.com (Elizabeth Rouse) Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2023 06:21:59 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Fwd: Fw: Invitation to a research project focusing on blind and visually impaired users in US In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Morning all! If you're an iPad user, check out the opportunity below. I participated in this study last week and had a great experience. Definitely going to benefit from the $100 Amazon gift card during this back-to-school season. Best, Elizabeth ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Shengang Wang Date: Sun, Jul 9, 2023 at 11:33 PM Subject: Fw: Invitation to a research project focusing on blind and visually impaired users in US To: Elizabeth Rouse You can forward the message below. Thanks very much. ------------------------------ *From:* Shengang Wang *Sent:* Friday, June 23, 2023 1:44 AM *To:* ivabiggin59 at gmail.com *Subject:* Invitation to a research project focusing on blind and visually impaired users in US Hi there, We are a research team from the School of Information Studies, at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. You participated in our previous research project. We are working on a new research project ( LG-252289-OLS-22 | Institute of Museum and Library Services (imls.gov) ) that aims to develop design guidelines that enhance the accessibility and usability of digital libraries for blind and visually impaired users in the mobile environment. Please see the overview of the user study and user study procedure below. Attached please also find the recruitment flyer. Overview of the User Study Six digital libraries (DLs) are selected for the user study of 120 blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. Selected DLs must have different types of interface design features and include various content and media formats in which BVI users might be interested. A diverse set of DLs for the study are included, such as stand-alone DLs with multiple digital collections with both app and web platforms, federated DLs, visual DLs, and DLs offering STEM content. Participants will be mainly recruited via BVI organizations across the country. User Study Procedure (N=120) BVI subjects will participate in the following activities. They will complete a screening-questionnaire via Qualtrics (5 minutes) to determine their eligibility for the study. Eligible participants will fill in the pre-questionnaire via Qualtrics (20 minutes). Microsoft Teams will be used to capture the study process. During the study, they will perform three tasks, including one orientation task and two search tasks (one specific information search and a subject-oriented search) using two DLs, respectively (80 minutes in total). During the search, participants will be instructed to think aloud, and their search process will be recorded. After completing the search tasks on each DL, the researchers will ask about their experiences and problems of the DL via post-system survey and interviews (20 minutes for each DL, 40 minutes in total). After all the search tasks are complete, the post-search interview (10 minutes) will ask about their final assessment of the two DLs and their intention to continue using them. This study will take a total of about three hours. If you are interested, please fill in the screening questionnaire ( https://milwaukee.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_51I9xmeH0TXQtgO). I will contact you later when I finish reviewing the survey responses. Have a great day! Shengang Wang, Ph.D. student School of Information Studies University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee https://uwm.edu/informationstudies/people/wang-shengang/ -- Elizabeth Rouse, She/her/hers Board Member | National Association of Blind Lawyers (NABL) blindlawyers.net Board Member | Performing Arts Division nfb-pad.org Elizabethrouse.nfb at gmail.com (563) 210-1854 “If you can see yourself as an artist, and you can see that your life is your own creation, then why not create the most beautiful story for yourself?” - Miguel Ruiz -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Recruitment Flyer.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 21580 bytes Desc: not available URL: From stenzellogan at gmail.com Tue Jul 18 03:51:01 2023 From: stenzellogan at gmail.com (Logan Stenzel) Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2023 20:51:01 -0700 Subject: [NABS-L] 2023 NABS Board Meet and Greet! Monday, July 31st 9:00 pm EST Message-ID: Hey there NABS Nation, I hope this message finds you chillin’ after a hot and hectic National Convention in Houston! Now that we have all recovered a bit, the newly elected 2023 NABS board would love the opportunity to get to know our membership and for the membership to get to know us! That’s why we are thrilled to invite you to attend our open call on Monday, July 31st at 9:00 pm Eastern. We will be doing breakout sessions and Q&A so we can all get to know each other a bit better for this upcoming year. Have you always wanted to know what Lauren’s favorite food is? Or Gene’s music preferences? How about Joshua’s favorite part of NABS? We invite you to send in questions ahead of time to stenzellogan at gmail.com and we will compile a list of topics to cover! Please get your questions in by Saturday July 29th for consideration. We look forward to receiving your questions and to chillin’ with you on the 31st! Join Zoom Meeting https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/4678833687 Meeting ID: 467 883 3687 Yours Truly, Logan Stenzel -- Logan Stenzel he/him 904-404-6801 1st Vice President | National Association of Blind Students A Proud Division of the National Federation of the Blind nabslink.org Treasurer | Minnesota Association of Blind Students A Proud Division of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota nfbmn.org/students From chong.curtis at gmail.com Mon Jul 24 17:50:43 2023 From: chong.curtis at gmail.com (Curtis Chong) Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2023 11:50:43 -0600 Subject: [NABS-L] Students Reading Books From Learning Ally Message-ID: <002701d9be57$5e6a5780$1b3f0680$@gmail.com> Greetings everyone: My name is Curtis Chong, and I have been a longtime member and leader in the National Federation of the Blind. I am writing to this list to ask a question and then to possibly raise an issue regarding Learning Ally and its current stance regarding the new Victor Reader Stream's ability to play books in the DAISY format from that worthy organization. Question: if you are a blind student today, do you find Learning Ally to be a useful source for your textbooks, and do you use the original or the second generation of the Victor Reader Stream to read your Learning Ally books? I have just purchased the new Victor Reader Stream 3. I am a lifetime member of Learning Ally. I went to Learning Ally's Authorize a DAISY Player page, (https://portal.learningally.org/Authorize-DAISY-Player) to request a user authorization key (UAK) for my new Stream. I kept receiving a message saying that my serial number was not valid. When I contact Learning Ally Customer Service, I was told that Learning Ally would not be supporting the latest model of the Victor Reader Stream because of the relatively small number of its members who read books in the DAISY format. Now, if today's blind students no longer rely upon Learning Ally to get their textbooks in an accessible format, I can be irritated with Learning Ally because of its disservice to existing members. However, if there are no longer any blind students who care, then this becomes a moot point. If, on the other hand, blind students continue to rely on Learning Ally as one source of accessible textbooks, then this becomes an issue which we all must deal with. If you want to communicate with me privately, I can be reached by email at chong.curtis at gmail.com and by phone at 515-306-1654. I thank you all for your kind attention. Yours sincerely, Curtis Chong From julialagrand at gmail.com Tue Jul 25 12:22:12 2023 From: julialagrand at gmail.com (Julia LaGrand) Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2023 08:22:12 -0400 Subject: [NABS-L] Massachusetts students Message-ID: Hi all, I will be starting school in Massachusetts in the fall, and have a question for Massachusetts blind students. My vocational rehabilitation counselor just told me that I should maybe look into opening a VR case in Massachusetts, but I would like to know a bit more information about the services they offer. For example, I would like to compare their college sponsorship to Michigan’s. In Michigan, vocational rehabilitation pays for 75% of roo room and board, and for the first two years they pay community college tuition rates. for junior and senior year, they pay the highest in-state public tuition, the University of Michigan right now. Can anyone tell me how Massachusetts policies compare? How supportive and helpful is VR in Massachusetts generally? Thanks! Julia. Sent from my iPhone From gene.sh.kim at gmail.com Tue Jul 25 14:19:41 2023 From: gene.sh.kim at gmail.com (Gene Kim) Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:19:41 -0400 Subject: [NABS-L] Students Reading Books From Learning Ally In-Reply-To: <002701d9be57$5e6a5780$1b3f0680$@gmail.com> References: <002701d9be57$5e6a5780$1b3f0680$@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi Curtis, Thank you for opening this discussion. I primarily rely on bookshare and mobile apps like voice stream reader for my book needs, and I know the combination of bookshare and bard is very popular amongst students. I don't want to generalize too much, but most of the blind students I know rely on bookshare, bard, and other digitally-based platforms like vital source. I'm also not very well-informed on this, but my sense is that Learning Ally has been shifting their focus a little toward the dyslexic community, particularly younger students. I hope this helps and that you are able to hear from other students, whether through this mailing list or otherwise. Cheers, Gene -- Gene S-H Kim Secretary/Webmaster | National Association of Blind Students Chairperson | NABS Membership Committee B.S. Candidate, Symbolic Systems | Stanford University On Mon, Jul 24, 2023 at 1:52 PM Curtis Chong via NABS-L wrote: > Greetings everyone: > > > > My name is Curtis Chong, and I have been a longtime member and leader in > the > National Federation of the Blind. I am writing to this list to ask a > question and then to possibly raise an issue regarding Learning Ally and > its > current stance regarding the new Victor Reader Stream's ability to play > books in the DAISY format from that worthy organization. > > > > Question: if you are a blind student today, do you find Learning > Ally to be a useful source for your textbooks, and do you use the original > or the second generation of the Victor Reader Stream to read your Learning > Ally books? > > > > I have just purchased the new Victor Reader Stream 3. I am a lifetime > member > of Learning Ally. I went to Learning Ally's Authorize a DAISY Player > page, > (https://portal.learningally.org/Authorize-DAISY-Player) to request a user > authorization key (UAK) for my new Stream. I kept receiving a message > saying > that my serial number was not valid. When I contact Learning Ally Customer > Service, I was told that Learning Ally would not be supporting the latest > model of the Victor Reader Stream because of the relatively small number of > its members who read books in the DAISY format. > > > > Now, if today's blind students no longer rely upon Learning Ally to get > their textbooks in an accessible format, I can be irritated with Learning > Ally because of its disservice to existing members. However, if there are > no > longer any blind students who care, then this becomes a moot point. If, on > the other hand, blind students continue to rely on Learning Ally as one > source of accessible textbooks, then this becomes an issue which we all > must > deal with. > > > > If you want to communicate with me privately, I can be reached by email at > chong.curtis at gmail.com and by phone at > 515-306-1654. > > > > I thank you all for your kind attention. > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > Curtis Chong > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/gene.sh.kim%40gmail.com > From elizabethrouse.nfb at gmail.com Tue Jul 25 15:31:04 2023 From: elizabethrouse.nfb at gmail.com (Elizabeth Rouse) Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:31:04 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Students Reading Books From Learning Ally In-Reply-To: <002701d9be57$5e6a5780$1b3f0680$@gmail.com> References: <002701d9be57$5e6a5780$1b3f0680$@gmail.com> Message-ID: Good morning! When I was in undergrad, I primarily utilized Bookshare, and Learning Ally; however, I did not use one of the Victor Reader Stream devices. I utilized the mobile application on my iPhone. I would also add that the only reason I began consistently using Learning Ally for academia was because my disability services office on campus was familiar with the service. As I prepare to enter law school this fall, I could not even tell you the password to my Learning Ally account. I became very frustrated with the inconsistent and dissinterested vocal intonations of Learning Ally narrators. I hope this helps, and feel free to reach me off-list if you have additional questions. Best, Elizabeth. On Mon, Jul 24, 2023 at 12:52 PM Curtis Chong via NABS-L wrote: > Greetings everyone: > > > > My name is Curtis Chong, and I have been a longtime member and leader in > the > National Federation of the Blind. I am writing to this list to ask a > question and then to possibly raise an issue regarding Learning Ally and > its > current stance regarding the new Victor Reader Stream's ability to play > books in the DAISY format from that worthy organization. > > > > Question: if you are a blind student today, do you find Learning > Ally to be a useful source for your textbooks, and do you use the original > or the second generation of the Victor Reader Stream to read your Learning > Ally books? > > > > I have just purchased the new Victor Reader Stream 3. I am a lifetime > member > of Learning Ally. I went to Learning Ally's Authorize a DAISY Player > page, > (https://portal.learningally.org/Authorize-DAISY-Player) to request a user > authorization key (UAK) for my new Stream. I kept receiving a message > saying > that my serial number was not valid. When I contact Learning Ally Customer > Service, I was told that Learning Ally would not be supporting the latest > model of the Victor Reader Stream because of the relatively small number of > its members who read books in the DAISY format. > > > > Now, if today's blind students no longer rely upon Learning Ally to get > their textbooks in an accessible format, I can be irritated with Learning > Ally because of its disservice to existing members. However, if there are > no > longer any blind students who care, then this becomes a moot point. If, on > the other hand, blind students continue to rely on Learning Ally as one > source of accessible textbooks, then this becomes an issue which we all > must > deal with. > > > > If you want to communicate with me privately, I can be reached by email at > chong.curtis at gmail.com and by phone at > 515-306-1654. > > > > I thank you all for your kind attention. > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > Curtis Chong > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > NABS-L: > > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/elizabethrouse.nfb%40gmail.com > -- Elizabeth Rouse, She/her/hers Board Member | National Association of Blind Lawyers (NABL) blindlawyers.net Board Member | Performing Arts Division nfb-pad.org Elizabethrouse.nfb at gmail.com (563) 210-1854 “If you can see yourself as an artist, and you can see that your life is your own creation, then why not create the most beautiful story for yourself?” - Miguel Ruiz From kbrolin65 at gmail.com Tue Jul 25 15:45:28 2023 From: kbrolin65 at gmail.com (Kane Brolin) Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:45:28 -0400 Subject: [NABS-L] Students Reading Books From Learning Ally In-Reply-To: References: <002701d9be57$5e6a5780$1b3f0680$@gmail.com> Message-ID: Greetings. A related question I would love to see answered: Does Learning Ally support the HumanWare Victor Reader Stratus12 DAISY MP3 player? What Curtis discovered here, I find rather disturbing as well. I get it if Learning Ally has shifted its business focus more to those who are dyslexic or who live with neurological problems that make them print-disabled, somewhat de-emphasizing those of us who are primarily or exclusively blind. That subpopulation is a lot more numerous than are the blind, at least in North America. But it seems unnecessary to drop the newest model of the Victor Reader Stream, a hugely popular device, from that list of players for the blind that Learning Ally supports. After all, we would not be asking Learning Ally to reformat its library to meet a new standard of player; we're only talking about generating an access key to permit Stream 3.0 users to validate that they are entitled to download Learning Ally DAISY audio books onto the new device just as they would be entitled to do with their Stream 2.0. Learning Ally's explanation to Curtis does not seem credible to me, at least on the surface. Alternatively, I suspect your frustration is driven by another financial consideration. If we were going to use our collective power as blind student/consumers to lean on anybody, I think we would be well served to lean on HumanWare more than on Learning Ally. HumanWare is a for-profit organization, whereas Learning Ally is not. Does HumanWare demand of content distributors such as Learning Ally some kind of payment in order for Learning Ally to gain a rights management privilege that would permit Stream 3.0 users who subscribe to Learning Ally to have access to Learning Ally titles? Maybe Learning Ally is unwilling to pay what HumanWare would demand for the right to register Stream 3.0 units. Let's investigate the business case here and see who excluded whom from the party. Even though I've not been enrolled in a university for 28 years, I still rely on Learning Ally to make available older and more scholarly titles I cannot readily locate on Bookshare or on NLS BARD. Learning Ally played a huge part in my intellectual development, at least from 7th grade on up--maybe even earlier. I would hate to see blind people no longer thinking their work irrelevant or thinking they do not welcome blind subscribers who want to download their books on the newest and most popular audiobook reading devices. I think a lot of Learning Ally's material falls into an underserved niche. Their recorded books still are quite useful to those who are in graduate school, compelled to access specialized titles for their research that are not in high demand from the casual reading public and which are therefore possibly not present in the Bookshare or BARD catalogs. Kind regards, -Kane From braillemasterjustin at gmail.com Tue Jul 25 15:51:18 2023 From: braillemasterjustin at gmail.com (Justin Heard) Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:51:18 -0400 Subject: [NABS-L] Massachusetts students In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <59cc1ba8-1390-785f-3c54-dacdb9d5252f@gmail.com> Good morning Julia. My name is Justin Heard, and I am the president of the Massachusetts student division. We are so excited that you will be in our state! Like many states, the VR experience depends on your counselor and their supervisor. I have had positive experiences so far. I am a graduate student, so my funding looks different from what yours would be. MCB pays up to 16000 dollars a year for graduate students. If you would like, I can forward your email to a MCB supervisor and see what he says. I also encourage you to subscribe to the Massachusetts email list and ask your question there. We also have a WhatsApp group for blind students. If you would like to join, send me an email and I will send you the link. This would be another great place to ask your question. I hope this is helpful. We hope to see you in our WhatsApp group and at future events. On 7/25/2023 8:22 AM, Julia LaGrand via NABS-L wrote: > Hi all, I will be starting school in Massachusetts in the fall, and have a question for Massachusetts blind students. My vocational rehabilitation counselor just told me that I should maybe look into opening a VR case in Massachusetts, but I would like to know a bit more information about the services they offer. For example, I would like to compare their college sponsorship to Michigan’s. In Michigan, vocational rehabilitation pays for 75% of roo room and board, and for the first two years they pay community college tuition rates. for junior and senior year, they pay the highest in-state public tuition, the University of Michigan right now. Can anyone tell me how Massachusetts policies compare? How supportive and helpful is VR in Massachusetts generally? > Thanks! Julia. > > Sent from my iPhone > _______________________________________________ > NABS-L mailing list > NABS-L at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NABS-L: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/braillemasterjustin%40gmail.com From dandrews920 at comcast.net Tue Jul 25 20:07:21 2023 From: dandrews920 at comcast.net (dandrews920 at comcast.net) Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:07:21 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Students Reading Books From Learning Ally In-Reply-To: References: <002701d9be57$5e6a5780$1b3f0680$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <001f01d9bf33$b874cd00$295e6700$@comcast.net> Kane, Learning Ally has been moving away from blind persons -- and towards learning disabled/print handicapped people since the 1980's. They raise the money in our name, and server a larger, but unorganized population. Dave -----Original Message----- From: NABS-L On Behalf Of Kane Brolin via NABS-L Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2023 10:45 AM To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list Cc: Kane Brolin Subject: Re: [NABS-L] Students Reading Books From Learning Ally Greetings. A related question I would love to see answered: Does Learning Ally support the HumanWare Victor Reader Stratus12 DAISY MP3 player? What Curtis discovered here, I find rather disturbing as well. I get it if Learning Ally has shifted its business focus more to those who are dyslexic or who live with neurological problems that make them print-disabled, somewhat de-emphasizing those of us who are primarily or exclusively blind. That subpopulation is a lot more numerous than are the blind, at least in North America. But it seems unnecessary to drop the newest model of the Victor Reader Stream, a hugely popular device, from that list of players for the blind that Learning Ally supports. After all, we would not be asking Learning Ally to reformat its library to meet a new standard of player; we're only talking about generating an access key to permit Stream 3.0 users to validate that they are entitled to download Learning Ally DAISY audio books onto the new device just as they would be entitled to do with their Stream 2.0. Learning Ally's explanation to Curtis does not seem credible to me, at least on the surface. Alternatively, I suspect your frustration is driven by another financial consideration. If we were going to use our collective power as blind student/consumers to lean on anybody, I think we would be well served to lean on HumanWare more than on Learning Ally. HumanWare is a for-profit organization, whereas Learning Ally is not. Does HumanWare demand of content distributors such as Learning Ally some kind of payment in order for Learning Ally to gain a rights management privilege that would permit Stream 3.0 users who subscribe to Learning Ally to have access to Learning Ally titles? Maybe Learning Ally is unwilling to pay what HumanWare would demand for the right to register Stream 3.0 units. Let's investigate the business case here and see who excluded whom from the party. Even though I've not been enrolled in a university for 28 years, I still rely on Learning Ally to make available older and more scholarly titles I cannot readily locate on Bookshare or on NLS BARD. Learning Ally played a huge part in my intellectual development, at least from 7th grade on up--maybe even earlier. I would hate to see blind people no longer thinking their work irrelevant or thinking they do not welcome blind subscribers who want to download their books on the newest and most popular audiobook reading devices. I think a lot of Learning Ally's material falls into an underserved niche. Their recorded books still are quite useful to those who are in graduate school, compelled to access specialized titles for their research that are not in high demand from the casual reading public and which are therefore possibly not present in the Bookshare or BARD catalogs. Kind regards, -Kane From dandrews920 at comcast.net Sun Jul 30 16:03:02 2023 From: dandrews920 at comcast.net (David Andrews) Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2023 11:03:02 -0500 Subject: [NABS-L] Duxbury Systems Announces DBT 12.7 Message-ID: > > >From: duxnews-bounce at freelists.org On >Behalf Of Anne Ronco > > > >DBT Win 12.7 is now shipping. >12.7 is a free upgrade to those who purchased DBT or an update to >DBT on or after July 1, 2022. >For those with DBT the easiest way to see if it is free is to >OPEN DBT > Go to HELP > Go to CHECK FOR UPDATES! >You can also contact orders at duxsys.com >with your DBT serial/License number, or check with your preferred >Adaptive Technology supplier. > >You can always check our website for more information: >https://www.DuxburySystems.com >DBT 12.7 provides the following important improvements and fixes and more. > > > > >Accessibility > > > > > > > > * We have changed the JAWS keystroke in DBT to read the last > word on the current line from Alt+Slash to Alt+End. The keyboard > entry for Alt+Slash was causing problems for some users of non-English JAWS. > * We have fixed a problem with voicing DBT codes in the fields > for Find and Replace and the fields for adding and modifying styles. > * JAWS scripts ensure that the grade of braille on a braille > device on the print side matches the user's translation settings in JAWS. > * JAWS voicing of keystrokes on the Cosmo Brailler is improved. > > > > >Document Importing > > > > > > > > * Importing .docx files avoids an unusual pitfall that could > cause a DBT crash. > > > > >Document Exporting > > > > > > > > * HTML and Word exports can reconstruct hyperlinks from DBT > markup when a URL is included. Importers for HTML and .docx files > produce the appropriate markup, so hyperlinks can, in effect, be > preserved round-trip through braille. > * HTML and Word exports can be customized. > * HTML and Word exports improve handling of many DBT styles, > producing better indent and runover in the output. > > > > >Math > > > > > > > > * Nemeth math-only print-to-braille translation has been updated > to prevent insertion of unwanted script indicators in certain instances. > * Nemeth math-only braille-to-print translation has been updated > for miscellaneous improvements including to the handling of > typeform indicators and math styles. > * Improved recognition of the start and end of math when > importing Word documents. > > > > >DBT Operations / General > > > > > > > > * Find and Replace dialogs support limited wildcard use in codes. > * A new parameter in the [ind] code allows for right alignment > of many lines of text. > * The menu and dialog in the Global menu formerly labeled > Autosave Options is now labeled File Locations. You can use this > dialog to set default locations for Open and Save dialogs. The > dialog still allows for management of autosave options. > * DBT supports a new command line switch /resetfilesavefolder or > /resetfileopenfolder for use when the Save As dialog or Open dialog > will not appear, or appears only after a long delay. Please contact > technical support for help using this. > > > > >Language Updates > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Flag > >Description > > >Flag of the Russian Federation > > >Bashkir: print-to-braille translation support added. > > >Syriac Flag > > >Biblical Original Languages table improved (better tables, better >language switching). > > >Flag of Bulgaria > > >Bulgarian: improved print-to-braille and braille-to-print >translation, including hypenation issues; eliminated use of English >contractions for embedded English script. > > >Flag of Canada > > >Canadian aboriginal: many languages are now supported via syllabic >support when importing documents into any UEB template. > > >Flag of Denmark > > >Danish: Supporting the new 2022 rules with print-to-braille and >braille-to-print translation. We also support the older 1993 rules. > > >Flags of the world > > >English/Unified (UEB): print-to-braille translation of several >unusual words has been improved. > > >Flag of the United Kingdom > > >English/Unified (UEB) - United Kingdom: The new template (with some >improvements) is called English (UEB) - UK formatting. The prior >template is English (UEB) - UK formatting (legacy). >Detailed >documentation is available here. > > >Flag of Estonia > > >Estonian: braille-to-print translation improved the handling of >spaces following emphasis. Localized display of braille documents added. > > >Flag of Guinea > > >Fula: Revised Fula translators are now identical to the new West >African languages translators. > > >Flag of Japan > > >Japanese: handling of Kanji is greatly improved, especially for >words comprising multiple Kanji characters. > > >Flag of Japan > > >Japanese: improved braille-to-print and print-to-braille handling of >embedded Latin script text and certain special characters. > > >Flag of the Russian Federation > > >Khakas: language support added. > > >Flag of Cambodia > > >Khmer: braille-to-print translation improved the handling of >independent vowels. > > >Flag of South Korea > > >Korean: braille-to-print translation improved the handling of a >certain character after dots 126. > > >Flag of Mali > > >N'ko (language and script): support through West African Languages. > > >Flag of Slovakia > > >Slovak: improved print-to-braille and braille-to-print translation, >using the latest rule book. > > >Flag of Morocco > > >Tifinagh (language and script): support through West African Languages. > > >Flag of Liberia > > >Vai (language and script): support through West African Languages. > > >Flag of Nigeria > > >West African Languages: New language added (print-to-braille and >braille-to-print). This is not an official code, but intended to >serve for myriad West African languages with no currently defined >official code, unless and until an official code is defined. Support >for many scripts (Arabic, Extended Arabic, Amhrmic, N'ko, Vai, and >Tifinagh) is included. More information is available >online. > > > >DBT 12.7 adds support for about 20 additional Unicode ranges. For a >complete list, see the >List >of Unicode Ranges (halfway down the page). > >We are constantly working on improved language support. If you are >interested in specific language improvements, please write to us at >languages at duxsys.com. > > > > >Notice: Microsoft Windows 7 > > > > > > > >You may still find occasional references to the Windows 7 operating >system in these Help pages, but be warned that Microsoft has ended >support of Windows 7, and security updates ceased as of January >2020. For this reason, Duxbury cannot recommend using DBT on Windows >7 computers or on any earlier Microsoft operating system. > > > > > > >Why Should I Update My DBT? > > > > > > > > * I have DBT > 12.6. What is new since then? > * I have DBT > 12.5. What is new since then? > * I have DBT > 12.4. What is new since then? > * I have DBT > 12.3. What is new since then? > * I have DBT > 12.2. What is new since then? > * I have DBT > 12.1. What is new since then? > * I have DBT > 11.3. What is new since then? > * I have DBT > 11.2. What is new since then? > * I have DBT > 11.1. What is new since then? > * I have > earlier version of DBT. Please give me the complete release history. > > > >Sincerely, >Anne and Dan for the Order Desk >Duxbury Systems, Inc. >Phone (978) 692-3000 >Email orders at duxsys.com >www.DuxburySystems.com From manahiljafri at gmail.com Mon Jul 31 16:55:36 2023 From: manahiljafri at gmail.com (Manahil Jafri) Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:55:36 -0400 Subject: [NABS-L] REMINDER: NABS Board Meet And Greet Tonight At 9 PM EST! Message-ID: <1775CB25-69E1-4460-8BF1-726DEF5B691F@gmail.com> Hey there NABS Crew, I hope you are all rested up after national convention and are ramped up for this new federation year! I just wanted to send a friendly reminder that NABS is holding a board meet and greet tonight at 9 PM EST where you can get a chance to ask questions and mingle with the newly elected NABS Board! We would love to get to know you more and for you to learn a little more about us, so please stop by to end your Manic Monday with some laughs, fun conversation, and hopefully some new connections. Find the zoom information below, and as always, please reach out with any questions. Can’t wait to see you there! Zoom link: https://nfb-org.zoom.us/j/4678833687 Best Manahil - Manahil Jafri (She / Her) Board Member | National Association Of Blind Students Secretary And Treasurer | New York Association Of Blind Students From stanley7709 at gmail.com Mon Jul 31 21:17:52 2023 From: stanley7709 at gmail.com (Steve Cook) Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2023 17:17:52 -0400 Subject: [NABS-L] Echo Message-ID: <06f401d9c3f4$771f5940$655e0bc0$@gmail.com> Hi All, The Computer Science & Technology Division of the NFB of SC has a great opportunity for you to win an Echo Show 5 and a Ring Doorbell! This awesome fundraiser is valued at $160! Yes, you read that correctly $160 value! For a small donation of only $5, your name will be entered in to the drawing once, but wait there is more! If you would like your name entered in to the drawing 3 times, please make a donation of $10! Go to the below link to donate! Be sure to put in the field labelled "Send a note with your contribution" Echo/Ring. If Echo/Ring is not in the above field, your donation to the general CSTD account will be greatly appreciated! If you do not have a PayPal account, you can still complete the form on the first page and submit it to let us know that a separate payment will be on its way. This alternate method does not collect any credit card information. You can then send a check made payable to NFB of SC CSTD, with "Echo/Ring " in the memo field. Here is the address . NFB of SC CSTD Federation Center of the Blind 119 S Kilbourne Road Columbia, SC 29205 Here is the link. Donate | National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina (nfbofsc.org) Our drawing will take place at our NFB of SC State Convention Banquet on Saturday, August 19, 2023 in Columbia, SC. You do not have to be present to win!!! If you are not in attendance at the state convention, your prize will be mailed shortly after the convention concludes. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or need help with this process. Two of the easiest contact methods are (803) 260-1292 or cookcafe at sc.rr.com Thank you for your support of the Computer Science & Technology Division! Steve Cook SteveCook at tweesecake.social @CSTDofNFBSC at tweesecake.social If you would like to join a brand new Email list dedicated to Mastodon and supporting apps! Below is the information to subscribe and post to the Mastodon list! To subscribe, send a message to: mastodon+subscribe at groups.io To post send a message to : mastodon at groups.io