From mhartle at nfb.org Tue Sep 1 15:21:32 2009 From: mhartle at nfb.org (Thorpe, Mary Jo) Date: Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:21:32 -0500 Subject: [Uabs] Big Announcement!! about Braille Readers are Leaders Contest Message-ID: HI Federationists and Friends, We are pleased to announce that this fall there will be some new additions to the NFB's wonderful Braille Readers are Leaders program. For starters, we are going to be expanding the program to include some new categories. New categories will include competitions for : **Teens--beginner, intermediate, and advanced readers **Adults--beginner, intermediate, and advanced readers And so much more! Don't worry though. We're still keeping the original Braille Readers are Leaders that we all know and love. But, we will be adding some new components to that as well. The program is slated to kick off in November with these new additions, so start brushing up on your contractions and warming up those fingers! Please stay tuned for more details as they develop. If you have ideas or suggestions for Braille Readers are Leaders, or any other Braille programs, please let me know. You can contact me at the National Center, or email me at Mhartle at nfb.org or Mthorpe at nfb.org. Thanks. Sincerely, Mary Jo T. Hartle Mary Jo Thorpe-Hartle, MEd, NOMC Director of Education Jernigan Institute NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND 1800 Johnson St. Baltimore, MD 21230 Phone: (410)659-9314 ext. 2407 Email: MTHORPE at nfb.org Fax: (410) 659-5129 Visit www.nfb.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From nabs.president at gmail.com Fri Sep 4 01:12:22 2009 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (Arielle Silverman) Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 11:12:22 +1000 Subject: [Uabs] Tell Us About your State Division Events! Message-ID: <85ff10070909031812l2a76aa86u2b2c0b837a36c8b3@mail.gmail.com> Dear NABS members: As I did at the beginning of August, I will be sending out monthly bulletins on behalf of NABS to update our members and potential members about what NABS is doing and to convey information pertinent to blind students nationally. I send these bulletins to all of the student division listservs on NFBNet as well as to all of the individuals who have registered for NABS through our Website or at our last national convention. In these bulletins I'd like to regularly include announcements about upcoming state division events as well as brief summaries of events that have recently happened, in order to give people an idea of what NABS has been up to during the past month. If your student division has an event coming up in the next month that you'd like our national membership to be aware of, or if you've just had an event and would like to report, please send these updates to me as soon as your event details are planned or as soon as the event you'd like to report on has concluded. I'll be sure to include it in the next month's bulletin. Also, if you discover a new resource that you think would be of interest to blind students on the national level (such as math accessibility software, etc.) please send the info to me or post on the NABS-L mailing list and I'll be sure to spread the word to all of the students who subscribe to the bulletins. The next bulletin will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Thanks for your help with making this new bulletin project successful and helpful to our membership. Best regards, Arielle -- Arielle Silverman President, National Association of Blind Students Phone: 602-502-2255 Email: nabs.president at gmail.com Website: www.nabslink.org From dandrews at visi.com Fri Sep 4 02:42:49 2009 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:42:49 -0500 Subject: [Uabs] Textbooks for disabled, Particularly College Students Message-ID: > > > From > http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/08/28/access > > > > > > >Textbooks for the Disabled > > > >August 28, 2009 > >The Association of American Publishers and the University of Georgia >this week unveiled an electronic database aimed at making it easier >for blind, dyslexic and otherwise impaired college students to get >specialized textbooks in time for classes. > >The database, called AccessText, is >designed to centralize the process by which electronic versions of >textbooks are requested by colleges and supplied by publishers. >Experts say it will allow disabled students to get their textbooks >more efficiently, help colleges save money and avoid lawsuits, and >protect publishers' copyrights. > >For students whose disabilities prevent them from using traditional >texts, the normally straightforward task of acquiring books for >their courses can be tedious and frustrating. Federal law requires >that colleges and universities provide disabled students equal >access to educational materials, but this is often easier said than >done. College officials have to track down and contact the publisher >of every textbook that each of its disabled students buys and >request an electronic copy. If such a copy exists -- the likelihood >shrinks the older the book and the smaller the publisher -- college >officials still have to convert the file to a format that can be >read by whatever reading aid the student uses. If not, the college >has to wait, sometimes weeks, to obtain permission to scan the book >and create its own electronic version. > >Once a college has an electronic copy, converting to a readable >format can be another complex process, says Sean Keegan, associate >director of assistive technology at Stanford University. Math and >science texts often arrive as scanned pages, and cannot always be >easily read by the character-recognition software the university >uses to turn them into standard electronic files, Keegan says. "That >can take a longer amount of time to process that material internally >and turn it around and give that to the student efficiently," he says. > >Meanwhile, delays in the process can make it impossible for disabled >students to prepare for and participate in classes. "Students need >to have a book in time so they can do the assigned reading and study >for tests and papers," says Gaeir Dietrich, interim director of >high-tech training for the California Community Colleges system. "So >if the book doesn't come until the term has been in session for >three or four weeks, that puts that student very far behind." Some >students have sued colleges over such delays, she says. > >AccessText aims to mitigate these woes by streamlining the request >and delivery process, says Ed McCoyd, executive director for >accessibility affairs at AAP. > >"There's a lot of transactional friction taking place currently," >says McCoyd. "What AccessText is trying to do is take some of that >out of the transaction by having parties agree to streamlined rules up front." > >Having colleges submit requests using the AccessText portal should >eliminate the need for the publishers to require endless paperwork >with each request to protect its copyrights, McCoyd says. Under the >system, the copyright protection agreements can be handled once, >during registration, and the requester's bona fides can be verified >by a log-in. > >Currently, colleges that get tired of waiting for publishers to >process the paperwork and procure an electronic copy of a text >sometimes just scan a text themselves to try to satisfy the needs of >disabled students in a timely fashion, says Dietrich. > >AccessText is also set up to eliminate the need for different >colleges to convert the same text to a readable format once it is >acquired. Currently "numerous schools could be doing the exact same >thing, converting the same text," says Bruce Hildebrand, executive >director for higher education at the publishers' association. Under >the new system, "if one school has already spent the time and the >money to convert a file to a format, they could advise the >AccessText network, which could then make the info available that it >was still available in that format, and that school could share it >with another school" -- thereby sparing those colleges the time and >resources it would have used to convert the file themselves, he says. > >Eight major publishing houses paid a total of just under $1 million >to develop the AccessText network and maintain it through its beta >phase, which will end next July. From then on, it will sustain >itself by billing member colleges between $375 and $500 annually, >depending on size. > >Dietrich notes that community colleges might not benefit from the >AccessText network as much as other institutions, since "we have a >lot more vocational classes and basic-skills classes, and a lot of >those books don't come through those big publishers, they come >through specialized publishers," she says. "It doesn't solve that >part of the problem for us." > >The network includes 92 percent of all college textbook publishers >and is recruiting even more, according to AAP officials. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jsorozco at gmail.com Fri Sep 4 14:03:53 2009 From: jsorozco at gmail.com (Joe Orozco) Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 10:03:53 -0400 Subject: [Uabs] Grant Opportunities for Youth and Divisions Message-ID: <61246DE4E7804F28815A2F1B318E01D1@Rufus> The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is launching the second edition of its Youth Solidarity Fund. This programme provides seed funding to outstanding youth projects demonstrating innovative approaches to building cross-cultural understanding. The 2009 edition of the Youth Solidarity Fund offers a total envelope of up to US$300,000. There are two levels of funding available: small grants for community or local-level projects needing funding of up to US$20,000 each and large grants for national or regional-level projects needing funding of up to US$30,000 each. A Youth Selection Committee will identify the best projects under each level of funding. Youth organizations from all over the world are invited to submit project proposals by September 30, 2009, 1:00 PM, New York time. The application guidelines and form are available at www.unaoc.org Do Something Save Our Music Contest (Deadline: October 23) VH1 and Do Something are calling on you to lead the fight for music education in schools. From now until October 16th, take action - tell everyone to "Save Our Music!" Organize an instrument drive. Create viral videos on what music means to you. Run an awareness campaign in your school. For more project ideas check out the "action ideas" section. The top 5 advocates will receive $1,000 for their school music program and Rock Band Video game packages. One grand prize winner gets $2500 in music funding and a Beatles Rock Band game system! Check your email and back here for mini-contests and giveaways throughout the campaign! Submit your projects by 10/23 for a chance to win! Upload photos and videos and you could win even more great prizes! Get started at: SaveOurMusic.org 2010 State Farm? Service-Learning Champion Award (Deadline: December 1) State Farm supports service-learning as a teaching method that enhances the academic achievement of students while engaging in service to the community. Teachers and parents are usually the primary individuals guiding a young person's education. Other adults often play a key role in broadening a youth's formal education through community service-learning activities. State Farm created the Service-Learning Champion Award to acknowledge this non-traditional advocate of service-learning. The State Farm Service-Learning Champion Award recognizes a business leader, community member or public official who has a passion for engaging youth in service-learning. Nominations for this annual award are due Dec.1, 2009. This annual award will be presented to the recipient at the 21st Annual National Service-Learning Conference in March 2010, in San Jose, Calif. Transportation, lodging, and conference registration costs for the award recipient will be provided by State Farm.? http://www.statefarm.com/about/part_spos/topics/nom_slchamp.asp __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4394 (20090904) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com From nabs.president at gmail.com Wed Sep 9 04:02:39 2009 From: nabs.president at gmail.com (Arielle Silverman) Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 14:02:39 +1000 Subject: [Uabs] NABS September Bulletin and Student Slate Fall 2009! Message-ID: <85ff10070909082102v239c7alfb32dfce07c03935@mail.gmail.com> national Association of Blind Students >From the Desk of the President September 8, 2009 In This Bulletin: 1. The Student Slate is Back! 2. Tis the Season of State Conventions 3. Save the Date 4. Want to Help Us Out? 5. Announcements 1. The Student Slate is Back! For over ten years the National Association of Blind Students has published a newsletter, the Student Slate, highlighting the goings-on in NABS as well as the array of things that blind students are doing every day. I?m pleased to attach the fall 2009 issue of the Student Slate to this bulletin for your enjoyment. The new editors of the Student Slate have promised to begin releasing our newsletter every three months. Enjoy and pass it on to anyone you know who wants to know what blind students have been doing lately! 2. Tis the Season: Fall is upon us, and along with the beginning of a new school year, fall is also the time when many NFB state conventions are happening across the country. At these conventions, NFB members throughout the state gather to share information, develop positions and goals regarding important blindness issues in the state, and also enjoy great fellowship in the process. Many of these state conventions also feature seminars, socials or other fun networking opportunities for students. If you want to find out when your state is having its next convention, you can go to http://www.nfb.org/nfb/state_conventions.asp?SnID=1342788108 and search for your state in the list. Click on your state?s link to get contact information for the state affiliate president, if you don?t already have it. Is your state doing something special for students at your convention? If so, we'd like to announce it in the next bulletin. Send details to Nabs.president at gmail.com Finally, we now have an online form through which to request a NABS board representative to come to your event. If you'd like to request a NABS rep at your convention or other student event, go to www.nabslink.org and click the "Request a NABS rep" link from the main page. 3. Save the Date: The National Association of Blind Students will be having its next meeting and student seminar on Sunday, January 31, at the Holiday Inn Capitol Hotel in Washington, D.C. We will be meeting just prior to the National Federation of the Blind's annual Washington Seminar, at which we meet with our national senators and representatives to discuss important legislative issues affecting blind Americans. Stay tuned for details about the NABS meeting and legislative seminar in future bulletins. Meanwhile, if you have any suggestions for us about what you'd like to see discussed at our meeting or the kinds of activities you'd like us to do as a student division, drop me an email and let me know. 4. Want to Help Us Out? The National Association of Blind Students has several ongoing committees that work on maintaining and developing specific aspects of the organization. All of our committees welcome new participants. You don't have to be a current student to serve on a committee; all that is required is willingness to work and to contribute your ideas. Please contact the following individuals if you are interested in joining their committee: Website: Meghan Whalen mewhalen at wisc.edu Listserv: Jedi Moerke blindjedi at clearwire.net Membership: Darian Smith ds94124 at aol.com Student Slate: Sean Whalen smwhalenpsp at gmail.com Fund-Raising: Isaiah Wilcox Iwilcox2011 at gmail.com 5. Announcements: Montana Student Division Campout: Jim Reed, president of the Montana Association of Blind Students, reports on a recent MABS campout. The Montana Association of Blind Students was recently organized and, despite its small membership, was able to put together a fun and inspiring event that combined recreation with the development of strong blindness philosophy: We had nine people attend. Noteworthy attendees include Dan Burke ? state affiliate president, Cindy Letcher ? state affiliate board member, and Jedi Moerke ? President, Washington Association of Blind Students/NABS representative. We took care of some business matters including amending our constitution to allow for a smaller board, electing a Vice President, and planning a fundraiser (selling Louis Braille coins at our state convention). Additionally we offered and awarded a few scholarships for students attending the MAB state convention. Also, we all agreed that the long-term goal for the Student Division should be to establish and maintain a mentoring program. Last, due to the fact that I will be leaving Montana to attend LCB training center, and the fact that I will no longer be a student, I announced my resignation as MABS President, effective January 31st, 2010. Our newly elected VP will become the new president. We also had some good discussions. Dan Burke and Jedi Moerke led several discussions related to blindness, NFB blindness philosophy, the role/purpose of the NFB, state affiliates, and student divisions. Additionally, there was some discussion of training centers; we had LCB and CCB graduates present, and they represented their schools well. Most importantly, we had a lot of fun and new friendships were made. In addition to perfecting old skills such as hanging out around a campfire or falling in the river, many people got to learn and use new skills such as setting up tents, operating propane stoves, and starting, maintaining, and cooking over a campfire. Additionally, familiar blindness skills such as cane travel and cooking got to be practiced in a new environment. And, in a discovery that will benefit blind people everywhere, Jedi discovered a non-visual method for differentiating between cans of Pepsi products and Budweiser cans (the line surrounding the pull tab and mouth on the Budweiser can is a ?figure 8? shape, whereas the line on the Pepsi can is more of an oval shape). FYI, there was no cost for anyone attending the campout. Using grant money from the NFB?s Imagination Fund, the Student Division spent $750 on food, supplies, tent rental, campsite reservations, bus tickets, gas, and a driver. Many people expressed an interest in making a Student Division campout an annual event. Southeast Regional Seminar Update: On August 14-16, 2009, the Georgia Association of Blind Students hosted a seminar for students in the Southeast in Macon, GA. There were about twenty-five students in attendance including representatives from Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The seminar featured a series of breakout sessions addressing topics of common interest to blind students such as technology, career development and blindness philosophy. Students also learned about fashion and had the chance to practice their newfound skills at a banquet and dance at the end of the seminar. Congratulations to the Southeast region for hosting such an educational seminar. Delaware Student Division Fund-Raiser: The Delaware student division is selling entertainment books until Dec. 10, 2009. Coupons in the books are valid until November 2010. To order your entertainment book go to http://www.fundraising.entertainment.com/esale2.cfm?CI=953897&SI=678037&LI=1 Additionally, Katherine Newman reports the following from Delaware: Next month Oct. 23-24 2009. Delaware is having our state convention in Dover and would like to invite our neighboring states: NJ, Pa, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The Student Division Convention will be Friday night with partying afterwards. If anyone would like to attend please contact Catherine Newman via phone or email off line and I will give you more updates as they come out. Do need to reserve rooms by October 26. There will also be an auction on Saturday with neat items so if you are planning to come bring money. Hope to see you all at the Delaware convention and I hope you all had a GREAT summer. Sincerely Yours, Catherine Newman 302 384 6879 NABS_DelawareDivision at yahoo.com Virginia Youth Blowout: The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia, in association with the Virginia Student Division, is pleased to announce the second Virginia Youth Blowout, to be held at the National Center in Baltimore October 23-25. We are expecting 40 high schoolers from around the state to attend and learn about techniques for succeeding as a blind student, advancing their leadership skills, and building their confidence. About a dozen blind adult and college student mentors will lead the activities and supervise the students. Mark Riccobono will lead his very popular activity from two years ago with the students, where he taught them how a blind person can safely use a chainsaw to cut through a piece of wood. We're also hoping to have a hybrid car demonstration, and teach the students how to safely travel in a world with increasing numbers of quiet cars. Plus, the students will learn how to safely break boards with their bare hands! For more details or to receive an application, please contact John Bailey at 703-994-2040 or john_bailey17 at hotmail.com Talking Calculator Resources: Kayleigh Joiner, a high school student from Texas who participated in the 2009 Youth Slam, provides some useful information about accessible scientific and graphing calculators: Hello NABS listers, My name is Kayleigh and I am a high school senior in Texas. I have had a little bit of experience with a calculator called the Orion TI-83. Here is a link that compares this calculator along with several other talking scientific calculators so that you can see which one will work best for you. The one that I am referring to is in the second table. http://www.tsbvi.edu/math/talk-sci-calc.htm That calculator will only speak the scientific part of it. In order to deal with the graphing part of math you can download a product called the Accessible Graphing Calculator (AGC). This is a piece of software that you use on a computer. You can download it for a 30 day trial and if you like it you can then purchase a license for it. Here is that link: http://www.tsbvi.edu/math/talk-sci-calc.htm This information is from a teacher that is certified in teaching math and blind/visually impaired students. If you have any other questions about other school subjects feel free to email me off list at: kayleigh281 at yahoo.com I hope that this information helps. Sincerely, Kayleigh -- Arielle Silverman President, National Association of Blind Students Phone: 602-502-2255 Email: nabs.president at gmail.com Website: www.nabslink.org -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Student Slate Fall 2009.doc Type: application/msword Size: 94208 bytes Desc: not available URL: From JFreeh at nfb.org Thu Sep 10 23:07:21 2009 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:07:21 -0500 Subject: [Uabs] National Federation of the Blind Endorses Google Books Settlement Before Congress Message-ID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org National Federation of the Blind Endorses Google Books Settlement Before Congress Urges Justice Department to Support Settlement Washington, DC (September 10, 2009): The National Federation of the Blind, the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind people and the leading advocate for access by the blind to digital information, testified before the House Judiciary Committee today that the proposed settlement between Google and authors and publishers regarding the Google Books project should be approved. The Google Books settlement will make millions of titles available to the blind and other Americans with print disabilities, providing more access to the printed word than the blind have had in all of human history. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, told the House Judiciary Committee: "The Google settlement is, for the blind and many others, the next step in the democratization of knowledge. That process began with the introduction of the printing press and then, for the blind, with the invention of Braille. Now technology is available that transcends the traditional limitations of both print and Braille, promising to make millions of titles available to the blind in Braille or any other format of our choice. The narrow business interests of Google's competitors must not be allowed to block Americans who cannot read print from all of the opportunities that greater access to written knowledge will make available to them. It is time for the doors of the world's great libraries to be opened and welcome to everyone." The National Federation of the Blind also urged the United States Department of Justice, which is reviewing the terms of the settlement, to support the agreement. "The Google Books settlement is a major step forward in advancing the civil rights of blind Americans and others who cannot read print because it substantially increases our opportunities for education and employment," President Maurer said. "The Justice Department, which is tasked with protecting the civil rights of all Americans, should respect the agreement of the parties to the settlement and allow its access provisions to be fully implemented. In doing so, the government will send a strong message that it values the participation of the blind in society and believes that we should have access to all of the information to which our sighted friends and colleagues have access." ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From JFreeh at nfb.org Mon Sep 14 16:29:57 2009 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:29:57 -0500 Subject: [Uabs] National Federation of the Blind and Motorola to Cooperate on Making Cell Phones Accessible to the Blind Message-ID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org Jennifer Erickson Motorola, Inc. (847) 435-5320 Jennifer.erickson at motorola.com National Federation of the Blind and Motorola to Cooperate on Making Cell Phones Accessible to the Blind Baltimore, Maryland and Libertyville, Illinois (September 14, 2009): The National Federation of the Blind, the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind people and the leading advocate for making mainstream devices accessible to the blind, and Motorola Inc., a leading manufacturer of cell phones and other mobile communications devices, announced today that they have entered into a cooperation agreement to promote technologies that improve the accessibility of cell phones to blind consumers. Certain future Motorola cell phones will provide verbal readouts of information such as the time and date, battery level, signal strength, user's phone number, caller ID information for incoming calls, missed and received calls, and voice mail alerts. Blind users will also be able to take advantage of verbal readouts and voice-command features for ring tone status, inputting and accessing contacts, and various other settings. Motorola expects these cell phones to be available in 2010. The parties have also agreed to work together to make additional phones and features accessible to blind users. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "In an age where productivity and success increasingly depend on access to mobile technology such as cellular telephones, it is critical that blind Americans have equal access to today's cell phones through user interfaces that do not require vision. The National Federation of the Blind appreciates Motorola's commitment to making the features of its cell phone products accessible to blind users without the need for third-party software, and we look forward to working together with Motorola to make future improvements to the accessibility of telecommunication technology." ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From RWest at nfb.org Fri Sep 18 15:16:22 2009 From: RWest at nfb.org (West, Renee) Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:16:22 -0500 Subject: [Uabs] =?iso-8859-1?q?NFB-NEWSLINE=AE_Is_Pleased_to_Announce_the_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_Addition_of_Science_News_magazine?= Message-ID: NFB-NEWSLINE? has recently added Science News magazine to its roster of over 300 publications. Published since 1922, this award-winning biweekly news magazine is written for science professionals and others interested in science, medicine, technology and physics. Content provides new development updates and discusses their scientific and real-life applications. Articles cover the environment, nutrition, agronomy, chemistry, research, development policy, mathematics, computers, behavioral sciences, astronomy, biology, materials science, biomedicine, life sciences, physics and technology. In print, the magazine reaches nearly 130,000 subscribers and more than one million readers. *** With a wide variety of publications available for free at any time day or night, to anyone who cannot read the printed word, NFB-NEWSLINE? is the ready and reliable source for information on hometown and global events and breaking news stories. Subscribers can access NFB-NEWSLINE? ?s roster of publications as well as TV listings via any touch-tone phone, over a secure, text-only Web site, or by speedy download to a digital talking-book player. For more information about, or to sign up for, NFB-NEWSLINE?, please visit www.nfbnewsline.org. To read Science News and over 300 other publications online or on your digital talking-book player, please visit www.nfbnewslineonline.org today! Renee West Manager, Marketing and Outreach Sponsored Technology Programs NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND 200 East Wells Street Baltimore MD 21230 Phone: (410) 659-9314 ext. 2411 Fax: (410) 659-5129 Websites: www.nfb.org; www.nfbnewsline.org; www.nfbnewslineonline.org There is a Braille literacy crisis in America. You can be part of the solution. Buy the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar now! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From info at michaelhingson.com Tue Sep 22 03:08:48 2009 From: info at michaelhingson.com (Michael Hingson) Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:08:48 -0500 Subject: [Uabs] On-line Demonstrations of KNFB Reader Mobile Software and Nokia N86 Message-ID: The National Federation of the Blind and The Michael Hingson Group will hold online demonstrations and discussions of the KnfbReader Mobile this Friday afternoon, September 25, 2009, and Saturday, September 26, 2009. The purpose of these meetings is to showcase the KnfbReader Mobile using the new Nokia N86 platform. "We are excited about the possibilities afforded by the Nokia N86 and its ability to support the KnfbReader Mobile in the future", states Michael Hingson president of The Michael Hingson Group. During these online sessions we will discuss the features of the KnfbReader Mobile as well as pricing and availability with the Nokia N86. The N86 has many new and interesting features not available on earlier platforms supported by the KnfbReader Mobile. These sessions will be of interest both to existing users as well as those who are interested in purchasing a Reader in the future. After opening presentations Michael Hingson will take questions on all aspects of the reader. Those who received this announcement are invited to encourage their friends and colleagues to join the session so that as many as possible can learn about this amazing device which is changing the lives of many blind people throughout the world. If you have questions or want to learn more about decay NFB reader mobile please contact: Michael Hingson Email: info at michaelhingson.com (415) 827-4084 Date: Friday September 25, 2009. Time: 2:00 P.M. Pacific, 3:00 P.M. Mountain, 4:00 P.M. Central, 5:00 P.M. Eastern, and elsewhere in the world 21:00 GMT Friday September 25. Date: Saturday September 26, 2009. Time: 10:00 A.M. Pacific, 11:00 A.M. Mountain, 12:00 P.M. Central, 1:00 P.M. Eastern, and elsewhere in the world 18:00 GMT Saturday September 26. Where: KnfbReader Mobile conference room: which you can locate by clicking on the following link: Enter the Conference Room Here Or, alternatively, http://74.208.96.53/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsb18eeae3cfd2. After reaching the conference room entry page follow the instructions to enter the conference room itself. No password is required. We will record the event and put it on Michael Hingson's web site http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com so if you are unable to participate live at the above times then you may download the presentation or podcast from the website listed above. This online interactive program requires no password, is free of Charge, and open to anyone worldwide having an Internet connection, a Computer, speakers, and a sound card. Those with microphones can interact audibly with the presenters and others in the virtual audience. If you are a first-time user of the Talking Communities online conferencing software, there is a small, safe software program that you need to download and then run. A link to the software is available On the entry screen to the online conference room. The Michael Hingson Group "Speaking with Vision" Michael Hingson, President (415) 827-4084 info at michaelhingson.com www.michaelhingson.com for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit: http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com http://michaelhingson.com/images/knfbReader-michael_hingson.jpg -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: a40513.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8779 bytes Desc: not available URL: From artds55 at comcast.net Tue Sep 22 03:19:52 2009 From: artds55 at comcast.net (by way of David Andrews ) Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:19:52 -0500 Subject: [Uabs] Fwd: Job Announcement Vending Program Director Oregon Message-ID: Post Code: D717 Announcement Number: LEBL0903 Classification Number: Z7002 Open: 09/9/2009 Close: 09/30/2009 Location: Portland Availability: Full Time PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE/MANAGER B (PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE/MANAGER B (Business Enterprise Program Director)) $3,672 - $5,406 MONTHLY To be considered for this vacancy you must apply to announcement number LEBL0903. INTRODUCTION The mission of the Oregon Commission for the Blind is to promote the full integration of blind Oregonians into society through employment and independent living. The Business Enterprise Program (BEP) offers legally blind Oregonians opportunities to manage food service and vending facilities in government buildings throughout Oregon. BEP???s purpose is to create employment for blind persons who are referred to the program by the rehabilitation staff of the agency. There are currently 25 facilities ranging from small dry-stands to large cafeterias. The agency is seeking a Director of the BEP. The chosen candidate will be responsible for the overall management, fiscal oversight and administration of the program. This position is management service and is not represented by a union. This recruitment announcement will be used to establish a list of qualified candidates to fill the current vacancy. SCOPE OF THE POSITION The Business Enterprise Program Director oversees all programmatic, administrative, financial and federal reporting matters related to the program. Specific duties include: * Provide support services for up to 25 business enterprise units operated by blind managers. * Develop staff competence to complete program functions. Conduct performance appraisals, disciplinary actions and signing off on leave requests. * Provide fiscal oversight of program and ensure all financial matters are handled appropriately. * Ensure appropriate training to qualified clients entering the vending programs, including interviewing and evaluation of potential managers. * Work with the Business Enterprise Consumer Committee (BECC) to ensure their active participation in major Administrative decisions and policy and program decisions affecting the overall administration of the program. * Propose such rules and regulations as may be required for the operation of the BE Program. * License and assign managers to units as they become available. * Make surveys of buildings or properties to determine their suitability as locations for vending facilities to be operated by blind persons. * Complete necessary contractual arrangements for establishment and operations of vending facilities with appropriate property management companies. * Arrange for the design, installation of equipment, supplies, and initial stock for new or remodeled units. * Prepare reports as may be required on status of BE Program. * Ensure availability of in-service and upward mobility training opportunities for facility managers. * Document contacts with BEP managers, public representatives and private vendors utilizing the BEP???s caseload management system. * Other duties as assigned. QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor's or higher degree in Social Work/Human Services/Business Administration or related field AND knowledge of the Randolph-Sheppard Act and Regulations; Oregon Revised Statutes regarding the BEP; and the BEP Rules and Regulations (Handbook). Knowledge of small business operation with an emphasis on vending and food service and management. Also, have knowledge of blindness and be able to select, train and assist legally blind individuals in successful management of their units. OR Bachelor's degree in a field not closely related AND one year of human services related experience working with business development initiatives for legally blind or other underrepresented individuals. AND knowledge of the Randolph-Sheppard Act and Regulations; Oregon Revised Statutes regarding the BEP; and the BEP Rules and Regulations (Handbook). Knowledge of small business operation with an emphasis on vending and food service and management. Also, have knowledge of blindness and be able to select, train and assist legally blind individuals in successful management of their units. SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING TO APPLY: 1) A completed Management Service Application Form (located at the end of this announcement) AND 2) A current resume. Your resume must clearly indicate that you meet the qualifications listed above. AND 3) An Oregon Application form PD100 that can be obtained from the following website: http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/STJOBS/stjobsapplication.shtml#Standard_Application__PD100_ AND 4) Answers to the following questions. Please limit your answers to half a page each. * Describe your experience managing a federal or state program supporting business enterprise or blind individuals. * Describe your experience working with an advisory body, such as the Business Enterprise Consumer Committee or other such entities. What is your philosophy or approach if your agency???s decisions are challenged by an advisory body? * Give two examples of instances you have resolved or been unable to resolve conflict in the workplace. You may deliver, mail, email or FAX your completed application to: E-mail your application to: recruitment.ocb at state.or.us Indicate announcement number LEBL0903 in the subject line. Or mail your application to: Oregon Commission for the Blind 535 SE 12th Ave. Portland, OR 97214 Or FAX your application to 971-673-1570 If you need assistance to participate in the application process, you are encouraged to call 503-945-5698 (voice) or 503-945-6214 (TTY) between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday. Keep a copy of your application materials for your job interviews. The Oregon Commission for the Blind does not provide copies. Although faxing your application is an option, the Oregon Commission for the Blind is not responsible for materials that are illegible or missing as a result of FAX transmission errors or loss in the mail or e-mail. Due to the high volume of incoming applications, we are unable to verify receipt of applications. The salary on all announcements may change without notice. Notice of your application results will be sent to you by mail. Although agencies are not required to delay their selection process, you may request a review of your application results. This review request must be received in writing within 10 days from the date of the notice. Although, additional application information cannot be submitted for active applications, you may submit a new application when you feel you have new/updated qualification information. If you are offered employment, the offer will be contingent upon the outcome of a criminal background and driving records check. Any history of criminal activity will be reviewed and could result in the withdrawal of the offer or termination of employment. WORKING CONDITIONS Requires occasional lifting for short periods. Frequent statewide travel is required. Some out-of-state travel may be required. You must have a valid driver's license and an acceptable driving record. If not, you must be able to provide an alternate method of transportation. PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING US! The Oregon Commission for the Blind offers an array of benefits including medical, dental, and life insurance, as well as paid holidays, vacation and sick leave. For additional information, please refer to the following website for details: http://oregon.gov/DAS/OP/Benefits.shtml. The Oregon Commission for the Blind is committed to affirmative action, equal employment opportunity and workplace diversity. Oregon Commission for the Blind MANAGEMENT SERVICE APPLICATION FORM APPLICANT NAME: MAILING ADDRESS: EMPLOYEE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (REQUIRED): OR HOME PHONE: WORK PHONE: E-MAIL: ?????????????????????? POSITION: PEMB/Business Enterprise Program Director I understand that any oral or written statement that is false, fraudulent, or misleading in this material, or made in the course of any related employment process, whether made by me or by others at my request, will result in rejection of this material, denial of employment, or dismissal from state service if discovered after employment, and in many circumstances, prosecution for a crime. I certify that all statements contained herein are true and complete whether made by me or others at my request. I understand that I must prove that I am authorized to work in the United States if I am hired. I authorize the employing agency to verify the employment and education information provided in this material. I authorize my driving record to be checked if the position for which I am applying requires driving. I understand and agree to a pre-employment drug screening and a criminal history background check. APPLICANT SIGNATURE: DATE: RECRUITMENT TRACKING INFORMATION PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: Job Applied For: Classification Number: ___________________ Announcement Number: HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS POSITION? Newspaper (List Publication) State Jobs Page State Agency website Other website (List website) Employee Referral Friend Other: VOLUNTARY INFORMATION The information you provide below is voluntary. Affirmative Action The State of Oregon has an Affirmative Action Policy. If you choose to provide this information, it will help us evaluate the effectiveness of our affirmative action programs. This will also be used for research and statistical purposes. Ethnic Background (check only one) (A) Asian or Pacific Islander: Persons having origins in any of the peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands and Samoa. (B) African American (not of Hispanic origin): Persons having origins in any of the black ethnic groups. (H) Hispanic: Persons having origins in any of the Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish cultures, regardless of ethnicity. (I) Native American or Alaskan Native: Persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintain cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition. (W) Caucasian (not of Hispanic origin): Persons having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa or the Middle East. Gender: MALE FEMALE Disabled: YES NO (Checking the ???yes??? box has no effect on an employer's obligation to provide reasonable accommodation under state and federal disability laws.) ATTENTION: Attach this page to your application materials, even if you do not provide the voluntary information. __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4445 (20090921) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From JFreeh at nfb.org Thu Sep 24 04:41:53 2009 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:41:53 -0500 Subject: [Uabs] Washington Post article on silent cars Message-ID: The following article on the danger posed by silent cars appeared today on the front page of the Washington Post. Washington Post The Deadly Silence of the Electric Car Automakers Propose Vroom-Vroom Substitutes to Alert Pedestrians Byline: Peter Whoriskey Publication Date: 09/23/2009 Link to Article After years of trying to make cars sound as if they were riding on air, engineers are considering how they might bring back some noise. They're trying to make some of them -- those silent hybrids -- more audible. But how? A team of engineers developing the Leaf, the forthcoming electric car from Nissan and a front-runner in the race for a mass-market electric car, have recently been presenting their ideas for artificial noises to government officials and focus groups. Maybe Chime Number 22? Melody Number 39? Perhaps a futuristic whirring like the aircraft in 'Blade Runner'? As hybrids proliferate and major automakers such as Nissan and General Motors prepare to launch battery electric vehicles next year, some automakers are seeking to address concerns in the United States and Japan that the nearly noiseless vehicles may be so quiet that they pose a threat to pedestrians. At a meeting earlier this month and another over the summer, Nissan presented the chime, the melody and a futuristic whir to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has recently gathered evidence that the vehicles may pose a safety risk. Regulatory committees in the United States and Japan are also studying complaints about the cars, and Congress is weighing a measure requiring vehicles to issue 'non-visual' warnings to pedestrians. 'We are studying potential artificial noises that can be added to the vehicle,' said Scott Becker, a Nissan senior vice president. But the nascent industry is divided over whether safety sounds should be added to the quiet cars and, if so, what those noises should be. 'Frankly, we've been working for 30 years to make cars quiet -- never thinking they could become too quiet,' said Robert Strassburger, vice president for vehicle safety at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an industry group that has been working to address the concerns. But now 'those vehicles may be difficult to detect.' Hybrid vehicles typically operate on hushed battery-powered electric motors when idling and traveling at low speeds. At higher speeds, the noisier internal-combustion engine kicks in. Toyota, which makes the popular hybrid Prius, a small car that runs very quietly at low speeds, does not add artificial sounds. Cars like Tesla's Roadster, Nissan's Leaf and General Motors' Volt, which will depend on battery electric power, may be even quieter. Officials at Tesla say they have no intention of implementing 'fake noises.' The company already makes the $109,000 electric Roadster, a luxury product popular with eco-conscious celebrity customers. 'We have delivered more than 700 cars, and our customers overwhelmingly say the relative quiet of the powertrain is one of the most appealing aspects of the car,' said Tesla spokeswoman Rachel Konrad. 'Thanks to widespread electric vehicle adoption, we will all enjoy far less noise pollution in the future.' Evidence that the hybrid sales spurt poses a safety threat has been scant, in part because the phenomenon is new and the hybrid cars represent only a small fraction of the more than 230 million vehicles on the road, transportation officials said. But an as-yet-unreleased NHTSA study of accidents in 12 states compares accident rates for some hybrid vehicles and their internal combustion engine counterparts. Covering more than 8,000 hybrid electric vehicles and nearly 600,000 gasoline-fueled cars, the analysis suggests that during certain low-speed maneuvers such as turning and backing up, hybrid vehicles are 50 percent more likely to be involved in an accident with a pedestrian, said Ronald Medford, acting deputy administrator of NHTSA. 'We certainly know that blind pedestrians rely heavily on the sound of vehicles as a means of determining when it is safe to cross the road,' Medford said. 'But all of us are susceptible.' The potential problem arises at speeds less than 15 mph, when the electric and hybrid vehicles are notably quiet, almost silent. At higher speeds, the rush of air and the slap of tires makes the electrics almost as noisy as their gasoline-powered counterparts. Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) has introduced a bill that would require the Department of Transportation to establish a safety standard under which cars would have to be equipped to issue 'non-visual alerts' so that pedestrians can determine the vehicle's location, motion and speed. It has garnered 139 sponsors, among them Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), who says he has been startled by a quiet car. 'I was down in Florida in the parking lot of a shopping center, and I was wheeling my groceries with my wife, and I didn't hear a car come up behind me,' Stearns told reporters. 'If all the cars are silent in the future, it does pose a problem.' But if electric cars are to be equipped with sound, there is little agreement over what the sound should be, how loud it ought to be and whether manufacturers should be allowed to create their own distinctive audio tracks. Some automakers are already experimenting with or planning to develop noises. The Fisker Karma, a luxury electric vehicle, will have an integrated audio system that will both alert pedestrians and give the car a 'distinctive audio signature' that will be 'reflective of the car's advanced technology,' a spokesman said. Officials with the National Federation of the Blind, which has pressed the safety issue with automakers and regulators, have advocated that electric cars make sounds similar to those of gas-powered cars. 'Society is conditioned to that sound,' said John Pare, director of strategic initiatives for the group. There is some concern that if a variety of noises are permitted, then electric cars could merely add another layer to the urban cacophony, potentially conflicting with state and local laws governing decibel levels. 'If we all do it differently, we will confuse the heck out of the consumer,'' said Nancy Gioia, director of hybrid and sustainable technology at Ford. Nissan declined to release the audio tracks being considered but said it would make its final decision in consultation with regulators. It is also seeking approval from drivers, some of whom have been fussy about the various sounds tested. 'They are too flat and irritating in hearing for more than even five minutes,' one respondent in a Nissan test said. 'Monotonous sound makes me sleepy,' said another. Said Pare: 'We are certain that there is a safe level of sound that isn't burdensome to society.' -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: