Order a Free White Cane from NFB

Did you know that the National Federation of the Blind provides free white canes? To order a cane, go to www.nfb.org. A proper cane length is your height minus 7 inches.

The National Federation of the Blind of Michigan has five local chapters. They are: Kalamazoo, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Western Wayne County, and Detroit. There is also a Chapter at Large for members who are not near a local chapter. You can participate in the Chapter at Large over the phone. The web page address is www.nfbmi.org.

 

Spring 2012 Edition of Library Connection

Library Connection – Spring 2012 is now available.

Highlights of this issue:

• New Itch-to-Stitch Group
• Friday Phone Calls
• Spring Holiday Closures
• Year of the Tigers – Detroit Tigers
• Help for Family Caregivers
• Spring Cleaning Time is Here
• Attention All ‘Snow Birds’
• Help Us Solve a Problem
• Mark Your Calendar – May Will Soon Be Here
• Taxes are Due on Tuesday, April 17
• Heads Up If You Use a Cell Phone
• A Heartfelt Thank You

To read or listen to these articles, check out Library Connection – Spring 2012.

Sources for Digital Talking Book Cartridges and Cables

NLS patrons who have registered for the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service may download digital-talking books. In order to do so, it is necessary to purchase a customized cartridge that will play in the NLS Digital Talking Book Machine (DTBM).

Cartridges may be purchased from the following sources. Please note that this information is provided for your information only, and the library does not endorse or guarantee the products of these vendors.

American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. (APH)
1839 Frankfort Avenue
P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, KY 40206-0085
(502) 895-2405
800-223-1839 (Toll-free customer service in the U.S. and Canada)
www.APH.org
Contact: Customer Service
cs@aph.org

Howell Mobility Products
717 Louis Avenue
Royal Oak, MI 48067-4603
(248) 548-1788
(248) 548-1788 Fax (call first)
www.howellmobility.com
canes@howellmobility.com

National Federation of the Blind
Independence Market
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
www.nfb.org
(410) 659-9314, extension 2216
(410) 685-2340 Fax
IndependenceMarket@nfb.org

Perkins Products
175 North Beacon St
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 972 7308
(617) 926 2027 (fax)
www.perkinsproducts.org, Talking Book Accessories section
adaptivetech@perkins.org

Twin Ports Low Vision Center
Duluth Lighthouse for the Blind
4505 W. Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55807
218) 624-4828 Ext. 119
(800) 422-0833 (toll free)
(218) 624-4479 Fax
http://www.lighthousefortheblind-duluth.org/lvstore/

Vistas
Braille Institute
741 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 663-1111, Ext. 1245
(323) 663-0867 Fax
www.brailleinstitute.org

Who can certify people as eligible?

In cases of blindness, visual impairment, or physical handicap, eligibility may be certified by doctors of medicine; doctors of osteopathy; ophthalmologists; optometrists; registered nurses; therapists; and professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or private welfare agencies (e.g., social workers, case workers, counselors, rehabilitation teachers, and superintendents). In the absence of any of these, certification may be made by professional librarians or by any person whose competence under specific circumstances is acceptable to the Library of Congress.

In the case of a reading disability from organic dysfunction, eligibility must be certified by doctors of medicine or doctors of osteopathy, who may consult with colleagues in associated disciplines.

New Books on BARD

We are pleased to tell you that books are now added to BARD as soon as they pass Quality Assurance.

This means you can expect to see new books several times a week. To check for new books, do the following:

1. Go to https://nlsbard.loc.gov
2. Log into your account.
3. Follow the Recently Added Books link. This is a level 3 heading.

Books are arranged by their date of addition to BARD, with the newest first, under headings that show the date when they were added. Each date is a level 2 heading, so with most screen readers you can easily move from date to date. Book titles are level 4 headings.

IRS provides assistance for people with disabilities

Individuals who are blind or visually impaired can download hundreds of the most popular federal tax forms and publications from IRS.gov. These products range from accessible PDFs to e-braille formats and are accessible using screen- reading software and refreshable braille displays. Visit IRS.gov Accessibility to download these forms and publications. You can also view a video that highlights IRS products and services for people with disabilities.

Tax return preparation help is also available    

People who are unable to complete their tax return because of a physical disability may get assistance from a local IRS Tax Assistance Center or through a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or Tax Counseling for the Elderly site (VITA or TCE). To find a Tax Assistance Center near you visit IRS.gov, select Contact IRS, and then select Contact Your Local IRS Office. You can also find a nearby VITA or TCE location by calling 1-800-906-9887. The IRS sponsors VITA and TCE. Publication 907, Tax Highlights for Persons with Disabilities, explains the tax implications of certain disability benefits and other issues and is available at IRS.gov.

Visit www.IRS.gov and enter “accessibility” in the search box for more information.

Reading The Second Book On A Flash Drive or Cartridge

A number of people are having difficulty getting to the next book on their flash drive. Unfortunately, the new player does not automatically go to the next book once it finishes reading the first book. Here are step-by-step directions to help you switch to another book.

1. Stop your machine from Talking. You may need to press and release the large green square “Play/Stop” button to stop a book from playing.
2. Once the machine is silent, press and hold down the “Play/Stop” button until you hear the word “Bookshelf.”
3. Once you hear the word “Bookshelf,” you can release the button.
4. The machine should say “Book 1″ and the title of your book.
5. Press and release the “FF” button, which is the arrow pointing to the right.
6. The player should say, “Standard Player User Guide” or “Book 2″ followed by the title of the book.
7. Wait until the player is finished saying the whole title of the book.
8. If the “User Guide” or “Book 2″ is the book you want, press and release the “Play/Stop” button to get the book to start playing.
9. If the “User Guide” or ”Book 2″ is not the book you want, continue to push and release the “FF” button until you find the book you want.
10. Wait until the player is finished saying the whole title of the book, then press and release the “Play/Stop” button to get the book to start playing.

If you are listening to the book titles and have accidentally passed the book you want, press the “RW” button, which is the white arrow button pointing to the left, to go back through the titles. Then follow Step 10.