Posted on June 30th, 2008 by MCCBAdmin
As proponents for modifying the United States Currency in order to make it accessible to all people including those who are blind, we are sure to pass on information relevant to this quest.
I came across an article from ABC News. It provides us with some additional history regarding why Jeffrey Lovitky, an attorney working with ACB to gain accessible currency, was so passionate and committed to the effort.
According to the article, the case was not just about people who are blind being able to independently distinguish the various denominations.
It was about a brilliant, gifted woman who changed so many perceptions and overcame so many obstacles that those who knew her never doubted her ability
to continue inspiring enormous change, even from the grave.
Take a moment to read this article titled, “Money Ruling A Remarkable Woman’s Legacy.”
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Filed under: Accessible Currency
Posted on June 28th, 2008 by MCCBAdmin
I know of one specific MCCB member who would love to get her hands on this. A way to make Karaoke accessible to people who are blind.
Here’s how it works:
Nippon Telesoft Co. has developed braille karaoke software that translates song lyrics on an online karaoke system, then sends the data to a braille pin
device. Pins on the device move up and down to form the words of the song slightly ahead of the melody so the singer can read the lyrics with their fingers
and sing in time with the music.
When this comes out in the states, I’m all over it! Seriously, I can sing. Uh, well, at least I sound good in the shower!
Read more on making Karaoke accessible here…
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Filed under: Accessibility
Posted on June 27th, 2008 by MCCBAdmin
We hear a lot about the unemployment rate among people who are visually impaired or blind (70%), so it’s great to hear about those in the community who are happily employed. It’s even cooler when they are employed in a field that’s not often associated with the blind community.
This article features Kris McCall, a Planetarium Director who is visually impaired.
From the article:
“I know that I see the sky differently than other people, but I don’t know that I really see it any differently,” McCall said. “It’s still beautiful. It’s
still fascinating. I’m still excited about it.”
File this one under cool!
Read the article on Ms. McCall…
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Filed under: General
Posted on June 26th, 2008 by MCCBAdmin
One step closer to assuring all Americans who are visually impaired or blind have equal access to library services.
From the article:
Eric Bridges, ACB’s director of advocacy and governmental affairs, noted, “Access to a public library is something that many Americans take for granted.
The ability to read books, whether novels, books on politics, or manuals on home improvement, is just as important to a person who is blind as it is to
any other person who needs or wants information. What is at stake here is access to that information, because if this program diminishes for lack of funding,
many Americans will be unable to access library services of any kind. Fortunately, this action gives us hope that the program will be preserved.”
C’mon Senate, don’t let us down!
Read the press release here.
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Filed under: Accessibility, NLS
Posted on June 24th, 2008 by MCCBAdmin
The team at the Accessify blog has informed us that RNIB - Royal National Institute of Blind People has created a toolbar to simplify accessing some features in IE browser. Some of which can be helpful from an accessibility standpoint.
From the RNIB toolbar download page:
Most of the functions that the Surf Right Toolbar offer are available via the Internet options tab in the browser however many people don’t always know that they exist or how to find them.
Among the features accessed via the toolbar include the ability to turn flash on and off, adjust text size and use of custom style sheets.
Remember this toolbar is currently in beta which means not all of the “bugs” have been worked out.
Visit the Web Access Centre Blog for more information or to download the RNIB Surf Right Toolbar.
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Filed under: Accessibility
Posted on June 4th, 2008 by MCCBAdmin
On June 2, 2008, I joined a coalition of interested organizations in Harrisburg at our state’s capitol to advocate for increased funding for the two state libraries for the blind and physically handicapped, one located in Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh. These libraries provide free audio books, over 500 descriptive videos and will lend access technology. On site, both libraries have some form of job readiness training as well as computer work stations equipped with access technology for use by eligible patrons.
I knew immediately when George Holiday, President of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind (PCB) asked me to participate that no matter what it took I would be there with the other 27 members of the PCB, meeting with as many senators and representatives as I could arrange appointments. As I began to receive material regarding this issue, my own commitment to this cause grew. I learned things about our libraries funding and how desperately we need additional funds that shocked me. For one thing, I had no idea that the Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of Pennsylvania have received flat funding for 7 years running. I had no idea that of the 158,000 Pennsylvanians who are eligible for services, 133,000 persons are not being served. In the next decade the number of eligible persons is going to increase by 11% and if funding is not increased along with that number, how will Pennsylvanians who require this service read?
One fact that became evident while I was engaged in discourse with legislators or their staff is that meeting in person has a profoundly powerful affect on how the issue is perceived, that is what importance is assigned to a particular issue. Legislators and staff were definite when they indicated that meeting with them personally, whether in their local office or there in Harrisburg absolutely lent an urgency and credibility to the issue at hand. As for those of us who were in the Capitol that day, there was an overwhelming sense of empowerment. We were doing the very best we could to insure that blind and physically challenged Pennsylvanians would continue to have access to audio books and the many other services provided by these libraries.
Keep an eye out in the Pocono Record for related articles which will appear in the next week.
Great things are accomplished through advocacy.
Mary Ann Alexander
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Filed under: Accessibility, Advocacy, NLS
Posted on May 29th, 2008 by MCCBAdmin
PANDA -Pedestrian Awareness Noise-emitting Device and Application
Two Grad students think they may have the solution to the problem caused by quiet cars.
They have created a system that emits sounds from small speakers that will be mounted to a hybrid or quiet car.
From the article:
Meyer said they expect some resistance to their product. “We got a lot of voices saying, ‘This is a bad idea. You’re making a lot of noise.’ We don’t believe that. We believe this is something that has to happen.”
I find it interesting that the main complaint from hybrid owner’s regarding the push to make quiet cars safer, is their objection to polluting the environment with additional noise. Hmm, noise versus lives? I know what I would choose!
Read, Students’ prototype counters quiet creep of hybrid cars, from Stanford University.
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Filed under: Quiet Cars
Posted on May 21st, 2008 by MCCBAdmin
With the US Appeals Court ruling that upholds the claim that paper currency discriminates against people who are blind, the local paper of Monroe County, the Pocono Record, was quick to seek input from those most affected by the decision.
MCCB President Mary Ann Alexander provided local input regarding the decision.
From the article:
They made that five (dollar bill) with all that pretty purple — or what I’m told is purple — coloring,” Alexander said. “Why couldn’t they experiment with adding some raised markings to the bill then? That would have been just as easy.
Wow, feisty, huh!
Read the rest of the article from the Record titled, U.S. court rules paper money is discriminatory
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Filed under: Accessible Currency
Posted on May 20th, 2008 by MCCBAdmin
Finally, the US Appeals Court rules in favor of The American Council of the Blind- saying the current US currency discriminates against people who are blind due to it’s indistinguishable denominations.
This has been a long battle that honestly isn’t over. The Treasury Department can continue by appealing to the Supreme Court.
According to this article:
The appeals court also ruled that the U.S. failed to explain why changing the money would be an undue burden. The Treasury Department has redesigned its currency several times in recent years, and adding features to aid the blind would come at a relatively small cost, the court said.
Other countries have added such features, the court said, and the U.S. never explained what made its situation so unique.
Now taking this issue all the way to the Supreme Court, what a statement that would send to the blind community!
Read the article from Foxnews.com titled, Appeals Court: Paper Money Discriminates Against Blind
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Filed under: Accessibility, Accessible Currency, Advocacy
Posted on May 20th, 2008 by MCCBAdmin
I enjoyed the message of this article from the Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday titled Blindness is not a Problem.
The article featuring a local radio personality named Anthony Tom, who has been blind since birth, gives us an insight into the various issues faced by people who are blind and visually impaired around the world.
Similar to the philosophy of MCCB, Tom pointed out in the article:
being blind is not the problem — the challenges have to do with inaccessible transportation, misconceptions about blindness and the lack of available access to information.
I couldn’t have said that better!
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Filed under: International, Media