| August, 2002 |
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Announcements
ADA Founding Father- Obituary
Death of one of the ADA's founding fathers
Justin Dart Jr., 71, an activist who for more than five decades worked in his wheelchair to champion the cause of people with disabilities, died Saturday at his home in Washington.
Mr. Dart, whose family said he died in his sleep of natural causes, was regarded among the fathers of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark 1990 civil rights law for the disabled. In 1998, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.
Born in Chicago in 1930, Mr. Dart contracted polio in 1948 and used a wheelchair since then. He began working for the disabled from that time, when he was a student at the University of Houston, and went on to become chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities in the Reagan administration.
Association of Blind Citizens Assistive Technology Fund
Creating Opportunity One Step At A Time
http://www.assocofblindcitizens.org/assistive.html
The Association of Blind Citizens has established the Assistive Technology Fund.
The Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) will provide funds to cover 50%of the retail price of adaptive devices or software. The ABC board of directors believes that this program will allow blind and visually impaired individuals' access to technology products that will have a significant impact on improving employment opportunities, increase the level of independence and enhance their overall quality of life.
The products covered by this program must retail for a minimum of $200 with a maximum retail price of $6,000. Persons eligible to apply for assistance must have a family income of less than $50,000 and cash assets of less than $20,000. Applications will be reviewed by the Assistive Technology Committee (ATC), and recommendations will be submitted for board approval. If applicants are selected to receive a technology grant, applicants will be asked to provide documents such as tax returns, bank statements and any other documents that the ABC board or it's designee would deem necessary to assess financial need for the grant.
Applicants must be legally blind and a resident of the United States to qualify for this program. Applications must be submitted by June 30th, September 30th and December 31st for each grant period (three per year). Applicants will be notified if their request for a grant is approved. Applicants may submit one request per calendar year. All applications must be submitted via e-mail. You will be notified by ABC within 45 days after the application deadline.
You may fill out the request form below by pasting it in to your word processor and emailing it to
atf@assocofblindcitizens.org.
Association of Blind Citizens Assistive Technology request form
Name:
First Line Of Address:
Second Line Of Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Telephone Number with area code:
Email address:
Provide a description of 500 or fewer words of the device you wish to purchase and how it will help you achieve employment or increase your independence. Requests must be received via email only, by June 30th, September 30th,
and December 31st.
Submit request ATF@Assocofblindcitizens.org
http://www.assocofblindcitizens.org/assistive.html
Baltimore County Public Library Provides New Assistive Computer Technology Service
May 20, 2002
People who are deaf or have hearing and speech impairments can now "speak" directly to a library staffer by using Baltimore County Public Library's newly installed communication system called TTY Information and Communication Access for Libraries (TICAL). When they dial the special TICAL number (410-821-5705) on their TTY or computer modem, customers can communicate with their choice of BCPL's 16 libraries and Administrative Offices to obtain the information they need.
TICAL consists of a client/server software program and accompanying hardware made by Nxi Communications that is distributed locally by TeleSonic and installed on the library system's internal computer network (LAN). By using one of the computers equipped with TICAL, library staff can communicate with staff to obtain information at different branches, as well as place calls without using a TTY to deaf, hearing and speech impaired customers. The program provides the same links for any library employee who is deaf.
The installation of TICAL adds to the services, specialized equipment and materials BCPL provides for people who have vision and hearing limitations. They include North Point's extensive collection of 200 American Sign Language videotapes. Optelec's magnifying viewers, and PC's equipped with JAWS (Job Access with Speech) and OPENBook for people who are blind or visually limited, who are unable to handle a book, or who have a reading disability are available at the following five libraries: Catonsville, North Point, Pikesville, Randallstown, and Towson. Large print books, recorded books and books on CD are available at all 16 BCPL branches.
The new assistive computer technology is funded with a Weinberg Accessibility Grant given to the Foundation for Baltimore County Public Library.
For further information, call 410-887-6196.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum accessible guided tours
Guided Highlights Tour: An accessible tour for individuals with disabilities
As part of an on-going effort to make the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum accessible to all individuals, we have developed a Guided Highlights Tour (GHT) of our Permanent Exhibition. These tours are free to the public and designed for individuals who are blind, deaf-blind, or who have low-vision.
Led by specially trained docents, the GHT takes visitors through the Museum's Permanent Exhibition, a three-floor narrative history detailing the Nazi rise to power, the annihilation of European Jewry as well as the persecution and murder of millions of other victims, and the aftermath of the Holocaust. Volunteer docents use visually descriptive language, touchable reproductions of several key artifacts, large print and Braille ID cards, and a model of the Museum. The GHT can also supply visitors with a variety of visual aids, including monoculars, flashlights, and high-contrast black and white photographs. Tour routes and lengths may vary depending on the needs and interests of the visitor.
For more information, contact:
Timothy Kaiser
GHT Program Coordinator
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
(202) 314-0308
tkaiser@ushmm.org
Volunteers needed for Maryland Library for Blind and Physically Handicapped
The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) needs volunteers, in the eastern and western regions of Maryland, who are willing to be trained on the cassette players used by the LBPH. These volunteers will then train LBPH patrons in their region on how to use the cassette players.
If you would like more information on this, please feel free to contact the LBPH at:
415 Park Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21201-3603
410-230-2424 - Baltimore Metro
410-333-8679 - TDD
410-333-2095 - FAX
1-800-964-9209 - Outside Metro Area
1-800-934-2541 - TDD Outside Metro Area
recept@lbph.lib.md.us - E-mail
DanceAbilities
September 2002 to June 2003 Schedule
A Full Year Program
Expressive Dance/Special Needs Children
Help your child with developmental delays or learning disabilities to discover their potential through creative movement! Classes for ages 3-16.
For more information, contact:
12487 Rose Path Circle
Fairfax, VA 22033
(703) 218-0751