(EYE) TALK
Fall
2011
Association for
the Blind & Visually Impaired of
Jefferson Co.
321 Prospect
Street Watertown, NY 13601
Phone: 782-2451 e-mail: asnblind@imcnet.net
Office News
Office News A copier was donated by Advanced Business Systems (ABS) to replace our outdated office machine recently. We were told replacement parts were not available for the old copier and crossed our fingers it would continue to work whenever we used it. This newsletter is done in office and would not be possible without the new copier. Thanks to ABS for their generosity and community support!
The Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired of Jeff. Co. is now on Facebook. Check out our page and click Like or post a comment. Upcoming Fundraiser Planned An evening with Wilson Stevenson, psychic medium, to benefit the Association for the Blind will be held at the VFW, 231 Bellew Ave., Watertown. The group reading will be held on Saturday, November 12th at 2:00 pm. There will be a donation of $10 at the door, doors open at 1:15. For more information, call: 782-2451. David Liscomb appointed national representative David Liscomb was appointed as the national representative of the National Alliance for Direct Care Professionals on June 7th. The Mission of the NADCP: The Direct Care Alliance is a nationwide and state-based alliance of direct care workers, employers and people of all ages and disabilities who use long-term services, care and supports. They are united to build an empowered and valued professional direct care workforce essential to ensuring high-quality services and a life of dignity, respect, autonomy and opportunity for all to participate in community life. Congratulations David! NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) NVDA is a free and open source screen reader for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Providing feedback via synthetic speech and Braille, it enables blind or vision impaired people to access computers running Windows for no more cost than a sighted person. Download the program at www.nvda-project.org onto a jump drive or other portable media such as USB drive with no installation. Then scroll over a word and it will be read to you. NVDA is developed by NV Access, with contributions from the community. NYS Talking Books are downloadable with a computer The old cassette players are now obsolete. New audio books are ONLY available from NYS Talking Book and Braille Library in digital format. Digital talking book players are provided at no charge to those who are unable to read standard printed materials. Digital books, numbering about 25,000 including over 50 magazines, may be downloaded from the NLS BARD (Nation Library Service Braille and Audio Download). What you need is: 1.) Use of high-speed internet and an active email address 2.) A digital talking book machine issued to you from an NLS regional library 3.) A USB flash drive or an empty cartridge (available for purchase) How it works: The digital player has been pre-programmed to play the downloaded audio books. They will not play on your computer or mp3 player. Download the audio books from NLS BARD at https://nlsbard.loc.gov (you will need a login ID and password) then save them to your digital cartridge or USB flash drive. Insert the flash drive into your digital player. The USB port is on the right side of the player, next to the green speaker jack. The books will then play automatically. Downloading is the quickest way to receive audio books. Although you may also receive digital books directly through the mail, there are currently only about 4,500 books available in this format. Contact the Association for the Blind at 782-2451 if you do not already have a digital player and would like one. Lighting Tips Source: Lighthouse International, Living Better at Home Light is essential to vision. The quality and quantity of the light needed for a comfortable, useful viewing environment varies from person to person and becomes particularly important when vision is impaired. On average, older people need about three times as much light as those who are younger. It's important to evaluate visual performance and comfort under varying lighting conditions to decide what works best for you. For instance, people with glaucoma must balance their need for higher light levels with avoiding glare, while those with cataracts may do better with lower light. Here are some other suggestions that individuals with vision problems are sure to find helpful: Glare results when light (natural or artificial) shines directly into your eyes or reflects off shiny or polished metal surfaces, such as tabletops and floors. Use a tablecloth to cut the glare from a Formica table. When arranging a room to be used for reading or working, don't face the windows. Seat yourself so that windows are behind you or to your side. If that's not possible, use blinds or shades to control the light during daylight hours. When reading or working outside, use a visor to shut out sky light glare. Incandescent lamps or "warm" fluorescents may cause less glare to a person with cataracts than "daylight" fluorescents. Incandescent lamps may be easier to adjust because they tend to be smaller, and can be moved easily and controlled with dimmers. However, they're less efficient and radiate more heat, which may be a problem if a lamp has to be positioned close to the user's face or body. Under-counter lighting can increase visibility for kitchen, study or work areas. Whatever the lighting arrangement, as task lighting is increased, so should the surrounding room lighting. For example, avoid using a very bright lamp in a dark room. Information included in newsletter is for your information only and not an endorsement of any product or service.
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THE ASSOCIATION for THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED
321 Prospect St.
Watertown, NY 13601
PHONE: (315) 782-2451
FAX: (315) 782-6890
E-MAIL: nanette@asnblindjeff.org
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