More on Taco Bell guide dog incident

Greetings. The below is another email that I sent to a guide dog email list. Though we don't know the whole story, this definitely sheds more light on the things that happened. I wish I knew the original paper or place where this story first appeared, but I'm sorry to say I don't.

***

I did a search on Google for the woman's name and among the results
that came back was this series of posts on a forum/newsgroup site.
I've cleaned up the posts for better reading, but for more and to read
comments from others, go to this link:

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/copperas-cove-tx/T52KB3SEVEHKE3KQ3


This is interesting stuff. Several times my eyes widened and I
thought, "Wow." See for yourself. Also, according to the below, Ms.
Ballou, the owner of the Leader Dog, was not using a "traditional"
guide dog breed, which might explain some of the manager's reaction.
It doesn't explain the behavior of the police though.
Wayne

***

new resident in Copperas Cove is considering legal action after being
forcefully removed from a local restaurant.

Nanette Ballou lost her sight 11 years ago due to multiple eye
traumas. She is assisted by Rusty, a white Berger De Picard or French
sheepdog, who was trained at Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester,
Mich.

While she does have limited vision in her right eye, similar to
looking through a straw, she can't process depth of field or see
anything other than what she is directly looking at. Also, any change
in lighting like moving from indoors to outdoors causes her total
blindness for five to 10 minutes until her eyes adjust.

"He protects me," Ballou said about Rusty. "He keeps me from bumping
into things and from tripping over curbs. But it's still scary to walk
places like parking lots where not everyone is paying attention and I
don't have any peripheral vision to rely on."

On Thursday, May 7, after picking up Rusty from the dog groomers,
Ballou and Rusty along with her daughter and two grandchildren went to
Taco Bell. The family placed their order, picked up their food and was
about to eat when Cynthia, a night manager, approached their table and
asked, "Is that a Seeing Eye," Ballou recalled.

"No, he's a guide dog, a Leader Dog," Ballou said to correct the manager.

Ballou said not all guide dogs are Seeing Eye's. It depends on what
school they go to and her dog went to the Leader Dog school.

"It's like calling an A&M student a Longhorn," she said. "I was trying
to educate her that there are more kinds of guide dogs, not just
Seeing Eye. But she had no part of it."

The manager told Ballou the health department would shut them down if
they saw the dog in the restaurant and then asked for identification
for the dog as a guide dog.

Ballou showed her the special harness Rusty wears identifying him as a
Leader Dog and stood her ground as she began to feel harassed.

The manager said she was going to call the cops and Ballou said, "Go
ahead, save me the call."

Six Copperas Cove police officers in three patrol cars arrived on the scene.
When the police arrived, Ballou said they did not identify themselves
and the first officer, whose name she was never given, told her "Lady,
you and the dog have to get out."
She told the officer Rusty is a service dog and Texas law allows him
to be with her. She showed him a law book she carries with her with
all the state and federal laws for the blind across the country, but
said the officer would not look at it.
She told the officer she just moved to Copperas Cove and said she
can't believe they don't know what the law is. She said the officer
told her "Welcome to Copperas Cove, if you don't like our laws,
leave."
She said the same officer told her, "You don't look blind" because she
was looking at him while he spoke to her. She said it is common
courtesy in the visual world to look at someone when they speak to you
and you don't have to be sighted to do so.
A second officer on scene Cpl. Shane Kieltyka did read her law book,
she said, because she believes he understood she was trying to diffuse
the situation.

"When the first officer approached me, it flustered me," she said.
"But I stood my ground."
Her daughter, Jennifer Warden, said when the police arrived they
crowded around the table
enlarge
making it difficult for them to leave like they were being told. One
of the officers also followed Warden to her car, speaking in a
confrontational voice while blocking her in the corner of her car's
open door, Ballou said.
"We felt closed in," Warden said. "There was me, a 10 year old and a
nine year old and a blind woman with her dog. How dangerous did we
look? They did everything short of calling in the SWAT and spreading
us out on the ground like an episode of COPS."
Her oldest child, age 10, has cerebral palsy and said the incident has
had a negative impact on her trust in the police and how disabled
people are treated.
Warden, who said the police have been called before because of her
mother's guide dog, said this is the first time they were treated this
way. All the other times the police said they were allowed to stay,
she said.
"They didn't do anything but make us the victim," she said about the police.
Warden said her husband is being stationed at Fort Hood, but after
this incident, said her family will look for a place to live in Belton
or Harker Heights.

"We weren't impressed at all with the attitude the people in Copperas
Cove have, especially the police department," Warden said. "If we're
not living on base we need to know we can rely on the police
department, and that was a big no."
Now Ballou, an advocate for the blind, is searching every avenue
available to her to make sure this does not happen again. She said she
is afraid this incident has labeled her as a troublemaker by everyone
who saw the incident.
"Everyone who drove by and saw me and my very identifiable dog doesn't
know what happened," she said. "In a way, I was slandered across the
community as a troublemaker. I'm very vocal about what happened
because I want the public to know the laws that protect my civil
rights were not protected by the police department or Taco Bell."
Ballou contacted the police department several times to speak with
Police Chief Tim Molnes, but said he wouldn't return phone calls.
Another officer did eventually speak with her and take a report
filling official charges against the Taco Bell manager for non-access.
Ballou said she could have also pressed charges for interfering with a
service animal's job and for harassment, but has not.
She then contacted the district attorney's office where an assistant
told her this is a civil manner and they don't handle those cases. She
told them it is not a civil manner and she said he repeated several
times "we're not going there" and then hung up.
She has also called City Attorney Charles Zech and left a message, but
has not heard back from him.
"Everyone at the city has shut me off," she said. "They are afraid I
might sue. I don't like to fight. If the police chief had made them
apologize, I probably would have dropped all of this."
She said she just wants to see the laws enforced. She also said there
are grants available through the ADA civil rights section of the
United States Justice Department for entities to have someone come in
and teach them ADA laws.
City Manager Andrea Gardner said "The City's policy is not to comment
on ongoing investigative matters" and would not answer questions about
the city's ADA training or this incident.
Lt. Danny Austin said the file on this case is still open and could
not release information without an open records request. The request
was sent to the Copperas Cove Police Department earlier this week. The
file has not yet been received. The May 7 police blotter has no report
of an incident at Taco Bell.
Taco Bell representative Don Barton has also been contacted by the
Leader-Press office about the incident. He said he would send a
prepared statement by e-mail. The statement was not received by press
time.
Texas law on service animals states any violations of a person's right
to use a guide dog is guilty of a misdemeanor and is punishable by a
fine of not less than $300 or more than $1,000.
"They know they stepped over the line," Ballou said. "They are just
hoping it will go away."

Webinar announcement: NFB Newsline Online and the VR Stream

Greetings. I received the following announcement from HumanWare regarding an upcoming webinar, the new term coined for web based seminar presentations. While many of these so called webinars look interesting to me, I do have an issue with them being offered once, in the middle of the day. I know that there are many blind folk that don't work and likely attend these sessions whenever they're offered. However, what about the working folk? I'm not sure if these sessions are archived, probably so though. If you can attend, then good on you and enjoy.

***

Dear Victor Reader Stream Friends:

If you are an NFB-Newsline member you may have heard of the recent new service from NFB called NFB-Newsline In Your Pocket. It allows you to automatically download and transfer your favorite NFB-Newsline publications to your Stream everyday by simply clicking the NFB-Newsline In Your Pocket icon on your desktop. EASI is hosting a webinar June 16 where you can learn more.
Those of you who use NFB-Newsline may be interested in this webinar. The announcement follows.


EASI Webinar: Introducing NFB-NEWSLINE® Online June 16 at 2 PM
Using modern-age assistive technology to provide access and create opportunities for the print-disabled.

Presenter: Scott White, Director, Sponsored Technology Programs, National Federation of the Blind

Co-host: Renee West, Marketing and Outreach Manager, Sponsored Technology Programs, National Federation of the Blind

NFB-NEWSLINE®, the largest electronic newspaper service in the world for blind and print-disabled Americans, has recently launched NFB-NEWSLINE® Online (
http://www.nfbnewslineonline.org). Through NFB-NEWSLINE® Online's groundbreaking features, subscribers can enjoy both an enhanced experience in reading the news and dramatically increased flexibility in how they choose to access their favorite publication's content. This Webinar will provide information on our two revolutionary new features, Web News on Demand and NFB-NEWSLINE® In Your Pocket, and how these initiatives can serve as valuable tools in the everyday lives of the print-disabled.

Register for the NFB Newsline Webinar
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/140743/introducing-nfb-newsline-online

Thank you,
The HumanWare Team

Guide dog access hits home

**Taken from an email I sent to an email list of guide dog users.**

Greetings. I saw this story on the local news this morning. I was
concerned about the quote from the Texas Hearing and Service Dogs organization since it seemed confusing to me, and was also left wondering if the woman's guide dog was acting up. There's no information on this or what the dog was doing that was so disruptive, but it is alluded to in the story. When the anchorman came back on, he said that the city supports the decision by Taco Bell's management. Good luck with that in court. Anyway, here's the article with some post comment afterward. Go to this address for the full article and other links, such as the original video of the
story:

http://news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=242381

(If it helps guide dog access in the grater community, then I'm all for the suit, since I've encountered possible discrimination for entering a restaurant in a nearby town to Austin, and have heard of at least one other instance of possible discrimination in Austin proper.)

Enjoy,
Wayne

Woman with guide dog says civil rights were violated
6/2/2009 1:15 PM
By: Brandi Powell


Rusty, the leader dog.
Texas Hearing and Service Dogs says guide dogs have been helping
people with visual challenges ever since World War I, but those who
use them still face some challenges.

One Central Texas woman who uses what's called a "leader dog" said her
civil rights have been violated.

Though some people may not know, there are certain legal rights and
responsibilities of those who use guide dogs.

Copperas Cove resident Nanette Ballou relies on her leader dog, Rusty,
to help her get around.


Ballou said she has very limited vision so her guide dog's always by her side.

Ballou said she and Rusty have had trouble at some establishments and
said it was no different on May 7.

"[We] went to Taco Bell with my daughter and two grandchildren,"
Ballou said. "Got dinner sat down to eat it. Manager came out. She
asked me if the dog was a seeing eye dog. And of course, my dog is a
leader dog."

A leader dog is a guide dog, just trained at a different school.

"At the end of our discussion, she told me she was going to call the
cops, and I invited her to do so," Ballou said.


Copperas Cove resident Nanette Ballou.
Ballou said when the Copperas Cove Police arrived, "They just walked
over and said, 'Lady, you and the dog gotta leave.'"

Ballou went on to say, "And so I argued with him adamantly, and when I
could see that this man wasn't going anywhere with my comments, I
finally said, 'Here's the law book, do you want to read it?' He
refused."

Ballou said one of the officers did eventually read her law book.

Ballou showed News 8 the harness that identifies Rusty as a certified
guide dog, and the identification card that identifies them as a team.

Texas Hearing and Service Dogs said this is not required by law, but
that's why the organization's big goal is education.

"But no matter what kind of credentials any kind of professional dog
has, if it is misbehaving in public, if it's dirty, if it's
interfering with the goods and services that the business is
providing, then no matter what kind of credential it has, it shouldn't
be allowed there," President of Texas Hearing and Service Dogs Sheri
Soltes said.

Ballou said that wasn't the case with her.

"It's very typical that law enforcement is not notified about it
because it is not a law that comes up a lot in their day-to-day
activities," Soltes said.

But, Ballou said she feels her civil rights were violated by Taco Bell
and the City of Copperas Cove.

So she said she is going to sue them both, on the state and federal level.

"The government needs to be involved with this sort of thing because
it does happen around the country," she said.

Ballou said she's already filed a complaint with the Texas ACLU.
She said she's been told the city attorney is not going to pursue any
charges against Taco Bell.

The city has not returned News 8's call to confirm.

The Copperas Cove Police Department also did not return News 8's call
asking for comment.

For more information on rights and responsibilities of guide dog
users, log onto
www.servicedogs.org
or call (877) TEX-DOGS.




Taco Bell's Response



"Taco Bell welcomes all customers into our restaurants, including
those with disabilities. This includes customers who require the use
of service animals, and from time to time, we have a customer who is
accompanied by a service animal into the restaurant. Our managers are
instructed to accommodate our customers' needs for a service animal.

In this particular case, the customer's need for a service animal was
not readily apparent, and out of concern for our other patrons, our
store manager asked the customer to provide some confirmation that the
dog was a service animal. Because the disturbance continued even after
the Copperas Cove police arrived, the police officers asked the
customer to leave and eventually escorted her from the premises. We
regret that this disturbance occurred, but Taco Bell firmly believes
that our manager acted reasonably in this situation."

Don Barton
Austaco, Taco Bell Franchisee

Riding lesson

Greetings. Today’s lesson was all about balance and feeling the various muscles that are used to assist in balancing, such as the lap muscles below your shoulders. Also in not tightening my legs around the horse’s middle, since this can tell the horse to speed up. I noticed that I also lean forward a lot, which I’m continuing to work on. More leftovers from the prior mainstream riding center, since I struggled with balance and leaning forward at that place. I was on bareback a lot there, and thus my legs over time got tighter around the horse instead of being loose. The more relaxed you are the better. Brenda said at one point that in a riding class she took, she was prevented from riding bareback for just this reason, that the legs become used to being tight around the horse instead of loose.

After doing some walking around the arena in one direction, we turned and started going the other way. We worked on standing in the saddle when the horse was standing still. Well, perhaps standing isn’t the right word, it was more like rising up. Since I’m so tall, my stirrups have moved further down the horse’s sides, so when I stand or rise, it doesn’t feel like I’m standing. Rather, it’s like I’ve moved a few inches above the saddle. This led Brenda to talk about trotting and posting, and how rising up in the saddle will help when I start doing those things, and later when I eventually move to another horse after Paint.

We then started having Paint walk faster. Suddenly the arena got lots shorter. Brenda helped count the steps along the sides, but after awhile, I felt like we were constantly turning to the right and going in one large circle. The corners of the arena were blurring together for me and I was getting dizzy. I then stopped Paint and tried to explain this to Brenda. She seemed perfectly willing to take things at my pace, which is good. Later, at the usual time when I would dismount in the arena, Brenda suggested that I ride Paint back to the stall area instead of walking beside him. I initially was wary of this since part of it involved going up a hill. I mistakenly heard at the last place that you lean back when going up hill. Brenda told me that you actually lean forward, which I was much more comfortable with. The ride back went fine. I was sure grateful for the grab strap on the pummel of the dressage saddle though, especially on that uphill climb.

One other interesting thing happened today. Before I even started my lesson I went and was visiting the other horses in the stall area that I normally groom and saddle Paint in. Bullwinkle, the 18 hand horse, I was told was getting some hay to eat, then dipping it in his water bucket before he ate it. I quipped to Brenda that he was doing the cookies and milk thing. I then made my way down to First Choice, the other tall horse at this farm who’s stall is on the other end of the 4 stalls from Bullwinkle. After we convinced her to come over and see us rather than eat, Brenda gave me some peppermint pieces to give her as treats. After she ate the two pieces I gave her, she started licking my fingers, then my hand, then my arm. Then, she sniffed and licked my shirt, in front and on the side and in back. It was quite funny. Being the horse lover I am, I just stood there with a grin from ear to ear and in bliss, with this large animal essentially licking my shirt and my left arm and hand. Meanwhile, Brenda and one of the volunteers were cracking up. That was one of those moments that will stay with me for awhile and one I wish I had a picture of. Perhaps we can recreate it later and get one. It was sure fun though. Incidentally, Gucci has had an interesting time discovering where First Choice was licking me and the smells associated with that whole event. Until next time, happy trails.

HumanWare press release

Greetings. After reading the following press release, I'm left wondering why HW waited a month or so to put it out. Nonetheless, it confirms that the new age of digital talking books is here for NLS readers. Though I've heard of the new Talking Book players that are starting to be sent to NLS patrons, and though it sounds great and interesting, I'm probably not going to get one. After all, on the Stream, I can read and have access to any number of books at one time, which currently is 44. However, with the cartridge from NLS, only one book can fit on it at once. Plus, I get other options that someone using a regular talking book machine might not have, such as being able to play text and rich tex files, listen to music, put audio bookmarks on my various items, and more. At any rate, enjoy the following note from HumanWare. Though the stream is no longer the only player to play digital books, which is good, it was the first, which is pretty nifty.

***

IMPROVED ACCESS TO DIGITAL DOWNLOAD BOOKS FOR BLIND AND LOW VISION U.S. CITIZENS

Longueuil, May 25, 2009

On April 30, the National Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a division of the Library of Congress in the United States, entered the first phase of its transition to a digital playback system, as well as releasing an upgraded version of its pilot download website. Beginning with the testing of 5,000 digital players by NLS patrons in their homes, NLS is preparing to launch full-scale production and distribution of 26,000 machines per month this year, ensuring continued access to reading materials for more than 500,000 registered users.

New to the NLS program is a state of the art online component, called the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) site. This new site for blind and physically handicapped patrons of NLS now provides better than ever access to digital audiobooks and magazines. The BARD digital books and magazines are in the ANSI/NISO Z39.86 2002 format, the specification for navigable digital talking books. Readers may press buttons on the NLS digital talking-book player and compatible players to jump from chapter to chapter, section to section or page to page. This ability to quickly navigate the book structure, combined with the high-quality human recording, make the new digital NLS download books one of the most significant advancements in the provision of talking books for blind and low vision people.

"The high quality navigable digital books from the new NLS BARD service represent a major advancement in access to books, magazines, and electronic braille for Americans who are unable to read print due to blindness, low vision, or physical disability", says Gilles Pepin, CEO of HumanWare. "With BARD, NLS brings its library into the home of its patrons. Not only do NLS patrons now have access to thousands of digital books but they can find their book of interest and download it in minutes independently and from the comfort of their home computer."

HumanWare manufactures the popular Victor Reader Stream, a DAISY NISO compatible digital talking-book player designed in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), which several thousand NLS patrons already use to play the new digital NISO books. The NLS digital books on the BARD site are protected by encryption and compatible digital book players must be authorized by NLS for eligible patrons to play the books.

The ability to press buttons on the Victor Reader Stream to easily jump between chapters, pages, or magazine articles, like the NLS digital talking-book player, provides a rich audiobook reading experience never before experienced by audiocassette readers. For reference books such as cookery books the user can even enter a page number from the table of contents on the Stream telephone-style number pad and the playback will move immediately to that page. With the NLS player, Victor Reader Stream, and the NLS BARD books, users now have immediate access to thousands of books and can navigate them just like they would navigate the equivalent print book's structure.

The new BARD download audiobook and magazine service is available free of charge to eligible blind and physically handicapped individuals in the U.S. and to citizens living abroad, who have access to a computer and high-speed Internet connection, and who have a free NLS digital talking-book player or own an authorized compatible digital talking-book player such as HumanWare's Victor Reader Stream. To learn more about the new BARD service visit
https://nlsbard.loc.gov

About HumanWare

HumanWare is the global leader in assistive technologies for vision, including products for the blind and visually impaired. HumanWare's products include BrailleNote, the leading productivity device for blind people in education, in business and in their personal lives; the Victor Reader product line, the world's leading digital talking book players; and myReader2, the new version of HumanWare's unique "auto-reader" for people with low vision. For more information visit
www.humanware.com

Riding lesson

Greetings. Since I haven’t ridden in a couple of weeks, this week’s lesson was all about feeling the rhythm of the horse, paying attention and counting the foot falls. Not so much knowing which feet were hitting the ground at any one time, but feeling all 4 foot falls. At the last place I rode at, the instructor asked me several times to pay attention to which feet were hitting the ground at any one time as well as keep track of the foot falls. Brenda however said that not even she keeps track that much. The more I learn about Brenda and her ways, the more I’m convinced that the instructor at the last place I was at, though she was certainly well meaning, didn’t really know what she was doing, and was trying to be both the therapist and a riding instructor. Anyway, as I told Brenda today, I’m glad to be at a therapeutic center in general and at her center in particular, and glad for the opportunity to ride several horses, and not just be limited to one.

Another aspect of my prior riding came out today as well: my one and only fall at the other riding place. Brenda said that this explained a lot of my troubles, after I told her of the experience. She asked me why I had not told her before, and it honestly never occurred to me. I suppose I should have, but there were no questions in the application packet about prior experience, and as I say, it never occurred to me. I think that the questions deal may change though; after my experience of holding this information, Brenda said while laughing that she might come up with an additional questionnaire for those that have ridden before about their experiences. Though she was joking when she said it, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if she did do this.

Talking about the rhythm of the horse and feeling its hips when it was walking and while I was riding was quite interesting. Hearing Brenda describe what the hips were doing, moving up and down, and then propelling the horse forward was very interesting to me. We did do some standing and stretching in the saddle, but thankfully the horse was standing still this time so I didn’t get dizzy. Brenda talked with someone recently who said that my dizziness might have had something to do with a certain part of the brain that gets out of whack and can throw one’s sense of balance way off. I feel like she and I are better communicating about things after today’s lesson. I have a high tolerance for pain and discomfort, and well pretty much everything else I suppose. I guess that’s one of the things that makes me a good teacher, since I have a lot of patience with people. Anyway, this high tolerance also gets me in trouble too since if I tell someone that my leg hurts, it doesn’t just hurt—it might feel like it’s about to fall off. This was another thing that I had to explain to the last riding instructor, that I’m not sure she fully got. Anyway, I encouraged Brenda to keep asking me if I’m all right, since sometimes my high tolerance can kick in and I may not be telling all.

On the way back to the barn, she mentioned that I might could groom Bullwinkle, the 18 hand plus horse that they have, after a lesson in order to better get to know him and get a sense of how tall he is. She happened to mention that he might be the next horse for me, but only after we get all this initial balance and basics of walking ironed out with Paint. I liked the idea of grooming him and will hopefully be able to do it soon.

During our lesson, there were some deer that showed up and were wandering around outside the arena. Apparently deer at this farm are not uncommon. One of them even jumped the rail of the arena and had to be shown the door. I took my cane this time since I felt it wasn’t fair to Gucci to have her cramped in the floor of the front seat area of my driver’s jeep for 40 minutes each way, and that’s without me wearing my boots. Plus, I was a little curious of how the horses would react to my cane. There ended up being no reaction from the horses, except for Paint. He didn’t react negatively though. When I was leading him down the path from the barn to the arena, using my cane in my left hand and tapping it back and forth, apparently Paint was quite fascinated with this and kept moving his eyes with the motion of my cane.

That’s all for today’s entry. My next lesson will likely be next Saturday. Until then.

Shop for stuff and support a guide dog school

Greetings. I received the following information through email. Though I Usually don't help support other guide dog schools, in these economically trying times, if one school benefits it can benefit others. Plus, I do endorse creative fund raising, such as an application for the iPhone that benefits a guide dog school, or in this case, a website whose profits will go directly to the school. Also, before anyone questions me on this, though this post has the label of "Seeing Eye," note that this is the generic label I give to any guide dog related item and doesn't necessarily connect with The Seeign Eye guide dog school, at least not in this case. Enjoy and happy shopping.

***

Hello Fellow Pet-Lovers,

As you may know, I am a volunteer Puppy-Raiser with Leader Dogs for the
Blind and I am proud to be currently raising my fifth puppy.

Leader Dogs for the Blind is a non-profit organization that relies solely on
charitable contributions and donations for its operation. Recently, Leader
Dogs had to layoff 10% of their staff in order to make ends meet.

My personal contribution as a Puppy Raiser along with financial help from
the Willoughby Lions Club, has not been enough to help the school meet their
goals of issuing Leader Dogs to the blind at no cost to the individual blind
person.

I am attempting to raise funds for Leader Dogs for the Blind by opening an
On-Line Pet Store. Please consider making your pet supply purchases from
this web site as net proceeds will be donated to Leader Dogs for the Blind.

There are a lot of interesting and unique items available for dogs, cats,
fish, birds and even ferrets!

Thank you in advance for your support and please feel free to pass this
information on to your favorite pet lovers!

Sincerely,
Linda (Linde) Lindeman-DeCarlo and Future Leader Dog, Augie
http://linde.ilovepets.biz

Book About Service Dogs Needs Your Stories

Greetings. I've received the following note in my email inbox several times and thought it worht posting here. If you have a story and would like to contribute, either submit your story or get in touch with the person below and she can help put your story into words. I usually don't endorse spreading something far and wide over the vast WWW, but this is one thing that I can endorse. It looks like a good project and like it will be a good book when it comes out. Enjoy, and please excuse any formatting errors.

***

Book About Service Dogs Needs Your Stories

Let your voice be heard! Kathy Nimmer, a blind high school English teacher
and writer from Indiana, has launched an international effort to gather true
stories of people with disabilities and their service dogs, to be included
in an anthology that Nimmer will seek to publish in the mass market
commercial publishing industry. The project, entitled "Two Plus Four Equals
One," will celebrate what happens when two hands plus four paws combine for
one magical union. The web site,
http://www.servicedogstories.com
has been set up to promote the project,
receive prospective submissions, gather contact info from individuals who
have worked with service dogs in any capacity, and field inquiries about the
book.

Nimmer, now working with her third guide dog, wants to hear from you. Start
thinking of incidents involving you and your dogs, things that were funny,
scary, surprising, disappointing, empowering, sad, or simply memorable. The
book will include nonfiction stories, anecdotes, tributes, and poetry.
Explanations and samples of the four genres can be found on the web site.
And, you don't have to be a seasoned writer to take part! There is an
interview option where Nimmer will talk with you and write something for you
about your dog experiences. Submissions will be accepted for consideration
through September 30, 2009.

For purposes of this project, "service dogs" are any canines trained to
assist people with disabilities, including those who are blind, deaf, or in
wheelchairs, as well as those with other medical conditions including (but
not limited to) autism, epilepsy, and muscular or balance impairments.
Nimmer is hoping to hear from people with disabilities, as well as those who
have raised or trained service dogs, or simply witnessed service dogs in
action. If you fit into any of these categories, it is time to let your
voice be heard!

As members of the disability community, you are the best resources for the
dissemination of information about this book that Nimmer is hoping will
change public perceptions of the disabled and their working dogs, so spread
the word! Go to

http://www.servicedogstories.com

or contact Kathy Nimmer with questions or suggestions at

kathy@servicedogstories.com

Kathy Nimmer: Teacher, Author, Motivational Speaker
http://guidedogjourney.livejournal.com/

JAWS 10 update final release

Greetings. Freedom Scientific has today released the final version of the JAWS 10 update. This final version includes the following changes:

• Resolved an issue in Internet Explorer 8 where the JAWS Scripts that control reading and navigating the address bar with INSERT+A and INSERT+A twice quickly had stopped working. These commands are very useful when you want URL information without moving your Virtual Cursor from your reading position on the Web page. These scripts continue to work correctly in Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 6.
  
• JAWS correctly reads and speaks the column and field titles in Access 2007 database tables. For example, when you press INSERT+TAB while focus is in an Access table cell (field), JAWS will now announce all field information such as the column name, the field contents, and any other associated tutor message. Previously, the column name information was not mentioned, or it was necessary to press ALT+TAB to leave and then return to the application in order to hear the complete field information.
  
• When you use the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW to navigate by line in the Virtual Viewer while in Access 2007, JAWS now speaks each line. Previously, JAWS would only speak the line of text when you pressed INSERT+UP ARROW to read the current line.
  
• The 64-bit version of JAWS 10 now correctly tracks focus when running Microsoft Windows 7.
  
• When you select text using SHIFT+LEFT ARROW or SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW, such as in the File name edit field of the Open dialog box, JAWS now announces each character as it is selected. Previously, JAWS would just say the word “Selected” without announcing the character.
  
• When composing a new e-mail message using Outlook Express 6, JAWS will now announce the words “Edit, type in text” when you move into the message body using TAB or CTRL+GRAVE. Previously, JAWS would say “Edit, read only.”
  
• When talking in a Freedom Scientific Webinar training session, you can use the ALT+L command to lock and unlock the Talk key. This command now functions correctly with the Webinar conference software plug-in that you must install the first time you attend a training session.
  
• Resolved several HTML issues when using JAWS with Libera System 7 Framework™ solutions software.
  

I expect that this is the version they will take with them to the summer conventions to demonstrate and give away at their various FS training sessions. If the pattern for the past few years holds, then this is probably the last major update to this version before we see beta testing and distribution later this year of JAWS version 11. As always, you can get this update by either downloading a copy from the FS site or by choosing the "check for updates" item in the JAWS Help menu and then following the prompts. Enjoy.

New airport relief area for guide dogs added

Greetings. I'm back logged on some potential posts, so you may be seeign more on this blog over the next day or so. Anyway, I received this information a few days ago and thought it worth posting here. Though I don't see myself going to this airport anytime soon, it is good to know about the relief area. Enjoy.

***

Nashville International Airport (BNA) recently opened a pet relief area for its customers' service animals. This area is located on the north side of the third level, which is the ticketing level, of the terminal.

Please share this information with colleagues, friends and family who may be interested. Thank you in advance for helping us spread the word about the new pet relief area.

Interesting iPhone app

Greetings. This came to my Inbox today and thought I'd put it here. I wonder how many people will ultimately buy and download this application, especially when most iPhone apps are $1 or less. Time will tell. Enjoy.

***

Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 4:54pm CDT

Apple approves new guide dog game for iPhone

San Antonio Business Journal - by
Tamarind Phinisee

San Antonio application developer Joseph Dolan has created a new interactive
program for
Apple Inc.
that will benefit
Guide Dogs of Texas.

Guide Dogs of Texas raises, trains and provides guide dogs to visually
impaired Texans to enhance their mobility and independence. It is the only
guide
dog school in Texas and is a member of the International Guide Dog
Federation.

Dolan created a downloadable application called Pocket Puppy Raiser that
allows users to interact with a virtual puppy on the Apple iPhone. Users can
scratch
a sleeping puppy's belly until its leg shakes, pet the dog until it licks
the iPhone screen or play a game of tug-of-war with the pup. Apple approved
Pocket
Puppy Raiser on May 7.

The application costs $2.99 per download and proceeds will be split among
the iPhone App Store, Dolan and Guide Dogs of Texas.

Dolan, a graduate of Texas State Technical College, developed the
application upon the recommendation of his mother, Michelle Pelletier, who
works for Guide
Dogs of Texas as a puppy raising program manager.

Dolan says he plans to upgrade the Pocket Puppy Raiser to reflect the
different tasks guide dogs perform as they grow older.

"I'm thinking about starting the dog out as a puppy, and then as it gets
bigger and becomes a guide dog it will take its owner for a walk on the
street
and stop at a crosswalk for traffic or for a walk to the Alamo," he says.
"It will be a challenge, but I think I can do it."

To download the app, go to iTunes and search "Pocket Puppy Raiser."

Comparison of USB Flash drives

Greetings. In going through my round of blogs, RSS feeds and podcasts today, I came across this story from Ranger's Twitter feed called Small wonders: the 2009 Ars USB flash drive roundup. Though it does get technical at times, even for me, it does give you an overview of the current flash drives on the market and how well they stack up against each other. In other words, it would be good to read this before buying that additional flash drive. Enjoy.

Gucci's devotion

Greetings. I got a glimpse into Gucci's devotion today. I'm sure she's shown me other signs, but this was one of the few that have been noticeable by me, for whatever reason. It happened during my horseback riding lesson, after I had dismounted and was collecting the horse's lead rope and her leash and tryign to get things organized. I was still feeling a little dizzy. (Refer to the entry on today's lesson for more on this). And I didn't have a good grip on her leash. Sure enough, it slipped from my fingers. Other dogs, when the pressure from the leash lessened like that, might have darted away to have some personal sniffing time. Thinking back, I'm not sure that Gucci did this. I just remember calling her name in a slight panic, since as a blind guy and guide dog owner, you never let go of the leash or release the dog from the leash, unless you want something unpredictable to happen that is. In reality, Gucci might have just turned slightly to look around, but when I called her name, she turned back and took a step toward me, well within my space. I had a hand on her instantly and then one of the riding volunteers handed me her leash. I can't help but think back to that moment of panic for me though and hear Gucci saying in her own doggie way, "I'm here, don't worry." She likes being near me in my apartment, likes being in the same room and not too far away. She'll even follow me if I go from one room to the other in her attempts. She enjoys being near me in my parent's house, after she's done a patrol that is and determined the house to be safe. But this morning's experience was just another indication to me, even more so upon reflection, of that good old German Shepherd loyalty. Or, perhaps it has nothing to do with her breed. All that matters to me is that she was right there and had this attitude of, "I'm here, don't worry," verses running off like other dogs might have done. Thanks Gooch, I can't tell you how much that meant to me.

Riding lesson

Greetings. Today when I arrived at the farm, Paint was already in cross ties ready for me to groom him, which I started doing as soon as I got Gucci tied to a wooden post nearby. Shortly after I started grooming, Brenda came out and chatted with my driver for a few minutes than came over to me and we chatted for awhile. It seems like I always notice something about a horse when I’m grooming them, be it something with their body structure or something else. Today it was the overbite that Paint had. When I asked Brenda about it, she said it was mainly due to Paint’s age and the fact that he’s older. After a few minutes talking about his overbite and folding his lips back, I think Paint got a little tired of having his mouth messed with because he started pulling his head back. This is a gentle horse that wouldn’t hurt anyone, but we got the message.

Soon after I finished grooming him, I tacked him up with the riding blanket, spongy saddle pad and saddle, and then it was time to put on the bridle. I had alittle trouble getting the straps in the right places, but Brenda helped me, at least this first time. I have a feeling that this is another thing I’ll be doing on my own very soon. We then walked Paint down to the riding arena. One of the volunteers tied Gucci to a nearby rail so she could see me and what we were doing.

This lesson was more on controlling the horse with my thighs and calves. We practiced stopping and starting the horse with my legs, thighs to stop and calves to start. Brenda showed me how to get Paint going if the squeeze with the calves didn’t work, which was to give him two light kicks with my left foot. After doing this for awhile, she then asked me to do something which I wasn’t sure about: standing up in the saddle. We did a few rounds of this when Paint was standing still, which wasn’t hard. I even found myself lifting up a few times without being asked or prompted to do so. Each time I stood up, both when Paint was standing still and later moving, I put my hands on his mane, and gradually got used to simply lightly resting my hands on the mane, which was a weird feeling since all of the weight went to my legs and feet in the stirrups. Brenda then threw out the idea of me to stand up a little when Paint was moving, which I reluctantly did. One of the times that I came down though after rising up a few inches, I was leaning a little to the right, and that made me dizzy. The dizziness continued for awhile and didn’t really stop until after I had dismounted and we had walked a little ways. Standing in the saddle is preparation for later activities, such as posting while trotting. We also talked of paying attention to the horse’s movements, such as in his shoulder and when his left front leg was forward, then when it was back, and forward and back, etc. Brenda said this would be important later when we were posting. I got the feeling that posting wasn’t that far away in the lesson structure.

I had a little trouble dismounting since my right knee has been giving me trouble in the last few months. It can hurt at different times. I wear a flexible brace, but there are times when the brace doesn’t relieve the discomfort. Swinging one’s right leg back and over the horse when the knee is really hurting can be a trying experience. Since this current therapeutic riding program uses volunteers, verses the last center I was at that didn’t have them, though it wasn’t a therapeutic center, I took advantage of that and got one of the volunteers to help get my right leg started in the swinging motion. This helped me in the dismounting process. I felt a little awkward asking for this help since it seems like something I should have no trouble with, but I’m glad I did since it helped having someone else propel that leg. Once the leg got to the horse’s rear, I was able to carry it the rest of the way and dismount. Brenda observed that though tall horses are nice, when being not far from the ground is a plus when dismounting, which I agreed with.

Then it was just a matter of taking Paint back to the cross ties, brushing him off, and then making the way back to the car for leaving. I should say that when going from the cross ties area to the arena and back, Gucci’s not in harness. Last week she behaved herself pretty well, but today, she was wanting to sniff everything along the way. There were times I had to snap her leash and pull her forward in trying to get her to pay attention. Perhaps next time we’ll try that walk in harness to get her attention back on walking/guiding, rather than sniffing. I’m not sure when that next time will be, but sometime in the next week or two. Until then.

Labels, labels everywhere

Greetings. For the astute Wayne's Blog reader, you might have noticed some aditional links. For the longest time I've added labels to my posts but didn't have an area that displayed all of those labels on my blog. Now I do. I should say here that a couple of years ago when Labels were first introduced, I took several hours one afternoon and labeled many of my posts. There were a few from 2005 that I didn't get to though. If you happen to be looking for that handful from 2005, then you'd probably be better served by going to the archives and bringing up the year/month combination, rather than trying to find them through the labels. Not sayign you won't find them, but just that it might take awhile. From 2006 on though, I'm pretty sure i've got everything labeled. So, from now on, or until I decide to change it which likely won't be anytime soon, you can view posts from any of the labeled categories. I try not to come up with a label that ends up only containing a few posts without just cause. There are a few, such as Petra, Metallica, and some others, but those are either works in progress, or they deserve their own labels, even if they don't contain many posts. Enjoy.

CNET reviews the Stream

Greetings. Imagine my surprise when going through my daily round of blogs, posts and RSS feeds today to find a review of the Victor Reader Stream done by a CNET reviewer. The article is called An audiobook player designed for the Blind. Apparently you have to have an account with the CNET site or have a Facebook account to post comments. Otherwise, I would have made the following comment: Though the $349 price tag might seem expensive, it's relatively cheap and affordable in the blind community, where many hardware/software products made for the blind cost many times more than that amount. For instance, if you want to use your computer with a flexible and up to date screen reading software package, plan on spending around $1,000. Suddenly, that $349 price tag doesn't seem so much. Also, I think that shipping is included in that price, for what that's worth. AS the article notes, the price is comparable to similar mainstream MP3 players, such as the iPod. There's no indication on when this article was published, but it looks to be fairly recent going on the date of the one comment currently there. It's great to see a mainstream site like CNET review blindness products. Hopefully this will bring even more exposure and users to the Stream family.

First riding lesson in awhile

Greetings. Here's the first of hopefully many new and exciting entries to come. I've started horseback riding again, this time at a therapeutic riding center. Those interested in therapeutic riding can check the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association website. Among other things, you can view a list of riding centers in your state or area, and in many cases visit their websites to read more about what they offer individually. This was how I found the center that I'm riding at. It's good to be back at a therapeutic center and "back in the saddle again." Enjoy.

***

This is a journal that I’m starting and will hopefully keep up after each of my riding lessons at the therapeutic riding center I’m now attending. The owner/instructor, Brenda, asked me to do this, so I could keep a record of what I worked on and remind myself of it later. When she said this, I think she meant that I was supposed to just write a few sentences on what I learned and covered that day. Me being me though, those “few sentences” are turning into their own journal.

Today’s first lesson had me being introduced to Paint, a paint colored horse standing about 15.2 hands high. Shortly after I arrived and was shown to the area in front of several stalls where I would be grooming Paint, or any horse I would be riding, he was led in and I helped hook him up to some cross ties, so that he couldn’t wander off. I was shown where a tack box was and told to start grooming. I did a lot of grooming at the last riding center I was at, so I quickly started asking to what extent I was to groom. After a few questions and answers, Brenda said, “It looks like you’re going to be our grooming expert.” I learned that they just do a simple groom with the curry comb and a brush, and that’s about it. I was glad to hear this since I had done lots more extensive grooming at the other place, and there were times when this got tiresome. After all, I’m there to ride, not spend the whole time grooming.

Anyway, after grooming Brenda brought out a dressage saddle to show me. The dressage saddles are much more cushioned than the western or English saddles. This helps the saddle absorb the weight of the rider, which is good in my case. They also help to assist in balancing the rider. After riding in a dressage saddle, I like it lots more than the other two types I’ve used.

Our lesson consisted of me walking Paint down to the arena, mounting him, and then riding around in various directions in the arena. During the lesson, my balance was spot on. I was somewhat surprised since it has been several months since I’ve ridden a horse. I suppose balance on a horse is like balance on a bike in a way: you never forget how. Anyway, one other thing about the dressage saddle is that there’s a riding strap around where the hand hold would be on a Western saddle. Brenda admitted that even she uses this strap, so not to feel awkward about holding onto it. She had me at one point raise each of my arms over my head to stretch out the muscles in my arms and back. We talked about the position of the legs and thighs and how to make the horse speed up or slow down mainly with the legs, but also with words. Over all, it was a good lesson.

When done, I dismounted in the arena and helped lead Paint back to the cross ties and give him a quick brushing before we left. My Seeing Eye dog, Gucci, was tied to the rail of the arena and was able to see me during the whole lesson. There were a couple of times that we passed near her when riding and she had a look on her face like, “Hey wait a minute, don’t leave me here. I want to come too.” Someone was available to walk with Gucci to and from the arena and hold her when I was occupied with Paint.

Paint will be the horse I’ll start out with, but not the horse I’ll stay with. I’ve learned that he’s a good walking, balance and beginning trotting horse, but that at some point, I’ll be moved to another horse. I’m secretly hoping for one of the taller horses, but then again, I was grateful for the shorter distance when I dismounted today. I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to go since my attendance may depend on transportation and drivers, but for now at least, my next lesson is next week at 8am. Until then.

Why men are never depressed

Greetings. I received this from a coworker. I usually don't like getting/forwarding these types of emails, but this one was too good and too funny to pass up. So, instead of forwarding it and clogging up the information superhighway with useless traffic, I'm posting it here. Besides, it's a good read. Enjoy.

***

Men Are Just Happier People--

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can never be pregnant.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another petrol station restroom because this
one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks and engines.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a twelve-pack..
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes..
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25
minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

Send this to the women who can handle it and to the men who will enjoy
reading it.

Message from NLS regarding new BARD site

Greetings. I received this message today from the NLS regarding the new BARD site. BARD stands for Braille and Audio Recorded Download. The new site launched today, which for the user means unlimited downloads,a list of the top downloads in fiction and nonfiction, and other improvements. However, before you go counting the number of downloads you can do in an hour, consider the following note. Enjoy and happy downloading/reading!

***

To all users of the NLS BARD service:

Now that the new NLS BARD web site has been launched, we're asking again that users exercise restraint in downloading, especially during the critical first weeks of operation of the new site.

We are experiencing an enormous load on the system at the current time. This load is far higher than is to be expected based on a single day without service or any pent-up demand remaining from the pilot site's thirty-item limit.

Please remember that there is no need to download more than what you can reasonably consume. The site will be available at all times, and no materials will be removed. Please download only what you need.

As before, questions and comments should be sent to NLSDownload@loc.gov
Send questions or requests about the book and magazine collection to your library.

Book notifications will be turned off soon

Greetings. I received the following note from the NLS Digital Download Pilot program today regarding the end of their weekly announcements by email. As has been reported and posted on other blogs recently, the NLS Digital Download program will be ceasing on April 28, to be replaced by the new BARD site, covering Braille and recorded downloads, on April 30. Among the advantages of this are unlimited downloads, a list of frequently downloaded books, and more. Unfortunately, this means that this Friday will be the last day that emailed notices of new books being added to the collection. Read more below. Enjoy.

***

All:

This Friday's new book and magazine announcements will be the last messages sent on the DTB-Test mailing list.

The download pilot test will end next Tuesday. You should have received a message last week detailing the change to our permanent service, the NLS BARD.

There will be no announcements of materials added to BARD. Users are asked to refer to the Recently Added Books and Magazines pages on the site.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the pilot test. We couldn't have done it without you.

- Neil

2009 NFL Draft coverage

Greetings. In the extreme dry spell of non-football season, with the NBA and NHL playoffs just kicking off and baseball barely in it's first month, it's great to have a distraction from the non-NFL sports. Among the many media outlets that might be covering the 2009 NFL Draft you've got the sports TV channels such as ESPN and the NFL Network, local/national radio sports networks or stations, and, as should come as no surprise, Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. Check out this post from the Orbetcast blog on 2009 NFL Draft: Every pick from every round on Sirius XM. May all the football nuts rejoyce, or at least enjoy the break in the minotany. enjoy.

Can-Am Braille

Greetings. I received the following press release from a friend and thought it was appropriate to post here. Please excuse any formatting errors. Links are provided where appropriate. Enjoy.

***

The following press release was received via the National Federation of the
Blind and forwarded herein for your information.

It is an interesting announcement that will hopefully include many consumer
product-oriented industries down stream, including food and pharmaceutical,
and will make product information more readily available for the blind and
visually impaired.

Given that this announcement of a US and Canadian standard will likely lead
to making Braille labeling available and commonplace on millions of packages
over time, this is an even more compelling reason to encourage and support
Braille literacy for all age groups.

Mike Vandervoort
Board Member,
NFB of Texas, Abilene Chapter


PRESS RELEASE -- Converting Magazine, 3/19/2009 9:15:00 AM

To better satisfy the needs of the visually impaired in North America, the
International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking (IADD), located in
Crystal Lake, IL, has created "Can-Am Braille," a set of guidelines and
recommendations for the use of Braille on packaging.

The IADD worked in conjunction with the Braille Authority of North America
(BANA) over the past 18 months to develop the standard, whose official
release is set for Friday, May 8, at the 2009 IADD.FSEA Odyssey in Atlanta,
GA, USA.

An informative technical workshop, "Let Your Fingers Do the Talking: Braille
on Folding Cartons" will review the North American standard in detail. All
participants will receive a copy; further distribution will take place
postworkshop through the IADD and BANA websites to reach out and bring
together the printing, paperboard packaging and pharmaceutical industries.

The standard has been reviewed and received its final approval by the IADD
Executive Committee and Board of Directors in January 2009.

"The use of Braille in packaging will continue to increase over the next
several years," predicts Stephen Brighton, IADD Braille Task Force Chair,
"following European pharmaceutical and food product packaging trends in
Europe."

Brighton explains that in October 2005, a previous directive of the European
Commission regarding the use of Braille for pharmaceutical packaging was
implemented as law for newly approved medicinal products. To address these
requirements, the European Carton Manufacturers Association worked closely
with national carton associations from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France,
Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the
United Kingdom to develop a standard that is being used as a set of
guidelines and recommendations for the use of Braille on packaging. Can-Am
Braille is derived from this standard.

Already the Canadian and U.S. packaging markets are experiencing the effects
of the European requirements, with some larger pharmaceutical companies
incorporating Braille on their packaging for the last few years. It is
essential that a common standard be in place to ensure that blind and
visually impaired individuals will be able to benefit from its use. When
asked why the IADD chose to base its standard on a European one, Brighton
elaborates, "There is nothing about Braille that we can hold autonomous. We
have had the opportunity to collaborate with BANA to marry their knowledge
of Braille with our knowledge of what's practically possible when applying
Braille to paperboard substrates. What we are really dealing with is the
independence of the visually impaired. Our responsibility is to ensure that
their independence is respected and that we, as an industry, do the best
that we can to produce pharmaceutical, fast food or other types of
paperboard packaging with the best quality braille for readability and
continuity through the use of the standard. Otherwise the purpose of
producing the Braille and the resources it takes in these economic times
ends up being an exercise in futility for everyone involved."

"We are looking forward to the implementation of this standard," said Judy
Dixon, chair for the Braille Authority of North America, "It will have the
effect of making more Braille labels to help blind people identify the
packages in their everyday lives and this will be a very positive step
forward."

Interestingly, no government legislation similar to that of Europe is
currently proposed in the U.S. or Canada that would require pharmaceutical
packaging to have Braille on it. The original concept of creating a North
American standard stemmed from a Braille workshop and discussions at an IADD
Can-Am Chapter meeting. Some members had participated in a Braille workshop
at the IADD Annual Meeting in Switzerland in November 2006. It was felt that
a proactive approach on the part of industry to develop and implement its
own standard would be a way of reducing or even eliminating legislative
intervention. This has allowed the standard to be developed in a time frame
that fosters continuity, making it more of an international standard, and
that ensures it will work from a practical standpoint.

The IADD Board approved the Can-Am Braille standard in January 2009. The
BANA Board reviewed and has approved the IADD Can-Am Braille standard in
November 2008.

Contact: Jill May, IADD Chapter Relations Coordinator, International
Association of Diecutting and Diemaking.
jmay@iadd.org

For more information about the IADD, visit
www.iadd.org

For more information about BANA, visit
www.brailleauthority.org

Audio description now at Disney

Greetings. I came across this article from the weekly MoPix email newsletter, from the Orlando Sentinel, called Heard but not seen at Disney: Device helps blind visualize rides. Very cool! Hopefully other parks and tourist attractions will adopt these audio descriptive ways as well. enjoy.

Stream FAQ updated

Greetings. I received this note from HumanWare yesterday regarding the FAQ for the Victor Reader Stream. This would be a good page to bookmark and check back with regularly. If any of the below questions, covering such topics as SD cards, RFB&D, the nLS digital download program, bookmarks, bookshelves, and more; look like ones you'd want to know more about, then check out this FAQ page. Enjoy.

***

Dear Victor Reader Stream Friends:

We have recently updated the Stream FAQ (frequently asked questions) document on the Stream support page at:
http://www.humanware.com/stream_support

On that page select the documentation link and then the Stream FAQ document. This FAQ has over 100 answers to questions we have received about the Stream and we encourage you to review it. Following is a list of some of those questions.

Audible.com Books and Audible Manager
Q. Can I try out the Audible service without Subscribing?
Q. What is Audible Manager?
Q. How do I activate my Stream with Audible Manager?
Q. Can I use more than one SD card for Audible books on the Stream?
Q. After I activate my Stream how do I transfer Audible books to it?

Battery
Q. Why does the green power light (LED) sometimes blink when I plug the Stream to AC power?
Q. If I cannot see the LED how do I tell if the player is charging?
Q. Can I quickly get battery status without listening to all the Information items?
Q. Can I recharge the Stream while it is in use?
Q. Will I lose any bookmarks or player settings if I change the battery or allow the battery to fully deplete?
Q. What is the best way to store the battery for a long period of non use?

Bookmarks
Q. How do I place a bookmark precisely at the start of a chapter or page or file?
Q. How can I quickly remove all the bookmarks in a single book?
Q. Will the Stream Bookmark data base fill up if I never delete bookmarks?
Q. Can I enter a bookmark while recording?
Q. During playback, will the Stream alert me if I pass over a previously bookmarked position?

Bookshelf and Folders
Q. Can I have sub-folders within the $VR bookshelf folders?
Q. How can I read .doc documents on the Stream?
Q. I have many books on my Talking Books bookshelf. Can I arrange them in categories?
Q. Can I list my Talking Books bookshelf in date order?
Q. When my podcast episode ends, can Stream automatically play the next one?

Bookshare (United States)
Q. What is the proper way to put a Bookshare book into the Stream Bookshelf?
CNIB Online Digital Audio Books (Canada)
Q. How do I transfer a CNIB Library Online Digital Audio book to the Stream?

General
Q. What should I do if my Stream does not respond even to the power button?
Q. Can I play the Stream while it is connected to my PC?
Q. Why do some audio files play at different volume levels on different bookshelves?
Q. Will Stream play WMA protected books such as those from Overdrive or NetLibrary.com sources?
Q. Can the Stream play MP3 books from Overdrive?
Q. How do I know if my public library's Overdrive service offer MP3 books?
Q. How do I do a factory reset of the Stream?
Q. Can I use the Windows Explorer SEND TO menu to send files to my Stream?

NFB (United States)
Q. I receive NFB newspapers by email. How do I transfer them to the Stream?

NLS Books (United States)
Q. What is the process to participate in the expanded NLS pilot project and enable my Stream to play NLS books?
Q. Once I am authorized for the NLS pilot download, how do I download a book?
Q. After downloading the book on my computer, how do I transfer it to my Stream?
Q. As an alternative, can I transfer NLS zip books using Stream Companion?
Q. Will the Stream play the future book cartridges that NLS will distribute?

Playback and Navigation
Q. If I accidentally press key 4 or 6 how can I quickly get back to my reading position?
Q. How can I quickly get to the start of a book?
Q. How can I quickly reach the end of a book?
Q. How can I quickly jump to a position far into a large text file?
Q. How can I quickly jump to a position far into a large audio file?
Q. How do I backup just a few seconds with Rewind key? If I hold it too long it backs up 1 minute.
Q. Can I resume reading a few seconds back from where I last stopped?
Q. How can I lock the keypad while playing a book?

Playing Content from CDs
Q. How do I copy CD DAISY books to the Stream?
Q. How do I copy DAISY multi-CD books to the Stream?
Q. Why does Stream not play the files I copied from my audio CD using Windows Explorer?
Q. I have a DAISY CD with multiple books and a Discinfo.html file. How do I copy that CD to my Stream SD card?

Recording
Q. How do I find the total recording time available on my memory card?
Q. What are the recording specifications and space required for the AMR-WB+ files?
Q. I have many Audio Notes and cannot remember all the note numbers. Can I rename/move the Notes for archival?
Q. What type of microphone should I use on my Stream?

RFB&D (United States)
Q. How do I obtain the RFB&D User Authorization Key?
Q. How do I install the RFB&D UAK once I have purchased it?
Q. How do I play RFB&D CD AudioPlus books on the Stream?
Q. How do I play RFB&D AudioPlus books that come on more than one CD?

SD Card
Q. What type of SD cards should I use in Stream?
Q. Do I need to format my SD card before using it?
Q. How do I format my SD card?
Q. If I format the card and replace the files will I lose all the bookmarks and reading positions in my books?
Q. If I write-protect the SD card does it mean I cannot set bookmarks?
Q. Is there anything I can do if the Safely Remove Hardware option is not in my Windows System Tray?
Q. How do I set up a USB flash drive for use on the Stream?
Q. How do I set up books to play on the USB flash drive?
Q. Do all Stream functions work on the books on the USB flash drive?

Thank you,
The HumanWare Team

The other side of the news

Greetings. Below is a story I received from a guide dog related email list. Note that though the suspect of said crime appears to be a German Shepherd, the crime could have been committed by any high energy breed from any guide dog school. Enjoy.

***

Seeing Eye Dog prime Suspect in Toy Slaying

Virginia, April 10, 2009.

The body of Mr. Toy Octopus was discovered yesterday in his Charlottesville
home under suspicious circumstances.

"[Mr. Octopus] was the least judgmental toy I ever knew," said Mr. Stuffed Lamb, a close friend of the deceased. "He welcomed everyone he met with at least two open arms."

The cause of death remains unknown, but officials say evidence suggests
homicide. The prime suspect is one Yani Gg. Shepherd, also ofCharlottesville. Ms. Shepherd, who works as a Seeing Eye dog for a law student at the university, was unavailable for comment.

Glaze Y. Labrador, Shepherd's roommate and a retired guide herself, has another theory: "I firmly believe Mr. Octopus's demise was the unfortunate result of a botched squeakectomy," she stated in a press conference
yesterday. "Yani is young, and squeakectomies can be messy in the best of circumstances."

Shepherd, whose owner is not yet licensed to practice law, is seeking legal
representation.

"Normally, she'd have a hard time finding an attorney who would work for kibble," said the labrador-poodle mix of a local defense lawyer, who wished to remain anonymous. "But given the state of the economy, all bets are
off."

Meanwhile, the toys who knew Octopus continue to grieve. Perhaps they can find some small comfort in the knowledge that their friend's rattle and squeaker were recovered and are suitable for transplantation.

Stream and Companion audio demonstrations

Greetings. I received the following note from HumanWare regarding version 3 of the Victor Reader Stream and some associated audio demos/tutorials. Enjoy.

****

Dear Victor Reader Stream Friends:

As a follow up to last week's release of Stream 3.0 and Companion software 3.0 we have posted two recorded tutorials. Please visit the Stream product page at:
http://www.humanware.ca/stream.html


On that page look for the Demos and Reviews heading. At the top of that list you will find two recorded tutorials for using the new features of both Stream 3.0 and the new Companion 3.0 software. These are MP3 files that you can download and listen to on your Stream.

Thank you,
The HumanWare Team

State of Sirius baseball coverage

Greetings. I just read on Orbetcast the post called XM gets every 2009 MLB game; Sirius comes up (almost) empty. Apparently, XM will have every MLB game for this season, and Sirius will only airre a select few of the games. If you're a baseball lover, then you might want to sign up with XM Radio and still get the Best of Sirius for the NFL coverage. I'm glad that Sirius picked up some baseball, but it is rather disappointing for even the remote baseball fan, such as myself, to see that the "Best Of" packages don't get the large portion of games expected. However, if you're an autoracing fan, then that will be covered on the Best of Sirius/XM packages, which is some consulation I suppose. At any rate, it looks like the die-heart baseball people will be going to XM for the summer. Enjoy.

Could netbooks dethrone the PC?

Greetings. The new York Times Technology section has an interesting article called Light and Cheap, Netbooks Are Poised to Reshape PC Industry. It talks about the rise of the netbook and how it could pose a serious threat to PC's and laptops this year. Several of my colleagues at work have these netbooks. I've heard speculation among some at work that the netbook will force the manufacturers of today's electronic note takers to really dig deep and catch up in their features. I've even considered getting a netbook from time to time. I haven't yet found one that suits me. It could happen at any time though. I'm subscribed to an RSS feed for the MSI WIND netbooks, and some of what's coming looks awfully interesting. There's a certain appeal to carrying around a computer in your backpack that weighs less than 3 pounds, verses a heavy laptop or note taker weighing in at between 4 and 6 pounds, or more. Enjoy.

Another JAWS update

Greetings. For those JAWS purists that love having the "latest and greatest," FS released another update earlier this week. Take a lookat the extensive range of fixes (or, perhaps not so much):

• The Yahoo Instant Messenger.jss script file has been updated and included in JAWS 10 to provide support for the latest version of Yahoo! Messenger 9. Make sure to download the latest Yahoo! Messenger for full compatibility with JAWS 10.
  
• The message history in AOL Instant Messenger and the e-mail messages in the Gmail Inbox are now visible to JAWS. Previously, the virtual buffer would appear to be blank if you tried to read message history or Inbox messages.
  
• When navigating through the Gmail Inbox, you can once again select and open an e-mail message by pressing ENTER when focus is on the text in the Subject column. In a previous release, it was necessary to turn off the Virtual Cursor or use the JAWS cursor to open the e-mail message.
  
• Resolved an issue related to certain Web pages with frames, which, when updated, created a situation where JAWS would not read the text present in the updated frame. This problem was reported for both Gmail and the Webinar software used by the Freedom Scientific Training department for the new Webinars, both free and paid, now being offered.
  
• The default JAWS dictionary file (default.jdf) has been updated to include the correct pronunciation of two Russian symbols.
  
• In the JAWS help file, the Using the JAWS Cursor topic now describes the Real Window and the Focus Window restriction options that are available for the JAWS Cursor. Previously, this topic only mentioned the Application Window, Current Window, Unrestricted, and Frame restrictions.
  

Regarding the Gmail fixes, there's no indication of whether these fixes apply to the Standard or the Basic HTML views. As always you can download the update from the FS site or perform a "check for updates" from the JAWS Help menu/submenu, depending if you have JAWS in its own window or in the system tray. Since it has only been 2 weeks since the last update, I'm thinking that something was broken 2 weeks ago and fixed now. Ah well, so goes tech and assistive tech. Enjoy.

Newsline expands yet again

Greetings. NFB Newsline, a service where you can call a local or toll free number to listen to local/national newspapers or magazines, or get TV listings, has done it again. They've expanded and given the user more options. Yesterday, the NFB Newsline Online website launched, which among other things, allows you to read content on the web, have it automatically downloaded and placed on your Victor Reader Stream, or Icon/APH Braille Plus Mobile Manager, and perform other functions. If you're not registered with this free service, you can obtain an application from the site as well. If you're already signed upf or Newsline, then there's no additional cost. You will have to log in with your user ID and pass code, as well as agree to an agreement stating how you will or won't use the service, but this only happens the first time you log into the site. You can also sign up to have your papers emailed to you as DAISY files each day/week. Visit the site and read more about this exciting service for the blind. For more about Newsline, visit the official NFB Newsline website. enjoy.