Join the National Library Service (NLS) for the Many Faces of BARD program on Thursday, September 14, at 6:00 p.m. (Central) covering how to read BARD books using an NLS braille e-reader and an iPhone.
The session will include a demonstration of both the Zoomax and Humanware e-readers.
Registration is not required. The session is scheduled for one hour with time for questions. Click on the link to join: bit.ly/45ULBua.
The Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) Aging Services Coordination office is
hosting a free caregiver webinar series beginning in August with monthly lunchtime
webinars and ending with a series of weekly webinars during National Family
Caregivers Month in November. The webinar series is for caregivers, people who
work with caregivers, and anyone interested in caregiving.
Visit https://centralizedtraining.com/files/Flyer-Caregiver.pdf to register and learn about each session in the series.
Disability Book Week occurs every year during the week of April 23 – 29.
This is a worldwide celebration of books that feature a main character with a disability.
You can participate in Disability Book Week by reading a book that includes a disabled character or theme, and then posting a review on a social media site or talking with friends. You can also ask school or public libraries to host a Disability Book Week event, or request that your city issue a Disability Book Week proclamation.
Visit https://disabilitybookweek.org to learn more.
The site has a list of recommended books for children, young people, and adults.
The ride share Uber is now offering hourly rides. This means that a passenger can schedule more than one ride with the same driver and make multiple stops within a given period of time. Passengers can also alter / update the schedule during the rides.
This new feature is especially helpful for passengers with disabilities, who in the past had to schedule each ride separately for trips to places such as medical appointments, the pharmacy, grocery shopping, child care, and employment.
If you have an Uber account, access the app on your smartphone to set up hourly rides.
Judith “Judy” Heumann died on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the age of 75.
Judy was an American disability rights activist. She was recognized internationally as a leader in the disability community. Heumann was a lifelong civil rights advocate for people with disabilities.
Judy wrote two books that are in our National Library Service Collection.
BEING HEUMANN: AN UNREPENTANT MEMOIR OF A DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVIST (DB 100399)
ROLLING WARRIOR: THE INCREDIBLE, SOMETIMES AWKWARD, TRUE STORY OF A REBEL GIRL ON WHEELS WHO HELPED SPARK A REVOLUTION (DB 105457)
She also starred in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Crip Camp” and had a podcast called “The Heumann Perspective.”
Her funeral will be on Wednesday, March 8, at 10 a.m. (EST) in Washington, DC. It will be livestreamed here: www.adaisisrael.org/shiva
To read about her life and numerous accomplishments the field of disability rights, click on this link: www.cbsnews.com/news/judy-heumann-dies-age-75-disability-rights-activist
Join the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) on Thursday, March 9, 2023, for the Many Faces of BARD program, featuring the new NLS Braille E-Reader. The program begins at 6:00 p.m. (Central) and lasts for one hour. NLS staff will provide an overview of both the Humanware and Zoomax braille e-readers, and then take questions from participants.
No registration is required.
Use this Zoom link to attend: https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1618927125?pwd=QUxvaG1hRnRQU2E3Y2MxK01zZUpjQT09
You can also call in by dialing 1-646-828-7666. The Meeting ID is 161 892 7125.
Leslie Jordan achieved much success in his too-brief 67 years of life. He won an Emmy for his acclaimed role on the television show “Will and Grace,” and also acted in other television shows, movies, and theater. In addition, he was a playwright, singer, and author. His Instagram videos brought smiles, giggles, and comfort to an unsettled world during the pandemic. His book, an autobiographical essay collection, is called How Y’all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived. The book is available from the Talking Book Program in audio format on BARD: DBC24819. Read more about his appearance at this year’s National Book Festival here: https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/leslie-jordan-discusses-how-y-all-doing-at-national-book-festival.
In celebration of Blindness Awareness Month, “Going Blind: Coming out of the Dark about Vision Loss” is streaming for free until Friday, October 14th.
Three versions of the movie are available. The password for all versions is “WorldSightDay2022”
Audio described version: http://vimeo.com/430136283
Captioned version: https://vimeo.com/404572911
Standard version: http://vimeo.com/325469392
On Saturday, July 16, 2022, a new three-digit code can be used to connect to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The number will be known as the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The current Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number, 1-800-273-8255, will always remain available to people in crisis.
When individuals call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network.
Veterans and their loved ones may contact either 988, option 1, or the Veterans Crisis Line, available by phone at 1-800-273-8255, option 1, by texting 838255, or by chatting online at www.veteranscrisisline.net.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.
For more information, visit https://988lifeline.org.
Are you new to the world of technology or maybe you just need a little refresh in your technology skills? Digitallearn.org is offering free online courses to help you in learning the skills you may need.
The “Starting Out” section includes modules for navigating a web site; intro to email, Google Maps, and YouTube; and how to operate both Mac and PC computers.
The “Being Safe Online” section includes information about passwords, privacy, and online scams.
The “Job Skills” section provides guides on how to search and apply for jobs online, as well as creating a resume.
There are also sections for “Being Productive,” “Connecting with Others,” “Mobile Devices,” and “Online Shopping.”
Modules range from 6 to 36 minutes long and include closed captioning.
Visit www.digitallearn.org to access free training modules about aspects of computing.