Category Archives: Disability Awareness

January Is Glaucoma Awareness Month

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Early detection saves sight: glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that can cause vision loss and blindness. The disease is caused by nerve damage. Almost 3 million Americans suffer from glaucoma. Sometimes symptoms are very small or non-existent, so it is best to get your eyes checked every year for prevention. The Texas Talking Book Program (TBP) provides free books and magazines in audio and braille for Texans with glaucoma.

From the library:

COPING WITH VISION LOSS: MAXIMIZING WHAT YOU CAN SEE AND DO (DB 55481)

DO YOU REMEMBER THE COLOR BLUE?: AND OTHER QUESTIONS KIDS ASK ABOUT BLINDNESS (DB 50319)

GLAUCOMA GUIDEBOOK: EXPERT ADVICE ON MAINTAINING HEALTHY VISION (DB 123763)

Texas Talking Book Program Author Talk: Georgina Kleege

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Join the Talking Book Program for an author talk on Tuesday, July 15 at 6:00 p.m. (Central) with author and educator, Georgina Kleege. Note that this time is a bit earlier than our usual author talks.

Reader’s Advisory Librarian, Laura Jean, will discuss Georgina’s career and her latest book, MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: WHAT BLINDNESS BRINGS TO ART. Following the talk, there will be a Q&A session.

Our Author Talks are held via Zoom, but you can join using just a telephone!

Participating is easy:

  • Use your landline to dial in via phone.
  • Use the “one-tap” number on your smartphone.
  • Alternatively, join via computer using the Zoom invitation we’ll send a week prior to the event.

To ensure you receive the necessary details, please RSVP in advance.

We invite you to ask Georgina Kleege questions about her book. Please submit your questions by July 8. We will select questions based on the responses to this form, and they may be asked during the event! Fill out the form here: Author Questions

To RSVP, you can fill out our online registration form: Register Here

Or if you prefer, reply to this email, or call the Talking Book Program at 1-800-252-9605.

Please indicate if you would like us to mail you a digital cartridge with her book or if you prefer to download it from BARD. Also, please let us know if you would like a reminder via email or phone-call (or both).

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: WHAT BLINDNESS BRINGS TO ART (DB 93533, BR 22550) by Georgina Kleege.

NLS Annotation: Author of Sight Unseen (DB 48328, BR 12149) critically examines the ways institutions make art accessible to blind people and the connection of visual arts with language. Uses personal experiences, scientific studies, and historical literary analysis to support her arguments. 2018.

We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, July 15!

Paris 2024 Paralympics

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Although sports for athletes with physical impairments has existed in several forms over the past century, the first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960 featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries. Since the Summer Games of Seoul, Korea, in 1988 and the Winter Games in Albertville, France, in 1992, the Games have also taken part in the same cities and venues as the Olympics.

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which will take place between 28 August and 8 September, will bring together as many as 4,400 athletes from around the world. The athletes will compete in 549 medal events across 22 sports.

Below we have collected stories about and memoirs from famous Paralympians for both adult and youth readers.

For more information: National Paralympic Committee.

Adult Nonfiction

ALWAYS CLIMB HIGHER! by Jeff Pagels (DB 80208)
FIRE IN MY EYES: AN AMERICAN WARRIOR’S JOURNEY FROM BEING BLINDED ON THE BATTLEFIELD TO GOLD MEDAL VICTORY by Brad Snyder (DB 86882, BR 21816)
HARD PARTS: A MEMOIR OF COURAGE AND TRIUMPH by Oksana Masters (DB 119093)
ON MY OWN TWO FEET: FROM LOSING MY LEGS TO LEARNING THE DANCE OF LIFE by Amy Purdy (DB 84333)
OUT OF THE WHIRLPOOL: A MEMOIR OF REMORSE AND RECONCILIATION by Sue Wiygul Martin (DB 78152)

Juvenile Nonfiction

AMAZING ATHLETES: AN ALL-STAR LOOK AT CANADA’S PARALYMPIANS by Marie-Claude Ouellet (BRG 04485) Grades 3-6
ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES by Deborah Kent (DB 57300) Grades 4-7
COLORS OF THE WIND: THE STORY OF BLIND ARTIST AND CHAMPION RUNNER GEORGE MENDOZA by J. L. Powers (DB 106815) Grades Kindergarten -3
TENACIOUS: FIFTEEN ADVENTURES ALONGSIDE DISABLED ATHLETES by Patty Cisneros-Prevo (DBC 15421) Grades 3-6

Summer Reading Program Presents: That All May Travel!

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Adventure is the theme for this year’s Summer Reading Program. This week we’re featuring books in our collection about travel. But we don’t want you just to read about adventure. Consequently, we’ve included links to resources with accessibility information for disabled travelers. We want everyone to be able to travel as easily and comfortably as possible. So, if you’ve been putting off that bucket list trip due to the travails of traveling with a disability, put it off no longer. And for those who prefer to experience travel through a good book, we have an armchair traveler section at the end.

Remember: Adventure begins at your library!

Know your Rights

U.S. Department of Transportation: Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights

  • The Right to Be Treated with Dignity and Respect.
  • The Right to Receive Information About Services and Aircraft Capabilities and Limitations.
  • he Right to Receive Information in an Accessible Format.
  • The Right to Accessible Airport Facilities.
  • The Right to Assistance at Airports.
  • The Right to Assistance on the Aircraft.
  • The Right to Travel with an Assistive Device or Service Animal.
  • The Right to Receive Seating Accommodations.
  • The Right to Accessible Aircraft Features.
  • The Right to Resolution of a Disability-Related Issue.

Know your Resources

Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality: is a non-profit organization that advocates and creates resources and opportunities for disabled travelers. Among their resources includes tips for travelers of all disabilities, a compilation of rights that disabled travelers should know, and lists of accessible activities in many cities. Some of their most valuable articles include:

  • How to travel with a speech impairment
  • How to travel with a sight impairment or blindness
  • How to travel with a hearing impairment or deafness
  • Autism and airport travel safety tips
  • How to travel with an older adult
  • Avis Rent A Car Launches “Avis Access” for Travelers with Disabilities
  • Toll-Free Hotline for Air Travelers with Disabilities

CDC: Traveling with a disability

ETIAS: Step by Step Traveling with a Disability in Europe

European Network for Accessible Tourism

International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers

Mobility International U. S. A.

National Council on Aging: Mobility Friendly Travel Guide

U.S. Department of State: International Travelers with Special Considerations and Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

U.S. Department of Transportation: General Travel Tips for Persons with Disabilities Toll free hotline: 800-778-4838

Accessible Travel DIY

Accessibility apps

Aira: Visual Interpreter Service app for iOS and Android. Uses trained professionals.
Be My Eyes:  Visual Interpreter Service free app for iOS and Android. Uses volunteers.
iAccess Life: Navigate accessible routes and locations.
Google Maps: Includes an “Accessible Places” feature, which labels accessible entrances, seating, restrooms, and parking.

Specialized Car Rental Agencies

MobilityWorks
Wheelers Accessible Van Rentals

Specialty Travel Agencies

Easy Access Travel: https://easyaccesstravel.com/
Tapooz Travel: https://www.tapooztravel.com/
Travel for All: https://travel-for-all.com/
Wheel the World: https://wheeltheworld.com

Traveling by Bus, Train, or Airplane

Amtrak: Accessible Travel Services
Greyhound: Customers with Disabilities Travel Assistance
Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program: This program assists individuals with hidden disabilities navigate in airports.
TSA: TSA Cares-Disabilities and Medical Conditions
U. S. Airport Sensory Rooms: Sensory rooms enhance the airport experience for travelers with autism and special needs by providing soft lighting and other features to reduce anxiety before a flight.  

Travel How to Books

ACCESS ANYTHING: I CAN DO THAT! ADVENTURING WITH DISABILITIES by Andrea Jehn Kennedy (DB 69444)
AIR TRAVEL FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS by Cory Lee (DB 115733)
TWENTY-TWO ACCESSIBLE ROAD TRIPS: DRIVING VACATIONS FOR WHEELERS AND SLOW WALKERS by Candy Harrington (DB 75991)

Armchair Travel Books

I DIDN’T HEAR THE DRAGON ROAR by Frances M. Parsons (DB 28448, BR 07658)
I’LL PUSH YOU: A JOURNEY OF 500 MILES, TWO BEST FRIENDS, AND ONE WHEELCHAIR by Patrick Gray (DB 89784)
MILO’S EYES: HOW A BLIND EQUESTRIAN AND HER “SEEING EYE HORSE” RESCUED EACH OTHER by Lissa Bachner (DB 110604, BR 24622)
SENSE OF THE WORLD: HOW A BLIND MAN BECAME HISTORY’S GREATEST TRAVELER by Jason Roberts (DB 62703, BR 16660)
SEVEN-TENTHS: LOVE, PIRACY, AND SCIENCE AT SEA by David Fisichella (DB 71749, BR 19090)
SITES UNSEEN: TRAVELING THE WORLD WITHOUT SIGHT by Wendy S. David (DB 73854)
TRAVELS IN A BLUE CHAIR: ALASKA TO ZAMBIA, USHUAIA TO ULURU; A SERIES OF SHORT STORIES by Walt Balenovich (DB 67926)
UNHEARD: A MEMOIR OF DEAFNESS AND AFRICA by Josh Swiller (DB 67060)
UNSEEN TRAIL: THE STORY OF A BLIND HIKER’S JOURNEY ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL by Michael O. Hanson (DBC 02612)
YEAR OF SUNDAYS: TAKING THE PLUNGE (AND OUR CAT) TO EXPLORE EUROPE by Edward D. Webster (DB 64156, BR 15594)