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.
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.
The National Library Service’s (NLS) Patron Engagement Section will be offering a monthly program called “The Many Faces of BARD”. The program will take place the second Thursday each month at 6 p.m. (CDT). Each hour long session will begin with a brief presentation and cover one aspect of BARD use. The program will end with a question-and-answer portion.
Sessions are open to all patrons. Join by visiting https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1611161911?pwd=bVh5ejFsWFBlL21KY0VqaHlRMUlSQT09 on a computer or by calling 1-669-245-5252. Full Zoom invitation information follows. To call into a session, participants must use the telephone numbers provided here for Zoom.gov.
Upon connecting, you will be placed in a virtual waiting room until the program begins. Upon enter the room, you will be on mute, and should remain on mute unless the host calls you to speak. At that time, you may unmute by using Alt-A from a computer or star 6 if dialing in by phone.
All Many Faces of BARD programs will be recorded. If you do not want to be on the recording, please refrain from speaking.
Image of a book with a volume signifying an audiobook.
Not only is June the start of summer, but it is also National Audiobook Appreciation Month. With numerous literacy benefits and high entertainment value, audiobooks are heating up headphones and speakers across the state. Everyone is unique when it comes to how they read, and patrons of the Talking Book Program can enjoy the art of storytelling this June by joining the more than 19,000 other patrons meet their reading needs. Whether you need to read in a different way or you open up a book — new TBP patron listeners and audiophiles alike will want to join in the fun. For more information about Texans’ other library visit, www.TexasTalkingBooks.org.
Check out some of the most downloaded books from the collection.
RUN, ROSE, RUN by Dolly Parton (DB 107053) AnnieLee Keyes is hitchhiking her way to Nashville, determined to make it in the music industry. But she’s fleeing her past, and her rise as a country music star is dogged by the dark secrets trying to destroy her. Violence and strong language. Suspense Fiction. Commercial audiobook. 2022
STEAL by James Patterson (DB 106928)
College sophomore Carter von Oehson posts on his Instagram that he plans to kill himself. When no one sees him for 24hours, a search begins. Fears seem to be confirmed when his abandoned sailboat is found. His professor of abnormal psychology, Dylan Reinhart, tries to help Carter’s father find the truth. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2022.
HIGH STAKES by Danielle Steel (DB 107263)
Jane Addison has big dreams of owning her own company someday. At 28, she arrives in New York to start a job at Fletcher and Benson, a prestigious talent agency. There she joins a group of women all facing the challenges of balancing their families, their personal lives, and the high stakes of ambition. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2022.
BEYOND A DOUBT by Colleen Coble (DB 107278)
Bree Nicholls has made a name for herself finding missing persons in the untamed wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with her search-and-rescue dog, Samson. When a basement remodeling project at her lighthouse home uncovers evidence from a cold case, Bree’s family comes under attack. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2004.
STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW: AN INCOMPLETE COMPENDIUM OF MOSTLY INTERESTING THINGS by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant (DB 103455)
Hosts of the podcast of the same title present a collection of new items of interest. Topics include facial hair, Mr. Potato Head, Murphy beds, how to get lost, mezcal liquor, aging, income tax, pet rocks, cyanide pills, donuts, and the Jersey Devil. Includes supplemental material. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.
HAPPINESS BECOMES YOU: A GUIDE TO CHANGING YOUR LIFE FOR GOOD by Tina Turner (DB 107284)
The musical icon gives advice for generating hope from nothing, breaking through all limitations, and succeeding in life. She shows how the spiritual lessons of Buddhism help her transform from sorrow, adversity, and poverty into joy, stability, and prosperity. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.
Have you heard that 3G networks are being phased out? This could affect your mobile phones from 2012 or earlier as well as older home security systems, smartwatches, medical devices, medical alert bracelets and some assistive technology such as communication devices and braille notetakers.
Senior Planet San Antonio is offering a free webinar about the 3G phase out on Thursday, February 3, at 10 a.m. (CST). Registration is not required. Visit this web site: https://seniorplanet.org/event/3g-event and click the “Join This Event” button at the appointed time. You can also dial in to the webinar using this information: 1-720-707-2699, Meeting ID: 820 0860 2060
Here are two resources for more information about the 3G shut down:
Note: Cellular service providers are shutting down their 3G networks at different times during this year. Contact your provider for more information. Many carriers are offering free or low-cost replacement phones or devices.
Persons with disabilities can apply to receive an iPad Pro, an Amazon Echo Show, an Obi Robotic Feeder, or any assistive technology device that does not exceed $5,000. Medical certification of disability is required. Submission deadline: October 30, 2021. Devices provided while funding lasts. Monetary donations welcomed. Available only to U.S. residents
This organization also provides grants for various types of equipment (medical supplies, wheelchair modifications, computer or communication devices, or smart devices) to individuals with a neuromuscular disease. Information for that grant can be found here: www.laughingatmynightmare.com/no-more-nightmares-application
Laughing at My Nightmare is a non-profit organization run by Shane Burcaw, who has Spinal Muscular Dystrophy, a type of Muscular Dystrophy. Shane is also an author, a motivational speaker, and stars in a popular YouTube reality series with his wife Hannah called “Squirmy and Grubs”.
Senior Planet is a national organization committed to providing free online programming to older adults. Every week seniors can access a variety of events such as types of exercise, book clubs, and learning opportunities. There are Senior Planet offices in a few cities, including San Antonio.
Recently Senior Planet launched Aging Connected, with the goal of helping seniors learn about technology. Each week Aging Connected highlights the one hour programs that Senior Planet offers about different aspects of current technology, such as getting connected, online shopping, mobile health apps, virtual platforms such as Zoom, transportation apps, and much more. These sessions are interactive, and participants are encouraged to ask questions, and share ideas and resources.
During the month of September, Computers for the Blind (CFTB) are selling refurbished laptop computers with assistive technology for $150, which is $35 less than their standard fee of $185.
The laptop computers include one year of free JAWS screen reader and ZoomText magnifier software.
VFO and the American Foundation for the Blind Center on Vision Loss in Dallas are partnering to provide a two day training on ZoomText. This training is available for both visually impaired and sighted individuals, but space is limited. Here are the details:
What: ZoomText training
Where: American Foundation for the Blind Center on Vision Loss, 11030 Ables Lane, Dallas, TX 75229
When: July 26 – 27, 2017, 9 am – 4 pm
Cost: $550
Exciting developments in the field of Assistive Technology include lower cost or free alternatives, and the ability to use mainstream products in place of expensive devices designed specifically for people with disabilities.
Here are two examples of free or lower cost alternatives to expensive assistive technology products:
1) Microsoft has developed the Office Lens Reader, a free app that can be used in place of the KNFB Reader. The Office Lens Reader is an app that uses your mobile phone’s camera to scan printed material and then read it aloud. For now, the Office Lens Reader is only available on IOS devices. For more information about the Office Lens Reader, click on this link: http://www.rsbc.org.uk/blogs/microsoft-office-lens-review-an-accessible-way-to-read-printed-documents/
2) Braille printers can be very expensive. Samsung has developed a Touchable Ink cartridge that will allow any commercial laser printer to create Braille. Although the Touchable Ink cartridge costs more than regular ink cartridges, most laser printers cost considerably less than a Braille printer: thousands of dollars for a Braille printer versus around one hundred dollars for a laser printer. For more information about the Touchable Ink cartridge, click here: https://www.geek.com/tech/samsungs-touchable-ink-prints-braille-using-any-laser-printer-1673209/
