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Guild for the Blind
Phone: 312-236-8569 Fax: 312-236-8128
www.guildfortheblind.org
GUILD BRIEFS – SEPTEMBER 2008
"Guild Briefs" is made possible in part by grants from the Dr. Scholl Foundation and donations by Guild members.
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. If the hours listed above do not meet your needs, please contact us to discuss other arrangements.
The following articles do not constitute an endorsement by the Guild for the Blind's editorial staff. --Editor, Edwin Hill
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Guild Brief Improvements: In an effort to improve the electronic version of Guild Briefs, you can now jump from a listing in the table of contents directly to the article. Also the title of each article is now marked as a heading. People using screen reading software can use the headings command to quickly jump from article to article. In order for these features to work, you need to receive Guild Briefs in HTML format. In addition, hyperlinks are now listed on a separate line to facilitate cutting and pasting of the addresses into your browser or e-mail program.
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Guild Briefs is now available on NFB-Newsline. For more information call 866-504-7300 or visit
www.nfbnewsline.org.
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CONTENTS
1. September New Visions Sites
2. Window-Eyes Class at the Guild
3. Braille Sense Workshop
4. Victor Reader Stream Offer
5. On-line Networking
6. Guild Support Group
7. Career Networking Club
8. Schmoozapalooza
9. New Video Magnifier
10. Hadley Course Offerings
11. 2008 AccessWorld® Guide to Assistive Technology Products
12. On-Line Deaf-Blindness Course
13. Developmental Cycling Camp
14. APH Products PowerPoint Presentations
15. Audio Comic Book
SEPTEMBER CALENDAR
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1. September New Visions Sites
During September, New Visions will be offered at the Guild and Maple Point Apartments in the River North area. Introductory presentations will be held in Homewood and Lake Zurich and are sponsored by the Homewood Rotary and Lake Zurich Lions club, respectively. New Visions is a free program that introduces strategies and tools for coping with vision loss. For information, please contact Kathy Austin at 312-236-8569 or kathya@guildfortheblind.org.
See calendar for dates and times.
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2. Window-Eyes Class at the Guild
GW Micro will be offering Window-Eyes training classes at the Guild on Tues., Sept. 16 and Wed., Sept. 17. The course offers hands-on training with a GW Micro certified trainer and covers using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook with Window-Eyes advanced Office technology features, surfing the Internet and customizing your computer. Cost $250 per day includes the two-day curriculum on CD. CEUs are available for an additional fee. To register, visit
www.gwmicro.com/training
and enter code IL0908. Contact Jeremy Curry at 260-489-3671, ext. 210, or at
jeremy@gwmicro.com.
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3. Braille Sense Workshop
GW Micro and the Guild are offering a rare opportunity to get hands-on training on the latest Braille notetake: the Braille Sense Plus. Free, but registration is required. Thur., Sept. 18 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Contact David Flament at 312-236-8569 or davidf@guildfortheblind.org.
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4. Victor Reader Stream Offer
You can still purchase the popular new Victor Reader Stream by Humanware from the Guild for the low price of $329. This includes a 2 GB memory card, training session, no sales tax and no shipping if picked up at the Guild. The Victor Reader Stream is a personal listening device that enables you to read DAISY books, download books from the National Library Service and audible.com, store music and text files and make voice recordings. We also accept DHS vouchers for the Stream. Contact Kathy Austin at 312-236-8569 or kathya@guildfortheblind.org.
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5. On-line Networking
September’s Tech Exchange meeting will discuss on-line networking, including Facebook and LinkedIn, and how these websites can connect you to people who share your interests or can advance your career. Our guest speaker will be Kim Shea, a university career counselor with 10 years of experience in the career development field. Sept. 2, 4:00 – 5:30 pm. Contact Kathy Austin or David Flament at 312-236-8569.
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6. Guild Support Group
Looking Ahead is the Guild’s new support group designed to empower those having difficulty managing the stress and anxiety of vision loss. Led by a licensed clinical professional counselor, Looking Ahead will meet Wed., 6:00 - 7:30 pm, starting Sept. 10. Free. Space is limited. Contact Lauri Dishman at 312-236-8569 or lauri@guildfortheblind.org.
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7. Career Networking Club
The next meeting of the Career Networking Club is Thur., Sept. 11, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. Derrick Phillips, Superintendent of ICRE/Wood, will be our guest. All are welcome. Free. Contact Lauri Dishman at 312-236-8569 or lauri@guildfortheblind.org.
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8. Schmoozapalooza
What does it take to “work a room”? Find out how the pros do it during this interactive workshop on Thur., Sept. 18, 1:30 to 3:30 pm. To register, contact Lauri Dishman at (312) 236-8569 or lauri@guildfortheblind.org.
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9. New Video Magnifier
The Guild is now demonstrating the Acrobat, a 19-inch LCD flat-panel video magnifier that features 3-in-1 camera technology with auto focus, favorite setting, ability to view oneself and distance and near viewing. The Acrobat offers up to 68X digital magnification. Cost: $2,395 plus $40 for shipping/set up. Contact Brian Hollandsworth at 312-236-8569 or
brian@guildfortheblind.org.
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10. Hadley Course Offerings
"You, Your Child, and Your Community" offers strategies to bolster your confidence, and shares the collected wisdom of other parents of visually impaired children. Blindness Basics-A Primer for Professionals is an interactive e-learning course for those new to the blindness field to help understand the “basics” of visual impairment. Contact Student Services at 800-526-9909 or
www.hadley.edu.
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11. 2008 AccessWorld® Guide to Assistive Technology Products
AFB's updated 2008 edition includes detailed profiles of over 280 products, including more than 30 new products. The Product Guide will help you find the right device for your needs. Price: $34.95. Visit
www.afb.org/store.
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12. On-Line Deaf-Blindness Course
East Carolina University has announced a graduate certificate in deaf-blindness: SPED 6810: Characteristics, Issues, and Trends in Education for Students with Deaf-Blindness. The course will be offered online in the fall. If interested, send an e-mail with your full name to Alana Zambone at
zambonea@ecu.edu
or to Melissa Engleman at englemanm@ecu.edu.
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13. Developmental Cycling Camp
The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes is co-sponsoring the U.S. Developmental Cycling Camp for Riders with Disabilities at the U.S. Olympic Training
Center, Sept. 23-28 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Blind and visually impaired cyclists over age 16 and their sighted partners, who ride tandem bikes, are encouraged to attend. Contact Pam Fernandes at
pamala@quik.com
or call 781-449-9563.
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14. APH Products PowerPoint Presentation
The American Printing House for the Blind is offering accessible PowerPoint presentations describing their most popular products. Visit www.aph.org/products/presentations/index.html.
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15. Audio Comic Book
RFB&D has released its first audio comic book, Stan Lee's "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?”. The audio comic book is available on CD. And, for a limited time, visitors to www.rfbd.org can listen to "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?". Contact RFB&D at 1-866-RFBD-585.
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September Calendar
Fri., Sept. 5, 12, 19 & 26, 1:00 pm: New Visions at Maple Point Apts., Chicago. For all New Visions programs, contact Kathy Austin at 312-236-8569 or kathya@guildfortheblind.org.
Mon., Sept. 8, 15, 22 & 29, 1:30 pm: New Visions workshop at the Guild.
Wed., Sept. 10, 1:00 – 4:00 pm: Formatting Resumes with ZoomText at the Guild. Contact Lauri Dishman at 312-236-8569 or lauri@guildfortheblind.org.
Thur., Sept. 11, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Career Networking Club at the Guild. Click here to read article.
Wed., Sept. 17, 1:30 pm: New Visions Introductory presentation at Marie Irwin Community Center, Homewood (sponsored by Homewood Rotary).
Thur., Sept. 18, 1:00 pm: New Visions Introductory Presentation at ELA Area Public Library, Lake Zurich (sponsored by the Lake Zurich Lions).
Tues., Sept. 16 and Wed., Sept. 17: GW Micro Window-Eyes Training at the Guild. Click here to read article.
Thur., Sept. 18, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Braille Sense Workshop at the Guild. Click here to read article.
Thur., Sept. 18, 1:30 – 3:30 pm: Schmoozapalooza at the Guild. Click here to read article.
Wed. Sept. 24, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Formatting Resumes with JAWS, at the Guild. Contact Lauri Dishman at 312-236-8569 or lauri@guildfortheblind.org.
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