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NEWS IS GETTING
AROUND THE PACIFIC
July 2001
Hawaii State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
402 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu HI 96815
Phone 733-8444
Neighbor Islands call 1-800-559-4096
NEW
SATURDAY HOURS
Beginning in September, LBPH's
Saturday hours will be 9:30 a.m to 1:00 p.m. The staff will be
involved in outreach and they are needed in the library during the weekday,
when it is busiest. This was discussed and approved at the Consumer Advisory
Meeting earlier in the year. The message machine will take your orders during
the times the library is closed, as it does currently. Remember, on Saturdays,
please come before 1:00 p.m.
OOPS!
The last newsletter stated that other
channels besides public television have descriptive shows as FCC requires.
However, readers of our newsletter have informed us otherwise. After checking,
only KHET public TV has description. Although the TV guide designates CBS, Fox
and others having description, these refer to mainland affiliates. The information
received was that in a year or so when all stations convert to digital,
description will be possible. Sorry for the misinformation. Will keep you
posted on developments!
COMPUTER
HELPERS
LBPH has acquired a computer with Jaws,
Zoomtext, and a refreshable braille device. We need volunteers who
want to help others to use this computer. If you have computer knowledge, love
to teach, and have 2 hours a week to share your knowledge with others, please
call and leave your name and number to set up a time for an interview and
orientation.
ACCESSIBLE
COMPUTER
If you want to use the accessible computer,
you may call to reserve its use for a two hour period. There are policies that
need be reviewed before you start. The policies are in cassette and braille. Let
us know if you need help and someone will be ready to assist you. The computer
has assistive devices for speech, large print and braille.
C-1
CASSETTE BOOK MACHINE BATTERY CARE
To plug or not to plug. That is the question.
Previously, the National Library Service for
the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) recommended a charge-discharge cycle
for the C-1 Cassette Book Machine (yellow) that consisted of charging,
unplugging the unit and running the unit on battery power until the battery was
low. Because of improvements in battery technology, you no longer have to do
this.
You may now leave the unit plugged in
as long as you like and use it either plugged in or battery-operated at any
time.
NEWS
FORMAT
This newsletter is available in large print,
cassette, braille and disk. It is also on the web at:
http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/hspls/
Please contact the Library if you want to
receive this newsletter in a specific format. Call us at 733-8444. Neighbor
Islands call 1-800-559-4096. You can also send an E-mail message to:
olbcirc@lib.state.hi.us
FREE
INFORMATION
Two copies each in braille and cassette of
the 2002 GUIDE TO HEALTH INSURANCE FOR PEOPLE WITH MEDICARE:
CHOOSING A MEDIGAP POLICY FOR PEOPLE IN THE ORIGINAL MEDICARE PLAN,
are available to the first ones who call. Call us and leave your name and
number, and tell us if you want the cassette or braille copy.
NLS
REMINDER
NLS would like to remind patrons that program
materials are the property of the United States Government and may not be sold.
Such materials include not only playback machines, cassettes, containers,
hardcopy braille books, but Web-Braille products as well. As stated in the
"limitation of use" document on the main Web-Braille page, "output
from these files may not be sold under any circumstances." Violation of
these limitations may result in suspension of Web-Braille privileges.
TALK
STORY FESTIVAL
The Department of Parks & Recreation
presents the TALK STORY FESTIVAL on October 18, 19 & 20 at
7 - 9:30 p.m. at the McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Park.
The themes are SPOOKY STORIES on Friday;
KID KIND TALES on Saturday and LEGENDS (OLD AND NEW) on Sunday.
Storytellers include Bruddah Joe, Ed Chevy, Adela Chu, Brenda Freitas-Obregon,
Nyla Fujii-Babb, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Dan Kelin, Christy Lipps, Makia Malo,
James McCarthy, Joe Miller, Milky Way, Elly Tepper, Emil Wolfgramm, Hawaii
Screenwriters and Jeff Gere.
On Sunday afternoon from 1 - 4, Jeff Gere
will present a free stortytelling boot camp, a learn by doing workshop,
guaranteed to give participants tools to tell stories in a dynamic, creative
way.
Everyone is invited to these free activities.
CHILDREN
AND YOUTH MONTH
Talk Story will present storytellers at the
State Capitol on Sunday, October 6, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. to kick off Children
and Youth month.
VORTAL
There is a free telephone-based Internet
service called Vortal. To try it yourself, call 800-555-TELL, listen to the ad,
and then type 186782. Surf the Net, send e-mail, and more, all through the
telephone.
Be careful about reading health books. You
may die of a misprint.
----Mark Twain
Assistive
Technology User Group:
A
Consumer Driven Forum for the Techie in You!
ATUG (Assistive Technology User Group) was
founded by Art Cabanilla of Six Sense Solutions and Island Skill Gathering
Technology Specialist Mel Nakahara in July 2000. The pair created a group forum
for the Honolulu disabled community focusing on high and low-tech devices such
as computers with screen readers and voice navigation capabilities,
magnification equipment such as CCTVs and lighted magnifiers, and assistive
listening and alerting devices like a pocket-sized amplifier and vibrating
alarm clocks. Mr. Nakahara has handed the baton to Mr. Cabanilla to run the
well-established group, and Mr. Cabanilla has done so, maintaining a lively
group of technology enthusiasts through which many friendships have been born.
ATUG has been meeting on a monthly basis for
the past 2 years at the home office of Island Skill Gathering - on the open-air
deck in Kapahulu. Meetings are held from 7 - 9pm, usually on Friday evenings.
The group continues to flourish and evolve through its members from various
backgrounds. About a dozen or more members gather each month to exchange ideas
and information on technology and community services that offer tech support
and training. The forum helps members utilize current technology and keeps
members up-to-date on new and future products and services.
In recent months, the ATUG group has had a
number of presentations by various members sharing and showing their own
technology used in their daily lives. Such "show and tell"
presentations included computer notebook and Braille display set ups for blind
people accessing the internet, video magnification devices like the EVS Flipper
and Jordy II for low vision folks in classroom situations, and comparisons of
similar software applications.
ATUG welcomes all folks to its monthly
meetings who may have an interest in assistive technology. There seems to be a
current focus on technology for people who are blind or have low vision; the
majority of ATUG's membership are blind. However, anyone interested in computer
tips and tricks would enjoy the group for its friendship, fellowship, and any
other ship that might come up for discussion. Members range from the novice to
the experienced, so there is a good chance help with your technology challenge
can be found within ATUG.
ATUG had a booth at LBPH's Seventieth
Anniversary Fair last summer. The table display with an array of technology
seemed to be the most popular attraction. There was standing room only around
the table for most of the day.
If you can't make a monthly meeting, perhaps
you can get on the ATUG e-mail list. The list serves as a forum for member
questions and the posting of technical questions and notices for new products
and services. Group announcements and the Minutes of ATUG Meetings are also
posted there. Most recently, there have been notices regarding ATM access and a
surgical procedure that is designed to improve the sight of those who are
losing vision due to macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa. In the past,
there have been articles regarding software that makes the Nokia Communicator
speak, accessible music composition software, and accessible computer games. If
you are interested in joining ATUG, the mailing list can be found at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ATUGHI/.
Another option is to join ATUG virtually for
its monthly meetings in our chatroom. All you need is a microphone and an
Internet connection. Just point your browser to http://for-the-people.com/ and
sign up for a username and password. More information can be obtained through
ATUG's mailing list or by contacting Art Cabanilla at:
sixsense@hawaii.rr.com.
HOLIDAYS
WHEN THE LIBRARY IS CLOSED
Election Day: November 5, Tuesday
Veterans Day: November 9-11, Saturday-Monday
Thanksgiving Day: November 28-Thursday
NEW
MATERIALS AT THE LIBRARY
CASSETTES
HIC-1194 Yellowfin: A Ben McMillen
Hawaiian Mystery by Mark Brown. Adult Fiction.
HIC-1195 More Kaua'i Tales
by Frederick B. Wichman. Adult non-fiction. Hawaiiana. Folklore.
HIC-1196 The Hilo Massacre: Hawaii's
Bloody Monday, August 1st, 1938 by William J. Puette. Adult
non-fiction. Hawaiiana. Trade unions.
HIC-1197 Surfing and Health by
Dorian Paskowitz. Adult non-fiction. Hawaiiana. Biography/Health.
HIC-1198 Gardening in Hawaii: Handbook
for the Home Gardener by Peggy Hickok Hodge. Adult non-fiction.
Hawaiiana. Gardening and tropical plants.
HIC-1199 Name Me Nobody by
Lois-Ann Yamanaka. Young adult fiction. Hawaiiana. Coming-of-age.
HIC-1250HIC Growing Up Local: An Anthology of Poetry and Prose
from Hawaii by Eric Chock, etal.
Adult non-fiction. Hawaiiana. Poetry and short stories.
Information supplied by the staff of the Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped.
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