[Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] Fwd: Voice of the Nation's Blind for January 2005 now available

[David Andrews]

>Dear Fellow Federationists:
>
>  <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
>
>The January 2005 edition of the Voice of the Nation's Blind, the new 
>online publication of the National Federation of the Blind, is now 
>available at 
><http://www.voiceofthenationsblind.org/>http://www.voiceofthenationsblind.org
>
>
>
>An overview of the content of the January issue from the editor appears below:
>
>
>
>As 2005 begins, we in the Federation have a major victory to celebrate: 
>the passage, after several years of struggle, of the Instructional 
>Materials Accessibility
>
>Act, which was passed as part of the 2004 reauthorization of the 
>Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In this issue, we take 
>a look back
>
>at the history of this important legislation and how the blind community 
>worked diligently to make it law so that no blind child will be left behind for
>
>want of having his or her textbooks at the beginning of the school year. 
>Also, Mark Riccobono, manager of educational programs for the NFB Jernigan 
>Institute,
>
>looks ahead at what's next in the continuing struggle of the blind for 
>timely access to information, particularly as that struggle relates to 
>education.
>
>
>
>Speaking of books for blind children, before I knew anything about the 
>NFB, I remember my mother reading with me from little books we received 
>through the
>
>mail that had both Braille and print text in them. At first, she simply 
>read aloud to me, and then, as my proficiency in Braille increased, I 
>would read
>
>aloud and she would follow along to see how I was doing and help me when I 
>struggled with a new word or a new Braille contraction. The little "Twin 
>Vision"
>
>books came from the American Brotherhood for the Blind, which later became 
>the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults. Since the 1940's, 
>the Federation has
>
>been associated with this organization, which has offices at the National 
>Center for the Blind in Baltimore and in Tarzana, California. The library from
>
>which the Twin Vision books are now distributed is named for Kenneth 
>Jernigan, who among his many other important contributions to the welfare 
>of the blind
>
>in this country was there at the inception of this wonderful lending 
>library program which has had a positive impact on my life and the lives 
>of so many
>
>other blind children and their parents, as well as blind parents wanting 
>to read with their sighted youngsters. In this issue, you can read Danika 
>Taylor's
>
>article about the history of the Twin Vision Books and other activities of 
>the Action Fund and learn about the wonderful people who dedicate themselves
>
>to continuing this great work.
>
>
>
>Among the many long-term research and development projects of the new NFB 
>Jernigan Institute is the development of a car that can be driven by a 
>blind person.
>
>The announcement of this project has been greeted with cautious enthusiasm 
>by the blind community. Many wonder whether a blind-drivable vehicle is 
>technologically
>
>possible and readily achievable. In the first of three articles to be 
>published in the VNB on this important topic, Jeff Witt, who is working on 
>the blind-drivable
>
>vehicle project for the Jernigan Institute, sets forth why he believes 
>that technological developments already available and others under 
>development will
>
>ultimately lead to a car that the blind can drive. You may be surprised to 
>learn what is already possible, and you'll see how technologies already being
>
>developed to increase driver safety and for other purposes may also help 
>the blind achieve this goal.
>
>
>
>You will also read a disturbing story about how the state of California 
>came close to taking a blind couple's baby away from them solely because 
>of their
>
>blindness, and how the swift reaction of the blind community prevented 
>this injustice from happening. You can listen to Dr. Jacobus tenBroek's 
>historic
>
>1956 banquet address, Within the Grace of God. And if you've never tried 
>using narrative description to enhance your enjoyment of a movie, you can read
>
>about the experience of one blind person who had never tried this 
>technology before and hear an example of it for yourself.
>
>
>
>We invite you to browse these articles and the rest of the content in our 
>first issue of 2005, and as always, please provide us with your comments, 
>suggestions,
>
>and submissions.
>
>
>
>To read these articles and browse articles from previous issues, go to 
><http://www.voiceofthenationsblind.org>http://www.voiceofthenationsblind.org
>
>
>
>This email comes to you from the office of the editor of the Voice of the 
>Nation's Blind and will be sent out monthly when the Web site of this 
>publication is updated. If you do not wish to receive future email updates 
>about the Voice of the Nation's Blind, simply reply to this message saying 
>that you wish to be removed from our email list and we will do so 
>immediately. Feel free to forward this email to others who may find it 
>interesting. Persons wishing to receive this email update can let us know 
>by sending an email to 
><mailto:editor at voiceofthenationsblind.org>editor at voiceofthenationsblind.org, 
>or by using the Contact form on our Web site. You can access the contact 
>form by going to http://www.voiceofthenationsblind.org/contact/
>
>
>Christopher S. Danielsen, Editor
>Voice of the Nation's Blind
>An On-line Publication of
>National Federation of the Blind
>1800 Johnson Street
>Baltimore, MD 21230
>Phone: 410-659-9314, ext. 2330
>Fax: 410-685-5653
>Email: <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>http://www.voiceofthenationsblind.org