Two more accessible publications

Both of the following announcements were posted to the Daisy Talking Book mailing list

1. Touch the Earth Book Released

The National Federation of the Blind is pleased to announce the
release of a new tactile book created with the support of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Touch the Earth: A
Multimedia book about the Earth's Biomes was written by Amy Hansen
and conceptualized by Elissa Levine. It includes tactile graphics
created by Noreen Grice.

This book aims to educate middle school students while also
providing guidance for teachers on how to incorporate this book into
classroom instruction. Each book contains contracted Braille and
large print, along with tactile and visual graphics to illustrate
important concepts in both a tactually and visually friendly
way. Each book also comes with a colorful tactile map of the
continents of the Earth.

Exclusively available through the NFB Independence Market , Touch the
Earth (product# LSA91B) can be purchased for $20 . TO place an
order please visit
<http://secure.nfb.org/ecommerce/asp/product.asp?product=854&cat=47&ph=&keywords=&recor=&searchfor=&pt_id"http://secure.nfb.org/ecommerce/asp/product.asp?product=854&cat=47&ph=&keywords=&recor=&searchfor=&pt_id>http://secure.nfb.org/ecommerce/asp/product.asp?product=854&cat=47&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID
or call (410) 659-9314.

2. Kes: I encourage readers to check out this publication, as it offers an eclectic sampling of many top-notch publications not otherwise available in accessible formats, and it makes a good reason to get registered with the NLS Bard system, if you are not already.

CHOICE MAGAZINE FREE AS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD FROM NLS


Reconnect with an old friend or meet a new one -
CHOICE Magazine Listening is available for free
digital download from the Library of Congress'
National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped's BARD program.

Produced six times a year, each issue contains
unabridged works from quality publications such
as National Geographic, Smithsonian, Sports
Illustrated, and the New Yorker. The articles,
short stories, poetry and interviews are selected
from more than 100 magazines and other
periodicals. The selections are read by
professional voice talent, not synthetic text-to-speech.

Established in 1962, CHOICE Magazine Listening
is available free of charge only to people who
are blind, experiencing vision loss or have other
disabilities that limit or prevent reading
standard print. The audio anthology continues to
be released on four-track cassette tape for those
who prefer that format.
website: www.choicemagazinelistening.org
or calling toll-free 1-888-724-6423. Information
on the digital download from NLS
at: www.nlsbard.loc.gov or contacting a local
NLS cooperating library located usually in state
capitals in the US. Engage in discussion of
Choice selections on Facebook and Twitter, too!

Does anyone else experience a sense of horrified fascination whenever they read the word

"blind" in a book title? Does anyone else feel compelled to at least read the review to find out what stereotypes of blindness one will find being hauled out of the mothballs?

I'm kind of tempted to read Graham Masterson's _Blind Panix_
http://monsterlibrarian.com/ghosts.htm#Blind_Panic_by_Graham_Masterton__
just to see how many of the stereotypes he hits. I figure the biggie is blind people as helpless victims on a gradn scale, and then there is teh bitter blind person cranked up to sociopath level.

The ironic part is I'm just finishing up a proposal for a presentation on how old myths of blindness are being dressed up in new clothes in order to live on in recent genre fiction.

What stereotypes do my fellow blind readers feel need to be included in the blind bingo card? Definitely the psychic blind person, although if you can make that an African-American blind person you get double points. And the pathetically helpless blind person, double points for combining it with other negative images of ageism. And the emotionally-isolated blind person, or the blind person who has nothing to do all day because s/he can't reaqd or pursue any intellectual hobbies.

Also, I still need a catchy title; so far all I have is "Old Myths in New Clothes: What Great Writers Still Get Wrong about Blindness."

Cambridgeside Galleria to offer combined H1N1 + seasonal flu shots on March 13

The Web page claims that there should be plenty of flu shots in supply but requests that people RSVP by e-mail or Facebook, read about it at
http://www.cambridgesidegalleria.com/go/Poolb.cfm?MallID=238&FPURLID=2129969611