News Update

The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) is pleased to make available The UEB Reader, a resource designed to introduce braille readers to Unified English Braille (UEB). This introductory hardcopy braille booklet incorporates into one document several key resources found on the BANA website. 

The UEB Reader includes content from BANA’s publication, Overview of Changes from Current Literary Braille to UEB, plus several example documents transcribed in UEB for readers to use as practice. This resource was compiled to help current braille readers become more familiar with UEB and to assist braille readers, transcribers, teachers, and families as they make the transition to UEB.

To receive a free braille copy of The UEB Reader, contact Kim Charlson at kim.charlson@perkins.org with your name and address for mailing purposes. Requests for the UEB Reader including your name, address, and phone number can also be left on the UEB Information Line at 617-972-7248.

NOTE: This press release is available in HTML on the BANA website at LINK. For additional resource information, visit www.brailleauthority.org.

Comcast Introduces Talking TV Guide For Visually Impaired. More Information at http://consumerist.com/2014/11/12/comcast-introduces-talking-tv-guide-for-visually-impaired/

From: U.S. Department of Justice [mailto:usdoj@public.govdelivery.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 10:12 AM
To: mitch.pomerantz@earthlink.net
Subject: Joint guidance on effective communication for students with disabilities in public schools issued by Justice Department and Department of Education

Today the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division together with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services issued joint guidance about the rights of public elementary and secondary students with hearing, vision or speech disabilities to effective communication.  The guidance includes a letter to educators, a Frequently Asked Questions document, and a summary Fact Sheet, and is intended to help schools, parents, and others understand schools’ obligations under Federal law to meet the communications needs of students with disabilities. The guidance documents are available in HTML and PDF versions on ADA.gov.  The Dear Colleague Letter and Fact Sheet are also available in Spanish in PDF versions. 

To find out more about the guidance documents or the ADA, call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA.gov website.

Financial Wellness Webinar: Credit: Accessing it, Understanding it, Using it Wisely

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 3:00 - 4:00 P.M. EDT REGISTER TODAY Credit affects many aspects of our lives that we may not even realize. Join NDI and hear from experts on the interplay of credit and finances from National Disability Institute and on protecting your money from the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an independent agency of the United States government responsible for consumer protection in the financial sector. Establishing and maintaining good credit will help in reaching goals (short-term, intermediate, and long-term). Maintaining credit involves many aspects of our financial lives including, but not limited to, setting up a bill paying system to ensure that obligations are met on time, as well as prioritizing debts with a plan of reduction or outright elimination. We will also explore the safest ways to access your credit report, check the accuracy of information, and understand your credit score and standing. Register for this webinar by clicking on or copy and pasting the following link:  https://ndiwebinars.webex.com/ndiwebinars/onstage/g.php?MTID=e42af61efcee4d2dfef7ca2327b8d053c For more information on NDI's Financial Webinar Series, read the press release or webinar information page.     *Please note this webinar will be captioned.