By Anne Ryman © The Arizona Republic – Arizona State University’s decision to use the Kindle in a pilot program has drawn criticism from advocates for the blind, who say the electronic book reader is inaccessible to blind students…. READ STORY
By Dan O’Leary © The Medford Transcript, Mass. — There is a new service on the Internet, offering free listings, that allows people to buy and sell equipment for individuals with disabilities…. READ STORY
By Mildrade Cherfils © GlobalPost — The obvious impediment to Cyril Elong’s success as a clothing designer is that he cannot see. But the blind creator of streetwear label Mason Ewing has won fame for incorporating Braille into his designs…. READ STORY
Press release via PRNewswire — During a ceremony July 31, senior NASA officials will present the National Federation of the Blind with two Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollars that flew on space shuttle Atlantis’s mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in May 2009…. READ PRESS RELEASE
© AFB eNews — Ever wonder whether an online service designed to provide driving directions to the sighted could provide relevant information to the blind, or others with vision loss? So have AFB TECH and AOL. Together the organizations are developing early prototype technology intended to harness the vast amounts of data available from AOL’s MapQuest to create Accessible Walking Directions (AWD)…. READ STORY
By Barbara Leader © The News-Star, Monroe, LA — Together, the Louisiana School for the Deaf and the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired in Baton Rouge sustained more than $3 million in budget cuts in the past legislative session. The cuts meant relocation of one school, consolidation of staff and sharing of some facilities, but Louisiana Special Schools Superintendent Kevin Lemoine wanted parents and concerned citizens to know the schools would be maintaining their individual identities and would be as strong as ever…. READ STORY
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and its state affiliate, the NFB of Maryland, will hold a press conference on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 29, to discuss action the organizations are taking against the Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS)…. READ PRESS RELEASE
By Don Logana © WTOC, Rincon, GA — He fought for his country, and now he’s upset that one of the rights for which he fought has been denied him…. READ STORY
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2009 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is awarding $4.1 million in grants to 22 states to help farmers with disabilities through the AgrAbility program, which helps thousands of disabled people overcome barriers to continuing their chosen professions in agriculture…. READ PRESS RELEASE
Press release — Testing for the National Certification in Literary Braille (NClB) will be held on Sunday, August 9, 2009, at Salus University (established by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry) in Elkins Park, PA. The cost is $250 and the application deadline is Sunday, July 26…. READ PRESS RELEASE