On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

Where has the summer gone? The month of August marks the final sprint of summertime. August always feels like a race to get in the last summer activities before students return to school and the leaves begin to change. This August brings special excitement as the world comes together to cheer for their favorite athletes in summer Olympic events. The city of Paris will welcome Paralympic athletes for competition from August 28^th to September 8^th. Back here in Minnesota, we get set for the State Fair to mark Minnesota’s unofficial end of summer. Whether you relish quiet days lakeside, picnics in the park, or the bustle of county fairs, find time to soak it all in and enjoy this last month of summer. Like an Olympic sprinter, August is sure to race by quickly!  

A Note from SSB’s Director

I am thrilled to share with you all the continued progress and contributions of our State Services for the Blind (SSB) program. Our ultimate goal is to be a conduit for individuals who are blind, low vision, or DeafBlind to achieve their goals in employment, education, independence, and beyond. We believe that by fostering an inclusive environment, we can unlock a wealth of untapped talent and drive meaningful change in our communities.

The Value of Our Services

For the past year, we have been focusing heavily on reaching as many individuals, businesses, and organizations to ensure they are aware of the services and support available to them. We center our message on the value we can add.

Unleashing Potential: Our services are designed to provide comprehensive support, from access to information to skill development to job placement, ensuring that blind, low vision, and DeafBlind individuals have the tools they need to succeed.

1. Supporting and Elevating Business: Businesses that partner with us gain access to a dedicated support system that helps them effectively integrate employees who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind into their workforce. Moreover, hiring these talented employees attracts a wider customer base, as consumers increasingly support businesses that demonstrate commitment to diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. This leads to new business opportunities, increased customer loyalty, and ultimately, higher revenues.
2. Innovative Solutions: We are committed to leveraging cutting-edge technology and adaptive solutions to create accessible work environments. Our commitment to innovation ensures that our customers are equipped with the latest tools and resources, enabling them to meet their goals effectively and efficiently.
3. Inclusive Communities: Our work extends beyond the individual, fostering inclusive communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. By breaking down barriers and challenging stereotypes, we create a more equitable society for all.
4. Literacy for All: Our focus on literacy and accessible information for individuals with print disabilities plays a crucial role in increasing economic productivity, employment and earnings, poverty reduction, and social and civic engagement.

Recent Highlights at SSB:

• Evolve: SSB:  Evolve: SSB is a multi-year, systemic change initiative to redesign our services to better meet the needs of current and future customers of our program. We are evolving into:
• A customer-centric program that results in individuals obtaining life-sustaining careers that offer competitive wages and opportunities for advancement,
• Providing individualized and transformational vocational services that are easy to navigate and positively impact the lives of individuals who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind, and
• One of the best blind agencies in the country that people want to work for and with.
• Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund: SSB is proud to be the hosting agency for the pilot Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund. ERAF creates a central fund where small to mid-sized Minnesota employers can request reimbursement for expenses related to providing reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities. The ERAF's purpose is to encourage employment of people with disabilities by reducing any perceived or real financial barriers. Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund / Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (mn.gov)
• LUNA Testing: We are excited to announce SSB will be a testing site for LUNA Vision, a new piece of advanced technology currently being developed by MOHX-Games. LUNA vision is a cutting-edge app designed especially for people who are blind or low vision, transforming the way they interact with their surroundings. More information will be coming on when and how you can come and try it out for yourself!
• Cafeteria Remodel: Our cafeteria is undergoing a significant remodel to create a rehabilitation teaching and training space for our customers, staff, and partners to use.
• Conference Room Updates: We have updated our conference rooms with the latest technology to support hybrid meetings and ensure that all participants, regardless of their location, can engage with us easily and effectively. These upgrades include improved audio-visual equipment and enhanced accessibility features.

We are grateful for the continued support of our partners and stakeholders. Together, we can create a future where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their goals and contribute to the workforce and their community.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment.

Warm regards,

Natasha Jerde Director, State Services for the Blind

SSB Department Spotlight – Radio Talking Book

Radio Talking Book (RTB) is a State Services for the Blind (SSB) service intended for the use of blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled persons. RTB shares a wide variety of print materials with its target audiences so that people can be well-informed, participate in their communities, and continue to live independently.  RTB is a free news and information service that broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week to listeners across Minnesota. We broadcast daily newspapers, current magazines and periodicals, and a wide variety of books to appeal to a diverse range of interests. Volunteers read the newspapers and broadcast from 6 studio locations across Minnesota.  At the SSB home office in St. Paul, volunteers read the morning papers live from 8 am to 10 am Monday through Friday.  The New York Times is also read live from 6 pm to 7 pm weekdays. Readings of new books and periodicals are interspersed throughout the week. Joseph Papke, SSB’s RTB Supervisor states, “We’re proud to have been providing easy access to current books and periodicals—including today’s StarTribune, Pioneer Press, and New York Times—for 55 years.  We’re here to be of direct service, so please feel welcome to let us know how we can best serve you.”

RTB is now available to you as an Alexa Skill on Amazon devices, and through an app on Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. You can also listen through our online stream. Whether listening online, through an app, or your smart speaker, you can tune in to live programming or catch up on your favorite segments by choosing the archive. Programs are archived for one week. Find the current month’s schedule and more information here.

SSB Releases a Radio Ad

Be on the listen for a radio ad highlighting SSB’s Communication Center’s audio services for people with physical and print related disabilities. The ad was recorded in a studio at SSB’s home office in St. Paul by our own Joseph Papke. The campaign began on Monday, July 19^th. The ad will be run on 97 stations in greater Minnesota and will air 73 times over the course of 2 months on those stations - for a total of 7,081 ad spots! In addition, a weekly segment called 'Minnesota Matters' airs both on radio, streaming, and as a podcast. They will be a supporter of SSB’s messaging and will promote SSB services each week, for free during this segment on 100 stations. An added bonus is that MN Matters program also airs on major metro radio stations, so we’ll get weekly metro mentions as well. Click here to listen to a clip of the ad. 

Webinar - Unlocking Inclusivity: How ERAF Can Transform Your Business

Join us for an engaging and inspiring webinar, brought to you by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), where we'll explore the power of workplace inclusivity.

Discover how your business can benefit from the Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF), a remarkable initiative that supports small to mid-sized businesses by reimbursing up to $30,000 for expenses related to providing reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities.

During this session, you'll also gain valuable insights into leveraging SBA loans to finance these accommodations upfront. We'll explore the details of the 7(a) Small Loan and microloan programs, providing you with practical solutions to embrace inclusivity while enhancing your business operations.

This opportunity not only simplifies the process of making your workplace accessible but also connects fantastic businesses with outstanding talent. Don't miss out on learning how your business can thrive through inclusivity and strategic support.

Date: Wednesday, August 28

Time: 2 PM to 3 PM

Platform: Microsoft Teams

Click this link to register!

Metro Transit Seeks Feedback

Attention Metro Transit riders! Because of feedback received from transit riders with vision loss, Metro Transit is investigating tactile bus stop identifier signs. These signs would be ADA compliant plastic signs affixed to bus stop signposts, making it easier for transit users with vision loss to positively identify bus stops.

At this stage in the project, Metro Transit is gathering information about how people with vision loss navigate their network. This will help them design a potential pilot. They have developed a survey to gather this valuable information.

Twin Cities Rank Among Most Accessible Cities

St. Paul and Minneapolis have been featured in Forbes Magazine as two of the top 10 most accessible cities in the nation. Forbes Health conducted extensive research to help determine the U.S. cities that are the best—and worst—for those with accessibility needs. To get these results, researchers considered 10 metrics across nearly 100 locales. St. Paul ranked third in the country and Minneapolis ranked fifth! Read the full Forbes article here.

Paralympics Begins August 28^th

As many as 4,400 talented athletes from around the world will gather in Paris, France for the 2024 Paralympics Games. They will compete in 22 sports across various iconic venues in Paris, including at the Eiffel Tower, the Chateau de Versailles and the Grand Palais. For the first time, the Paralympic Opening Ceremony will be held outside of a stadium. Athletes will parade through the iconic Avenue des Champs-Elysees to Place de la Concorde. An expected 65,000 spectators will get to witness this historic moment, which highlights the host city's commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. The staff at SSB is particularly excited to follow the Goalball and Blind Football (soccer) competitions. The Paralympics Games kick off August 28th and run through September 8th.

NBC Olympics will provide more accessibility to its coverage of this summer’s Paralympic Games than ever before, giving viewers of all abilities the opportunity to enjoy the excitement of the Games through closed captioning, audio description, and digital content accessibility. Click here for more information.

Accessibility Concerns in Rochester

Disability advocates who have expressed concerns about mobility issues on the redesigned Peace Plaza in Rochester, MN ever since it reopened to the public in 2022. They point to wheelchairs and walkers getting stuck in the raised letterings on pavers that make up a poetry installation by artist Ann Hamilton. And increasingly, they point out bricks on the plaza that have begun to shift and sink — creating tripping hazards for the mobility-impaired. Read the full StarTribune article here.

Registration Now Open – Blind Health Expo 2024

Register now for the 3rd annual Blind Health Expo! The Blind Health Expo is the world's largest virtual expo of healthcare information, products, and services for individuals, organizations, and companies in the health, blindness, and disability communities.

Information for Attendees:

• FREE to attend
• 100% virtual
• Hundreds of exhibitors
• Vision Healthcare Awards 2024
• Learn and discuss with companies and organizations

Date: Friday, December 6, 2024

Time: 9:00 am – 3: 00 pm central time

Location: On-line

Click this link to register.

BARD Now Available on PCs

The National Library Service (NLS) is pleased to announce the release of BARD Express, version 3.0.0.7. This release includes the long-awaited BARD Express Player which allows patrons to choose an audio book or magazine from their BARD Express bookshelf and listen to it directly on their PC.

Much like BARD Mobile, with the BARD Express Player, users can adjust the narration speed; jump to navigation points such as part, chapter, and article; create bookmarks; and much more. Users can also create global settings for narration speed, auto-play, auto-rewind, and more.

Patrons using JAWS and NVDA can either use the tab key to move to each of the player’s functions or tap a single letter assigned to that function. For example, they can type F for fast forward, R for rewind, and B for bookmarks. A complete list of commands can be found under the Help menu of BARD Express.

Scripts are built into the 2024 version of JAWS to optimize the BARD Express Player. Patrons using JAWS 2022 or 2023 can download the same scripts from the BARD Express page on the NLS website and import them into their screen readers.

Job Opportunities at Helen Keller National Center

There are two open positions at the Helen Keller National Center:

Director of Field Services

The Director of Field Services plans and directs all regional/field services activities for HKNC. In this role focuses on the collaborative field initiatives to expand national infrastructure and establish community-based service options and increasing the state and local capacity in the provision of services to youth, working age adults, and seniors who are DeafBlind. This is a remote position which requires regular travel on a national level. 

Click here for the link to the job description.  

The Regional Services Coordinator for the North Central Region 

The Regional Services Coordinator oversees services in our North Central Region which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The role of the Regional Services Coordinator is to provide technical assistance and consultation with vocational rehabilitation and services for the blind; visually impaired, and state and community partners to improve the quality of local and statewide services. Contributes to the HKNC strategic planning and implementation process with information and data from state interagency teams. 

Click here for the link to this job description.

If you are interested in learning more about the positions or if you have more questions, feel free to contact Emily Oliver, Human Resources Generalist, at eoliver@helenkeller.org.