Spreading Cheer
A wise person once said, 'Happiness is a practice, not a destination.' It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that joy is something we achieve only after certain milestones. Instead, every day offers countless opportunities to find joy and purpose in the little things around us. As we navigate the shortest, darkest days of the year, let’s focus on bringing light and spreading cheer. Remember, the winter solstice on December 21st marks the turning point toward longer, brighter days. By sharing moments of joy with others, each individual flicker of happiness can combine to illuminate our communities and brighten our collective spirit.
SSB Department Spotlight – Braille Section
As we close out 2024, we are reminded that this year marked the 200th anniversary of Louis Braille’s ingenious creation of a code that brings the gift of reading to millions around the world. In his own words, he stated: "Access to communication in the widest sense is access to knowledge, and that is vitally important for us.” This month, we highlight SSB’s Braille Section. This group of highly skilled employees and volunteers works each day to make the printed word accessible. Through their transcription services, they transform printed material into braille for students, adults, businesses, and organizations throughout Minnesota upon request. Since January 2024 through November, the Braille Section served 36 students, transcribed 19,075 print pages into braille, and added 273 titles in braille to its library.
The braille team has several important roles and positions. Braillists transcribe printed text into braille. Proofreaders ensure the accuracy of transcriptions. Tactile graphics are created and inserted into the books. The books are bound, cataloged, and distributed to classrooms across Minnesota and available for purchase by other agencies and school districts throughout the country.
This fall, the braille section purged many of its older titles and replaced its old shelving with high-density mobile shelving.
The Braille Department offers an extensive library of books in braille. If a title isn't available in our collection or from partner groups, we'll transcribe it. Click this link to access the application for transcription services.
Books produced in braille or audio by the Communication Center are listed on WorldCat, a global catalog of library collections. To order books, give us a call at: 1-800-722-0550. Search for books in audio and/or braille
SSB’ Communication Center works in partnership with the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library to bring our customers access to all materials available in their collection and through the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Disabled.
First eBraille Working Draft
Complimenting our focus on SSB’s Braille Department, American Printing House has announced that after two years in the making, the first eBraille public working draft has been published. According to SSB Engineering Supervisor, Dave Andrews, “This is huge news in the Braille world. This new format will allow refreshable Braille devices, like the NLS eReader to navigate within a BRF document in a similar way that our users can navigate DAISY audio or text-based books.” Unlike braille formats that focus on interchanging embosser-ready braille, eBraille focuses on adapting braille for reading in refreshable braille displays with different line lengths. The eBraille format incorporates XHTML documents, CSS, images, audio, and video. This means that an eBraille publication shares its technology with the web, making it compatible for reading in standard web browsers. There is much excitement about this new technology, but with testing ongoing, it will be a while before it is in the hands of end users. “This is just the first draft, and software to product the format, and modifications to refreshable Braille displays will be necessary – so availability is still several years off, at least, but this is an important step,” states Dave Andrews. A detailed eBraille 1.0 working draft has been published by the DAISY Consortium and continues to be updated with new information.
Minnesota Author Naomi Cohn Book Launch & Signing – Tuesday, December 3rd
The Winona Laureate Writer Series will feature a book launch of poet, memoirist, and teacher Naomi Cohn's new memoir, "The Braille Encyclopedia: Brief Essays on Altered Sight." A book signing and open mic will follow the reading. The event is free and open to the public.
Naomi Cohn is a writer, artist, and teaching artist whose work explores reclamation. Her past includes a childhood among Chicago academics; involvement in a guerrilla feminist art collective; and work as an encyclopedia copy editor, community organizer, grant writer, fundraising consultant, and therapist.
Her book, The Braille Encyclopedia: Brief Essays on Altered Sight (Rose Metal Press, October 2024) examines vision loss and relearning to read and write as an adult. Her current work harnesses her obsession with birds, reclaiming relationships with art-making and the rest of the natural world.
Date: Tuesday, December 3rd
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Blue Heron Coffeehouse, 162 W 2nd St, Winona, MN
International Day of Persons with Disabilities - Tuesday, December 3rd
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is observed annually on December 3rd. The theme for this year is "Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future." This theme recognizes the important role that persons with disabilities play in creating a more inclusive and sustainable world for all. It also emphasizes the importance of the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes that affect their lives.The IDPD 2024 will be commemorated with a series of events around the world. The main event will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Learn more about IDPD here.
Blind Health Virtual Expo – Friday, December 6th
Join Accessible Pharmacy 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. Spend the day learning and discussing with companies and organizations across health and disability communities. This virtual event is free to attend, but pre-registration for the Blind Health Expo is required.
Assistive Technology Event – Wed., December 11th
The Lighthouse Center for Vital Living is announcing a series of events for people with disabilities, caregivers, and the professionals who support them to learn more about how assistive technology can help everyone participate more fully in their communities. The first event in this series will be a “Meet and Greet” and time to plan future events. They will gauge interest in some topic ideas and ask for suggestions we haven’t thought of. This event is free and you can participate either in person at the Lighthouse Center for Vital Living, or via Zoom.
Date: Wednesday, December 11th
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 pm central time
Location: In-person or virtually on Zoom
Lighthouse Center for Vital Living - 309 West First Street, Duluth, MN 55802
Register for the Assistive Technology Event here.
Many Faces of BARD – Thursday, December 12th
The topic for the Thursday, December 12, 2024, Many Faces of BARD program will be Advanced Searching: A Deep Dive into the NLS Catalog. The program will begin with a presentation by Dominick Spinelli, head of the NLS Collection Development Section. After the presentation, they will entertain questions about the presentation or anything else relating to BARD.
Date: Thursday, December 12th
Time: 6:00 pm central time
Location: Zoom The session can be joined by going to https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1619779493pwd=ATouY0yZdgcnFyoUtqHT43HkSoJwGc.1
Art and Technology Event – Wed. December 18th
This fall, Weisman Art Museum (WAM) launched a new accessible service to enhance visitors’ access to the artwork and information in the gallery in ways that best suit their needs—whether they’re low/no vision, socially anxious, non-native English speakers, or simply prefer to reread and revisit information on their own.
Vision Loss Resources (VLR) is excited to partner with Capption and the Weisman Art Museum to offer you this learning opportunity. Please join them at the Weisman Art Museum for a free demonstration directly from the technology developers. The information session starts at 5pm. You will have until 8pm to enjoy the museum and use the technology. Click this link for more information on how Weisman Art Museum is using this technology.
Date: Wednesday, December 18th
Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm central time
Location: Weisman Art Museum - 333 E River Road Minneapolis, MN 55455
Minnesota Paid Leave Publishes Final Proposed Rules
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed a new law, making paid family and medical leave coverage available to all eligible Minnesota employees beginning January 1, 2026. The law provides job protections and partial wage replacement, paid by the state, to individuals who are unable to work due to a qualifying condition.
Paid Leave is being implemented by a new division of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). During the initial public comment period on draft rules for Paid Leave, the division held a series of 19 virtual listening sessions to gather public input and feedback on the drafting of the new rules. A total of 950 people attended these listening sessions, and nearly 600 written comments were submitted to inform the final proposed rules.
Following the initial public comment period, Paid Leave published its final proposed rules in the State Register on November 25, 2024.
Find Wintertime Adventure with Ski for Light
Even though we don’t yet have our cold, white, wintery blanket covering the ground, it’s not too early to start thinking about how to enjoy wintertime activities. Minneapolis-based Ski for Light, Inc. is an all-volunteer, non-profit, organization founded in 1975. The mission of Ski for Light is to teach visually- and mobility-impaired adults the sport of classic cross-country skiing, to give participants who have already mastered the basics the chance to improve their skills and endurance, and to enable participants to just have fun on the snow. Click here to learn more about Ski for Light.
Resource – Future In Sight Tech Assistance Videos
Future In Sight’s Assistive Technology & Activities Specialist Stephanie Hurd provides video instruction on all things technology, with an emphasis on assistive technology and accessibility for those who are blind and low vision. This is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn useful technology tips. Add Future In Sight Tech videos to your technology toolkit.
SSB’s Communication Center Receives Major Gift
For two decades, SSB’s Development Director, Angela Bodensteiner, has been working with Liz and Ed Kolstad and their family to help carry out their wishes to support the Communication Center with a generous gift through their estate. This week, the first part of that gift, which will total more than $400,000, was received by SSB.
Angela has many fond memories of the Kolstads, who were born a day apart in 1920. Ed (Roald Edgar) passed away in 2013, after 93 very active years. Liz passed away just 5 days after her 103rd Birthday.
Ed was an especially avid consumer of the Radio Talking Book and SSB’s audio services. Angela also remembers how Liz, then in her 90s, carried Ed’s very heavy CCTV down the stairs to pass it along as a donation to anyone who might need it.
Angela also writes of Ed and Liz:
“Married for 63 years with no kids, they were active in hobbies like woodworking and very athletic. They down-hill skied into their 80’s, were avid couple figure skaters, roller skaters, and ballroom dancers. Liz continued well past age 100 ballroom dancing at numerous locations via the Rhinestone Rockettes and was active in show choirs including the Southside singers.”
You can read the obituaries of these two remarkable people:
Roald Edgar Kolstad (Ed) and
Elizabeth Helen Kolstad (Liz).
U.S. State Department Urges Workforce to Prioritize Disability Rights
About 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, have at least one disability. The U.S. State Department is launching a playbook meant to prioritize disability rights and accessibility — both within its workforce and across its diplomatic mission. Currently, the playbook is available online for internal use only. The department expects to release a public version of the playbook this month. The full article on this initiative can be found here.
Redefining Accessible Travel
Meet Dr. Mona Minkara, the blind scientist who is redefining accessible travel and adventure. Diagnosed with blindness at a young age, Dr. Mona Minkara overcame societal biases to become an assistant professor of bioengineering and a pioneer in making travel and adventure accessible to all. Known as ‘The Blind Traveller,’ Minkara shares her journeys across continents through her popular YouTube series, Planes, Trains, and Canes. Here’s the link to the full article about Dr. Minkara.
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