HourGLASS A newsletter for friends of the Georgia Library for Accessible Statewide Services Volume 5, Issue 1 - Winter 2016 www.georgialibraries.org/glass GLASS Circulates Accessible Tech Kits Library staff now have another way to experiment with and show off accessible technology! GLASS is circulating accessible technology (A.T.) kits to public libraries in Georgia. The A.T. kits contain high-tech and low-tech items, securely shipped in a rolling case. The items in the kits were chosen with the guidance of Tools for Life, Georgia’s Assistive Technology Act Program. There are two types of kit, one with items for adults and one with items more of interest to kids. In each kit you’ll find items for people with different types of disabilities, including visual, physical or reading disabilities. Items in the A.T. kit for adults include: a standing desk, an ergonomic mouse, various magnifiers and guided reading strips. The A.T. kit for kids includes: touch-and- feel books, a child’s mouse and two different accessible keyboards. Both kits include an iPad loaded with accessible apps such as KNFB Reader, ClaroPDF and, of course, BARD Mobile. If you work for a public library, you can reserve a kit by calling 678-364-3721. Kits will be sent through the PINES courier, so you won’t have to worry about postage. If you don’t work in a library, talk to your local public librarian next time you go to pick up books! They can find more information about the A.T. kits on the GLASS website under “Resources for Librarians.” Simple Modifications for Safety “The door to safety swings on the hinges of common sense” is an old saying that is especially true for people with low vision or who are blind. A home can be made safer with some simple, inexpensive modifications. Using contrast helps those with low vision distinguish objects. A simple modification to your home’s interior is using dark switch plates against light walls. Another idea is to make door handles easier to find by installing handles that contrast with the color of your doors. Finally, try making steps and ramps highly visible by painting their edges with a contrasting color or by using tape to mark the edges. Ample lighting is required for maximum vision but that lighting should be non glaring and task-oriented. Light should be aimed at the work area, not at eye level. Use halogen or incandescent bulbs when possible since fluorescent lighting may produce glare. Place seating near a window so that natural light can be used for reading or crafts. Different textures can help distinguish objects and help define edges. Choose textured upholstery for furniture to provide tactile clues for identification. Use masking tape, Velcro, puff paint or Hi-Mark tactile pens to mark surfaces for easy recognition. Those who can’t have permanent markings on surfaces can use masking tape or bump dots. Through simple modifications and attention to contrast, lighting and textures you can make your home safer. Books About Home Safety Modifications Making Life More Livable: Simple Adaptations for Living at Home After Vision Loss (DB22319, On Bookshare). The author offers suggestions for the older person who has deteriorating vision and lives at home. The author suggests safe ways of dealing with obstacles that may be encountered in the kitchen, bathroom, and other rooms of the house. Practical Improvements for Older Homeowners: Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Comfortable as You Age (DB69710). Step-by-step instructions for remodeling a home to facilitate independent living. Suggests ways to improve flooring, steps, lighting, and doors, including adding grab bars and ramps. Lists necessary tools and estimated costs. Apps for Reading Bookshare Titles Now that GLASS patrons can get free Bookshare accounts, we’ve had some questions about how you can read for free on your smartphone or tablet. Android users should check out Go Read. This free app lets you log in to Bookshare. You can then search for and download books in the app. You can read ebooks, adjusting visual and font settings within the app. Finally, you can listen to text-to-speech books. The iOS version of Go Read is a pay app, but there is a free app that you can use on your Apple device. Capti Narrator allows you to download Bookshare titles. Books can be navigated by headings and chapters. If you only want to listen to books, it works quickly and easily for that as well. It’s great to be able to read Bookshare books in your computer browser, but it’s great to be able to read on the go! Books About New Beginnings Note: Braille book numbers begin with BR, while talking books begin with DB. A New Life by Bernard Malamud (BR000193, DB80641, On Bookshare). Sy Levin abandons his life and its problems, seeking a new start. But fresh failures await him, and he finds himself coming full circle to face the root of his troubles. Unrated. Can’t Hurry Love by Molly O’Keefe (DB82191, On Bookshare). Victoria is the widow of a disgraced husband, seeking a better life for her and her son. She goes to her father’s Texas ranch, planning to convert it into a luxury spa. But a handsome cowboy wants the land just as badly. Unrated. A Southern Exposure by Alice Adams (DB41886, On Bookshare). To renew their lives after the crash of the Depression, the Baird family move from Connecticut to a small Southern town. They discover the richness and complexity of the seemingly simple town, where they may find a different new start than expected. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex. Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II by John W. Dower (DB49484, On Bookshare). Well-researched, detailed description of Japan’s occupation after World War II. Focus is given to the cultural and social recovery of Japan and its people. Bookshare Update Don’t forget you can get even more books through Bookshare! GLASS patrons receive free accounts. All you have to do is call us at 800-248-6701 and we’ll tell you how to sign up. Bookshare has 482,000 accessible ebooks and is constantly adding more. Bookshare titles can be read on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Call 404-235-7157 to request this newsletter in alternate formats. Join our email list at: hourglass@georgialibraries.org HourGLASS is published quarterly by the Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS), a division of Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the University System of Georgia. This publication is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to Georgia Public Library Service under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services 1800 Century Place, Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30345 Phone: 404-235-7200 Toll Free: 1-800-248-6701 HourGLASS is published quarterly by the Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS), a division of Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the University System of Georgia. This publication is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to Georgia Public Library Service under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services 1800 Century Place, Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30345 Phone: 404-235-7200 Toll Free: 1-800-248-6701 Fax: 404-235-7201 www.georgialibraries.org/glass