Which Ham Should I Buy?

You're shopping for a ham and have no idea which one to buy. Here is a brief synopsis of different kinds of ham and how they need to be prepared.

• Fully Cooked Ham: This is the most popular kind of ham in most supermarkets today. It is fully cooked and ready to eat as soon as you buy it. If you plan on serving your ham warm, bake until the internal temperature reaches 140F.
  
  
• Cook Before Eating: These hams are processed much in the same way as fully cooked hams, but they are not completely cooked. Once you get it home you will need to heat the ham until it reaches an internal temperature of 160F.
  
  
• Country Style Hams: These hams are prepared with a special process that gives them a very distinct flavor. Because of the process in which they are made, they can be saltier than other kinds of hams. Since there are so many different kinds on the market, make sure that you follow the packaging directions for best results.
  
  
• Turkey Ham: These hams are usually skinless and boneless. Turky thigh meat is prepared, smoked and salted to taste like a pork ham. If you would like to serve turkey ham warm, you can heat it to 140f.

Cookie Recipe Site

Welcome to Cookie Recipes. You will find all sorts of recipes here and not just for circle cookies, but bar cookies and even brownies too! For easy browsing, look through the recipes in the Cookie Index where you'll find them listed alphabetically. If that wasn't enough recipes for you, then head on over to their Cookie Blog. Here you'll find even more cookie recipes. This is where the new recipes are added.

Are you diabetic or know someone who is? You will find a whole listing of diabetic cookie recipes by following the link on the home page.

Do you have a cookie recipe you'd like to share with everyone? Then head over to the Forums where you'll be able to share recipes and see recipes that were submitted by other people.

For great cookie tips, check out the paragraph under New on the homepage. You'll find baking tips, how tos and much, much more. There are also links to the Halloween and Thanksgiving cookie sections where you can find all the recipes you could want for fun holiday cookies.

Well, after browsing all these recipes, I have a hankering for some cookies. Where's my chef's hat anyway?

Click this link to visit http://www.cookie-recipes.net.

Great Uses for Plastic Bottles and Soda

It's a crying shame when a bottle of soda goes flat. I am a huge soda drinker so that's not usually a problem for me but I have heard of this crime happening in other households. This led me to write down these tips for using soda around the house, and it doesn't matter if it has gone flat or as fresh as the first time you opened it.

• Cleaning: If I am forced to throw a soda away, instead of heading for the sink, I head for the toilet. There is something in most sodas (colas especially) that seems to do a great job on getting out lyme and other hard water stains. I let the soda sit in the toilet bowl overnight.
  
• Kitchen Ideas: Cola is great for a roast in the crockpot, the same can be said for a lime or ginger-ale soda and chicken. You can freeze the soda for ice pops or pour it over crushed ice for a great snowcone or slushie.

What about the bottles you ask? I've got some ideas for them too.

• A Nice Warmer: Cold floors or tired feet? Don't waste your hard-earned money on a hot water bottle or fancy heating pad. Just fill up your soda bottle with warm water and use your feet to roll it back and forth. It is very soothing. This trick also works well for warming up a bed (letting you keep your heat turned down), especially if you use two or three bottles.
  
• For Aches and Pains: Wrap the bottle in a towel and hold it close.
  
• Clean Your Boots: If you have long boots that flop over and cause creases, use soda bottles to keep them firm and wrinkle free. Just insert them into the boots. To make them even firmer, stuff the bottle full of rags or single socks, or wrap it in an old towel.
  
• Reduce Your Water Use: If you have an older toilet that isn't water efficient, you can reduce the amount of water you use with each flush. Remove the label from the soda bottle, then fill it with water and place it into your toilet tank. This will cut down on the amount of water that our toilet uses , since the bottle takes the place of that extra water.
  
• Custom Bag Dispenser: You do save your plastic grocery bags, don't you? Well, all of those bags can get out of control pretty quick. There are many manufacturers that make plastic bag dispensers, but I can't justify buying something to contain the plastic bags I save, that sort of defeats the purpose of saving the bags to save money doesn't it? Fortunately, an empty soda bottle easily comes to the rescue. To make a dispenser, cut off the bottom and top ends of the empty soda bottle. Place it upside down and mount it to the inside of a kitchen cabinet, a closet or the wall of the garage, wherever you need to have your bags handy. You can use screws to mount your holder, placing washers between the hole and the screw (just under the head of the screw) to keep the screws from pulling out of the plastic. Fill it with your plastic grocery bags. When you need a bag, simply pull one out. You can make a dispenser for string or cord the same way. Just leave the top of the bottle intact and feed the cord down through the neck for easy dispensing.
  
• A Dog Toy: Dogs love to chew and play with empty soda bottles. There is just something about them. If you want to give your dog a new toy, there are a few safety precautions first. Remove the label, the plastic cap and the plastic ring around the neck of the bottle. Next, keep a close eye on the bottle. If your dog actually chews through the plastic (not too easy to do, since the bottle tends to roll away), remove it immediately. You don't want your doggie getting cut on any edges.

Reviews and Sources for Screen Magnification Software

Screen magnifiers are a very useful software option for increasing the accessibility of computers to the low vision computer user. They are widely available for all operating systems, and range in complexity from basic magnification to multi-featured software packages that incorporate magnification, text scanning (with Optical Character Recognition), synthesized speech, and support for braille displays. They range in price from freeware to over $2,000.

The needs of a low vision computer users vary greatly from individual to individual, so the software programmers have made a wide variety of features to better serve the community. What follows is a description of several types of features found in magnification software.

There is a wide range in the amount of magnification available, from simple 2x programs to programs that offer 2x, 4x, and 8x to programs that offer 2x to 32x and anything in between.

There are four basic display types available in these programs. The most basic type is to magnify the entire display, which means that the image no longer fits on the screen and the user must scroll through the display to see everything.

The next type of display involves using the mouse cursor as a sort of magnifying glass ; this type has two options. In the first option, the mouse cursor becomes a virtual magnifying lens and magnifies what is found under the cursor. In the second option, the area around the mouse cursor is magnified and displayed in a stationary window elsewhere on the screen. Many programs offer the user both of these options.

The third type of display is similar to the last one, except that the area around the mouse cursor is displayed in a resizable window, allowing the user to adjust the display area to suit his or her needs. The last type of display is the split screen, where a portion of the screen is divided off of the main display and devoted to displaying the area around the cursor. This can be either a vertical split or a horizontal split, as defined by the user.

The more complicated programs usually offer the user the choice of any of these display types, while the basic programs usually use one of the first two types.

Because extreme magnification settings distort the characters displayed, most packages include "font smoothing" to compensate for the distortion. The quality of this effect varies from package to package.

Another tool available with some magnification software changes the screen display colors so that the user can adjust the display to her or his liking.

The producers of these software packages offer free trial or "demo" versions to give consumers a chance to try the software out (for a limited time) before paying for it. This allows you to experiment with the different packages for free until you find the one that suits you the best. These "demos" are available either by download from the Internet or on disk by mail from the manufacturer.

The prospective user should visit The Screen Magnifiers Homepage,, a great website with product reviews, a fairly comprehensive product list, and links to manufacturers' websites.

Virtual Magnifying Glass

Virtual Magnifying Glass is a free, open source, cross-platform screen magnification tool. It is simple, customizable, and easy-to-use. Runs on Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98 or 95. Also runs on a UNIX system running X11 (any Linux Distribution, FreeBSD, etc) and Mac OS X 10.4 or superior.

Click this link to learn more about the FREE Virtual Magnifying Glass at http://magnifier.sourceforge.net.

How to Hang Pictures and Shelves

How to Hang a Picture

You've finally gotten that fantastic print or photograph framed. Now, how to hang it on the wall? Just follow these instructions.

1. Decide where to hang the picture. Avoid hanging one small picture on a huge expanse of wall - art looks better when it seems to extend the lines of furniture, windows or doorways or when several small pieces are grouped together.
   
2. Check that you are not hanging a heavy picture on wallboard only. Hang heavy objects only from a wall stud or beam.
   
3. Hold the picture up and make a small pencil mark, or use something to make a small scratch on the wall where the top edge of the frame will be.
   
4. Choose an appropriate hook. You might want a two-piece nail-and-hook, or a hollow-wall anchor for heavier objects.
   
5. Holding the picture's wire taut, measure from the wire (or from the hanging tab if that's what the picture has) to the frame's top edge. Measure down that distance from the pencil mark, or scratch you made on the wall and mark that spot - that's where the hook will go.
   
6. Nail the picture hook into the wall where you've just made a mark.
   
7. Hang the picture and adjust it so it's straight.
   

You can hang wide frames using two hooks spaced about a third of the way in from each side. Use a level to make sure that the two hooks are correctly aligned.

Very lightweight pictures can hang from hooks that stick with adhesive to the wall.

Picture-hook packages usually indicate how much weight the hooks can bear.

Tips for the Blind

• Put a dab of toothpaste on the hanger of the picture. Place it exactly where you want it on the wall and then push so that toothpaste stays on the wall. Then you know exactly where to put your nail/screw.
  
• A little trick to hang a picture that requires multiple nails: Just get some masking tape. Lay a strip of the tape along the back of the frame to be hung. Poke holes in the tape to mark where you want the nails to go. Then pull off the tape and stick it to the wall. Then you can mark those holes on the wall.
  
• To prevent your fingers from getting smashed by a hammer, try using a spring-loaded clothespin to hold the nail in place while you hammer it in to the wall. This keeps your fingers far away from any danger.
  
• Heavy pictures or mirrors should always be hung from wall studs to support their weight. Use a stud finder that can be purchased at your local hardware or home improvement store. But if you find yourself without a stud finder, run an electric razor over the wall. The tone will change when the razor vibrates over the stud.

How to Hang a Shelf

Adding storage or display space in your home can be a snap. Here's how to mount a simple wooden shelf and two brackets to a wall.

1. Buy a wooden shelf from a home-improvement store. Buy shelf brackets - simple L shapes or something more decorative - making sure that the top leg of the bracket is no longer than the shelf is deep.
   
2. Buy screws if you don't have a supply at home or if they don't come with the brackets.
   
3. Find the wall studs; you'll fasten the brackets to them.
   
4. Determine where you want the bottom edge of the shelf to sit, then mark the position, using a carpenter's level, or audible level as a guide.
   
5. Line up the top of each bracket with a pencil line or scratch and mark the attachment holes on the wall. Set the bracket aside.
   
6. Test-drill the holes to make sure they are going into wood rather than wallboard. If there is no stud in a convenient place and the shelf is not going to carry more than a few pounds, you may be able to settle for using hollow-wall anchors.
   
7. Attach the brackets to the wall, lay your shelf on top, and screw the bracket into the shelf.
   
   

Choose screws that will penetrate the wallboard and go into the stud about 1 inch. Choose shorter screws for mounting the shelf on the bracket, so they won't penetrate the top of the shelf.

Before you buy a precut shelf, check it carefully to make sure there are no dents, scratches or chips in it. And make sure all the hardware and brackets are included.

Closet Garment Rail with Light

Have you ever been met with the comment "Closet lights out?" when you have shown up at work or at some party?. Neither have I, but there must be something behind this, since it's almost a saying. The idea as far as I know, is to make a friendly comment to a person's lack of clothes coordination and style. If the closet light is out, it's difficult to find matching clothes, unless you're totally blind. This lack of coordination can be caused by other things, for instance being fashion illiterate, in such a case this invention will not help, but for everybody else who lacks cool lighting in their closets, here's a product that is both smart and stylish.

The illuminated garment rail creates attractive lighting inside of closets. Illuminating the closet's interior offers practical convenience. This rail uses LED light, which has the advantages of low heat build-up, long life, constant light output, robustness and minimum spatial requirements. Because "Lite inside" is battery operated, the cordless lighting is quick and easy to install, and can be retrofitted by the end user. The garment/coat rail is available in different lengths to meet individual needs.

The light in the garment rail makes it easier to see clothes inside the closet. After a short time, the light automatically switches itself off again.

Click this link to learn more about the Lite Inside illuminated garment rail from Hettich International.

Wikipedia on DVD

To make the vast wealth of Wikipedia data available to schools or anyone without constant internet access, the SOS Children's Villages group created a 2.9GB, 5,500-article edition of the user-edited encyclopedia, Wikipedia school edition: http://schools-wikipedia.org, that puts 20 million words at the fingertips of anyone who wants them. Great for on-the-go research (that you'll want to double-check and properly source, of course), actual school use, and it's one BitTorrent download you'll want to keep seeding after you're download completes.

Click this link to download the Wikipedia school edition from http://schools-wikipedia.org.

An Emergency Clothes Brush and Static Remover

Wrap scotch tape around your fingers with the sticky side out. Overlap the scotch tape just a little each time you make a pass around your fingers so that the tape makes a little mitt. This provides a good temporary clothes brush. It is especially handy for removing dog hairs from clothing. Duct tape is an even better tape for using as a clothing brush but scotch tape is usually more accessible.

I have discovered a nice little trick that is practically free, and does away with static cling. This method is also safe to use on your hair, and it doesn't smell bad or release fumes into the air. Do you know what it is? It is the humble dryer sheet.

Keep a dryer sheet handy in your purse, bag or suitcase and run it over your clothing or hair to keep the static under control. One sheet can be used many times over, and you won't smell like anything other than clean laundry. You can even make use of dryer sheets that have already been through the dryer for laundry. They will still work. You'll also get the benefit of a fresh-smelling suitcase or purse too! Isn't this a great trick?

Contributor: Fay Leach and Lesa Heberger

No More Fuzzy Cheese Please

You like to buy those large blocks of cheese, but you hate to pull it out of the refrigerator and find that it has grown a furry shell.

The next time you store cheese, follow these simple steps to keep mold from forming as quickly.

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt.
   
2. Grab a cloth napkin and soak it in a salt water solution.
   
3. Wring out the napkin and wrap it around the cheese. Place the bundle into a ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator.

The salt will help prevent bacteria from growing as quickly.

Braille and Large Print Beverage Brochures at Starbucks

Did you know that there are over 87,000 beverage combinations at Starbucks? To help you order, Starbucks has made their popular brochure, "Make It Your Drink," available in both Braille and Large Print. Ask your barista for it the next time you visit your local Starbucks.

The input from customers, partners (employees), and disability organizations helped guide this effort. Starbucks would specifically like to thank the American Council of the Blind, the American Association of the Deaf-Blind and the Seattle Lighthouse for their input. Thank you also to Easy to Read Documents for producing the Braille and large print.

Let Me Google That for You

Do you have friends or coworkers who are keyword challenged? By this I mean if you asked them to do a Google search for something, would they come back with the same results you would have if you had done the search in the first place?

Keywords make a Google search. Enter in the wrong words and you'll get thousands of useless results. Modify those keywords and you'll hit a bananza of great sites. I have run Google searches and then shared the link with my friends so they can see the same results I did, but I also have friends who find it difficult to share the links from Google searches, so I have found a website that solves all these issues.

The site is called Let Me Google That For You. The site does just what it says, you can google something for a friend and it will generate a link that you can copy and share with others, so they can see your results. The Let Me Google That For You site says, "This is for all those people that find it more convenient to bother you with their question rather than google it for themselves."

Click this link to visit http://www.LetMeGoogleThatforYou.com.

Talking Word Puzzles?

Message: Hello,

I am trying to find some information for a spry ninety-year old who has recently lost her vision. Her passion in life is doing crossword puzzles, and she misses that greatly. She does not know braille. Do you know of any audio word puzzle games that can be played by one's self? We have found a few tactile solitaire games, but they are strategy games and not word games. Any info you can give us would be helpful! Thanks.

location: Ontario

Well, the trouble is that there are some but they involve expensive equipment or a computer. The Braille 'n Speak Scholar, especially the 2000, has a version of Hangman available but the BNS is rather expensive for simply playing word puzzles. The Franklin Talking Dictionary LM6000SE has ten word games but it is $450 U. S.

The American Printing House for the Blind has a computer game called Talking Word Puzzles. The program lets the user create or solve hidden word and crossword puzzles in large print and with high-quality speech feedback. As the player navigates through the puzzle, the program announces the contents of that square. Speech feedback in hidden word puzzles also indicates marked and unmarked letters, valid and invalid words, word lists or clues to words, and motivating phrases. Speech can be turned off. Talking Word Puzzles makes it easy to create your own puzzles. You make up the word list, and the software creates the puzzle for you, entering the words into one of several puzzle formats. Recommended ages: all ages (dictated by the puzzles created).

The next thing I have isn't a product, but a television program. Game Show Network has a program called Lingo. This is a fast-paced game where contestants figure out puzzles in a Scrabble-like format. Check the GSN website and your local cable or satellite network provider for times and availability.

If this "young" lady has a decent vocabulary she might be able to find someone to play cross word puzzles with her over the phone. That is, the person at the other end of the phone can tell her what is needed and possibly describe the layout and they can work as a team to solve the problem. Maybe they could watch Lingo together?

Teachers.tv

Teachers.tv is a repository of educational movies and tv shows. The videos are well organized under an extremely wide range of helpful category headings, and they are easily searchable. All learning levels are targeted, including materials intended for professional development by educators. The movies I sampled were all of exceptional quality, and ranged in length from a few minutes to well over an hour. The terms of use are somewhat restrictive for people outside the UK. Some movies cannot be streamed or downloaded. Many of the movies, however, can be streamed readily. So, this is a source that educators and learners at all levels would do well to explore. If you register, you can bookmark movies. There are also a variety of ways that you can participate in the community.

Click this link to visit http://www.teachers.tv.

Accessible Nutritional Content Information Websites

Most will agree that eating is one of life's greatest pleasures. There are many foods and many ways to fix them. There are packaged foods, meats, fresh fruits, vegetables, and fast foods. Some are better for us than others. The trick is to know how to combine them in order to build a healthy diet and lifestyle.

But how do we go about learning which foods are better for us than others, and the kind of nutrients they offer? By law, packages are required to have labels specifying the nutritional content of the food they contain. For fast foods, fruits and vegetables there are a number of charts and tables available in books, health magazines and grocery store billboards. However, none of this information is readily accessible to blind individuals.

Although the Internet has become a great resource for blind people to acquire information, most of the sites that list nutritional content of foods are not accessible. Most of them use a variety of charts and tables to list the nutritional content of foods. While this is an effective way to visually convey information, charts and tables are very difficult or impossible to follow for people relying in screen access software.

Since nutritional information is as essential to blind individuals as it is to anyone who wants to have a healthy lifestyle, we did some research for you. In this record we have found some speech friendly Internet sites for nutritional contents.

Do You Really Want to Eat That?

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has an article by Janet Ingber titled Do You Really Want to Eat That? Accessibility of Nutritional Information on Restaurant Companies' Websites. Taken from the article:

"Did you ever wonder how many calories and how much fat are in a fast-food burger or latte? Some cities now have regulations that require restaurants to post the nutritional information for the food they serve. However, if you are blind or have low vision, you may not have access to this information. Before you drink that latte or eat that burger, you may want to check out the nutritional information for these and other items. This article reviews a variety of fast-food websites to determine whether nutrition information for their products is accessible... An accessible website can help consumers with visual impairments make informed decisions about what food they choose to eat. The restaurant websites that I reviewed are Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Subway, Papa John's, Domino's, Baskin-Robbins, and TCBY."

You can read the entire article at http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw090605.

Chow Baby

At Chow Baby you can check out the nutritional content of those delicious fast food tacos, burgers, cheese sticks and fried chicken. Although the site is not specifically designed for blind users, it is speech friendly and easy to use.

Looking for new "Restaurant Experiences"? If you're tired of frequenting the same old restaurants or can't find that specific "something" you are craving, Chowbaby.com is the place to visit. Their dining directory hosts restaurant websites from all over the nation and your next perfect dining experience is likely among them. Use the search tools to find the "type of restaurants" you like and then read among the results before clicking on the website links. The websites offer you virtual tours or photographs of the restaurants interior, a list of the services they provide, the hours of operation, all their menus including wine and cocktails, what it costs to dine there, what methods of payment are acceptable, if they have a dress code, what specialties they offer and how to map the drive from where you are to the restaurant. Did you say you're looking for a restaurant? Chowbaby.com is the go to Restaurant Guide!

Click this link to visit the Chow Baby homepage: http://www.chowbaby.com.

To retrieve information about a particular fast food place, you need to select one of the choices listed in their combo box, and do a search. For instance, you may want to check out "Burger King". Your search results will retrieve a list of those items in their menu, for example, the "whopper", "fries", etc. Each item will link you to its corresponding nutritional content analysis.

Click this link to visit Chow Baby's Fast Food Calories and Calorie Counter page.

Food and Nutrition Solutions

The University of Illinois' Food and Nutrition Solutions Series website offers tips and guides on food preparation, preservation, safety and storage, and tools for nutritional analysis. Particularly useful: Its "Is it safe" guides for a number of questionable-appearing foods, its suggestions for reducing cholesterol, fat and sugar. Start your search with these three topics:

• Food Preparation - Help with selecting and preparing a variety of foods
  
• Food Preservation - Guides to canning, drying and freezing foods
  
• Nutrition & Analysis - Tools for analyzing and improving your diet

Click this link to visit the Food and Nutrition Solutions website.

Calorie Calculator and Diary at CalorieLookup.com

CalorieLookup.com aims to help users maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle through informed nutrition and exercise. It is a database of information about how many calories are in the foods you eat and how many calories are burned when you exercise. You can also create a personal calorie diary to track your caloric intake and your exercise, and even print weekly reports. Any visitor to the site can check the food or exercise calorie calculators, but only registered users can create a diary or participate in discussions in the ^D<"clubhouse,^D>" a general bulletin board for discussion. The clubhouse also features a page of YouTube videos about fitness and nutrition topics. At last count, CalorieLookup.com listed 8,932 foods in its database, with new foods being added regularly. One way the database is expanded is when users add a new food by entering information off the label or copying a recipe into the site. When users add a new food or recipe, it becomes accessible to the entire community.

We all know that if you burn more calories than you take in, you should lose weight - but that can be easier said than done. CalorieLookup.com could be a really helpful resource for people who want to get serious about tracking their calorie intake and exercise to lose weight or stay healthy. Even users who do not choose to keep a calorie diary on the site could find the calorie calculators for food and exercise quite helpful.

Click this link to visit http://www.CalorieLookup.com.

HealthyDiningFinder

"Healthy Dining Menu Choices from Fast Food to Upscale Restaurants." Input your location, price range, and other options, and get recommendations from the restaurants participating in the Healthy Dining Program. Click on the restaurant names to get recommended menu selections from each, along with nutritional information about each entry.

Click this link to visit HealthyDiningFinder at http://www.healthydiningfinder.com/site.

Calories Per Hour

I really like the approach this Website takes for weight loss. They're not telling you to go run a marathon tomorrow, only drink water or give up all the foods you love. No, it's much easier than that!

• Diet and Weight Loss Tips: In this section, you'll find practical tips for diet and weight loss. Each tip discusses something different and gives you a link to a related article with more information on the subject.
  
• Tutorial: The purpose here is to give you a solid foundation that will help you put an end to the dieting cycle.
  
• Calories Burned Calculator: Here you'll find calculators for your BMI (Body Mass Index), BMR and RMR (Basal and Resting Metabolic Rates), an activity calculator and five advanced calculators tuned for specific activities. Each calculator has a tutorial article linked at the bottom of the section, so you'll learn exactly how everything works in conjunction with weight loss. This is one of those sections that we as blind people can really benefit from because this information is typically inaccessible.
  
• Food Calories & Nutrition Calculator: I suggest starting by clicking on the Help button for this calculator, because it will give you clear instructions as to what you need to do. Basically, what it does is allow you to input food items and calculate the calories for them. If you check out the food lists, you'll find fast food information and some stats on frozen foods and prepackaged foods as well, really cuts down on trying to scan the side of a box with the computer.
  
• Weight Loss Calculator: This section provides three calculators for you. One that lets you calculate the time to reach your weight loss goal, one that lets you calculate the daily calorie deficit to reach your weight loss goal and one that lets you calculate your weight loss over time.
  
• Weights & Measures Converter: Here's another great section for us, it helps to convert weight, height and food measurements to the metric version and back again.
  
• Weight Loss Forums: Here you'll find people who will support your weight loss efforts, who you can ask questions or even give answers to. The forum has topics on eating disorders, dietary supplements, surgery, diet plans, training and more!

This accessible Website will educate you on how to live healthy and lose those extra pounds! Again, it's great because a lot of this information is found in formats that are not easy for us to access.

hClick this link to visit http://www.CaloriesPerHour.com.

The World's Healthiest Foods

The George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods was established to discover, develop and share scientifically proven information about the benefits of healthy eating, and to provide the personalized support individuals need to make eating The World's Healthiest Foods enjoyable, easy, quick and affordable.

The Foundation is not-for-profit so it can offer an independent perspective that is not influenced by commercial interests. Its only purpose is to help you discover the many joys and benefits of healthy eating.

The Foundation believes that true good health is more than just the absence of disease; it is a state where you enjoy all the energy, vitality and benefits life has to offer. One of the keys to achieving good health is to use the power of healthy foods to positively affect how you feel, how much energy you have, and the length and quality of your life. There is clear and definitive scientific evidence that proper nutrition plays an important and significant role in reducing the risk of degenerative diseases, and in providing long-term health and longevity.

Food not only has the power to provide good health, it also has the power to provide the pure joy of eating, and the joy of sharing with others.

The World's Healthiest Foods website at http://www.whfoods.com offers an accessible list that describes 130 foods that are nutrient-dense, relatively unprocessed, readily available and familiar, affordable, and tasty. For each food, it describes the nutrient content, health benefits, how to select and store, and tips for preparing and serving it. There are plenty of recipes for you to enjoy as well.

Click this link to view The World's Healthiest Foods List.

What is an Eye Sty?

Hordeolum is the medical term for a sty, or stye, on the upper or lower eyelid. A sty is caused by an acute infection (commonly staphylococcal bacteria) or inflammation of the secretory glands of the eyelids. Often, the lump (sty) appears with a white or yellow spot that looks much like a large hard pimple.

Stys often appear on one or both eyelids at the same time due to cross infection. Prevent re-infection or cross-infection (transferring the problem from one eye to the other), by not rubbing your eyes and face. Like most infections, dead white blood cells accumulate and the resulting pus causes the swelling and subsequent pain.

Internal Sty

An internal sty occurs on the underside of the eyelid and causes painful swelling. The internal sty may disappear completely once the infection is gone, however it can leave a small fluid filled cyst that may have to be opened and drained by a doctor.

External Sty

An external sty starts off as a small pimple next to an eyelash. It then turns into a painful swelling that can last for several days. Most external stys are short-lived.

Styes and chalazia are usually harmless and rarely affect your eyeball or your eyesight. They can occur at any age and tend to periodically recur.

What Causes an Eye Sty

A sty can form due to Inflammatory diseases of the eyelid, like blepharitis, meibomitis, and rosacea. Poor eyelid hygiene, improper removal of eye makeup, hormonal changes, and stress have also been known to cause Styes.

How to get rid of a Sty

• Do not squeeze the sty as it will only make it worse. Let it burst on its own.
  
• Take real gold, such as a ring, and rub it on the sty to clear it up.
  
• Let a teabag steep in warm water and place the teabag over the eye.
  
• Try using a warm compress on the sty for five minutes, four times a day.
  
• Ask your chemist or pharmacist for Golden Eye Ointment or Broline eye ointment.
  
• If stys return, your doctor may prescribe an oral antibiotic. Doctors also often advise patients to stop eating eggs and cheese.
  
• Make a paste with a potato, spread it on a cloth and apply it externally on inflamed eyes to reduce swelling.
  
• Try taking echinacea or anti histamines.
  
• Avoid using perfumed or moisturising soaps, these may aggrevate the sty.
  
• Boil one teaspoon of coriander seeds in a cup of water and use this preparation to wash the eyes three to four times a day.

The American Printing House For The Blind (APH)

As the oldest institution of its kind in the United States, the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) was founded in 1858 in Louisville, Kentucky. APH is the world's largest company devoted solely to creating products and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. It manufactures braille, large type, recorded, computer disk, and tactile graphic publications, as well as a wide assortment of educational and daily living products. APH also offers a variety of services to assist consumers and professionals in the field of vision, such as Louis, a database listing materials available in accessible media from organizations across North America.

American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206-0085
Toll Free: 800-223-1839
Phone: 502-895-2405
Fax: 502-899-2274
Email: info@aph.org
Web: http://www.aph.org

Discover New Music with SingsBOX

SingsBOX is a search tool that will let you find any song you wish and listen to it for free by adding it to a playlist. In that sense, it stands as a true tool for the discovery of new music, not to mention giving you the chance to listen to songs you always wanted to listen to when you were younger and there was not such a ready access to music. Using the site is a hassle-free process, and all you have to do is sign up by choosing an ID and a password to go with it.

Some might claim that resources like this one damage the music industry, but I don't agree. True music lovers are certain to buy the full album and support the artist, and use tools like this one as a simple discovery resource. You can't download the music, only listen and this is one advantage to the site for parents and music educators.

Click this link to discover new music at htttp://www.singsbox.com.

An Email List for Blind Handygirls

As the lady of the house, do you find yourself working on weekend projects? Maybe you just built a new bookshelf or fixed the toilet when it started leaking? Do you find yourself more at home in the wood supply section of your local hardware store than your husband?

If any of these questions fit your personality, I have an email list you'll want to subscribe to immediately.

Blind Handy Girl is a sister/companion list of the blind handy man group. The handy man list talks about Building, repairing and maintaining all kinds of household items with the blind in mind.

The handy girl list was created so that women can share homemaking issues, tips and ideas to do things easier around the house with a visual impairment.

You can talk about crafts or hobbies, discuss cooking issues,. clothing, your appearance, Tips and tricks, better ideas you have as a visually impaired handy girl to get the task done.

This is a fun and informal list, where hopefully some one may learn of a new way of doing something that they have always wanted to do.

To subscribe to the handy girl group, send a blank E-mail to:

blindhandygirl-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You will receive a confirmation email varifying that you want to subscribe, just reply to that message and you'll be added.

Blind Handyman is an internet radio program heard over ACBRadio. Click this link to visit the ACBRadio website to learn more about the Blind Handyman radio program.

How to Test Your Internet Speed

There are a variety of speed tests available for anyone to take. Your operating system may have a test built right into the Control Panel, but those honestly aren't very accurate. Some software companies even offer certain programs to monitor your speed, but again, those are sometimes demos, so you only get a limited version. The next option is to use the Internet to find a speed test. Many Websites have speed tests users can run and each is different, so you can find a specific one that works best for you.

Speed tests work by having your computer download a large file (either a picture or a large document) to see how long it takes for the download to complete. The test times your computer and then divides the file size by the time it took to download to come up with your connection speed. That's pretty much all there is to it.

To find a speed test, do a quick search in Google (or whatever your favorite search engine is) and see what you come up with. For example, I entered "DSL speed tests" in the search box and it came up with several test choices. I was pretty impressed! Once you get your results back, take some time and look through the different options and find the one that will work best for your needs and which one is easiest to use with your assistive technology.

Now, you may be wondering what a good test result is. That obviously depends on several factors, but most consider a reading of 150 kbps (kilobits per second) and up to be a good result. Obviously, speeds will be slower if you test your bandwidth between the peak hours of the day (late afternoon and evening) because of the extra Internet usage, so it's better to test in the early morning or late at night.

The next thing you might be wondering about is the reliability of a speed test. Do they really work? Well, they seem to be pretty reliable, but there are some downsides to them as well. With broadband connections, speeds are constantly changing, so it's difficult to get a clear picture of what your speed actually is. If you're not happy with the results you get, you may want to try running the test three or four times to get an average speed you'll be satisfied with.

After reading this, you may be wondering why you should test your speed. Well, the main reason you should perform regular speed tests is to find out when your computer's connection speed is the fastest. You can then use those times to download large files or get an extra amount of work done, without interruption or hesitation. If you're having connection problems, you can use a speed test to find out if it's your computer or the connection that's slowing you down. It's a type of troubleshooting in that aspect.

Keep in mind that sometimes your test results will be lower than you'd really like. The main reason for that is you may have done a test during a slow time or even during a down time, which will altar your results. Those times are usually caused by maintenance work or damaged lines. When that happens, just be patient and try again later. Happy testing!

Tenacity: Bringing Accessible Phones to the Workplace

Founded in Lafayette, LA in 2004, Tenacity's mission is to pioneer communications technology that will support people of all disabilities to harness the power of accessible and usable technology to increase productivity at work, school and in the community. By pioneering the development of CTAP (Computerized Telephony Accessibility Provider) technology, Tenacity has opened the gates for people with nearly any disability or functional limitation to experience the power and functionality of top-quality VoIP telephony.

One of Tenacity's offerings is accessaphone, a software entry into the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) accessibility market. accessaphone is designed to allow people with vision, hearing, mobility and cognitive disabilities or functional limitations to utilize the full functionality of VoIP telephones with ease and comfort.

Geared toward increasing productivity at work, school and in the community and addressing compliance issues as they relate to Sections 501, 504, and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act. With accessaphone, VoIP telephone users have complete control of all telephone calls through the use of keyboard controls or alternative input devices and an audible voice message system.

accessaphone's unique approach is to integrate the latest VoIP technology with the power and versatility of a Microsoft Windows-based PC. Installation is simple and customizable, no expensive hardware add-ons are required, and accessaphone is backed by full support and a 100% money-back guarantee.

Tenacity is actively looking for new accessibility partnerships and is successfully working with some of the top vendors in pursuit of their mission to make all IP phones accessible and usable to everyone, regardless of disability or functional limitation.

For more information, please contact:

Tenacity
2020 W. Pinhook Road, Suite 101
Lafayette, LA 70508
Toll Free: 866-756-0321
TTY: 337-233-8329
^DNB Fax: 337-735-9501
Email: sales@accessaphone.com
Web: http://www.tenacitycorp.com

Learn Braille with the iPhone or iPod Touch

iZATT has released Bumps: A Braille Guide, its latest addition to the Signals Series for the iPhone/iPod Touch. Bumps is a fun way to learn braille, ideal for parents, instructors, Boy Scouts, or anyone wanting to learn the Braille dot patterns. Homemade braille can be made with drops of glue left to dry. Practice what you learn from Bumps!

Bumps has three ways to learn, three ways to have fun:

Quick Reference:

• All 26 dot patterns displayed in an easy to see reference screen
  
• Single tap and letter pattern fills the screen
  
• Switch to turn on/off English letters

Flash Cards:

• Full screen letter patterns display in random order
  
• You select the speed they display
  
• English letter appears after chosen time to help you learn.

<

Word Play:

• Enter a word and see the braille patterns that make it
  
• You choose the speed

Bumps is a great way for anyone to learn Braille while having a great time doing it.

Other applications in the Signal Series include Fingerspell - American Sign Language Alphabet and Sea Flags - Maritime Signal Flags.

Click this link to learn more about Bumps from iTunes.

Disability Means Business

This website is a resource for disabled entrepreneurs who are self employed or wishing to start their own business. You will find useful articles, interviews, information on up and coming events and product reviews. The aim of this site is to save you time and money when starting up or developing your business and to put you in touch with other disabled entrepreneurs to share knowledge which is key to the success of your business.

The major pages of the site have a huge range of articles, from benefit advice to the cheapest carrier bags; Access to Work to marketing advice. Rather than saying "shop around" the articles are prescriptive, and include unique super-detailed product research. Each article is written by a self employment adviser who has had many years experience in helping disabled people start their own business.

"It's our aim to make this a great place for people to chat about business and build a entrepreneurial community, free from nasty comments, sales techniques, advertising and confusion. These rules have been designed so people get the most out of our website."

Click this link to learn more about http://www.disabilitymeansbusiness.com.

National Federation Of The Blind (NFB)

Founded in 1940, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) has over fifty thousand members, with affiliates in all fifty states, plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico, and over seven hundred local chapters. As a consumer and advocacy organization, the NFB is one of the leading forces in the blindness field today.

The NFB offers information and referral services, advocacy services, and works to protect civil rights. Further, it provides aids and appliances and other adaptive equipment for the blind.

Additionally, Newsline for the Blind offers the complete text of leading national and local newspapers with the use of only a touch-tone telephone. Literature and publications about blindness include the Braille Monitor, which discusses activities in the blindness field, and Voice of the Diabetic which focuses on the special interests and needs of diabetics.

Use the contact information below to learn more about the National Federation of the Blind.

National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
Phone: 410-659-9314
Email: nfb@nfb.org
Web: http://www.nfb.org

I Can't See But I Can Imagine

Patty asks her grandmother, "What is it like not to be able to see?" Grammie says, "I can't see, but I can imagine!"

Patty's grandmother is blind, but together they share adventures as Grammie imagines things around her and composes songs for her five grandchildren. They laugh when they hear frog conversations in The Frog Song; hold their breath as they ride in a rocking chair, chariot with delightful ponies going to Rock-A-Bye Town; giggle when they meet Pepper in Patty's Puppy Pepper; stare in wonder at things below when Grammie's rocking chair turns into a swing and she is Swinging From a Star; and grin when they meet Mary Lou with her hair standing on end.

Wrapped inside a beautifully illustrated and colorful children's book with an accompanying CD, one family's priceless history has been forever preserved. Patricia's book I Can't See, But, I Can Imagine is a sixty-four page hard-bound book featuring colorful illustrations by Sharon Bean. The CD includes the entire story and five children's songs written by Patricia's grandmother, Persis Beach Bennett.

About the Author:

Patricia Wilson was born and raised in New England, and now lives in Central Oregon. As a child she was captivated by the songs her grandmother, Persis Beach Bennett, wrote. In 1915, about the time her last child was born, Persis began to have trouble seeing. By 1925, she was almost completely blind. Her blindness, however, never stopped her from enjoying life. She loved music and spent much of her time playing the piano and composing songs, recorded on 78 rpm records in 1949. Most of her music was Christian based and ballads, but she delighted her grandchildren by writing five songs for and about them. When Persis passed away in 1954, Patricia began worrying, "What will become of Grammie's music?" In 1994, she retrieved the records from a basement in New Hampshire. They were terribly scratched and nearly impossible to understand. She says, "With God's help and the assistance of many talented people in Central Oregon, all the music has been reproduced. I am delighted to share some of Grammie's music and stories with other people, especially children."

The book contains a CD with the story and children's music by Patricia's grandmother, Persis Beach Bennett, first recorded on 78rpm records in 1949, updated and reproduced in the 1990s.

Click this link to learn more about the book, hear samples of the songs, and to read the blog: http://www.icantseebuticanimagine.com.

Fire Safety Tips For The Visually Impaired

A Clear Fire Safety Message

Over 10 million Americans are visually impaired. During a fire emergency, the senses that visually impaired persons rely upon have a high probability of being overpowered.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA), a directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), encourages the visually impaired population to practice the following precautionary steps to help protect themselves, their home and their surroundings from the danger of fire.

Install and Maintain Smoke Alarms

• Make sure working smoke alarms are installed on each level of your home. You may want a family member or friend to assist you.
• Remember to test smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. You may want a family member or friend to assist you.
• Audible alarms should pause with a small window of silence between each successive cycle so that blind or visually impaired people can listen to instructions or voices of others.

Don’t Isolate Yourself

It is important that older adults speak up - 55% of the visually impaired population is over the age of 65.

• Speak to your family members, building manager, or neighbors about your fire safety plan and practice it with them.
• Ask emergency responders to keep your special needs information on file.
• Contact your local fire department’s non-emergency line and explain your special needs. They will probably suggest escape plan ideas, and may perform a home fire safety inspection and offer suggestions about smoke alarm placement.

Live Near an Exit and Plan Your Escape

You’ll be safest on the ground floor if you live in an apartment building. If you live in a multi-story home, arrange to sleep on the first floor.

• Being on the ground floor and near an exit will make your escape easier.
• If necessary, have a ramp available for emergency exits.
• Unless instructed by the fire department, never use an elevator during a fire.
• If you encounter smoke, stay low to the ground to exit your home.
• Once out, stay out, and call 911 or your local emergency number from a neighbor’s house.

Be Fire-Safe Around the Home

• When cooking, never approach an open flame while wearing loose clothing and don’t leave cooking unattended. Use a timer to remind you of food in the oven.
• Don’t overload electrical outlets of extension cords.
• Never use the oven to heat your home. Properly maintain chimneys and space heaters.
• Keep a phone near your bed and be ready to call 911 or your local emergency number if a fire occurs.

Know Your Abilities

Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility …Fire Stops With You!

Article Source:
http://fire-safety-tips.com/fire-safety-tips-for-the-visually-impaired/

Tips for the First Date

The first date for a couple is what will set the stage for things to come. It is where the first impressions are established. It can also be the time where things can get really messed up, insuring that another date with this person will never happen again. Here are some pointers for what not to do on a first date:

1. Don't be late. Although this is not a sure nail in the coffin for future dates with the person, you need to take care and give the other person the respect they deserve. Some people absolutely cannot stand it when the other is late.
   
2. Don't mention marriage on the first date at all. As a matter fact, don't mention it on the second or third either. Be very careful how you introduce the subject of marriage as the relationship begins to grow.
   
3. Don't check your email if you bring your first date to your apartment. That's just poor taste. Don't talk on your cell phone either. You should be paying attention to your date. Remember that there is a reason someone invented voice mail. Use it to your advantage.
   
4. Don't lie and make yourself out to be someone you're not. It will catch up to you in the end.
   
5. Knock it off with the 20 questions routine. Don't ask a lot of questions. That's irritating.
   
6. Don't talk about yourself all the time, your date will not be impressed. In fact, if you like to talk about yourself all the time the other will quickly lose interest.
   
7. If you are a guy taking a lady out on a first date, don't talk to all your female friends that you run into and ignore your date. The same holds true for the ladies.
   
8. Don't talk about your past relationships. You can rest assured the other is not interested.
   
9. Don't talk about past relationships that didn't work. You would be surprised how many others really do not care.
   
10. If your apartment is a mess, don't take your date over there.
    
11. Don't forget to flatter and compliment your date. She put in a lot of effort to look wonderful on your date, so it's good for her to hear that she is beautiful.

You can probably think of many more things that you shouldn't do on the first date. The important thing is to be the best possible gentleman or lady you can be. It is that first impression that can make or break a relationship.

Center For Applied Special Technology (CAST)

Founded in 1984, CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) is a nonprofit organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities, by researching and developing innovative, technology-based educational resources based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

By "universal" CAST does not imply a single optimal solution for everyone but rather underscores the need for multiple approaches to meet the needs of diverse learners, including those with physical, sensory, and learning disabilities. Embedded features that help those with disabilities eventually benefit everyone. UDL uses technology's power and flexibility to make education more inclusive and effective for all. For example, blending proven teaching methods with flexible technologies, CAST has created digital versions of textbooks and novels (Thinking Readers) that can be customized to meet the needs of individual users. In addition to a full range of access supports, they include built-in comprehension helps for struggling readers, such as reading-strategy prompts, model answers, background knowledge, and vocabulary support.

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology)
40 Harvard Mills Square, Suite 3
Wakefield, MA 01880-3233
Phone: 781-245-2212
TTY: 781-245-9320
Fax: 781-245-5212
Web: http://www.cast.org

Universal Design Education Online

This site supports educators and students in their teaching and study of universal design. Universal design is an approach to the design of all products and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability, or situation.

Click this link to visit http://www.udeducation.org.

? Universal Design Network

The Universal Design Network is the homepage of the Global Universal Design Educator's Network and the Monthly Online News. The Network is a loose coalition of people committed to universal design education. "We have developed this site to invite your participation, to provide opportunities for interaction, and to connect you to the outstanding universal design sites around the world."

Click this link to visit http://www.universaldesign.net.

Wrist Lights

As visually impaired folks, we're constantly needing extra light. Do you find yourself having to ask your spouse, child, or assistant to hold your flashlight for you while you work? Ideal for plumbers, computer technicians, electricians, or anyone who regularly works on the car or in dim areas around the house, that's where these bracelets come in. Yes they do look a bit like something that belongs at a party or something along those lines. However, they also would be great to illuminate whatever it is you're working on, which would be far more convenient than trying to hold a miniature flashlight in your teeth. These great little lights are sold in sets of two, so you could wear one on each wrist or two on one wrist for extra lighting. Each bracelet features four LED lights, which should put off a nice strong glow. Each bracelet measures 3 and 1/4" in diameter.

Click this link to purchase the Wrist Lights in sets of two from Computer Gear.

The National Alliance Of Blind Students (NABS)

The National Alliance of Blind Students (NABS) was founded as an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) in 1974. It serves blind and visually impaired students who are seeking a voice in decisions affecting access to needed resources or services, such as those provided by the Department of Rehabilitation. To date, NABS has helped to create and support legislation and product development of importance to the blind and visually impaired members.

The Student Advocate, published quarterly by student members, is available online from the website listed below.

For membership information, contact the NABS office or visit their website.

National Alliance of Blind Students (NABS)
1155 15th St., NW, Suite 1004
Washington, DC 20005
Toll Free: 800-424-8666
Web: http://www.blindstudents.org

Council Of Citizens With Low Vision International (CCLVI): An Advocacy Membership Organization

The Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI) is an advocacy membership organization for partially sighted people which seeks to establish their right to make full use of their vision through the necessary aids, services, and technology. In addition, the Council works to educate the public and professionals in the field about the needs and abilities of the partially sighted; it promotes research and professional training; and it provides outreach programs to ensure that all partially sighted persons get the services they need.

Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI)
1155 15th St. NW, Suite 1004
Washington, DC 20005
Toll Free: 800-733-2258
Web: http://www.cclvi.org

How to Stop Autocompletes In Your Browser

I hate it when my browser autocompletes search engine entries and addresses when I start typing. How do I avoid this?

Well, if you're using Internet Explorer (5.0 or higher), just go to Tools, Internet Options, then choose the Content tab and select the "AutoComplete" button. This will bring up a control panel where you can turn AutoComplete on or off for web addresses, forms, or passwords.

Just uncheck "Web addresses" and "forms" to keep previous search engine entries and visited website addresses from coming up as you type.

Netscape Navigator users can go to Edit, Preferences, Navigator, then click "Smart Browsing".

Uncheck "Location Bar Autocomplete" and you will no longer have previous addresses popping up as you type one in. As for search engine autocompletes, it doesn't seem to have this feature. At least, it never happens to me.

Children's Bully Book

The National Association for Visually Handicapped (NAVH) awarded their seal of approval to a children's book that deals with the subject of bullying.

"The Bully: A Discussion and Activity Story" is a large print book from Canadian publisher Birds Hill Publishing. Aimed at children in kindergarten to grade three, the book addresses the issue of bullies in school and gives helpful suggestions to both parents and children on dealing with the stressful situation in a positive manner. Released in September, 2004, "The Bully: A Discussion and Activity Story" is in use in schools throughout Canada and in many states in the United States.

The book begins in the classroom as a discussion and activity book, but is then sent home with children for completion with a parent or caregiver. The adult's section of the book contains a question and answer portion that informs parents and caregivers about bullying. It offers information for dealing with a bully situation in a way that demonstrates positive role modelling to children. Additional informational resources are also provided.

The Bully has been endorsed by teachers, psychologists and Safe School officials.

For more information on The Bully, please contact:

Birds Hill Publishing
204-661-2734 or
Click here to visit The Bully website: www.thebullybook.com

Additional Resources

• National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center: http://www.safeyouth.org: A Federal resource for professionals, parents and youth working to prevent violence committed by and against young people.
  
• Stop Bullying Now! http://www.stopbullyingnow.com: Practical research-based strategies to reduce bullying in schools.
  
• Kidscape: Dealing with Bullies http://www.kidscape.org.uk: Helping to prevent bullying and child abuse.
  
• NEA: National Bullying Awareness Campaign (NBAC) http://www.nea.org/schoolsafety/bullying.html: It's goal is to reduce, and eventually eradicate, bullying in America's public schools.
  
• Maine Project Against Bullying http://lincoln.midcoast.com/~wps/against/bullying.html: A survey of bullying behavior among Maine third graders.
  
• STOP cyberbullying http://www.stopcyberbullying.org: Information about cyberbullying, how it works, and how to deal with cyberbullies.

Time to Hit the OpenRoad.TV

OpenRoad.TV was founded by television personality, Doug McConnell, who has been the host of a San Francisco-based television program called "Bay Area Backroads" for the past fifteen years. Doug and his camera crew travel to interesting places in the Western US and film engaging stories that educate viewers and inspire them to take a road trip too.

McConnell has placed all the best video content from "Bay Area Backroads" on OpenRoad.TV for free, organized geographically as well as by interest category.

When you come to the site, look for 2 menus in the center of the screen: *EXPLORE YOUR IN

• INTERESTS: Access the videos from specific-interest categories such as: History, Landmarks, Nature, Parks, Road Trips, Wildlife and more.
  
• EXPLORE THE TERRITORY: Access the videos based on geographic region in the western US such as: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and others.

Simply click on any menu item to find links to the respective stories. You can watch the video and read the video transcript. Some of the really amazing places archived here include: Alaska's Glacier Bay, California's Gold Country, Safari West African Adventure, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Yosemite National Park, there are over 180 travel videos live on the site with more going up every week.

This is a terrific website to take many virtual field trips - and to use as a real-time travel guide if you plan on visiting the western US.

Click this link to visit http://www.openroad.tv.

Guidelines for Described Educational Materials

The Described and Captioned Media Program has partnered with the American Foundation for the Blind to forge "guidelines" to equal access for students with vision loss: the Description Key: Guidelines for the Description of Educational Media.

The Description Key guidelines are complete and are posted online. The guidelines are intended for new and experienced describers, description agencies, media producers and distributors, and others who want to make educational media more accessible.

Go to http://www.afb.org/descriptionguidelines.asp at AFB for this valuable resource. And to connect with DCMP, visit http://www.dcmp.org/descriptionkey.

DCMP may be a new resource for you. To learn more about their extensive description resources available to teachers and parents , check out the DCMP Website for your free-loan educational accessible media needs.

Veterans Day

Did you know that most Americans confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day? According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, it's true. Both holidays celebrate the men and women who serve our country, but today, we're going to find out what makes Veterans Day both unique and important! Click this link to visit http://www.military.com/veteransday

Let's start our journey in the History of Veterans Day section of this site. Here you will learn that Veterans Day was originally a holiday called Armistice Day, which celebrated the end of WWI. This section will detail how the holiday has evolved into the Veterans Day holiday it is today.

Ways to Celebrate Veterans Day: Here you will discover seven ways to celebrate Veterans Day, as well as, find resources for teachers to help teach their students about the holiday.

Wear Your Medals on Veterans Day: The Department of Veterans Affairs are encouraging veterans to wear their medals in a display of patriotism and pride. You can find out why here!

Do you have a veteran in your life? You can send them a free e-card to let them know you remember them on Veterans Day!

Underneath the yellow Buddy Finder search engine, you will find a moving video tribute to those who have served their country, both in the past and in the present. It's definitely worth a watch!

Honoring the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Veterans Day is one of the holidays where the President or someone he designates lies a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in remembrance of the sacrifice of America's Veterans in foreign wars. It also marks the national observance of the day.

And last, but not least, the Celebrate Famous Veterans section. It is important to remember that celebrities are people too and that some of them have served our country. Find out which celebrities are also veterans here.

To all the men and women who bravely serve our country, both past and present, we salute you!

Click this link to learn more about Veterans Day by visiting http://www.military.com/veteransday.

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)

The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) is an organization specifically established to promote the welfare of blinded veterans. There is no charge for any BVA service and membership is not a prerequisite. All legally blind veterans are eligible for BVA's help, whether they became blind during, or after, active duty. Through the BVA Forum, members and visitors can post up-to-date information, ask questions, reply to posts, and keep in touch with other members, their families, and BVA staff on the Net.

BVA traces its roots back to the end of World War II and was founded by a group of veterans blinded during that conflict. In 1945, they met at Avon Old Farms Army Convalescent Hospital in Avon, Connecticut and founded the Association. Thirteen years later, BVA received its charter from the United States Congress. Today, BVA Field Representatives, all of which are blinded vets, travel throughout the United States counseling blind vets and their families.

BVA awards scholarships under the Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship Program. Only dependent children and spouses of blinded veterans of the U. S. Armed Forces are eligible. Request scholarship applications and check deadlines by contacting the BVA.

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)
477 H St., N W
Washington, DC 20001-2694
Toll Free: 800-669-7079
Phone: 202-371-8880
Email: bva@bva.org
Web: http://www.bva.org?

Saluting America's Veterans

This site provides remembrances by veterans and their families about American war experiences. Includes material about World War I, World War II, and wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Some stories include photos. From American Profile, a weekly magazine carried in smaller newspapers across the country.

Click this link to visit the Saluting America's Veterans page of the American Profile website.

Homework Helping Sites On The Net

Let's face it, we all need help with homework from time to time. Parents often don't know how to help their children with the assignments they bring home today. Problems only increase when the parents are blind and the child is sighted. Where can you go to find educational sites that are fun for your children?

The following websites will help you find the answers that will bring you closer to an "A".

Homework Spot

A free homework information portal that features the very best K-12 homework-related sites. With the help of students, parents and teachers, their team of educators, librarians and journalists has scoured the Web to bring you the best resources for English, math, science, history, art, music, technology, foreign language, college prep, health, life skills, extracurricular activities and much more.

Click this link to visit Homework Spot: http://www.homeworkspot.com.

InfoPlease Homework Center

Find useful information by subject area, develop better writing, note-taking and study skills, and search through previous questions and answers from other students.

Click this link to visit InfoPlease: http://www.infoplease.com/homework.

The Kids On The Web

This is an excellent site maintained as a labor of love by Internet luminary Brendan Kehoe. Kids on the Web has links for Homework Tools, Educational Sites and much more. You could spend days exploring all these links, and Brendan adds new ones every month.

Click this link to visit The Kids On The Web site: http://www.zen.org/~brendan/kids-homework.html.

Website Features Free Science Fair Projects for Kids

Students looking for free science fair projects can find them at www.free-science-fair-projects.net, which includes award-winning projects from students all over the world. Among them is one that demonstrated the effects of fertilizer on algae growth in pond water. In another, a student isolated, incubated and then harvested indoor allergens.

Homework Center

Welcome to Fact Monster's Homework Center. This is a fabulous Web site to bookmark for your kids or grandkids. Here they can find help on specific subjects, along with an added bonus of a huge reference section. The Search Engine will search the almanac, atlas, dictionary, encyclopedia and even biographies for the information you are looking for. What a great homework tool!

You will also find links to the following subjects: Geography, Mathematics, History, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies. The Skills section includes Writing/Research Skills, Speaking and Listening, as well as, Studying skills.

The Tools for School section includes calculators, chemistry help, the periodic table and sun, moon and stars. If you look just below that, there's an accessible Math Flashcard section as well.

On the side menu, you've got great sections like World & News, U.S., People, Word Wise, Science, Math & Money, Sports, Cool Stuff, Games & Quizzes and if you scroll down just a bit, Fact Monster Favorites.

With all this at your disposal, your kids can rule the school! Well, at least the homework their teachers give them. Check it out!

Click this link to visit the Homework Center at http://www.factmonster.com/homework/index.html.

Math.com

This site's name isn't all that original but it offers free lessons and help with everything from addition to geometry, algebra, and more.

Click this link to visit Math.com.

FreeMathHelp

From the site:

"Welcome to FreeMathHelp.com. We have many math help resources available, including math lessons, math games, and a math help message board. You may navigate this site using the subject links, or search for something specific with the search box."

Site includes: Algebra, Geometry, Trig, Calculus, and Statistics. See Also: drop-down menu under "Other".

Click this link to visit http://www.freemathhelp.com.

Starfall

Starfall is geared more toward younger children who may still be learning how to read. The site starts off with teaching a simple concept of learning letters and how to pronounce them. It then goes on to offer some interactive reading, word search puzzles and it even has some school plays you can watch. And even better, it does all of that without charging you for any books, videos or anything. How great is that?! Starfall also has free teaching journals that all of you parents and grandparents can use to follow right along with the kids!

Check Starfall out for yourself by clicking this link: http://www.starfall.com.

Kids.gov

This Website is good for children of any age. It's basically an information portal that was created with kids in mind. The site consists of different links you can click on to visit both U.S. government and non-government sites. The sites are categorized by age groups and different subjects, so it's very easy to find exactly what you're looking for. On Kids.gov, you'll find links for over 1,200 Websites with subjects ranging from government agencies, schools, organizations and so on. The site offers up art projects, games, math and so much more for younger children and for older children, it has links to technology, health and fitness, science and more. It's a perfect resource for all those school projects your kids will have to do this year as well!

Check out http://www.kids.gov today by clicking this link.

Family Fun

School should be fun too and that's exactly what this Website offers! Here you will find some non-school related topics, but they are still educational and helpful for children. For example, you can find ideas for cooking, planning parties, travel, arts and crafts and so on. This site also has a lot of games your children can play that will help them learn as well. There are also several how to videos on this site that you all can watch together to learn how to do some pretty fun stuff!

Click this link to visit the Family Fun website today!

SciVee

Are your children or grandchildren way into science? If so, this site will be perfect for them. SciVee is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, along with SDSC's Supercomputer Center, and it basically aims to encourage students to publish their science fair papers and videos. So, if your little one comes up with a mind blowing science fair project idea in the near future, make sure they check out this site to enter it in for even more recognition! SciVee really has a cool thing going here.

Click this link to visit http://www.scivee.tv.

AOL Reference

If your children or grandchildren have to do a lot of research for their homework projects, they'll definitely want to check out this site. AOL Reference offers a dictionary, thesaurus, translator, world atlas, as well as, plenty of additional information on such subjects as science, history, space and global warming. It also takes Web searching to a whole new level. It's so simple to use and I just know your students will fall in love with it right away.

Click this link to visit http://reference.aol.com.

Seussville

By the name of this site, I bet you've already figured out that this one is geared more toward younger children, but either way, it definitely deserves a look see. Seussville calls in Dr. Seuss to aid in your children's learning. On this site, your children can play games, print out coloring sheets and they can even create their own book. This one is even good for children who cannot yet read. It's so cool, you've just got to check it out.

Click this link to visit http://www.seussville.com.

KidsClick

This Website is the perfect search engine for grade school aged kids. This search engine features over 600 sources and with it, you can search under different themes and subjects. It even allows your children to search under the reading level they need, which definitely helps them to understand the material much better. With KidsClick, you can find results for reading, writing, arithmetic, computer learning, sports and recreation and so much more. This site was developed by librarians, so you know it's good!

Check out http://www.kidsclick.org by clicking this link.

Homework Hub

Homework hub is where students can get help and direction in completing various assignments from doing research, improving skills, and organizing their work. Site includes study aids, test preparation guides, and term paper guides and resources.

Click this link to visit Homework Hub: http://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/index.htm.

SqoolTube: the YouTube of Education

SqoolTube is a video resource designed for K-8 teachers and students. It offers ten categories of videos and dozens of sub-categories of videos. Visitors to SqoolTube can find videos for everything from learning to count to Algebra lessons and from basic spelling lessons to Spanish lessons. The only problem that teachers might encounter in trying to use SqoolTube is built upon videos hosted on YouTube so if your school blocks YouTube you will have to download the videos away from school to use them. You can read more about what to do when YouTube is blocked by clicking here.

Click this link to visit http://www.sqooltube.com.

Remember that not all of these sites will be 100% compatible with screen readers. If you run into problems, contact the individual webmasters and tell them the problems you're having.

Do you have a favorite homework helping site? Let me know by sending an email to fredshead@aph.org.

Fun and Accessible Travel Games To Relieve Kids' Boredom

Here's the surest way to keep your kids under control while in the car. They are also a great way for the kids to have fun and get to know each other better. Use some imagination and the games can be adapted for home or classroom use with your blind or visually impaired students.

Click this link to visit this FamilyFun: Fun website. See also Road Trip Games from this kid-friendly website.

101 Things to Do When There's Nothing to Do

Forgot to toss toys in your purse? Carry-on consigned to the cargo hold? Long waiting-room stay used up all your distractions? No matter how organized the parent, there will always come a time when your child will rely on you for distraction, just you and you alone. What do you do when you're stuck without props? Here are 101 informal activities that use nothing more than your clothing, your accessories, and whatever wits you have about you. If your child has a particularly short attention span or low tolerance for boredom, you may have to run through a whole string of these -- but finally, the time will pass.

Click this link to read the about.com article 101 Things to Do When There's Nothing to Do.

Women in World History

This unique and accessible site is full of information and resources to help you learn about women's history in a global, non- U.S., context. Here teachers, students, parents, history buffs, and the interested public can find information on the following topics.

• Today's Heroes: Contemporary Nobel Peace Prize winners linked to historic movements and personalities with similar aims.
  
• Biographies: Women rulers, and women who are considered heroes in their countries, and influential women from selected eras.
  
• Interactive: Lessons on commonly taught topics you can use.
  
• Historical background: Essays on selected topics.
  
• Reviews: Reviews of Curriculum created for world history classes.
  
• Book Reviews: Reference, statistics, anthologies, and general history books.
  
• Historical Mysteries: Features females who solve crimes.
  
• Reviews: Check out the Women in World History Curriculum Units.
  
• Q & A: Provides answers to some of the questions visitors have asked about Women's History. Including Using Women in World History Curriculum Units for Homeschooling.
  
• Information: About Us, who the director is and why this project began.
  
• Web Links: Favorite sites for more information about Women's World History, and about contemporary issues.
  
• Women of Courage: A Biography/Art Collaboration - activity demonstrating collaboration between university and highschool classes and the International Museum of Women (IMOW) to forward awareness of both historic and contemporary global women.

Click this link to visit http://www.womeninworldhistory.com.

Women's History Month

From the site:

"In the early nineteenth century, women were considered second-class citizens whose existence was limited to the interior life of the home and care of the children. Women were considered sub-sets of their husbands, and after marriage they did not have the right to own property, maintain their wages, or sign a contract, much less vote. It was expected that women be obedient wives, never to hold a thought or opinion independent of their husbands. It was considered improper for women to travel alone or to speak in public. With the belief that intense physical or intellectual activity would be injurious to the delicate female biology and reproductive system, women were taught to refrain from pursuing any serious education. Silently perched in their birdcages, women were considered merely objects of beauty, and were looked upon as intellectually and physically inferior to men. This belief in women's inferiority to men was further reinforced by organized religion which preached strict and well-defined sex roles."" <> Site includes:

• The History of Women's Suffrage
  
• Timeline
  
• Firsts In Women's Achievement
  
• Resources

Click this link to visit Women's History Month page from The History Channel.

Betsy Ross

"Many people believe that General George Washington visited seamstress Betsy Ross in June, 1776 to ask her to sew a stars-and-stripes flag that would become the first official flag of the new country. The story continues that Ross convinced Washington to use five-pointed stars, instead of the six-pointed stars that he favored. Historians, however, don't believe any of this, and explain that the Betsy Ross myth began one-hundred years after the Revolutionary War."

Page includes 9 links to related sites (5 annotated, 4 honorable mentions)

Click this link to learn more about Betsy Ross.

Accessible Elementary History Pages

While we're talking about history, I wanted to point you to another site, not necessarily about women, but a good place to find accessible information.

The Mountain City Elementary History Pages are a great collection of American and World History facts and online activities. Most of the site is accessible to Intermediate English Language Learners.

If you need to have a student find some information on a specific subject and you'd like them to use the internet, this would be an accessible place to start.

Click this link to visit The Mountain City Elementary History Pages.

HistoryNow.com

Here's another accessible resource that could be transcribed into braille and used in the classroom. The Gilder Lehrman Institute (http://www.gilderlehrman.org) is pleased to present History Now, a quarterly online journal for history teachers and students, available at http://www.historynow.org.

Disabled Women on the Web

Disabled Women on the Web was established by Corbett O'Toole of the Disabled Women's Alliance to provide information, resources, and support for women with disabilities to continue to CHANGE THE WORLD! The site has a lot of links and resources, including a section called Disabled Women You Should Know About.

Click this link to visit the Disabled Women on the Web website.

Another website with related links about women with disabilities is the appropriately named disabled women athttp://www.bioethicsanddisability.org/disabledwomen.html.

Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour and the Sounds of America

As someone who loves old-time radio, this show really reminds me of how radio used to be. If you like the broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry, you'll love this weekly radio show from Lexington, Kentucky.

Just a few examples of artists you'll hear are: Michelle Shocked, Dan Hicks and His Hotlicks, John Hammond, Ottmar Liebert, Strunz & Farah, Livingston Taylor, Roger McGuinn, Robert Lockwood Jr., Jake Armerding, Fairport Convention, Norman Blake, and many more!

All archived shows are available in the WMA audio format for the Windows Media Player.

WoodSongs tapes at 6:45 pm (EST) Mondays at the Kentucky Theatre (214 Main St) in Lexington, Kentucky. Visit the Official Website of Folksinger Michael Johnathon's Worldwide, Syndicated Live Audience broadcast of Grassroots, Folk, Americana, Blues, and Bluegrass Music: http://www.woodsongs.com.

Sounds of America from the National Museum of American History

This site consists of an ongoing series of programs featuring music made and played in the USA," including programs on African-American music traditions of New Orleans, Women in American Music, and Freedom Songs of the US Civil Rights Movement.

Click this link to visit the Sounds of America page of the National Museum of American History website.

Money Smart for Young Adults: a Resource for Educators

The FDIC's Money Smart for Young Adults curriculum helps youth ages 12-20 learn the basics of handling their money and finances, including how to create positive relationships with financial institutions. Equipping young people in their formative years with the basics of financial education can give them the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to manage their finances once they enter the real world.

Money Smart for Young Adults consists of eight instructor-led modules. Each module includes a fully scripted instructor guide, participant guide, and overhead slides. The materials also include an optional computer-based scenario that allows students to complete realistic exercises based on each module. The curriculum is distributed on CD, which should help make the documents easier to convert to large print or braille.

Money Smart for Young Adults is aligned with educational standards for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands. It offers a completely customizable curriculum comprised of modules that can be taught on a stand-alone basis; not protected by copyright restrictions; and a source of unbiased information that is not "branded" with corporate logos or otherwise affiliated with any commercial interest. Modules range from 90 to 110 minutes if taught in their entirety.

Click this link to learn more about Money Smart for Young Adults from the FDIC website at http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/young.html.

Financial Literacy

From the site:

"Although there is more to learn about money than how to count coins and bills, the subject is largely ignored in most middle and high-schools. Today's six-pack of sites tackle saving, budgeting, earning, investing, and more."

The page includes nine links to related sites (five annotated, four honorable mentions).

Click this link to visit the Financial Literacy page at http://www.surfnetkids.com/financial_literacy.htm.

How To Make Sorting Mail Easier

Sorting mail can be simplified if the sender embosses approximately four braille cells in the lower left corner of the envelope diagonally opposite the stamp position. This is for mail that is in braille and allows the reader to sort print mail from braille mail.

Contributor: Fred Gissoni

Point-to-Braille: A Braille Dictionary

Point-to-Braille: The Braille Enthusiast's Dictionary contains more than 29,000 common as well as not so common words in the English Language. Each word is spelled out in regular print and divided by syllable along with the correct ink dot representation of words in Grade 2 braille. The dictionary also contains a lengthy appendix as well as prefix and suffix listings.

Scalars Publishing Company
P.O. Box 382834
Germantown, TN 38183-2834
Phone: 901-737-0001
Fax: 901-737-2882
Web: http://www.scalarspublishing.com

Prevent Blindness America

Prevent Blindness America is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Together with a network of affiliates, divisions and chapters, it is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. It serves millions of people each year by offering both public and professional education, community and patient services, and other programs and research. Their website contains helpful information on common eye problems, children and vision safety programs, and educational resources.

Prevent Blindness America
500 East Remington Rd.
Shaumburg, Il 60173
Toll Free: 800-331-2020
Fax: 847-843-8458
Email: info@preventblindness.org
Web: http://www.preventblindness.org

Sign On The Dotted Line

Many banks now offer large print checks or checks that feature raised lines for visually impaired customers. Such checks have lines that can be felt and followed with a trailing hand, as the owner fills out the check with the other. All blocks on the check that require customer attention are marked.

Some blind individuals, who do not fill out their own checks, but have this task performed by someone else, still need to know where to sign the check. In these cases, all who do not have, or wish to buy, the special raised-line checks, can modify their conventional checkbooks, so that a signature guide can be built in to every check.

They can do this by going over the signature line of their checkbook with a sewing machine that contains a needle but no thread. In doing so, the action of the needle will produce an easily felt and followed dotted line that they can use as a writing guide. (Please note, a sewing machine needle can pierce several checks, so it is not necessary to mark them one at a time.)

Contributor: Fred Gissoni

Morse Code Route Map

This technique was developed several years ago when I traveled a bus route between home and work. My route consisted of 16 turns; so without some way to measure progress along the way, this series of turns seemed to be an almost meaningless jumble.

I doubt I would have gone to the trouble of learning Morse code as a means of solving this problem; however, since I already knew it, I thought it might be possible to reduce the various turns along the way to something that could be conveyed in Morse. To do this, I assigned the dash (dah) to turns to the right--and I used the dot (dit) to represent turns to the left. By doing so, I was able to chart my way and represent my progress from work to home, using the 5 letters z z g a u.

Since then, I've used this technique to map hotel routes (i.e., room to elevator, lobby to dining room, etc.). The technique I've described is not fool proof. For example, it makes no provisions for "swags," or slight bearings to the right or left. However, when it fits an occasion, it works very well.

Contributor: Fred Gissoni

The Heated Snow & Ice Removal Mat

This is a great product for those of us who don't like shuvveling snow and ice in the wenter. For you folks who own brick-n-mortar shops and stores, it's great for you too. Now we can keep snow and ice from collecting at our entrances with a Heated Snow and Ice Removal Mat.

The Heated Mat melts snow on contact with 140 BTU per square foot of heat output. This self regulating mat maintains a proper temperature for melting snow and ice creating worry free, clear entrances 24/7. It's inexpensive to operate, costing pennies a day to run.

This mat can be installed in door ways and ramps creating a safer walking environment around the clock. It also eliminates damage to floors, door jams, and concrete from salt and calcium chloride. There is no need to use harsh chemicals to melt snow.

The low profile surface of this mat provides ease of use for wheel chairs or walkers. The non-slip surface provides optimum traction year round, in snow or rain. The Heated Mat is durable and is designed to be left outside and operated for the entire winter season. It may be cleaned with mild detergent and water.

The Heated Mat is easy to operate, simply plug it in using the 10 foot cord that incorporates an inline GFI. Using standard 120VAC, 15A circuit, all electrical components are UL listed. Corner grommets allow The Heated Mat to be anchored if desired. Offered in black, high grade Nitrile rubber, The Heated Mat comes in standard sizes of 3' x 5', 4' x 6', and 4' x 12'. Other sizes are offered on a custom basis.

For more information, or to purchase The Heated Snow & Ice Removal Mat simply click this link: http://www.floormat.com/snow-melting-mat.html. Michael McCarty Fred's Head Database Coordinator American Printing House for the Blind Phone: 502 895-2405 Fax: 502 899-2363 www.aph.org