New York State Library | Talking Book & Braille Library | Newsletters

Upstate Update

In this issue:

• When Service is at a Standstill
• Free Bibles
• APH Celebrates 150 Years
• More on NY-ALERT
• Be Prepared: ICE Your Phone!
• Getting Around in the House

When Service is at a Standstill

Unless there have been subsequent changes, how your service is now derives from the information you provided on your application form. If someone else completed your application it may not have accurately reflected your preferences, or if it did, those preferences now may be different.

We have learned that one cause of service obstruction is that some borrowers are getting "Request Only" service, either without knowing it or without fully understanding its implications. Such individuals will probably be just waiting for us to send books, while we, not being permitted to choose for them, are waiting for them to send in their book orders. The result is an impasse, where no service can be provided. If this describes your situation, please call us immediately at (800) 342-3688 so we can straighten things out.

Another reason for a borrower’s service to come to a halt is when they don’t return the books charged out to them. Even if we choose for such a borrower under the "Automatic Selection" option (guaranteeing that books will be sent when service is due), it is the return to the library of the books on loan that triggers the sending of more.

So, whichever kind of service you have chosen, good service requires an adequate request list and the regular return of books on loan.  

Free Bibles

The Bible remains very popular with our borrowers, but all too often we are unable to accommodate the request. One problem is that the Bible comes in multi-volume sets that are rarely available as a full set. A further concern is that, despite our loan policy, borrowers tend to keep Bibles for a long time, thereby reducing the number of copies we have for circulation.

If you want the Bible, a good alternative source is Audio Bibles for the Blind, a division of Aurora Ministries in Florida. The goal of this organization is to give a recorded Bible completely free to anyone who can no longer see or hold a book. Their service is worldwide and they provide the Bible in around seventy languages. The following are available in English: the King James Version, the New King James Version, and the International Children’s Bible. They are on cassette and in CD/MP3 format. You will be required to provide proof of your disability.

Contact them at Audio Bibles for the Blind, PO Box 621, Bradenton, FL 34206, (941) 748-3031/4100, or go to their website: www.audiobiblesfortheblind.org.  

APH Celebrates 150 Years

This year marks the 150th year of operations for the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville KY. Founded in 1858, APH is the world’s largest company devoted solely to researching, developing, and manufacturing products for blind and visually impaired people, and it is the oldest such organization in the US.

If you are ever in the Louisville area, why not visit their museum and take an hour-long tour of the facility? You can see how braille and recorded books are made, and tour an exhibit area containing artifacts, photographs, and interactive displays to present such topics as the development of braille, the history of the braillewriter, and the story of talking books. APH is located at 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville KY 40206. Other contact information: (800) 223-1839, (502) 895-2405, www.aph.org.

More on NY-ALERT

In the last Upstate Update we gave you some information about NY-ALERT, New York’s free All Hazards Alert and Notification System. Unfortunately we omitted the telephone number, which is 1-888-697-6972.

NY-ALERT allows you to receive information at home, at work, and on the go about such emergencies as severe weather and highway closures. Notification can be sent to your e-mail, telephone, mobile phone, and other devices. The website is www.nyalert.gov.  

Be Prepared: ICE Your Phone!

Here’s some more emergency information. Another library’s newsletter recently had this suggestion, and we think it’s worth passing on. Most of us have mobile (cell) phones programmed with lots of numbers, but if you were in an accident or taken ill and unconscious, would the EMT personnel or hospital staff know which of your many contacts should be called?

Research has shown that only about a quarter of people carry any details about such emergency contacts, and in 2006 the US Centers for Disease Control reported that 1,600,000 ER patients could not give contact information because they were incapacitated.

Originating in England in 2005, "In Case of Emergency," or "ICE" is a program that enables first responders such as paramedics, police, and firefighters to identify victims and contact next of kin or friends to obtain vital medical information. ICE encourages people to enter such emergency contacts in their mobile phone’s address book under "ICE." Multiple contacts are possible, providing priority and names, for example: ICE1-Mom, ICE2-Henry, ICE3-Susan. To get a red "ICE" sticker for your phone, go to www.icesticker.com. This sticker will serve as a visual alert for emergency responders that you have phone-programmed contacts.

Those without mobile phones should keep such contact information in their wallet or purse. It’s a simple idea that can be a big help. 

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Getting Around in the House

It’s often called "O & M" (orientation and mobility) but it’s just getting around, and we want you to do that safely. Not all people considered blind use a cane or a guide dog, and those who don’t must rely on their remaining sight and auditory and tactile clues in their surroundings for orientation and travel. There are many ways in which to improve your daily living activities, but for now here are a few ideas for those with low vision to make it easier and safer to move around their home.

• Floor coverings are a major hazard, so replace worn carpeting, linoleum, and broken or uneven tiles.
• Cover bare and potentially slippery floors with textured runners or carpeting.
• Plain carpets and other floor coverings may be less visually confusing than those with patterns.
• Remove or secure throw rugs. They are not easily seen and are a tripping and sliding hazard.
• To avoid tripping, doorsills and thresholds can be brightly colored, flush, beveled, or planed down to no more than a quarter of an inch.
• Move electrical cords away from passageways. If that’s impractical, tape them down.
• Don’t wax floors. Use non-skid, non-glare products to clean and polish floors.
• Use contrasting colors to make doors, stairs, and furniture easier to see.
• Move items of furniture, especially low items such as coffee tables and footstools, out of main traffic areas.
• Sharp edges and corners can be made more conspicuous with a bright padded cover, tablecloth, or even a light-colored book.
• Keep desk and table chairs pushed in.
• Ensure that relatives, houseguests, and visitors don’t change the position of furniture, or leave drawers and cupboard doors open.
• Brightly colored accessories, such as lamps and vases, make furniture easier to locate.
• Doors left ajar are a hazard so keep room and closet doors either completely open or fully closed. Problem hinged doors can be converted to sliding doors, or removed altogether.
• Keep cupboard doors and drawers closed at all times to avoid walking into them.
• Keep rooms well lit. Good overall lighting is a must for safety.
• Ensure especially that lighting in hallways and stairwells is bright and even. It may be advisable to leave the lights on in such areas.
• Nightlights can add safety in hallways, the bedroom, and bathroom.
• Install and use railings when climbing and descending stairs.
• A fall down stairs can be fatal, so make stairs safer by putting brightly colored tape along the edge of each step. Contrasting paint on riser and tread, and use of textured materials on the step edge can also help.
• Consider a ramp when steps are a problem.
• Make it easier to locate doorframes and doorknobs by using colors that contrast with the surrounding walls.
• Use contrast to help locate electrical outlets and switches; try light-colored fixtures against a dark wall (and vice versa). You can also use luminescent light switch plates, and switches with a night light.
• Eliminate clutter. This can be a tripping hazard, especially on stairs and in well-traveled areas, so put things away when you’ve finished using them. (And remember where you put them!)

Mention of a product or service in this newsletter does not constitute endorsement by this library. Our intention is to increase an awareness of programs, services, and products that may be helpful to our patrons.

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