Washtenaw Library for the Blind and Print Disabled at AADL!
If you or someone you know is unable to read standard type print, unable to hold a book in your hands, or, if you have dyslexia - you are eligible for this service!
In Washtenaw County this free service administered by the Ann Arbor District Library, loans books, magazines, and videos in alternative formats (audio books on cartridge or for download, large print, braille books and magazines, and descriptive video) to individuals of all ages who are unable to read or use standard printed materials as a result of temporary or permanent visual or physical limitations. A talking book machine and materials are mailed at no cost as Free Matter for the Blind. For more information on how to apply, click here.
Once signed up, all eligible individuals also have access to downloading tens-of-thousands of books and dozens of magazines from the National Library Service's Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) site.
Additionally, all eligible individuals also have access to a variety of other services, including access to NFB Newsline (local and national newspapers via telephone), textbooks and bibles in audio format, and radio reading services. For more information about these, and all other Available Items, click here.
All Washtenaw County residents who are eligible for WLBPD service, as well as those living in the same household, are also eligible for Ann Arbor District Library borrowing privileges.
WLBPD is part of the National Library Service (NLS) network. Click here to locate other NLS network libraries. "That All May Read!"
WLBPD Blog
Blog Post
Brainfuse: Live Tutoring & Homework Help
by Beth Manuel
Homework giving you a headache? You may want to log on to Brainfuse. Their Live Homework Help is available from 2:00 PM-11:00 PM everyday (except Federal Holidays) & the interactive Study Suite is accessible anytime with your aadl account log in information. For more information about all the amazing facets of Brainfuse read these FAQs. Using Brainfuse can make learning fun for parents & kids! College students and adult learners can benefit from it, too! Give it a try!
Blog Post
Dawn Farm's Education Series Continues...
by Beth Manuel
The public is invited to Dawn Farm’s free Educational Series. All programs are presented in the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center auditorium, at 5305 Elliott Drive in Ypsilanti. You can also contact Dawn Farm at 734-485-8725 or info@dawnfarm.org. All are welcome to attend! Registration is not required. All programs are from 7:30 -9:00 PM.
On September 19, the topic, Addiction & Families, will be presented by Lynn Kleiman Malinoff, Ed.D. Substance addiction affects the entire family. Learn how each family member is affected and ways family members can cope with addiction.
On September 26, James Balmer, President of Dawn Farm, will present "Addiction 101: A primer on the dynamics of alcohol and other drug use, addiction as a brain disease and the process of recovery".
Blog Post
Audio Description Track on DVD!
by Beth Manuel
AADL continues to grow its collection of films that have a Descriptive Video Service or DVS feature. More films are being produced for children and adults that are Described Video Recordings for L Card users to borrow. When you look at this list, sort the items to show the newest DVDs first! Some DVDs are even available by mail to our WLBPD patrons as Free Matter for the Blind. If your vision isn't what it used to be, you may want to try watching a film with described narration. That way you don't have to ask other folks what's happening on the screen and can concentrate on the film.
Blog Post
New Universal Access Playground!
by Beth Manuel
We're all invited to join the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor as they celebrate the grand opening of Ann Arbor Centennial Playground at Gallup Park, 3000 Fuller Road on Sunday, September 17th from 2:00-7:00 PM! The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor along with the State of Michigan DNR and the City of Ann Arbor Maintenance millage provided funding for this playground that is sure to be safe and inclusive for the child in all of us. The playground will offer children with disabilities opportunities to gain self-confidence and greater independence. Caregivers who have disabilities will have the chance to engage, play and supervise their children as never before. Festivities include a ribbon cutting live music, food trucks, activities for kids and shuttles from various locations to get you there. Attached are more details about the schedule and shuttle locations.
Blog Post
Solar Eclipse for the Visually Impaired
by Sunny29
Solar and lunar eclipses happen everyday, but on Monday, August 21st, for the first time in almost 40 years, the path of the moon's shadow passes directly over the United States! The last time a total solar eclipse was visible across the entire contiguous United States was during the June 8, 1918 eclipse.
Viewing parties similar to the one hosted by AADL are not hard to come by, but what about those that are visually impaired? Here are two options for those that are not able to view the eclipse:
The American Council for the Blind in collaboration with Nashville-based trained audio describer Julia Cawthon, will describe the eclipse as it happens and provide a vivid “translation” of the visual event into words for the benefit of anyone who tunes in. Click here to access the broadcast, or dial 605-475-8130 and select option 4 to listen by phone.
The Eclipse Soundscape Project, from NASA's Heliophysics Education Consortium, will also deliver a multi-sensory experience of this exciting celestial event. The project includes real time audio descriptions of the eclipse, recordings of the changing environmental sounds during the eclipse, and an interactive “rumble map” app will allow users to visualize the eclipse through touch. You can download the iOs app here; an Android app will be available soon.
Blog Post
What's On MyPlate?
by Beth Manuel
One of my favorite things about summer is the opportunity to eat so many healthy fruits and vegetables! Do you feel the same? Not so much? Or yes, a whole bunch? Well, join us Thursday June 22, 2017: 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm in the Downtown Library: Secret Lab to learn more about having a healthy lifestyle beginning when you're young like you are right now!
PE-Nut (Physical Education and Nutrition) is a program that uses a holistic approach to motivate kids, parents, and families to be physically active and eat healthier.
Join us for this fun session involving games, crafts, and activities to learn about nutrition and healthy eating choices. This program is facilitated by and in partnership with the National Kidney Foundation and is intended for grades K-5.
Blog Post
Washtenaw Literacy and VISTA
by Beth Manuel
Washtenaw Literacy has been awarded two AmeriCorps VISTA positions by the Michigan Non Profit Association for 2017-2018. Click here for posting and link to application. The VISTA positions will support the development of the Community Opportunity Center by providing outreach and onsite management. Additionally, VISTAs will be working on projects to improve financial and workplace literacy for adult learners. Interviews are conducted now! For more information, contact Alison. These full-time positions begin August 8 and are a great opportunity for someone just graduating college, changing careers or newly retired. Don't miss out on a chance to have a significant local impact through VISTA service!
Blog Post
Fitness at the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living
by monkk
Are you trying to meet your fitness goals? The Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living can help! They have free open gym hours Monday through Friday from 10am to 4:30pm which includes access to an outdoor basketball hoop!
On Thursdays, May 4 through June 29th from 5:30pm to 6:30pm there will be a free Strength and Conditioning Class. Participants will learn about exercise equipment and make progress towards fitness goals in a guided session. Registration is required.
There will be a Seated Aerobics Class from May 8th to June 28th on Mondays from 10 to 11am and Wednesdays from 5 to 6pm (no class on May 17th). Don’t be fooled: This workout firms and burns much more than you’d think! It will raise your heart rate and help you burn calories, loosen up stiff joints, and increase your strength, power, flexibility and ability to perform everyday tasks. Registration is required.
They are also offering free One-on-One Fitness Consultation Sessions! During a scheduled consultation, participants will discuss fitness concerns and learn how to best approach their fitness journey.
To register or schedule a consultation email info@aacil.org.
Blog Post
Dawn Farm's Education Series Continues...
by Beth Manuel
The public is invited to Dawn Farm’s free Educational Series. All programs are presented in the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center auditorium, at 5305 Elliott Drive in Ypsilanti. You can also contact Dawn Farm at 734-485-8725 or info@dawnfarm.org. All are welcome to attend! Registration is not required.
Grief and Loss in Addiction and Recovery will be presented on Tuesday April 18, 2017, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm, by Jerry Fouchey, BS, MA, SpA, CADC; Dawn Farm Outpatient and Personal Medicine therapist; and Barb Smith, author of “Brent’s World.” Unresolved grief and loss frequently accompany people throughout the process of moving from the culture of addiction to the culture of recovery. Families of people with addiction experience grief and loss as well. The epidemic of opioid-related overdose deaths has left bereaved families across our country and our community. This program will explain theories of grief and grief recovery related to losses that people with addiction and their families experience throughout the addiction and recovery processes, and will include a personal story of grief, loss and recovery.
On Friday, April 21st, 2017 from 12:30-2:30 PM pm Dr. Kevin T. McCauley, MD; co-founder of the Institute on Addiction Study; writer of the award-winning DVD Pleasure Unwoven will present a free program on the seeming end of the drug war & rise of recovery.The last twenty years produced an explosion of understanding not only about addiction and brain research, but the most current neuroscientific research about addiction - research that explains how the brain constructs pleasurable experiences, what happens when this process goes wrong, and why this can have a dramatic impact in our ability to make proper choices. There will also be a free reception from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.