Latest News

Calling All Golfers! Join Our 2nd Annual TBBC Golf Classic

mkaplan — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:27:38 +0000

Join The New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC) at our 2nd Annual Golf Classic on June 4th at the Old York Country Club in Chesterfield, NJ. All proceeds benefit NJ's ONLY FREE public library for anyone who is blind, visually or physically impaired.

What: The 2nd Annual TBBC Golf Classic.

Taking to the Skies This Summer? ThisAbled Offers Travel Tips!

mkaplan — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:30 +0000

ThisAbled recognizes that travelling by air can pose unique travel difficulties for people with physical impairments. So, Javier Robles, TBBC member and CEO and President of ThisAbled, offers 7 helpful travel tips to ease your flying experience.

Assistive Technology Development Rocks at MIT

mkaplan — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:07:45 +0000

Assistive technology development is a priority at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The IDEAS Global Competition Project invites anyone to submit a request for addressing or developing an assistive technology need.

TBBC's Beep Baseball Star!

mkaplan — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:30:42 +0000

Elvis DeJesus, who provides Newsline support at TBBC, is also a star of Beep Baseball. He makes us all proud as a member of the New Jersey Lightning Beep Baseball team, a member of the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA). Beep Baseball allows those with vision impairments to play a game they all know and love.

TBBC is Recording Books! We Want You to Share the Spotlight!

mkaplan — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:56:56 +0000

Have you ever desired to have that five minutes of fame? The Audiovision program at the New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC) wants you to become an audiobook recording star!

TBBC at the Abilities Expo!

mkaplan — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:58:17 +0000

TBBC was at the Abilities Expo on May 3rd and 4th. What a crowd!

Support the NJ Lightning Beep Baseball Team!

mkaplan — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:09:55 +0000

Do you love baseball? You have not truly enjoyed it until you experience a Beep Baseball game designed for those with vision impairments.

Braille Smartphones at Your Service

mkaplan — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:47:52 +0000

Changes in smartphone technology are happening at a rapid pace. Advances in accessibility of these devices is a front and center issue thanks to advocates for people who have vision impairments.

Audio-guided Visual Art for the Vision-Impaired

mkaplan — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:15:01 +0000

A team of students at Harvard University is developing an unique product, called Midas Touch. Midas Touch produces 3D printing to create a tactile version of a work of art. 3D printing is not new, but Midas Touch has unique features.

TBBC Celebrates National Volunteer Week

mkaplan — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:27:45 +0000

It is National Volunteer Week, April 21st-27th, and an opportunity to thank our volunteers who help TBBC serve the print-impaired in New Jersey.

Karen Carson, TBBC's Volunteer Coordinator, honors several people who generously donate their time to TBBC:

Children of Blind Mothers Excel!

mkaplan — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 01:16:14 +0000

Science Now reported today on an interesting study of communication skills of infants of blind mothers. The study results indicate that not only do the infants develop healthy communication skills, but they may have enhanced communication skills when compared with infants of sighted parents.

Join Audiovision's Trivia Contest!

mkaplan — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:07:13 +0000

Audiovision, TBBC’s news reading and feature broadcast, has just added a New Jersey trivia question to its daily broadcast. At the beginning of the Newark Star Ledger broadcast Monday through Friday at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm, the news reader will announce the trivia question of the day. The answer will be announced at the end of the Newark Star Ledger broadcast.

Touch Tour at MOMA

mkaplan — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:02:20 +0000

The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City offers monthly touch tours to their vision-impaired guests. These MOMA tours are part of the Art Insight program. This news story interviews one person who attended the tour, Barbara Eppel.

Easter and Passover Celebrations for All

mkaplan — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:07:12 +0000

TBBC staff send their best wishes to all celebrating Easter and Passover this week. Here are several ideas on how to make your celebrations more accessible and enjoyable for the vision-impaired:

For Easter:

Pequannock Public Library: Reaching out to the Print Impaired

mkaplan — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:20:48 +0000

The Pequannock Public Library is profiled in this news story from the March 20, 2013 issue of Suburban Trends.

Braille is Literacy!

mkaplan — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:52:22 +0000

Buddy Brannan, a member of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and Vice President of the Erie Chapter of NFB-Pennsylvania, wrote a poignant piece for the February 2013 issue of Braille Monitor (Volume 56 Issue 2).

March is Women's History Month

mkaplan — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:42:22 +0000

The New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center honors women's history month! Have you heard of Braiile Without Borders? It is an international development organization which creates training programs and Braille printing centers to serve the vision-impaired.

March is MS Awareness Month

mkaplan — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:28:46 +0000

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has declared March as "MS Awareness Month." Find more information on MS, connect with local support groups, and learn how you can promote MS awareness in your community. There are two chapters that serve New Jersey:

National Federation of the Blind is Offering Scholarships!

mkaplan — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:33:47 +0000

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is offering scholarships for 2013! The application deadline is March 31, 2013.

Need Accessible IRS Tax Forms?

mkaplan — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:54:39 +0000

Yes, it is that time of the year again. Taxes, taxes, taxes. We are just one month away from the April 15th deadline for filing our income tax returns.