Posts from Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library

This is a guest post by Joanne Dillon, interviewer for Visible Lives: Oral Histories of the Disability Experience at Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library.

In early March, I attended the 30th Annual International Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities, better known as CSUN. This conference is one of the year’s best opportunities to find out what’s new and interesting in accessible technology, from business to entertainment to emerging technologies and beyond.

Touching hearts with touchable, tactile Valentines at the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library.

A guest post by Joanne Dillon, interviewer for Visible Lives: Oral Histories of the Disability Experience at Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library.

This is a guest post by Joanne Dillon, interviewer for Visible Lives: Oral Histories of the Disability Experience at Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. Joanne conducted her first interview for the project with storyteller Ann Chiapetta on Saturday, December 20. After you read her post, you can listen to Joanne's interview with Ann.

Are you making your New Year's Resolutions? Is one of them to read more or to connect more with other readers? We would love to see you in the Reader's Den, NYPL's online book discussion, in 2015!

This is a guest blog post by Deena Greenberg, interviewer for Visible Lives: Oral Histories of the Disability Experience at Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. Deena conducted her first interview for the project with storyteller Daniel Aronoff on Tuesday, November 18. After you read her post, you can listen to Deena’s interview with Daniel.

On Saturday, November 22 at Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, we celebrated the launch of Visible Lives: Oral Histories of the Disability Experience, The New York Public Library’s community-based initiative to make public and preserve stories of the disability experience.

The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library is launching an oral history project that will be the largest community-based effort of its kind to collect and document stories of the disability experience, and we want you to share your story.

Andrew Heiskell Library hosted the first Technology, Culture, and Community Fair for People who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Physically Disabled, welcoming 32 vendors, 16 featured speakers, and over 200 attendees.

New biography available from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

This library provides services for blind customers in all five boroughs of New York City and Long Island.

Join the New York Public Library as we collaborate with the Children's Museum of Manhattan for the Summer Reading Challenge's Science Clubs! Educators will lead weekly workshops exploring simple machines and their unique functions.

Fotis Flevotomos, still frame from the video "Looking for a Face"I first met Fotis Flevotomos in June 2011. He had come to New York from Greece to speak on his creative process at The New York Public Library's Low Vision and Blindness Resource Fair. An experienced artist, he was able to do so many things with ease—produce art; pack, transport, and display art; speak articulately about his work as a panelist; and even find a reasonably-priced place to stay in midtown 

A few years ago, after I was diagnosed at age 47 with Stargardt disease (juvenile macular degeneration), I discovered that it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to read print. Things which I had always taken for granted such as visually scanning the headlines of a newspaper, reviewing my written financial statements and checking out the onscreen guide on my television set all caused my eyes to strain almost immediately. I could still see the print, but not without considerable discomfort. How would I be able to manage 

Come see and even touch this new art exhibition, created by adult students from the Metropolitan Museum, drawing class called "Seeing Through Drawing."

The students all have low vision or are blind, and created many of the works while listening to verbal descriptions of major works of art. There are works in pastel, collage, tape drawing, paint, wicky stick, sand, hi marker, and printmaking. The exhibition is part of the program that took place at the Andrew Heiskell Library on Saturday, June 

With my hand, I touch the outside, or contour, of a small ceramic jug, a container for cream. I slowly trace the curve of the rim, continuing to the pointed lip. I put down the jug, and pick up a piece of charcoal or a soft pastel. I draw round curves, recreating what I see in my mind's eye, moving my hand across the paper, keeping pace with my inner vision.

"Jug and Green Glass," iPad drawing by Dana SimonI return to the small jug and begin again; tracing the contours of the round, squat body. But alas, when I try to return to the spot on the paper to begin 

“Seeing with the Senses,” iPad drawing © 2013 Fotis FlevotomosThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney and the Guggenheim present "Seeing with the Senses"—an afternoon of art-making workshops, verbal description and touch tours for those with low vision or 

Hear the audio version of this blog post. Narration: Kevin Gillins. Music performed by La Capella Reial de Catalunya; Le Concert des Nations; conductor: Jordi Savall.

I am looking at Monet's Weeping Willow series and want to describe these works to people who cannot see. I think music, with its sensual and dramatic language will most elegantly convey the power of these works.

In 1791, Mozart composed in Vienna parts of what is now known as the Requiem Mass in D Minor (K. 626).