Athens Council of the Blind

12/15/2025

12/15/2025

Readers respond to Post articles and commentary.

12/14/2025

Happy Chanukah (or Hanukkah) to all our patrons who celebrate! Jews around the world have celebrated Chanukah for thousands of years —but as practiced in our nation, it’s developed a distinctly American flavor. You can learn more about the evolution of holiday traditions in Dianne Ashton’s “Hanukkah in America: A History (DB81412)” or listen to her 2007 talk at the Library of Congress, “Quick to the Party: Southern Jews and the Americanization of Hanukkah,” at www.loc.gov/item/2021687899?loclr=fbnls.
[Image: Hanukkah Lamp by Pietro Borrani, ca. 1830. Metropolitan Museum of Art Open Access.]

12/13/2025

"I always have at least one book going and am on the lookout for the next one,” says Dick Van D**e, who is celebrating his 100th birthday . “They feed the brain and fuel the imagination. I can't imagine life without them.”
The career of the centenarian actor, singer and dancer includes movies “Mary Poppins” (search BARD for books by P.L. Travers) and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (the novel — BR15513, DB26681—is by James Bond creator Ian Fleming) and TV’s “The Dick Van D**e Show.” For a survey of his supercalifragilisticexpialidocious career, check out “My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business: A Memoir (BRG02937, DB74349),” in which the entertainer recounts his amazing arc to worldwide fame, adventures as a father and his struggles with alcoholism. In “Keep Moving and Other Tips and Truths About Aging (DB83701),” Van D**e, then approaching his 90th birthday, shares upbeat stories and advice about life and aging, with a focus on keeping a positive attitude and never worrying about what is "age appropriate." You can also find autobiographies of Rose Marie and Mary Tyler Moore, two of his co-stars in “The Dick Van D**e Show,” on BARD.
[Image: Dick Van D**e and his TV co-star Mary Tyler Moore. Photograph by Earl Theisen. LOOK Magazine Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division.]

12/13/2025

2025 Technology Fair Presentations Are Now Available! 💻

Thank you to everyone who joined us at this year’s Technology Fair! If you missed the presentations or would like to rewatch them, you can view the available recordings on our YouTube channel linked below. Please note that we will be sharing the magnifier app presentation in the near future.

🔗 View Recorded Tech Fair Presentations: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV3RBpBmsr8ynUGYMT1S8tR_9My7-x95z&si=y-T73fxN2D-tGSdE

12/12/2025

The holidays are a time for gatherings of family, friends and folks from far and near. As you get together, share the gift of reading by telling someone you know about NLS! Can you think of a loved one for whom even large print is now too small, a student whose dyslexia is getting in the way of their favorite book series or a neighbor whose mobility restrictions make holding a book difficult? Let them know that NLS provides audio and braille books and magazines for eligible readers FREE of charge! Learn more at www.loc.gov/NLS.

[Image: An older couple hold a gift box and a cellphone as a younger woman looks on. Wonder if she's helping them download the NLS BARD Mobile app? iStock photo.]

12/11/2025

Hello, my name is Ricky Enger, and today we’re going to get some great tips for using our Alexa Amazon Echo digital assistant for a few tasks in the kitchen. If you’re not yet familiar with how to use your Echo device, check out the first couple of workshops in this series to get up to speed.

12/10/2025

Spread the word, ACB is ! We have TWO exciting positions open:

👉 Operations Administrator, who will support ACB’s advocacy and accessibility consulting program areas. This role will be based out of the Alexandria, VA, office with a hybrid work schedule (four days in office, one day remote). Learn more here:
https://www.acb.org/jobs

👉 Audio Description Project Coordinator, who will execute the day-to-day needs of the Audio Description Project of the American Council of the Blind. This is a remote position. Learn more here: https://www.acb.org/jobs

Join the ACB team and work with a dynamic organization focused on increasing the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life for all people who are blind or have low vision!

12/10/2025

Join us for the sixth annual ACB CommunityAthon! From 3pm ET on December 31 to 1am ET on January 1, we’re ringing in 2026 with connection, joy, and, ten hours of nonstop celebration on Zoom, Clubhouse, and ACB Media 4! Every gift makes a difference—and for every $25 donated, you’ll be entered into hourly prize drawings.

Support the ACB CommunityAthon here: http://bit.ly/ACBCommunity2025

12/10/2025

12/10/2025

Did you know you can open FS Companion with Voice Assistant? If the keystroke slips your mind, simply say “Hey Sharky, open FS Companion.” Our 20-minute tech tip walks you through the steps. Access it here: https://hubs.li/Q03XkT7q0