AFB eNews

July/August 2010

Inauguration of Continuing Education Credits for Readers of the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness

The Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) and AFB Press have joined together in an important new partnership that will benefit professionals in the visual impairment field. On July 1, selected articles in each issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment Blindness (JVIB) were made available online as sources of the continuing education units (CEUs) necessary for professional recertification by ACVREP. JVIB, the international journal of record in the visual impairment field for over 100 years, is published by AFB Press. In addition, ACVREP certificants will be offered discounted subscriptions to JVIB.

ACVREP is the primary certifying body for professionals in the visual impairment field, establishing credentialing requirements for Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS®), Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (CVRT®), and Certified Low Vision Therapists (CLVT®), each having specific eligibility requirements. The new arrangement with JVIB will provide ACVREP certificants and journal subscribers and readers with an expanded opportunity to accrue continuing education credits in an easily accessible and affordable way. ACVREP certificants and JVIB subscribers will receive a discount on associated CEU fees.

For more information about ACVREP, go to www.acvrep.org. To subscribe to JVIB, go to www.afb.org/jvib.

News and Announcements

Jo Taylor Leadership Institute (JLTLI)
Save the date, March 11-12, 2011, for the Jo Taylor Leadership Institute. The event will be held in Seattle, Washington, at the downtown Seattle Renaissance Marriott. A pre-conference will take place on March 10. Tune in to future issues of eNews for information on JLTLI registration, speakers, and related events.

Natalie Hilzen to Receive 2010 C. Warren Bledsoe Award
Natalie Hilzen, AFB Press Director and Editor in Chief, has been selected by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) to receive the prestigious 2010 C. Warren Bledsoe Award! Since 1979, the award has recognized the work of individuals promoting professional literature in the field of blindness. The Bledsoe award is named after the scholar and WWII veteran who spent his life working on behalf of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Mr. Bledsoe also worked as an editor for AFB after WWII, prior to his role at the Veterans Administration, where he was in charge of the Blind Rehabilitation Service for all veterans. The Bledsoe award will be presented in Little Rock, Arkansas on July 23. AFB congratulates Natalie Hilzen on her recognition.

Hilzen has been a professional editor of scholarly, professional, and reference books and journals for more than 35 years. She joined AFB 22 years ago and oversees AFB's publications division, AFB Press, and serves as the acquisitions and primary content development editor. As part of her work at AFB, she is the lead editor and has overseen the publication of more than 100 books and video/DVD products, as well as the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) and previously, AccessWorld. Among her numerous literary achievements, Hilzen coordinated federally funded projects such as Hand in Hand, and she published the award-winning Foundations series, the leading university textbooks on visual impairment used by special education programs both in the United States and abroad.

AER develops and promotes professional excellence through support of those who provide services to people with visual impairments. Read more about AER and the C. Warren Bledsoe Award at www.aerbvi.org/.

Judy Scott Will Be Inducted Into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame
AFB is also proud to congratulate Judy Scott, Director of the AFB Center on Vision Loss, on her induction into the Texas Woman's Hall of Fame! The Governor's Commission for Women established the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in 1984 to honor the state's most accomplished women, a group of which Scott is now a member.

Judy Scott has actively been involved in the field of aging and vision loss for over 40 years. She joined AFB in 1981, then later spearheaded the program development and capital campaign to establish the AFB Center on Vision Loss. She was appointed to the Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities in 1996 and appointed as Chair in 2007, and serves on more than ten other committees and boards dedicated to full access. She was a member of the Leadership Dallas class in 2000, past Chair of the Texas State Independent Living Council and past President of the Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Scott's efforts have helped make many significant public structures—such as the Dallas/Impaired International Airport Terminal D, Cowboys Stadium, and the American Airlines Center—more accessible for all people with disabilities.

Since its inception at the Texas Woman's University, the Texas Women's Hall of Fame exhibit has honored 122 inductees, featuring their biographies and photographs. Past inductees into the Texas Woman's Hall of Fame have included first ladies, teachers, astronauts, and athletes. Scott takes her place in the Hall during the biennial awards ceremony on September 13.

AFB Blog
Take a look at "Have an iPhone? Try Digit-Eyes," Darren Burton's recent blog on a newly released application for the iPhone. The product, Digit-Eyes, has the potential to make a trip to the store more convenient for people living with vision loss, as it is able to read standard UPC and EAN codes on products, as well as ISBN codes on books. According to Darren, "you can find out the name of nearly any product in your house or in a store using this application." Read about the perks and minor weaknesses of the Digit-Eyes application on AFB Blog.

Also, Helen Selsdon, AFB Archivist, shares her experience on her first trip to Helen Keller's birthplace, Tuscumbia, Alabama, in an exciting two-part blog post, A Pilgrimage to Helen Keller's Birthplace.

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