My Blind Spot announces QuickBooks Training Program for People with Visual Impairments
The My Blind Spot QuickBooks training program is designed to train individuals who are blind or visually impaired to successfully navigate the QuickBooks desktop accounting program for Windows with JAWS.
The training program has been designed for individuals with strong screen reading skills and a proficiency with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or GAAP. Candidates shall possess business accounting knowledge, a degree in accounting, or have prior professional experience as accountants or bookkeepers, who have had trouble navigating QuickBooks since losing their eyesight. This training program is not intended to teach accounting, rather it is designed to teach professionals how to implement their knowledge of accounting when navigating this business software program with Jaws.
The MBS QuickBooks Training Program is currently being offered, at no cost, to residents of New York and New Jersey exclusively. All applications will be acknowledged, but only candidates with the small business acumen, accounting/bookkeeping knowledge or financial management expertise will be invited to interview with members of the team. There will be no out of pocket costs to those candidates that qualify for and are invited to participate in the My Blind Spot QuickBooks Training Program.
Individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in accounting or bookkeeping but do not possess the skill set necessary to be selected at this juncture, are encouraged to investigate course offerings available through Hadley Institute for the Blind or through the various state Commissions for the Blind.
The MBS QuickBooks Training Program has been made possible through generous funds provided by the Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation, the Kessler Foundation, the Lavelle Fund for the Blind, the New York Community Trust Foundation and The Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation.
Individuals interested in being considered for participation in the My Blind Spot ? QuickBooks Training Program must complete the QuickBooks Training Application.
Enable Savings Plan Launches New Account Bonus Program
$50 Bonus to Benefit 50 New Account Owners
The First National Bank of Omaha and Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg have announced the kickoff of Enable's $50 New Account Bonus Program.
From September 25 through December 31, a $50 bonus contribution will be awarded to the first 50 eligible individuals who open and contribute a minimum of $50 to a new account. Accounts can be opened online or on paper and mailed to the address on the enrollment form. To claim the bonus, visit this page.
"Watching individuals with disabilities achieve financial independence with the support of the Enable Savings Plan has been truly rewarding. As the positive impact of the Plan grows, we are pleased to be able to offer a bonus to help more qualifying individuals with disabilities open and manage their own Enable accounts," said Treasurer Stenberg, Trustee of Enable.
"Fall is the perfect time to do a financial refresh, which is why we are delighted to announce the launch of this new account bonus," said Deborah Goodkin, Managing Director, Savings Plans, First National Bank of Omaha. "With so many benefits to Enable accounts, including tax-free savings and withdrawals at no risk to public benefits, there is no better time to open an account and begin the journey toward financial independence. I encourage qualifying individuals to take advantage of this offering and to join the strong and thriving Enable community."
Launched June 30, 2016, the Enable Savings Plan was one of the first national ABLE savings plans offered. Enable provides tax-free savings accounts to people with disabilities, allowing them to save without affecting their public benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
About the Enable Savings Plan
Enable is a tax-advantaged savings plan to help make saving simple and affordable for individuals with disabilities. Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg serves as Trustee. First National Bank of Omaha serves as Program Manager, and investments are approved by the Nebraska Investment Council. Visit EnableSavings.com and treasurer.nebraska.gov for more information.
American Printing House to Present Two Prestigious Awards
The American Printing House (APH) presented the Wings of Freedom Award and the Virgil Zickel Award during the opening session at APH's 150th Annual Meeting.
The Wings of Freedom Award — Dr. Michael Bina
This award is the highest honor presented by the American Printing House. The Wings Award recognizes and honors individuals who demonstrate exemplary leadership in the areas of education for rehabilitation of people who are blind or visually impaired.
Dr. Bina began his 52-year career in the field of blindness in 1966, by teaching swimming to students from the South Dakota School for the Visually Impaired while earning his bachelor's degree at Northern State University. Bina earned a Master's degree in Special Education in 1972 from California State University Los Angeles. He went on to teach O & M and coach swimming, track and field, and cross country at the Wisconsin School for the Visually Impaired.? Later he earned a doctorate from the University of Northern Colorado.
Bina has served in leadership positions at the Texas, Indiana, Hadley and Perkins schools for the blind. He has authored numerous professional journal articles, textbook chapters, and coauthored the textbook Looking Good.
In September 2018, Dr. Bina retired from The Maryland School for the Blind where he was the school's President since 2008.
The Virgil Zickel Award — Philippe Claudet
This award recognizes creative individuals whose ideas result in the development of innovative products designed to improve the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Philippe Claudet is the founder and director of Les Doigts Qui Rêvent (Fingers That Dream), a small, nonprofit in France that creates tactile books. LDQR began in 1994, with a handful of parents, to address what was termed "a book famine" — the scarcity of tactile books for young children with visual impairments, their families, and parents with visual impairments.
He built partnerships with professionals, artists, and researchers. In 1996, he established a workshop, employing individuals re-integrating into the work force following incarceration.? In 2000, Claudet organized professionals from four countries to conduct the first international tactile book competition: the final level of the 2017 competition included 61 books from 16 countries.
In 2011 Claudet presented to staff at APH. Recognizing the quality of the LDQR books, APH saw the need to offer the books through Quota funds. Seven years later, those efforts resulted in a number of award-winning tactile books. Seven titles have been made available through collaboration between APH and LDQR staff to select, translate, and transcribe books, pass international safety tests, and clear U.S. Customs inspection to be shipped to APH's docks.
Hollywood Comes Together to Support October Event Celebrating People with Different Abilities
Hollywood heavyweights including NBCUniversal, CBS, Walt Disney Studios, 21st Century Fox, SAG — AFTRA and more have joined the impressive list of sponsors for ReelAbilities Film Festival: Los Angeles 2018, taking place October 11-14, 2018 at venues across the city. Additional newly added sponsors include LA City Council President Herb Wesson and Councilmember Gilbert Cedillo, Harvard Westlake School, Familia Unida, and Respectability.
Coming to Los Angeles for the first time, ReelAbilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the United States dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with different abilities. Previously announced sponsors include the Writers Guild of America, Laemmle Theatres, The Ruderman Family Foundation, Mindful Capital Group/Jeffrey Pechter Family Foundation,?USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, Los Angeles LGBT Center, JCC Manhattan, and the Dobkin Family Foundation.
"Hearing stories from people with diverse backgrounds is a privilege that inspires us to broaden our thinking about the world around us," said Mayor Eric Garcetti. "The ReelAbilities Film Festival reminds us that every individual — no matter their ability or circumstance ? has a story worth celebrating."
The four-day festival will showcase new and classic films, conversations, and artistic programs, with 16 shorts and six features celebrating more than 13 different physical and intellectual disabilities and hailing from six different countries.
"Universal is proud to partner with ReelAbilities in their efforts to drive awareness and create access for talent with disabilities in all areas of production," said Janine Jones-Clark, SVP, Global Talent Development & Inclusion, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group.? "There couldn't be a more opportune time for ReelAbilities to bring their film festival to Los Angeles, as our studio, and the industry at large, are looking for exciting opportunities to discover and collaborate with artists from this rich pool of talent."
"CBS Entertainment Diversity & Inclusion is thrilled to be partnering with ReelAbilities to celebrate the important platform they provide for talented artists to showcase their stories to the world. The access and opportunity that this festival offers is vital in ensuring inclusivity for all artists with different abilities," said Tiffany Smith-Anoa'i, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Diversity, Inclusion and Communications, CBS Entertainment.
ReelAbilities Film Festival: Los Angeles 2018 will open with Chlo? Zhao's THE RIDER on October 11, and will close on October 14 with Len Collin's SANCTUARY. The festival will also host an October 12 special screening of HOW SWEET THE SOUND: THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA. Hungary's 2016 Oscar submission for Best Foreign Film and wildly original dark comedy KILLS ON WHEELS will screen on October 13.
Founded more than ten years ago in New York City and now held annually in multiple cities throughout North America, the festival presents international and award-winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple locations throughout each hosting city. Post-screening discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience.
Tickets and Passes
Tickets and Passes will go on sale early September. For more information please visit http://reelabilities.org/losangeles or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @ReelAbilitiesLA.
About REELABILITIES
ReelAbilities Film Festival was initiated in New York at the JCC Manhattan in 2007, founded by Anita Altman and Isaac Zablocki. The festival was the first of its kind to present a series of award-winning films by, about and for people with disabilities. As the festival progressed, screenings continued to take place at multiple venues across the city and all films are followed by discussions that engage the community in promoting inclusion and celebrating diversity, while providing accessible conditions to match the different needs of our multi-layered society.
VFO Announces Change of Name and New Headquarters Location
VFO, the parent company of such assistive technology companies as Freedom Scientific and the Paciello Group, announced a change of name to Vispero. The company saught to choose a name that better reflected its work and vision. The name is a combination of two different Latin words, Visio and Spero. Visio means "Vision" and Spero means "Hope".
In addition, the company announced it will be moving its U.S. headquarters to Clearwater Florida. With an increasing number of staff, the company needed a larger space and will now be located in a more modern office which is more conducive to a collaborative, team driven workplace. Full details on these changes can be found here.
