Nfb-announce] Open Source Braille Display --IndieGoGo

http://www.indiegogo.com/Open-Source-Braille-Display

The Story

This project started earlier this year when I
read a local author's book of life as a Blind
person. After contacting him, I decided I could best help by
designing a simple device to make low-cost
Braille display from a computer possible.

So Will It Change the World?

I hope so - or I wouldn't be working on it!

Braille is to the Blind as the written word is to
us sighted folk - and so Braille literacy is
vitally important. Yet according to Wikipedia, while in 1960
half of blind American schoolchildren could read
Braille, in 2007, that number had dropped to one
in ten. To improve literacy, we need to make available
more ways to access and learn Braille - and an
important one is a tool to allow the Blind to
read the vast amounts of information on the Internet.

For many years, Braille readers have done just
that. A Braille reader takes computer text and
turns it into tactile impressions of Braille characters for
the blind to 'read'. However, these devices are
expensive - thousands of dollars - and so few can
afford them. The goal of this project is to make an Open
Source/Open Hardware Braille reader: simpler,
easy to build, well documented, and inexpensive,
so people anywhere can make it themselves (or get it made
locally).

But there's a second goal: to get people doing
more. This design is meant to be simple and cheap
to build. My hope is other, smarter people will step in
and build better, faster, and more powerful
devices. But nobody is doing it now, and so
someone has to start the ball rolling.

With your help, this will be that ball...

What You Can Do

The goal is to get from the current first
prototype to a finished design for a 40-character
Braille display, complete with software, and all the details
people need to build it, placed online. To that
end, here's some of the things needed:
list of 4 items
. Small CNC machine (build or buy), to do faster
turnaround of prototype parts.
. Purchase a selection of stepper motors and
driver boards, to test different
price/performance ratios for the Braille display design.
. Get a low-cost netbook to prototype the exact
software to run a device (netbook rather than a
full computer so as to test the device in the most likely
'real world' situation).
. Materials! Prototypes use up a lot of material,
as a part can get tweaked many times, each time requiring a new piece cut
out.
list end

Make no mistake - the project IS going ahead,
whether a little or a lot of money comes in - the
difference is just the speed things happen! So when this
project is out there making the difference I hope
it will, ask yourself how good it will feel to
say 'I helped with that' - and please contribute!

Any level is appreciated, and there's some "thank yous" listed on the right
side of this page to show appreciation for your aid.

Progress will be discussed on my blog,
http://UtopiaMechanicus.com,
and designs will be made available there as they
are finished. All code and design will also be
made available for download, allowing people to make or
modify these products.

What (Else) You Can Do

Tell the world - the more people that know of
this project, the greater impact we can make.
Blog about it, tweet away, link to it, talk about it at work.
And please share this information with everyone and anyone.

Thank You.

Lion Angelo Sonnesso
Secretary
The Lions Club of Nags Head

Diabetes may increase risk for Alzheimer's

Diabetes may increase risk for Alzheimer's
Gail Sonnesso, MS, QDCP
President Nags Head Lions Club
252.480.3354

 

"People with diabetes are at significantly higher risk of developing all types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, finds a new study that bolsters previous research connecting the two illnesses." Ellin Holohan stated in a recent article in Healthday.
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life and is associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Many causes of dementia symptoms exist. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of a progressive dementia. While memory loss is widely recognized as a sign of dementia, judgment loss may be a far more serious challenge for families.
"Understanding the connection because diabetes damages blood vessels, it has long been recognized as a risk factor for vascular dementia — a type of cognitive decline caused by damaged blood vessels in the brain. Many people with cognitive decline have brain changes that are hallmarks of both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Some researchers think that each condition helps fuel the damage caused by the other." Mayo Clinic staff
Early detection and diagnosis for both will help with treatment and prevention.  The ALZ Association suggests that an estimated 1/3 of the 5.3 million US citizens with dementia go undiagnosed. Accordingly diabetes affects close to 26 million children and adults in the United States, with 7 million of them undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Prevention, alleviation and control of Diabetes and Alzheimer's include these steps:
Follow your health care team's recommendations about the best plan for monitoring your blood glucose, cholesterol level and blood pressure
Eat healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and low-fat milk and cheese.
Exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
If your doctor prescribes medication, take it on schedule
Socialize & Exercise your brain
The first step to treatment is diagnosis if you have questions about your health discuss them with your doctor. For more information about Alzheimer's disease or dementia check out The Alzheimer's Foundation of America @ www.alzfdn.org or call 866.AFA.8484.
For Information about diabetes go to the American Diabetes Association @ www.diabetes.org or You can also call our Center for Information and Community Support at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383).

 

 

Angelo Sonnesso M.A M.S.
Social Worker III

VIOLINS AND VOICES A CLASSICAL CONCERT

 

ViolinsVoices2011-bw

Violins and Voices 2011

Contact: Gail Sonnesso @ 252.480.3354

Date: Friday December 9^th 2011

Time: 7pm @ St. Andrews by the Sea, Nags Head

 

VIOLINS AND VOICES A CLASSICAL CONCERT

 

Begin the holiday season with a Classical Christmas at St. Andrews by the Sea in Nags Head on Friday Dec 9^th at 7pm. Come celebrate the season with music and song.  Please join us for a reception following the concert.

 

Get in to the spirit of the season and know that you are also supporting the G.E.M. Center and The Nags Head Lions thus enabling these non-profits to provide programs for families facing Alzheimer's disease and eye glasses those with vision problems.

 

Enjoy works of Bach, Handle, Tchaikovsky and Mozart… performed by local artists in the beautiful sanctuary of St. Andrews.

David Spangler studied at Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ, and has been a music educator for 34 years and currently resides in Manteo. David is currently the Organist for St. Andrews by the Sea. David will begin the program with "The Joy of Christmas."  

Claire Thomas 16 year old 11th grader at FFHS has been taking classical training in piano since the age of 8, including participation in college sponsored piano competitions, master classes, Outer Banks Piano Camp in NY, numerous private recitals and public performances.  Claire also plays the cello and flute and sings beautifully.  She has sung with the Outer Banks Children's Treble Choir, and the St. Thomas Girls Choristers in NYC. 

William Haresch, a 9 year old 4th grader at Kitty Hawk Elementary School, started picking out tunes on his plastic crocodile keyboard as a 4 year old.  William began formal piano training just a year ago.  In that year, he has participated in a piano competition and performed in recitals, at school, at church, and received invitations to perform for community groups. William Haresch will enchant us with "The Little Drummer Boy" on piano.

Sue Artz Renowned classically trained violinist Sue Artz grew up in Saratoga Springs, NY . She performed in symphonies all throughout her childhood and graduated with a BS degree in music performance from The College of New Paltz, NY. She has been on stage since age 6, playing for thousands over the years at various venues throughout the east coast, including Carnegie Hall with an orchestra.

Stacey Walters Is originally from Springfield, Ohio, became interested in music through her church and public schools.  Encouraged by her family to play the violin, she studied under John Smarelli, a well known musician and instructor in the state of Ohio.  Miss Walters is a graduate of Miami University. While in Cincinnati she performed with the Northern Kentucky Symphony.   Miss Walters also serves as the Choir Director at Grace Lutheran Church, Nags Head.

Dorothy Molz Since moving to the OBX seven years ago Dorothy has sung with the Outer Banks Chorale, performed with Theatre of Dare as Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan, also as Duchess of Wanchese with Gwen Cruickshanks "Duck Woods Theatre".  Presently she sings with Duck Methodist Church choir and the Outer Banks Chorus. 

 Rev. Nick Hodsdon has sung, danced, and acted professionally off Broadway, in summer stock, on TV and in video.  He performs here with The Outer Banks Chorus, Center Front and Theater of Dare, provides wedding services as both clergy and musician, and teaches guitar and recorder.

Angelo Sonnesso is a professional musician who received his MA in music from Columbia University. His styles include classical, sacred, contemporary and jazz. His lyric tenor voice and fluid keyboard style is memorable. He has performed at New York's Waldorf Astoria; The Brooklyn Academy of Music; New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and served as tenor soloist for the Church of  the Resurrection on New York's Park  Avenue.

We are pleased to have Courtney Gallop and Mike Stoffle as our MC's.   Tickets are $10 and available at the door, for further information please call Gail Sonnesso at 252.480.3354. We look forward to seeing you there!