NYPL Blogs: Barrier-Free Library

15 Books to Celebrate Disability Pride

Estefania Velez, Library Information Assistant, Woodlawn Heights Library — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:32:50 -0400

In New York City, July is recognized as Disability Pride Month. Since 2015, this month-long commemoration has been held in honor of the landmark legislation: Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). In response to systemic discrimination and negative views on disability and chronic illness, Disability Pride is a movement that seeks to celebrate people with disabilities for who they are, as they are—no exceptions. While New York's Disability Pride Parade has been temporarily postponed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 health pandemic, you can still celebrate from home...with the help of a few great books!

Through these #OwnVoices selections, we invite you to celebrate and elevate people with disabilites, call for disability justice, and challenge ableism through reading.

If you find it hard to read standard print, The New York Public Library's Andrew Heiskell Library provides free access to talking books, talking book players, braille, a talking book download website and a free talking book and ebraille app for mobile devices. Go to nypl.org/talkingbooks to learn more and to apply.

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong

One in five people in the United States lives with a disability. Some disabilities are visible, others less apparent; but all are underrepresented in media and popular culture. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, activist Alice Wong brings together this urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people.

Accessible formats: Digital Talking Book, Braille, Bookshare

Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig

The disability advocate and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty offers an honest look at disability and its effects on identity, love, money and self-worth by processing a lifetime of memories to paint a beautiful portrait of a body that looks and moves differently. Rebekah reflects on everything from the complications of kindness and charity, living both independently and dependently, experiencing intimacy, and how the pervasiveness of ableism in our everyday media directly translates to everyday life.

Accessible formats: Digital Talking Book, Bookshare

The Pretty One by Keah Brown

Keah Brown loves herself, but that hadn't always been the case. Born with cerebral palsy, her greatest desire used to be normalcy and refuge from the steady stream of self-hate society strengthened inside her. But after years of introspection and reaching out to others in her community, she has reclaimed herself and changed her perspective. With clear, fresh, and light-hearted prose, these essays explore everything from her relationship with her able-bodied identical twin (called "the pretty one" by friends), navigating romance, her deep affinity for all things pop culture, her disappointment with the media's distorted view of disability; and her declaration of self-love with the viral hashtag #DisabledAndCute.

Accessible formats: Digital Talking Book, Bookshare

Haben: The Deafblind Woman who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Grima

Haben defines disability as an opportunity for innovation. Inspired by her parents' refugee story, she embarked on a quest for knowledge, traveling the world in search of the secret to belonging. She learned non-visual techniques for everything from dancing salsa to handling an electric saw. She developed a text-to-braille communication system that created an exciting new way to connect with people. Haben pioneered her way through obstacles, graduated from Harvard Law, and now uses her talents to advocate for people with disabilities. Warm, funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, this captivating memoir is a testament to one woman's determination to find the keys to connection.

Accessible formats: Digital Talking Book, Braille, Bookshare

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby

Whether Samantha Irby is talking about her Crohn’s disease diagnosis, detailing a disastrous pilgrimage-slash-romantic-vacation to Nashville to scatter her estranged father's ashes, sharing awkward sexual encounters or dispensing advice on how to navigate friendships with former drinking buddies who are now suburban moms, she's as deft at poking fun at the ghosts of her past self as she is at capturing powerful emotional truths.

Accessible formats: Digital Talking Book, Bookshare

Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp

Edited by the best-selling author of This Is Where It Ends, this impressive anthology of stories featuring disabled and neurodiverse characters written by authors who understand these experiences firsthand. This collection includes contributions by such leading authors as Kody Keplinger, Katherine Locke and Fox Benwell.

Accessible formats: Digital Talking Book, Braille, Bookshare

Run by Kody Keplinger

Everyone in town knows the Dickinsons are a bad lot, but Bo Dickinson doesn't care what anyone thinks. Agnes Atwood has never broken any of her parents' overbearing rules that are meant to protect their legally blind daughter. Despite everything, Bo and Agnes forge a friendship that runs truer and deeper than anything else. When Bo shows up in the middle of the night, with police sirens wailing in the distance, desperate to get out of town, Agnes doesn't hesitate to go with her. But running away and not getting caught will require stealing a car, staying ahead of the authorities, and—worst of all‚confronting some ugly secrets.

Accessible formats: Digital Talking Book, Braille, Bookshare

Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein

As if her parents' divorce and sister's departure for college weren't bad enough, fourteen-year-old Ricky Bloom has just been diagnosed with a life-changing chronic illness. Her days consist of cursing everyone out, skipping school. daydreaming about her crush, and trying to keep her parents from realizing just how bad things are. But she can't keep her ruse up forever. Ricky's afraid, angry, alone, and one suspension away from repeating ninth grade when she realizes: she can't be held back. She'll do whatever it takes to move forward—even if it means changing the person she's become.

Accessible formats: Digital Talking Book, Bookshare

The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais

Maya moves across the country and must attend a hearing school for the first time. As if that wasn't hard enough, she also has to adjust to the hearing culture, which she finds frustrating and also surprising when some classmates take time to learn ASL. As Maya looks past graduation and focuses on her future dreams, nothing, not even an unexpected romance, will not derail her pursuits. But when people in her life- Deaf and hearing alike- ask her to question parts of her Deaf identity, Maya stands proudly, never giving in to the idea that her Deafness is a disadvantage.

Accessible formats: Digital Talking Book, Braille, Bookshare

Meet Me in Outer Space by Melinda Grace

Edie Kits has a learning disability. It isn't visible, it isn't obvious, and it isn't something she likes to advertise. And for three semesters of college, her hard work and perseverance have carried her through. Edie thinks she has her disability under control until she meets her match with a French 102 course and a professor unwilling to help her out. Edie finds herself caught between getting the help she needs and convincing her professor that she isn't looking for an easy out. Luckily for Edie, she has an amazing best friend, Serena, who is willing to stitch together a plan to ensure Edie's success. And then there's Hudson, the badly dressed but undoubtedly adorable TA in her French class who finds himself pulled into her orbit...

Accessible format: Bookshare

The Degenerates by Jennifer Ann Mann

In the tradition of Girl, Interrupted, this fiery historical novel follows four young women in the early 20th century whose lives intersect when they are locked up by a world that took the poor, the disabled, the marginalized-and institutionalized them for life. Each girl is determined to change her fate, no matter what it takes.

Accessible format: Bookshare

Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty

As well as Dara’s intense connection to the natural world, Diary of a Young Naturalist captures his perspective as a teenager juggling exams, friendships, and a life of campaigning. We see his close-knit family, the disruptions of moving and changing schools, and the complexities of living with autism. “In writing this book,” writes Dara, “I have experienced challenges but also felt incredible joy, wonder, curiosity and excitement. In sharing this journey my hope is that people of all generations will not only understand autism a little more but also appreciate a child’s eye view on our delicate and changing biosphere.”

Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

In this collection of essays, Lambda Literary Award–winning writer and longtime activist and performance artist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha explores the politics and realities of disability justice, a movement that centers the lives and leadership of sick and disabled queer, trans, Black, and brown people, with knowledge and gifts for all. Care Work is a mapping of access as radical love, a celebration of the work that sick and disabled queer/people of color are doing to find each other and to build power and community, and a tool kit for everyone who wants to build radically resilient, sustainable communities of liberation where no one is left behind. Powerful and passionate, Care Work is a crucial and necessary call to arms.

Accessible formats: Digital Talking Book, Braille, Bookshare

Say Hello by Carly Findlay

Australian disability rights activist Carly Findlay shares her experience living with a genetic skin condition called Ichthyosis. Because of her condition, Findlay’s skin often appears red. When people see her facial difference, they often make rude remarks or ask invasive questions. This memoir is full of insight and wisdom Findlay has learned over the years, and stands in solidarity with other disabled people who may be experiencing the same things she has throughout her life.

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc

If every disabled character is mocked and mistreated, how does the Beast ever imagine a happily-ever-after? Amanda Leduc looks at fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm to Disney, showing us how they influence our expectations and behaviour and linking the quest for disability rights to new kinds of stories that celebrate difference.

Accessible format: Bookshare

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.

Staff Picks: Trans, Nonbinary, and GNC Reads: Accessible Version with BARD & Bookshare Links

NYPL Staff — Fri, 28 May 2021 10:24:16 -0400

Join the Library in celebrating Pride Month throughout June. As part of our celebrations, our expert librarians have curated a new reading list of 100 titles for adults, kids, and teens that highlight transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming voices.

If you find it hard to read standard print, The New York Public Library's Andrew Heiskell Library provides free access to talking books, talking book players, braille, a talking book download website, and a free talking book and e-braille app for mobile devices. Learn more and apply.

Most of the books on the Staff Picks: Trans, Nonbinary, and GNC Reads list are available in one or more accessible formats. Find links to them below.

DB = available on BARD in talkingbook format and as a mailable talking book, available via the link or by mail (call us at 212-206-5400 to order a physical copy).

BR = available on BARD in braille format and as mailable physical braille, available via the link or by mail (call us at 212-206-5400 to order a physical copy).

BK = available through Bookshare via the link. All Heiskell members can gain access to Bookshare for free.

Adults

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon: DB, BK

Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman by Abby Chava Stein: DB, BK

Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton: BK

Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex by Eric A. Stanley & Nat Smith (eds.): BK

Fairest: A Memoir by Meredith Talusan: DB, BK

Funny Boy: A Novel by Shyam Selvadurai: BK

Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein & S. Bear Bergman (eds.): BK

Grease Bats by Archie Bongiovanni: BK

Helping Your Transgender Teen: A Guide for Parents (Second Edition) by Irwin Krieger: BK

Hold Me (The Cyclone Series, Book #2) by Courtney Milan: DB, BK

I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya: BK

Lost Boi: A Novel by Sassafras Lowrey: BK

Man Alive: A True Story of Violence, Forgiveness and Becoming a Man by Thomas Page McBee: BK

Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity by Micah Rajunov & Scott Duane (eds.): BK

Rocket Fantastic: Poems by Gabrielle Calvocoressi: BK

Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story—A Memoir by Jacob Tobia: DB, BK

Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place—A Transgender Memoir by Jackson Bird: BK

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg: BK

Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me by Janet Mock: BK

The Best Bad Things: A Novel by Katrina Carrasco: DB

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang: BK, DB

The Gender Creative Child: Pathways for Nurturing and Supporting Children Who Live Outside Gender Boxes by Diane Ehrensaft, PhD: BK

The House of Impossible Beauties: A Novel by Joseph Cassara: DB, BK

The Thirty Names of Night: A Novel by Zeyn Joukhadar: BK

The Voice Book for Trans and Non-Binary People: A Practical Guide to Creating and Sustaining Authentic Voice and Communication by Matthew Mills & Gillie Stoneham: BK

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel: DB, BK

Tomboy Survival Guide by Ivan Coyote: BK

To My Trans Sisters by Charlie Craggs (ed.): BK

Trans*: A Quick and Quirky Account of Gender Variability by Jack Halberstam: BK

Transforming: The Bible & the Lives of Transgender Christians by Austen Hartke: BK

Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution by Susan Stryker: BK

Unmasked by the Marquess: The Regency Impostors by Cat Sebastian: BK

You and Your Gender Identity: A Guide to Discovery by Dara Hoffman-Fox, LPC: BK

Teens

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon: BK

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: DB, BK

Dreadnought: Nemesis—Book 1 by April Daniels: DB, BK

Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp: DB, BK

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: DB, BK

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo: DB, BK

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver: DB, BR, BK

Love Beyond Body, Space & Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology by Hope Nicholson, Erin Cossar & Sam Beiko (eds.): BK

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee: BK

Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve: BK

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi: DB, BK

Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen by Arin Andrews: BK

Spy Stuff by Matthew J. Metzger: BK

Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith: BK

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin: DB, BK

The Art of Being Normal: A Novel by Lisa Williamson: DB, BK

The Brilliant Death by A. R. Capetta: DB, BK

Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince: BK

Trans Teen Survival Guide by Owl and Fox Fisher: DB, BK

When the Moon Was Ours: A Novel by Anna-Marie McLemore: DB, BR, BK

Kids

Ana on the Edge by A. J. Sass: DB, BR, BK

George by Alex Gino: DB, BK

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee: DB, BK

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan: DB, BR, BK

My Rainbow by Trinity and DeShanna Neal, illustrated by Art Twink: DB

Red Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-li Jiang: DB

The Boy & the Bindi by Vivek Shraya, illustrated by Rajni Perera: DB

The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith: BK

The Moon Within by Aida Salazar: DB, BK

The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag: BK

When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita: BR

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller: DB, BK

Zenobia July: A Novel by Lisa Bunker: DB, BK

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Reading List: Accessible Versions with BARD & Bookshare Links

Thu, 13 May 2021 10:05:29 -0400

Join the Library in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month throughout May. As part of our celebrations, our expert librarians have curated a new reading list for adults, kids, and teens with more than 80 titles that spotlight a range of experiences within Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

If you find it hard to read standard print, The New York Public Library's Andrew Heiskell Library provides free access to talking books, talking book players, braille, a talking book download website, and a free talking book and e-braille app for mobile devices. Learn more and apply.

Most of the books on the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Reading List are available in one or more accessible formats. Find links to them below.

DB = available on BARD in talkingbook format and as a mailable talking book, available via the link or by mail (call us at 212-206-5400 to order a physical copy).

BR = available on BARD in braille format and as mailable physical braille, available via the link or by mail (call us at 212-206-5400 to order a physical copy).

BK = available through Bookshare via the link. All Heiskell members can gain access to Bookshare for free.

Adult

All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung: DB, BR, BK

Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America by Vivek Bald: BK

The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui: DB,

Bestiary: A Novel by K-Ming Chang: DB, BK

Bright Lines: A Novel by Tanaïs (née Tanwi Nandini Islam): DB, BK

Dear Girls by Ali Wong: DB, BK

Fairest: A Memoir by Meredith Talusan: DB, BK

The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America by Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman (eds.): DB, BK

Gutted by Justin Chin: BK

Homeland Elegies: A Novel by Ayad Akhtar: DB, BK

If They Come for Us: Poems by Fatimah Asghar: DB, BR, BK

The Incendiaries: A Novel by R.O. Kwon: DB, BK

Insurrecto: A Novel by Gina Apostol: DB, BK

The Leavers: A Novel by Lisa Ko: DB, BK

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong: DB, BR, BK

Monstress: Stories by Lysley Tenorio: BK

New Waves: A Novel by Kevin Nguyen: DB, BK

No-No Boy: A Novel by John Okada: BK

Not Quite Not White: Losing and Finding Race in America by Sharmila Sen: BK

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong: DB, BR, BK

Quarantine: Stories by Rahul Mehta: BK

Soft Science by Franny Choi: BK

A Tale for the Time Being: A Novel by Ruth Ozeki: DB, BK

This Is Paradise: Stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila: BK

We Too Sing America by Deepa Iyer: DB, BR, BK

What We Are: A Novel by Peter Nathaniel Malae: BK

Teens

96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy and Ava Dash: BK

After the Shot Drops by Randy Ribay: DB, BR, BK

Blue Boy: A Novel by Rakesh Satyal: BK

Born Confused byTanuja Desai Hidie: DB, BK

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo: DB, BK

Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier: DB, BK

A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai: BK

Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel: BK

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon: DB, BK

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed: DB, BK

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins: DB, BK

Kids

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan: DB, BK

Any Day with You by Mae Respicio: DB, BK

Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park: DB, BR, BK

A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin: DB, BK

Eva Evergreen: Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe: BK

Juna's Jar by Jane Bahk: BK

A Morning with Grandpa by Sylvia Liu: BK

Red Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-li Jiang: DB,

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller: DB, BK

Join the Library in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month throughout May with book recommendations, free online events, resources, and more.

Announcing the Andrew Heiskell Library Podcast: "Talkin' Talking Books"

NYPL Staff — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 16:12:02 -0500

I'm excited to welcome you to a new chapter in the life of the Heiskell Recording Studio community! We have just launched a biweekly podcast called Talkin’ Talking Books at the Andrew Heiskell Braille & Talking Book Library. Hosted by me, Heiskell Recording Studio Manager James Langton, it’s aimed at our patrons and NLS patrons nationwide. Each episode includes a guest from among library staff, volunteers and patrons for lively and light-hearted conversation about their lives and about what goes into choosing, narrating, recording, and sharing audiobooks. Included are Talking Book recommendations and excerpts to help you find your next great read.

As the Audiobook Studio manager I wanted to let people know more about the Talking Books we’re creating but also to begin a conversation about the people who make them, the people who listen to them and the people who help patrons find those books. We have a beautiful, hilarious, and touching group of people who make this world of talking books turn, and we want to connect with you all.

Do you have questions? A burning interest in what we do about hiccups? Or a desire to find someone with the deep knowledge of historical horror books needed to make your recommendations? Comment below and I will do my best to get guests who can answer all your questions. In the meantime happy listening!

Listen below to episode one. The debut episode features Broadway actress Corinne Melançon discussing highlights of her acting career and the five books she has narrated so far as a volunteer for the NLS program.

New York Public Library · Talkin' Talking Books at the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Books Library

125 NYC Books We Love: Accessible Version with BARD & Bookshare Links

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

As we wrap up our 125th anniversary year, The New York Public Library is showing appreciation for our dynamic city with essential reads for adults, teens and kids that reflects its diversity, energy, and life. Many of the books on the 125 NYC Books We Love list are available in one or more accessible formats. Find links to them below.

Note that DB = available on BARD in talkingbook format and as a mail-able talking book, and BR = available on BARD in braille format and as mail-able physical braille. These formats are available through the links, or call us at 212-206-5400 to order a physical copy through the mail. Some titles are available through Bookshare and can be found through the Bookshare (BK) link under that title. All Heiskell members can gain access to Bookshare for free.

DB (digital talkingbook) / BR (braille) / BK (Bookshare)

Adults

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton: DB, BR, BK

The Andy Warhol Diaries by Andy Warhol: DB, BK

Another Country by James Baldwin: DB, BK

Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quiñonez: DB, BK

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe: DB, BR, BK

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote: DB, BR, BK

The Bridge by Hart Crane: DB, BK

Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paule Marshall: BK

Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang: BK

Chelsea Girls by Eileen Myles: BK

Chinatowns of New York City by Wendy Wan-Yin Tan: BK

The Chosen by Chaim Potok: DB, BK

City Boy: My Life in New York During the 1960s and '70s by Edmund White: DB

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin: DB, BK

The Collected Works of Langston Hughes: DB, BK

The Colossus of New York: A City in Thirteen Parts by Colson Whitehead: BK

Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan by Rem Koolhaas: BK

Dominicana by Angie Cruz: DB

Downtown: My Manhattan by Pete Hamill: BK

Five Points: The 19th Century New York City Neighborhood That Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World's Most Notorious Slum by Tyler Anbinder: BK

The Gay Metropolis: The Landmark History of Gay Life in America by Charles Kaiser: BK

Gay New York by George Chauncey: DB, BK

The Good Rat: A True Story by Jimmy Breslin: BK

Here Is New York by E.B. White: DB, BK

Jazz by Toni Morrison: DB, BR, BK

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City by Jonathan Mahler: DB

Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980–1983 by Tim Lawrence: BK

Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York by Luc Sante: DB, BK

The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos: DB, BK

Manhattan Transfer by John Dos Passos: DB, BK

The Maples Stories by John Updike: DB, BK

Metropolitan Life by Fran Lebowitz: DB

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem: DB, BK

Native New Yorkers by Evan T. Pritchard: BK

Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee: DB, BK

97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman: BK

Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art by Mary Gabriel: BK

102 Minutes: The Unforgettable Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers by Jim Dwyer: DB

Open City by Teju Cole: DB, BR, BK

Poems of New York by Elizabeth Schmidt (editor): BK

Poet in New York by Federico García Lorca: BK

The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker / Marion Meade: DB, BR

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro: DB, BK

A Puerto Rican in New York, and Other Sketches by Jesus Colon: BK

Queer Street: Rise and Fall of an American Culture, 1947-1985 by James McCourt: BK

A Rage In Harlem by Chester Himes: DB, BK

Slaves of New York by Tama Janowitz: DB

The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever: DB, BK

Times Square Red, Times Square Blue by Samuel R. Delany: BK

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith: DB, BR, BK

Triangle: The Fire that Changed America by David Von Drehle: DB, BK

Up in the Old Hotel and Other Stories by Joseph Mitchell: DB, BK

A Walker in the City by Alfred Kazin: DB

When Brooklyn Was Queer by Hugh Ryan: DB, BK

When Harlem Was in Vogue by David Levering Lewis: DB

Zami by Audre Lorde DB, BR, BK

Teens

Audacity by Melanie Crowder: DB, BK

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes: DB, BR, BK

Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina: DB, BK

Color Me In by Natasha Diaz: DB, BK

The Diviners by Libba Bray: DB, BK

Hope & Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum: DB, BK

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson: DB, BK

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian: DB, BR, BK

145th Street: Short Stories by Walter Dean Myers: DB, BR, BK

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo: DB, BR, BK

Pride by Ibi Zoboi: DB, BK

Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream by Ibtihaj Muhammad: DB, BK

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older: DB, BR, BK

Skywalkers: Mohawk Ironworkers Build the City by David Weitzman: DB

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon: DB, BR, BK

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Slivera: DB, BK

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds: DB, BK

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins: DB, BK

Kids

Abuela by Arthur Dorros: BK

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson: DB, BK

City Shapes by Diana Murray, illustrated by. Bryan Collier: BK

Cricket in Times Square by George Selden: DB, BR, BK

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh: DB, BR, BK

Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers: DB, BK

Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love: BK

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar: DB, BK

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber: DB, BK

My Chinatown: A Year in Poems by Kam Mak: DB, BK

New Kid by Jerry Craft: DB

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe: DB, BR, BK

The Roots of Rap by Carole Boston Weatherford: BR, BK

Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson: DB, BR

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore: DB, BR, BK

Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution by Rob Sanders: DB

Stuart Little by E.B. White: DB, BR, BK

Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold: BR, BK

Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo by Monica Brown: DB, BK

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Glaser: DB, BK

Discover the full list of 125 NYC Books We Love.

NYPL's Best Books of 2020: Accessible Versions with BARD & Bookshare Links

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Our expert librarians selected the year's best books for kids, teens, and adults. You can find the full lists on our Best Books of 2020 page. Many of these books are available in an accessible format and we've put links to those below.

If you find it hard to read standard print, The New York Public Library's Andrew Heiskell Library provides free access to talking books, talking book players, braille, a talking book download website and a free talking book and e-braille app for mobile devices. Go to nypl.org/talkingbooks to learn more and to apply.

Note that DB = available on BARD in talking book format and as a mailable talking book, and BR = available on BARD in braille format and as mailable physical braille. These formats are available through the links, or you can call us at 212-206-5400 to order a physical copy through the mail. Some titles are available through Bookshare and can be found through the Bookshare (BK) link under that title. All Heiskell members can gain access to Bookshare for free.

DB (digital talkingbook) / BR (braille) / BK (Bookshare)

Adults

The Abstainer: A Novel by Ian McGuire: DB, BK

Apeirogon: A Novel by Colum McCann: DB, BK

The Awkward Black Man: Stories by Walter Mosley: BK

The Bear by Andrew Krivak: DB

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse: BK

The Boatman's Daughter: A Novel by Andy Davidson: DB, BK

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall: DB, BK

A Burning: A Novel by Megha Majumdar: DB, BR, BK

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson: DB, BK

A Children's Bible: A Novel by Lydia Millet: DB,BR, BK

The City We Became: A Novel by N. K. Jemisin: DB, BK

The Cold Millions: A Novel byJess Walter: BK

Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Ford: BK

Deacon King Kong: A Novel by James McBride: DB, BK

Death in Her Hands: A Novel byOttessa Moshfegh: DB, BK

Desert Notebooks: A Road Map for the End of Time by Ben Ehrenreich: DB

Don't Look for Me: A Novel by Wendy Walker: BK

Eat a Peach: A Memoir by David Chang with Gabe Ulla: BK

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo: BR

F*ckface: And Other Stories by Leah Hampton: BK

Finna: Poems by Nate Marshall: BK

The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle: BK

The Glass Hotel: A Novel by Emily St. John Mandel: DB, BR, BK

The Great Offshore Grounds: A Novel by Vanessa Veselka: BK

Gut Botany by Petra Kuppers: BK

Hamnet: A Novel of the Plague by Maggie O'Farrell: DB, BK

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots: BK

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories by Ken Liu: DB, BK

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker: DB, BK

Homie: Poems by Danez Smith: DB, BK

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall: DB, BR, BK

How Much of These Hills Is Gold: A Novel by C Pam Zhang: DB, BK

Hurricane Season: A Novel by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes: DB, BR, BK Spanish BK

I Hold a Wolf by the Ears: Stories by Laura van den Berg: BK

If I Had Two Wings: Stories by Randall Kenan: BK

Indelicacy: A Novel by Amina Cain: BK

Inheritors by Asako Serizawa: BK

Interior Chinatown: A Novel by Charles Yu: DB, BK

Intimations: Six Essays by Zadie Smith: DB, BK

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab: BK

Jack by Marilynne Robinson: DB, BK

Leave the World Behind: A Novel by Rumaan Alam: BK

Likes by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum: BK

Little Eyes: A Novel by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell: DB, BK

Long Bright River: A Novel by Liz Moore: DB, BR, BK

Luster by Raven Leilani: DB, BK

Magdalena: River of Dreams: A Story of Colombia by Wade Davis: BK

Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Trethewey: DB, BK

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: BK

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong: DB, BK

Missionaries: A Novel by Phil Klay: BK

My Autobiography of Carson McCullers: A Memoir by Jenn Shapland: BK

My Baby First Birthday: Poems by Jenny Zhang: BK

New Waves: A Novel by Kevin Nguyen: DB, BK

The Next Great Migration by Sonia Shah: DB

The Only Good Indians: A Novel by Stephen Graham Jones: DB, BK

Real Life: A Novel by Brandon Taylor: DB, BR, BK

Shadowplay: A Novel by Joseph O'Connor: DB

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires: A Novel by Grady Hendrix: DB, BK

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson: DB, BK

Temporary: A Novel by Hilary Leichter: DB

The Thursday Murder Club: A Novel by Richard Osman: BK

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini: BK

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey: DB, BK

The Vanishing Half: A Novel by Brit Bennett: DB, BR, BK

Verge: Stories by Lidia Yuknavitch: DB, BK

Vesper Flights: New and Collected Essays by Helen Macdonald: DB, BK

Weather: A Novel by Jenny Offill DB, BK

Writers & Lovers: A Novel by Lily King: DB, BR, BK

The Year of the Witching: A Novel by Alexis Henderson: DB, BK

You Will Never Be Forgotten: Stories by Mary South: DB

The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein: DB

These Ghosts Are Family: A Novel by Maisy Card: DB, BK

Bestiary: A Novel by K-Ming Chang: BK

Memorial: A Novel by Bryan Washington: BK

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio: DB, BK

The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda: DB

Teens

All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson: DB, BK

Apple (Skin to the Core): A Memoir in Words and Pictures by Eric Gansworth: BK

Be Not Far from Me by Mindy McGinnis: BK

Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard by Echo Brown: DB, BK

Burn by Patrick Ness: BK

Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe: BK

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo: DB, BK

Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey: BK

Fable by Adrienne Young: BK

Felix Ever After by Kacen CallenderFights by Joel Christian Gill: DB, BK

Forget This Ever Happened by Cassandra Rose Clarke: BK

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez: BK

Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights by Karen Blumenthal: DB

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn: BK

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia & Anna-Marie McLemore: BK

Most Likely by Sarah Watson: DB, BR, BK

Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles: BK

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam: BK

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko: DB

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold: DB, BK

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi: DB, BR, BK

Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: BK

This Is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew: BK

The New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli, Concrete Kids by Amyra Léon: BK

Imaginary Borders by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez: BK

Taking on the Plastics Crisis by Hannah Testa: BK

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon: BK

Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert: DB

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon: BK

Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite by Zoraida Córdova & Natalie C. Parker: BK

Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour: BK

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee: BK

We Are Not from Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez: DB, BK

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed: BK

You Call This Democracy?: How to Fix Our Government and Deliver Power to the People by Elizabeth Rusch: BK

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson: DB, BK

Kids

Any Day with You by Mae Respicio: DB, BK

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson: DB, BK

Beyond Me by Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu: BK

Big Papa and the Time Machine by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Shane W. Evans: DB

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman: DB, BK

The Brave by James Bird: DB, BK

City Spies by James Ponti: DB, BK

The Deep and Dark Blue by Niki Smith: BK

Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros: BK

Eva Evergreen: Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe: BK

Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri: BK

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley: DB, BK

Finish the Fight! The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote by Veronica Chambers: DB, BK

The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf: BK

Guardians of Liberty: Freedom of the Press and the Nature of News by Linda Barrett Osborne: DB

A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner: BK

I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James: DB

The Inside Battle by Melanie Sumrow: BK

Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar: BK

Lift by Minh Le, illustrated by Dan Santat: BK

Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan, illustrated by Saffa Kahn: BK

Magnificent Homespun Brown by Samara Cole Doyon, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita: BK

Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz RyanTitle: BK, Spanish BK

Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker, illustrated by April Harrison: BR

Nonsense! The Curious Story of Edward Gorey by Lori Mortensen, illustrated by Chloe Bristol: BR

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, illustrated by Oge Mora: BR

On the Horizon by Lois Lowry, illustrated by Kenard Pak: BK

Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian, illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik: BK

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park: BK

The Radium Girls: The Scary But True Story of the Poison That Made People Glow In the Dark by Kate Moore: BK

Show Me A Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte: BK

Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake, illustrated by Jon Klasson: BK

A Sporting Chance: How Ludwig Guttman Created the Paralympic Games by Lori Alexander, illustrated by Allan Drummond: BK

The Talk: Conversations About Race, Love, and Truth by Wade Hudson & Cheryl W. Hudson (eds): BK

A Thousand Questions by Saadia Faruqi: BK

The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas: BK

Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson, illustrated by Nina Mata: DB

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly: DB, BK

What Sound Is Morning? by Grant Snider: BK

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed: DB

When You Trap A Tiger by Tae Keller: DB, BK

Wink by Rob Harrell: BK

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat: DB

Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne, with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood: DB

Explore the Best Books of 2020.

NYPL's 2020 Essential Reads on Feminism for Adults: Accessible Version with BARD & Bookshare Links

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 11:20:17 -0500

One hundred years after the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, making some American women eligible to vote under federal law, The New York Public Library presents its list of Essential Reads on Feminism. The list includes first-hand accounts and histories of the suffrage movement that chronicle both its successes and its limitations—particularly for women of color—as well as contemporary essays on how feminism intersects with race, class, education, and LGBTQ+ activism. From personal memoirs to historical overviews, featuring writing by seminal figures and lesser-known pioneers, the list traces the development of the feminist ideas that have powered the campaign for gender equality, in all its complexity and boldness. While far from complete, the list nevertheless provides a starting point for learning about the history of feminism and for exploring the issues and challenges that many women face today.

Most of the books on 2020 Essential Reads on Feminism for Adults are available in one or more accessible formats. Find links to them below.

DB (digital talkingbook) / BR (braille) / BK (Bookshare)

Ain’t I a woman: Black women and feminism by bell hooks: BK

All bound up together by Martha S. Jones: BK

America’s Women by Gail Collins: DB, BK

Antigone Rising: The Subversive Power of the Ancient Myths by Helen Morales: BK

The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson: BK

The Art of Feminism by Lucinda Gosling, Hilary Robinson, Amy Tobin, Helena Reckitt, and Maria Balshaw: BK

Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi: DB, BK

Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay: DB, BR, BK

Because of Sex By Gillian Thomas: BK

Becoming by Michelle Obama: DB, BR, BK

Betrayal and Other Acts of Subversion by Leslie Bow: BK

Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China by Leta Hong Fincher: BK

The Birth of Chinese Feminism by Lydia Liu, Rebecca Karl, and Dorothy Ko: BK

Black Feminism Reimagined: After Intersectionality by Jennifer C. Nash: BK

Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins: BK

Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton: BK

The Black Woman: An Anthology by Toni Cade Bambara (ed.): BK

A Black Women's History of the United States by Diana Ramey Berry, Kali N. Gross: DB, BK

Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa: BK

Born Both: An Intersex Life by Hida Viloria: DB, BR, BK

But Some of Us Are Brave by Akasha (Gloria T.) Hull, Patrica Bell Scott, Barbara Smith: BK

Captive genders : trans embodiment and the prison industrial complex by Eric A. Stanley and Nat Smith: BK

Critically Sovereign by Joanne Barker: BK

Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells by Ida B. Wells: BK

Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine: BK

Deviations: A Gayle Rubin Reader by Gayle S. Rubin: BK

Ecofeminist Natures by Noel Sturgeon: BK

Ecological Borderlands by Christina Holmes: BK

Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper: BK

Everyday Sexism: The Project That Inspired a Worldwide Movement by Laura Bates: BK

Fairest: A Memoir by Meredith Talusan: BK

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan: DB, BK

Feminism for the 99%: A Manifesto by Nancy Fraser, Cinzia Arruzza, and Tithi Bhattacharya: BK

Feminism Unfinished by Dorothy Sue Cobble, Linda Gordon, and Astrid Henry: BK

The Feminist Promise: 1792 to the Present by Christine Stansell: BK

Funk the Erotic: Transaesthetics and Black Sexual Cultures by L.H. Stallings: BK

Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity by Judith Butler: BK

Gender, Development, and Globalization by Lourdes Benería, Günseli Berik and Maria Floro: BK

Gilded Suffragists by Johanna Neuman: BK

Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution by Sara Marcus: BK

Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger by Rebecca Traister: DB, BK

The Good Girls Revolt by Lynn Povich: DB, BK

Gyn/Ecology: The Metaethics of Radical Feminism by Mary Daly: BK

The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers by Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman: DB, BK

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall: DB, BR, BK

How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor: BK

I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya: BK

In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose by Alice Walker: DB, BK

The Industrial Vagina by Sheila Jeffreys: BK

Intercourse by Andrea Dworkin: BK

Law, Gender & Injustice: A Legal History of U.S. Women by Joan Hoff: BK

Male Daughters, Female Husbands by Ifi Amadiume: BK

Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit: BK

Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait? By Tina Cassidy: BK

My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor: DB, BR, BK (In Spanish DB)

My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem: DB, BK

The Myth of Seneca Falls by Lisa Tetrault: BK

Native Country of the Heart: A Memoir by Cherríe Moraga: BK

Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers by Lillian Faderman: BK

Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution by Adrienne Rich: DB, BK

Other Powers by Barbara Goldsmith: BK

Our Bodies, Ourselves: A New Edition for a New Era by The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective: DB

Our Mothers' War by Emily Yellin: DB, BR, BK

Out to Work: A History of Wage-Earning Women in the United States by Alice Kessler-Harris: BK

A Politically Incorrect Feminist by Phyllis Chesler: BK

Quiet Rumours: An Anarcha-Feminist Reader by Dark Star Collective : BK

Reclaiming Our Space by Feminista Jones: BK

Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood by Janet Mock: DB, BK

Regulating the Lives of Women by Mimi Abramovitz: BK

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life by Jane Sherron De Hart: DB, BK

The Sacred Hoop by Paula Gunn Allen: BK

SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas: BK

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvior: DB, BK

Sex Object: A Memoir by Jessica Valenti: BK

Sexual Politics by Kate Millett: DB, BK

She Had Some Horses: Poems by Joy Harjo: BK

She Said by Jodie Kantor and Megan Twohey: DB, BK

Sister Outsider: Essays & Speeches by Audre Lorde: DB, BK

Song in a Weary Throat: Memoir of an American Pilgrimage by Pauli Murray: DB, BK

Southern Women: Black and White in the Old South by Sally G. McMillen: BK

Spill: Scenes of Black Feminist Fugitivity by Alexis Pauline Gumbs: BK

Suffrage: Women's Long Battle for the Vote by Ellen Carol DuBois: DB, BK

Tendencies by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick: BK

Thank You for Voting by Erin Geiger Smith: BK

This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by Gloria Anzaldúa and Cherríe Moraga: DB, BK

Transgressive: A Trans Woman on Gender, Feminism, and Politics by Rachel Anne Williams: BK

A Voice from the South by Anna Julia Cooper: BK

Want to Start a Revolution? by Dayo F. Gore, Jeanne: BK

War Echoes By Ariana E. Vigil: BK

Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments by Saidiya Hartman: BK

We Should All Be Feminists By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: DB, BR, BK

When and Where I Enter by Paula Giddings: BR, BK

Whipping Girl by Julia Serano: BK

Why They Marched by Susan Ware: BK

The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston: DB, BK

China Men by Maxine Hong Kingston: DB, BK

The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss: DB, BK

Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard: BD, BR, BK

Women of Color and the Reproductive Rights Movement by Jennifer Nelson: BK

Women Will Vote: Winning Suffrage in New York State by Susan Goodier & Karen Pastorello: DB, BK

The Women's Suffrage Movement by Sally Roesch Wagner (editor): BK

NYPL's 2020 Election Reading List: Accessible Version with BARD & Bookshare Links

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 16:31:26 -0400

As New Yorkers prepare for Election Day on November 3, The New York Public Library is proud to present its 2020 Election Reading List. The books on this list illuminate voting issues including healthcare, education, climate change, and foreign policy, and explore subjects including political polarization, the media, and movements toward greater justice and socioeconomic equity. Make an informed decision. Read as if your vote depends on it.

If you find it hard to read standard print, The New York Public Library's Andrew Heiskell Library provides free access to talking books, talking book players, braille, a talkingbook download website and a free talking book and ebraille app for mobile devices. Go to nypl.org/talkingbooks to learn more and to apply.

Most of the books on the 2020 Election Reading List are available in one or more accessible formats. Find links to them below.

DB (digital talkingbook) / BR (braille) / BK (Bookshare)

Climate Change

As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice from Colonization to Standing Rock by Dina Gilio-Whitaker: DB, BK

The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption by Richard J. Lazarus: DB

The Rule of Five: Making Climate History at the Supreme Court by Richard J. Lazarus: BK

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert: DB, BR, BK

A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind by Harriet A. Washington: DB, BK

This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein: DB, BK

The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells: DB, BK

Economy

Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor by Steven Greenhouse: DB, BK

Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein: DB, BK

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder: DB, BR, BK

Education

Human Targets: Schools, Police, and the Criminalization of Latino Youth by Victor M. Rios: BK

Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique W. Morris: BK

The Schoolhouse Gate: Public Education, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for the American Mind by Justin Driver: DB, BK

Foreign Policy

Clear & Present Safety: The World Has Never Been Better and Why That Matters to Americans by Michael A. Cohen & Micah Zenko: BK

The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen: BK

Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas: DB, BK

Gun Control

An American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago by Alex Kotlowitz: DB, BK

Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives by Gary Younge: BK

Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation by Andrew Marantz: DB, BK

Health

Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World by Laura Spinney: DB, BK

The Poisoned City: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy by Anna Clark: DB, BK

Immigration

America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States by Erika Lee: BK

The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life by Lauren Markham: DB, BK

No Justice in the Shadows: How America Criminalizes Immigrants by Alina Das: BK

Sand and Blood: America's Stealth War on the Mexico Border by John Carlos Frey: DB, BK

Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions by Valeria Luiselli: DB, BK

We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future by Deepa Iyer: DB, BK

LGBTQ+

Going Stealth: Transgender Politics and U.S. Surveillance Practices by Toby Beauchamp: BK

Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States by Samantha Allen: DB, BK

Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality by Sarah McBride: DB, BK

Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements by Charlene A. Carruthers: BK

Media

Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Sherry Turkle: BK

A People's Art History of the United States: 250 Years of Activist Art and Artists Working in Social Justice Movements by Nicolas Lampert: BK

Political Junkies: From Talk Radio to Twitter, How Alternative Media Hooked Us on Politics and Broke Our Democracy by Claire Bond Potter: BK

Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power by Anna Merlan: BK

Polarization

Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer: DB, BK

How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them by Jason Stanley: DB, BK

Lost in the USA: American Identity from the Promise Keepers to the Million Mom March by Deborah Gray White: BK

Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt by Sarah Jaffe: DB, BK

The Paranoid Style in American Politics, and Other Essays by Richard Hofstadter: BK

Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right—A Journey to the Heart of Our Political Divide by Arlie Russell Hochschild: DB, BK

What You Should Know About Politics… But Don't: A Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues that Matter by Jessamyn Conrad: BK

What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America by Thomas Frank: DB, BK

Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein: DB, BK

Policing

American Prison: A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer: DB, BK

Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor by Virginia Eubanks: DB, BK

Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration by Emily Bazelon: DB, BK

From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America by Elizabeth Hinton: DB, BK

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander: DB, BK

Race

An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz: DB, BR, BK

Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.: BK

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson: DB, BK

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine: DB, BR, BK

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein: DB, BK

Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.: BK

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics by Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway et al.: DB, BK

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob: DB, BR, BK

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon: DB, BR, BK

The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism by Howard Bryant: DB, BK

His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meacham: BK

Latino America: How America's Most Dynamic Population Is Poised to Transform the Politics of the Nation by Matt Barreto & Gary M. Segura: DB, BK

Latinx: The New Force in American Politics and Culture by Ed Morales: BK

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi: DB, BR, BK

Sweet Land of Liberty: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North by Thomas J. Sugrue: DB, BK

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates: DB, BK

Voting

Ballots, Babies, and Banners of Peace: American Jewish Women's Activism, 1890–1940 by Melissa R. Klapper: DB, BK

Fraud of the Century: Rutherford B. Hayes, Samuel Tilden, and the Stolen Election of 1876 by Roy Morris, Jr.: DB, BR, BK

Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America by Ari Berman: DB, BK

The Hidden History of the War on Voting: Who Stole Your Vote—and How to Get It Back by Thom Hartmann: BK

Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College by Jesse Wegman: DB

One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy by Carol Anderson: DB, BK

Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams: DB, BK

Say It Louder!: Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy by Tiffany D. Cross: BK

Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy by David Daley: BK

Women & Gender

Colonize This!: Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism by Daisy Hernández & Bushra Rehman (eds.): BK

Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger by Rebecca Traister: DB, BK

Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller: DB, BR, BK

Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment by Linda Hirshman: BK

See Jane Win: The Inspiring Story of the Women Changing American Politics by Caitlin Moscatello: DB, BK

The following titles appear in NYPL's original Election Reading list and are available through the catalog or as an e-book or e-audiobook via the Library's free e-reader app, SimplyE.

Climate Changed: A Personal Journey Through the Science by Philippe Squarzoni (e-book)

Cutting School: The Segrenomics of American Education by Noliwe Rooks

Where We Live: A Benefit for the Survivors in Las Vegas by Will Dennis (ed.)

Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond by Sonia Shah (e-book, e-audiobook)

The Most Dangerous Branch: Inside the Supreme Court in the Age of Trump by David A. Kaplan (e-book)

Blackballed: The Black Vote and US Democracy by Darryl Pinckney (e-book)

Defining Democracy: Electoral Reform and the Struggle for Power in New York City by Daniel O. Prosterman (e-resource)

Drawing the Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Voting in America by Tommy Jenkins (e-book)

On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights by Lawrence Goldstone (e-book)

Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All by Martha S. Jones (e-book)

In a Day's Work: The Fight to End Sexual Violence Against America's Most Vulnerable Workers by Bernice Yeung (e-book)

Feast Your Ears on Audiobooks, Audio Magazines, Concerts, Classic Radio, and More to Keep You Busy If You Don't Read Standard Print

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 13:40:16 -0400

NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1643310

Do you find it difficult to read standard print text? Even while the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library (nypl.org/talkingbooks) is closed and our mail service is on hiatus, we can help you find things to keep you busy.

For anyone—registered with us or not—there are great options.

Want something different?

Did you know you can listen to classic old time radio shows over the internet? Find them in the Old Time Radio section of Archive.org

Or enjoy offeerings from some premier musical venues for free from home.

Opera buff? The Metropolitan Opera is offering free nightly opera performances streaming from its archive.

Like classical music? The Berlin Philharmonic is offering free access to its digital concert hall.

And here is a big list of streaming orchestras from around the world.

Musical theater geek? Here's a list from Playbill of Broadway stage shows that have been filmed that you can watch or listen to from home.

More of a rock or country fan? NPR is keeping a list of live streaming concerts by genre and date .

If you want reading material here are some ways we can help:

If you are registered with us and in need of something to read and you have access to a computer, tablet, mobile device, or third party player with internet capabilities, please make use of our BARD download website nlsbard.loc.gov and BARD mobile app (available in the app store or google play store, on on kindle fire devices), which allow you to access all of our talking books and digital braille files. You can find out more and sign up at nlsbard.loc.gov.

You also may be interested in listening to newspapers and magazines over the phone (even a landline phone) through National Federation of the Blind's Newsline program. For more information call: 866-504-7300.

Or call the Xavier Society for the Blind at 800-637-9193 to find out the books they can offer you. They have a focus on Catholic, Christian, and spiritual books.

You can also get audiobooks from JBI Library which focuses on popular books and books related to Jewish history and culture. Call 800-433-1531 to find out about their own offerings.

We wish you all good listening.

Job and Employment Links for the Week of October 28

Magdalene Chan, Thomas Yoseloff Business Center at SNFL — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 09:43:10 -0400

The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is the only non-regulatory federal agency that promotes policies, and coordinates with employers and all levels of government, to increase workplace success for people with disabilities.

To develop and influence disability employment-related policies and practices, ODEP sponsors the following five policy development and technical assistance resources:

Employer Assistance Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) helps employers recruit, hire, retain, and advance people with disabilities. In addition to hosting webinars and other events, EARN maintains the website AskEARN.org, which provides information on recruiting and hiring; retention and advancement; laws and regulations; creating an accessible and welcoming workplace; and federal contractor requirements.
Job Accommodation Network (JAN), the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.
National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD Center), a collaborative of disability, workforce, and economic empowerment organizations led by the National Disability Institute. The LEAD Center is dedicated to advancing sustainable individual- and systems-level change to improve competitive, integrated employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults across the spectrum of disabilities.
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), a partnership to promote success for youth with disabilities entering the world of work. The NCWD/Youth website houses numerous youth-focused resources, developed in collaboration with ODEP, including the Guideposts for Success and extensive information related to career development, professional development, and youth development and leadership.
Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) promotes the employment, retention, and career advancement of people with disabilities through the development, adoption, and promotion of accessible technology.

Employment Programs

West Harlem Group Assistance, Inc. will present a Job and Resource Fair on Monday, October 29, 2018, 10 AM-1 PM at 127 West 127th Street, New York, NY 10027. The Job and Resource Fair connects you with employment, training, and local organizations. Information also includes home ownership, culinary arts, credit counseling, and various local resources to choose from, from entry level to senior management positions. Arrive early and be prepared.

Community, Culture and Technology Fair: Wednesday, November 7, 12:30 PM-5:00 PM at the New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Celeste Bartos Forum, entrance on 42nd Street, west of 5th Avenue. The Fair will include: cultural institutions, plus educational, employment, advocacy, arts, recreation, technology, and support organizations; fun, accessible art activities and demonstrations of new adaptive technology; speakers on employment resources; individual consultations and headshots. Many of the tablers will have information on this year's added theme of employment, volunteering, and skills-building. Verbally described touch tours of the historic Stephen A. Schwarzman building will be offered at 2:15 PM and 4:15 PM. ASL interpretation and real-time (CART) captioning available upon request; please submit yours at least two weeks in advance, by emailing accessibility@nypl.org.

CUNY TechWorks and The Borough of Manhattan Community College Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development are now offering qualified participants a "no cost" 22-week computer training program in Computer Netwotk Support. As IT jobs continue to grow, the need for people to learn the latest technology and become certified as skilled professionals remains in high demand. To prepare for today's competitive workforce, students will go through a series of career development workshops in soft skills training, resume preparation, and mock interviews. Participants will meet industry leaders and graduates of this program, who will share best practices on how to be successful in the IT field. Upon completion of the training, students can earn four college credits towards their associate's degree and graduates will be referred to jobs. The fourth cohort is scheduled to start November 5, 2018.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) presents BBB Live X1: BBB invites bilingual volunteers to a Consumer Protection "Call-In" Program: Protecting Yourself from Work-at-Home Scams, Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at BBB Office, 30 East 33rd Street, 12th Floor, Manhattan. Volunteer for one or more of the two call-answering shifts: 2 PM-7 PM and 3 PM-8 PM. Refreshments, resources, and training will be provided. Calls will be answered in Spanish, and each shift begins with training in English. It is especially important to have trained volunteers in place and ready to help callers from 5 PM to 7:30 PM, when most calls will come in. BBB is happy to work with volunteers on shift timing and length. For more information, please contact Luana Lewis at 212-358-2842 or email llewis@newyork.bbb.org. See more details and sign up here.

Apply for an Individual Training Grant (ITG). The grant pays for tuition, registration fees, testing fees, and books for in-demand trainings. ITGs are only available for training in certain occupations and at eligible training providers. Find out more about eligible occupations and training providers.

ApprenticeNYC for CNC Machinists. ApprenticeNYC is a paid full-time apprenticeship opportunity that provides classroom-based technical training and on-the-job training to help New York City job seekers develop in-demand skills in a long-term occupation with high growth potential. The computer numerically controlled (CNC) machinist track of the program provides 10 weeks of classroom training and 62 weeks of on-the-job training with employers in the advanced manufacturing sector. No experience necessary. Complete this program application form to be considered for the opportunity.

NYC Small Business Services work with the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (NYACH), the city's healthcare industry partnership, and the Workforce 1 Healthcare Career Center, to offer no-cost training programs that prepare New Yorkers for jobs in the healthcare field. With NYACH, NYC Small Businesss Services engage employers, educational institutions, training providers, and other partners to design training programs that provide the required skills and credentials for viable healthcare career opportunities. Opportunities are available for those interested in ambulatory care and acute care.

The Chinese-American Planning Council Workforce Development Division offers education, training, placement, and post-placement support services to job seekers. Job training programs include BuildingWorks Pre-Apprenticeship Training, Hospitality Careers, and LVMH Fundamentals in Luxury Retail Training.

Under the America's Promise CUNY TechWorks Program, Queensborough Community College (QCC) offers an Applied Software Development Training Program covering web client programming, systems design and implementation, and smartphone application development. This hands-on, tech skills training program culminates in a capstone application development class focused on building students' professional programming portfolios. Credits earned can be applied towards QCC's AAS degree in Information and Internet Technology. For more information, call 718-631-6343.

Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation's (NMIC) YouthBuild: Business Bootcamp is a five-month training program for out-of-school young people. Services include High School Equivalency Diploma, Customer Service Certificate, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification (CPR), business plan creation with NYC Business Solutions, engaging in employment readiness training, and receiving job placement assistance. Open registration is held every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday beginning at 11:30 AM. Test begins at 12:45 PM. For more information, call 212-453-5369.

The Cooper Union Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers at CAMBA assists underemployed or unemployed immigrant engineers and IT professionals in gaining access to higher-paying jobs through training and job placement assistance. The program includes night and weekend courses in information technology and chemical, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering, taught by Cooper Union faculty and field experts. Since its inception in 1987, the Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers has placed 3,000 immigrant engineers into careers.

YearUp aligns job training with corporate partner needs and market trends to ensure that the skills students learn will be in demand. Learn valuable technical and professional skills, and gain work experience during internships at top companies. Earn a stipend throughout the program (while you train and during your internship) and complete courses eligible for college credits.

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations - Red Hook on the Road helps unemployed New Yorkers start new careers in commercial driving. After four weeks of classroom and behind-the-wheel training, students are prepared to take the NYS Commercial Driver's License (CDL) road test. Once students are licensed, Red Hook on the Road places graduates in a variety of jobs that move people and products throughout the city. Apply now.

Discover Accounting includes state-by-state guides on becoming a CPA, salaries, and educational requirements. If you are looking for more advanced accounting topics, you'll find information in their comprehensive career guide and career comparisons.

New York City Career Center Events and Recruiting

For specific information on all career events in NYC this week, please search the New York State Department of Labor Career Center Events.

Overcoming Invisible Barriers: Monday, October 29, 2018, 12:30 PM-2:30 PM at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138 60 Barclay Avenue, 3rd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Identify and reduce barriers to your job finding (ex .age, lack of goal). For more information, call 718-661-5012.

Upgrade a Resume: Monday, October 29, 1 PM-3:30 PM at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Road, 8th floor, Bronx, NY 10458. This workshop walks job seekers through the steps to upgrade their resumes and provides intensive one-on-one feedback on each participant's resume. Attendees must have an electronic version of their resume available, either in their email or on a flash drive. Duration: two hours. Check-in time: 1:00 PM-1:30 PM . For information, call 718-960-2458.

Job Search Planning (Spanish): Monday, October 29, 2018, 2 PM-4:15 PM at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Road, 8th floor, Bronx, NY 10458. Check-in: 2:00 PM-2:15 PM. Two slots available. Must call 718-960-7901 for appointment.

Job Finding Club: Tuesday, October 30, 2018, 2 PM-4 PM at Flushing Workforce1 Career Center, 138 60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Weekly support group focusing on obtaining job goals. For more information, call 718-661-5012.

Job Search Planning (English): Tuesday, October 30, 2018, 2 - 4:15 PM at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Rd., 8th floor, Bronx, NY 10458. Participants will learn the benefits of how to create a job search plan/strataegy, search for jobs, how to apply for jobs, use techniques to maximize their job search, express or identify their accomplishments and how to find resources and get assistance while searching for a job. Check in: 2:00 - 2:15 PM. For more information call 718-960-7901.

Bronx Mini Job Fair : Wednesday, October 31, 2018, 10 AM - 1 PM at Bronx New York State Department of Labor, 400 E. Fordham Rd., Bronx, NY 10458. Participating businesses: TD Bank, JCCA. For more information call 718-613-3954.

Brooklyn Mini Job Fair: Wednesday , October 31, 2018, 10 AM-1 PM at Brooklyn New York State Department of Labor, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Participating businesses: Levi's, John's Market, Randstadt Sourceright, US Census. For more information, call 718-613-3405.

Benefits of Exploring Job Zone: Wednesday, October 31, 2018, 2 PM-4:15 PM at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Road, 8th floor, Bronx, NY 10458. Participants will learn and explore Job Zone, an interactive resource, for planning their future, organizing their job search, exploring career interests and skills, developing customized resumes, and exploring more than 800 careers.

Job Postings and Assistance

Job Postings at New York City Workforce 1 .

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York City.

Available jobs via Brooklyn Community Board 14.

The New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCE&TC) is an association of 200 community-based organizations, educational institutions, and labor unions that annually provide job training and employment services to over 750,000 New Yorkers, including welfare recipients, unemployed workers, low-wage workers, at-risk youth, the formerly incarcerated, immigrants and the mentally and physically disabled. View NYCE&TC Job Listings.

Digital NYC is the official online hub of the New York City startup and technology ecosystem, bringing together every company, startup, investor, event, job, class, blog, video, workplace, accelerator, incubator, resource, and organization in the five boroughs. Search jobs by category on this site.

St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development provides free job training and educational programs in Environmental Response and Remediation Tec (ERRT), Commercial Driver's License, Pest Control Technician Training (PCT), Employment Search, Prep Training and Job Placement, Earn Benefits, and Career Path Center. For information and assistance, please visit St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development or call 718-302-2057 ext. 202.

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations helps jobless and working poor New Yorkers establish careers in sectors that offer good wages and opportunities for advancement. Currently, BWI offers free job training programs in four industries: commercial driving, telecommunications cable installation, TV and film production, and skilled woodworking.

CMP (formerly Chinatown Manpower Project) in lower Manhattan is now recruiting for free training in Quickbooks, Basic Accounting, and Excel. This training is open to anyone receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Classes run for eight weeks, followed by one-on-one meetings with a job developer.

CMP also provides Free Home Health Aide Training for bilingual English/Cantonese speakers receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Training runs Mondays through Fridays for six weeks, and includes test prep and the HHA certification exam. Students learn about direct care techniques such as taking vital signs, and assisting with personal hygiene and nutrition.

For more information on the above CMP training programs, email info@cmpny.org, call 212-571-1690, or visit the CMP website. CMP also provides tuition-based healthcare and business training free to students who are entitled to ACCESS funding.

Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) trains women, and places them in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades. It helps women achieve economic independence and a secure future. For information call 212-627-6252, or register online.

Grace Institute provides tuition-free, practical job training in a supportive learning community for underserved New York area women of all ages, and from many different backgrounds. For information, call 212-832-7605.

Please note that this page will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of October 28 become available.

Job and Employment Links for the Week of October 21

Magdalene Chan, Thomas Yoseloff Business Center at SNFL — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 10:46:39 -0400

Reflecting a commitment to a robust and competitive American labor force, the 2018 National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) theme is "America"s Workforce: Empowering All." Observed each October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skiils and talents.

NDEAM dates back to 1945, when Congress declared the first week in October "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was dropped to acknowledge individuals with all types of disabilities. Then, in 1988, Congress expanded the week to one month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) assumed responsibility for NDEAM when the agency was established in 2001.

You can learn more about the origins and evolution of NDEAM, and other important events in disability employment history, with the Department of Labor's interactive Americans with Disabilities Act 25th Anniversary Timeline.

You can also learn more about the celebration of NDEAM from the news release, U.S. Department of Labor Announces 2018 Theme For National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and Presidential Proclamation on National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2018.

Employment Programs

West Harlem Group Assistance, Inc. will present Job and Resource Fair on Monday, October 29, 2018, 10 AM - 1 PM at 127 West 127th Street, New York, NY 10027. Job and Resource Fair connects you with employment, training and local organizations. Information also includes home ownership, culinary arts, credit counseling, various local resources to choose from, entry level to senior management positions. Arrive early and be prepared.

Community, Culture and Technology Fair: Wednesday, November 7, 12:30 - 5:00 PM at the New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Celeste Bartos Forum, entrance on 42nd Street, west of 5th Avenue. The Fair will include: tablers from cultural institutions, educational, employment, advocacy, arts, recreation, technology, and support organizations; fun accessible art activities and demonstrations of new adaptive technology; speakers on employment resources; individual consultations, headshots. Many of the tablers will have information on this year's added theme of employment, volunteering, and skills building. Verbally described touch tours of the historic Stephen A. Schwarzman building will be offered at 2:15 PM and 4:15 PM. ASL interpretation and real-time (CART) captioning available upon request. Please submit your request at least two weeks in advance by emailing accessibility@nypl.org

The New American Chamber of Commerce Notary Public Training Course will be held on Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 6 PM-9 PM at 26 Court Street, Suite 701, Downtown Brooklyn. This three-hour Notary Public Training Course is designed to educate individuals with the legal terminology, concepts, and clauses contained in the framework of the New York State Notary booklet. Fee: $50 in advance, $60 at the door. Fee covers course materials and information: Supplemental Study Guide, Notary Fact Sheet, Practical Exam, Sample Forms, Notary Public Application and Oath of Office, NY State License Law Booklet, NY State Exam Schedule, and Expert Training and Assistance. For more information, call 718-722-9217. Register at New American Chamber of Commerce, NYC.

Prep for Success with WRCS: Paid-for training for customer service and food prep / service careers. Includes five weeks of workshops, four weeks of active job search assistance, nationally recognized certification, ServSafe or NRF, paid internship opportunity, job placement upon completion, and one year of follow-up. Eligibility: Ages 16-24, out of work, and out of school. Session begins November 5. Information session held Tuesday, October 23 at 3 PM. For more information, call 212-941-9090 x3286.

Henry Street Settlement's Intern and Earn (formerly known as Young Adult Internship Program) empowers young adults to connect to careers and grow in their professional pursuits. Internships available in child care, corporate, facilities, arts, fashion, retail, tech, and more. Must be 17-24 years old and not currently working or in school. Cohort begins November 26, 2018. Info sessions to start your application for the program are held Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11 AM at 99 Essex Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY. For information, call 212-478-5400.

Program Recruitment: Samaschool - Domestic Workers and the Gig Economy on October 22 and 23, 5:15 PM - 8:30 PM.

Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation's (NMIC) YouthBuild: Business Bootcamp is a five-month training program for out-of-school young people. Services include High School Equivalency Diploma, Customer Service Certificate, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification (CPR), creating a business plan with NYC Business Solutions, engaging in employment readiness training, and receiving job placement assistance. Open registration is held every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday beginning at 11:30 AM. Test begins at 12:45 PM. For more information, call 212-453-5369.

Brooklyn Networks is a free six-week training program that helps unemployed and underemployed individuals access a career in low-voltage cabling. The course prepares graduates to obtain the industry-recognized BICSI credential, followed by work in fields like voice and data cabling, security system installation, broadcast cabling, and A/V system installation. For more information, call 718-237-2017 x149 and attend an information session.

New York City Career Center Events and Recruiting

For specific information on all career events in NYC this week, please search the New York State Department of Labor Career Center Events.

Intro to Social Media: Monday, October 22, 2018, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street Brooklyn, NY11201. Get an understanding of social media, and learn how you can use social media sites to help your job search. For more information, or to schedule a workshop, call 718-780-9200.

Career Development Workshop: Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Learn the value of the career exploration process and how the process can positively impact your career path. For more information, or to schedule a workshop, call 718-780-9200.

Job Finding Club: Tuesday, October 23, 2018, 2 PM-4 PM at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138 60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Weekly support group focused on obtaining job goals. For information, call 718-661-5012.

Queens Mini Job Fair: Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 10 AM-1 PM at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138 60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Participating businesses: Forrest Solutions, Advance Care Alliance, MTA NYC Transit, Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State, General Human Outreach in the Community, New York & Company.

Acing the Interview: Thursday, October 25, 2018, 1:30 PM-4:30 PM at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Road, 8th floor, Bronx, NY 10458. This workshop will help job seekers prepare for interviews, demonstrate how to conduct oneself during the interview, and discuss the follow-up required to get a job. (Duration: 2 1/2 hours). For information, call 718-960-2458.

Introduction to Computers: Thursday, October 25, 2018, 3 PM-4:30 PM at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Basic computer skills training for those with no or limited knowledge of computers. For more information, or to schedule a workshop, call 718-613-3811.

Benefits of Exploring Job Zone: Friday, October 26, 2018, 9:45 AM-12 PM at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Road, 8th floor, Bronx, NY 10458. Participants will learn and explore the ways that Job Zone, an interactive resource, is the perfect tool for planning their future, organizing the job search, exploring career interests and skills, developing customized resumes, and exploring more than 800 careers.

Job Postings and Assistance

Job Postings at New York City Workforce 1 .

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York City.

Available jobs via Brooklyn Community Board 14.

Please note that this page will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of October 21 become available.

Job and Employment Links for the Week of October 7

Magdalene Chan, Thomas Yoseloff Business Center at SNFL — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 09:07:36 -0400

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), observed each October, celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities, and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents. This year's NDEAM theme, America's Workforce Empowering All, recognizes the importance of ensuring all Americans can participate in our nation's vibrant workforce.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provides tools for job creators to establish more apprenticeship programs. Through the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion, ODEP helps employers recruit and retain Americans with disablilities; and ODEPs Job Accommodation Network provides employers with guidance on workplace accommodation. Just last week, ODEP announced $19 million in grants to help those who become ill or injured remain at work, or return to work.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a time to emphasize the importance of ensuring all Americans, including those with disabilities, can put their skills and talents to work. It is an opportunity for our nation’s job creators to enhance their commitment to a workplace that ensures America’s workforce empowers all.

You can learn more about National Disability Employment Awareness Month from the Department of Labor blog post America's Workforce: Empowering All.

Employment Programs

New American Chamber of Commerce Notary Public Training Course will be held on Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 6-9 PM at 26 Court Street, Suite 701, Downtown Brooklyn. This 3-hour Notary Public Training Course is designed to educate individuals with the legal terminology, concepts and clauses contained in the framwork of the New York State Notary booklet. Fee: $50 advance, $60 at the door covers course materials and information on: Supplemental Study Guide, Notary Fact Sheet, Practical Exam, Sample Forms, Notary Public Application and Oath of Office, NY State License Law Booklet, NY State Exam Schedule and Expert Training and Assistance. For more information call 718-722-9217. Register at New American Chamber of Commerce, NYC.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) presents BBB Live X1: BBB invites bilingual volunteers for a Consumer Protection "Call-In" Program, Protecting Yourself from Work-at-Home Scams, on Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at BBB Office, 30 East 33 Street, 12th Floor, Manhattan. Volunteer for one or more of the two call-answering shifts: 2 PM-7 PM and 3 PM-8 PM. Refreshments, resources, and training will be provided. Calls will be answered in Spanish, and each shift begins with training in English. It is especially important to have trained volunteers in place and ready to help callers from 5 PM to 7:30 PM, when most calls will come in. BBB is happy to work with volunteers on shift timing and length. For more information, please contact Luana Lewis at 212-358-2842 or email llewis@newyork.bbb.org. See more details and sign up here.

NYC Small Business Services work with the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (NYACH), the city's healthcare industry partnership, and the Workforce 1 Healthcare Career Center, to offer no-cost training programs that prepare New Yorkers for jobs in the healthcare field. With NYACH, NYC Small Businesss Services engage employers, educational institutions, training providers, and other partners in designing training programs that provide the required skills and credentials for viable healthcare career opportunities. Opportunities are available for those interested in ambulatory care and acute care.

Program Recruitment - Samaschool: Domestic Workers and the Gig Economy on October 22 and 23, 5:15 PM-8:30 PM.

New York Drives helps students obtain their driver’s licenses so they can access advanced training for a specific career path. This program is six weeks long: The first three weeks focus on strengthening students’ professional development skills, and the last three weeks focus on part-time driving lessons. After successfully passing road tests, graduates enroll in one of Brooklyn Workforce Innovation's (BWI) sector-based training programs, leading to skilled employment, or are placed directly into jobs. Once a year, New York Drives also offers security guard training where graduates obtain their security guard certificates and license.

The Staten Island Economic Development Corporation has launched the SI Works Program to help industrial businesses fill open positions. A job fair will be hosted on Thursday, October 11, 2018, 7:30 -11:30 AM, at Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314. Top jobs available include: CDL Drivers Class A & B, Warehouse Inventory & Facility Maintenance Workers, Warehouse Forklift/Pallet Operators, Bicycle Mechanics, Printing Press Mechanics, HVAC Technician, Sign/Storefront Installers, Handyman (with plumbing, carpentry, and electrical skills). To schedule your appointment time, register by emailing jay@siedc.org, with your resume attached.

Prep for Success with WRCS: Paid-for training for Customer Service and Food Prep / Service Careers. Five weeks of workshops, four weeks of active job search assistance, nationally recognized certification, ServSafe or NRF, paid internship opportunity, job placement upon completion, and one year of follow up. Eligibility: Applicants must be ages 16-24, out of work, and out of school. Session begins November 5. Information session held Tuesdays at 3 PM on October 2, 9, 16, and 23. For more information, call 212-941-9090 x3286.

The Staten Island Economic Development Corporation has launched the SI Works program to help industrial businesses fill open positions at their firm. 80+ open positions available include: CDL Driver, Mechanic, Graphic Designer, Installer/fabricator, Plumbing, Electrican HVAC Technician, Auto Body, Welder, Accounting, Sales, Warehouse Associates, General Contractors, General Labor, Bookkeeper, and more. For immediate consideration, please email your resume to dawn@siedc.org.

Opportunities For a Better Tomorrow Youth Education and Job Training Program. Get the credentials and skills you need to gain employment and thrive in your career. You will receive preparation to take the exams required to achieve certifications in Microsoft Service, Hospitality Front Desk, and/or National Retail Federation Customer Service. You will be assigned to a supervisor (counselor) who monitors your progress and offers one-on-one assistance with personal, educational, and career problems, and also helps you improve your soft skills, such as professional behavior, attire, attitude, and communication. Classes run Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM-4:00 PM. For more information, call 917-342-5279.

Rebuilding Together NYC Construction Skills Training is now available. For more information, call 718-488-8840, x18.

Bronx Educational Opportunity Center Security Guard Training: Registration (see details here) is Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:30 AM-11:00 AM (except holidays). The calendar of classes is available here.

YearUp aligns job training with corporate partner needs and market trends to ensure the skills students learn will be in demand. Learn valuable technical and professional skills, and gain work experience during internships at top companies. Earn a stipend throughout the program (while you train and during your internship) and complete courses eligible for college credits.

New York City Career Center Events and Recruiting

Recruiting Event - Alliance Computing Solutions: Thursday, October 11, 2018, 10 AM-12 PM for Robotics Technician Training (20 openings) at Lower Manhattan Workforce 1 Career Center, 75 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013. 1st session starts at 10 AM, 2nd session starts at 11 AM. Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to start time. Please bring photo ID and two copies of your resume.

Basic Resume Writing Workshop: Thursday, October 11, 2018, 1:30 PM-3 PM at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Participants will learn the purpose of a resume, and chronological and combination resumes, and select the appropriate type for their specific needs.

Introduction to Computers: Thursday, October 11, 2018, 3 PM-4:30 PM at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Basic computer skill training for those with no or limited knowledge of computers. Call 718-613-3811 for more information.

Job Postings and Assistance

Job Postings at New York City Workforce 1 .

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York City.

Available jobs via Brooklyn Community Board 14.

Please note that this page will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of October 7 become available.

Job and Employment Links for the Week of August 19

Magdalene Chan, Thomas Yoseloff Business Center at SNFL — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 07:10:24 -0400

July 26, 2018 marked the 28th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. The ADA signaled a new era of opportunity for Americans with disabilities; the law prohibits discrimination against job seekers and employees based on disability, and also outlines ways to accommodate those with disabilities in the workplace and in public.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) focuses exclusively on the needs of workers with disabilities, and the job creators who hire them. Through research and technical assistance, and in collaboration with partners, ODEP ensures that:

Americans with disabilities have the workplace accommodations they need to succeed
Job creators learn how to implement disability-inclusive workplace policies
Young people with disabilities grow up with ambitious career aspirations
Adults with disabilities have access to competitive, integrated employment opportunities and economic self-sufficiency.

You can learn more about disability employment policy from the Department of Labor blog post 28 Years of the ADA: Jobs for All Americans, by Jennifer Sheehy, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy.

Employment Programs

The CUNY Fatherhood Academy at LaGuardia Community College is now recruiting for their September cohort. This free program is for unemployed and underemployed fathers between the ages of 18 and 30. For more information, get details here or call 718-730-7336.

Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation's (NMIC) YouthBuild: Business Bootcamp is a five-month training program for out-of-school young people. Services include High School Equivalency Diploma, Customer Service Certificate, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification (CPR), creating a business plan with NYC Business Solutions, engaging in employment readiness training, and receiving job placement assistance. Open registration is held every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday beginning at 11:30 AM. Test begins at 12:45 PM. For more information, call 212-453-5369.

Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation's (NMIC) Train and Earn Program is now recruiting for their September cohort. For more information, call 212-822-8325 or 212-453-5378.

Rebuilding Together NYC Construction Skills Training is available. For more information, call 718-488-8840, x18.

School Professionals, the leading provider of substitute teachers for NYC Charter, Independent Parochial Schools, and Universal Pre-K, is currently seeking Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Tutors for Pre-K through 12th grade. Qualified individuals will have at least a bachelor's degree or higher, and 6+ months of experience as a lead teacher, co-teacher or tutor in a pre-K-12th grade setting. School Professionals is also seeking UPK Teachers, and Teacher Aides for Nursery and Preschool. Qualified individuals will have a high school diploma (or equivalent) or higher; 6+ months of experience as a lead teacher or teacher; 6+ months of experience as an afternoon teacher or assistant teacher, day care or summer camp counselor, or Sunday school teacher; or similar experience working with children age 2-6 years.

Full-Time Jobs available with Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT): OBT is a 35-year-old nonprofit organization operating out of multiple locations. The mission of OBT is to help disadvantaged youth and adults recognize their own self-worth, and advance towards self-efficiency and financial security through job training, academic reinforcement, improved life skills, job placement, and support services. Positions available include: Chief of Employer Partnerships and Workforce Innovations, Director of Community and Government Affairs, Director of Communications and Marketing, Youth Program Director, Development Associate, Quality Assurance/Data Reporting Manager, Data Support Specialist, Employment Specialist, College Access Director, and Community Outreach Specialist. For more information, call 1-800-662-1220.

Bronx Educational Opportunity Center Security Guard Training: Registration (see details here) is Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:30 AM-11:00 AM (except holidays). Now accepting applications for Winter 2017 and Spring 2018 programs. The calendar of classes is available here.

Community Links Supported Education Program is a nonprofit initiative supporting individuals with mental health conditions in pursuing education goals and successfully completing college, certification, licensing, or vocational degrees. Training opportunities include IT Training, Commercial Driver's License, Home Health Aide, Construction Work, NYS Master Barber, Medical Assistant, Maintenance and Janitorial, TV Production Assistant, Health and Office Operation (Medical Records), Wood Working, Cable Installation, Hospitality and Tourism Industry (NRAEF Certification), OSHA License, and more. Eligible individuals must be 18 years or older, and living in NYC with a mental health condition. Please call 929-210-9810.

NYC Career Center Events and Recruiting

Intro to Social Media Workshop: Monday, August 20, 2018, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Get an understanding of social media, and learn how you can use social media sites to help your job search. For more information, call 718-780-9200.

Overcoming Invisible Barriers Workshop: Monday, August 20, 2018, 12:30 PM-2:30 PM at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138 60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Identify and reduce barriers to your job finding (ex. age, lack of goal). For more information, call 718-661-5012 or 718-321-6316.

Queens Mini Job Fair: Tuesday, August 21, 2018, 10 AM-1 PM at Queens Career Center, 168-25 Jamaica Avenue, 2nd floor, Jamaica, New York, 11432. Participating businesses: Fresh Direct, UPS, Forrest Solutions, Big Apple Children Services, Community Access, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Department of Correction NYC.

Career Development Workshop: Tuesday, August 21, 2018, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Learn the value of the career exploration process and how it can positively impact your career path.

Job Finding Club: Tuesday, August 21, 2018, 2 PM-4 PM at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138 60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Weekly support group focusing on obtaining job goals.

Benefits of Exploring Job Zone Workshop: Wednesday, August 22, 2018, 2 PM-4:15 PM at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Road, 8th floor, Bronx, NY 10458. Participants will learn and explore how to use Job Zone, an interactive resource, to help manage their careers. Check-in: 2:00 PM-2:15 PM.

Recruiting Event: Rite Aid: Thursday, August 23, 2018, 10 AM-3 PM for Loss Prevention Agent (10 openings) at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Road, 7th floor, Bronx, New York 10458. The primary purpose of the Asset Prevention Agent is to ensure a safe, secure, and profitable store environment for Rite Aid associates and customers, while upholding the core values and service attributes consistent with the Rite Aid brand and strategy.

Recruiting Event - Sunnyside Community Services, Inc.: Thursday, August 23, 2018, 10 AM-4 PM for Foreman (one opening) and Home Health Aide (15 openings) at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138-60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Sunnyside Community Services offers free Spanish language training to become a Certified Home Health Aide. For registration information, contact Ms. Berman at 718-321-6342.

Individual Resume Review/Career Advisement Workshop: Thursday, August 23, 2018, 12:30 PM-3 PM at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Road, 8th floor, Bronx, NY 10458. Check-in: 12:30 PM-1:00 PM.

Acing the Interview: Thursday, August 23, 2018, 1:30 PM-4 PM at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Road, 8th floor, Bronx, NY 10458. This workshop will help job seekers prepare for interviews, demonstrate how to conduct oneself during the interview, and review the follow-up required to get a job. (Duration: two-and-a-half hours). Check-in: 1:30 PM-2:00 PM.

Create a Resume Workshop: Friday, August 24, 2018, 1 PM- 3:30 PM at Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Road, 8th floor, Bronx, NY 10458. Designed to walk job seekers through the steps for building an effective resume, which is a critical component of getting a job. Must have knowledge of computer use. (Duration: two hours). Check-in: 1:00 PM-1:30 PM.

Job Postings and Assistance

Job Postings at New York City Workforce 1 .

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York City.

Available jobs via Brooklyn Community Board 14.

Please note that this page will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of August 19 become available.

Accessible Personal Fitness: Tips, Tech and Resources

Nefertiti Matos — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 17:22:17 -0400

Exploring Fitness at the Heiskell Library

For many of us, toning up, shedding a few pounds, or becoming more active is one of a slew of New Year's resolutions. Knowing that the patrons we serve have this desire for health and wellness, we at the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library decided to create a workshop specifically aimed at physical fitness with accessibility in mind.

Workshop attendees heard from Tymbher Lomax, a long-time volunteer tech coach; Christopher Noel, Accessibility Coordinator for NYC Parks and Stephen Hess, Program Developer of NYC Parks, Media Education; and members of local organizations such as Achilles International, InTandem Cycling Inc., Adaptive Climbing Group-New York, Row New York, and the New York Rockets, a blind baseball team coached by library patron Thomas Derosa.

Team inTandem at the 2017 TD Five Boro Bike Tour

At the workshop, we first acknowledged our remote participants, introducing ourselves and talking about the role that fitness plays in our lives. Responses included "I like to eat so I have to do it," "I hate getting up early to exercise or passing up fries, but I love the energy boost after a hard workout," and "how empowered I feel knowing that I chose to fuel my body, not just to fill it.”

Personally, I believe that true fitness goes beyond the physical: Fitness means an overall soundness of our whole self, involving emotional and mental wellness too. Tymbher’s presentation spoke to this point, which I've summarized below, along with information that each of our guests brought to the workshop.

Tymbher Lomax, volunteer tech coach

Tymbher discussed and demonstrated a number of free and low-cost mobile apps and online tools that she personally finds effective and accessible using VoiceOver on her iPhone. Her choices not only exercise the body, but also flex the mind and spirit. Here are the recommendations she shared:

Eyes-Free Fitness: an app that offers non-visual workouts with clear, detailed verbal descriptions
Aaptiv: an app for audio-based workouts for all levels
Pocket Yoga: guided yoga practice app with clear descriptions

Also, Tymbher highly recommends the YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene for anyone interested in yoga, and finds her Yoga for Complete Beginners as a great way to start.

NYC Parks

Since 1910, NYC Parks has provided an affordable and extensive network of recreational services throughout New York City. Their 35 recreation centers provide a range of programs and offer facilities such as indoor pools, weight rooms, basketball courts, dance studios, art studios, game rooms, and libraries. Additionally, Shape up NYC holds free fitness classes every week at dozens of recreation centers across the five boroughs.

We were glad to have Christopher Noel (Christopher.Noel@parks.nyc.gov) and Stephen Hess (stephen.hess@parks.nyc.gov) talk about how NYC Parks strives to promote and encourage healthier lifestyles for people of all abilities.

"NYC Parks goes over and beyond ADA compliance regarding our parks, playgrounds, and recreation centers, and the programming within, so that every person regardless of their ability can participate,” said Noel. NYC Parks offers people with disabilities full access to all 35 facilities for a discounted rate of $25 per year.

InTandem Cycling Inc.

Founded in September 2013, InTandem’s mission is to provide tandem biking programs and cycling opportunities to people with disabilities and the people who want to ride with them. InTandem trains and matches captains (the front rider) with stokers (the rear rider), and provides a meeting point and tandem bikes for their weekly scheduled rides in Central Park.

Long-time member and stoker Hashim Kirkland had this to say about the impact InTandem has had on his life: "Riding with inTandem has been a dream come true. For a long time, I always wanted to ride a bike but never imagined doing bike tours and gaining such wonderful friends or, should I say, family."

Achilles International

The mission of Achilles International is to enable people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream running events, in order to promote personal achievement. Specialized programs include Achilles Kids, which provides training, race opportunities, and an in-school program for children with disabilities; the Achilles Freedom Team, which serves wounded military personnel and veterans; the Achilles Para-triathlon Team, which expands the running program into biking and swimming; Achilles Chapter workouts; and Hope & Possibility, Achilles’s signature race, which takes place in several cities worldwide.

At the workshop, seasoned Achilles athlete Lamar Brown told us about his two decades of experience with the New York City Chapter, and how the program has given him confidence, friends, travel opportunities, and the freedom to achieve goals most people only dream of. Lamar encourages us all to take on the challenge of doing that which you have been told you can’t.

NY Rockets

The NY Rockets are the American representatives of the young, but driven, Italian Blind Baseball League. Player-coach Tom Derosa informed us that practice begins in the Spring, Mondays at 5:00 PM. If you are blind and want to play baseball, feel free to reach out to Tom for more details.

Jonathan Epstein, an ally in the disability sports community and InTandem captain, told us about a number of other organizations—detailed below—making strides toward getting people with disabilities to be active, both recreationally and competitively.

Adaptive Climbing Group

Adaptive Climbing Group creates accessible and affordable options for people with disabilities in climbing, including competition, recreation, and therapy.

Row New York

Row New York's adaptive and para-rowing mission is to empower people with disabilities to achieve their personal competitive and health goals through the rigorous discipline of rowing, by building a community of trust, motivation, and high expectations.

Ski for Light – Skiing. Sharing. Learning.

The mission of Ski for Light is to enhance the quality of life and independence of visually or mobility-impaired adults through a program of cross-country skiing. Each year, they conduct a week-long cross-country skiing event at a U.S. location that varies from year to year.

We covered a lot during the workshop, and are sure there are even more opportunities to get fit. Join the conversation in the comments below by sharing what you know, and consider attending any of our informative and entertaining workshops in future. Stay active!

The Five-Borough Map: A Nonvisual Design Challenge for New Yorkers

Chancey Fleet, Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 15:02:25 -0500

On December 5, we hosted the first in a series of free community workshops about tactile design. Patrons with diverse backgrounds, levels of vision and accessibility experience participated in discussion and interactive activities planned to help everyone build a sense of what’s important to consider when designing an image or object that’s meant to be explored by touch. At the end of that workshop, we issued this design challenge to the community. Read on for details about the challenge, or simply join us for our next workshop this Saturday.

One of many inspirations for the Dimensions project is our desire to respond to a frequent request from patrons: it turns out that new arrivals, students, and professionals are united in their quest for tactile maps of New York City. Reflecting on what’s involved in this commonplace request is one way to start thinking critically about barriers and opportunities around do-it-yourself tactile map and image making.

We believe that nonvisual spatial information should be within everyone’s reach, not only to use but to produce. To help make that happen, we are equipping our community with free, accessible, versatile tools for producing the maps and graphics they need – not as a replacement for professionally drafted materials but as a complement that supports individual preferences, ideas and inquiries, as well as areas of exploration for which no tactile materials exist.

Annie Leist, who works on accessibility at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and facilitates our community training on tactile design, encourages us to think about the purpose of a tactile image before we start designing. One person may want a five-borough map that clearly shows the borders between boroughs, their coastlines and surrounding waterways. Others may want to explore the city in terms of population density, the bridges and tunnels that are open to drivers, or public transit lines. Asking yourself, your collaborators and your audience about the purpose of a design is an important first step toward making something meaningful and useful.

Map of Greater New York [City], 1916. The New York Public Library Image ID 5073511.

Typical five-borough maps designed for visual perception don’t automatically make good tactile graphics. For one thing, if Braille were print, it would be a 29-point font, so Braille takes up much more space than standard print. For this reason, good tactile maps of densely labeled points of interest tend to eschew long text labels in favor of a brief symbol or abbreviation, with a key on a separate page listing the meaning of each one. Often, maps geared toward visual perception make extensive use of color (to indicate anything from elevation to population density to political disposition). Tactile production allows for some variation in dot height to create an effect analogous to shading, and a thoughtful designer can also adjust line composition and thickness, as well as infilled texture, to create distinctly perceptible zones in the same way that (I imagine) color does. However, the process of converting visually effective color schemes to meaningful and aesthetically compelling tactile ones, whether for two-dimensional embossing or a 3d print, is a skill that takes time to learn.

Finally, tactile perception is not as “high-resolution” as visual perception, so maps that contain very fine details need to be scaled to a larger size (to make room for important details like the contours of a coastline) or stripped of extraneous detail (a nonvisual reader who needs a street map is unlikely to need or want representations of every building, since including them would either make the map distractingly cluttered or unmanageably large).

TL:DR: Five-borough maps from Google Images don’t make tactile sense, which is where our design tools come in.

The software we chose for tactile drafting, image conversion and freehand sketching is called TactileView. It includes a tool that uses Open Street Maps data to generate legible tactile maps at any scale, from individual intersections to a world map. Unfortunately, our launch of the Dimensions project has coincided with widespread bugs in RouteTactile, the web application TactileView uses to create those maps. We’re in regular communication with Thinkable, the company that makes TactileView, and are hoping to have automated map generation working as advertised later this winter.

As is so often true when we depend on new and emerging accessible technologies, our capacity to produce what we want and need is tied, in part, to the performance of a tool that has been developed, tested and maintained at the scale of our small market. While we wait, we are using other TactileView features: image importing, automatic filters that convert images to simple line drawings, and tools for scaling images and adding Braille labels. Using these features (which, since they involve modifying onscreen images, are most effective when blind and sighted people use them together), community members can create region maps that suit various purposes.

We can also download, from the TactileView catalog and from APH’s Tactile Graphic Image Library, ready-to-emboss maps of the US, outlines for every state and details for some, and various maps for regions around the world. Community members can simply emboss those maps, or customize them using TactileView.

It’s easy to focus on the flashy new technology (embossers, 3d printers, and the software that powers them). But the design choices we make when using these modern tools can and should be grounded in the wisdom and experience of blind and sighted makers, teachers and learners, who have been creating beautiful and functional tactile images for centuries. I recently came across this lesson in tactile map history from Atlas Obscura, and it reminded me that our current effort belongs to a rich tradition of DIY nonvisual access.

If you’re interested in having a map of your borough, state, region or some other area, please be in touch, and consider signing up for our upcoming tactile graphics trainings. We’re dedicated to building a strong community of practice around tactile graphics in New York, and we invite you to contribute your ideas, your expertise and your effort. Together we can make access happen.

Job and Employment Links for the Week of November 5

Magdalene Chan, Thomas Yoseloff Business Center at SNFL — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 14:49:25 -0400

The New York Public Library Employment Pop-Up Recruitment Events

Eastchester Library, November 6, 11 am - 2 pm.
Bronx Library Center, November 15, 11 am - 2 pm.
Belmont Library, November 29, 11 am - 2 pm.

According to the Department of Labor there is a tremendous opportunity to increase the number of disabled individuals in the workforce. But there is a gap between the jobs that are available and the workers who have the right skills to fill them. To overcome this skills gap, the workforce needs demand-driven education. Apprenticeships are an example of demand-driven education because they directly connect students with employers, and combine paid work experience with an education. Derek Schwartz, an Information Technology Apprentice, is one example. You can learn more from the Department of Labor blog, Apprenticeship and the American Dream.

Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts , at historic Flushing Town Hall , is pleased to offer the following opportunities: Community Outreach - Chinese Project Director, Box Office & Customer Service Support, Volunteer. All positions open until removed from the website.

Sign Up to be an Emergency Snow Laborer and help to remove snow and ice from bus stops, step streets, and other locations throughout the city this winter. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, be eligible to work in the United States, and capable of performing heavy physical labor.

CAMBA is hiring full time, entry level Security Guards for day, evening and overnight shifts in CAMBA shelters and residential sites located in Brooklyn. CAMBA offers excellent benefits including health, dental, life insurance, vacation and a 403B retirement match. Hiring event is on Thursday, November 9, 2017, 9 am - 3 pm at 330 Powell Street, Brooklyn 11212. (To get there: Take 3 Train to Junius Street or L Train to Sutter Avenue).

NMIC (Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation) is recruiting for its free Security Guard training program. This 3 week program includes 8 and 16 hr. certificates; NYS Security License; Fireguard Certificate; CPR/AED Certificates; Customer Service Certificate; Cultural Awareness Certificate; Employment readiness training. For more information please call Esperanzo Cruz, program manager, at 212-453-5396.

The CUNY (Kingsborough Community College) Fatherhood Academy (CFA) is a free program designed to promote responsible parenting and economic stability for unemployed and underemployed fathers ages 18-28, through education, employment, and personal development. The program provides parenting seminars, personal and career counseling and guidance, immediate job coaching and placement in internships, MTA Metrocards, incentives, food coupons, and free college classes. For more information please call 718-368-6784.

Introduction to Services on Wednesday, November 8, 2017, 8:30 - 9:30 am at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Rd., 8th Floor, Bronx, NY 10458. This is an information session for all interested jobseekers.

Intro to Training Opps on Wednesday, November 8, 2017, 2 - 3:30 pm, at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Rd., 8th Floor, Bronx, NY, 10458. This workshop walks jobseekers through the process of applying for an Individual Training Grant in the Occupations funded by Workforce 1. Customers will have the opportunity to complete the ITG Skills test, the first step in the Training Grant application process.

Introduction to Services on Thursday, November 9, 2017, 8:30 - 9:30 am at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Rd., 8th Floor, Bronx, NY 10458. This is an information session for all interested jobseekers

Individual Resume Review/Career Advisement on Thursday, November 9, 2017, 12:30 - 2:30 pm at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center , 400 East Fordham Rd., 8th Floor, Bronx, NY 10458. This workshop is for all interested jobseekers. First come first served. Space is limited.

Transferring Skills on Thursday, November 9, 2017, 12:30-2:30 pm at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center. 138 60 Barclay Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355. This workshop is for all interested jobseekers and dislocated worker to identify their transferable skills and target them to new jobs.

Basic Resume Writing Workshop on Thursday, November 9, 2017, 1:30 - 3 pm at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Participants will learn the purpose of a resume, chronological and combination resumes and select the appropriate type for their specific needs.

Individual Resume Review/Career Advisement on Friday, November 9, 2017, 9 - 11 am at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center , 400 East Fordham Rd., 8th Floor, Bronx, NY 10458. This workshop is for all interested jobseekers. First come first served. Space is limited.

Create a Resume on Friday, November 10, 2017, 1 - 3 pm at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 East Fordham Rd., 8th Floor , Bronx, NY 10458. This workshop is designed to walk jobseekers through the steps for building an effective resume, which is a critical component of getting a job.

Job Postings at New York City Workforce 1 .

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York City.

Brooklyn Community Board 14: Available jobs

St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development provides Free Job Training and Educational Programs in Environmental Response and Remediation Tec (ERRT). Commercial Driver's License, Pest Control Technician Training (PCT), Employment Search and Prep Training and Job Placement, Earn Benefits and Career Path Center. For information and assistance, please visit St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development or call 718-302-2057 ext. 202.

CMP (formerly Chinatown Manpower Project) in lower Manhattan is now recruiting for a free training in Quickbooks, Basic Accounting, and Excel. This training is open to anyone who is receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Class runs for eight weeks, followed by one-on-one meetings with a job developer. CMP also provides Free Home Health Aide Training for bilingual English/Cantonese speakers who are receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Training runs Mondays through Fridays for six weeks and includes test prep and taking the HHA certification exam. Students learn about direct care techniques such as taking vital signs and assisting with personal hygiene and nutrition. For more information for the above two training programs, email: info@cmpny.org, call 212-571-1690, or visit. CMP also provides tuition-based healthcare and business trainings free to students who are entitled to ACCESS funding.

Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) trains women and places them in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades. It helps women achieve economic independence and a secure future. For information call 212-627-6252 or register online.

Grace Institute provides tuition-free, practical job training in a supportive learning community for underserved New York area women of all ages and from many different backgrounds. For information call 212-832-7605.

Please note this page will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of November 5 become available.

Job and Employment Links for the Week of October 29

Magdalene Chan, Thomas Yoseloff Business Center at SNFL — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 17:29:40 -0400

The New York Public Library Employment Pop-Up Recruitment Events

Eastchester Library, November 6, 11 am - 2 pm.
Bronx Library Center, November 15, 11 am - 2 pm.
Belmont Library, November 29, 11 am - 2 pm.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) is pleased to share Joseph Cali's success story in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). You can learn more about Cali's story from the Department of Education blog, A Vocational Rehabilitation Success Story: Josrph Cali.

Project Renewal offers free Advanced Basic Skills and HSE (High School Equivalency) Preparation Classes, which are on-going throughout the year. Classes are available Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and evenings. This open enrollment accepts students from ages 18 and above. For information and sign-up, please contact Shinique James at nexstep@projectrenewal.org.

Community Links Supported Education Program is a non-profit initiative supporting individuals with mental health conditions in pursuing education goals and successfully completing college, certification, licensing or vocational degrees. Training opportunities include IT Training, Commercial Driver's License, Home Health Aide, Construction Work, NYS Master Barber, Medical Assistant, Maintenance and Janitorial, TV Production Assistant, Health and Office Operation (Medical Records), Wood Working, Cable Installation, Hospitality and Tourism Industry (NRAEF Certification), OSHA License and more. Eligible individuals must be 18 years or older; living in NYC: and living with a Mental Health condition. Please reach out at 929-210-9810.

The Cooper Union Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers at CAMBA assists immigrant engineers and IT professionals who are underemployed or unemployed gain access to higher paying jobs through training and job placement assistance . The program includes courses in information technology and chemical, mechanical, electrical and civil engineering taught by Cooper Union faculty and field experts, offered nights and weekends. Since its inception in 1987, the Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers has placed 3,000 immigrant engineers into careers.

Intro to Social Media on Monday, October 30, 2017, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. This workshop is for all interested jobseekers to get an understanding of social media, and learn how you can use social media sites to help your job search.

Career Development Workshop: Overcoming Invisible Barriers on Monday, October 30, 2017, 12:30 - 2:30 pm at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138-60 Barclay Ave. 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. This workshop is for all interested jobseekers and dislocated worker to identify and reduce barriers to their job finding (Ex. age, lack of goal,.....)

Job Finding Club on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 2 -4 pm, at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138-60 Barclay Ave. 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. This is for all interested jobseekers and dislocated worker to form a weekly support group focusing on obtaining job goals.

Sprint will present a recruitment on Wednesday, November 1, 2017, 10 am - 2 pm for Retail Sales Consultant (5 P/T openings), at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 E. Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458.

Spanish Speaking Resume Writing Workshop on Thursday, November 2, 2017, 12:30 - 2:30 pm. at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138-60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355. All interested jobseekers will learn to organize, revise and update resumes.

Basic Resume Writing Workshop on Thursday, November 2, 2017, 1:30 - 3 pm at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Participants will learn the purpose of a resume, chronological and combination resumes and select the appropriate type for their specific needs.

Flushing Mini Job Fair on Friday, November 3, 2017, 10 am - 1 pm at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138 - 60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Participating businesses include Chick-Fil-A, FedEx Ground, NYC Department of Correction, PrimeFlight Avaition Services and Sodexo.

Job Postings at New York City Workforce 1 .

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York City.

Brooklyn Community Board 14: Available jobs

Please note this page will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of October 29 become available.

Announcing Dimensions: Community Tools for Creating Tactile Graphics & Objects

Chancey Fleet, Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 17:07:05 -0400

When I first visited the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library at the age of 10, I noticed that it was not like my library back home. Any person could come in off the street, walk right up to the bookshelves, and take books off those shelves and read them—then and there. One could even check books out on the spot. If you are a sighted person without a background in the world of blindness, this probably sounds like a joke. But for a braille reader who grew up with only braille-by-mail service, it was a very remarkable and intense experience. This library gave me my first opportunity to browse independently—no more and no less than another reader among the bookshelves.

Fast forward to 2010. The iPhone had finally become accessible to blind people, and every time we got together we were showing each other new apps. At that same time, NVDA, the free screen reader, was really starting to get some traction. People who could never have afforded a screen reader before were using it to get online. I found out about communities of Spanish- and Chinese-speaking blind New Yorkers who were discovering NVDA and teaching it to each other in their native languages. Meanwhile, though, I knew that a lot of people who weren't so looped into the community of disability, or who were newly blind, had a ton of questions about technology and didn't know where to go for answers. They didn't have the ordinary experience that sighted people have all the time of just casually learning from a friend or a next-door neighbor, because as blind people we use technology differently than most of our friends and neighbors. (We can, of course, learn from people who are sighted, but it’s generally helpful for us to learn the fundamentals of assistive technology from people who know it well). So a few of us approached the library and started a conversation about addressing this need that grew into the founding of our volunteer-led computer support clinic.

Once again, the library was in a position to help people in our community have an experience that is powerful yet ordinary: informal learning in our community, just sitting down with our peers and talking about how we do things. From our beginnings as a Saturday clinic that offered the community 3 hours of coaching per month, we’ve grown to a program whose staff and volunteers work together to do about 150 hours of peer tech coaching every month. We are definitely not a replacement for comprehensive training or formal courses, but we are a replacement for that feeling that there's a next door neighbor or an office mate you can count on when there’s something about technology that you just don't understand.

Fast forward again to 2014. I had been going to conferences around the country and learning about embossers for tactile graphics Occasionally, I would go somewhere that had a really stunning tactile map, but dealing with graphics still wasn't part of my daily life and I didn't know anyone beyond a select few blind artists and scientists who were living and working in an image-rich environment. Kirk Adams, who leads the American Foundation for the Blind, moved to New York around that time. He posted on the Facebook Tri-State Blind and Vision Impaired group, which is something of a bulletin board for events and odd quests in the local community, that he wanted to get a five borough map so he could better understand how the boroughs relate to one another and to the waterways. The Facebook community came through for Kirk. He got some leads about a place in New Jersey that could send him some high-quality maps, but I got to thinking: here we are again. Any sighted person in this office can pull up a Google map right now and understand how the five boroughs relate to each other. If they want they can print that map out. If Kirk Adams—one of the most well-informed blind people I know—doesn’t have easy access to this ordinary experience, who else is missing out?

The Dimensions project is our way of broadening access to spatial information—like that five borough map—for New Yorkers with all levels of vision. We are providing what I hope are some of the key ingredients necessary for blind people and non-visual learners with all kinds of vision to have every day access to spatial information: again, an ordinary experience in the modern world that we can and should have, given accessible tools and a community that is committed to creating equity of access.

Here's how it works. We have a tactile graphics embosser, the Index Everest, which is capable of producing images at the highest resolution that is generally perceptible by touch. It is paired with TactileView software, which allows a mouse user to draw on screen but which also allows anyone, including someone who is totally blind, to generate lines, shapes and patterns through a menu driven process. We also have a digitizing tactile drafting board that people with all levels of vision can use to draw tactile graphics free-hand and have them captured by the software. We can also pull in any image, run it through filters that help declutter it so that it is legible by touch, replace its printed labels with braille ones, and produce usable tactile graphics—in many cases within minutes. All this is made possible by a generous gift of the embosser from the New York State Commission for the Blind.

As useful as two-dimensional tactile graphics can be, there concepts in architecture, art, geometry, chemistry, and almost every other field, where it is helpful to understand something in all three dimensions, by handling a model that is made at a usable scale. Consider the parable of the blind men and the elephant: three blind men grapple separately with parts of an elephant, and no one can agree on what they’re touching. I thought, growing up, that this was an offensive story about blindness, but now I think of it as a story about how accessibility enhances possibilities for perception and learning. Those guys would have had no trouble recognizing the elephant if they were working with a scaled-down 3D model. When an object is too small, two large, too fragile, too dangerous, or too distant to understand by touch, 3-D printing can help present it in a way that does make sense from a tactile perspective.

Thanks to the support of The New York Public Library Innovation Project and the Revson Foundation, we have acquired a Lulzbot Taz6 3D printer that can create three-dimensional models of objects. The test print that everyone does when they receive this type of 3-D printer is an octopus, which seems like a silly novelty, until you realize that as blind people most of us have never touched an octopus. When we hand it to someone, if he or she has the mental model of an octopus either from seeing it before, reading about it, or encountering one as a toy or an art object, he or she will recognize it—but a lot of people don't. So the octopus is one tiny example of how a 3D printer can make a concept real to someone who might not learn that concept through the osmosis of constantly encountering images.

As remarkable as I think this technology is, the equipment is not the most important part of the project. The most important part of the project is you, our community. We need people to come forward and talk about what types of images and objects they need and want. We need community members with backgrounds in art, education, design, and data to help seed a strong community of practice that will ultimately empower New Yorkers with all levels of vision to design graphics and objects that are useful and meaningful.

We will be offering community training in the fundamental best practices for producing tactile graphics and objects, along with specific sessions that focus on using the tactile graphics embosser and the 3D printer. Folks who have participated in the training with us will be free to create the tactile graphics and objects that they need to achieve their goals, and we will ask that they contribute their completed designs back to an open library for other community members to use. We want to create a space and a culture where the average blind person, or person with a visual impairment, or any non-visual learner, has the tools and the support to create images and objects that are important to their vocation, education, and interests. We believe that accessibility is more than a feature you request. It can also be something you make. We invite you to come together, imagine how you can best use these tools, and help make access happen.

As we’ve embarked on this project I’ve made as many bad graphics as good ones: a crooked Lego brick, a totally unrecognizable 3D rocket, and a lot of other mistakes. I’ve heard from some folks that have picked up our maps that they aren’t good at reading maps. I would ask you to be gentle with yourself as you explore this new frontier with us. Those of us who did not grow up in an image-rich environment will need time to learn, as children learn. I imagine that when Louis Braille invented the code we know and love, there must have been a groundswell of excitement; but there must have also been a great number of smart, capable adults who thought they were bad readers because they were, by necessity, beginners. Let’s celebrate and explore this new kind of access, even when some of it feels difficult to grasp.

When you visit our branch, you will be able to explore the 3D printer and tactile graphics embosser and to check out some of our early efforts. We have tactile street maps, labeled floor-maps for both floors of our branch, a rendering of the solar system, and much more. We also have a few of our first 3D prints, both successes and learning experiences.

Please stay tuned as we prepare to announce our first round of community workshops.

When You Can't Look at the Sun: Exploring the Eclipse Through Touch & Sound

Chancey Fleet, Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 13:33:17 -0400

At the Andrew Heiskell Braille & Talking Book Library, we’re always discovering new ways for patrons with all kinds of vision to explore information. Often, concepts that the average person thinks are “visual” are, in reality, just spatial: people who learn non-visually can access them through hearing, touch, and narrative. As New Yorkers prepare for the upcoming solar eclipse on August 21, here are a few ways to experience this rare event and other celestial phenomena in an accessible way.

Excitingly, there’s a new app and accompanying website from NASA makes the eclipse accessible through textual description. Here’s a summary from the Eclipse Soundscapes site:

On August 21, 2017, millions of people will view a total solar eclipse as it passes through the United States. However, for the visually impaired, or others who are unable to see the eclipse with their own eyes, the Eclipse Soundscapes Project delivers a multisensory experience of this exciting celestial event. The project, from NASA’s Heliophysics Education Consortium, will include audio descriptions of the eclipse in real time, recordings of the changing environmental sounds during the eclipse, and an interactive “rumble map” app that will allow users to visualize the eclipse through touch.

Check out www.eclipsesoundscapes.org to learn more.

Also, ACB Radio, a project of the American Council of the Blind, will be offering live audio description of the eclipse.

Our reference collection features tactile graphics from NASA depicting elements of the solar eclipse, as well as a tactile map that shows the eclipse’s path of totality across the United States.

We also have twin view or braille books—some with tactile graphics—on the topic of astronomy, including Touch the Stars; Galaxies; Galaxies, Galaxies!; Touch the Universe: A NASA Braille Book; and Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos.

If you’re keen to learn more about the history of how human beings have understood eclipses, a reader recommends a title in our Digital Talking Book and BARD collection: Sun, Moon, Earth: The History of Solar Eclipses, from Omens of Doom to Einstein and Exoplanets by Tyler Nordgren (DB87308).

BE PART OF THE EXCITEMENT!

Join us on Saturday, August 19 from 11 AM to 12 PM in the community room for a brief exploration of the Eclipse Soundscapes app, along with NASA’s tactile graphics. Just call (212) 621-0627 or email ChanceyFleet@nypl.org to register.

Blind Innovators Build a Bridge to Accessibility

Chancey Fleet, Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 16:23:34 -0400

Our technology team gets tons of calls from patrons who want to dictate text and commands to their Windows computers. Dictation appeals to all kinds of people, from those who type slowly or have repetitive stress injuries to people who just do their best writing when thinking out loud. In a world where Siri is happy to keep your calendar straight and Amazon Echo takes 24/7 requests for your favorite tunes, why not speak your mind to the blinking cursor in Microsoft Word?

Shockingly, for users of popular Windows screen readers like JAWS or NVDA, dictation hasn’t been that simple. Out of the box, these screen readers have not read the controls that show a speech recognition user what the computer thinks they’ve said or the available choices when they want to make a correction. Without these controls, a blind user can’t correct their work, the computer never improves as it learns from its mistakes, and the dictation experience can be downright terrible. Third-party tools like JSAY solve this problem really well, but they’re expensive, so new and casual dictation users don’t tend to have them.

After years of missing out on dictation, a group of blind programmers, tech trainers and accessibility professionals decided to stop waiting and start solving the problem. They launched a successful crowdfunding campaign which explained the steps, resources and budget it would take to make Windows-based dictation accessible, and invited anyone to contribute any amount toward funding the project. Thanks to a supportive community of screen reader users and their allies, the DictationBridge team met is financial goals and promptly got to work on a tool that takes minutes to install, allows screen reader users to access the same on-screen information that sighted dictation users have, and is free to everyone. Anyone with a computer running Windows 7 or later can now enjoy the first DictationBridge public beta.

So, how can you try speech recognition for yourself?

If you don’t have difficulty reading standard print, you can skip DictationBridge and NVDA and still get a productivity boost, and a rest for your tired hands, with Windows Speech Recognition. Just go to the start menu, type “speech”, and click Speech Recognition to get started. If you’re sighted or support friends and colleagues who are, this Youtube video for provides a visual overview of how to get up and running.

If you’re blind, visually impaired or otherwise print-averse, check out DictationBridge.com to learn how DictationBridge works, read about the history of the project and learn what inspired the makers of DictationBridge to take on this accessibility challenge.

The DictationBridge team chose to support the Nonvisual Desktop Access (NVDA) screen reader first, since it’s free, increasingly popular and available to any Windows user in the world. NVDA is also a creation of blind technology users who decided to make the kind of access they’d like the community to have. You can read their story and download the screen reader for free.

Then, join us for our DictationBridge workshop on July 18 from 5:00 to 6:45 PM, where you’ll learn how to get up and running with DictationBridge, choose and position a microphone, train the computer to understand you better, and make edits and corrections using your voice. Email ChanceyFleet@nypl.org or give us a call at (212) 621-0627 to register.

NYPL Blogs: Barrier-Free Library

15 Books to Celebrate Disability Pride

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong

Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig

The Pretty One by Keah Brown

Haben: The Deafblind Woman who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Grima

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby

Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp

Run by Kody Keplinger

Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein

The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais

Meet Me in Outer Space by Melinda Grace

The Degenerates by Jennifer Ann Mann

Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty

Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha​

Say Hello by Carly Findlay

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc

Staff Picks: Trans, Nonbinary, and GNC Reads: Accessible Version with BARD & Bookshare Links

Adults

Teens

Kids

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Reading List: Accessible Versions with BARD & Bookshare Links

Adult

Teens

Kids

Announcing the Andrew Heiskell Library Podcast: "Talkin' Talking Books"

125 NYC Books We Love: Accessible Version with BARD & Bookshare Links

DB (digital talkingbook) / BR (braille) / BK (Bookshare)

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Teens

Kids

Discover the full list of 125 NYC Books We Love.

NYPL's Best Books of 2020: Accessible Versions with BARD & Bookshare Links

DB (digital talkingbook) / BR (braille) / BK (Bookshare)

Adults

Teens

Kids

Explore the Best Books of 2020.

NYPL's 2020 Essential Reads on Feminism for Adults: Accessible Version with BARD & Bookshare Links

DB (digital talkingbook) / BR (braille) / BK (Bookshare)

NYPL's 2020 Election Reading List: Accessible Version with BARD & Bookshare Links

DB (digital talkingbook) / BR (braille) / BK (Bookshare)

Climate Change

Economy

Education

Foreign Policy

Gun Control

Health

Immigration

LGBTQ+

Media

Polarization

Policing

Race

Voting

Women & Gender

The following titles appear in NYPL's original Election Reading list and are available through the catalog or as an e-book or e-audiobook via the Library's free e-reader app, SimplyE.

Feast Your Ears on Audiobooks, Audio Magazines, Concerts, Classic Radio, and More to Keep You Busy If You Don't Read Standard Print

Want something different?

Or enjoy offeerings from some premier musical venues for free from home.

If you want reading material here are some ways we can help:

Job and Employment Links for the Week of October 28

Employment Programs

New York City Career Center Events and Recruiting

Job Postings and Assistance

Job and Employment Links for the Week of October 21

Employment Programs

New York City Career Center Events and Recruiting

Job Postings and Assistance

Job and Employment Links for the Week of October 7

Employment Programs

New York City Career Center Events and Recruiting

Job Postings and Assistance

Job and Employment Links for the Week of August 19

Employment Programs

NYC Career Center Events and Recruiting

Job Postings and Assistance

Accessible Personal Fitness: Tips, Tech and Resources

Exploring Fitness at the Heiskell Library

Tymbher Lomax, volunteer tech coach

Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

When You Can't Look at the Sun: Exploring the Eclipse Through Touch & Sound