Shop at the new VisionAWARE online store

Find products that can enhance independent living and quality of life for people who are blind or have low vision: audio recorders, computers and accessories, health management, household and cooking, labeling and marking, lighting, and timekeeping. A portion of each purchase supports VisionAWARE.

Visit Nancy's Gift Corner

Nancy Paskin, M.Ed., CVRT selects a wide range of unique holiday gift ideas, products, and resources for family members, friends, and relatives who are blind or have low vision. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Eid-al-Adha, you're sure to find the perfect gift at Nancy's Gift Corner.

The VisionAWARE Bookstore

Find a wide range of literary and "how to" books related to blindness and low vision, including:

Planet of the Blind by poet Stephen Kuusisto

Dealing with Vision Loss by Fred Olver

Clean to the Touch: Housekeeping for Teenagers and Young Adults with Visual Impairments by Kathy Bull, Susan Lind-Sinanian, and Eleanor Martin

Find more books for people with low vision on A portion of each Amazon purchase made through this newsletter or our web site supports VisionAWARE.

Braille Letter from Santa

From November 16 to December 16, 2008, parents and grandparents can go to the National Federation of the Blind web site and fill out a Santa Braille Letter request form.  Beginning December 1, braille letters from Santa will be mailed to boys and girls throughout the United States.

Louis Braille's Birthday

January 4, 2009, will be the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, creator of the tactile code that opened the world of reading to blind people. Visit the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) web site to learn more about celebrations and special events to honor Louis Braille at schools, agencies, and organizations throughout North America.

A New Braille Silver Dollar

The first American coin with tactual braille characters is a silver dollar commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. The "heads" side of the coin depicts Louis Braille with the word "Liberty" above it. On the flip side, the braille code for the word "braille" is inscribed above a depiction of a boy reading a braille book. The new coin will be available in Spring 2009.

Learn more about the braille code and learning to read braille at All About Braille on the VisionAWARE web site.

View previous newsletters at Are You AWARE? Newsletter Archive.

Tell A Friend: If you know someone who could find this information helpful, please pass this newsletter on and encourage him or her to subscribe at VisionAWARE.

About VisionAWARE

AWARE is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit social service organization. AWARE's primary focus is VisionAWARE, a "Self-Help for Vision Loss" web site that includes Questions & Answers on a wide range of topics, including eye diseases and disorders, home management, home modification, reading and writing, personal care and grooming, recreational activities, crafts, braille, computers and technology, and helpful services and resources.

For more information, e-mail Maureen A. Duffy, AWARE's Editorial Director, at maureen.duffy@visionaware.org.

Your donation can help us continue to promote self-help vision rehabilitation hints, provide step-by-step adaptive techniques, and disseminate information on services and independent living resources to adults with vision loss, their families and friends, caregivers, and related professionals.

VisionAWARE is made possible through the generous support of
Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation.