INSIGHT

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE SPECIAL NEEDS LIBRARY OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA

The Special Needs Library of Northeast Georgia is a part of your public library and the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, serving Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Greene, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hancock, Hart, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Putnam, Rabun, Stephens, Walton and White counties. We do not endorse any product or service mentioned in this newsletter.

800-531-2063, 706-613-3655

Email: specialneedslibrary@athenslibrary.org

Staff: Stacey Chandler, Lavern Gordon, Claudia Markov, Pete Hayek

AUGUST 2004

The Special Needs Library of Northeast Georgia will be closed Monday, September 6, 2004, for Labor Day!!

Outreach Visits

I am scheduling outreach visits to all of our 21 counties. If you would like for me to share information about all the services available from the Special Needs Library contact Stacey at 1-800-531-2063 or 706-613-3655. I will be happy to schedule a presentation for your agency, retirement centers, nursing homes or groups.

Vacation Reading Program

To our younger patrons….you still have the month of August to get those books read for the Vacation Reading Program. We will be figuring out who all participated in the reading program at the end of August and awarding a prize to our patrons (17-years old and younger) who read 12 or more books. Hurry, there’s still time!

Medicare RX

A new law gives people with Medicare the power to start saving on prescription drugs. Medicare is contracting with private companies to offer Medicare-approved drug discount cards. You can choose one of the discount cards offered by these private companies to help you save on outpatient prescription drugs. If you have lower income that makes it hard to pay for your prescription drugs, you might get extra help. To get help comparing your options and to find out how to enroll, call 1-800-633-4227 and ask about “drug savings.” TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048, or go to www.medicare.gov on the web. Select “Prescription Drugs and Other Assistance Programs.”

Visiting a National Park this Summer?

The National Park Service makes a lifetime entrance pass to national parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas, and national wildlife refuges that charge entrance fees available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are blind or permanently disabled. The Golden Access Passport admits the pass holder and accompanying passengers in a private vehicle to parks with a per-vehicle entrance fee; where a per-person entrance fee is charged, the pass admits the pass holder and his or her spouse and children. The Golden Access Passport also provides a 50 percent discount on federal usage fees for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, and tours. The pass may be obtained by showing proof of a medically determined permanent disability or eligibility for receiving benefits under federal law. It must be obtained in person at a federal area (national park, historic site, wildlife refuge, etc.) where an entrance fee is charged. To locate a convenient park service site, visit the National Park Service portal “Visit Your Parks” at www.npsgov/parks.html.. Visitors are encouraged to telephone the site to inquire about pass availability and required documentation before traveling.

Helpful Travel Resources

“New Horizons: Information for the Air Traveler with a Disability” is a free booklet available from the US Department of Transportation’s Consumer Information Center, P.O. Box 100, Pueblo, CO 81002; or by visiting www.faa.gov/passengers/Disabilities.cfm

Call the Toll-Free Hotline for Air Travelers with Disabilities at 1-800-778-4838 (voice) or 1-800-455-9880 (TTY) daily, between 7 am and 11 pm Eastern Standard Time.

“Access Amtrak: A Guide to Amtrak Services for Travelers with Disabilities” is free and available in limited quantities in large print, Braille and on tape. Call 1-877-268-7252 or visit www.amtrak.com/plan/accessibility-index.html

For travel resources in Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe, click on the “Travel” link within the “Community and Lifestyle” section of www.visionconnection.org or call 1-800-829-0500.

Disasters: Nonfiction

Here is a list of books, compiled by Reader Advisor Paul Mathews, on real-life catastrophes and tragedies.

Bobby WorldWide Approved