Volume 5, Issue 2
April 2010
In this issue:
- AADB is Selected for TSW’s 20 Hours Giveaway
- Did You Know? Fonts Matter.
- Response to Sign for "E-mail"
- Ask TSW! Cover Letter and Letter of Interest
- Spotlight on...American Association of the Deaf-Blind
- Going Green with a Font Change
- GRO Around the World
AADB is Selected for TSW's 20 Hours Giveaway
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TSW was pleased to receive a good number of applications for its 20 Hours Giveaway event. Every applicant had such outstanding credentials and activities that it was difficult for the screening committee to finalize the choice. The American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) was the selected recipient, and TSW is excited about working with AADB.
Special thanks go to the screening committee members: John Pirone, Rosa Ramirez and Randy Shank.
Did You Know? Fonts Matter.
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Did you know that IKEA, the Swedish furniture store, set off an uproar last fall when it decided to switch from a customized version of Futura to Verdana for its print ads? People expressed outrage and disgust at IKEA's decision for many reasons, the primary being Verdana's commonality and the fact that it was designed for use as a screen font, not print. The uproar ignited such attention that even Time Magazine devoted an article to it. Google "IKEA Verdana" and you'll see numerous links about this.
Another font that often sets off irate rantings is Comic Sans. In fact, there are several websites devoted to the ban of this font, such as http://www.bancomicsans.com. Vincent Connare originally created the Comic Sans font in 1994 when he was at Microsoft. He created the font to replace the Times New Roman font used in a test version of Microsoft Bob, an online help system aimed at children and new PC users. Read more about this at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123992364819927171.html.
Source: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1919127,00.html
Response to Sign for "E-mail"
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Wow! What a response we received to the article in the last issue about the sign for “e-mail” in the last issue. All were in favor of not using the somewhat new sign for e-mail; many wrote to say they preferred to fingerspell the word or sign “SEND."
Ask TSW! Cover Letter and Letter of Interest
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A reader asks: I'm applying for a job, and they asked for a letter of interest. What's the difference between a letter of interest and a cover letter?
At first glance, the cover letter and the letter of interest seem to be the same thing. However, there are some slight but key differences.
A cover letter is a letter you submit along with your resume for a specific job posting, while a letter of interest, also accompanied by a resume, generally asks what job opportunities are available. The cover letter focuses on your qualifications for a specific job. A letter of interest shares your interest in working for a specific company, and shares your potential contributions.
Both letters use the same format as commonly found in most business letters. The letters should be addressed to a specific individual at the company rather than “To Whom It May Concern.”
Sources: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5804711_difference-cover-letter-letter-interest.html and http://www.letterwritingguide.com/interest.htm
Have a question about American Sign Language or English? Send your question to news@tswriting.com. We'll try to answer your question in an upcoming issue. All names will be kept anonymous.
Spotlight on...American Association of the Deaf-Blind
 Just how many deaf-blind people are there in the United States? Jamie Pope, executive director of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB), says this is a challenging question because of the diversity among deaf-blind people, just like the diversity among people who are deaf. “The Mississippi State University Rehabilitation and Research Center on Low Vision and Blindness did a 2006 study in which researchers determined that approximately 1.2 million Americans have combined vision and hearing losses,” Pope says. However, she notes that this “number encompasses people who have all types and degrees of dual vision and hearing losses.”
With this in mind, the work facing AADB quickly becomes clear. AADB was selected as the recipient of TSW’s 20 Hours Giveaway because of its commitment to breaking new ground, providing much-needed outreach and advocacy services and conference/symposium services.
AADB, established in 1937 and incorporated in 1984, is headquartered in the same building as the National Association of the Deaf in Silver Spring, Md. With four employees and a flourishing membership base of 3,500, AADB is working to obtain funding for two direct service programs: educational awareness activities and technology, and a national Support Service Provider (SSP) program.
Pope, who is deaf-blind as are the majority of AADB employees, says, “Grant funding will play a large role in the services that AADB can offer. The expertise that TSW can offer would be a tremendous help to us so we can sustain the organization and be able to provide direct and indirect services to our members and to deaf-blind people nationwide.” She adds that in five years, AADB plans to have a well-established national SSP program. “We also hope that more SSPs will be trained and certified so that SSPs can be recognized as paid professionals, in much the same way that sign language interpreters are recognized now.”
SSPs are, as Pope describes, the “eyes and ears” of deaf-blind people, assisting them to access their community and information around them. “They do this by providing visual information on what is happening around them, assisting with communication, providing a human guide, and providing transportation. SSPs enable deaf-blind people to find and keep jobs, vote, run errands, link with people, and countless other tasks for life,” Pope says. The SSP program is in addition to several other projects AADB has been working on to provide accessibility and resources to deaf-blind individuals.
After all, as Pope says, “Our dream is defined in our mission statement: to ensure that all deaf-blind persons achieve their maximum potential through increased independence, productivity and integration into the community.”
One of AADB’s most valuable resources is its free e-newsletter available to anyone interested.AADB Today includes updates, legislative tidbits, advocacy efforts, calendar of events, and other announcements. To sign up for the e-newsletter or for other online resources, visithttp://www.aadb.org.
Going Green with a Font Change
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The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay recently changed its e-mail system's default font from Arial to Century Gothic. The new font uses 30 percent less ink. In an msnbc.com article, the university's director of computing, Diane Blohowiak, says the decision is part of the school's five-year plan to go green. The font change could save the school as much as $10,000 per gallon of ink.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36039105/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets
GRO Around the World
On Friday, April 23, Global Reach Out Initiative (GRO) will host an open house at SOVA Espresso and Wine on H street in Washington, D.C. This event promises to be an exciting way to learn more about GRO through raffles, prizes, trivia, and much more. Among the exciting prizes offered for raffle is a resume writing package from TSW. For more information or to buy tickets to the event, visit http://openhousegro.eventbrite.com.
About TSW
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T.S. Writing Services, LLC, is a Deaf-owned company that provides writing, editing, design and translation services in American Sign Language and English. For more information, visit http://www.tswriting.com.
If you have suggestions or questions about this e-newsletter, contact the editor at news@tswriting.com. |
