Jim (Dimitri) Kales
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dimitrikales1.bsky.social
Jim (Dimitri) Kales
@dimitrikales1.bsky.social
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CEO of Braille Institute of America, the world's leading organization helping those with vision loss live independently. www.brailleinstitute.org
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Reposted by Jim (Dimitri) Kales
brailleinstitute.bsky.social
The State has zeroed out and cut all state funding for Braille Institute’s Library. Without these funds, more than 40,000 blind and visually impaired residents across Southern California risk losing access to vital library resources.

We need your help.

#RestoreBrailleBudget
Beige graphic featuring cut-out text on a bright red rectangle that reads, "State cuts Braille Library funding." Beneath the red rectangle is ink blue text that says, "Let your voice be heard."
April 28, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Jim (Dimitri) Kales
brailleinstitute.bsky.social
The Doing Good podcast shines a spotlight on everyday heroes who are making a difference through volunteerism. For their March episode, they featured Steve Bauer, a retired Braille Institute instructor and advocate for braille literacy.

Check out his inspiring volunteer story here: bit.ly/44AbMsM
Steve Bauer smiles in the Braille Institute Library recording studio. He sits at a desk in front of a a large microphone, wearing headphones and reading from a braille eReader.
April 23, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Reposted by Jim (Dimitri) Kales
brailleinstitute.bsky.social
In October, one of our Youth students, Jaden K., was a featured guest on the Brains On podcast for an episode all about white canes. That episode is nominated for a Webby Award within the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging category! 🎉

Let's show our support! Vote here: bit.ly/42LwV0T
Vote for the best of the internet
I just voted in The Webby People's Voice Awards and checked my voter registration.
vote.webbyawards.com
April 8, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Reposted by Jim (Dimitri) Kales
brailleinstitute.bsky.social
Special delivery—it’s this year’s regional Braille Challenge competition! Let’s dive behind the scenes into the journey of the Braille Challenge contest materials, from start to finish.

#BrailleChallenge #Braille #BrailleLiteracy
A photo of a Braillo embosser hard at work printing multiple contest pages. At the bottom of the image is a banner with the Braille Challenge 25th anniversary logo and text that reads, “Did you know? From start to finish, it takes ten months to develop, produce, and ship Braille Challenge regional contests!”
April 3, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Reposted by Jim (Dimitri) Kales
brailleinstitute.bsky.social
We want to sincerely thank the legislators who have signed a letter requesting the governor restore our funding. But the work isn’t done yet — and we need your help. Visit www.brailleinstitute.org/restorefundi... to learn how you can call for California to restore this crucial funding.
Help Restore Literacy for 700,000 Visually Impaired Californians
www.brailleinstitute.org
April 3, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Reposted by Jim (Dimitri) Kales
brailleinstitute.bsky.social
Accessible literacy is at risk. Over 700,000 blind, visually impaired, and print disabled Californians are about to lose access to accessible library services after California budget cuts zeroed out funding for the Braille Institute Library.
A close-up photo of a poster for the “Remote Library” protest, which features bold black text and red accents. The sign reads, “Library for the Blind. Closes at 12 Noon due to budget cuts*. *If funding isn’t restored, limited hours are all we’ll be able to offer. Cut to state library budget means zero dollars for Braille Services. Step Inside. Hear directly from individuals who rely on braille services. Interact with some of the braille materials that are at risk of elimination in your community. Why it matters. Students lose access to learning materials and fall behind in school. Seniors face isolation without access to books or readers. Veterans depend on braille tools for independence. Learn to read braille and interact with braille books, large format books, e-readers, talking book players, digital magnifiers, visual simulators and much more.” At the bottom left of the poster is the Braille Institute logo. Braille Institute staff, students, and guide dogs around a table covered in accessible library materials including braille books, large print books, eReaders, audiobook cassette players, posters, and more.
April 3, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Reposted by Jim (Dimitri) Kales
brailleinstitute.bsky.social
Join us for an exclusive webinar on Tuesday, February 25 at 11:00 AM featuring Elliott Scott, Creative Director of Applied Design as we share the story behind our Atkinson Hyperlegible font. Learn what makes this font unique and preview the latest updates.

Register for FREE today: bit.ly/4hdz7U8
What’s Next for Atkinson Hyperlegible
Join us for a webinar discussing Atkinson Hyperlegible—the groundbreaking font designed to improve readability for individuals with low vision, from the Braille Institute of America. With millions of ...
bit.ly
February 18, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Reposted by Jim (Dimitri) Kales
brailleinstitute.bsky.social
Tired of confusing lowercase L’s and uppercase I’s while reading? Us, too. Save yourself the mix-ups and start reading easy with Atkinson Hyperlegible Next—the new and improved version of our award-winning font created with Applied Design.

Download here: bit.ly/4hPhHxF
Light blue graphic with text reads: "Atkinson Hyperlegible Next. The world's only hyperlegible font. Now even hyperlegible-er. Free to download. Free to use." The graphic features the word “FREE” highlighted in white and the Braille Institute logo along the bottom of the blue block.
February 10, 2025 at 7:08 PM