Blind--services for

Verna Bell talks about working as a stereograph operator at the American Printing House for the Blind from 1957 until her retirement in the 1970s. She describes stereotyping and correcting braille printing plates for use on the presses. She also talks about making hand drawn illustrations for tooling, and about APH recreational activities.

Hilda Caton talks about her work in the Educational Research Departmetnt at the American Printing House for the Blind, beginning in 1970 through the 1980s. During this time, she supervised research for and development of several braille projects, including field testing and evaluation. She talks about the Patterns: Primary Braille Reading Progam, developed with her associate Eleanor Pester, another braille specialist in the department, and about the standardization of braille codes.

Marilyn Cheatham talks about her responsibilities as Health Nurse and Safety Coordinator in the Human Resources Department at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), where she worked from 1979 until her retirement in 2006. She discusses OSHA standards, the company's increase in safety awareness, the establishment of safety committees, and employee safety training.

Mary Crawford talks about her work as a press operator in braille and large type production at the American Printing House fror the Blind, the machinery and changes in processes, and her work in the company's ATIC (Accessible Textbooks) Department, where she operated Braillos and binding equipment for textbook production until her retirement in 2006. She also describes the use of the PEARL machine for production tactile graphics, and of the TED (Text Embossing Device) and PED (Plate Embossing Device). Crawford also recounts her experiences as a Teamsters Union member during the strike of 1988.

Loretta Devore, a 2007 retiree of the Americvan Printing House for the Blind, describes the various jobs that she held while working for the company. These include the production of braille books covers and labels, collating of printed materials in the Large Type Department, container production, and the manufacturing of various educational aids, including the Sense of Science series.

Will Evans, APH Products and Services Director, became an employee of the American Printing House for the Blind in 1995, following his retirement as superintendent of the Kentucky School for the Blind. He talks about product development and promotion at APH and describes the company's product review process and product-education services, including the responsibilities of EPAC (Educational Services Advisory Committee) and EPAC (Educational Products Advisory Committee). Evans also talks about his career at the Kentucky School for the Blind and his experiences as a visually impaired student.

Eutiva "Tiva" Frank, APH Development Assistant, talks about the processing of fund raising mailings and donations in the company's Development Department and about hcanges tha occurred with computerized data management in the 1980s. She mentions changes in management personnel of the department and describes helping out in the APH Tape Duplication Department during the union strike of 1988.

Mary Lee Frye, retired APH copyholder, talks about working at the American Printing House for the Blind from 1968 to 2004. She describes working APH Braille Production with braille proofreaders and talks about running a proofing press when she first joined the company.

Ron Gadson, APH Maintenance Division Manager, talks about working at the American Printing House for the Blind, where he began as a machinist in the Machine Shop in 1965. He describes machinery that maintenance employees have worked on over the years. He specifically mentions the Banbury mill used in making vinyl biscuits for talking books, the stitching machine used in the Bindery, and the making of cabinet-model stereograph machines. He talks about modifications of equipment for producing accessible materials and about the development of a prototype tape machine by APH employee Macombus Lee for using computerized braille transcription (circa 1960). The introduction of OSHA standards for machine safety and the effect of the Teamsters Union at APH and the reasons leading up to unionization in 1981 are also mentioned.

Fred Gissoni talks about working at the American Printing House for the Blind as a customer service specialist. He joined the company in 1988 as the first technical support representative to APH customers and, in 1993 developed and organized Customer Service, which later became part of the Customer Relations Department, later called the Customer Service Department. He also describes "Fred's Head" -- an APH online database of blindness tips and techniques that is named for him -- and discusses the PortaBraille, which he helped develop at the Kentucky Department of the Blind prior to joining APH in 1988.