Following is a list of various types of resources that may be useful to blind people who are living in or visiting the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. The items were contributed by members of the Metro chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota but are not necessarily endorsed by the National Federation of the Blind.
Talking Automated Teller Machines (ATM)
Information by Phone
NFB-NEWSLINE®: 1-888-882-1629
Access to newspapers from around the country via telephone; you
must be signed up for the service to receive a user ID and pass
code.
Minneapolis Public Library: 612-630-6230.
St. Paul Public Library: 651-266-7000
KARE 11 time/weather: 763-512-1111
Quick Call Star/Tribune Time/weather, lottery winning numbers, mortgage payment calculator: 612-673-9050.
Star/Trib rate line for CD's, bank loans, credit cards: 612-673-9040
AOL Movie phone: 651-777-FILM (or 777-3456)
Qwest Center for Customers with Disabilities:
800-223-3131
Directory assistance exemption, large print or braille billing,
equipment available by lease for the hearing impaired.
Tellme: 800-555-TELL (or 555-8355.
News, weather throughout the country, sports, stocks,blackjack
(for fun.
Braille transcription
Volunteer Braille Services: 763-971-5231
4139 Regent Ave. N. Robbinsdale 55422
Braille transcribing, large print through an agency,national
children's library, local library for adults of books
previously transcribed.
Hidden Gifts
Transcribing. 763-522-2501
Maureen Pranghofer, 4910 Dawnview Terrace, Golden Valley MN
55422
E-mail Maureensmusic@comcast.net.
Website: www.brailleit.com
Currently $1 per print page.
Communication Center of State Services for the Blind:
651-642-0852
Free to residents of Minnesota. Besides braille,transcribes onto
audio cassette and has a lending library of tapes. Braille
cookbooks available for duplication by request. These are yours
to keep.
Blindness-related Products and Services
Center Point Energy Minnegasco. Service Plus:
612-333-6466
Customers of Service Plus can obtain free of charge a home
thermostat with large print tactile numbers for easy setting and
reading. Thermostat also clicks with each two degrees of
temperature. Thermostat is installed free of charge.
Excel Energy KAMP (kitchen appliance marking program):
800-895-4999
Retired employees will come to your home and mark with tactile
and highly visible "bubbles" on kitchen and laundry
appliances. No fee. Twin Cities and suburbs customers only.
Minnesota Low-Vision Store: 651-489-4194 or 800-505-7318
1956 University Ave., St. Paul 55104
Customers may order via telephone with a credit card or shop in
person.
Low-Vision
Store: 651-203-2200
Outside of metro area: 800-871-8788
www.thelowvisionstore.com
2200 University Ave. W., Suite 180, St. Paul 55114
Aids, appliances, gifts, games for the blind. Order from website,
via phone or visit in person.
Descriptive Video Service:
800-333-1203 to listen to info about it or to hear their
catalog.
317-579-0439 to order.
E-mail dvs@wgbh.org.
http://dvs.wgbh.org
Descriptive Video Service, 125 Western Ave., Boston MA02134.
Offers for sale movies and documentaries that have been recorded
with added narration of scenery, action and costumes.
Selected Blockbuster Video stores offer Descriptive videos for rent. No application or membership fee.
Perkins Brailler Repair
Paul and Bernie Dressell: 513-481-7662
2714 Ruberg Ave. Cincinnati OH 45211
Long-time membersof NFB have been trained by Howe Press to repair
and clean Perkins braillers.
Alan Ackley: Phone: 515-288-3931
4301 Park Ave. No. 540, Des Moines IA 50321.
Certified by Howe Press to clean and repair Perkins
braillewriters. Be very specific as to what you want repaired,
whether you want original parts replaced with new and whether you
want a factory-fresh Perkins box for return shipment. These are
all added expenses and will be done automatically if you do not
specify otherwise.
Delivery and Mail Order
Store to Door: 651-642-1892
Grocery delivery for elderly and disabled. Volunteers shopat Cub
stores and deliver to customers every 2 weeks. Delivery fee
either 15 or 20 percent of grocery total; fee can be waived in
certain financially needy cases. Enrollment may be done over the
phone.
Simon Delivers:
763-971-4900
www.simondelivers.com
Order groceries by phone or on the Net. You pick your delivery
time and date based on availability in your neighborhood. Smaller
delivery fee if order is $80 or greater. Also delivers wine and
liquor, stamps, flowers and from selected restaurants for
specific items.
Meyer Brothers
Dairy: 952-473-7343.
www.meyerbrosdairy.com
Delivers dairy items and coffee beans to many metro suburbsand
towns surrounding the metro area. Not deliver to Minneapolis and
St.Paul proper.
Schwan's:
888-724-9267
WWW.schwans.com
Delivers hundreds of frozen food products including ice cream,
appetizers, meats and complete meals. No delivery fee. Catalog
and package directions are available in Braille.
Waiters at Your
Service: 651-645-3003
www.waysdelivers.com
Delivers, for a fee, food from many popular local restaurants.
Covers much of the metro area but not all.
Speak to Me
catalog: 800-248-9965
www.speaktomecatalog.com (website for viewing only, not
ordering)
330 S.W. 43rd St. Suite K154, Renton WA 98055-4976
Sells both practical and novelty items that talk, beep,buzz,
chirp, sing etc. Catalog available on audio CD.
Critics Choice Video:
800-367-7765
www.ccvideo.com
Videos for sale, including foreign and hard-to-find.
Xpedx Paper and Graphics: 612-529-9133
1401 W. River Rd., Mpls 55411
Paper and office supplies. Can order hard-to-find items such as
unusual sized envelopes and Rollodex cards of the larger
sizes.
Stamps through the mail:
800-782-6724
www.usps.gov
No shipping fee. Order from the website with credit card,over the
phone or obtain order form from your mail carrier or post
office.
Transportation
Metro Transit (city bus) Route and Scheduling:
612-373-3333
Metro transit Automated 24-hour Scheduling: 612-341-4287
Metro Mobility (door to door service for disabled)
Customer Service: 651-602-1111
Transit Team: 612-332-3323
For St. Paul, Laidlaw: 651-636-5000
Taxi Service
Minneapolis Cab Services
Yellow: 612-824-4444
ABC Taxi: 612-788-1111
Blue and White Taxi: 612-333-3331
Green and White: In Mpls and suburbs 612-522-2222. For St. Paul and suburbs, 651-222-2222
Red and White: 612-871-1600
Rainbow: 612-332-1615
Gold Star Taxi: 612-343-8888
Five Star Taxi (Edina): 952-914-0666
Airport Taxi: 952-928-0000
Northstar Taxi: 612-333-3133
St. Paul Cab Services
Citywide: 651-489-1111
Diamond: 651-642-1188
Yellow Cab: 651-222-4433
Rochester Direct: 507-288-4490. Between Rochester and either Mpls/St. Paul airport or Mall of America. Call one day in advance to reserve.
Airport Passenger
Service, Eau Claire. 715-835-0399. or
www.airportpassenger.com
Service between Eau Claire, Wisconsin and Mpls/St. Paul
International airport. Reserve four days in advance.
Land to Air
Express: 888-736-9190. www.landtoairexpress.com
Shuttle between International Airport and the Mankato/St.Peter
area. Reserve two days in advance for year-round travel, a week
in advance for major holidays.
East Side Neighborhood House:
Phone: 612-781-6011
1700 2nd St. N.E. Minneapolis 55413
Offers employment counseling, senior services,transportation for
seniors who live in the Northeast area. Some programs are free,
others based on income.
Jewish Family and Children's Services
Phone: 952-546-0616
13100 Wayzata Blvd, Minnetonka 55305.
Family counseling, community services for seniors,transportation
for persons age 60 or over, once-per-week grocery bus.
Anoka Traveler
Reservation: 763-323-5222
Cancellation: 763-323-5234
Reserved bus trips for the general public. Must be picked up and
dropped off in Anoka County but do not have to live or work in
the county. Reserve your trip four days in advance.
Dakota County DART. 952-891-7100
Reserved public transportation for Dakota County.
Additional suggestions
Many local drugstores now deliver prescription medicines and other items for free or very low cost. Check with those nearest to you.
Several grocery stores, though they do not deliver groceries, will supply employees to shop with you. Call in advance and choose their less-busy times of the day and week if possible.
Raised-line checks may be available through your bank. Check price before ordering.
Playscool and other children's toys and games manufacturers offer raised print or print/braille magnetic letters and numbers.
A baby monitor can be set up in front of a Library of Congress cassette machine so that books on cassette may be heard wherever in the home or yard the receiver is placed.
Individuals may receive personal shopping assistance at several different department stores including Marshall Fields and Nordstrom's. Contact individual stores for further information about services they provide.