Guest Author - Carla Ruschival

Whether you want some attractive decor for your home or office or a great gift for that someone who has everything, a calendar is just the answer.

But locating a calendar useful to a blind or visually impaired person may be a problem. These specially-formatted items aren't always available at your local Wal-Mart or bookstore.

The calendars described here make great gifts for people with low vision. Some are braille, some are large print, and some even have both braille and large print on the same page! We've hand-picked these quality products just for you for the holidays.

Products may sometimes be available from more than one source. Product names and prices may vary; listed here are the lowest prices found at the time of the writing of this article. Scroll down to find links to purchase featured items.

1. The 2006 Insights Art calendar features art from blind and visually impaired children and adults on each durable page. The calendar is 8.5 by 11 inches, is spiral-bound, and has braille and easy-to-read 36-point large type on each page. Includes holidays and moon phases. Suitable for desk or to hang on the wall. $7.50 from the American Printing House for the Blind

2. Seuss-isms Wise and Witty 2006 Calendar: A wonderful calendar in braille and large print featuring Dr. Seuss quotes and scenes on each page. The braille is on clear plastic sheets that fit right on top of the print pages. Each calendar comes with a sheet of 60 stickers of Dr. Seuss characters; super for marking birthdays and other important occasions. $12.99 from National Braille Press

3. One Week at a Time Calendar: 8.5- by 11-inch large print calendar. Bold lines separate the days; one week per page. Suitable for desk, wall, briefcase or backpack. $12.00 from the See World Store

4. Jumbo Print Wall Calendar: 17.5 by 22.5 inches when fully open. There's a box for each day, the numbers are 3/4-inch high, and the lines between the days are thick and easy to see. Hang on a wall or use on a desk. $12.50 from the See World Store

5. The EZ Track large print calendar comes in a binder, and each page holds four days of activities. There's room to write notes and appointments. $29.00 from the American Printing House for the Blind

6. The Braille Datebook from APH is a planner/organizer especially for braille users. 4- by 6-inch pages are stored inside a burgundy padded vinyl binder with a Velcro closure. Pages can be removed for brailling in a braillewriter or with a slate and stylus. The binder has pockets for storing slate and stylus, and there is a tabbed braille calendar for appointments. Comes with filler paper and organizer tabs. $53.00 from the American Printing House for the Blind.

For more information on these calendars, visit:

American Printing House for the Blind or call APH at (800)223-1839

National Braille Press or call NBP at (800)548-7323

The See World Store or call See World at (800)346-2115