2008 Access Awards Winners and Nominees
After tabulating hundreds of votes, we are pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 Blind Bargains Access Awards. For each category, you will find the winner as well as the other worthy nominees. Congratulations to all of our winners and nominees.
View the official press release
1. Best New Product or Innovation. This award goes to the best new product or innovation of 2008. The product or innovation must have been introduced during 2008.
Winner: KNFB Reading Technology KNFB Reader MobileOther nominees: Code Factory Mobile Geo
Perkins School for the Blind Next Generation Perkins Brailler
Serotek Corporation System Access to Go
WebVisum
2. Best Company. This award is for the best company serving the blind community. They must have been in business for at least part of 2008.
Winner: Kurzweil Educational SystemsOther nominees: American Printing House for the Blind
GW Micro
HumanWare Group
Serotek Corporation
3. Best Screen Access Program. This award goes to the best screen reading or magnification product of 2008, regardless of the operating system.
Winner: Freedom Scientific JAWS for WindowsOther nominees: Dolphin Computer Access Hal
NV Access NVDA
Serotek Corporation System Access
GW Micro Window-Eyes
4. Best Hardware Product. This is for the best hardware product for the blind or visually impaired. It must have been released or upgraded in 2008.
Winner: HumanWare Victor Reader StreamOther nominees: GW Micro Braille Sense Plus
Apple iPod nano
Plextor Plextalk Pocket
HumanWare Trekker Breeze
5. Best Software Product. This is for the best software product for the blind or visually impaired, other than a screen access program (see above). It must have been released or upgraded in 2008.
Winner: KNFB Reading Technology KNFB Reader MobileOther nominees: Duxbury Systems Duxbury Braille Translator
Klango Network Klango Player
Sendero Group Sendero GPS
GW Micro Sense Navigation
6. Best Accessible Game. This is for the best accessible game for any operating system. It must have been released in 2008.
Winner: Kitchen's Inc MonopolyOther nominees: Spoonbill Software Hearts
All inPlay Tag - The Anagram Game
Playing in the Dark Top Speed 2.1
Quirkz Media Twilight Heroes
7. Best Blindness-related Website. This award goes to the best website serving the blind community.
Winner: NLS Downloadable Audio Book and Magazine ServiceOther nominees: Blind Cool Tech
Blind Planet
Fred's Head Companion
VIP Conduit
8. Best Blindness-related Blog. This award goes to the best blog serving the blind community.
Winner: Fred's Head CompanionOther nominees: Access Ability
Blind Access Journal
Mobile Space
The Ranger Station
9. Best Blindness-related podcast or radio program. This award goes to the best podcast or radio program serving the blind community.
Winner: Blind Cool TechOther nominees: Accessible World Tek Talk
Cooking in the Dark
FSCast
SeroTalk
10. Best Store for Blindness-related Products. This award goes for the store, online or offline, that best serves the blind community.
Winner: Independent Living AidsOther nominees: American Printing House for the Blind
Blind Mice Mart
Maxi Aids
National Braille Press
11. Person of the Year. This special award goes to the person who has most influenced the blind community or blindness in general in 2008.
Winner: Raymond KurzweilOther nominees: Mike Calvo
Mike May
David Paterson
Background
The 2008 Blind Bargains Access Awards was administered in two phases. An open-ended nomination form was first presented to readers. From these forms, the top vote-getters in each category were picked for the voting round. Winners were determined solely based on vote totals.
Blind Bargains and other properties by A T Guys, LLC were excluded from the contest.
No monitary value is attached to any awards given.
All decisions by the Blind Bargains staff are final.