Allegheny Power is committed to the communities we serve and proud to support the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind.
PCB wishes to express our heartfelt thanks to the Allegheny Power and Light Company who is graciously assisting in underwriting this Convention Program.
Be a "Watt Watcher."
Use Energy Wisely.
alleghenypower.com
1-800-Allegheny (1-800-255-3443)
Allegheny Power is committed to the communities we serve and proud to support the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind.
The PCB ADVOCATE is a quarterly news publication of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind. It is available in large print, braille, cassette, disk, and by Email.
Please send change of address and other matters to;
PCB office
931 N Front St.
Harrisburg, PA. 17102
717-920-9999
1-877-617-7407
FAX 717-920-9988
Email address: pcb1@paonline.com
Web site: pcb1.org
June M Horst, Editor
John A Horst, Ass't Editor
Send articles to:
ADVOCATE,
PCB Office,
931 N Front St.,
Harrisburg, PA. 17102.
Email pcb1@paonline.com
Articles can also be sent directly to the Editor at: jjkhor95@epix.net
To promote independence and opportunities for people with vision impairments.
To continue to be recognized as the leading advocacy organization for people with vision impairments in Pennsylvania. The aim of all of our efforts is to encourage and assist people in achieving their potential as valued members of society. PCB assistance, advocacy, and encouragement will be carried out in such areas as, but not limited to, all aspects of accessibility, transportation, education, and employment.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Articles in this publication reflect the views of the individual writers. They do not necessarily represent the views and policy of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind.
CONTRIBUTIONS: Contributions are tax deductible, and are always much needed. They can be sent to Anthony Evancic, Treasurer, at the PCB office address, at 931 N Front St., Harrisburg, PA 17102.
If you wish to remember a relative or friend by sharing in the Council's work, the PCB office will acknowledge contributions made by loved ones in memory of deceased persons. Anyone wishing to remember the PA Council of the Blind in his/her Last Will and Testament, may do so by including a paragraph for this purpose. If your wishes are complex, you may contact the PCB office.
SUBMITTING ARTICLES: If you wish to submit articles for consideration in the ADVOCATE, please do so. Deadlines for submission are:
| March 1 | September 1 | |
| June 1 | December 1 |
At the November 2009 PCB Board meeting, the Board voted to restore the publication of the PCB ADVOCATE to 4 times a year, beginning in the year 2010. The Board felt that too much time lapses between publications 3 times a year, and that in order to keep news fresh and current, we needed to resume publication quarterly. You may send articles in any format, either to the PCB office, or Email them to: jjkhor95@epix.net. Your input is always welcome.
From the Editors: This Spring issue of the ADVOCATE updates the activities, functions, and critical concerns of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind. Major contributions to this issue have been made by committee chairs and chapter presidents, keeping in mind the due date for articles. We would like to hear from more chapter members as to what you are doing and what the issues are that you discuss at your meetings.
The submission date for articles for the Summer 2010 edition of the ADVOCATE is June 1, 2010.
* * * *
PCB wishes to express our heartfelt thanks to the Allegheny Power and Light Company who is graciously underwriting this issue of the ADVOCATE.
| President's Report | 7 |
| From the Director's Desk | 9 |
| Awards | 12 |
| Employment | 15 |
| Fund Raising | 19 |
| Low Vision | 21 |
| Membership | 23 |
| Publicity | 24 |
| Transportation | 27 |
| Capitol City | 27 |
| Cumberland Care & Share | 29 |
| Golden Triangle | 29 |
| Lancaster Red Rose | 33 |
| Lehigh Valley | 35 |
| Monroe County | 37 |
| Oil Valley | 39 |
| Washington County | 40 |
| York | 41 |
George Holliday, President
Finally, spring is right around the corner, and we can get rid of the liniment, snow shovels, ice melt, snow boots and all the heavy clothing. I don't regret saying "goodbye" for another year, climbing over snow mounds and stepping in puddles of cold water to catch a bus.
This year, there are a few events we make note and plan for, including the PCB Regionals, ACB National Convention, and the PCB Convention and Conference. Those are just a few, but there are several events taking place throughout the year within the chapters that need to be advertised. Let's spread the word outside the chapter about the programs and events you are planning. These events can be posted on the PCB web site under "CALENDAR OF EVENTS", and published in the ADVOCATE. Remember to notify the office or a member of the web site committee or the Editor of your detailed event. Include program speakers, advocacy efforts and social activities.
Also, October has been declared "BLINDNESS AWARENESS MONTH" by the governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This is a great time for your chapter to schedule an event and invite the public. This is a great tool to publicize your chapter.
On Wednesday, March 3, I hosted a state-wide conference call. This conference call included PCB officers, committee chairs and PCB members. Committee chairs discussed and answered questions pertaining to committee projects. There was an open question and answer session. This proved to be a very informative exchange of information. The next state-wide conference call is scheduled for Wednesday, May 5, from 7:30 PM until 9:00 PM. To attend this call, dial 1-712-432-0800 and at the prompt, use the participant access code: 200723, plus the pound key. All PCB members are welcome to attend. This is a toll call. If you know of someone without long distance service, you are encouraged to three-way them in. See you on the call.
Have a great year!
-- George Holliday, President PCB. Tel: 215-748-3556. Email: george.holliday1@verizon.net
John A Horst, Executive Director
We welcome back the publication of the ADVOCATE quarterly, rather than three times a year. We hope you are taking the time to read it, and are keeping up-to-date on happenings in PCB. We urge chapter presidents and committee chairs to refer to the ADVOCATE as issues arise, and encourage members to read it. It will increase interest and willingness to participate in PCB activities. Perusing the ADVOCATE is an essential part of PCB membership.
Spring is the time for the five regional meetings. In this issue you will find a listing of the date, time, and location of these conferences, and some information about program content. Now is the time to begin to plan transportation and make arrangements to attend. You are the loser if you miss these programs. All chapter presidents SHOULD attend and strongly encourage their members to be present at these sessions. Members who do not belong to a chapter, this is your opportunity to meet with other PCBer's, make friends, share your concerns, and learn the latest in the field of blindness and low vision. The host chapters are planning great programs, so don't miss out. In this issue of the ADVOCATE you will also find challenging reports from committees. President, George Holliday has appointed new committees for 2010 and 2011. You will note that these committees are originating new ideas and projects which will revitalize PCB, promote public awareness, and make a difference in the lives of persons who have low vision or who are blind.
PCB Reports is a 30-minute tape of interviews and reports of what is going on in blindness and low vision. It is designed for Radio Reading Services, but is also sent to all chapter presidents and to some individual members who have requested it. These reports are available through your chapter, but if you would like to receive this tape each month, the PCB office will be happy to send it to you.
The theme of this report to PCB membership is participation in PCB activities and programs. There are many opportunities. New things are happening. Be a part of them, both for your own benefit and for the benefit of other blind and low vision people.
Update on June's Recovery: I underwent torn rotator cuff surgery on February 3 (the result of shoveling snow when John had the flu Christmas week), and presently am limited as to the use of my left arm. I go to therapy twice weekly, which will continue for several months. In spite of the doctor's warning, I have been driving for 4 weeks, and have managed to type the Spring edition of the ADVOCATE, a little at a time. Thanks for all your good wishes and prayers during my recovery.
Sue Lichtenfels, Chair
Wait! Stop the presses! We can't be giving out the awards yet. First, we need to know who the nominees are. Do you know of a person who is blind that has been a role model and champion of the blind for many years? Is there a sighted or blind person in your community who tirelessly works to improve the lives of people who can't see? Perhaps your state legislator or mayor has fought to bring change to your community for people who are blind. Are there corporations that you know of who modified a product or service to make their business more accessible for people without sight? Is there a company nearby that employs and accommodates workers who are visually impaired? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then the PCB Awards Committee would love to hear from you. Individuals and companies who make a difference in the lives of people who are blind need to be recognized for their commitment. At the 2010 PCB Conference and Convention we will celebrate the work of these advocates by bestowing the Distinguished Service Award and the Honorary Service Awards. Pending approval by the PCB Board of Directors, we hope to initiate a new award, the Corporate Service Award at the 2010 convention.
Nominations for any of these awards can be made by any member, chapter, or friend of PCB. Nomination forms will be available very soon at www.pcb1.org If you prefer, please contact Sue Lichtenfels at 412-429-1727 or Email at: susan@lichtenfels.us for a nomination form. All nominations are due to Sue Lichtenfels by Saturday, August 21, 2010. Awards will be presented Saturday, October 23 during the PCB Banquet and Live Auction at the Pittsburgh Radisson Hotel.
The criteria for these awards follows:
Distinguished Service Award:
Honorary Service Awards:
Corporate Service Award:(pending Board approval)
-- Submitted by Sue Lichtenfels.
Carla Hayes, Chair
"The Value of Volunteering"
Why do people volunteer? When asked, many will probably tell you that they do it because it gives them a chance to give back to society and they get a good feeling when they do things for others. On the other hand, many job seekers overlook volunteer opportunities because they feel that since volunteer word is unpaid, potential employers will not take it seriously and therefore, it will have little value in the job search process. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here are some reasons to volunteer your time and services which you may have never considered.
Volunteer experiences can be listed on your resume, along with your paid positions. Also, people that you work for as a volunteer can be listed as personal or professional references. Listing volunteer experiences on your resume can be especially helpful if you are just entering the work force and have very little work experience. Everyone has to start somewhere and volunteering can be an excellent way to start.
As you can see, volunteering can mean much more than helping others and feeling good, although these are the natural benefits of freely giving your time and talent. Carefully chosen volunteer experiences can build your confidence and competence, provide social networking and training experiences, enhance your job search process and make you a much better employee in whatever field you choose.
-- Submitted by Carla Hayes.
Sue Lichtenfels, Chair
The 2010-2011 PCB Fundraising team is working hard to come up with new ideas that will generate funds for PCB. While we continue to review and eventually implement some new ideas, we will continue to work hard on improving PCB's established fundraisers, including the Live Auction and Used Media Sale. Please consider assisting us in making these fundraisers a success.
Last year's Live Auction raised nearly $4,000 for PCB. Let's strive to raise $5,000 or more this year. To make this happen we will need many great prizes. Items that generate competitive bidding include: restaurant gift cards, sports memorabilia, overnight/travel accommodations, homemade baked goods, theme gift baskets, electronics, and assistive technology. Please contact businesses and individuals in your area to donate to this year's auction. All donations are tax deductible. Contact Sue Lichtenfels at 412-329-1727 or susan@lichtenfels.us for a letter that can be used to request these donations. Once you secure a donation, please contact either Lyle Sine, using lf.sine@verizon.net or Sue Lichtenfels with information about the item so we can include it on the list of prizes.
Thanks to your continued donations of CD and large print books, Braille story books, music CD's and the like, our Used Media Sale has consistently raised several hundred dollars for PCB each year. Please consider sorting through your used media and once again donating to this fundraiser venture. Items can be sent "Free Matter for the Blind" to the PCB office: 931 N Front St., Harrisburg, PA 17102 or to Sue Lichtenfels: 96 Robb Hollow Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243.
If possible, label your items in Braille. Please do not donate cassette items, since these rarely sell anymore.
One potential fundraising project we are looking into is the creation of a "No Measure Cookbook." This would include recipes that do not require any use of measuring cups or spoons. For example: 1 box of this, 1 can of that, 3 eggs, and a handful of nuts. The cookbook would be targeted to working moms, bachelors, college students, people losing vision, and "kitchen phobes." If you have any recipes that meet this "no measure" requirement, or could easily be adapted, we invite you to share it for consideration in such a cookbook. Please send recipes to Sue Lichtenfels by e-mail or postal mail.
While we wind down the sales of the Calendar Raffle tickets, our committee would like to thank every individual and every chapter who participated, by either selling or purchasing tickets. All stubs should be sent with payment to the PCB office as soon as possible. Our goal with this raffle project was to create a mutual funding opportunity for both the local chapters and PCB. Please watch the PCB-L Email list for updates on the progress of this project.
-- Submitted by Sue Lichtenfels.
Note: As the PCB office goes through the raffle ticket stubs that have been returned, Rhonda has been having difficulty deciphering some of the writing. Please, encourage whoever fills out your stubs to print clearly. These stubs are very small and space is limited. If the back of the stub is needed to include all the information, please use it. Thanks for your help in this matter.
Sarita Holliday & Ed Facemyer, Chairs
During the first Low Vision Committee phone conference of the new year, we took some time to review what we had accomplished in 2009 and discussed our main goals for 2010. Our main project for the previous year was putting together a Low Vision Expo, which was held at last year's Pennsylvania Council of the Blind State Convention in Tannersville. One important goal we have established for this year is looking to implement strategies for reaching out to chapters who would like to conduct a Low Vision Expo of their own, as the Golden Triangle Council of the Blind did on October 17th. of last year in Pittsburgh.
There are several factors to be taken into consideration when making plans for presenting a Low Vision program for which we do not have space here on which to elaborate. However, in brief, here are the major areas you will need to take into account:
If your chapter can put into action these areas of consideration, you will be well on your way toward holding a successful Low Vision program in your community. You will not only have contributed valuable information and awareness of low vision issues in your local area, but you will have also gained positive publicity for your chapter. We encourage any chapter of the PCB who is interested in holding a low vision program to contact the Low Vision Committee if you would like help in getting started.
The members of the Low Vision Committee are: Co-chairs--Sarita Holliday and Ed Facemyer; Edward Hersh, Lynne Maleeff, Elida Gares, Debbie Rozear and Jerry Weinger. We look forward to hearing from you.
-- Submitted by Ed Facemyer
Christie Gilson, Chair
The enthusiasm of the Membership Committee of PCB is palpable in 2010! Many ideas for maintaining current membership and outreach to potential new members are being discussed during our monthly conference calls. Presentations at statewide youth events to recruit new members, mentoring/welcoming of new state convention attendees, and ideas for outreach within local communities are just a few of the plans being undertaken. The Membership Committee welcomes input from all, for each member of PCB has important information and skills to share.
-- Submitted by Christie Gilson, Chair.
Bill Newland, Ed Facemyer, Co-Chairs
This committee is coming to you for your help.
In the near future, we plan to prepare public service announcements and press releases which we would like you to distribute to the electronic, as well as print media in your area. After all, who knows better than you the newspapers and radio and TV stations which best service your community. We plan to promote such things as the convention, blindness awareness month, and PCB. Of course, these issues will be in separate announcements. We are asking you to take this information to the media. In those instances where radio and TV is involved, the public service announcements (PSA's) which will be 30 seconds in length, will be provided to you in audio and print. We will provide time or space for you to publicize your chapter. If you or a member of your chapter is interviewed by a radio or TV station in your area about an event, etc., of course, get the audio to Ed Facemyer or me (Bill Newland), so when possible we can use the material on PCB Reports.
Remember, we need to get the good news out about your chapter, as well as the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind. Speaking of things that will be coming up, as most of you know, Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania declared October as "Blindness Awareness" month. This is one of the events we will be promoting. We are looking at ways to recognize the chapter, who in our opinion, does the best job in publicizing this event.
Last year we requested information in order to put together a resource list which would be sent to the office, chapters, and the web site. We did get responses from a number of chapters, but unfortunately, we did not make it clear as to the specific information we wanted. We will be sending you a guide as to what it is that we desire for this list. For example, if one needs information about an ophthalmologist, rather than a number of doctors, the person would be referred to a specific agency who would be able to provide information on the doctor, clinic, etc., who would be best qualified to serve the individual's needs.
We are still looking for people who want to try their hand at interviews for PCB Reports. All it takes is a good cassette recorder, Book Sense, Victor Stream, or digital recording machine. So, if you are thinking about doing an interview, go for it. Ed and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have, as well as help with any editing problems. If you do not want to take on the challenge of an interview, but you believe there is someone who you think might make an interesting and/or informative interview, let Ed or myself know.
Even though the Publicity Committee has been frustrated at times with what we have done in the past, we again are fortunate to have people on this committee who are willing to put those issues aside and plan ahead for the future. They are: Sherry Hancik, Jule Ann Lieberman, Joe Sickora, Bill Newland, Ed Facemyer, John Horst, Dick Schmoyer, Darlene Barton, and George Holliday.
If you have any questions or ideas on the media information, the material for the resource list, or just a general inquiry, don't hesitate to contact co-chair Ed Facemyer at 610-647-3365 or Email: efacem@verizon.net or myself, Bill Newland, at 412-487-4995; cell at 412-735-5550. Email at: bnewland1@verizon.net
Rodger Simmons, Chair
As this committee gets ready to face the challenges of dealing with the many problems of transportation in Pennsylvania, one of the largest that we face now is funding. More and more, bus companies were facing financial concerns as fiscal year 2009 drew to a close. The Transportation Committee is looking into several ways to help resolve this situation. What is the largest concern for the bus company in your area? Are the buses running enough hours during the week? Are there financial concerns in your area? Do you have a paratransit system that runs on a regular basis? Are the fares reasonable?
This committee is here for you. Give me a call with your transportation concerns at 717-885-3055 or Email me at: rsimmons5@comcast.net
Capitol City: In November, 2009 officers were elected and their terms began in January 2010. They are as follows: President, Ray Bogardus; Vice President, Sandra Marsiglia; Treasurer, Doris Suhr; Chaplain, William Suhr; Recording Secretary, Marie Search; and Corresponding Secretary, Cathy Long.
We have had two chapter meetings since elections, and Ray lost no time in assigning committee chairs. New committees are assigned for advocacy and public awareness. A sub-committee was given the task of developing a short questionnaire, which asks five or six questions. Each member was asked to complete the survey and then complete the same survey with two friends who live locally. We hope to gain new members by this outreach effort.
So far, we do have two new members. Wes Britton joined in January. He is a college professor and works at Harrisburg Area Community College. He also sits on the Board of Directors of Tri-County Blind Association. Wes writes spy novels and stories as a hobby and has been a featured guest on several radio programs.
William Stone joined our chapter in February. He is retired from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and brings knowledge and expertise of political activities. We look forward to working with both these new members. It goes without saying that fund-raising is ongoing. Many ideas have been circulated and some will be implemented. As they occur, and especially if we are successful, you will hear about them.
-- Submitted by Cathy Long.
NOTE: Joe and Leona Perry are members of Capitol City chapter. They have a new address, Email address, and phone number. Phone: 717-766-4351. Address is: 325 Wesley Drive, Apartment 122, Mechanicsburg, PA. 17055. Email address: joleperry62@verizon.net
Cumberland Care and Share: Officers for the coming year are: Kate Kingsbourgh, President; Bev Garman, treasurer; Mary Ann Worthington, Secretary.
Golden Triangle Chapter: We are holding strategic planning meetings to focus on ways to strengthen our organization through increasing membership, as well as developing ways for the organization to be recognized in the community. Through these initiatives, the telephone and membership committees are reaching out to three different types of members: current passive members to have them become active in the organization, past members who have not renewed membership and their reason for not doing so, and potential new members to encourage them to join the chapter. We believe this should be a proactive way in building membership.
We are investigating getting some type of promotional item to commemorate our fiftieth anniversary in order to better publicize our group.
Jim Davis, a member of our organization, is also a member of a barber shop quartet. His group donated their time to entertain us at our Christmas party, which was held at Mitchell's restaurant. This is the third year Jimmy Mitchell, the brother of our member Darlene Barton, donated all proceeds of the Christmas party to the memory of Eugene Barton. PCB will receive $250.00 and the balance will go to GTCB.
In January, in recognition of Louie Braille's birthday, Bill and Bonnie Newland and Louise Chuha demonstrated Braille, as well as promoting GTCB at the Children's Museum.
At our January chapter meeting, we had two speakers from Three Rivers Rowing Association, explaining adaptive rowing and dragon boating, and the possibility of creating a dragon boat team.
In February, our speaker was from CMU. He talked about the Automated Braille Writing Tutor. This device is used primarily in developing countries, because of the difficulty and expense in obtaining paper. The Tutor consists of an electronic slate and stylus that is connected to a computer through a USB cable. As the student writes each letter on the slate with the stylus, the Tutor provides immediate audio feedback by repeating the written letters and words. The Pittsburgh host committee has started preparing for the 2010 PCB convention, which will be held at the Radisson Greentree Hotel, Pittsburgh, October 21-24, 2010. We are currently working on finding a tour that would be appealing to PCB members.
The By-laws committee has completed the rigorous task of revising our bylaws, and they have been approved by the membership.
Joe Wassermann, our Advocacy and Governmental Affairs chairman, is ever vigilant about working with the city of Pittsburgh by corresponding with attorneys and individuals concerning work on the accessible pedestrian signal issue. He also had been advocating for federal bills, HR 734/S841 and HR 3101.
Bill Newland, who is a member of the committee for accessible transportation, is keeping us informed on Port Authority route changes and equipment upgrades, such as purchase of a number of quiet buses and new swipe card fare boxes.
Judy and Michael Zaken attended the ACB Legislative Seminar in Washington, DC. They met with Senator Casey's aid and 4 other congressmen's aides, as well as Congressman Tim Murphy, who said he would sign on to HR 734, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act.
We are working with Michelle Sipe to start a new chapter in New Castle. Bill Newland and Michael Zaken will visit with them to establish their chapter.
The Membership Committee, chaired by Sue Lichtenfels, will conduct the 2nd vision loss discussion group March 20th. The major topics under discussion are strategies for labeling and/or staying organized and talking products for everyday accessibility.
Our Fundraising Committee, chaired by Bonnie Newland, is preparing for our Bowl-a-thon, which will be held on April 24 at Forward Lanes in Squirrel Hill.
-- Submitted by Mike Zaken and Bill Newland.
Update on Darlene Barton and Sue Etters: Darlene is doing much better. At present, she is staying with relatives, but hopes to return home soon. Her plan is to return to work in a couple weeks. Her address is: 1133 Woodbourne Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15226.
Sue Etters is still in rehab, following her accident. They are trying to have her stand and take a few steps, but progress is slow. It sounds like it will be several weeks before she can go home. Even then, she will need some type of home care. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get much information, because it is hard to reach her by phone. Despite her condition and the seriousness of her injuries, she has a positive attitude. The address to send her a "get well wish" is: Friendship Ridge, Sue Etters, 246 Friendship Circle, 5 Main, Room 523-2, Beaver, PA. 15009.
Lancaster Red Rose: The winter months have kept us busy with many advocacy efforts. Members of our chapter have met with key state legislators in our region, Senator Sam Smucker and Senator Mike Brubaker. At our January meeting, we had two Lancaster City Council members as our guests. Tim Roschel and Todd Smith with about 12 members of our chapter had a productive discussion of matters related to city policy, planning, and community access. We have maintained contact with them since that time on matters that specifically affect vision impaired persons, such as the Accessible Pedestrian Signal installation.
Two of our members (Ed and Stephanie Hersh) attended the training for audio describers at Elizabethtown College on December 12 and 13. This workshop was sponsored by the VSA Arts of PA in conjunction with the Theater and Dance division of the Fine and Performing Arts department of Elizabethtown College. VSA Arts of PA sponsors the Pennsylvania Cultural Access Project, an initiative conducted in partnership with the PA Council on the Arts, supported by a grant from the PA Developmental Disabilities Council. The primary presenters at the sessions were Bill Patterson, President and CEO of Audio Description Solutions, based in East Berlin, PA., and Ermyn King, Manager of the PA Cultural Access Project. Many topics concerning audio description (AD) were covered, including standards and codes of professional conduct for describers.
AD is something I believe we should strongly support, because it has great potential for significantly enhancing access to public meetings for persons with visual impairment. Joel Snyder, who coordinates the ACB Audio Description Project, when speaking at our regional meeting in May, shared that AD can provide access for the blind in similar ways that closed captioning and Am Sign Language provide access for the deaf and hard of hearing. We should be advocating for more AD access in public meetings, churches, entertainment, educational events, and other public arenas.
-- Submitted by Ed Hersh, President.
Lehigh Valley Chapter: LVCB President, Sherry Hancik has made membership a priority for 2010. Our membership committee will be focusing on recruitment and retention, with a subcommittee working on contacting and inviting younger members. Our Vice President, Rita Lang, serves as chairperson of the Fund Raising committee and is planning a number of new activities this year. These include a spaghetti dinner and a Friendly's Family Fun Night. We are planning to use the PCB place mat activity sheets at both venues.
LVCB will host the PCB Northeast Regional meeting this year. Tony Swartz is chairing the committee that is planning the Regional meeting. It will be held May 1st from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM in Bethlehem at the regular LVCB meeting place--the St. Mary Room of Holy Family Manor at 1220 Prospect Avenue. Dr. Stephanie Olexa, the Executive Director of the newly-formed Center for Vision Loss will speak about her observations of the blindness system and her service philosophy.
Also at the Regional, Mary Ann Alexander will demonstrate the Trekker Breeze GPS. There will be a report from PCB, and each chapter in our region will be asked to speak about one innovative or exciting project or event which they have planned for 2010.
The cost for reservations for this Regional will be $10.00, which will include pastries and beverages at 9:30 AM and a box lunch, which includes your choice of hoagie and salad, an apple, a cookie, and a beverage. Each chapter in our region (Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, and Monroe) will be asked to collect the reservations and payment for their respective chapter and send a check to LVCB for chapter members who will be attending the Regional meeting.
As of January 1st, the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired of Lehigh County (ABVI) and Vision Impairment and Blindness Services of Northampton County (VIABL) have been merged into one agency. The name of the new agency is the Center for Vision Loss. The first few months of 2010 are a time of transition. The Regional meeting will provide an opportunity for LVCB members to become better acquainted with Dr. Okexa.
-- Submitted by Jeanette Schmoyer.
Monroe County Chapter: "New Year-Same Attitude." The year 2010 begins the fifth year for the Monroe County Council of the Blind. We are still a young organization, and we remain as enthused about our mission in the community and our affiliation with the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind.
We were privileged to have the opportunity to host the 2009 PCB Conference and once again, we thank all those who attended. The feedback was positive and encouraging.
Immediately following the Convention, MCCB elected new officers for 2010. They are: President, Thomas Reid; Vice President, Helen Koshensky; Corresponding Secretary, Elida Gares; Recording Secretary, Mary Ann Alexander; Treasurer, Michael Bryant.
While we continue to work towards increasing membership, we have realized that we need to work with the resources we have to produce the results we desire.
This year, our strategy is to concentrate our efforts on very specific projects that combine objectives. For example, we are very excited about a Low Vision Device demonstration to take place in June. This event will bring specific information about a variety of devices, both low tech and high tech, available to assist those with varying visual impairments. Demonstrations will be conducted by MCCB members. The presentation will concentrate on how the tools assist members in their daily routines.
The two objectives we are striving to meet are continuing our outreach to those with low vision as well as increasing membership.
Getting out into the community to spread our message of independence is important. MCCB is preparing for a presentation in April. I'll have more to report about this in the next issue of the ADVOCATE, but for now you can be sure that this presentation will be upbeat, informative, and memorable. The focus of all our presentations, regardless of the audience, will always be to promote the fact that people with visual impairment have the same desires and rights to things as others in the community. We will continue to dispel misconceptions of blindness and, or course, promote current advocacy issues.
This is just the beginning. We look forward to sharing with our PCB family throughout the year.
-- Submitted by Thomas Reid, President.
Oil Valley Chapter: The Oil Valley chapter of PCB is lining up events for 2010. We are still in the process of establishing criteria for a scholarship for an area student. We would like to find a visually impaired student first, but if none are in our area, we would like to find someone who is going to college to work in the blind teaching area. Of course, this takes finances, some of which we have raised, and will be working with a few area restaurants in the coming year to raise more funds. We are planning to have an Oil Valley Chapter Night at the local Bob Evans restaurant, where they give a percentage of that night's profit to our cause. Pizza Hut does something similar, and that too is in the planning. We have explored obtaining funds through a grant from the owner of Dollar General stores that help fund educational scholarships.
We are getting closer to our hope for an audible pedestrian signal in Oil City. PennDot is conducting a study to determine traffic patterns, and the city is investigating funding for one or more signals. The city is supporting the location we as a group have targeted; now we need the numbers for backing up the project. The Oil Valley chapter will return to Franklin's Applefest again in October for our annual Chinese Auction, and we continue to try to entice new people to join our group. See what we are all about at: musikx-pressmobiled@verizon.net and give us your comments.
-- Submitted by Scott Roberts, President.
Washington County Chapter: Our chapter missed several meetings due to snowstorms, but we are gearing up to host the Southwestern Regional meeting of PCB on May 1. It will be at the George Washington Hotel, 60 S Main Street, Washington, across from the Court House.
Registration and donuts and coffee will be served from 8:30 to 9:00, after which the program will begin promptly. We are planning an exciting day for you. The program is nearly complete.
Lunch is $15 per person and there will be three menu choices: Baked Cod, Baked Chicken, and Penne Pasta with Cream Sauce. The fish and chicken dinners will include roasted red potatoes, and all three choices will include California Medley, a mixed green salad, rolls and butter. Dessert is cake with tea, coffee and ice water. The deadline for reservations will be Tuesday, April 20th. At that time we need to know the number of persons attending, the number of each meal choice, and the number of persons who would like their meeting agendas in Braille or large print. Make checks payable to the Washington County Council of the Blind and send them to our treasurer, Karen Dorgan at 236 Latimer Avenue, P.O. Box 13, Strabane, Pa. 15363.
-- Submitted by Carla Hayes
York Chapter: As we mourned the death of Jim Marchiano, our chapter president, who passed away February 8, 2010 from his battle with cancer, we realize the best thing to do is to move forward. Our immediate challenge is to prepare to host this year's Regional meeting, which will be held May 15th. We will be ready.
As new chapter president, another goal is to promote accessible arts in the York area. We will be meeting with some of our community theaters to get the project under way.
Of course, making sure we have active committee members who are interested in keeping this chapter active in the community is very important. We as a chapter are in for a very active year!
Please note: New phone numbers--Rodger Simmons at 717-885-3055. Bobbie at 717-885-3054.
-- Submitted by Rodger Simmons, President.
From the Editor: If you want your chapter represented in current issues of the ADVOCATE, the information must come from your chapter. If your chapter is not represented in the "Chapter Reports" column, it is because we have not heard from you. Chapter reports come from YOU. Let the rest of our readers know what your group is doing.
-- June Horst, Editor
Northeast Regional: May 1, 2010
Host Chapter -- Lehigh Valley
Location -- Holy Family Manor, Bethlehem, PA
Time -- 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Cost -- $10 (includes pastries and lunch)
Contact Person -- Tony Swartz
Further details are included in the Lehigh Valley Chapter report.
Southwest Region: May 1, 2010
Host Chapter -- Washington County Chapterv
Location -- George Washington Hotel, 60 S. Main St., Washington, PA. (Across from Court House)
Time -- 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Cost -- $15 Covers pastries and hot lunch.
Contact Person -- Carla Hayes
More details in Washington County Chapter report.
Southeast Region: May 8, 2010
Host Chapter -- Philadelphia Region Chapter
Location -- Associated Services for the Blind, 919 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA.
Time -- 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Cost -- To be determined
Contact Person -- Jim Saylor
Watch for more details on pcb-list.
Central Region: May 15, 2010
Host Chapter -- York County Chapter
Location -- Meadow Hill Restaurant, York, PA
Time -- 11:45 AM
Cost -- Individual ordering from menu
Contact Person -- Roberta Simmons
Meeting will begin with lunch, program to follow.
Northwest Region: June 11, 2010
Host Chapter -- Oil Valley Chapter
Location -- To be determined, either a park in Oil City or Franklin, PA.
Time -- 11:00 AM
Cost -- to be determined
The Oil Valley chapter plans a picnic each June for members and to recognize governmental officials and others who have aided and worked with the chapter during the past year.
Contact Person -- Scott Roberts
Tony Swartz, Chair
Convention Planning Committee
While much more detail will follow in the next edition of the ADVOCATE, please be advised that the 2010 PCB State Convention will be held Friday, October 22nd through Sunday, October 24th at the Radisson Hotel Pittsburgh Green Tree in Pittsburgh. The room rate is $93.00. Much thanks goes to the members of the Site Selection Committee and members of the Golden Triangle chapter for their work in securing such a reasonable rate for a large city hotel. A tour is planned and a portion of our program will center around the issue of accessible design. If you think that may sound a bit dry, learn in the next Summer issue how the Convention Planning Committee plans to bring personal relevance and life to this topic.
-- Submitted by Tony Swartz,
BLIND ASSOCIATION AND UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON TO OFFER SPECIALIZED PROGRAMMING
Editor's Note: The ADVOCATE reported in the Winter edition that all Radio Reading Services in Pennsylvania except two have ceased. However, at a recent PAB Board Meeting, your Editor met a representative from the Lackawanna Association for the Blind, while waiting for PCB Executive Director, John Horst, to exit the meeting. She informed me that the Radio Reading Service in Scranton is very much alive and well. I asked her for information and she sent me the following communiqué.
The Lackawanna Branch, PA Association for the Blind and the University of Scranton have teamed together to announce a new communications partnership. Since September 21, 2009, WUSR-FM, the radio station of the University of Scranton, presents ten hours of programming geared to blind and visually impaired individuals each week.
According to Mary Lou Wascavich, Executive Director of the Blind Association there, the new affiliation will replace the current program that has been housed at Association offices for almost 30 years.
Founded in 1980, the Pell Radio Reading Service has provided an invaluable service to clients of the Blind Association. Broadcasting daily from the Association's office, trained volunteers have provided listeners with information on current events, health, sports and business, in addition to musical and short story offerings.
The new partnership was precipitated by the vast changes that have taken place in communications technology over the last few decades. Listeners have used a closed-circuit radio receiver, supplied at no charge by the Blind Association, but the technical quality of the broadcasts does not meet the standards of today's technology.
With the inception of the new affiliation, the Pell Radio Reading Service will be broadcast on WUSR-FM 99.5 from the University's studio. Listeners will be able to access the broadcasts on any FM radio, on television at Comcast's channel 21, or through the Internet at www.playlist.wusr.scranton.edu/index.php
Although programming hours will be reduced, the quality will be a significant improvement over the previous broadcast. Listeners will hear the same type of programming during the Monday through Friday broadcasts from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM, including daily news from the Times-Tribune (Scranton's newspaper).
"We're delighted to be able to offer this service to the community," commented Matthew M Reavy, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communications at the University. "It's an opportunity for us to reach out to a special-needs population and support the efforts of a respected community organization." The initiative complements one of the University's goals in achieving its mission, that of extending a spirit of caring to the wider community through civic engagement and service.
The new format will continue to use volunteer readers and will also give University students the opportunity to add a new segment to their audience. United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties have also been long-time supporters of the Radio Reading Service. Both the University and the Blind Association agree that this new venture is a win-win situation for all concerned. The proximity of the station to the Association, the shared non-profit community status, the availability of qualified volunteers, and the up-to-date technical equipment of the station will enable expanding the broadcast to a much wider audience.
--Contributed by Mary Lou Wascavich, Executive Director, Lackawanna Association for the Blind.
2010 BLINDNESS AWARENESS EXPO
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Sponsored by Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Bureau of Blindness
and Visual Services Advisory Committee for the Blind of PA.
THEME: "Keys to Success: Independence Through Literacy, Technology, and Mobility"
PROGRAM: 9:30 AM - Noon
Presentation and Awards Ceremony, Keystone Atrium, 400 North Street, Harrisburg, PA.
Noon - 3 PM
Exhibits of the latest services and assistive products, Capitol Building East Rotunda, Harrisburg, PA.
For more information, contact Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services at 717-787-6176.
-- Submitted by Cathy Long for David Boyle, BBVS.
ELDER ABUSE TASK FORCE FORMED
After months of hard work, an Elder Abuse Task Force has been formed that will operate in Luzerne and Wyoming Counties to safeguard the area's elderly from physical, mental, and financial abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The mission of the task force is three fold:
The task force is comprised of 33 members, including representatives from local district attorney offices, law enforcement agencies, and elder services providers, as well as elder abuse experts and state lawmakers. Elder abuse has become commonplace because predators operate under the assumption that the elderly are helpless and cannot fight back. The task force is dedicated to educating the elderly, their relatives and friends, and the larger community about preventing elder abuse, as well as prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law, those who prey on the elderly.
Examples of mental and physical abuse of the elderly include: intimidation, ridicule, isolation, neglect, terrorization and sexual abuse. Additionally, financial exploitation is becoming more prevalent as scam artists and even caregivers engage in identity theft by stealing personal information, such as Social Security, credit card and bank account information.
If you suspect someone you know is the victim of elder abuse, do not hesitate to contact Protective Services for the Area Agency on Aging for Luzerne and Wyoming Counties at 1-800-252-1512. (If you live in other counties across Pennsylvania, you can contact your local Agency on Aging office).
FROM "SLICE OF PIE"
Used with Permission
Employment: A new effort to promote employment for people with disabilities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the "Works For Me" initiative. "Works For Me" is a resource for people with any kind of disability, including mental health, physical, sensory, or developmental. Through a Hotline number (1-866-902-4333 ext. 192), individuals can connect with a coordinator to determine which program is best for them and receive the guidance they need to make a decision about employment. Information is also available at www.WorksForMe-PA.org
Assistance for Employers: The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is creating a national technical assistance center for employers on employment of people with disabilities at Cornell University's Employment and Disability Institute in Ithaca, N.Y. The purpose of the center will be to conduct research, assist ODEP in developing policy, and share best practices with employers on the recruitment, hiring, retention and advancement of people with disabilities in the workforce. For more information, go do www.dol.gov/odep
Disability Voting: The Disability Voting Coalition of PA (DVC) is a grassroots membership organization that focuses on mobilizing voter's with disabilities, and building a powerful voting block in the disability community. The DVC, which is supported in part by the PA Developmental Disabilities Council offers a free monthly organizer conference call to share ideas and address hot topics. It has a website: www.dvcpa.org
NATIONAL NEWS:
FROM THE ACB OFFICE
Eric Bridges
Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
It has been an extraordinary time of success since the Legislative Seminar attendees stormed Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress. I am excited to report that 12 new cosponsors have signed on just this past week to H.R. 734, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, bringing the new number to an unbelievable 222. In addition, 2 more senators signed on to the companion bill, S. 841, which brings the total number to 28 cosponsors.
The Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act has gained 4 new supporters, bringing that total to 42 cosponsors.
Congratulations to one and all who have followed up with their representatives and senate offices to insure support for these critical issues.
Please continue to call and write your legislative members about the importance of these bills. (Cosponsor numbers were updated March 12, 2010).
NEW ACB RADIO MANAGER
After interviewing several highly qualified candidates, ACB has offered the position of Managing Director of ACB Radio to Larry Turnbull. Larry has accepted this position and in so doing, steps into the job on May 1st in an interim basis without compensation, and thus shepherd ACB Radio through a challenging transition period. Everyone in the ACB family, and particularly those associated with ACB Radio, look forward to working with Larry, and know that he will lead our station to even greater heights in the years to come. My personal and sincerest congratulations and best wishes to Larry.
-- Submitted by Mitch Pomerantz, President of ACB.
ACB NATIONAL CONVENTION 2010
Taken from BRAILLE FORUM
March 2010
The Downtown Sheraton Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona will be home to the American Council of the Blind 2010 National Convention, July 9-17. Room rates are $89 plus tax per night. Call 1-800-325-3535 to make reservations. Make your plans now to attend while airline fares are at some of their lowest rates.
General session and exhibits will be located on the third floor, and special interest group meetings, workshops and social events, registration and the ACB café will be on the second floor. Overflow will be on floors three and four. Workshops and seminars will offer many opportunities for you to gather information. More program details will be forthcoming soon. Special-interest breakout meetings will provide an incredible array of programs, speakers, and discussions. General sessions are filled with high-interest presentations and topics.
Some of the tours include: Grand Canyon as the all-day tour on Friday, July 9, Pinnacle Peak, Diamondbacks Baseball game on Sunday afternoon (the stadium is three blocks from the hotel), rock climbing, city tours, Hall of Flame (the firefighters' museum), and other weekday tours, including the Stuffington Bear factory, Herd Museum, Diamondbacks stadium tour, a candy company. Convention week will end on Saturday with a visit to a casino or with "Joseph's Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat." Watch your BRAILLE FORUM for more tours to be announced.
To help cut costs and make the registration process more efficient and convenient, ACB will offer on-line and telephone registration this year. You will be supplied with a special number to call if you would like to register by phone. You may also choose to complete registration on-line. A convention and conference announcement will be mailed out around mid-May, giving important reminders and details for the conference and registration. You may request a paper form by calling the national office at 1-800-424-8666 NO LATER than May 1. Paper forms will be mailed around May 25. For convention questions or special concerns, contact Carla Ruschival, Convention Committee Chair at 502-897-1472 or by Email at: damcarla@bellsouth.net
ACB AFFILIATE PRESIDENT'S MEETING
The American Council of the Blind Affiliate President's meeting was held Saturday, February 20-21, 2010 at the Holiday Inn National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. Mitch Pomerantz, ACB President, welcomed all attendees and dedicated the Presidents/Legislative Seminar in memory of Patricia Beatty, a long-time member of ACB, who passed away just recently. Dan Dillon, Co-Chair of the Resource Development Committee, discussed the 2nd annual Walk-a-Thon, to be held during the National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, July 10, 2010, at the air-conditioned Arizona Mills Mall, located in Tempe, Arizona. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the abilities of the blind and visually impaired as they join with sighted volunteers in this event. The Walk further serves to improve the fiscal and physical condition of ACB and its members! Individuals will be asked to seek pledges to bring much needed funds into ACB to continue its efforts to advocate for accessible paper money, full internet accessibility, point-of-sale accessibility, to help fund the production and distribution of the BRAILLE FORUM, fund the conventions, support our legislative efforts on Capitol Hill and in our state legislatures, and many other important activities.
If you would like additional information and entry forms about the Walk-a-Thon, you can contact the ACB National Office at 202-467-5081 or toll free at 800-424-8666.
The ACB schools for the blind Taskforce presented a lengthy discussion with a panel consisting of:
Panel members included:
The recent downturn in the economy has caused state legislatures to reduce expenditures in education and other areas. As a result, several schools for the deaf, and several schools for the blind have closed or are threatened with closure. While we recognize that the economic crisis in this country is real, these actions raise legal and human rights concerns. There needs to be an ongoing concern about the continuance of schools for the blind throughout the country.
Paul Edwards, Chairperson, Board of Publications, discussed publicizing your affiliate through ACB Radio. He attempted to encourage more affiliates to begin streaming their state conventions and regional meetings. Streaming the convention enables absentees the ability to listen to the program and possibly give them the enthusiasm to attend future conventions. There are a few affiliates, including Pennsylvania, who streamed their state convention.
Affiliates can also be creative and develop a program on ACB Radio.
Carla Ruschival, Chairperson of the ACB Convention Planning Committee, gave an update on the 49th annual ACB National Conference and Convention, to be held in Phoenix, Arizona, July 9-17, 2010.
Melanie Brunson, ACB Executive Director, discussed the importance of confidentiality and conflict of interest statements. Charitable organizations are being urged to adopt confidentiality and conflict of interest policies. Last Fall the ACB Board of Directors adopted confidentiality and conflict of interest policies. If anyone would like to receive a copy, please feel free to contact George Holliday at 215-748-3556 or by Email at: george.holliday1@verizon.net
Christopher Gray, ACB Immediate Past President, discussed the ACB Database Management Project. This is a project that has been in the makings for several years. This project is to assist with simplifying and mainstreaming the membership list compiled by ACB. Currently, the database has all contact information for members of state affiliates and special interest groups, which will be distributed later this year. An affiliate will assign two individuals who are authorized to update the database. Once a chapter sends their 2011 membership list to the state office, the authorized individual will access database and make any additional membership entries, corrections, or deletions. He stated that the database does not have the capability of printing labels at this time. This program will make some tasks easier for the state affiliates, but I brought to the attention of Mr. Gray, some concerns. At this time, the PCB office tracks members, based on their chapter affiliation or member-at-large status, but the database currently does not. There is also a need to track the years a member is affiliated. He stated that he would look into those concerns. Once PCB receives the database, we will be able to further review the program.
-- Submitted by George Holliday, President, PCB.
ACB LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
PCB sent six delegates to the American Council of the Blind Legislative Seminar which was held February 21-23 at the Holiday Inn in Arlington, VA. Delegates were Mary Ann Alexander, Michael Eyth, Christie Bower, Harry Epstein, Judy and Mike Zaken. There were approximately 110 participants from all areas of the country in attendance. ACB's President, Mitch Pomerantz, opened the Sunday afternoon session and introduced the speakers for the afternoon. Daniel F Goldstein, Managing Partner, Brown Goldstein Levy gave us an update on ACB's settlement with Arizona State University and Amazon, in keeping with some of our own advocacy efforts, ACB, in conjunction with NFB and other organizations, have to their credit a victory against Arizona State regarding the use of the Kindlell Ebook Reader, which, while it provides text to speech output, currently has onboard controls which are not accessible to persons with limited vision. The University, which previously refused to negotiate with ACB or other organizations, has been made to cease using this device in its classrooms until such time as it becomes accessible to those with limited vision. Following suit are several universities around the country who, without the necessity of legal action, have decided on their own not to use this device in their classrooms until or unless it should become accessible to the vision impaired. As a result, by summer it is expected that the Kindlell will have onboard controls which will be fully accessible to persons with visual impairments.
James Love, Director of an organization called Knowledge Ecology International, discussed a proposal for an international treaty to provide a means of sharing books in accessible formats across borders which currently is not happening because of road blocks erected by publishers, authors, and copyright laws. Even though blind and other print impaired people in the United States enjoy a large number of books in accessible format, which is only 5% of books published, this is quite untrue for the visually impaired and otherwise print-impaired person in other countries. For instance, in Nicaragua, there are probably only 400 books which have been made available in alternate formats.
Monday was an all-day, jam-packed session!
Representative Edward Markey's Legislative Director, Mark Bayer, spoke on HR 3101, the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. He talked about the importance of passing HR 3101, and the need to get a companion bill in the Senate.
Emily Khoury, Legislative Assistant, Office of U.S. Representative Edolphus Towns, assures us that the Congressman continues to fight diligently to see that the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act (HR 734) is passed. The consensus is that we should be requesting of our representatives that this matter be brought to a hearing. We currently have 222 cosponsors.
Lynnae Ruttledge, Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services Administration at the U.S. Department of Education, has an extensive background in the field of disabilities, formally being Director of the Washington State VR agency. She intends to maintain an open dialog in order to stay in tune to the needs of the visually impaired. She spoke intelligently about the needs of persons with visual impairments, even regarding such issues as the vending program. Her approach should prove to be a positive influence to officials in this administration.
Eric Bridges, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs for ACB, and Jennifer Simpson, Senior Director of Governmental Relations for American Association of People with Disabilities, had an interactive section where there was role playing of legislator verses constituent in dealing with HR 734, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, and HR 3101, the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. The discussion dealt with how best to combat some of the common road blocks put to us by representatives. For example, with regard to HR 3101, when speaking with a Republicans, remind them that first and foremost, it's just the right thing to do, it is a by-partisan issue. Further, it will allow companies, large and small, to compete for the business of the population interested in purchasing devices which are accessible to those with sensory impairments. When speaking with Democrats, who so far are the only cosponsors of HR 3101, words like "inclusion", "a level playing field for higher education and opportunities for those who might be disadvantaged" are the key phrases to use. With regard to HR 734, simply that it's absolutely a necessity to keep pedestrians safe. Further, this effort does not directly cost the government anything at all.
Our luncheon speaker was Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy, for the Department of Labor. She informed us about the effort made within the Veteran's Administration to increase the money available under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, which deals with accessibility and technology in the work place. The allocation has increased from 850 thousand dollars to 8.5 million dollars. She described a major effort that the federal government is making to find jobs for people with disabilities. On April 26, 2010, there will be jobs listed from 28 federal employers with applications online in accessible formats, and on-the-spot interviews. Angela Hartley, Executive Vice President for National Industries for the Blind, talked about the AbilityOne program, which is a program to create employment and training opportunities for people who are blind or who have other severe disabilities. AbilityOne Program employs more than 42,000 Americans across the nation. Through this employment, people who are blind or have other severe disabilities are able to serve their country by providing necessary products and services to the federal government and the armed services.
Catriona MacDonald, from the Blind Alliance, spoke about creating employment and training opportunities for people who are blind or who have other severe disabilities. She focused on the Randolph-Sheppard program and how it is struggling to maintain sites.
Our last speaker was Mark Richart, Director of Public Policy, American Foundation for the Blind. He talked about health care reform as it relates to the blindness community. There are three issues that blind people are concerned about: 1. Prescription labeling. 2. Funding by Medicare for low vision aids. 3. Funding for such services as rehabilitation teaching, orientation and mobility. Only funding for low vision aids is addressed and the language is very unclear about what qualifies for funding.
On Tuesday, which was the pinnacle of the seminar, we met face-to-face with our legislators and/or their aides. It reminded me of the T V program "The Great Race," going from legislator to legislator to make the appointment on time! Our Pennsylvania group split into 3 groups to fulfill the 17 prescheduled appointments we had made. It seemed like our efforts had been a success because we added over 25 cosponsors to HR 734 and we now have 42 cosponsors for HR 3101!
-- Submitted by Mike Zaken
RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY NOTICES IN BRAILLE
Peter Altschul, an ACB'er, writes to inform us that he signed up to receive his Social Security statements in Braille, and wants to encourage all who wish their communications in Braille to do so.
"You can do it by phone and everything is automated. The number to call is 877-708-1776. Follow the choices to get to a list of format choices and choose the one you want. I chose to get my information in Braille, but you can get regular print by certified mail, large print, information read over the phone, or Microsoft Word document on a computer disc. You also give your Social Security number, date of birth, phone number, and the first and last name, and it is done.
The notices in alternate formats are supposed to start in April. Since ACB won this right via a law suit, we should take advantage of it if it is important to us. You can also sign up for this service by going to the web site and follow the steps. www.socialsecurityddgov/notices
You can also ask for a different format from the ones provided by calling the Social Security office at 800-722-1213 with your request. Social Security will decide whether a special requested format will be provided under the court approved guidelines. If the request is denied, it can be appealed. When I signed up for Braille, I was not asked for any proof of blindness."
-- Submitted by Don Weedlich.
BRAILLE ESSAY CONTEST--CASH PRIZES
A global Braille essay contest is being administered for the North American/Caribbean region of the World Blind Union by the National Federation of the Blind. Kim Charlson, Vice President of ACB sits on the judging panel for the essay contest, and she would like to see more ACB members submitting quality essays.
This contest is being sponsored by the Onkyo Corporation and is open to people of all ages, and runs from February 1 through April 30, 2010. Contest winners receive cash prizes valued at a minimum of $500. Essays must be written by contest participants, in English or their native language, in Braille, and must be completely original in nature. Entries should be no fewer that 800 words and no more than 1,000 words in length. There will be two groups of competitors--one a junior group, aged 25 and under; and one a senior group, aged 26 and up. Prizes range from $500 to $2,000.
Essay Topics:
Please contact Trisha Tatam at 410-659-9314 (ext. 2510) for more information. All essays must be received by April 30, 2010.
PRODIGY COUNT-A-DOSE
Prodigy has just received FDA approval for the Prodigy Count-a-Dose product, which will be ready for release early April 2010. This medical device allows a blind or vision impaired person with diabetes to fill an insulin syringe independently without assistance. Insulin therapy will cost a lot less with Count-a-Dose versus using insulin pens prefilled reservoirs! In early April 2010, the Prodigy Count-a-Dose can be purchased at specialty stores serving the blind and vision impaired.
Prodigy is the only manufacturer in the diabetes industry to respond to the challenge of producing a fully accessible talking glucose meter system, the Prodigy VoiceT, which offers a blind or low vision user total independence. Prodigy is honored to be the only company to receive National Access Awards from both the National Federation of the Blind and the American Foundation for the Blind for our Prodigy VoiceTM. As Prodigy's goal is to serve blind patients with diabetes, much of our profit goes back into research and development. This year, we plan to release more new audible products to serve the blind and vision impaired community. Prodigy products are covered by private insurance carriers, as well as Medicare/Medicaid. Look for our web site to help spread the word about our products. www.prodigymeter.com
LET'S PLAY BALL!
Spring is the start of baseball season, and for all those of you who enjoy the game, this is for you!
Baseball fans with visual impairments will benefit from the implementation of functional improvements to MBL.com, the official site of Major League Baseball and all 30 individual Club sites as a result of a joint collaboration between MBL Advanced Media, LP (MLBAM), the American Council of the Blind, Bay State Council of the Blind, and California Council of the Blind. All three organizations applaud this fan initiative taken by MLBAM.
"MLBAM has undertaken groundbreaking work to make its web sites accessible and has assumed a strong leadership position among sports, media, and entertainment properties in doing so," said Mitch Pomerantz, President of ACB "We certainly urge similar sites to make this level of commitment in following MLBAM's lead."
As part of its initiative, MLB.com launched an accessible media center for its MLB.com Gameday Audio subscribers, offering features such as volume control, ability to choose the home or away feed, and access to archived games. Additionally, MLB.com has ensured that fans with visual impairments can continue to participate in the annual online voting programs associated with the All-Star Game, and will be providing an accessibility page on its site detailing information on accessibility, usability tips, and customer service resources. As it continues to deliver technological innovations for following baseball games, MLB.com will make additional accessibility enhancements available to fans with visual impairments.
About MLBAM: Established in June 2000 following a unanimous vote by the 30 Major League Baseball club owners to centralize all of baseball's Internet operations, MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM), is the interactive media and Internet Company of Major League Baseball. It manages the official league site and each of the 30 individual club sites to create the most comprehensive Major League Baseball resource on the Internet. MLBAM.com offers fans the most complete baseball information and interactivity on the web, including up-to-date statistics, game previews and summaries, extensive historical information, online ticket sales, baseball merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles, fantasy games, live full-game video web casts and on-demand highlights, live and archived audio broadcasts of every game, Gameday pitch-by-pitch application, around-the-clock hosted and specialty video programming and complete blogging capabilities. MLBAM.com offers more live events on the Internet than any other web site in the world!
"SO SORRY. NO DOG! NO DOG!
By John Justice
A friend of mine had decided to treat me to the "best Chinese food you will ever taste" and so, we piled into his old Buick. There was Ron, me and my Shepherd guide dog, Star. At the time of this story, Star and I were living at the local YMCA in Hackensack, New Jersey. Ron was also a resident there.
We crossed the George Washington bridge without incident and made our way to Fordham Road where the Chinese restaurant was located. Miracle of miracles, we found a parking place relatively close to the restaurant, which was right on Fordham Road. This was a typical building of that era, with two sets of glass doors and a vestibule between them. I went through the first set of doors and waited for Ron to catch up. Then I attempted the second entrance. Now, I'm not particularly tall, but I'm about as wide as I am high. Even then, in my twenties, I weighed well over two hundred pounds. The second door seemed to be stuck, so I put my shoulder into it, and it slammed open! It was then that I heard the Chinese man yelling, "So sorry! No dog! No dog!
At that point, he was jammed behind the door. He had tried to keep the door closed by holding it himself. The resistance I felt was this little guy about four feet tall, trying to keep me from opening the door. I was in the way, so Ron couldn't see what was going on. I now had this little man pinned behind the door and he could not move. He could yell though!
I tried to explain that this was a guide dog and that he could not keep me out, but the language barrier became more and more insistent the longer I talked. At this point, Ron was ready to leave and go somewhere else. But I was not! No way! I asked for the manager and he finally came out to us. He tried using the old Board of Health "dodge", but I patiently explained that guide dogs were exempt from any such restrictions. Like his little friend, this man's grasp of English was getting more tenuous with every moment we talked.
Finally, the door opened behind me and a man with a thick New York accent asked what was going on. At first, I was reluctant to complicate matters, until he identified himself. This newcomer was the local patrolman, and everyone knew him quite well. Ron was even more embarrassed by this development. Ramon Sanchez, the local patrolman, was a man of few words, but he made his point. He pointed at me and my eyes, then at the dog. Then he pulled his ticket book out of a hip pocket and said, "Blind guy with a dog, yes. Or…" Then, apparently he waved his ticket book and touched his badge. That was all it took. Ron and I were seated in a quiet side room and served our dinner without further discussion.
When we were on our way home, Ron unloaded both barrels on me. He told me that I had made a scene and that he would never go anywhere with me again. He was furious! My explanations of our rights as guide dog users had no effect at all. Finally, I lost it. "I dare you to try living just one day the way I do," I barked. "You probably wouldn't be able to find you way out of your room, man! Next, you'd get lost in the bathroom or fall down the stairs because you didn't know where you were. Do you think that I'd use a dog like this if I didn't have to? You were embarrassed. How do you think I felt when my rights were being challenged by someone who tried to use his language as an excuse? You don't have to put up with this, Ron, but, I do. If I don't stand up for my rights, it becomes that much harder the next time. If you don't like me standing up for what's right because it might make you uncomfortable, that's fine. But, I dare you, Ron. I dare you to put on a blindfold and live just one day like that."
I was sure he would never speak to me again. But, about a week later, Ron stopped me in the corridor. "I'm off tomorrow," he said. "If I promise not to cheat, how about if we do that experiment you talked about? How about if I put on a blindfold and live that way for a day?" I agreed, but I got Howard, another acquaintance, to participate, because I wanted to make sure that Ron was as good as his word. Howard was off the next day as well.
We started off with breakfast, when we used a length of black cloth and duct tape to create a blindfold that wouldn't be easy to remove, or that Ron couldn't lift just a bit. It worked. Howard met Ron and helped him put on the blindfold. Then he led the man out of the building and next door to the local luncheonette. Howard was very solicitous and warned Ron about the steps and helped him find the chair. I went with them with Star in tow. Later, Howard described some of the things that happened. Ron almost missed the chair when he tried to sit down. At first he was very cautious about finding his coffee and juice. He was so afraid of knocking things over. When he tried to eat, he had trouble finding his mouth with the fork, and poked himself in the cheek. But, he did adjust. We finally made our way home. On the way inside, Ron almost laid himself out when he forgot about the step up into the YMCA lobby. But, Howard was there to catch him.
We went up to Howard's room, which was quite a bit larger, and sat down. "This isn't really fair to you, Ron," I said. "I've had my whole life to practice being blind. But for you, it's all new and probably pretty scary," Ron didn't have much to say.
I bought sandwiches for all of us at lunch and we ate them in Howard's room. Ron almost lost his can of Coke when he reached too far for it, but he had good reflexes and saved the can from falling over. He didn't notice the foam come shooting out of the top until he felt it on his hand and on the table. That really upset him, but he insisted on trying to clean it up by himself.
At this point, I was feeling really guilty about putting the man through this for so long. So, at about dinner time, I suggested that he remove the blinders and that the test was complete. He was relieved. When the cloth was removed, we made sure that the lights were out so that his eyes could become adjusted to the surroundings. He sounded so happy when the lamp came back on.
Ron had finished his training and was scheduled to go back home to Buffalo in about two days. He made a point of stopping in my room and thanking me for giving him a sample of what being blind was like. I apologized for embarrassing him at that Chinese restaurant, and he laughed. "You should have seen the expression on that little guy's face when you slammed him into the wall," he said. "He just didn't know what to do or say next. That was really stupid, John. You outweighed the guy by about a hundred pounds. By the way, did you enjoy the food?" It was my turn to laugh. "Oh, you were right, Ron," I said. "It was some of the best Chinese food I have ever had. But I think the restaurant should change it's name from 'Happy Valley' to 'No Dog. No Dog!'" We shook hands and Ron left that Saturday.
I did enjoy the food. In fact, I passed by there about three years later and remembered the restaurant. It was still there. I came through those same doors, expecting trouble at any minute. But, a friendly Chinese lady led me to a table and asked if the dog had enough room. The attitude was completely different. It was when I was leaving that I learned the truth. The owner had turned the place over to his children, who were now running "Happy Valley." The children had seen several television programs about guide dogs, including one called "At a Girl, Kelly!" They knew quite a bit about how guide dogs worked. The lady told me that the "So Sorry, No Dog! No Dog!" story had become a family favorite. It turned out that the little guy who had tried to stop me was afraid of dogs!
-- Story submitted by Elaine Young
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