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.
Articles in this publication reflect the views of the individual writers. They do not necessarily represent the views and policy of the PCB.
Sue Lichtenfels, Content Editor
Jeanette Schmoyer, Copy Editor
Carol Swartz, Layout Editor
If you wish to submit articles for consideration, submission deadlines are:
| March 1 | September 1 |
| June 1 | December 1 |
Send articles to: ADVOCATE, c/o Sue Lichtenfels
96 Robb Hollow Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243 or
e-mail- advocate@pcb1.org
The PCB Advocate is available in large print, braille, digital cartridge and e-mail. Send changes of address or format preference to the PCB office.
By George Holliday, PCB President
Throughout the year the PCB family has been successful in accomplishing several activities and projects. I say "family" because without the work and support of each and every one of us working together, those activities would not have been successful.
During the spring several yearly regional conferences were organized throughout the state. These regionals give chapters within the different regions the opportunity to discuss legislative issues, talk about important happenings within the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind, listen to presenters on blindness-related topics, and spend time socializing with other members.
This year the PCB Governmental Affairs Committee organized a legislative seminar in Harrisburg, held on Wednesday, October 19 and Thursday, October 20. The theme was "Seminar on Advocacy, Legislation, and Leadership" (SOALL). This very successful project brought together several PCB members from around the state to learn more about advocacy and provided them the opportunity to visit legislators to discuss the blindness community's position on pertinent legislation.
The PCB Convention Program Committee put together the busy three-day seventy-sixth annual statewide convention and conference which followed directly after the legislative seminar . The conference theme was Embracing Change."Yes, I have mentioned two committees, but every PCB committee was very productive throughout the past few years. Through the use of Free Conference Call, committees met monthly, set goals at the beginning of each year and were able to have plenty of members.
During the past five years, YOU, the members of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind, gave me the opportunity to serve as your president. I was much honored to serve you in that position. I always felt very strong toward three areas of importance to PCB. They were advocacy, membership and fundraising. I attempted to address these issues throughout my presidency with your assistance. We have accomplished a lot, but there is much more to do.
Now we are about to enter a new year and a new administration. President-elect Swartz has served as my first vice president. He was always there for support, valuable insight and friendship. So, now as immediate past president it is my time to return the support to President Swartz. In order to accomplish goals for PCB President Swartz needs the support of the entire PCB family. I am asking you to get more involved, offer to serve on committees, get active with PCB projects, and continue to support your local chapters by attending meetings and spreading the word about the PCB family.
In closing, Sarita and I would like to wish everyone a joyous holiday season and all the best for 2012. We will keep everyone in our thoughts and prayers. Let's all continue to work hard together for the independence of and increased opportunities for people who are blind or vision impaired, and to enhance their quality of life.
By John A. Horst
The holiday season is here and from the PCB office we want to wish everyone a joyous time and a successful and happy 2012. A change has taken place in the PCB office. The PCB leadership has decided to upgrade the position of Office Assistant to that of Executive Secretary. Christina Heintzelman is the new person who has been brought on board as of October 18, 2011. It is hoped that with her knowledge and skills she will be able to take on more of the duties of the office, and that the Executive Director will be freed up to attend meetings, work on issues and give more time to advocacy.
Several items are of immediate concern. First, it is time for chapters to send in their membership lists for the new year. January 15 is the deadline. Don't neglect to reach out to former members from 2010 to try to get them enrolled again. All members at large are being contacted and we are reaching out to others.
Consistent with our increased advocacy activity we want to call your attention to the protection of service dogs from other dogs legislation. This bill (House Bill 165) has been passed in the PA House of Representatives and is now in the Judiciary Committee of the Senate. This was one of the issues we advocated for during the fall legislative seminar. Information is available from the PCB office upon request. Senator Stewart J. Greenleaf from Montgomery County is the key person to contact. His telephone numbers are Harrisburg 717-787-6599 and Willow Grove 215-657-7700. We have sent information to our members in Montgomery County since they are constituents and also to those members who are guide dog users. We believe these persons will have the most clout with Senator Greenleaf. However, all PCB members are strongly encouraged to contact their own senator as well as Senator Greenleaf, urging them to move on this legislation. We can get this bill passed if we actively advocate for it.
With the end of the year upon us, our thoughts also turn to spring regional meetings. For those chapters who will be hosting these meetings, it is time to be selecting the date and place and developing your program. The PCB leadership would like you to invite a local state legislator to attend so that we can continue the advocacy that took place during the fall seminar.
At this time it is important to also be thinking of our objectives and goals for 2012, planning how to achieve them and raising the necessary funds to accomplish them. Please keep up-to-date on the Long Range Planning Committee and the ideas they are promoting. Take some time to seriously consider how you and your chapter can assist in reaching these goals.
We look forward to working with you in 2012.
By Anthony Swartz, PCB President-elect
I will begin with three expressions of thanks. First my thanks to the membership for your expression of trust and confidence in my ability to lead the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind over the next two years. My further thanks to you for providing me with fellow officers whom I will rely on for their considerable collective ability and wisdom; and a deep and sincere thanks to outgoing President George Holliday, for his very intentional efforts to prepare me for leadership of the organization.
I believe that effective leadership is not a matter of chance, nor is it dependent on charisma or personality. Instead, it is achieved through planning, preparation, communication, and hard work. With respect to planning, below I will describe the first steps that I have taken in preparing for leadership; outline the priorities of my administration, and describe the organizations committee structure for 2012-2013.
Throughout my career as a systems development manager I came to recognize the value and effectiveness of the leadership team management approach, and it is what I will employ in the leadership of PCB. However, I do want you to understand that although I will be employing a team of leaders, first and foremost, as president I expect to be held responsible for leadership, that is, for the direction of the organization. In addition I expect to be fully and solely accountable to the membership.
The team will consist of myself, 1st Vice President Thomas Reid, 2nd Vice President Sue Lichtenfels, Treasurer Mike Zaken, and Immediate Past President George Holliday. The purpose of the team is to suggest and consult with the Executive Director on administrative initiatives, as well as, develop strategies and direction for the organization. Responsibilities of the former Personnel and Technology Committees have been assigned to the leadership team. Great care will be taken to ensure that the actions of the leadership team will not infringe upon the responsibilities of the PCB Board of Directors. The province of the organization's Board of Directors is to create policy and it is the final decision making body outside the organization's convention assembled, which according to PCB bylaws, is the organization's ultimate authority. The leadership team will meet on a monthly or semi-monthly basis, and its primary purpose through the end of 2011 has been to deal with preparation for leadership, transition of leadership issues, and development of the committee structure as presented below.
My initial set of priorities to be accomplished over the next two years is as follows:
A slightly different strategy from the past will be employed in member recruitment for PCB committees. The leadership team has first reviewed the previous PCB committees, evaluating their original mission and continued value to the organization. Beyond those committees dictated by the organization's bylaws, a recommended list of committees has been developed. In some instances prior committee focus and goals have been expanded. Furthermore, the leadership team has determined a set of recommended committee chairs from the membership who were then contacted to determine their willingness to serve. Committee Chairs were then asked to contact individuals whom they would prefer to serve on their committee. A general notice was then sent out to the membership on December 1st requesting each member to submit a list of committees on which they would like to serve.
It is my opinion that chairs of major committees should come from the Board of Directors as much as possible. Since these individuals have expressed their interest to serve as members of the board, have been elected to serve, and have publicly stated their intention to serve the organization through their pledge of obligation, the organization should certainly assume that they may be depended upon to dedicate their time and good services to PCB.
Chair: George Holliday, Monitor: Thomas Reid
You will note that the name of the committee has changed from Governmental Affairs to Advocacy and Governmental Affairs to more closely identify the committee's name with its mission. The responsibilities of the former Transportation Committee will be absorbed into this committee.
Chair: Debbie Rozear, Monitor: Jeanette Schmoyer
Chair: Louise Chuha, Monitor: Joseph Wasserman
The scope of the former Braille Committee will be expanded to take on issues related to accessible formats, DAISY and the like.
Chair: Jeanette Schmoyer, Monitor: Tony Swartz
Convention Coordinator: Thomas Reid, Monitor: Tony Swartz
The responsibility of site selection has now been assigned to the Convention Planning Committee, with an individual or sub-committee appointed to carry out the responsibility of investigating future convention sites and developing a template of hotel contract requirements. In addition, rather than chair, the committee's head will now carry the title of Convention Coordinator, lending the position more authority, particularly with respect to negotiation and correspondence.
Chair: Carla Hayes, Monitor: Sue Lichtenfels
In addition to the goals of the former Employment Committee, the Education and Employment Committee's scope will be expanded to include general education of the visually impaired, education/preparation for employment, and promotion of blindness skills necessary for employability. In the past the Employment Committee was charged by the organization to focus on those issues which pertain more specifically to employability of adults. But taking into consideration our organization's most recent resolution with respect to the education of children with vision loss, it seems most logical that by expansion of the Committee's scope, the efforts of the Education and Employment Committee would serve as the vehicle to best respond to the intent and mandates of the resolution without neglecting the committee's original charge.
Chair: Treasurer Michael Zaken, Monitor: Tony Evancic
Co-Chairs: Sue Lichtenfels & Rita Lang, Monitor: Michael Zaken
Co-chairs will be assigned to head the committee to facilitate an eventual transition in leadership.
Chair: Joseph Wasserman, Monitor: Tony Swartz
Chair: Edgar Facemyer, Monitors: Tony Swartz and John Horst
The committee's mission will expand to promote outreach to individuals with low vision, develop events, and coordinate efforts with the Membership Committee.
Chair: Jule Ann Lieberman, Monitor: Jeanette Schmoyer
Chair: George Holliday, Monitor: Cathy Long
Chair: William Newland, Monitor: Sue Lichtenfels
The responsibilities of the former Publicity Committee would fall under this committee, but it is expected that greater emphasis will be placed on promotion of PCB to the public, and the committee will serve as a resource, assisting other committees with their public relation needs. Responsibility for the production of PCB Reports would be a responsibility of this committee.
Chair: Carla Hayes, Monitor: Tony Swartz
technology access
Chair: Michael Zaken, Monitor: Thomas Reid
This newly created committee's mission is to provide technical instruction and guidance to the membership in general and to committees. Activities might include: developing instructional opportunities in a particular technology; providing technical assistance to a committee to accomplish a particular task; investigating and developing methods of communication as an alternative to travel; and so on.
Chair: Bob Lichtenfels, Monitor: Thomas Reid
The purpose of the committee is the further development and maintenance of the organization's web site, and to partner with the Technology Access Committee in the investigation and development of tools and strategies promoting the efforts of PCB and its committees.
Finally, in January an email address,leadership@pcb1.org, will be created. Emails sent to this address will be relayed to the President and 1st Vice President. The purpose of the address is to provide every member of the organization a direct method of communication with leadership. It is a method for contacting the leadership concerning a matter which requires immediate attention from the organization's leadership. It is, by no means, a substitute for contacting the PCB state office regarding administrative issues such as address and subscription changes. I trust that frivolous postings to the leadership address can be avoided.
I believe the worst form of leadership is that which operates within a vacuum. I will depend on the counsel of the leadership team, but leadership is effective only when each of us as members of PCB live the responsibility of carrying out the mission of our organization. May I count on your continued support of PCB?
By Louise Chuha, Chair
You will remember that we decided not to have a braille essay contest this year because there have been so few entries over the past several years. For this year we had a braille writing contest. Each student was sent two documents in uncontracted braille and they had to choose one of them and rewrite it in contracted braille. We received only 2 responses out of over 150 students we contacted. We sent emails to all the vision teachers we could find telling about the contest. We've never had a lot of response from the teachers and this year one of them told us that with all the travel and paperwork they have to do and making sure their students are caught up with class room work, they don't have time to help with anything that is not absolutely necessary. The two entries were from eighth graders, one in the Philadelphia area and one from the Pittsburgh area. We divided a $50 prize between them. The cash prizes and the certificates were presented by their vision teachers at each school's end-of-year assembly.
Recently we on the Braille Committee have been really concerned to learn that some of the braille books in the Philadelphia Library have been stored in areas that are not climate controlled so that the books are deteriorating. I'm not sure what we can do about it, except to contact our legislators asking that funding for the library should not be cut.
There has been a rumor going around that at some point in the future, the Pittsburgh regional library will handle all audio books and Philadelphia will handle only braille. As far as I know, there has not been a specific time or date announced for when this will supposedly happen.
Most recently our committee presented an instructional workshop at the PCB convention. We also presented during the convention's general session about the benefits of using braille for labeling.
Any of you who have been in the hospital know that there are several forms to be filled out. UPMC, which has a large number of hospitals in the Pittsburgh area, has several forms in braille that were embossed by The Braille Project here in Pittsburgh. We've been talking about how we might get hospitals in other areas to provide braille for their blind patients who prefer that format. Additionally, UPMC has put out a manual about working with people who have disabilities in the hospital setting. I have heard that other hospitals in the area have been asking about it, but as yet, none of us has seen the text so we have no opinion as to whether or not it should be made available in accessible formats, including braille.
If you know of anything you think the braille committee should be considering, please let me know about it by emailing louc01@verizon.net.
Many thanks to the members of the 2011 Braille Committee: Sandy Marsiglia, May Davis, Ann Porter, Cathy Long, Sue Etters, and Robert McClain.
By Thomas Reid, Co-Chair, Convention Planning Committee
The PCB Convention & Conference is the one time of the year that members from across the state can meet together. This is the time of year when elections are held, resolutions are adopted and in general the direction of the organization is set.
It is also a time for learning new information, networking, and hopefully, beginning or rekindling relationships.
The convention and conference means something different to every person in attendance. This adds to the challenges taken on by the Convention Planning Committee (CPC).
The first task of the committee is developing and planning a stimulating program. While it is necessary to spend a great amount of time planning, in no way does this guarantee a successful outcome.
Following every convention, the committee meets to constructively figure out what improvements can be made to all aspects of the program and its implementation.
It's important to note that every year the committee tries to include various lessons learned from the prior year's experience. Additionally, we often try new ideas that we hope enhance the program. This year we began this post analysis process a little earlier.
We began this year knowing we wanted to market the convention program to those outside of our organization. We developed a plan that included the PCB Public Relations Committee. The convention host chapter provided the PCB Public Relations Committee with a substantial list of contacts to aid in the promotion of the convention to non PCB members. These included blindness professionals, local agencies, Intermediate Units/TVI's, Lions, low vision specialists, ophthalmologists, universities' disability student services, the Office on Aging, and senior centers.
We provided the PR Committee with specific details related to the convention in order to help customize the marketing materials to each target audience. The CPC plans to review the process and materials in order to determine if there are areas for improvement.
During this year's convention, the committee was pleased to see the adoption of our request for a budget line item of $750 for expenses directly related to the enhancement of the convention program. These funds will be used at the committee's discretion on items such as speaker honorariums for those outside of PCB or other expenses that enrich the overall quality of the program.
2012 & On
As reported in our committee report, the team is in the process of developing a document that will provide specific guidelines for prospective presenters. Additionally, the document will aid PCB committees, members and external organizations to propose presentations to the Convention Planning Committee prior to the program development.
The Web Site Committee has been extremely supportive, and their development of an online registration process has greatly help make convention registration more accessible.
The CPC plans to take a look at how we can continue to improve the registration process both for our members and as a way to streamline the back office administrative process.
Finally, the committee will be looking into programming topics that will help our membership in all aspects of their lives. Regardless of the specific topics selected, all programming will be in line with our organizational mission - promoting the independence of all people who are blind or visually impaired.
By Carla Hayes, Chair
As you may recall, the Employment Committee presented a panel discussion titled, "Working from Home and Other Timely Trends" during the general session at this year's PCB state convention. There were four panelists. Lynne Maleeff spoke about the Whitehouse Monthly Disability Call for people with disabilities, Schedule A, and other timely trends. Dr. Ed Hersh spoke about his experiences running a bed and breakfast and Work-at-Home opportunities with Ignite, the marketing arm of Stream Energy. I spoke about my own experiences as a business owner as well as working from home as a sub-contractor for corporations in the field of foreign language teaching and translating. I ended our panel discussion by presenting some of the advantages and disadvantages of working from home. Our fourth panelist was to be Terri Winaught who was going to speak about peer counseling and telecommuting as a reasonable accommodation. Unfortunately, Terri was unable to come to the convention due to a last minute emergency. However, she agreed to summarize her presentation in an article for the Advocate. Here is her article:
By Terri Winaught
Since 2005 I have worked at a Pittsburgh-based mental health organization called Peer Support and Advocacy Network.
Peer support in the context of my employment refers to persons in recovery from mental illness helping others with psychiatric disabilities. The background which enables me to provide this support includes: having a masters degree in education with a specialization in counseling; providing emotional guidance in paid and volunteer capacities; and--most importantly--being a mental health consumer who can model recovery. I do that by helping callers to a confidential toll-free number explore options, discuss feelings, and make decisions based on self-determination.
Like blindness and vision impairment, psychiatric disabilities also meet reasonable accommodation's criteria under the Americans with Disabilities Act. One such accommodation is telecommuting, in which either parts or all of a job are performed from home.
At my workplace, there are employees whose anxiety and depression manifest themselves in difficult emotional feelings, uncomfortable physical symptoms, or both. When symptoms become unmanageable, leaving one's home can be virtually impossible. This results in chronic absenteeism, and an employee with poor attendance can be at risk of getting fired.
Telecommuting is the reasonable accommodation that enables individuals in mental health recovery to remain productive workers.
For some employees, success is achieved by working entirely from home. For others, however, job retention is enhanced by working partly from home and partly in an office.In addition to job retention, other positive aspects of telecommuting include avoiding inclement weather and lack of transportation.
Although isolation can be a key drawback, the focus of this article has been the positive aspects of telecommuting and how it can be a reasonable accommodation.For persons who have excellent transit systems and love getting out, telecommuting would be dismal. For others, though, such as my peers with mental health disabilities and those with vision impairments who have poor travel skills or no access to transportation or both, telecommuting goes beyond being a reasonable accommodation. It becomes the difference between the humiliation of repeated job loss and the success of long-term, rewarding employment.
For more information about Peer Support and Advocacy Network, visit www.peer-support.org. To learn more about telecommuting, Google, "Telecommuting as a Reasonable Accommodation". You will find many links that lead to a variety of informative articles.
By Mary Ann Alexander, Chair, Governmental Affairs Committee
The 2011 ACB legislative seminar
Once again ACB presented three imperatives to attendees to bring to our legislators. They were:
First, to request that Congress introduce and pass The Prescription Drug Accessibility Act. This legislation would grant the FDA clear authority to regulate this area and develop standards to ensure that prescription labeling is accessible to individuals with vision loss.
Second, this year congress introduced H.R. 860 and the senate introduced S. 110 the Vehicle Donation Act. Thus far, H.R. 860 has 154 co-sponsors, 8 of which are from Pennsylvania and S. 110 has no co-sponsors. In a very small nutshell, because of rules implemented in 2004 affecting vehicle donations beginning in 2005, vehicle donations and the revenues from such donations have significantly declined for charities like ours. For instance, ACB has seen a 94% decline in revenue from this source. The proposed legislation would change these rules, once again making it profitable and easy for individuals to donate their unwanted vehicles to charities like ours.
Third, in November of 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) promulgated a regulation which has had a serious and detrimental impact on individuals who are blind or visually impaired. To sum it up briefly, the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Acquisition Rule has a provision called "low vision exclusion" which states that all devices, no matter their size, form or technological features that use one or more lenses are excluded from payment by Medicare based on the statutory eyeglass exclusion. So, you get the picture? Those sometimes very expensive low-vision devices that help us to perform activities of daily living, function at our jobs, be successful students and so forth are lumped together with eyeglasses. The ACB proposed the Low Vision Devices Inclusion Act to resolve this serious gap in coverage for persons with visual impairments.
Unfortunately, neither the prescription Drug Accessible labeling act nor the Low Vision Devices Inclusion Act of 2011 has been introduced thus far.
Federal Update
It's not all bad news! In case you didn't know, in addition to the 21st Century Communication and Video Accessibility Act having been signed into law in October of 2010, on January 4, 2011, President Obama also signed into law the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act. As you probably know this directs the secretary of transportation to study and recommend to congress a minimum standard of sound necessary to be emitted from a motor vehicle to make travel for those who are vision impaired and other pedestrians safe.
For information on the progress made in the implementation of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, please see the fall addition of the PCB Advocate or go to www.fcc.gov.
As you probably know, in conjunction with the PCB Conference and Convention, the Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) sponsored a Seminar on Advocacy, Legislation and Leadership. In addition to all of the committee members of the GAC, 18 members from around the state also attended. On Thursday, October 20, we met with over 50 legislators regarding issues which are of concern to all of our members. We spoke to them regarding H.B. 165, legislation to hold the owner or co-owner of a domestic animal that wounds or seriously injures a service animal responsible by the imposition of a misdemeanor II and/or a fine. While PCB advocates were visiting with members of congress, we learned that in fact, h.b. 165 has passed the House and is now in the Senate. We also spoke with them about the need to keep BBVS as a separate entity and the need for a consistent funding source for mass and para transit. You can read our position papers by going to the PCB website and to the governmental affairs page.
If you listen to the news at all, you're hearing much about the state of Social Security and Medicare. This is indeed something about which we should all be concerned. While it is most surely true that both Medicare and Social Security should be reformed in ways that might improve their implementation and extend their life span, it would be a devastating blow to our community, to senior citizens, to the entire disability community if Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid would no longer exist.
You will hear words like "entitlement Programs" and "individuals should be responsible for taking care of their own needs without government intervention." For anyone receiving Social Security Disability Insurance, (SSDI), remember we paid into this system as do we still pay for our Medicare. So, yes, we are entitled to this benefit! For those who have, for whatever reason, never been able to work and who receive SSI, should anyone begrudge them this small income, an income too small in and of itself to allow for true quality of life? What about the affect the elimination of such programs would have on families with children who have chronic conditions? With regard to such statements as "let everyone fend for themselves," where has society and community gone? By the way, "society" is defined by Webster's dictionary is "people working together, a common purpose, companionship." This is quite a bit different than every person for themselves.
While I in no way wish to suggest how you vote in future elections, I do want to urge all of you to tune into the dialogue, to listen objectively, and make informed decisions regarding whom you choose to represent you in government. We in the blind community should be especially interested in electing individuals who are concerned, sensitive and tuned into the needs of those with diverse situations. The dialogue is important.
One of the speakers at our legislative seminar, Lora Lavin from the League of Women Voters, urges all of us to tune into the discussions regarding new voter registration laws. In many states, including Pennsylvania, there is a concerted effort to prevent disadvantaged persons from voting in next year's election. In most cases, states are trying to require documentation from voters that has never been required before. I urge you to contact your voter registration office to see what document you will need to carry with you in order to vote and to make certain you are prepared. For those of you who have not voted in the past, I wish to urge you to do so. It is vital that our voices be heard. Don't allow politicians whose only concern is being elected or reelected to office dictate what happens to us without the benefit of our voices being heard.
If you are not registered, you can call your local voter registration office to ask for their help, or call a representative of the party to which you are registered to get their help. If getting to the poll is a problem, again, call a representative of your party affiliation to see if they could provide transportation. Believe me, they want your vote. If none of these suggestions work, speak with a member of the GAC or with your chapter president to ask him or her to advocate on your behalf. Be proactive; it is perhaps more important than ever for your vote to be cast.
For those of you who do not know, I have moved to sunny Florida and so this will be my last report to the membership of PCB. I wish to thank all of you for your encouragement during my time as chair of the GAC. It has been an awesome experience. I would like to leave you with a couple thoughts. First, one theme I have tried to convey throughout my time as a leader in PCB is that advocacy is necessary, it is the responsibility of each and every one of us and does not have to be frightening. Advocacy is as simple as speaking with your neighbor, a family member, a stranger who you meet on a bus, the sales person who checks you out at your favorite store, etc. Advocacy begins simply with education and we do that every day simply by interacting with our sighted peers. The final thought that I wish to leave you with is to say yes when the leadership of PCB asks you to participate in a project or event. For me, advocacy and leadership began with Thomas Reid asking me to serve in MCCB as the Advocacy Chair. That led to John Horst asking Thomas and me to go to the ACB Legislative Seminar, and since then, my attitude about what it means to be a member of this organization changed for the better and will carry me through many new life experiences. So, a big thank you to all of PCB's leaders for the many opportunities offered to me in the past six years! Thanks also to those on the GAC, Joseph Wassermann, Harry Epstein, Jacqueline Wissinger, Bob Lichtenfels, Patricia Russell, Roger Simmons, Thomas Reid, our monitor - Tony Swartz, our president - George Holliday and our executive director - John Horst.
By Joseph Wassermann, Chair
We have ended another year, and that means that a new committee will adventure into 2012 to further carry out long range plans. Many thanks go to Harry Epstein, Rodger Simmons, Mike Zaken, Bob Lichtenfels, Tony Swartz, George Holliday, and John Horst for helping to complete ideas conceived of as far back as 2009. That's what "long range planning" is. PCB brought about the updating of the office staff with the hiring of Christina, our new and excellent executive secretary. We also carried out a very successful legislative seminar complete with training sessions and visits to state senators and representatives. I must thank the following people who helped us to bring this state seminar to fruition: Suzanne Polen, Dr. Marlin Mickel, and retired Congressman William Coyne. The leadership program held Friday afternoon during the convention was well received, and we hope new and aspiring leaders will emerge as a result.
Much more needs to be done. A new funding stream must be developed, we must strengthen and grow our membership, and advocacy needs all the energy we can give it. I look forward to chairing this committee again, and thank our incoming president, Tony, for asking me to continue. Happy New Year to everyone.
By Edgar Facemyer, Chair
As 2011 approaches its end, the Low Vision Committee is beginning the task of planning its goals for the coming year. In order to move ahead, we need to look at what we have accomplished and what areas need more attention.
One of the things we know we will have to do next year is increase the level of communication with our chapters. We have been compiling a lot of information about the subject of low vision, and we want to share some of the most relevant information with you.
In the area of technology we will continue to concentrate on gathering information on low vision aids, both low and high tech, as well as services for persons with low vision. accessibility of products available to the general public such as cell phones is an area we need to focus on more. We will be looking to find ways to involve members who are using these devices to share their experiences and knowledge.
Another area of interest to us is the increasing proliferation of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. As these networks continue to add new features and become more graphic in content, we are finding that persons with low vision are experiencing more difficulty taking advantage of all the applications that sighted users can. We would like to try to deal with these issues.
We need to do a better job posting current materials on the low vision page of the PCB web site. Those of you who would like to interact with persons with low vision via the internet can join the PCB low vision group list serve by visiting the PCB web site at www.pcb1.org. Go to the low vision page and click on the link labeled, "Join the PCB -l email list."
The Long Range Planning Committee of PCB has set as one of its priorities for the future developing ways to attract persons with low vision who do not know where to turn to get help to become members of our organization. There are literally thousands of persons in Pennsylvania who are struggling with significant sight loss who can benefit from what we have to offer. We will have to take a more active role in developing strategies to reach this group of persons in our state.
Finally, our committee presently is not represented equally, geographically. That is to say that we have no members on the committee representing the western part of the state. We invite anyone from western Pennsylvania who has an interest in being a part of this Committee, to contact President-elect Tony Swartz and let him know you want to join us.
By Bill Newland, Co-chair
The committee has been working hard to publicize The Pennsylvania council of the Blind, as well as attempting to get chapters involved.
We were pleased to be asked by the PCB Convention Planning Committee to help with publicizing our state convention for this year. As a result, Information was prepared which was sent to groups such as Lions clubs, ophthalmologists and organizations of and for the visually impaired in the Harrisburg area publicizing our state convention. In addition a press release was distributed to the media. It is our hope that in 2012 we can tweak this process in order to get more groups as well as individuals outside of our own membership to come to the 2012 convention in Johnstown.
We also provided PCB chapters with information in order to promote what it is that they do in their communities.
In 2012 our goals are: 1. Outreach into communities to inform the public about PCB, and 2. Working with other committees like membership in order to recruit new members. We are also continuing to look at ways to use PCB Reports as a vehicle to help us promote PCB.
It is our belief that we must increase the number of members on our committee in order to accomplish these goals. So, If you are ready for some hard work and believe that you have something to offer this committee, please contact our incoming president, Tony Swartz.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank committee members Dick Schmoyer, Jule Ann Lieberman, Sherri Hancik, Joe Sikora, and Co-chair, Ed Facemyer for their hard work in 2011.
By Carla Hayes, Chair
Three resolutions were passed at the 2011 PCB state convention of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind: one substantive resolution and two courtesy resolutions.
The subject of Resolution 2011-01 is the education of children with vision impairments. Because this resolution gives such an important directive to PCB, I shall publish it in its entirety rather than summarizing it. The text of the resolution is as follows:
Education of Children with Vision Impairments
WHEREAS, The employment rate for individuals who are blind or visually impaired has not increased over the past several decades despite the passage of disability-friendly legislation and the development of access technology;
WHEREAS, Blind and visually impaired students who have been mainstreamed into the public education system frequently do not receive comprehensive training in blindness related life skills; and,
WHEREAS, Legislation, such as "No Child Left Behind," appears to be watering down the academic standards of our educational system as they pertain to children who are blind or visually impaired;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind in convention assembled on October 23, 2011, at the Radisson Hotel in Camp Hill, PA, that the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind will take an active role toward improving the overall approach to educating children who are blind or visually impaired in the mainstream school systems;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that PCB prepare a white paper outlining its concern and some proposed modifications to the existing education system;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that PCB send copies of this white paper to all PA legislators, Intermediate Unit (IU) directors, the secretary of education, and the governor;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that PCB convene a statewide task force consisting of PCB members, blindness professionals, IU administrators and teachers, parents of children who are blind or visually impaired, and any other interested stakeholders to develop a plan to create systematic change in this area; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that PCB play a leadership role in the implementation of said plan.
Here is some additional commentary from Sue Lichtenfels, the author of this resolution:
As a Transition Specialist with Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh I have had the opportunity to work with a number of teens who are vision impaired or blind. What has become disappointingly obvious to me is that many of these students have not received appropriate training in areas such as Braille reading and writing, tasks of daily living, orientation and mobility skills, and age-appropriate socialization. To illustrate the deficiencies I have observed, take for example an 18 year-old who does not know how to tie his shoes or a 16 year-old who cannot sign her name. Within the current mainstream education model, all of the areas of concern should be taught to students who are vision impaired as part of the Expanded Core Curriculum.
The ideal is that these students would be receiving instruction in blindness-related skills in tandem with their academic studies. However, according to feedback we (Joe Wassermann, Tony Swartz, and Sue Lichtenfels) received from a presentation with some members of the Association for the Education & Rehabilitation (AER) of the Visually Impaired, students are not getting this invaluable instruction. The reasons vary: too many students on the Intermediate Unit teacher's caseload; not enough hours in the school day; overprotective parents; a lopsided focus on academics; etc. The feedback from these IU professionals and school administrators certainly endorsed our hypothesis that the mainstream education system is broken with regards to meeting the unique needs of students who are vision impaired.
If we want children who are vision impaired to grow up to be active, independent, productive adults, we need to insure they receive proper training in fundamental life skills. What good is knowing the 44 American Presidents if a person can't travel independently on public transportation to her job? What good is knowing how to solve problems with the quadratic formula when a person doesn't know how to keep track of which monetary bills are in his wallet? The mainstream education system needs a paradigm shift that more equally emphasizes the importance of life skills with that of academic standards. Both as individuals who have experienced the importance of blindness skills first-hand and as advocates who strive for the independence of people who are blind or visually impaired, we must lead the way to achieving this systemic change within mainstream education.
In addition to this resolution, two courtesy resolutions were passed. In Resolution 2011-02, PCB commended The Convention Program Committee, the Host Committee, the PCB Board and officers, and all of those who worked hard to plan and implement this excellent convention. Resolution 2011-03 was the traditional courtesy resolution to the hotel staff expressing our Appreciation for all that they did which helped to make this convention a success.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Resolutions Committee: Darlene Barton, John Luttenberger, and our monitor, Bob Lichtenfels, as well as Sue Lichtenfels, for all of their hard work on this year's resolutions. I would also like to remind all of you that resolutions start with you as chapters and individual members of PCB. Why not consider making a personal New Year's resolution to help craft a PCB resolution which could make a positive difference in thousands of lives in 2012? If you need help with your resolution, please feel free to call me at 724-941-8184 or contact me by email at lengual@verizon.net. Have a wonderful holiday season and may all your resolutions for 2012 be powerful ones!
By Sue Lichtenfels
"Successful" is the word I would use to describe the work of the 2011 PCB Fundraising Committee. This year our committee included Rita Lang, Lyle Sine, Harry Epstein, Terri Winaught, George Holliday, John Horst, and Sue Lichtenfels (Chair). While we on the fundraising team work very hard, the success of our fundraising efforts is the direct result of supportive and generous individuals and chapters. Together, we have raised over $10,000 this year for PCB through three major ventures.
Our 2011 fundraising campaign began in January with the publication of our True No Measure Cookbook. This book was the culmination of more than six months of hard work by the following individuals: Colleen Castro, Sherri Crum, Sue Lichtenfels, Morgan Park, and Lorraine Yucius. The cookbook features more than 225 recipes across every food category. Since the recipes rely on ingredients such as cans, bottles, jars, and packages, the cookbook is widely marketable to novice cooks, college students, busy moms, seniors, people with disabilities, and anyone who tries to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible.
For this past year our publicity efforts have focused primarily in the vision impaired community. Announcements have been posted in the Braille Forum, the Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind, Blind Bargains, the CCLVI newsletter, Talking Book Topics, the Braille Book Review, and more. These announcements have resulted in sales of over 300 cookbooks. In the upcoming year our committee plans to expand our marketing efforts to other disability groups, seniors, and the general public. We also intend to investigate mass publication of the cookbook for retail in stores and through the Internet. Our team welcomes all suggestions for possible marketing opportunities.
The True No Measure Cookbook is available in four formats: 16-point large type, hard copy braille, Microsoft Word, or DAISY. The braille edition is $25 while all other formats are $12.50. For your information an index of all included recipes is available at http://www.pcb1.org/cookbook. Orders can be made online by sending the contact information and preferred format to cookbook@pcb1.org and then purchasing by way of the PayPal button on the PCB website. Postal mail orders can be paid by check made payable to PCB and sent to: PA Council of the Blind, 931 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102. Those without Internet access who prefer to pay with credit card can place their order by calling Sue and Bob Lichtenfels at 412-429-1727. Orders are mailed "Free Matter for the Blind" unless other arrangements have been made.
The second large fundraising undertaking for 2011 was the PCB Six-Month Raffle. For this past raffle, tickets were distributed to and sold by 13 chapters plus PCB members at large. All together we sold 751 tickets for revenue of $15,020. After the expenditures which included the raffle license, ticket printing, postage, and winner payouts; the overall profit was $10,003.89. When we divide the profit in half, PCB received $5,001.95 and the chapters split $5,001.95 or $6.66 per ticket sold. Each chapter should have received its check in mid December.
Also in mid December we began contacting chapters and mailing out tickets for the 2012 Six-Month Raffle. The upcoming raffle will be run the same way as in the past. The raffle will go from April 1 through September 30 with winners based on that day's Evening PA Daily Number. Again there will be three prize levels: $125 for six holiday dates; $75 for the 1st and 15th of each month; and $30 for every other date. Tickets are $20 each. Completed stubs including the seller's name and chapter should be mailed with payment to the PCB office by March 15, 2012. As in other years it is vital that you include the chapter so that your group receives credit for the ticket sale and profit share. It is equally important this year that you also include the seller's name because we will be offering an incentive: each chapter's top seller will receive a $25 giftcard. If your chapter has not already received tickets for 2012 sales, please contact Sue Lichtenfels.
Our final major fundraising venture of 2011 was the annual PCB Live Auction held during convention weekend. The success of this venture truly relies on the generosity of prize donors and enthusiastic bidders. Once again the members of PCB and the business community demonstrated their giving spirit. This year's auction raised $3,700 for PCB. It is equally important that we recognize those individuals who worked at the auction to insure a smooth process: Alicia and Bob Silliman, Malinda Fox, Colleen Castro, Lyle Sine, Rita Lang,
Bob and Sue Lichtenfels, George Holliday, Dick Schmoyer, and Darlene Barton. Thank you to all who participated in this year's auction in any capacity.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the success of the PCB fundraising team relies heavily on the support and involvement of our members and chapters. We hope you will be as active in our efforts to make 2012 even more fund filled than 2011. An additional welcomed change for 2012 is the installation of our Co-Chair, Rita Lang from LVCB. Our 2012 committee is still forming, so please consider joining us in planning our upcoming activities. Please contact either Rita at 610-262-5125 or Sue at 412-429-1727 to discuss future PCB fundraising efforts.
By George Holliday and Tony Swartz
The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind has received a grant to conduct a broadband outreach survey and has engaged the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind to assist in wide distribution and completion of the survey.
The survey consists of a two page form in large print which can be completed in fifteen minutes. A copy of the survey is included at the end of this article, and an electronic version of the survey can be downloaded from the front page of the PCB website at http://www.pcb1.org. All members are requested to complete this survey. We are asking chapter presidents assisted by chapter officers to have members, their families, and others in your community complete the survey. Chapter Presidents are strongly urged to set aside time during chapter meetings to discuss the survey, and to assist members to complete a survey form, and to explain how each member can distribute copies of the survey to members of their family and to friends.
For each form completed and sent to the PCB office your chapter will receive two dollars. Both paper and electronic versions of the form are to be completed and returned to the PCB state office by Monday April 16, 2012.
The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind is asking the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind to assist in conducting this survey across Pennsylvania for the purpose of determining Who of us is currently using broadband.
Where we are generally located. Who of us does not have broadband and would like to have it. For what purposes would each of us use it. How does each of us find out about an emergency in our area.
The end result of the survey is to gather statistics to identify how much of our community, versus the general population, has access to broadband. The data collected could have a future impact on how, what, and where technologically-based state service initiatives might be offered.
Broadband is a type of Internet access. If you have a dial up connection with your Internet access, you do not have broadband. Dial up service is the only non-broadband Internet service available. Broadband, a speedier connection to the Internet, comes in four different forms:
DSL - which means Digital Subscriber Line and utilizes unused telephone wires that cause no interruption to telephone serviceCable - provided by the local cable TV provider
Satellite - provided by satellite service and used mainly in rural areas
Wireless - this means a computer is not physically connected by cable to an Internet connection but through a wireless device, such as a router
Further Notes on Completing the Survey
On multiple response questions indicate only one response. If you use both a screen magnifier and a synthetic speech program, select the one you use the most.
The first question regarding vision impairment can be answered "yes" only if your vision loss requires you to depend on screen magnification or a screen reader to access your computer.
If you answer "no" to the question "Would others in your household use broadband?" then you should not answer the following question "How would they use it?"
The question "Do you currently subscribe to or have?" implies the word "Broadband" in front of each of the answers. If you have dial up Internet service or no Internet service, then answer "Do not have broadband".
On the final question, "How did you hear about this survey?" please select "other" and "PCB" and add your chapter. Doing so will ensure that PCB and your chapter receive credit for completion of the survey.
Please note, if you have already completed the survey through your local PAB member agency, do not complete another survey form. It is important that the data collected is unduplicated, thereby ensuring the highest accuracy.
What is your address?
City__
State_PA_
Zip_
County__
What is your age?[ ] 5-18 [ ] 19-25 [ ] 26-40 [ ] 41-65 [ ] 66+
Does your vision impair your ability to read a computer screen? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, what type of access technology do you need?
[ ] Screen Magnifier [ ] Synthetic Speech Program
Do you currently subscribe to or have?
[ ] Cable [ ] DSL [ ] Satellite [ ] Wireless[ ] Do not have Broadband
Is broadband available?
[ ] Not Available [ ] Cable Modem [ ] DSL [ ] Wireless [ ] Satellite
If you do not have broadband is it because?[ ] Do not want it [ ] Cannot afford it [ ] Cannot get it [ ] Do not know about it
How do you find out about an emergency in your local community?
[ ] TV [ ] Radio [ ] Phone Chain [ ] Computer [ ] Other
How much of your current work duties could be handled from home (tele-work) if you had the right kind of equipment and connectivity?
[ ] None [ ] Some [ ] Half [ ] Most [ ] All
If it were practical, possible, and approved by your employer, how often would you work from home?
[ ] Never [ ] Emergencies (weather/illness) [ ] Occasionally
[ ] Often [ ] Always
Would others in your household use broadband?[ ] Yes [ ] No
How would they use it?[ ] Tele-Work [ ] Home Based Business [ ] Education [ ] Entertainment [ ] Other
How did you hear about this survey?
[ ] Pennsylvania Association for the Blind [ ] American Red Cross
[ ] Local Blind Agency X Other_PCB_
By Thomas Reid
There are three types of skills important to employers: job related, self management, and transferable skills. The first pertains to those specific to a given job. For example, accounting related jobs would require the candidate to be familiar with various accounting and financial principles. Self Management skills refer to those that will enable an individual to fit into an organization. Transferable skills are those that are not as specific as job related, but are required for various positions. Strong writing skills, project management, and creative thinking are just a few examples.
When we think of strengthening our skills, we often think of formal education whether as part of a degree program or continuing education. These are undoubtedly solid routes, but there is a resource many may overlook: PCB.
Whether in your local chapter or through one of several state committees, getting involved can offer a tremendous opportunity for development. Let's explore each category of skills and see how the opportunities for growth are available through PCB.
Administrative skills including letter writing, email and filing or financial skills like account reconciliation or budget preparation can each be achieved through various chapter or state level involvement. Serving as a chapter treasurer or secretary for a period of one or more years can be a good addition to a resume. While you may overlook the importance of such a position, a potential employer may view this as a good use of time. If you can comfortably discuss the budget process and possibly the development of a system for tracking the chapter's finances, for example, you might have a real shot at a position. This real world experience can truly separate you from those who have only experienced class room discussions. Additionally, an astute interviewer will infer other positive aspects of your association. Commitment to a cause and the ability to develop processes are just a few.
An important aspect of working with others in an office environment is the ability to get along with co-workers and fit in. Living a solitary life style does not afford one the opportunity to develop or practice these skills. Managing deadlines, responsibility, and accountability are just a few of the necessary qualifications any successful employee must possess.
The ability to complete a task on time when there is no financial or other incentive is, in my opinion, a positive characteristic many employers would appreciate in a candidate. Serving on a committee does not automatically indicate this desirable trait. The difference is taking an active role and being accountable for all tasks that you volunteer for or that are assigned to you.
For many, the experience of vision loss began at some point during our careers. For others, vision loss occurred during some point during secondary or post secondary education. In either case it can be important to develop the skills where you are at that time.
At various times in our lives it is important to reassess our personal inventory. What skills do we have? What do we want to improve? What can we do now to make that happen? You may have done this formally on a job. The job review process often includes a discussion of job related and personal goals. A manager may inform you that if your true intention is to one day become a department manager, you will need to develop your familiarity with budgets and improve your communication skills.
If you lost your job due to vision loss and are interested in regaining employment, determine what skills are necessary for the position you are interested in obtaining. I am quite confident, that there is a way to develop those skills in a PCB committee.
PCB is a growing, active organization. In any such organization, whether a corporation or nonprofit, you can find great opportunities. Additionally, we are in a financial climate where jobs are difficult to obtain for all and especially people with disabilities. Yet, through PCB you have a chance to not only make a difference in our state for all people with vision loss, but also you can take positive steps that will undoubtedly enhance your personal skills that will stay with you forever.
PCB is a win win! Get involved.
The officers for 2012 are as follows: President, Ken Sheets; Vice President, Al Zalewski; Secretary, Candi Fitzsimmons; and Treasurer, Bernard Joyce.
On Tuesday, November 8, 2011, elections were held with the following results: President, Cathy Long; Vice President, Sandra Marsiglia; Treasurer, Doris Suhr; Recording Secretary, Marie Sersch; Corresponding Secretary, Georganna Caddy; and Chaplain, William Suhr. Officers take their places January 1, 2012.
In October to commemorate White Cane Month our chapter participated in a Friendly's Family Fun Night, handing out our chapter brochure to those who came to the restaurant to eat that night. The waitresses and waiters gave each child a PCB placemat. We had a table in the lobby where we received donations and were able to tell people about LVCB and PCB.
At the elections on October 22 at the PCB convention, LVCB's president, Rita Lang, and LVCB's vice president, Debbie Rozear, were elected to the PCB Board of Directors. LVCB's Tony Swartz was elected president of PCB. Also, Carol Swartz was awarded an Honorary Service award for her hours of volunteer service at the PCB conventions over the years.
Also at the PCB convention in October James Van Horn of our chapter led a workshop which addressed the relationships between parents and children and between spouses or significant others. James' biography reveals his considerable background that prepared him for leading this workshop as you can see below.
James E. Van Horn, Sr. made the decision to attend college at the age of 32. He had an interest in helping others. James is legally blind; therefore, he spent an excessive amount of time contemplating just how he was going to achieve this goal. While attending Northampton Community College, he experienced a strong gravitation toward the Human Service field. His mind was made up for him. Psychology was the natural path for him to explore.
James knew that assisting other people with faulty cognitions and behaviors could be accomplished despite his limitations. He knew that obtaining this goal would consist of extremely hard, tedious work, and many hours, days, weeks, months, and years of frustration. However, James had and continues to have the belief in himself that he will achieve his goal.
After receiving an Associate Degree in liberal arts from Northampton County Area Community College, James graduated from Moravian College with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology; then he received a Bachelor's Degree of Arts in psychology at Chestnut Hill College. James received his Master's of Science in counseling psychology and human services with a specialization in marriage and family therapy.
Then at Louisiana Tech University he received a Master's of Arts in educational psychology with a concentration in orientation and mobility. At NOMC he became a nationally certified orientation and mobility instructor, and he has been an adjustment to blindness counselor since the year 2000. We are proud to have Jim in LVCB.
In November our chapter had elections and the results were as follows: President, Rita Lang; Vice President, Debbie Rozear; Treasurer, Jameel Memon; Recording Secretary, Joanne Rath; and Corresponding Secretary, Trudy Fatzinger.
We wish everyone a very happy holiday season and blessed New Year.
The 2012 MCCB Board includes: President, Caroline McFarlane; Vice President, Elida Gares; Treasurer, Michael Bryant; Recording Secretary, Linda Novak; and Corresponding Secretary, Christy Saylor.
OVCB held it annual White Cane Walk in September. Over 25 individuals participated including: four members of the Cranberry Lions Club, Mayor Sonja Hawkins, a mayoral candidate (Barb Crudo-Davidson), State Representative Scott Hutchinson, county commissioner candidate Bonnie Summers, City Councilman William Moon, and city engineer, Chris Sporer. The chapter has been actively fundraising with its Applefest basket raffle and annual pepperoni sale. In November new chapter officers were elected: President, Scott Roberts; 1st Vice President, Don Fischer; 2nd Vice President, Robin Barrett; and Secretary-Treasurer, Ginny Taylor.
The chapter officers for 2012 are as follows: President, Yvonne Garris; Vice President, Edward Hersh; Correspondence Secretary, Laura Griffith; Recording Secretary, John Horst; Treasurer, Phil Habowski.
By Carla Hayes
2011 was a busy and bittersweet year for the Washington County chapter of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind. Here is a summary of our activities for this year.
It has always been a goal of our chapter to be involved with PCB and ACB as much as possible because we recognize that individual members and chapters are vital parts of the larger organization. To this end, several of our members attended the Southwestern Regional Convention in Beaver in the spring as well as the state PCB Convention in Harrisburg in the fall. I represented our chapter at the ACB National Conference and Convention in Reno in July. In addition, we sent two members, Karen Rockey and Jody Mullis, to the PCB legislative seminar and our chapter was represented on several PCB committees.
Fundraising has always been a necessary goal for our chapter, and 2011 was no exception. This year, we were able to sell 81 calendar lottery tickets to benefit both our chapter and PCB. In June, we participated in a fundraiser with Macks and Ermas in which the Restaurant gave us 20% of the profit earned from customers who presented our fundraising flyer when they ate at the restaurant on June 9th. This fundraiser proved to be successful for us in 2010; so, we repeated it this year. We are selling Westmoreland coupon booklets which offer discounts for products and services for 2012 at various local businesses. We are also encouraging members and friends to complete the Broadband Initiative Survey; our chapter will earn $2 for each completed survey that we submit to PCB. Other fundraisers for this year included selling 50/50 tickets at the regional convention and homemade jewelry made by one of our members at the state convention.
Two of our specific goals for 2011 were expanding our community outreach and increasing our membership. In the category of community outreach, our chapter had a booth at Peters Township Community Day in June as well as at a local senior health expo in September. At both events, we handed out the educational placemats for children and informational flyers from PCB which also included contact information for our chapter as well as letter openers and pens. We also demonstrated braille and answered questions about our chapter. On August 31st, I represented our chapter at a meeting in Pittsburgh which was called for the purpose of exploring ways to save the Radio Information Service of Pittsburgh. On September 24th, we sponsored a town hall meeting at the Washington and Green County Association for the Blind. Our special guest was Koji Matsuda, a counselor from the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services who updated us on BVS activities and answered questions. Finally, we began the process of developing an informational flyer for our chapter which we can disseminate to potential members and hand out at future events.
As far as our membership goal is concerned, we gained five members this year. However, I am sorry to report that we have just lost a member. Ed Hardway who joined us in January passed away unexpectedly on November 18th. We are all saddened by his death and we are keeping his wife in prayer. Ed will be greatly missed.
2011 wasn't all work and no play for our chapter. After each meeting, we ordered lunch from our local Subs Unlimited and there was plenty of time for food, fellowship and fun. On September 10, we had our annual picnic. Finally, on November 19, we had our combination Thanksgiving and Christmas party, our final meeting of the year and election of officers. Afterward, we entertained each other with Christmas songs and parodies.
The end of 2011 brought a changing of the guard for our chapter as we elected the officers and board members who will serve us for the next two years. They are as follows: President, Jody Mullis; Vice President, Karen Rockey; Recording Secretary, Felix Collaizo; Corresponding Secretary, George Culp; and Chaplain, Carmen Deems. Our three board members will be Dan Dorgan, Frank Spina, and Joyce Carroll. Since I will no longer be the president of our chapter, this will probably be the last chapter report that you will receive from me in the foreseeable future. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the present officers and directors as well as all the chapter members for their hard work, support and encouragement during my last six years as president. In addition, I would like to express my appreciation for the help and support that I received from the PCB officers, board, committee members and John Horst during my presidency. I couldn't have done it without you. Finally, I would like to wish the new officers and directors of both the Washington County chapter and PCB the best in their new terms of office and all of you a happy holiday season and a blessed 2012.
Christie Gilson is an Assistant Professor in the Education Department at Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA. She has been a member of LVCB since 2008. Below is an article that was published in the September 29, 2011 issue of In Common, the e-Newsletter of Moravian College. It has been reprinted with permission from Brenda Lange.
by Brenda Lange, Assistant Director of Publications
"Boy that sun is bright. And if I think it's bright, it must be really bright!" With that touch of humor, the woman Kayleigh Birdsong was guiding broke the ice and let Birdsong know that the topic of blindness was not taboo. "But all individuals with disabilities have various ways of reacting to persons without disabilities," adds Birdsong, who says she saw her town through new eyes that day.
Birdsong and her classmates in Christie Gilson's freshman writing seminar recently took part in a unique service learning project in downtown Bethlehem, in partnership with the Center for Vision Loss in Allentown. Her experience was similar to that of the other students, who all came away from the experience recognizing that disabled people are just people.
"My client walked with pride, admitting that being blind isn't fun, but that it isn't the worst thing that could happen. I wonder how someone could feel that way, but [just] as you can never judge a book by its cover, you can't judge a person by their disability," adds Sarah Wegner.
Gilson, who is blind, already had taught her students the proper way to guide others with vision impairments. Some of the techniques used are fairly intuitive, such as helping the person avoid a rough sidewalk or obstructions such as signposts or benches, for example.
"I tell them to always ask how the person wants to be helped first," Gilson says. "People want to help, but there are a lot of factors [involved in guiding someone], so always ask."
Students Casey Carpenter and Cayley Wise assist Janet Shannon on their walk.
The students worked in teams, with one guiding and the other describing the environment as they moved around town. "A blind person likes to shop just as much as anyone, but needs certain information to do so effectively," she says. "The student might say, 'We are in the book shop now, in the CD section. Rock is on our left and classical on our right.'" Alerting the visually impaired person that a step is coming or a door way is also helpful. Watch for cobblestones and grates in the ground. Remember to guide for the width of both of your bodies as you walk around various elements.
Contrary to popular belief, when guiding a blind person, it's not necessary to hold your arm at a stiff 90-degree angle. "You can hold your arm down, naturally, and when you move your arm back, that's my signal to walk behind you," she explains. These physical cues help in addition to the spoken word.
Gilson's students chose her course, titled "Asylums, attics and closets: an overview of disability in America" because they have more interest in disabilities than the average student. In her class, they will be exposed to a variety of disabilities, not just those most people think of immediately.
"I use the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) definition of disability-something that impairs a person in doing their daily activities," says Gilson.
Dillon Farrell may have considered his client's age a disability, but didn't by the time the activity ended: "She showed me that vision impairment does not mean sadness and negativity when she radiated happiness the entire sixty minutes I was with her. She showed me that growing older does not mean growing boring when her energy and excitement blew mine out of the water!"
The students also will be exposed to the social, psychological and health issues that can challenge those with disabilities. Those who are blind or visually impaired, for example, are mostly older and have a 70 to 80 percent unemployment rate. Many have no family members around to help them. They face isolation and are misunderstood or even feared by the general public.
"Stores are mandated by law to help a blind person shop," says Gilson, who serves on the board of the Center for Vision Loss, "but not to take you to the next store." This missing element can leave the blind shopper stranded, asking strangers for help. "Having someone to show you around restores a sense of dignity and eliminates some of the stress."
Gilson's students wrote papers describing their experience, and all were positive, leading her to plan future service projects. They also will be asked to write an advocacy letter; critique a movie that portrays a disability and determine its accuracy; and finally write a research paper about any aspect of a disability.
"This project was useful to the people from the Center as well as to the students who can see that people with this disability live active, happy lives-they're not in a corner feeling sorry for themselves. That rarely happens. This helped decrease the students' fear, uncertainty and nervousness around someone with a disability," Gilson adds.
"Elsie made me realize that just because a person is disabled doesn't mean that the person is helpless," says Nick Roberts.
"And I noticed that people with disabilities are the same as people without disabilities," says K.C. Carpenter. She was just like me-she loved to laugh, have fun and spend time with people who were willing to help her."
See http://www.moravian.edu/news/inCommon2/2011-2012/11_09_29/article2.html
By Louise Chuha
Did you know that you only have to learn 10 braille symbols to play bingo with a braille bingo card? And you only have to learn 15 braille symbols to play cards. 9 of them are the same as for bingo.
Braille can help you identify things-colors of clothing; personal documents, CDs and other recordings, food in your pantry and freezer. If you aren't comfortable making your own labels, you can buy a braille DYMO label maker that also has print letters on it so that anyone who can see can make braille labels. Independent Living Aids sells both the label maker and the DYMO tape.
When you are more familiar with writing braille, you can make your own labels using a slate that has slots on either end to insert the tape. Perkins sells a DYMO tape holder for their braille writer, so if you have one, you can use it to make braille labels.
If you need re-useable labels, leave some extra room at the beginning of the label. Cut the tape without removing the backing. just punch a hole near the beginning of the label and thread a rubber band through the hole. Put one end of the rubber band through the loop and the other and pull to tighten. You can then put the rubber band around a product like some kind of soup, or box of cereal, or a jar of applesauce; or perhaps some toilet article that you always buy. Maybe your shaving cream comes in a tube that feels the same as your toothpaste. Or maybe the shampoo bottle feels the same as the conditioner. Then you don't have to take off the cover and identify the product by smell. Yes, you could put them in different locations, but it would be easy to forget which was where.
Perhaps the most important thing to label is medication. There are other ways to identify medications-location, shape, sometimes smell, but the only sure way is to have a label you can read yourself. You can ask the pharmacist for larger bottles and stick your labels on the cover. Then when you need a refill, just put the old cover on the new bottle. Or you can make the re-useable ones mentioned earlier.
If you want to identify your clothing by color, Independent Living Aids sells small metal abbreviated color labels that can be sewn or pinned into a garment. They are pretty basic, so I prefer to make my own so I can write anything I want on them. The tape you'll need to use for clothing labels is called "Teflon" or "Skiv" tape and also comes from Independent Living Aids. They hold up well in the washer or dryer. You can sew or pin them into your garment.
If you're not familiar with braille, maybe these thoughts will inspire you to think about learning the braille alphabet. Although there is more to braille than just the alphabet, once you learn that, you can write anything you want, including phone numbers, addresses, and even recipes. And anyone who knows braille would be able to read what you write.
By Thomas Reid
For many, the title of this article sounds contrary to what we would believe are the goals of the American's with Disabilities Act and other legislation - to provide equal access to technology for people with disabilities.
Professor Wentz, one of the 2011 PCB State Convention and Conference speakers, along with two colleagues, published a strong paper discussing the many inequalities of web access for people with disabilities.
In addition to arguing that specific segments of various regulations perpetuate inaccessibility, Professor Wentz and team propose explicit solutions including
While many may not often consider reading technical or scholarly journals, this article contains several good arguments to aid in our advocacy for equal access to information.
Read: "Retrofitting accessibility: The legal inequality of after-the-fact online access for persons with disabilities in the United States" by Brian Wentz, Paul T. Jaeger, and Jonathan Lazar
http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3666/3077
Each year the American Council of the Blind (ACB) awards more than twenty scholarships on behalf of its affiliates. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $2,500 for entering freshman, undergraduate and graduate students, and those enrolled in a vocational school. All applicants must have certified vision impairment, a GPA of 3.3 or better, and be involved in school or community activities. By completing the online application at http://www.acb.org/scholarship, students will be considered for all ACB scholarships for which they qualify. The submission deadline for all applications and supporting materials is 11:59 PM on March 1, 2012. Should anyone require additional information, please call the ACB office at 202-467-5081 or 1-800-424-8666.
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) administers a scholarship program for deserving students. Each year individuals who are legally blind can apply for financial awards to support their post-secondary education. Seven scholarships are offered through this program with a potential of eleven recipients. The application can be filled out online at www.afb.org/scholarships.asp. The 2012 scholarship program will end on the deadline of April 30, 2012. If you have questions or comments contact the AFB Information Center at 1-800-232-5463 or afbinfo@afb.net.
By Ellie Goldfon
Part 1 of 3
"Good night, sweet Ethel," my disembodied voice mechanically spoke from my nursing home bed. "Good night, my Ellen." We were quite the rare pair, Ethel, having lost both her legs to devastating diabetes, and Ellen, a now virtually dependent and helpless blind woman with a rebuilt ankle.
The demolition of my otherwise eagerly anticipated summer began quite dramatically. Innocently stepping out to water my patio vegetables, I plunged down a two foot drop from my beautiful back porch to the decorative flagstones below. Somehow, by the grace of God, I managed to walk on the ankle, get myself into my room, phone in hand, take a couple of Tylenols, get ready for bed, and then, call the ambulance.
"You broke it, for sure," the paramedic said. "Ah, but don't you worry, they'll have you out of the rehab center in no time."
Rehab center? Well, yes, but of course, and that had been my supposition while awaiting the arrival of the ambulance. My dear mother had died at the hands of such a place, and I was terrified to the bones.
This was to be the week of my long awaited visit with my cousin, Cindy, and her husband, Chris. Our family reunion was to take place the following Saturday, and I wouldn't even be allowed the opportunity to visit Mom's grave. Inconceivable as it was, it was indeed real and perplexing, not to mention, unthinkable.
"Ellen, honey, I am your night nurse, Eric," the soft soothing voice broke my reverie. A female nurse asked if I'd like a snack. "Well, of course not, silly people," I thought. What were they thinking? But I was the silly one, for, had I known that they always had baked ham sandwiches at the ready, I would have eaten one.
"You might as well eat," soft spoken angel Eric continued. "After this, it's nothing by mouth for you after midnight tonight."
Eric began patiently describing the three types of fractures. "You could go home tomorrow, but then, there's the possibility that it could be complicated," he said. I knew that I wasn't to go home the next day, based on my jellied mass of an ankle which kept swinging erratically in its socket.
"Well, my young lady, you've gone and done it," Dr. Gayle's voice boomed, again awakening me from my trance the following morning. "Three months. Of course, we'll have to send you to a nursing home for a short stay of a few weeks."
"Holy mother of God, they are dead serious," I thought. "Well, all right then, if it's to be, then let's get it over and done with."
"But first, my dear, it will be surgery tomorrow morning for you. We'll get those tests over with, today."
Being the eternal optimist, I somehow manage to see humor in everything. A lovely breakfast would be forthcoming. The next four days were a haze of smelly food, major narcotics, and kidneys which wouldn't work properly. Thank goodness, this was simply occurring as a consequence of the insertion of a catheter during surgery. Unable to eat, to evacuate, and to sleep, and with the emergence of skin breakdown on my legs and bottom, and bedsores soon to possibly follow, the irony was that I couldn't wait to be transported to the nursing home.
Angel Marilyn greeted me, "Miss Goldfon, welcome. I am your night nurse, Marilyn," the friendly older woman's voice floated as music to my ears. "After we get you into bed, we'll see to a good supper for you. They're featuring stuffed peppers and mashed potatoes tonight. It shouldn't be long. Now, let's get you into your bed."
With the help of several strong young men, I was deftly and gently placed upon my air bed. I had specially requested an air mattress, due to the prevalence of bed sores in nursing homes. Explaining how special my bed was, Marilyn regaled me with memories of her youth, how she loved to administer back rubs, and how nursing had really changed. After that night, Angel Marilyn was whisked away by the wind, or Heaven or God, never to appear again to either Ethel or me.
Life in a nursing home rehab facility is largely what you make it. In conjunction with the long hours spent in physical and occupational therapy, time hangs heavily, wondering and waiting - for meals, for opportunities to be put to bed at night, for visitors on weekends, for much needed help during long lonely nights.
Whenever I would experience a siege of the sads or a bout of self- pity, all I had to do was think of my partner in the next bed. Not only my beloved friend and delightful roommate, Ethel is the most stoic person I've ever met. Through trials, endless exercise, mystery meals, and endless nights waiting to be changed or given a much coveted bed pan, we counted on each other to create both laughter and merriment out of foolish, frustrating situations and debacles. Ethel and the aides who attended to our needs would always cheerfully mention that I would be going home very soon.
Throughout the ordeal, I absolutely never believed that I would go home. At least, not for a very very long time. Three weeks to the day of my arrival, I was finally homeward bound and scared green. While in the home, I was virtually helped with everything.
Now, finally allowed the opportunity to go home, what would I do? Why, I couldn't even put my shorts on. Endless arguments with my shorts and underwear, navigation with a truculent wheelchair, a stubborn refrigerator which won't let me enter it, and a myriad of silly turns of circumstance, make me chuckle. We're doing it, by golly.
You've heard the saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way," - you are helped by helping yourself. I'll thankfully heal, while many folks don't. My independence will be restored in a couple of months, and there is always a rainbow at the end of each storm. Be oh, so brave, for we know not when winter will yet again emerge into a bright buoyant and glorious spring.
| Anthony Swartz, | President | 610-799-4565 |
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