The PCB Advocate
Published by the
Council of the
Blind
Spring Edition 2009
The PCB
ADVOCATE is a quarterly news publication of the
Please send
change of address and other matters to the PCB office,
June
M Horst, Editor
John A Horst, Ass't Editor
Send articles
to: ADVOCATE, PCB Office,
To promote
independence and opportunities for people with vision impairments.
VISION
To continue
to be recognized as the leading advocacy organization for people with vision
impairments in
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
CONTRIBUTIONS: Contributions are tax deductible, and are
always much needed. They can be sent to
Anthony Evancic, Treasurer, at the PCB office address, at
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 15 July 15
November 15
PLEASE NOTE
THE CHANGE IN DATES FOR SUBMISSION OF ARTICLES. At the Spring PCB Board meeting, the Board
voted to publish the ADVOCATE 3 times a year, instead of quarterly. This decision is to reduce costs. 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
The
submission date for articles for the Summer 2009 edition of the ADVOCATE is July 15, 2009.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
President's
Report 7
From the
Director's Desk 8
Committee
Reports:
Awards
11
Braille 12
Employment
13
Governmental
Affairs 17
Membership 18
Publicity 20
Transportation 20
Chapter
News:
State News:
Regional Meetings 31
Convention Preliminaries 33
Student
2009 Western Regional Meeting 34
PCB is Successful in
Camping
Blind and Visually Impaired 38
Blind Employer to be Honored 39
National
News:
From
the ACB Office 42
ACB
Convention 2009 44
In
PAB Is Moving 53
Board of
Directors 54
Chapter Presidents 54
Membership
Application 55
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
George Holliday, President
Advocacy
in Motion at the Grassroots Level
The members
of the PCB Governmental Affairs Committee are getting geared up for 2009. They will be continuing to address the
imperatives recognized at the ACB Legislative Seminar. Committee members will be encouraging
chapters to schedule appointments with their
As of March
20, ninety-seven (97) representatives have signed up to sponsor HR 734, the
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act. This
will require newly manufactured vehicles to emit noise to be heard by
pedestrians. Of the nineteen representatives
from
Also, we need
to encourage our representatives to address reintroduction of the 21st
Century Communication and Video Accessibility Act. This addresses issues such as: menus on
television and onscreen emergency information.
For example, individuals using cable television have access to menus to
find learn what is on different channels, and when a certain movie is being
broadcast. The visually impaired have no
access to the menu, but everyone pays the same amount for the service. When you hear the audible tone to let you
know that an emergency text message is going across the bottom of the screen,
the visually impaired have no knowledge of the wording.
Once a visit
to your representative has been completed, please make note of the conversation
and submit the information back to the committee member.
These are
very important imperatives which affect us all.
So, when it is discussed within your chapter meetings, let's all take
time to visit, email, and telephone our representatives. Also, further updates will be posted on the
pcb-1 email list. Remember, our elected
officials listen to what we say. It only
takes a telephone call and/or email by all of us to get their attention.
FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
John A Horst, Executive
Director
In early
February, the Governor presents his budget to the state legislature. Members of the state Senate and House review
and study it, hold hearings, negotiate with the administration, and hopefully,
arrive at an approved budget by July 1, the beginning of the 2009-2010 fiscal
year. The budget as presented this year
will contain decreased amounts for many programs and some programs will be
eliminated. At this time, however, it
appears that most programs that affect blind and low vision people will be
level-funded, although there may be cuts across the board that affect all agencies. The budget also assumes receiving stimulus
funds from the federal government.
As you may
have heard, a state hiring freeze has been ordered. This seriously affects BBVS, in that if a
position becomes vacant, it is almost impossible to fill that vacancy. This results in more delay and curtailment of
services, a difficulty that has characterized BBVS in recent years.
The work of
the PCB office is currently being assisted by Edgar Facemyer, who comes to the
office two days per week. Our president,
George Holliday, also comes to the office one day a week. The purpose is to help with the work there,
but also for them to gain a more complete understanding of the work and
responsibilities involved in the office.
Getting
membership records up-to-date is a current task of the office. Unfortunately, member lists from some
chapters did not arrive in the office until February or early March. These lists are due by January 15. Their late arrival causes confusion and extra
work for the already "taxed" office.
SUBMITTING THESE MEMBERSHIP LISTS LATE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
PCB again
sent eleven persons to
There are
many blind and low vision people in
See the list
of regional meetings in this ADVOCATE.
Please plan to attend them in your area, and invite others.
COMMITTEE
REPORTS:
AWARDS COMMITTEE
Roberta Simmons, Chair
It
is time to think about selecting nominees for two very important awards that
are given each year at our annual state convention. These awards are for Distinguished Service,
and Honorary awards. If you would like
to submit someone's name for either of these awards, please contact me or the
PCB office. My phone number is:
717-747-1865. Email is: risimmons1@comcast.net
Listed below
is the criteria for each of these awards.
We would like to have all nominations submitted no later than August 1st. The committee will meet in mid August to make
a decision on the nominees' names to be submitted for these awards. Thank you for your participation.
Criteria for
PCB Distinguished Service Award:
1.
The recipient must be blind or visually
impaired.
2.
The recipient must be a resident of
3.
The committee may not make prejudicial
selections or award recipients based on age, nationality, race, religion,
creed, or sex of an individual.
4.
The recipient must have demonstrated a
satisfactory adjustment to his/her disability.
5.
The recipient must be acknowledged by
the "blind community" for having performed outstanding service (s)
for the blind.
6.
The recipient must, through example and
effort, have represented to the community at large, the capabilities and
respectability of blind and visually impaired persons.
Criteria for
PCB Honorary Award
1.
These awards may be given to an individual,
with or without sight, who has performed meritorious service to the blind or
for the blind community.
2.
These awards may be made either in
memory of a person, or to a person now living.
BRAILLE COMMITTEE
Louise Chuha,
Chair
Are you a
person who is blind or visually impaired? Do you ever feel Braille signs and
wonder what they say? Would you like to
learn a little Braille? Would you like
to learn enough to possibly read elevator numbers and hotel room numbers at the
convention, and know if you are going to the men's or ladies' room? Would you like to be able to play cards
again?
If your
answer to most of these questions is "yes," we are here to help
you. Plan to come to the next PCB
convention in
Look for the
PCB Convention Registration Form and remember the Braille workshop. --Cathy
Long
EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE
Carla Hayes,
Chair
Reinvention
and Renovation
We are living
in "scaring" times. In recent
history, our economy has never been so fragile.
The stock market is plunging, many banks are failing, and major
corporations are declaring bankruptcy and are either being bought by other
corporations or closing altogether. This
is causing massive layoffs and the unemployment rate for the general population
continues to climb.
For those of
us who are blind or visually impaired who have always been plagued with an
extremely high rate of unemployment or underemployment, about 70% according to
many experts, this can be especially frightening. If you are fortunate enough to be employed,
how can you remain employed during this era of economic unrest? If you are unemployed, how can you make
yourself more employable so that you can vie for the limited number of new job
openings? The answer might lie in two
strategies: reinvention and renovation.
The process
of reinvention involves remaking or redoing something as if it were new. In employment terms, reinvention involves
assessing your skills, talents and strengths, discovering new fields of work in
which they could be used and rebranding yourself so that you can work in
different occupations. For example, if
you are a teacher, your experience, skills, and talents might also make you an
excellent salesperson. After all,
teaching involves selling the subject that you teach, and your teaching skills
can be easily transferred to explaining the products that you might sell, and
training your customers to use them.
There are
several excellent resources which can help you take inventory of your skills,
talents, strengths and experience, and set realistic goals for working in a
different occupation. Here I will
mention two: onet.org is a fascinating
web site where you can type in a key word, such as "nurse" and you
will be supplied with all the job responsibilities and requirements of that
occupation, as well as related fields of employment. Another helpful resource is the latest
edition of "What Color is Your Parachute?
A Practical Manual for Job Hunters and Career-Changers," by Richard
Nelson Bolles, one of the best-selling job-hunting career-changing books in the
world. It is available from the National
Library Service.
When we think
about renovation, we might picture an older building which is being remodeled,
refurbished, and modernized. In
employment terms, renovation could mean expanding your skills and updating your
knowledge, both inside and outside of your field. This could mean taking classes, earning
advanced degrees or certificates, constantly reading the latest literature,
which is pertinent to your field, and other fields, which might interest you if
you were to consider a career change, and networking with people who can help
you. Renovation might also mean
sharpening your interviewing and job-readiness skills, and updating your
resume, especially if you are unemployed or may be laid off from your current
job.
Finally, for
people who are blind or visually impaired, renovation means constantly
expanding and improving your mobility and independent living skills, because your
job may require traveling and living in unfamiliar places. In addition, since computers have become a
part of almost every job, you must continuously update your computer knowledge,
keep your adaptive technology up-to-date, and make sure that you know how to
use it. As you are going through your
personal "renovation" process, you might consider purchasing
"The EQ Test: An Assessment Tool for Blind Job Seekers." This 78-item inventory helps you to determine
your EQ (Employment Quotient), by assessing your personal, professional, and
blindness-related job readiness skills, and it also helps you to set goals for
making yourself more employable. For
more information about the EQ Test, contact Lengua-Learn Communications at
724-941-8184.
In
conclusion, reinvention and renovation can be helpful strategies for anyone in
all aspects of life. If you are
unemployed, these strategies will help you to become more employable. Even if you are successfully employed now,
you never know when you might lose your job, or you simply might want to
consider a career change. In either
case, these strategies can help you.
Finally, personal reinvention and renovation can also make your personal
and even your retirement years more
exciting and more meaningful. Why not give
it a try?
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE
Rodger
Simmons, Chair
The
Governmental Affairs Committee wants to start a grass roots movement with PCB's
chapters. This means that all chapters
will need to get more involved with legislative activities.
A member of
our committee will be contacting chapter presidents. We will have information on legislation that
we are advocating to have passed, either in the state or federal legislative
bodies. We will expect chapters to
contact their representatives and senators.
The committee will give you the information needed, which you will then
be expected to take that information to your local congressmen's offices. A visit to a local office of a state or federal
legislator can mean more than a stranger contacting that person. They value contact from local voters. This is your chance to be heard!
You will be
hearing from the committee soon.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Jeanette
Schmoyer, Chair
First, let me
introduce to you the 2009 PCB Membership Committee. Our newest members are: Harry Epstein and Donna Williams. Continuing on the committee are Michael
Bryant, Mike Gravitt, Sue Lichtenfels, and myself (Jeanette Schmoyer).
The
Membership Committee is working on a membership policy to assist the chapters
and PCB to have consistent procedures.
The policy will need to be approved by the Board of Directors, and then
will be published in the ADVOCATE.
We are also
beginning to plan a workshop for the 2009 state convention. In the meantime, we will share with all of
you some of the ideas we have gleaned from the ACB Membership Focus phone
calls. We urge every chapter to take a
proactive approach in recruiting members.
Here are a few ideas for your chapter to consider as you discuss
reaching out to get new members.
When you
attend various meetings in your community, you meet people you could invite to
a chapter meeting or to the state convention.
Do you or other chapter members belong to a book club, dining club, or
bowling league? Senior centers, doctor's
offices, opthamologist's offices,
hospitals, libraries, churches, and other public facilities are good places to
leave your brochures or post a flyer about your chapter meetings. Include a way for readers to request more
information from a local phone number and/or web site. Business cards can be given to people you
meet in the grocery store or at the dentist.
If your chapter has a newsletter, give one in the appropriate format to
nonmembers.
Radio stations
and newspapers will allow you to put meeting announcements on their calendar of
events, particularly in smaller communities.
If you have a local radio reading service, it might also publicize your
meetings and other events. Have a
"Friend Day" and encourage members to bring at least one friend.
Make
recruiting fun! Have a special day for
guests at your meetings. It could be a
pizza party or a bingo bash. Let us know
what you have tried and how it worked out for you. Share your successes with us. Call me at 215-703-4072 or send them to
jmschmoyer@gmail.com
PUBLICITY COMMITTEE
Bill Newland, Ed Facemyer,
Co-chairs
The Publicity
Committee is working on a DVD to promote the work of the
Please help
us make this DVD something the
Any
Questions: Contact co-chairs Ed
Facemyer--phone 610-647-3365 or email at: eface@comcast.net
Or Bill
Newland--Phone 412-487-4995.
Email:bnewland1@verizon.net
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Joe Perry, Chair
The Transportation
Committee continues to meet by teleconference regularly on the fourth Thursday
of the month. Our main concern is still
funding for mass transit. Of course, we
also review the progress of the "shared ride" program, the
installation of audible pedestrian signals, and the "quiet car"
issue, to mention a few. There have been
several developments since my last report.
First of all,
the Commonwealth raised turnpike fees considerably. It is my understanding that this money is not
designated toward turnpike upkeep, but to general transportation expenses. Perhaps, if we direct our advocacy properly,
we may be able to acquire some of these funds for mass transit.
Secondly, the
economic stimulus package to the states has some money allocated for transportation. Hopefully, some of it could be used for
transit services for the disabled.
Members of our committee are investigating other possible funding
sources. Actually, our committee and the
Governmental Affairs committee are working together on transportation
issues. We will keep you posted.
PWD services
(better known as "shared ride") is working fairly well, for the most
part. However, there are still five
counties which have not implemented these services:
Also, at our
last meeting it was suggested that we develop a position paper on pedestrian
safety, emphasizing the value of audible pedestrian signals and the importance
of the "quiet car" issue in
Unfortunately,
HR5734 did not make it through the last congressional session, but a new piece
of legislation has been introduced (HR734), which addresses the same
issues. The bill currently has 67
co-sponsors. It appears that we have a
good chance of success. There is still
time to contact your local representative to request that he/she sign on as a
co-sponsor. As you may recall, there is
a stipulation in the legislation that the "quiet car" issue be
studied by the Federal Transportation Department. Let us all contact our local congress persons
as soon as possible.
If you have
any questions or comments, you may contact me at: 717-761-1920 or email at:
joleperry@comcast.net
Have a happy
Spring!
CHAPTER NEWS
Cumberland Care and Share: -- Our
monthly meetings are opened by Tom Gumby, President, followed by prayer. At our February meeting, 13 members and
visitors were present. Bill and Frank Lerew were back after Frank's rotor cuff
surgery a few months ago. Our guests
were Dorothy Kingsbourgh and Jake Gehr.
Old and new business is conducted, which includes a bus trip to
Clearfield-Jefferson
Counties: We have been busy with several ongoing
projects, as well as some new ones. In
December, we had our annual Christmas party and meeting. We had lots of fun celebrating the
season. We also had our elections at
that meeting. Our officers are: President--Jacqueline Wissinger, Vice
President--Susan Frazier, Treasurer--Blair Wissinger, Recording
Secretary--Christine Sickari, Corresponding Secretary--Sandy Bloomberg,
Communications--Blaine Clark, Fund Raising--Bill Aravich, Activities--Christina
Mallick, Membership--Bill Frazier.
We also
presented a program to the fifth graders at a local school. The program included a demonstration of Braille,
a talk on travel, featuring the cane and guide dog, and a segment featuring our
vision simulation kit. We were warmly
received and invited back to make it an annual event.
In January,
we participated in a workshop with Wal-Mart.
Our chapter had a table where we talked about how we work along with our
local communities. We also had a
demonstration of the Scriptalk machine.
We hope to discuss the possibility of Wal-Mart having the machine to
provide the chips to make the medication labels accessible to us.
Our chapter
has become a member of the DuBois Chamber of Commerce. If this works out well, we hope to explore
the possibility of joining with some other communities.
Several
things have been put on hold due to the dangerous winter weather. Now that spring is approaching, we hope to
give attention again to our projects.
In January,
we had several speakers come from our area Transportation Authority. We discussed the possibility of working with
them to expand their services. We were
invited to develop a program we can present at several of their training
sessions at various locations. Our work
on accessible pedestrian signals is moving along. One has been installed in downtown
DuBois. In March, we will have a speaker
who is an engineer from PennDot, dealing with
Debbie
was born totally sighted, but developed glaucoma at 18 months of age. By the time she was three years old, she had
already had 13 operations on her right eye.
She attended public school and was in a class for the visually
impaired. Her parents were told to allow
her to have experiences just like anyone else, and she was raised to do all
that she could. She went bike riding,
roller and ice skating, horseback riding, and anything else that she
chose. She attended college and received
an associates' degree in Applied Science.
While in college, she decided to get a life-guard license, which she
did, but never used it. She wanted to
prove to herself that she could do it.
After
college, she worked for a Volunteers of
Debbie
raised 4 children while noticing that her sight was diminishing. After about 12 and 1/2 years of marriage, her
husband was having a difficult time dealing with her sight loss, and they
parted ways. Debbie bought the house
from him, and continued raising her children on her own for the next 10 years.
Realizing
that she was losing all her sight, she decided to go back to school and do
something that she could continue without sight. She became a Certified Massage
Therapist. While attending massage
school, she was offered a position with the Bureau of Blindness and Visual
Services, as a peer support person, where she remained until the funding ran
out. BBVS had her traveling between 4 different counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Monroe, and Carbon. In between doing the peer support, she
started doing massage out of her home.
After receiving her full certification in massage, she found an office
to sublet, and also took a position at the YWCA.
When
she first applied at the Y, there was an issue with hiring her because of her
poor eyesight: her boss was afraid to
allow her to walk down the stairs, and worried how she would find her way
around. She applied a second time, and
had a representative from BBVS accompany
her to the interview. She is still
working at the YWCA on an appointment only basis! She has been there for the past 9 years.
With
only light perception left, she met a wonderful man, and they dated almost two
years before marrying. While dating Tom,
she lost the rest of her sight. Tom had
a lot to learn, but took everything in stride.
They had 5 and 1/2 years together before his life was taken from her,
due to heart disease.
Debbie
kept struggling to find a full-time position.
Finally in May of 2005, she received an offer from the
She
has her guide dog at her side throughout the workday, whether at the
The site was
built by
The
Our
Transportation Committee, chaired by Patricia Russell, continues to monitor the
ever-changing situation concerning funding for SEPTA. Harry Epstein is now Chair of our fund
raising committee, and is working with President Saylor to make available PRC
business cards to be distributed throughout the metropolitan and suburban areas
of Philadelphia.
Currently, the
PRC is focusing
on its Regional
meeting,
which will be held in May.--Contributed by James Saylor, President.
From
the Editor:
Most chapters are working on community projects, and your fellow PCBer's
across the state would like to know what you are doing, what difficulties and
successes you are experiencing. If your
chapter is not represented in the "Chapter Reports" column, it is
probably because we have not heard from you. Chapter reports come from
YOU. Let the rest of our readers know
what your group is doing.--The Editor
STATE NEWS
REGIONAL MEETINGS
Southwest
Region:
Host Chapter is the Golden Triangle Council of the Blind. Date:
Saturday, April 18, 2009, to be held at the United Cerebral Palsy,
Southeast
Region:
Host Chapter is the
Northeast
Region:
Host Chapter is
Central
Region:
Host Chapter is Red Rose Council of the Blind. Date is Saturday, May 23, 2009. Location is Gordineer Dining Hall at
Northwest
Region:
Host chapter is
CONVENTION PRELIMINARIES
Tony Swartz, Chair
Convention Planning Committee
It is never too early to begin plans to
attend our State convention, so here are a few preliminary details.
The 2009 convention and conference of
the
While the Convention Program Committee
has just begun developing the Convention program and activities, issues which
will be dealt with will include employment, an introduction to Braille,
membership and retention, and an extensive treatment of low vision topics. In addition, a tour to a local winery will be
offered.
Many more details will follow in the
next edition of the ADVOCATE, and in monthly editions of PCB Reports. But for now, you have the dates, so please
mark your calendar, and plan to attend.
STUDENT
Submitted by Joe Wassermann
For a variety of reasons, I would like
to do a little celebrating! Many of my
students attend the conventions, but I hardly get a chance to see most of
them. Saturday morning, prior to the
meeting's beginning, I would like to have breakfast with all my former
students; and yes, please bring non-student spouses.
In
order that I
can have a
count for the hotel,
please RSVP by October 15 via
412-687-5166 or j.wassermann@verizon.net
See
you at breakfast, and I hope you have your homework completed. -- Joe
Wassermann
2009 WESTERN REGIONAL CONFERENCE
This
year Western Regional Conference will be hosted by the Golden Triangle Council
of the Blind (GTCB) on Saturday, April 18, 2009. The location is United Cerebral Palsy, 4638
Center Avenue,
Skip
McCrea, a fireman, will talk about fire safety.
A
representative from the State Attorney General's office will speak to us about
scams of which we need to be aware. We
will hear from Jeannine Richardson, a fitness instructor/nutritionist. In addition, Joe Wassermann will talk about
transportation to the PCB convention in Tannersville, and either George
Holliday or John Horst will give us the latest on PCB, as well as ACB issues. Time permitting, Darlene Barton, Bonnie
Newland, and Bill Newland will talk about the recently held ACB Legislative
Seminar. The emcee is PCB Board Member
and GTCB Vice President, Bob Lichtenfels.
There
will be a buffet luncheon, consisting of baked chicken, hot sausage, pasta, a
green salad, fruit salad, and rolls and butter.
The cost for the Regional is $15 per person. Make your check payable to GTCB, and mail it
to Judy Zaken,
Any
questions can be directed to Bill or Bonnie Newland. Phone 412-487-4995. Cell: 412-735-5550. Email:
bnewland1@verizon.net
You
may also contact Darlene Barton. Phone:
412-341-0114. Email: bartondarlene@yahoo.com
PCB IS SUCCESSFUL IN
Submitted by Mary Ann Alexander
The
annual ACB Legislative Seminar was held this year from Sunday, February 22, to
Tuesday, February 24. Eleven members of
the PCB attended this year to advocate for the imperatives set forth by ACB. This year, those imperatives included HR 734,
the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, already presented to Congress by
Representative Edolphus Towns, a Democrat from New York, and Representative
Cliff Stearns, a Republican from Florida.
The Legislation requires that within 90 days from the passage of this
bill, the Secretary of Transportation shall commence a study, which will result
in findings which will set a minimum standard of noise, required by motor
vehicles to make it possible for those who are sight impaired to travel
independently and safely. Beginning 90
days from the Secretary having presented these findings, the standards would
apply to all newly manufactured vehicles.
The
second imperative is the reintroduction of the 21st Century
Communication and Video Accessibility Act, formerly introduced by
Representative Markey in the 110th Congress as HR 6320. The bill would require the restoration of the
modest requirements for production of Video Descriptive programming, that those
requirements would apply to digital television and to programming which
migrates to the internet. The
legislation would require non-visual access to onscreen emergency information,
such as severe weather and boil-water advisories. In addition, the legislation would require
non-visual access to such menu-driven devises, as DVD players, DVR's, and other
functions of television viewing which are currently menu-driven, and therefore,
inaccessible to persons who are blind or visually impaired.
The
PCB wisely brought members of chapters throughout the state, thus assuring that
we could adequately represent many of the state's districts. This would prove to be a winning strategy
indeed! Just one week from our return
home, we learned that five new representatives have signed on to HR 734, and
the PCB should be proud to know that three of the five were representatives
from
To
learn more about the status of any bill, try www.opencongress.org
CAMPING
AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Submitted by Elaine Young
For
the past 5 years, I have participated in a 10-day session of Christian Camp
meetings in a rural area, not far from
The
Camp Meeting grove is located less than an hour north of
Besides
the Bible teaching and music, it is an exciting opportunity to educate sighted
people about the abilities and talents of the visually impaired (we call them
the VIP).
The
cost is less than $300 for these ten days of fun, fellowship, and time for
quiet reflection. If you are interested,
contact Elaine Young at: 570-648-4484.
Email: hidden_spring@juno.com
BLIND
EMPLOYER TO BE HONORED
BY OVR AND
DEPT. LABOR & INDUSTRY
Article from
March 11,
2009
A
"Your
work with our Altoona District office in the Bureau of Blindness and Visual
Services exemplifies the positive impact a partnership of employers, state
programs, and service recipients can have in the Commonwealth," Executive Director William S Gannon stated in
a letter addressed to Pinnacle employee, Thomas Turner.
Turner, who
was diagnosed with
Stargardt's
disease, is
employed full-time at Pinnacle as a technical manager.
Stargardt's
is a visual condition similar to macular degeneration, in which central vision
loss occurs and perpheral vision is
retained. Progressive vision loss can
eventually lead to blindness.
Turner was 32
years old when he was diagnosed with the disease in 1994. His previous job required him to have a
driver's license, which he soon lost after his diagnosis. Ít sneaked up on me," he said. "I wasn't noticing brake lights as much
and almost rear-ended a few people."
Turner explained that he had just received a new pair of glasses, but
thought they weren't working properly.
Colors also no longer appeared as vivid to him as they once did, and he
sought professional help. His
optometrist ran a series of tests to determine Tom's condition.
After his
diagnosis and losing his driver's license, Tom contacted the Bureau of
Blindness and Visual Services and discovered that he was eligible to go to
school to train for a new job. He
attended the
"They
supported me through college and trained me," he said.
Upon completion
of the course, Tom joined the Ticket to Work program and landed his position as
Technical Manager at Pinnacle. He has
been employed full time by the business for more than three years. His job duties include personal computer
repair and technical support.
"I keep
on top of anything people need me to do," he said.
Turner relies
on his wife, Christina, who drives him to work each day. Sometimes a co-worker may give him a ride,
but rarely does that happen. He has in the past used the South Central Blind
Association for transportation to therapy and to the hospital for medical
needs. He is not sure if his condition
will lead to blindness. He also noted
that he is a diabetic, so his chances
are increased.
Turner's
sister was also diagnosed with Stargardt's disease. She works full-time from her home in Manns
Choice, PA. "Our parents instilled
in us the value of self worth and not giving up," he said.
NATIONAL NEWS
FROM THE ACB
OFFICE
Eric Bridges
Director of
Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
QUIET CARS
Quite
recently HR 1105, Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, was signed by President
Obama. A hidden provision in this
voluminous document seeks to deal with funding the Department of Transportation
to study and make recommendations to Congress about quiet cars, and how they
interface with blind pedestrians.
While this is
a positive movement forward, ACB is urging Rep. Towns' office to convene a
meeting with DOT and the blindness community to talk about this funding and
what the agency believes it can reasonably expect to achieve during a very
tight time frame. ACB supports HR 734,
the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, and the lengthier time frame for
study and report-back period contained within the bill. The explanatory language which is included
calls for a report back to Congress by June 1 of this year and that leaves the
agency with less than three months to conduct very specific and time-intensive
work.
We are
encouraged that this language made its way into the passed legislation, but
want to make sure that our interests are not dropped after June 1, 2009.
Pedestrian,
bicycle, and pupil transportation--The bill includes $1,653,000 for pedestrian,
bicycle, and pupil transportation activities, which is $200,000 above the
budget request, and $12,000 below the fiscal year 2008 enacted level, in order
for NHTSA to continue to explore the emerging issue of blind pedestrian safety
related to "quiet" vehicles, such as hybrids. Furthermore, NHTSA is directed to submit a
report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations no later than June
1, 2009, describing specific passenger motor vehicle design and performance
countermeasures that will reduce pedestrian crash deaths and injuries that are
being adopted and implemented by international organizations and other
countries, such as the Economic Commission for Europe and Japan.
The report
should include recommendations on how and when the agency could implement
pedestrian crashworthiness improvements.
IDEA
In February,
the
The Senate
and House will now proceed to negotiate the differences between each body's
bill. It is expected that they will be
finished with this; the new bill will
then have to pass both the House and Senate again before President Obama signs
it into law.
ACB
CONVENTION 2009
The 48th national convention
of the American
Council of
the Blind will be held July 3-11 in
Registration,
the Information and Volunteer desks, general sessions and exhibits will be
located on the first floor. Between the
lobby and the meeting areas are two restaurants and a 24-hour deli.
Special-interest
group meetings, workshops, and social events will generally be on the second
floor. After a busy day in meetings and
exhibits, you may want to walk, grab a taxi, or hop a bus or trolley and
explore the many restaurants and other attractions along
Explore
central
Just
for Kids:
This is one convention that your kids will not want to miss! The
Make your
reservations at the luxurious Rosen Centre hotel by calling 407-996-9840. Rooms are $83 per night, single/double, plus
tax. Add $10 per night for each
additional person in the room. Please
note that the Rosen Centre is 100% non-smoking; the hotel can and will impose
major additional charges on anyone found to be smoking in any sleeping room.
If you have
any further questions, contact Carla Ruschival, ACB Convention Committee Chair,
at 502-897-1472 or by email at: adamcarla@bellsouth.net
For more
details, see February and March issues of the BRAILLE FORUM.
Article
from Pocono Record
March
2009
(Editor's
note: This article is reprinted to give
our ADVOCATE readers an understanding of the involvement of attending the
Lawmaking is
a participatory sport in the
While calling
your congressman makes a difference, showing up in his
Why should
you have to lobby your case? Think of it
as advertising. Many interest groups are
bending lawmakers' ears. Their issues
are on the top of a representative's mind.
How would a lawmaker know an issue matters to voters if no one puts it
on the radar screen?
Last week,
Mary Ann Alexander, President of the
A day of
lobbying on Capitol Hill started with preparation and education months in
advance for Alexander. Before asking a
lawmaker to support something like HR734, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement
Act, citizen lobbyists must be conversant in all aspects of a bill so they can
explain how it will affect the bill's proponents and opponents. Alexander learned details of the bill and the
Council's position by reading daily updates from the American Council of the
Blind. Before going to Washington, DC,
she set appointments to meet with three representatives, US Rep. Tim Holden,
D-17; US Rep Paul Kanjorski, D-11; and US Rep. Chris Carney, D-10.
Before
lobbying lawmakers on Tuesday, the American Council of the Blind hosted a
two-day legislative seminar. It was a
chance for attendees to be updated on the bills they were pushing.
On Tuesday,
the group split up and went to Capitol Hill to meet with representatives. They were not the only ones. Around 500 disabled American veterans were
roaming the halls in their distinctive hats.
They were on Capitol Hill touting a number of legislative initiatives.
At 10:30 AM,
Alexander's first appointment was with Holden's office in the
So many
people want to speak with representatives that there is not enough time for
everyone to be heard. Enter the
legislative assistant. Seated in a
circle of chairs in a private office, Legislative Assistant, Courtney Williams
listened while Alexander explained the need for audible cues for electronic and
quiet cars. In fact, Williams used the
term "quiet cars," which pleased Alexander, because it showed she was
already familiar with the legislation.
"To me,
it's common sense. I don't think people
realize how much they rely on their auditory senses," Williams told
Alexander. She promised to speak to someone
from the office of US Rep. Ed Markey,
At 11:30 AM,
Alexander stepped into the office of US Rep. Paul Kanjorski. Some disabled American Veterans were on their
way out as she arrived. This was a
best-case scenario: Alexander met
directly with Kanjorski, as well as his Legislative Assistant, Kate McMahon. A chance to speak directly with a legislator
can get things done faster.
Kanjorski
greeted Alexander warmly, with an arm-grab-hand-shake and ultimately spend 45
minutes with her, much more time than she anticipated. He settled into a blue leather chair next to
Alexander. A flat-screen television,
muted and tuned to MSNBC was in the large tidy office. Well-thumbed coffee table books about
Kanjorski
relayed a story of a recent encounter with a quiet electric golf cart in a
parking garage. That, combined with
Alexander's explanation of the importance of HR 734 to the blind, was all
Kanjorski needed to hear. He agreed to
co-sponsor the quiet car bill, which is unusual. Kanjorski prefers to let his vote speak
instead of signing onto existing bills.
He also
offered to speak with Rep. Markey about revising the technology bill. Then Kanjorski took the meeting to another
level. He asked Alexander a series of questions
about her blindness. Himself blind in
one eye since childhood, he recently had surgery in his good eye, and faced the
possibility of the surgery going wrong.
"I'm a great optimist, but I weighed the surgery against how life
would be unsighted," he said.
He asked
about her daily life and work. The
questions ranged from "how do you
use spell check," and "how do you know about colors?" to
"have you ever been hunting?"
He was picking her brain to learn what a blind person thinks about
various issues.
Kanjorski
asked Alexander to test his web site for accessibility to the blind and
visually impaired community. She is
assigned to report back on what improvements could be made to the site. Alexander left feeling positive about the
meeting. Not only did Kanjorski agree to
support her request, but he seemed genuinely interested in finding more ways to
help the blind community. She felt the
door was open to go to Kanjorski and his staff in the future.
At 1:00 PM,
Alexander met with Chris Carney and Legislative Aide Graham Mason. Carney's style was more formal that
Kanjorski's. He sat across the room
behind a desk. Mason sat in a chair
aligned with the wall, far from her as well.
Fresh tulips in a vase decorated the coffee table. Carney keeps a military flight helmet that is
used in Iraq and made by Gentex
Corporation in
Alexander
used the same "pitch," explaining the issues to Carney. "I'll tell you this. We'll get on it. We'll get on the bill," Carney said of
HR 734, the quiet car study. Carney felt
the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act contained
some "low-hanging fruit. Some of
this we could do legislatively easily," he said. Carney promised to talk to the bill's
original sponsor, Rep Markey. It was the
third time that promise was made that day.
With all the other people on the Hill for the same reason, Markey
probably got many nudges on the issue.
It could result in some action from him.
"I don't
see any reason certain issues would be in the forefront of their (legislator's)
thinking unless it is brought to them," Alexander said. "When people are willing to travel and
sit face-to-face with representatives, it demonstrates a level of
seriousness."
A few
follow-up communications will ensure her issues are being pursued.
PAB
IS MOVING
Our new building
will be finished precisely on schedule, and we will be moving on April 1st. We will have new phone and fax numbers. Here is the contact information, effective
April 1st.
PCB DIRECTORS FOR 2008-2009
George
Holliday, President 215-748-3556
Anthony
Swartz, 1st V President
610-799-4565
Wm Newland, 2nd
V President 412-487-4995
Cathy Long,
Secretary 717-737-1979
Anthony
Evancic, Treasurer 412-621-4046
John A Horst,
Executive Director 717-367-6346
Joe Perry,
Past President 717-761-1920
Mary Ann
Alexander 570-807-1276
Joe
Wassermann 412-687-5166
Roberta Simmons 717-747-1865
Jeanette Schmoyer
215-703-4072
Edward Hersh
717-872-1192
Bob Lichtenfels
412-429-1727
Sue Lichtenfels 412-429-1727
Thomas Reid
570-421-2543
CHAPTER PRESIDENTS - 2008
Carl
Shoemaker Geraldine Zeigler
Catherine Kingsborough
Golden Triangle Mike Zaken
J. F. Kennedy David Shaw
Special Interest Group --
Vision Jerry
Weinger
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