Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Future Reflections January- February 1984, Vol. 3 No. 1
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Hear Ye!
Hear Ye!
PHOENIX IN '84
The 1984 NFB convention will be held at the Hyatt
Regency Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. Registration will
Open Monday, July 2 and convention session will run
from Wednesday, July 4 through Saturday, July 7.
The annual meeting of the Parents of Blind Children
Division will likely be held the Sunday preceeding or
following the convention. Plans are also being laid for
a Parent's workshop. More will be announced about
that later.
The Hyatt Regency is now accepting reservations,
and the room rates are unbelievably low, (unbelievable,
that is, if you are not familiar with president Dr.
Jernigan's skill in negotiation and the NFB's good
reputation with past convention sites.) Rates are:
$23.00 -- Singles
$24.00 -- Doubles and Twins
$27.00 -- Forathird person in the room
6% -- Sales tax
There is no charge for children under 12 in the same
room with parent(s). To make your reservations, write
Hyatt Regency, 122 North Second St., Phoenix, AZ
85004.
JUST FOR KIDS -- ART YOU CAN EAT
The following fun projects appeared in the September,
1983 BLIND MISSOURIAN (the state newsletter
of our Missouri NFB affiliate). Dottie Neely, a
blind mother, former teacher of blind children and
currently a rehabilitation teacher of blind adults,
contributed these ideas.
I CAN EAT MY NECKLACE: This project is simple.
Materials needed are a threaded needle, Cheerios or
Froot-Loops, one eager child, and a dish. The procedure
is for Mom to thread a needle with a double
strand of thread, knotting the end with a piece of
cereal so that when the child strings the cereal it will
not slip off. The thread should be about two feet long
when doubled, about four feet single. Older children
can be encouraged to estimate how many pieces of
cereal will fill the string. Children may also count
pieces as they are strung. Children with some sight
may be encouraged to separate the Fruit-Loops into
bowls, and make patterns of the colors. Blind children
may need them separated for them, but in both cases,
both can make patterns of color. As the day progresses,
and the child wears the necklace, it can be
eaten.
I CAN EAT MY PAINT: This fun project is fingerpaint-with-pudding.
When Mom makes dessert for
the noon or evening meal, she can give her child a
small amount of prepared instant pudding, of any
flavor, and have the child finger-paint with it using
either waxed paper or finger-paint paper. Children
eagerly participate in this activity. Mom doesn't need
to worry about paint being taken into the child's
mouth. Older children can practice writing in this
delicious paint. Clean-up is easy and licking of
fingers permitted.
I CAN EAT MY INITIALS: Using a simple recipe for
bread dough, or biscuits from the dairy section of the
grocery story, children should be encouraged to form
their initials. These can be baked in the oven after a
glaze of egg-white is painted on them. Salt can be
added to taste. This is a good activity for small
children who are learning letters of their name for the
first time. The more senses a parent involves in the
learning process, the more the lesson is retained.
Children love to work with things about themselves,
what better place to start than having them make and
eat their name or initials.
A CHILD WHO WAITS
Shortly before the holidays, Denise Mackenstadt of
Seattle, Washington called to ask if we would print some information about a blind child who needed a
home. Denise's husband, Gary, is president of the
National Federation of the Blind of Washington state,
and they have long been close associates and friends
of mine. Denise vouched for the legitimacy and good
reputation of the adoption organization that wanted
us to print this information. Since my blind son is
adopted, I must admit that I have a special interest in
blind and visually impaired children who need homes;
and I often encourage couples planning to adopt to
consider these children. Anyway, here is the letter
WACAP (the adoption agency) sent to me.
For the eighth year, the week of Thanksgiving has
been designated as National Adoption Week. Throughout
the United States, adoptive parent groups and
adoption and child advocacy organizations have
focused our attention on the urgency and importance
of providing waiting children with permanent families.
Within the United States, it is estimated that there
are at least 750,000 children growing up without
permanent family attachments. For at least 150,000 of
these, including many minority children, school-age
children, and children with special physical, mental
and emotional needs, adoption by loving families is
very much needed.
It is difficult to estimate the number of orphaned
children who are currently waiting in other countries.
For these children, too, adoptive parents are very
much needed.
One such waiting child is Amol. Born in East
Bengal, India, in Decemberof 1976, Amol lost both of
his parents as a very young child due to sickness and
starvation. As a toddler, he also lost much of his vision
following an illness. Amol does have perception of
light and shadow, and is currently attending a school
for the blind in India. The school reports that, "Amol is
bright and intelligent and shows interest in learning
new things. He enjoys outdoor activities and swimming.
He recently won a prize in a recitation competition.
Amol is a healthy, happy and cheerful child, and
mixes readily with the other children and all of the
adults." It seems so very evident that Amol's greatest
handicap is that he has no family.
Adoption Services of WACAP in Port Angeles,
Washington, is anxious to help Amol find his forever
family, and to assure that he will grow up knowing the
love and nurturance which only a family can provide.
There are no specific requirements for the adoptive
family, although they must have a current homestudy
by a licensed child-placing agency which will also
provide post-placement services.
If you know of someone who might be interested in
learning more about Amol, or other waiting children,
please have them call Deenette Woodward at the
WACAP office, (206)452-2308. There is currently a f undraising effort to raise monies to defer some of the
expenses of Amol's adoption, and tax-deductible
donations for this cause would be most welcome.
Donations may be sent to: Adoption Services of
WACAP, P.O. Box 2009, Port Angeles, Washington
98362, in the name of Amol.
Throughout the United States and the world there
are so very many children who go to sleep each night,
and awaken to face the dawn of each new day,
without a family of their own. Together, we can make
a difference in their lives, and create for them a future
of hope.
Submitted By: Barbara Knowles
November 15, 1983
(206) 481-7310
VISION RESOURCE LIST
We have been asked to announce the following:
VISION Foundation, Inc. announces publication of
the seventh edition of its popular VISION Resource
List.
More than 150 items, most of them free, which have
been gathered nationwide, are listed. There are 36
items new to the list since its last revision in 1982.
Resources include brochures, sample magazines,
catalogs, cookbooks, and other materials in print,
large print, braille, disc and cassette. Not every item is
available in all media.
The VISION Resource List is available, free in
single copies, in large print and on cassette.
Orderfrom: VISION Foundation, Inc., 2 Mt. Auburn
Street, Watertown, MA 02172. Tel: (617) 926-4232:
Mass. Toll-free: 1-800-852-3029. Please specify large
print or cassette.
ANOPTHALMIA INFORMATION WANTED
Here is another parent who wishes to get in touch
with parents whose children have the same eye condition
as her child. We are pleased to provide this service,
and we hope that any new information or developments
you come across will be passed on to FUTURE
REFLECTIONS so we may share it with all our
readers.

My son was born with Anopthalmia (without eyes). I
would like to find other parents who have children
born with Anopthalmia. I would like information on
development and corrective surgery, my son is 3
years old.
Mrs. Paula Payne
Rt. 2, Box 168
Kershaw, S.C. 29067
1-803-273-9264
TWIN-VISION BOOKS, BRAILLE CALENDARS
The American Brotherhood for the Blind produces
and distributes for small children books that contain
identical print and Braille texts side by side -- Twin
Vision books. These books are distributed free of
charge throughout the United States to:
State Schools for the Blind
Blind children and blind parents through the
American Brotherhood for the Blind Lending
Library
Institutions serving the blind
Schools and libraries in many foreign countries.
The American Brotherhood for the Blind also produces
Braille calendars and distributes them free of
charge to blind individuals. They are an excellent
calendar, and many consider them the best available.
To order the free Braille calendar, or to sign up for
the Twin-Vision Lending Library service write to:
American Brotherhood for the Blind, 18440 Oxnard
Street, Tarzana, California 91356.
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