Monitor Miniatures

Monitor Miniatures

The Braille Monitor

June 2003

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Monitor Miniatures

News from

the Federation Family

Rehabilitation Conference

at Convention:

The National Association of Blind Rehabilitation Professionals

and the National Blindness Professional Certification Board, with the support

of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana

Tech University, are proud to announce a rehabilitation conference in Louisville,

Kentucky, at the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind.

The conference, "Best Practices In Rehabilitation and Orientation and Mobility,"

will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2003, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will

include a rich agenda presented by key leaders and professionals working in

the field of rehabilitation and orientation and mobility. Consult your pre-convention

agenda for room location. NOMC certificants, take note that the afternoon agenda

is specific to issues of orientation and mobility, so participation is strongly

encouraged to meet continuing education credits.

Registration for the conference is free and will begin

at 9:00 a.m., and a mix and mingle reception will immediately follow the 5:00

p.m. adjournment. The reception is your chance to learn more about educational

opportunities in the field of rehabilitation, to find out about all of the exciting

projects at the Institute on Blindness, and to ask questions of practicing NOMC

instructors working in the field.

The conference will be of particular interest to those

currently working in the field of rehabilitation for the blind, students in

professional preparation programs, those interested in earning credit to meet

continuing-education requirements, those interested in travel training as a

career, and those with general interest in rehabilitation for the blind.

For more information about the conference, contact Edward

Bell at (479) 521-0788, e-mail <[email protected]>, or Christine Brown at

(734) 763-1081, e-mail <[email protected]>.

Elected:

Here are the results of the election in the Greater

Seattle Chapter of the NFB of Washington: Kris Lawrence, president; Jacob Struiksma,

first vice president; Josie Armantrout, second vice president; Doug Johnson,

treasurer; Kay Burrows, secretary; and Rita Szantay and Robert Guyette, board

members.

Braille Workshop

for Parents:

Eager

parents listen carefully as Caroline Rounds teaches them about Braille.

Nancy Burns, president

of the NFB of California, recently sent us this exciting report:

The education of blind

children has been a top priority of the NFB of California for many years. This

is exemplified by our legislative efforts over the past five years. California

now has a Braille bill and a reading standards bill, which have been signed

by the governor. During this legislative session we are working on the implementation

of forgiveness loans for teachers working on a special education credential

in the blindness field.

Last year this affiliate applied for a foundation grant

from the Entertainment Industry Foundation. The application was submitted under

the categories of literacy and education. The purpose, as stated in our proposal,

was to teach Braille to parents of blind children. We received a grant in the

amount of $5,000.

Joyce Wales, president of Parents of Blind Children;

Caroline Rounds, an elementary school teacher; and I began planning for our

first workshop. We set a date of April 26, and the work began. We mailed flyers

and began gathering materials for the workshop.

The response was amazing. Initially the cutoff number

was to be twenty-five parents. The office was deluged with responses. The workshop

grew to thirty, at which time we stopped taking applications. A waiting list

then evolved. We decided to schedule a second workshop for the following Saturday.

With some of the grant money we provided overnight accommodations

at the Burbank Courtyard Marriott for parents traveling long distances. A mixer

and registration was held in the NFBC office the Friday evening prior to the

workshop.

The workshop took place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on

Saturday. Learning the Braille alphabet was stressed during the morning, and

the afternoon was spent writing with a slate and stylus. A variety of fun, Braille‑related

activities were presented throughout the day.

We have already received many requests for a workshop

in Spanish. We also have requests for workshops in other parts of the state.

The NFBC will obviously look for additional grant funds to provide these ongoing

workshops. It appears that a large number of parents of blind and visually impaired

children are taking a serious step in order to be able to reinforce their child's

knowledge of Braille. What a wonderful turn of events!

Elected:

The Fresno chapter of the NFB of California elected

officers at its March 8, 2003, meeting. They are Olivia Ostergaard, president;

Shirley Harper, vice president; Shirley Garrett, secretary; Ed Eames, treasurer;

and Jan Kafton and Toni Eames, board members.

State Magnets for

Sale:

Uricka Harrison is vice president of the Peninsula chapter

of the NFB of Virginia. She writes that her chapter is selling state magnets

at $3 apiece for orders of 100 or more. Those interested in placing orders should

let the chapter know which states and how many of each they want. Each colorful

magnet is shaped like the state and includes state facts. The magnets range

in size from three to five inches. Order as many different states as you like

as long as the order is at least 100 pieces. The handling charge for each order

is $10. For more information, contact Chapter President Althea Pittman at (757)

787‑7179. Checks should be made payable to the Peninsula chapter and sent

to P.O. Box 375, Accomac, Virginia 23301.

Elected:

The NFB of Oklahoma elected new officers at its annual

convention in March 2003. They are Steve Shelton, president; Joe Triplett, first

vice president; Donna Jackson, second vice president; Janet Triplett, secretary;

Kathy Maria Badalamenti, treasurer; and Leonard Silkey and Cordelia Sanders,

board members.

Doris

Henderson, December 30, 1923, to April 21, 2003

In Memoriam:

Zena Pearcy, president of the NFB of Texas, has notified

us with deep sorrow of the death on April 21, 2003, of Doris Henderson. Doris

served for many years as first vice president of the Texas affiliate and president

of the Progressive Chapter of Dallas. She retired from the Texas Commission

for the Blind, where she had worked as a rehab teacher in the Dallas area. She

used to describe her job by saying, "I grab 'em and rehab 'em." Doris

inspired a great number of blind people to learn the skills of blindness. Doris

mentored members and was a kind, gentle force in helping to shape the Texas

affiliate and its policies. Let us all keep her family in our prayers and thoughts.

NFB Information Placards

for Sale:

The Lorain County chapter

of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio has created five full-color,

eight-and-a-half-by-eleven table placards which will be sold at the convention.

They are suitable for identifying an NFB display or information table. These

signs give a professional look to any display. The topics are NFB, Braille,

NFB-NEWSLINE, parents of blind children, and blind seniors. The set of five

costs $20. You can buy the NFB placard only for $5. For your convenience we

can also provide a plastic easel for displaying one placard at a cost of $10.

Most office supply stores also sell these easels, but they are usually more

expensive.

Add $2 to cover the cost

of mailing placards only or $7 if you want an easel as well. Make checks payable

to NFB of Ohio. Send checks to Sherry Ruth, 6922 Murray Ridge Road, Elyria,

Ohio 44035, phone: (440) 324-4218, e-mail: <[email protected]>.

Dan

Frye

Federationist in

New Zealand:

Dan Frye was a 1990 NFB Scholarship winner, and for

a number of years he was a leader in the NFB of Washington, where he met and

married fellow Federationist Renee West. Late last year Dan accepted a position

with the Association of Blind Citizens, and he and Renee picked up stakes and

moved to New Zealand. Here is a press release we received in late February reporting

on what's happening to this outpost of the Federation family. Here it is:

Blind People Launch

New Era in Disability Rights Advocacy

The Association of Blind

Citizens celebrated with invited guests today the establishment of its national

advocate's position. Vaughan Dodd, national president said, "The Association's

aim is to become New Zealand's pre‑eminent authority on systemic advocacy

issues of relevance to blind people."

The Association conducted an extensive recruitment process,

which resulted in Daniel Frye emigrating from the United States to assume the

new position. Mr. Frye is excited at the opportunity presented to him and says,

"I am privileged to be able to join with the blind community of New Zealand

to help advance our agenda for social and political change."

Mr. Dodd says, "The Association has always been

a successful advocacy organization, counting amongst recent achievements the

transformation of the governance of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the

Blind, retention of the Free Articles for the Blind Postal Service, and the

exposure of representatives of the banking industry to talking automatic teller

machines. The Association's challenge is to respond promptly to the growing

number of complex issues affecting opportunities for blind people to participate

in society," Mr. Dodd said. Mr. Frye added that for him, "The challenge

is to build substantive relationships with individuals both in and out of government

who will be useful in assisting the Association to achieve its goals."

Formed in 1945, the Association is New Zealand's oldest

and largest organization of disabled people, with sixteen branches throughout

the country. Local initiatives emphasize such matters as pedestrian safety,

improvements to public transport services, and peer support. Nationally driven

policy analysis through the advocate's position will support the grassroots

responses to local issues. Mr. Dodd said, "The Association represents blind

people speaking for ourselves, and this new, fulltime position builds directly

on the need for our voice to be heard and our perspectives understood. The Association

is now in a very strong position, and we look forward to constructive and ongoing

dialogue with government and others in order that the objectives of the New

Zealand disability strategy are realized."

Elected:

The Moore County Chapter of the NFB of North Carolina

elected new officers for 2003. They are Costella McFarland, president; Gelemia

Walker, vice president; Betty Ellerbe, secretary; and Tonya Whitaker, assistant

secretary; and five board members.

In Brief

Notices and information

in this section may be of interest to Monitor readers. We are not responsible

for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for space and clarity.

Distance-Learning

Computer Classes:

The Iowa Department for the Blind's Project ASSIST program

has obtained a grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation

Research (NIDRR) to develop a distance-learning program offering instructor-led

classes for blind and visually impaired users of computer software. The classes

will focus on the Microsoft Office Suite, and the instruction and information

provided will focus on keyboard commands, operational strategies for screen-access

software, and information uniquely relevant to blind and visually impaired computer

users.

The classes offered through the Project ASSIST program

are designed to provide instruction on Microsoft Office software to blind and

visually impaired people in preparation for the Microsoft Office Specialist

certification exams. We will offer the following courses: Windows XP, Internet

Fundamentals, Word- Core, Excel-Core, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Word-Expert,

and Excel-Expert. Priority for enrollment will be given to blind or visually

impaired clients of state vocational rehabilitation programs. A minimum requirement

for all students is proficiency with the computer keyboard. To be considered

for the fall 2003 classes, your application packet must be received no later

than June 30.

For further information or to receive an application

packet, contact Michael D. Barber, phone (515) 281-1305, or e-mail <[email protected]>,

and place the words "Application Packet" in the subject line. Visit

the agency Web site at <www.blind.state.ia.us/assist>, where you may obtain

more information. An application will be available for download.

Phone E-mail Service

and NFB Fundraiser:

Creative Marketing Interactive, LLC (CMI) specializes

in fundraising for nonprofit organizations while helping members communicate

using state-of-the-art interactive technologies. CMI is promoting CommuniKate,

a service designed to assist people on the go (salespeople, busy professionals,

home-based businesses) and people who either cannot see a computer screen or

don't have a computer but would like to correspond using e-mail.

Because this system is Web-driven and therefore a virtual

product, it requires no computer. CMI does the installation and setup for customers.

Whether they already have e-mail or not, they will receive a virtual e-mail

so that they can hear the text of received e-mails from any land or cell phone.

They connect to their personal CommuniKate system by dialing a toll-free number.

CommuniKate users perform the following functions verbally,

without using a telephone keypad: a) listen to unlimited voice messages for

a flat monthly fee; b) respond to voice messages; c) transfer calls; d) setup

conference calling with three or more people; and e) listen to e-mail messages

from any telephone or cell phone.

A portion of the monthly fee for each NFB member who

signs up for the service will go to the National Federation of the Blind. Contact

Creative Marketing at (866) 859-6953, toll-free, to listen to the service and

register for the e-mail/voice-translating feature. Fee for unlimited messages/e-mails

is $36.95 a month.

Employment in Computer

Programming:

Lift is a nonprofit company that recruits, qualifies,

trains, and hires information technology professionals who have physical disabilities

and places them with major corporations. Johnson & Johnson and Verizon Wireless

are two of more than eighty corporate clients that Lift has served.

If you are interested in more information about Lift,

please visit the Web site at <www.lift‑inc.org> or call Lift at

(908) 707‑9840 or (800) 552‑5438.

Audio Darts Tournament:

The eighth annual tournament of Audio Darts of Delaware

will take place October 11 and 12, 2003, at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Wilmington,

Delaware. If you are interested in participating, you must notify the Wyndham

Garden Hotel by September 5. The number is (302) 655-0400. Cost for all events

is $65. For more information, contact Pat Smith, Audio Darts of Delaware, (302)

658-7231 (home), (302) 425-4426 (work).

Free Bible Correspondence

Course:

A free Bible correspondence course is available on tape.

To inquire, contact James VanderMolen, 2214 W. LaRua Street, Pensacola, Florida

32505.

Candle in the Window

Annual Conference:

Candle in the Window, a small national nonprofit organization

with the aim of building both individual skills and a sense of community among

people with visual impairments, welcomes blind people with varied experiences

to join them at its seventeenth annual conference entitled, Resolving Conflicts

Without Hemming and Hawing. We aim to address such questions as the following:

What is conflict? How can we better manage conflicts within ourselves and with

others? How (if at all) does blindness impact on our ability to resolve conflicts?

How can we better manage conflicts within the blindness community? How can we

assist others to resolve conflicts?

In addition to provocative presentations and stimulating

discussions, there will be plenty of time for swimming, hiking, eating, singing,

quiet reflection, and just plain hanging out. The conference will take place

from Wednesday, July 23, through the morning of Sunday, July 27, at the Kavanaugh

Life Enrichment Center, located just outside of Louisville, Kentucky.

Cost is $240 ($15 discount if we receive a $35 nonrefundable

deposit by June 15). Limited scholarships and payment plans are available. Contact

Peter Altschul at (202) 234-5234, e-mail <[email protected]>; Kathy Szinnyey

at (502) 895-0866, e-mail <[email protected]>; or Jonathan Ice at (319)

298-2919, e-mail <[email protected]>.

Summer Braille Reading

Club:

Braille Books Dot Com is excited to introduce our first

ever Summer Braille Reading Club. With the summer holidays just around the corner,

kids are going to have a lot more free time on their hands. What better way

to spend some of that time than curling up on the swing with a good book? Braille

Books Dot Com has over twelve hundred Braille titles available for all reading

levels, so we're bound to have something for everyone--even adults. If you join

the club by August 31, we'll send along a sign‑up bonus absolutely free

with your first order. For orders between $10 and $25, you'll receive a Braille

alphabet magnet; orders between $25 and $50 will qualify for a portable radio;

or, if you spend more than $50 with us, we'll give you a talking alarm clock.

And we haven't come to the best part yet. Everyone who joins our summer reading

club will have his or her name entered in a drawing at the end of the summer.

The lucky winner will receive MarvelSoft's ground‑breaking Talking Typing

Teacher program, a $100 value. (Be sure to mention coupon code SummerBraille

when placing your order.) Supplies of club items are limited, so drop by <www.braillebooks.com>

today to be sure you get your free prize.

Monitor

Mart

The notices in this

section have been edited for clarity, but we can pass along only the information

we were given. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the statements made

or the quality of the products for sale.

Braillewriter for

Sale:

Used for two university classes only and bought new

from Howe Press. Asking $600. Contact Leslie Anderson (520) 792‑2569,

Tucson, Arizona.

For Sale:

Dennis Farro has the following items for sale:

1.

Never used Braille Lite 40, including power and interface cables and Braille

manual--$2,000

2.

External disk drive for Braille Lite or Braille 'n Speak‑-$400 or best

offer

3.

Never used Braille 'n Speak with power supply, interface cables, and Braille

manual-‑$700 or best offer

4.

SuperBraille‑Portable PC/notetaker with built‑in Braille display--$2,000

or best offer

5.

Eureka 4A notetaker with power cable‑-$300

6.

DecTalk Express speech synthesizer in excellent condition--$500 or best offer

I am most often available

at night, (516) 825-5815. However, messages can also be left at (718) 557-6077,

or e-mail can be sent to <[email protected]>.

For Sale:

I have a Braille Lite 40

with up-to-date software and in excellent condition. It comes with carrying

case and power cord. I am asking $2,000. Interested parties can call (614) 378‑1244.

If you get voice mail, leave a message, and your call will be returned.

For Sale:

I am selling an Alva 80-cell

Braille display in very good condition and never any problems. It's only a few

years old and little used. Perfect for anyone who needs a good display. Price

is negotiable, asking around $2,500. E-mail John Scott at <[email protected]>.

For Sale:

Jordy low-vision system,

produced by Enhanced Vision Systems, is for sale. Leonard Nowicki is asking

$2,500 but will consider best offer. His telephone number is (410) 633‑5970.

NFB PLEDGE

I pledge to participate

actively in the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality,

opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and programs

of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.

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