Monitor Miniatures

Monitor Miniatures

Braille Monitor
October 2012

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Monitor Miniatures

News from the Federation Family
Wedding Bells:
We are delighted to report that National Federation of the Blind Secretary James Gashel and Susan Kern were married on Saturday, September 2, 2012, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Denver, Colorado, with approximately sixty friends and family present to share in the celebration. Susan was a deputy attorney general in Hawaii, representing the Department of Health and Human Services and the state's Randolph-Sheppard (blind vendor) Program for several years. She previously served as staff attorney for the Hawaii Open Meetings and Public Records Agency. In March of 2012 she moved to Denver and has established a law practice specializing in disability and Randolph-Sheppard issues.
Jim served as the NFB’s director of governmental affairs for thirty years, a position that, in addition to other duties, saw him actively working for the rights of blind vendors. He is now the vice president of KNFB Reading Technologies. Jim and Susan Rockwood Gashel hope to go to Paris next April, but for now they are back to work in service to blind people.
Elected:
In April the Metro Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota held its annual elections. The following officers were elected: Sheila Koenig, president; Rob Hobson, vice president; Kathy McGillivray, second vice president; Michael Sahyun, secretary; and Ryan Strunk, treasurer.
AccuWeather Now on NEWSLINE:
We have taken the following information from a press release circulated by the NFB:
National Federation of the Blind Collaborates with AccuWeather®
to Provide Emergency Weather Alert Information
to the Blind and Print-Disabled via NFB-NEWSLINE®
On August 29, 2012, the National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest nationwide organization of the blind in the United States, and its newspaper service for the blind, NFB-NEWSLINE®, announced a collaboration with AccuWeather®, an online weather information service, to provide emergency weather alerts to blind and print-disabled subscribers throughout America. NFB-NEWSLINE is a free audible information access service that provides over three-hundred newspapers and magazines to the blind. The AccuWeather information service will now give blind and print-disabled people instant access to emergency weather alerts.
NFB President Marc Maurer said: “The lack of access to emergency weather alerts has been a persistent problem for the blind, and now, with the combination of AccuWeather alerts and NFB-NEWSLINE, an innovative source of this critical information has been created for the blind of America.”
NFB-NEWSLINE is a free audible newspaper- and magazine-reading service that provides information to blind and print-disabled readers over the telephone, online, and on the iPhone. For more information or to register for NFB-NEWSLINE, visit <www.nfbnewsline.org>, write to <[email protected]>, or call (866) 504-7300.
Wedding Bells:
Catherine Close and Eric Clegg were married on Friday, August 31, 2012, in Sacramento, California. Catherine and Eric are both longtime Federationists, and NFB friends and family attended the wedding. Catherine works as a personnel security specialist for the Office of Personnel Management. Eric is a Braille specialist in the California Department of Rehabilitation.
First Annual Indiana Fishing Derby:
The following story appeared in the June 18, 2012 online edition of the LaPorte, Indiana, Herald Argus.
Taking a Swing at New Activities
by Gabrielle Gonzalez
If you give a blind child a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. This is a leadership principle that the National Federation of the Blind adopted and implemented to help the blind and visually impaired. Fishing was exactly what fifteen visually impaired children, adults, and their families experienced throughout the weekend with the help of the Westville Lions Club.
This was the first event for the blind statewide to join together and camp outdoors for a weekend. The kids and adults learned to set up tents, fish, hike through the woods, experience bonfires and hayrides, and play baseball. Some of the campers had never fished before or swung a bat and did not refuse to try something new.
According to Westville Lion Butch Weston, region chairman, Lion Al Lovati, representative of the Indiana Lions and teacher at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, talked to the Westville Lions about a weekend-long camp. Weston agreed and donated the use of his backyard, which consists of fields; woods; and a pond with bluegill, catfish, and bass. "We've been having a lot of fun," said Weston on Saturday. "I love to help people. Hopefully this can grow, and we can do it next year."
All the food for the campers and families, as well as the camp T-shirt that read "Fishing for Life" in Braille, were donated by various groups and organizations. The drinks coolers were labeled in Braille as well. “It helps to know what you are getting," said adult camper from Indianapolis Susan Jones with a laugh about the cooler label.
Jones said she enjoyed the experience of putting the fishing poles together and hiking in the woods. She attended the camp as a positive example to the children. "I came to encourage the kids that you can do anything," said Jones. "It is important to learn the steps to be independent for life."
Members of the non-profit Indianapolis Thunder joined the group to let the blind and visually impaired take a swing at the ball. Thunder is affiliated with the National Beep Baseball Association. Campers of all ages and sizes took on the challenge, encouraging others who were up at bat, and each took a turn at the plate. An underhand pitch was thrown in the batter's zone, and, when the batters heard the word “pitch” and a beep, they were instructed to swing.
Not only did campers experience new activities and socialize, but the volunteers and families were able to interact and learn a lot from the blind as well. Lovati said that, since the prevalence of blindness is pretty small, people do not understand that the blind do everything an average person does. "They just do it differently. Not less, just different," said Lovati. "It [the camp] shows the face of blindness."
Fifteen blind students and adults from across Indiana, along with the Indiana School for the Blind, spent the weekend engaged in activities that included fishing, camping, beep softball, a hayride and cookout. The weekend, which was held on the property of a Lions Club member near Westville, was sponsored by the Indiana Lions Club District 25A.
Blind Hikers on Maryland's Appalachian Trail:
In mid July Lou Ann Blake and Maurice Peret successfully hiked the forty-one miles of the Appalachian Trail in Maryland’s Frederick and Washington Counties. The blind husband and wife, residents of Baltimore City, were raising awareness of what is possible for blind people when the positive attitudes and high expectations of the National Federation of the Blind are coupled with proper training in the alternative techniques of blindness.
According to Blake, "Most people don't know anyone who is blind, so they know only the stereotypes of blind people as helpless and incompetent that pervade society and the media. Unfortunately, even today the misconception is that a blind person cannot cross a street on her own, let alone hike the Appalachian Trail."
Peret, who teaches blind adults to travel safely and independently using a white cane, added, "For blind people, hiking the Appalachian Trail requires the mastery of the nonvisual skill of traveling with the long white cane combined with the essential confidence to go wherever our hearts and minds will take us."
Blake and Peret celebrated their first wedding anniversary on July 11 on the A.T. and are both members of the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the NFB of Maryland. Some twelve members of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland greeted Blake and Peret when they arrived at the trail’s end in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, on Thursday, July 12. Members of the media were also invited to join the gathering and interview the hikers.
Elected:
In March the Kankakee Heartland Chapter elected the following officers: Bill Isaacs, president; Tom Wietrzykowski, vice president; Carol Kwaak, secretary; Ruth Isaacs, treasurer; and Ray Kwaak, board member.
Announcing the Facebook Trainers Team:
The NFB Communications Committee has organized a team of experts in the use of Facebook who can teach any computer user to create and maintain a chapter-sponsored Facebook page and more. If your chapter is not up on Facebook, you are missing one of the newest and largest collections of today’s computer users. They need to find you.
The Communications Committee of the National Federation of the Blind, chaired by Robert Leslie Newman, has launched an initiative to get all Federation entities--affiliates, chapters, divisions, and groups--to establish a presence on Facebook. To support this initiative, we have established a Facebook Trainers Team to train Federation leaders in harnessing the power of Facebook to further the work of our individual entities and thus the Federation as a whole.
Facebook is useful for:
Reaching out to new members through a searchable online presence.
Getting a positive message about blindness out to the community quickly with pictures and multimedia files.
Allowing for open, free-flowing discussion between members outside meetings.
Sharing important information efficiently with board and members, and much, much more.
We recommend establishing Facebook groups, but we are also willing and able to support the development of Facebook pages. We are happy to advise you on your best option. If you are interested in establishing a Facebook presence for your affiliate, chapter, division, or group or, if you are interested in joining the Facebook trainers team, please contact Robert Leslie Newman at <[email protected]>.
We would love to train you in this simple, quick, and easy way to further our work in the Federation.
Attention Blind People with Cerebral Palsy:
I am interested in starting a group within the National Federation of the Blind for members with cerebral palsy. The purpose of the group will be to discuss our common problems and work toward solutions. I would like to consider forming a group and eventually a division if there is sufficient interest.
If you are interested in being part of such a group, contact me by email: <[email protected]>; postal mail: Alexander Scott Kaiser, 3928 Northwest 89th Avenue, Coral Springs, FL 33065; or by telephone: (954) 594-2710.
Travel and Tourism Fundraiser:
The NFB Travel and Tourism Division is planning a seven-day fundraiser trip to the greatstate of Utah. Proposed dates are September 18 to 24, 2013. This group travel event is for adults only, and we need those interested tocontact us as soon as possible so we can begin arranging for hotels, bus, airline,etc. To let us know you are interested and for more information, contact Cheryl Echevarria, president, NFB Travel and Tourism Division, at (631) 236-5138 or <[email protected]>.
Independence Market Calendars Available:
It's time again for new calendars to appear in stores and malls. The NFB Independence Market is also stocked with a selection of 2013 Braille and large-print calendars. Here is the list of what we have available:
2013 American Action Fund Braille Calendar: This comb-bound, pocket-sized Braille calendar measures 6 x 6 1/2 inches. Each calendar page includes the days of the month and lists major holidays. A page for personal notes is in the back. This calendar is available free of charge.
2013 Large-Print Calendar: This spiral-bound, large-print appointment calendar measures 8 1/2 x 11 inches with inside pockets. Each month is displayed on two facing pages and features two-inch blocks for each day of the month. The months are tabbed and include a section for monthly notes as well as a three-month calendar overview. The calendar costs $10 plus shipping and handling.
2013 Large-Print Planner: This organizer, designed with low-vision professionals in mind, features easy-to-read large print. The spiral-bound 146-page planner with a black leatherette cover measures 8 1/2 x 11 inches. All calendar views are spread over two pages and include current and upcoming year-at-a-glance views as well as twelve monthly and fifty-three weekly views. Pages for names and addresses, notes, and personal information are also included.
Products, including the items listed above, can be ordered from the NFB Independence Market online or by phone. For more information contact us by email at <[email protected]>, or by phone at (410) 659-9314, Extension 2216.
Honored:
Donna Posont of Michigan has been named one of the inaugural winners of the Edward Bagale Scholarship for Difference Makers. The award is $2,000. She was introduced at an event honoring University of Michigan Vice Chancellor Bagale during a program in early September. Congratulations to Donna from the entire Federation family.
Writing Critiques Available:
Have you just written a masterpiece? Would you like a seasoned writer to evaluate your material? The Writers’ Division of the National Federation of the Blind is initiating a new service: a critique of your writing. For $10 you will receive a written evaluation of your short story, the first chapter (or first twenty pages) of your novel, up to three poems of thirty-six lines, your children’s story, your memoir (first twenty pages max), or your nonfiction article (first twenty pages max). The critique will contain feedback on format, mechanics, and overall quality.
Those interested should submit their work by email as an attachment in MS Word to Robert Leslie Newman, president, NFB Writers’ Division, <[email protected]>. Material may be submitted from September through December. Critiques will be emailed within thirty days of receipt of the material. You may pay the $10 fee by check to Robert Leslie Newman, 504 S 57th St., Omaha, NE 68106; or use PayPal® on the Writers’ Division website, <www.nfb-writers-division.net>.

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.
Attention All NLS BARD Users:
Now you can enjoy using your NLS Talking Book machine without worrying about having to return reading materials to your local library for the blind. The NFB Independence Market sells blank cartridges that can be used with the NLS Talking Book machines as well as the USB cable needed to transfer data to the cartridge. You can download digital Talking Books from the NLS BARD website and transfer them to the cartridge to create your personal library of NLS audio books and magazines. The 2GB cartridges hold ten to fifteen average-sized books.
The cartridge costs $10 plus shipping and handling. The three-foot USB extension cable, which is sold separately, is $3 plus shipping and handling. For more information or to place an order by phone, call the NFB Independence Market at (410) 659-9314, extension 2216, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time. You can also order these materials online on the NFB Independence Market e-commerce site.
Seedlings Braille Books for Children 2013 Catalog Available:
Seedlings announces that its 2013 catalog is now available. The new books range in size and scope from a Print-Braille-&-Picture book called Llama Llama Hoppity Hop to the 489-page Braille copy of The Hunger Games (Book 1), bringing its total to almost 1,300 books. The new books are also listed on the website at <www.seedlings.org> and are ready to be ordered. Seedlings books are always on sale: sold for a fraction of what it costs to produce them, and prices have not been raised in over twenty-five years.
Register Now for the 2012 Book Angel Program
The Seedlings Book Angel Program is open to visually impaired children who live in the U.S. and Canada. Through this program each child can receive two free Seedlings books per calendar year (choose four Seedlings books, and we will send you two of them). If you have not yet registered for your child's 2012 books, fill out the registration form online at <www.seedlings.org>. If you have questions, call (800) 777-8552.
Consider Chocolate Gifts for the Holidays and All Occasions:
"Chocolate never goes out of style.” Sweet Tooth thinks this quote fits our product perfectly. It makes great gifts for all occasions including birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays and makes great favors for bridal and baby showers, weddings, graduation parties, and special dinners. In business for over twelve years, we look forward to serving customers with chocolate treats.
We continue to add new items to our list of products. Sweet Tooth's fudge, gourmet chocolate sauce, our signature Chocolate Lab truffles, and blueberry and raspberry clusters (in season) are becoming increasingly popular; but our standard items are crowd pleasers as well and are always available. From clusters of all kinds to molded chocolate and suckers, from coffee mugs with chocolate to Braille chocolate bars and guide dogs with Braille, Sweet Tooth can accommodate your chocolate needs. We can customize a gift basket, party tray, or gift tin for any occasion.
Our ever-popular Braille bars continue to be a great gift item for the holidays. They come with a choice of sayings including “Thank You,” “Have A Nice Day,” “Happy Birthday,” “Love You,” “Merry Christmas,” and “Happy Holidays.” They weigh 4.5 ounces and can be made in milk, dark, or white chocolate or sugar free. The bars can also be made with Rice Krispies, nuts, peppermint flavor, or raisins. The guide dogs can be personalized with the dog’s or owner's name and come complete with a chocolate harness. Many molded chocolate items can be personalized with Braille.
We are a small family business but are happy to accommodate special needs. By request we can put Braille or large-print labels on candy packages to suit individual needs. Price lists are available online, in regular or large print, and in Braille. Sweet Tooth is on Facebook and will be connected soon to Twitter. Place orders through email at <[email protected]> or by phone at (585) 544-1853. Our website is <http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~laurabai/SweetTooth/ Welcome.html>.
Whitney Verbal Description and Touch Tours:
As the preeminent institution devoted to the art of the United States, the Whitney Museum of American Art presents the full range of twentieth-century and contemporary American art, with a special focus on works by living artists. Now visitors can explore the Whitney’s permanent collection or special exhibitions with a highly skilled museum educator trained to provide vivid, detailed descriptions of the works on display. They can also experience a selection of works through touch. Whitney Verbal Description and Touch Tours provide an opportunity for blind or low-vision visitors to experience the richness and diversity of twentieth- and twenty-first-century American art. These ninety-minute tours are free and are held monthly as well as by request with three weeks advance notice. To place a request, inquire about the next scheduled tour, or sign up for our email list, contact us at <[email protected]> or call (212) 570-7789. The Whitney Museum is located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City.
Apply Now for Ski for Light 2013:
Are you a blind or visually impaired adult who cross-country skis or wants to learn how during a fun-filled week in a resort? Join over two hundred active adults from across the U.S. and around the world for the thirty-eighth annual Ski for Light International Week. The 2013 event will take place from Sunday, January 27, through Sunday, February 3, in Northwest Lower Michigan on the grounds of Shanty Creek Resorts in Bellaire, Michigan.
Located just forty-five minutes from the Traverse City airport, Shanty Creek Resorts is a 4,500-acre complex containing three housing and entertainment villages, both cross-country and downhill ski trails, a tubing hill, several swimming pools and hot-tubs, a fitness center and spa, and much more. Shanty Creek Resorts is a true destination resort.
Ski for Light attracts cross-country skiers from beginners to advanced. Skiers and guides come from every adult age group and occupation. You will be paired with a sighted instructor/guide who will assist with skills and technique while describing the countryside and enjoying the trails with you. Two sets of parallel groomed tracks are set in the snow, with the skier and guide deciding together how far, how long, and on what kind of terrain they will ski. Free rental of skis, boots, and poles will be provided to first-time participants, and partial stipends based on financial need are available.
If you have never before attended what many have called the experience of a lifetime or if you have been waiting for the 2013 event information to repeat the experience, visit the SFL website now, <www.sfl.org> for more details and to submit your application for a fantastic week of fun. New this year, the first 100 applicants who select the early-admission option are eligible for acceptance within two weeks of their submission so they can shop for the best airfare. All applications are due by November 1, 2012.
If you have any questions, contact the visually impaired participant recruitment coordinator, Bob Hartt, <[email protected]>, or call (703) 845-3436 during evenings and on weekends.
Successful Resolution of an E-reader Complaint:
The NFB circulated the following press release on August 30:
National Federation of the Blind Settles Complaint
Against Sacramento Public Library
Library Will Deploy Accessible E-readers to Blind and Print-Disabled Patrons
The National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s leading advocate for access to information by the blind and other people with print disabilities, announced today that a complaint filed by the NFB with the United States Department of Justice, Office of Civil Rights, against the Sacramento Public Library Authority has been resolved. The NFB filed the complaint last fall because the library was lending NOOK e-readers preloaded with e-books to its patrons. Unlike some other e-reading devices, the NOOK, which is manufactured and sold by Barnes & Noble, cannot be used by blind and print-disabled readers because it does not have text-to-speech capability or the ability to send content to a Braille display.
The goal of the agreement is “to provide a library e-reader circulation program where library patrons, with and without vision disabilities, are able to access and use the same technology to the maximum extent possible.” Under the agreement, the library will “acquire only technology that does not exclude blind people or others” who need accessibility features such as text-to-speech or Braille output and the ability to access the device’s menus and controls independently. The library’s commitment is also in line with a resolution passed in 2009 by the American Library Association entitled Purchasing of Accessible Electronic Resources, which urged “all libraries purchasing, procuring, using, maintaining, and contracting for electronic resources and services” to “require vendors to guarantee that products and services comply with Section 508 regulations, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, or other applicable accessibility standards and guidelines.”
Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “We are pleased that the Sacramento Public Library Authority is showing leadership by ensuring that the e-books that it lends will be accessible to all of its patrons, including those who are blind or have print disabilities. E-books represent an opportunity for the blind to have access to the same books at the same time as our sighted friends, family, and colleagues, but sadly most e-book vendors have not designed their technology so that it can be used by the blind, despite the fact that it is not difficult or costly to do so. Libraries, schools, and other institutions have a legal and moral obligation to make sure that the content they deploy is accessible to the blind and print-disabled. If they meet these obligations by demanding accessibility from their e-book vendors, then accessibility will happen.”
Hadley Reaches Out to Veterans:
The Hadley School for the Blind invites you to learn more about our new Blinded Veterans Initiative, launched last fall. You may have heard about this project at the NFB convention this summer. Our goal is to help blinded vets adjust to their sight loss while pursuing their personal and professional goals.
We have a new website dedicated to this important new initiative at <www.hadley.edu/veterans>. There you can find links to various tuition-free courses and webinars of interest to veterans and their families, as well as a video featuring stories from blinded veterans and why this initiative is needed.
We just concluded a series of focus groups in which we asked veterans how Hadley could help them through distance education. The areas of interest include recreation, technology (particularly mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads), business/self-employment, independent living, and Braille literacy. We have over 100 courses to choose from, all in accessible formats. If you see something of interest, call us to enroll at (800) 323-4238, or better yet enroll online at <www.hadley.edu>.
We also welcome your feedback, so, if you have ideas and suggestions about the types of distance education courses and webinars you would be interested in, let us know. Contact Deborah Bloom, vice president, Development and Communications, the Hadley School for the Blind, 700 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL 60093; phone: (847) 784-2774; email <[email protected]>.
Brailler Repair:
To repair a manual Perkins Brailler, the Selective Doctor, Inc., charges $60 for labor, plus parts, and postal insurance. We also repair electric Perkins Braillers at $70 for labor, plus parts and postal insurance. Our address is P.O. Box 571, Manchester, Maryland 21102. If using UPS or Federal Express, please send the Braillers to 3205 Laverne Circle, Hampstead, Maryland 21074 (our physical address). Our telephone number is (410) 668-1143, and our website is <www.selectivedoctor.com>. The email address is <[email protected]>.

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.
King James Bible for Sale:
I am selling a dramatized King James Bible on cassette tape, multiple character voices and animal noises included. The set includes sixty-four tapes, and a carrying case is included. Original price $130; asking $70. Please call Ryan at (520) 834-2562 or email <[email protected]>.
Blind Entrepreneur Offers Self-Made Products:
Charlotte Lang offers a wide variety of handmade bath and body products, holiday items, and gemstone jewelry. Bath products include soaps in various shapes, shower gel, hand soap, shampoo and conditioner, hair and body spritz, lotion, body butter, bubble bath, bath salts, herbal bath teas, room spray, aroma beads to make your room smell nice, flavored lip balms, and pet spritz. Most products come in several sizes. Prices are very affordable, ranging from $1 to $16 per item. In the holiday items section I offer ornaments, decorations, holiday jewelry and accessories, gift items, etc., with prices starting at $3 or less. I also offer one-of-a-kind handmade gemstone jewelry including bracelets, earrings, pendants, and necklaces with prices starting at $5. Treat yourself to a great gift or start on your holiday shopping.
I accept PayPal® or money orders. I ship priority mail, so your packages arrive quickly. I can also ship to another recipient if you are shopping for gifts. Please contact me at <[email protected]> for more information, join my yahoogroup newsletter at <[email protected]>, or call me at (952) 300-2188. I can not take credit card orders over the phone, but I will do personal consultations to help you shop for yourself or anyone on your gift list.

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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