Monitor Miniatures

Monitor Miniatures

Braille Monitor
February 2015

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Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
Dawnelle D. Cruze Passes:
Dawnelle D. Cruze, sixty-one, of Virginia Beach, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, December 17, 2014. She was the daughter of the late Doris D. Cruze.
Dawnelle was an excellent advocate for the blind in many areas. She was a longtime member of the advisory committee for the state library for the blind. She was a founding member of the Tidewater chapter of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and served as its president for several years. Dawnelle graduated from Mary Washington University, where she received a BA in sociology and also received a master’s degree in sociology from VCU. She was a supervisor at the Norfolk Red Cross working for military families division and retired there after twenty seven years. Dawnelle also served as a field instructor at Norfolk State University, School of Social Work. She served many years on the board of directors for the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia and was a member of the National Association of Social Workers. She was active in the NFB on both the state and national levels. She served as the second vice president on the state level, and was president of the affiliate's diabetic division. The NFB gives thirty college scholarships annually, and Dawnelle has served on the national committee to choose the recipients of these. Dawnelle was a loving and caring sister, aunt, and a loyal friend. She always put the needs of others before her own and was always the person with the biggest smile in the room. She was a faithful member of St. Benedict's Parish Catholic Church for many years.
New Guide Dog App Warmly Received:
When the National Association of Guide Dog Users launched the NAGDU Guide & Service Dog Information & Advocacy mobile app on September 17, 2014, our goal was to have the app downloaded at least one thousand times by the end of 2014. It was an ambitious goal; however, the NFB is known for its ambition to ensure every blind person has the opportunity to live the life he/she wants! We are pleased and excited to announce that we have not only met our goal, but exceeded it!
As of midnight on December 31, 2014, the NAGDU app has been downloaded by 1,039 users. And we are not finished! The app is continuing to be downloaded, demonstrating the value of the information we are providing to guide and service dog users, as well as to the general public. We are working to enhance the app with new features suggested by our users, including location tracking, sharing options, more streamlined access to the information, guidance for other industries, and an Android version.
If you or someone you know has not yet downloaded the app, please help us continue our progress by going to the App Store, searching for “NAGDU,” and downloading this incredible free app. Doing so will help the National Association of Guide Dog Users improve the app and enhance the other work we do on behalf of guide dog users. Once you download the app, please browse through the information, and send us your feedback. You can do this directly from the app by using the “send an email” feature. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you to raise the expectations of the blind in the United States so we can live the lives we want.
Performing Arts Scholarship Available:
In remembrance of one of our leaders, Mary Ann Parks, who served as the secretary of the Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind, a scholarship program was established in 2008. She was first elected in 2005 and helped oversee the division as it experienced great expansion. As one of the leaders of the division, she worked to manage the summer conventions, kept valuable records, and assisted in promoting and producing our first “Sound in Sight” album, which was released in 2007. In addition to working with the Performing Arts Division, Mary Ann also held the post of secretary of the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia.
On August 25, 2007, due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident, Mary Ann passed away. She will always be remembered as a positive, upbeat, and strong-willed person, and she is greatly missed by all who knew her.
At the 75th anniversary convention of the National Federation of the Blind in July of 2015, the division will award a scholarship to recognize achievement and offer support to a legally blind individual interested in pursuing a degree in the performing arts. The scholarship will be available for high school seniors through grad students who are currently pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time post-secondary course of study in a degree program related to the performing arts at an accredited institution in the United States. Each applicant will be considered based upon performing arts-related achievements, aspirations, and goals; academic excellence; and community service endeavors.
The scholarship winner will attend the National Federation of the Blind’s seventy-fifth anniversary convention to be held in Orlando, Florida. The scholarship will be presented at the annual talent competition on Thursday, July 9, 2015.
In addition to our scholarship program, we have also established a subsidy program which will, through a short application process, assist legally blind individuals with funding for performing arts projects, travel-related expenses incurred as a result of performing arts projects, and other related needs that may arise. Each application will be carefully reviewed, and stipends will be awarded based upon demonstrated need.
Please consider making a donation to the Mary Ann Parks Performing Arts Scholarship program as well as our new subsidy program; all donations are tax-deductible. You can make a check payable to the National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division and send it to:
8259 Harcourt Road, Suite 127, Indianapolis, IN 46260. Please write Scholarship Program or Subsidy Program in the memo line as appropriate. No amount is too large or too small. Each donation will be greatly appreciated.
If you need more information, please call us at (317) 643-1890, or send us an email at <[email protected]>.
Division Looking for New Members:
Greetings Fellow Federationists: Time has a way of really flying by, and before we know it we will be attending our seventy-fifth convention of the National Federation of the Blind. I am in search of new members for our National Association of Blind Automobile Enthusiasts Division, formally known as the CARS Division. Dues are only five dollars, and you can have a lot of fun being part of a division where you can learn about cars, build them, and display your car at a show. You don't have to know how to drive; lots of blind people work on cars, and they also own them for show. If you have a love for the automobile, come on down, join us, and have lots of fun.
For more information, please call Dave Hutchins at (816) 942-3233. See you in Orlando.
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.
Acclaimed Narrator to be Honored:
Mitzi Friedlander, a Talking Book narrator at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), is retiring. During her extraordinary career, which spans over a half century, she has recorded more books than any other Talking Book narrator in the nation.
The Talking Book program, administered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress, provides recorded literature to 500,000 blind, visually impaired, and physically impaired Americans. The National Library Service (NLS) contracts with the American Printing House for the Blind to prepare these Talking Books.
Her fans, locally and nationally, will celebrate her accomplishments at a retirement ceremony that will take place February 5, 2015, from 5:30 to 7:00 PM at APH. Those who want to share their thoughts with Mitzi may send them to APH, c/o Roberta Williams, 1839 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206 or email them to <[email protected]>.
A well-known figure in Louisville's theatrical world, Mitzi earned the first master’s degree in theater arts given by the University of Louisville. She has performed with Actor's Theatre of Louisville, the Louisville Ballet, the Kentucky Opera Association, and the Louisville Children's Theatre. She has also taught theatre arts at the University of Louisville and at Indiana University Southeast. The versatile actress, who has recorded over two thousand titles during her fifty-plus years at APH, has lent her voice to nonfiction pieces, works of fiction, scientific publications, and children's literature.
Through her work as a narrator in the APH studio, Mitzi became the first recipient of the Didymus Award for narration of one thousand Talking Books for the Library of Congress. She is familiar to over half a million people in the listening audience as the voice of such classics as Gone with the Wind, Charlotte's Web, and several of Sue Grafton’s “alphabet” series of detective novels. In 1993 this nationwide audience selected her as one of their favorite Talking Book voices, honoring her with the Alexander Scourby Award for excellence in the narration of nonfiction titles.
To hear a sample of Mitzi Friedlander’s work, visit:
<http://www.aph.org/museum/Narrator-Jukebox/Mitzi-Friedlander.html>.
Free Service Animal Eye Exams:
American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) is gearing up for the 8th Annual ACVO/StokesRx National Service Animal Eye Exam Event this May. The goal of this event is to provide as many free screening exams as possible to eligible service animals across the U.S. and Canada throughout the month of May. Service animals include guide, handicapped assistance, detection, military, search and rescue, and certified-current registered therapy animals that all selflessly serve the public.
This year’s event is sponsored by ACVO® and Stokes Pharmacy, as well as several generous industry sponsors, volunteer ophthalmologists, and staff. Participating doctors volunteer their services, staff, and facilities at no charge to participate in the event.
To qualify, service animals must be “active working animals” that were certified by a formal training program or organization, or are currently enrolled in a formal training program. The certifying organization could be national, regional, or local in nature. Owners/agents for the animal(s) must first register the animal using an online registration form beginning April 1 at <www.ACVOeyeexam.org>. Registration ends April 30. Once registered online, the owner/agent will receive a registration number and will be allowed access to a list of participating ophthalmologists in their area. Then they may contact a specialist to schedule an appointment, which will take place during the month of May. Times may vary depending on the facility and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so clients should try to register and make appointments early.
Distinctive Greeting Cards Available:
The many styles, materials, and textures used set our cards apart from all of the rest! These uniquely original and tactile cards come with options for your customized Braille messages, with the first forty-two cells being free. Whether you simply need one to say “Hello!” or want a five-pack of all occasion cards, invitations, other special orders, or you choose any of our “greener” options, the recipients will certainly be delighted, no matter their age or gender. We can also integrate your gift card (in a pocket/envelope) into the design of the card and mail it directly for you when completed. The cards come in two sizes: 5.5 inches by 4.25 inches (A2) and 4 inches by 6 inches (A6), and are put in a plastic sleeve for protection and display. They range in price from $3 to $8. The “greener” option is like a postcard, with one decorated side instead of a photo. The other side will have a designed area where we can Braille or write your personal message. In this way we can create two cards rather than one from the same piece of paper! Please contact us using email at <[email protected]> and use the subject “Cards.” Alternatively, you may call A Touch of Thoughts at (419) 283-9000 between the hours of 2 and 6 PM, Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, and from 1 to 4 PM on Saturday. The cards are created in a smoke-free environment. Our mascot, Bubby the English bulldog, helps keep us on track, as well as bringing plenty of comic relief, so we are not canine-free. We look forward to creating something special just for you and would be grateful for any and all feedback about our products!
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.
Four-Track Tape Recorder Wanted:
I am looking to purchase a working four-track tape recorder that can read books produced by the National Library Service. I am also interested in learning about services that still exist to repair such units. If you have one to sell or information about where older recorders can be repaired, please contact David using email at <[email protected]> or by calling (337) 264-3785.

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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