Monitor Miniatures 11/97

Monitor Miniatures 11/97

The Braille Monitor_______November

1997

(back)

(contents)

Monitor

Miniatures

Leadership Training for

Blind Youth:

We have been asked to carry

the following announcement:

Do you know a future leader in the blindness

community--a young man or woman, blind or visually impaired, who has the intelligence,

energy, and determination to make a difference in the lives of visually impaired

persons in your country? The International Program at Overbrook School for the

Blind in Philadelphia is open to candidates from throughout the world who demonstrate

these leadership qualities and who are interested in participating in a one-year

academic and training program.

Now in its twelfth year, the Program

announces the start of the admissions process for the 1998-99 academic year.

You are invited to nominate candidates who meet the qualifications required

for admission and who would benefit from taking part in the program. To qualify,

a participant must 1) be blind or partially sighted, 2) be between the ages

of sixteen and twenty-one at the start of the program, 3) be in good academic

standing, 4) have a basic knowledge of English, 5) be interested in adaptive

computer technology for the blind, and 6) demonstrate independence and leadership

skills.

The Admissions Committee reviews all

nominations and invites appropriate candidates to complete a full application.

The International Program is designed

to develop leadership capabilities of young blind and partially sighted individuals

from around the world, to provide them with the skills they will need to succeed

in higher education and the work place, and to help improve the situation of

other blind and visually impaired persons in their countries.

Courses in adaptive computer technology,

English as a second language, and leadership development form the core of the

curriculum, while emphasis is also placed on learning in an inter-cultural environment.

Educational field trips, music programs, and sports activities are also offered.

For information and admissions materials,

contact Lawrence F. Campbell, Admissions Committee, International Program, Overbrook

School for the Blind, 6333 Malvern Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19151-2597,

United States, (215) 878-8700, fax (215) 878-8886, e-mail: [email protected]

In Memoriam:

Jim Willows, President of the NFB of

California, recently wrote to report the following sad news:

I deeply regret having to report the

passing of two dedicated California Federation members. Larry Rangel died on

August 21, 1997, of diabetic complications. Larry was an active member of both

our Bay Area (San Francisco) and California Orientation Center for the Blind

Alumni Chapters. Larry attended his first National Convention this past summer,

shortly before his death. He came home with high enthusiasm and motivation.

He asked me to call on him for any help he could offer our affiliate. Dinah

Smith died in Denver on September 7, after a long illness. She had moved into

a nursing home near her family.

Prior to this move Dinah lived for many

years in Santa Barbara, where she had been a twenty-year member and treasurer

of the NFB Chapter. Joy Smith, President of the Santa Barbara County Chapter,

tells me that she could always count on Dinah for helpin chapter activities.

Both Dinah and Larry are the stuff of which this organization is made. They

will be greatly missed.

New Catalog of Braille Books for Children

Available:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

Seedlings Braille Books for Children

announces its new 1998 catalog. This catalog contains over 300 low-cost Braille

books for children. Thirty-eight books have been added this year, including

for pre-schoolers print-Braille-and-picture books Disney's My Book of ABC, Goodnight

Moon, and Pooh All Year Long; for older children Newberry Award winners in Braille

such as A Gathering of Days, The Giver, and The Midwife's Apprentice. Other

new Braille books include selections from popular series like The Boxcar Children,

Hardy Boys, and The American Girls Collection.

For more information check the Seedlings

Web page at http://www.22cent.com/seedlings or write to P.O. Box 51924, Livonia,

Michigan 48151-5924, or e-mail: [email protected]

Help Wanted:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

The Clovernook Center in Cincinnati is

recruiting for a variety of positions in its production facility. Openings include

packers; material handlers; machine operators; and utility, quality assurance,

and warehouse personnel. Contact Mike Walsh, Clovernook Center for the Blind,

7000 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45231, (513) 522-3860. The Center is an

equal opportunity employer.

Italian Tour:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

Campanian Enterprises plans a trip to

Italy for sixteen blind travelers April 26 to May 8, 1998. Several sighted guides

will be with us throughout the program.

The tour accents the Touchable Treasures

of Northern Italy from the architectural glories of Milan and the landscape

surrounding Lake Como to the sounds, smells, and freshness of the Alps and the

magnificence of Florence--Giotto, Masaccio, Donatello, Botticelli and Michelangelo.

With expert guidance across the majestic boundaries of Northern Italy, we will

encounter the history of ancient Rome and the Renaissance and enjoy the food

and wines of the local cuisine.

The program includes transatlantic flights

from New York to Milan and Florence to New York (add-on fares are available

from other cities in the U.S. and Canada; contact us for this information);

accommodation at first-class hotels; continental breakfast and dinner daily

and one lunch; pullman coach transportation throughout the program; expertly

guided tours and professional background lectures; sightseeing and excursions

as described in the itinerary; all entrance fees to museums and archaeological

sites; and gratuities and service charges. Not included are passport expenses,

airport taxes, ten lunches, alcoholic beverages, accident/baggage insurance,

personal expenses, laundry, telephone, taxes, and taxis.

For additional information about this

tour or shorter American tours to Hyde Park; New York City; Washington, D.C.;

New Orleans; and greater Boston, contact Robert Wilhelm, Campanian Enterprises,

Inc., P.O. Box 167, Oxford, Ohio 45056, (513) 524-4846, fax (513) 523-0276,

e-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://w3.one.net/~campania/

Elected:

We recently received the results of the

NFB of Colorado election that took place during the affiliate's September convention.

Elected were President Diane McGeorge; First Vice President, Kevan Worley; Second

Vice President, Scott LaBarre; Secretary, Julie Deden; Treasurer, Paul Lorensen;

and Board Members John Deden, Alice George, Don Hudson, and Dan Wenzel.

Computer Systems Available:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

Cabo Systems, which specializes in niche

markets, now builds adaptive computer systems for the blind and visually impaired.

We test and benchmark every component that goes into a Cabo computer for speed

and reliability based on its own merits and in the way it interacts with other

system components.

Every Cabo System comes with a standard

two-year parts and labor warranty covering everything from hard drives to rubber

feet to mouse pads and with free-for-life technical support. You can call ten

years after your purchase and immediately talk to a human being. On-site warranties

are also available at a reasonable rate, and in-house repairs are always completed

inside twenty-four hours.

Fully configured adaptive computers start

at $2,499 for a mid-range pentium with all the bells and whistles. For the power

user, however, we also offer Pentium Pro, multi-processor, and RISC based machines.

If you can dream it, we can build it.

Call us anytime to order, get additional

information, or receive a custom quote. Contact Cabo International Trading,

Ltd., 28W066 Commercial Ave, Barrington, Illinois 60010, (847) 381-6000, fax

(847) 381-7094, e-mail: [email protected]

Correction:

In the July, 1997, issue, we printed

an article about the new Arizona Braille Law. The story said that Dr. Jane Erin

of the University of Arizona devised a provision stipulating that electronic

versions of text books for students in community colleges and universities as

well as in elementary and secondary schools be available when needed for transcription

into Braille. We are told that, while Dr. Erin's Task Force recommended the

idea, it was actually Task Force member Terri Hedgpeth from Arizona State University

in Tempe who proposed the idea.

Handbook on Reasonable Accommodation

Available:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

The Department of Veterans Affairs Blind

Rehabilitation Services Committee on Reasonable Accommodations has produced

a handbook on reasonable accommodations. This handbook provides a succinct overview

of the law, examples of the requests for reasonable accommodation, a definition

of reasonable accommodation, and several case laws. For a free copy call Margie

Donovan, VIST Coordinator, at (415) 750-6604. Please specify your choice of

format: large print or ASCII computer disk.

Skiing Available:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

B.O.L.D., Inc., of Aspen makes it possible

for blind people from the U.S. and Canada to ski in Colorado's Rockies. We provide

ski instructions, guides, equipment if needed, reduced lift ticket prices, companions

for shopping, dining, and the like. Winter activities include Alpine skiing,

cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, dog sledding, and snow mobiling. For additional

information or an application please contact B.O.L.D., Inc., c/o Franchesca

Campione, Program Director, 533 E. Main St., Aspen, Colorado 81611, (970) 925-9511.

Hoping to Find:

We have been asked to carry the following

request:

We need a voice synthesizer and a screen

reader for a 386 IBM-compatible computer. We would prefer a VERT or a Tiny Talk

either donated or for a reasonable price. We are a not-for-profit, 501 (c)(3)

organization, so any donation made to us is tax-deductible. Contact the Voice

of Print of the Northwest Florida Radio Reading Service, Inc., fax (850) 944-3563,

(888) 941-2888 (toll free), twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Please leave your name and phone number.

Elected:

Mary Willows writes to report that the

Ala-Costa chapter of the NFB of California held elections on October 11, 1997.

The election results were as follows: President, Donna Sexton; Vice President,

Carolyn Truitt; Secretary, Mary Willows; Treasurer, Jim Willows; and Board Members,

Steve Peters and Lillian Richardson.

Graduate Training Available:

Louisiana Tech University, in cooperation

with the Louisiana Center for the Blind, is seeking qualified applicants interested

in a master's degree in orientation and mobility. Scholarships are available

for qualified applicants. This program is funded through the U.S. Department

of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, under an Experimental

and Innovative Training Grant. For more information contact Dr. Ruby Ryles,

(318) 251-2891.

Business Opportunity Available:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

Federation member Turley Richards, an

internationally known recording artist, songwriter, and producer, announces

a home business opportunity requiring only a telephone, computer or notetaker,

and the ability to talk to friends and acquaintances. There are no inventory,

meetings, and almost no paperwork. Having started in June of 1997, this network

marketing company is growing fast. People who get in early will almost certainly

make money. You will be a music promoter dealing in CDs; cassettes; music videos;

and, coming soon, CD-ROM products and movie videos.

For information call toll-free (888)

488-4889 and leave Turley Richards' code, AMI9599. If you need more information,

call him at (502) 452-9011. Internet address is www.bbtel.com/~dlarzin

The company Internet address is www.soundmarketin.net.The

upline is www.mjrgroup.com

For Sale:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

Do you experience cassette avalanches?

Here's the perfect remedy--the NFB of Illinois is selling cassette albums at

$3 each. These sturdy, attractive, white vinyl cassette albums hold twelve cassettes,

perfect for one year of the Braille Monitor. The album's spine is wide enough

to accommodate Braille labels, and it has a clear plastic sleeve for print label

inserts. Orders must be accompanied by a check or money order covering the number

of albums purchased. Make checks payable to NFB of Illinois. Send orders to

Stephen O. Benson, 7020 N. Tahoma Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60646. If you have

questions, please call (773) 594-9977.

Illinois Affiliate Meets:

Steve Benson, President of the NFB of

Illinois, reports that Federationists from seven states gathered at the Days

Inn in Belleville, Illinois, for the twenty-ninth annual convention of the NFB

of Illinois. President Marc Maurer participated fully in the convention agenda

and delivered a moving banquet address. Election results are as follows: Pam

Provost, Treasurer;

Elizabeth Browne, Secretary; and Bill

Reif and Kathie Mathis, Board members. Scholarship awards were presented to

Alma Hinkle, Lynn Gosling, Lois Montgomery, and Michelle Koedoot. The parents

chapter was infused with Federation energy and spirit by President Maurer and

by National Parents Division Second Vice President Carol Castellano. A solid

group of parents show real promise for the coming year. The NFB-I Student Chapter

election resulted in national scholarship winner Ameenah Ghoston's election

as President. She brings tremendous energy and good sense to the office. The

NFB of Illinois displayed an extraordinary exhibit called "Keeping in Touch

with the World" which consisted of rare historical maps, games, and tools

along with new and exciting educational material. Federationists left Belleville

looking forward to the Washington Seminar and the 1998 National Convention in

Dallas.

International Association of Assistance

Dog Partners to Meet:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

Ed Eames, President of the International

Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP), a cross-disability consumer

advocacy organization of people partnered with guide, hearing, and service dogs,

announces that the organization will hold its fourth annual conference in Orlando,

Florida, on Saturday, January 10, 1998. For registration and membership information

contact Joan Froling, P.O. Box 1326, Sterling Heights, Michigan 48311, (810)

826-3938.

For Sale:

We have been asked to list the following

items for sale:

"Moving with Marge," a 50-minute

exercise program on cassette tape, produced specifically for the blind and designed

to strengthen and tone all major muscle groups, $7.50; "Gospel Music,"

ten traditional country inspirational favorites sung by Ray and Lois Howard,

$7.50; Sunbeam Health Monitor (system with synthesized speech and visual display

measures blood pressure, weight, and temperature), $50; Fostec 250, 4-track

professional tape recorder with many features, $400; echo chamber, $140; twelve-band

equalizer, $60; volume pedal for use with electric guitar, etc., $60; and Yamaha

programmable rhythm section, $100. Those interested in any of these items may

contact Lois Howard at 61951 High Hill Road, Cambridge, Ohio 43725, (614) 432-2287.

For Sale:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

Reconditioned Perkins Braille writer

for sale. Cost is $350. Trade-in accepted. Payment plan negotiable. Call Nino

Pacini evenings and weekends at (313) 885-7330.

Holiday Cards Available:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

The Seeing Eye guide dog school offers

both traditional and whimsical holiday cards for sale. Both feature reproductions

of original watercolors commissioned by the school. "Holiday Hopes"

by Patti Falzarano features three realistically rendered Seeing Eye puppies

playing with a Seeing Eye harness, surrounded by a decorative border of dog

biscuits twined with red ribbon. The greeting says, "May all your hopes

and dreams come true."

"Special Delivery" by Pat Garhart,

depicts Santa Claus delivering a squirming sackful of stylized puppies to the

front door of the Seeing Eye. A few stragglers catch up through the snow on

the front path. The inside greeting says, "Delivering warm wishes for the

holidays."

Cards are packaged in boxes of 20 with

20 envelopes. Price is $13 per box plus $6.95 postage/handling for the first

box, $1.00 handling for each additional box. Orders paid by check or credit

card may be sent to the Seeing Eye, c/o Parcel Plus, Chester Springs Shopping

Center, Route 206, Chester, New Jersey 07930. Make checks payable to The Seeing

Eye; fax credit card orders to (908) 879-5661; or e-mail to [email protected]

Please provide your name, street address,

and telephone number and, for credit card orders, the type of card, card number,

and expiration date.

911 Dispatcher Training Course:

We have been asked to carry the following

announcement:

Over 300,000 Americans serve as police,

fire, or emergency medical dispatchers; and an increasing need for qualified,

professional public safety communicators is projected in the next century. With

quality training, appropriate access technology, and placement support, blind

people can be productive, valued contributors in virtually any public safety

communication center.

The Vantage Media Group, a new career

development organization founded by a blind dispatcher, invites 24 people to

San Antonio, Texas, to participate in four weeks of public-safety dispatcher

training. Two sessions incorporate internationally respected 40-hour certifying

courses along with several support elements. These sessions are scheduled for

January 5 through 30 and February 16 through March 13, 1998.

Students will learn the basics of the

communication center, the roles of the public safety dispatcher, interactive

instruction and emergency 911 call-taking, and radio communication techniques.

Also included are introductory classes on computer-aided dispatch systems and

regional and national law enforcement networks. Other topics include ethics,

liability, and stress management.

Supplementary courses delve into system-access

solutions, tactile and electronic mapping, and reasonable accommodation under

the ADA. Workshops on resume writing, networking, legal issues, and job-search

resources complement our 24-month student placement program.

Applicants must meet the following

minimum qualifications:

high school diploma or G.E.D.; good reading,

writing, and oral communication skills; typing speed of 35 net wpm; mastery

of either speech- and refreshable-Braille-output devices or screen magnification

aids; and capacity to pass criminal background and drug screening.

Total tuition cost of $3,995 includes

160 hours certifying public safety communications training, all training materials,

double-occupancy lodging, meals, and 24-month student placement program. Although

transportation during training is included, travel expenses to San Antonio are

not.

Class registration is first-come, first-serve;

and only twelve students will be accepted per session. The registration deadlines

for the January and February, 1998, sessions are December 1, 1997, and January

1, 1998, respectively. For student registration or other information, contact

Program Director Roderick Roberts at (888) 584-8753 or by fax at (210) 805-8830.

Internet e-mail should be sent to [email protected]

Oops:

Barbara Cheadle, Editor of Future

Reflections, the quarterly magazine of the National Organization of Parents

of Blind Children, recently received the following letter and clipping:

Cross Lanes, West Virginia

September 4, 1997

Dear Staff:

Enclosed please find a true-life funny

that appeared in our local newspaper, The Charleston Gazette, on April

17, 1997. I hope your readers will find it interesting.

Also let me say how much I enjoy reading

the magazine and how helpful it has been to me as Kanawha County Schools' only

Braille transcriptionist.

Thank you,

Kim Aaron

Kim Aaron, wife of TV newsman Bob Aaron,

works as a transcriptionist. She turns books into Braille for sight-challenged

children for Kanawha County schools.

The Aarons were going to a movie one

evening but couldn't decide which film to see. Dad and son Adam wanted to see

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and Mom wanted Sling Blade. They reached a compromise.

Mom was dropped off at Cinema 7, and Bob and Adam went on.

Kim, however, had to wait forty-five

minutes for her movie to begin. She came prepared. She had brought some Braille

lessons with her and sat in the dimly lit theater studying and awaiting the

start of the movie.

A half hour or so later, a couple of

women walked down the aisle. One of them stopped and said to the reading woman,

"Sweetie, it is too dark in here. You'll go blind reading that book."

The reader smiled at the woman and replied,

"It's Braille."

The woman turned to her companion, muttered

something about a "smart ass" and went to her seat.

By the way there's also a sequel to the

Kim Aaron story. After the movie she explained to the women what she was doing,

and they all had a good laugh about it.

"I guess," the transcriptionist

said, "you could say I have a real feel for what I do."

NFB PLEDGE

I pledge to participate actively in the

effort 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.