The Braille Monitor–March, 2001 Edition
Check Out <www.2001Everest.com>:
Our National Federation of the Blind 2001 Everest Expedition leaves Los Angeles on March 23 for Katmandu. Follow the trek to base camp and the effort to scale the world's highest mountain, on <2001everest.com>. Our prayers for safe climbing and good weather and our hopes for the team's success go with the team, the trekkers, and the Sherpa guides. Good luck!
New Babies!:
We are delighted to report that Monday evening, January 15, 2001, Suzy and Bennett Prows of Washington State became the proud parents of Laura Beverly and Elizabeth Eleanor. The girls were born at 9:00 and 9:01 p.m. Laura weighed five pounds one and six tenths ounces, and Elizabeth weighed five pounds eleven ounces. They measured eighteen and eighteen and a quarter inches long. Everybody, including big sister Rebecca, is doing well. Congratulations to the entire Prows family.
Hoping to Buy:
Mike Bowmer of Daytona Beach, Florida, wants to buy a voxcom, which is no longer made. If you have one that you would be interested in selling, call (904) 255-6453 or e-mail him at [email protected].
Haircuts and Categorical Services for the Blind:
Charles E. Young, Administrator of the Oregon Commission for the Blind in Portland, Oregon, submitted the following little meditation that may be of use to those of us fighting for services tailored to the needs of blind consumers.
Nothing is more basic, regardless of age (youth, working years, retirement), than the need for a good haircut, nor more universal than the woes of a bad one. Additionally, nothing is more common than the neighborhood barber shop. Although styles may change, the concept of cutting hair seems simple when compared to, say, teaching new skills and positive attitudes in adjusting to blindness. Yet it would seem foolish to assert that every barber should have the training, confidence, and supplies for cutting African-American hair. Even if all barbers were required to obtain such specialized training before licensing, most would lose this skill or interest if it were not in demand. As a result African-Americans seek out specialists, whom some would label "segregated" barbers, who have the unique experience, confidence, and skills necessary to cut and style their hair. Nothing less will do, so to speak. Similarly, for blind Americans nothing less than the training provided by specialized and confident professionals will cut it. You see, African-American hair is different from that of Caucasians, just as the unique training needs of blind people differ from those of all others, including people with other disabilities.
Graduate Scholarships Available:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement
The University of Arkansas, Little Rock (UALR), Department of Counseling, Adult and Rehabilitation Education (CARE) has a limited number of graduate-student scholarships that pay full tuition and a monthly stipend to help defray college expenses for students interested in master's degrees in orientation and mobility and/or rehabilitation teaching for people who are blind or visually impaired. The program can be completed on a full-time basis in fourteen to eighteen months and does not require GRE scores for entrance nor comprehensive examinations for exit. While these are non-traditional teaching disciplines, they do not require a teaching background for eligibility. If you are interested, call Dr. Bill Jacobson, O&M program coordinator at (501) 569-8505 or e-mail him at [email protected], or call Dr. Patricia Smith, RT program coordinator at (501) 569-3169 or e-mail her at [email protected].
Atlas of Western Europe Available:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
Atlas of Western Europe is a two-volume set of tactile maps covering twenty-one countries and their nearby territories. The British Isles, covered in a separate volume, are not included. Overall maps as well as maps of each individual country are included. The maps have considerable detail, and some experience with tactile maps is recommended.
Each country has an introductory page of facts, followed by a full-page map of the country showing physical features, cities, and towns of both political and historic importance. In addition, maps of the provinces, regions, or states are included for Spain, France, Germany, and Italy. Maps of off-shore territories, such as Greenland, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Madeira, and Corsica are also included under the appropriate country.
Atlas of Western Europe is bound in two volumes with cardboard covers and multi-ring binders. Cost is $25 for the set, individually $15 for Volume I and $11 for Volume II. Shipping is free-matter mail unless other arrangements are made. Please send check or purchase order to the Princeton Braillists, 28-B Portsmouth Street, Whiting, New Jersey 09759 or call (732) 350-3708.
2001 List of Available Tactile Drawings and Maps:
Basic Human Anatomy, Atlas of North and South America, Atlas of the Middle East, Maps of the Bible Lands (Old Testament), Maps of the British Isles, Maps of Morocco, Maps of Russia and Its Former Republics, and Maps of Individual United States (price of each state map booklet is $6, shipping by free mail).
Each booklet is bound with cardboard covers and a multi-ring binder. Send check or purchase order to the Princeton Braillists, 28-B Portsmouth Street, Whiting, New Jersey 09759. Credit card and fax service are not available. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery. Further information can be obtained by calling (609) 924-5207.
The Harvard Business Review Available on Tape:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
The Harvard Business Review is available from Vision Community Services in four-track, 15/16 ips format, two tapes per issue. The yearly subscription fee is $118, which now includes ten issues (an increase from six issues). Contact Robert Pierson at the Recording Studio, phone: (617) 972-9117, (800) 852-3029 (in Massachusetts), fax: (617) 926-1412, or e-mail: [email protected].
Books on Tape from Vision Community Services:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
Various books on tape including cookbooks, computer books, and general fiction/non-fiction works are available from Vision Community Services. A list is available in large print or cassette from the Recording Studio, VISION Community Services, 23A Elm Street, Watertown, Massachusetts 02472 or call (617) 972-9117.
Elected:
At the January, 2001, meeting of the Seattle Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington annual elections were conducted. The results were as follows: Dan Frye, President; Mark Noble, First Vice President; Josie Armantrout, Second Vice President; Renee West, Secretary; Doug Johnson, Treasurer; and Yelana Semenyuk and Bo Donaho, Board Members.
Correction:
In the January issue we reported the election results for the National Federation of the Blind of California election which took place in November, 2000. The election of Sybil Irvin to fill an unexpired Board term was accidentally omitted. We regret the error.
In Memoriam:
We recently learned with sadness that longtime Federationist Diane Hayes died of a heart attack on December 18, 2000.� She had been active in the Federation since 1972.� She lived in Portland, Oregon, and served for many years as President of the Rose City Chapter. She also served several terms on the NFB of Oregon Board of Directors. She had been in declining health for some time.
Braille Bible Concordance Needed:
The librarian at the Louisiana Center for the Blind would like to purchase the ten-volume Braille edition of Strong's Bible Concordance, embossed by the Braille Bible Foundation. If you have this concordance and would like to sell it, please contact Jerry Whittle at (318) 251-2891 or write to Jerry at 101 S. Trenton Street, Ruston, Louisiana 71270.
Anophthalmia/Microphthalmia Conference:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
The Second International Anophthalmia/Microphthalmia (A/M) Conference will be held in Chicago, Illinois, from April 20 to 22, 2001. The conference will be hosted by the International Children's Anophthalmia Network (ICAN), a parent support group for A/M. Both parents and professionals are welcome. Updates on treatment, research, and the genetics of A/M will be provided. Other events include educational seminars, a parent/professional panel, and medical consultations. This conference will provide opportunities for families to establish support networks. The keynote speaker will be a lawyer who has bilateral microphthalmia.
For additional information and registration materials for the conference, please contact Mary Dwyer at Albert Einstein Medical Center, 5501 Old York Road, Levy 2 West, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19141; (215) 456-8722; E-mail: [email protected].
CNIB President and CEO Job Search:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
When you try to describe the scope of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, you can consider its hundred-thousand clients, its position as one of Canada's largest not-for-profit organizations, or its resolute leadership as an innovator and groundbreaker. No matter which perspective you choose, the CNIB is an exciting and vibrant organization.
With an annual budget of $70 million Canadian, 1,200 employees, and 20,000 volunteers, the President and CEO has a leadership mandate of formidable complexity and opportunity. As demand for the CNIB and its services increases, you will build and strengthen its infrastructure to respond. Coach and mentor your teams. Lead and counsel the geographic divisions and the CNIB Library for the Blind. Be a passionate and compelling voice within the community, the corporate sector, and the fund-development world. Apply your energy, insight, and integrity to the expansion of research, program development, and client services.
As a blind or visually impaired executive, you have excelled in the private or not-for-profit sector on the strength of your ability to galvanize and inspire an organization. An inclusive leader, a relationship-builder and an effective communicator (ideally in both English and French), you have all of the requisite aptitude, skill, and enthusiasm to lead a benchmark organization. To apply confidentially for this position, please visit the Opportunities section of www.caldwell.ca; e-mail to [email protected]; write to 64 Prince Arthur Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 1B4; or fax to (416) 922.8646; in applying, quote Project 6850.
I Can See Books:
We have been asked to carry the following announcement:
For over ten years I Can See Books (The Braille Bookstore) has been producing high-quality, low-cost Braille and Print/Braille books for all ages. We're now back with a new look and feel, and our Web site is better than ever. Our brand new, state-of-the-art online shopping cart makes it a breeze to browse through our 2001 catalog of more than 400 books and pick out the ones you're looking for. Our wide selection of titles includes dozens of books in the Dr. Seuss, Madeline, and Magic Tree House series; classics such as Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, and Heidi for older readers; and numerous mysteries, cookbooks, and guide dog books for adults. Perhaps best of all, each one of our books is available in both Grade I and Grade II Braille. Stop by www.braillebookstore.com and check us out.
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.