From NABlindVets at aol.com Thu Jan 10 01:53:21 2013 From: NABlindVets at aol.com (NABlindVets at aol.com) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2013 20:53:21 -0500 (EST) Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Fwd: Cent. FL Upcoming military, veteran, and patriotic events Message-ID: Dwight D. Sayer National President, The National Association of Blind Veterans A Division of the NFB Email - presidentnabv at aol.com or president at nabv.org Web Site - _www.nabv.org_ (http://www.nabv.org/) ____________________________________ From: chaynes11629 at yahoo.com To: chaynes11629 at yahoo.com Sent: 1/9/2013 7:25:22 P.M. Eastern Standard Time Subj: Cent. FL Upcoming military, veteran, and patriotic events Upcoming military, veterans and patriotic events in Central Florida January 2013 If you wish to be removed from the email list, just let me know. Please share with your friends and interested others. Post where appropriate. Florida United Numismatics (FUN) show at the Orange County Convention Center, Thurs. Jan 10 ? Sun. Jan 13. Even though this is the nation?s largest coin/paper money show, don?t be misled ? many other items are present including military and patriotic items, international monies. Lots to see and learn, sell or buy! Thurs ? Sat 10am -6:30pm, Sun 10am ? 3pm. Free Admission but convention center parking is abt $9. www.funtopics.com/ Benefit for wounded Army Green Beret warrior ? Sat. Jan 12. Orlando Rocks for SPC Josh Burnett with a major 3-hour Gala Extravaganza Show at VFW Post 4287, 3500 S. Goldenrod Rd, Orlando, 32822. Doors open 1:30 pm, National Anthem at 14:15. Tickets $25, limited seating. Semper Fidelis America is assisting; much hard work and organizing from Mary Ingrassia. Contact: 407-273-6581 or Mary at letsneverforgetthem at yahoo.com Info available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyjXrP3MCWw Home at Last Welcoming Ceremony - Oakland on Sun. Jan. 13 at 2 pm at Tanner Hall, 29 Garden Ave, Winter Garden, 34787. The welcoming reception is free and open to the public. Marine Cpl. Ronald Clayton "CJ" Barnes Jr. (another wounded veteran) and his wife, Katy, will be welcomed to the West Orange community of Oakland. The Barnes couple, originally from West Palm Beach, will soon become a family as they are expecting their first child in March. They will receive the 5th mortgage-free, disability-friendly home in Oakland from the West Orange Habitat for Humanity's wounded veteran project, Home at Last. Congressman Daniel Webster will be at the welcoming, and he will present a flag that has flown over the capital to CJ Barnes. Commissioner Scott Boyd will also be in attendance, as well as area town mayors. There will also be a Marine color guard, a guest speaker, and warriors from Cpl. Barnes service group. Contributions to the project are very welcomed and Cpl. Barnes? story can be read at: http://www.westorangehabitat.org/home-last-2013 Florida Association of Veteran Owned Businesses (FAVOB) ? meeting on Wed. Jan 16 at 11:30 am, at Fraternal Order of Eagles, Aerie 3496 Lodge, 1900 S. Goldenrod Ave., Orlando, 32822. Strength in numbers for all veteran (including service disabled veterans) owned businesses. Provides networking and awareness of local and state contacts and contracts. Contact vicechairman at favob.org 407-394-4754. Central Florida Scottish Highland Games ?Sat. and Sun. Jan. 19 - 20, Central Winds Park, 1000 E. Highway 434, Winter Springs, 32708. Hours: Sat 8am ? 9pm, Sun 8:30 am ? 5pm Variable priced Tickets: $5 to $20, free parking. Many ?First Responders? participate in bagpipe bands, Scottish athletics. You don?t have to have Scottish lineage to enjoy these increasingly popular Games! Dancing, clan tents, food, vendors, LOTS of fun and music from ?Albannach?, Celtic rock group ?Rathkeltair?, ?The Wyndbreakers? and more! http://www.flascot.com/ Country Night at the Bunker on Sat. Jan. 26. ? Featuring band Slick 50, 6pm ? 10pm; Dinner at 5pm is a pulled pork meal ($6) but RSVP?s requested by Jan. 19 to JoAnne at 508-523-7192 or po87jcb at yahoo.com Cpl. Larry E. Smedley National Vietnam War Museum (aka ?The Bunker?) - at 3400 North Tanner Road, Orlando, FL 32826. New website at: http://www.bunkerflorida.org (Event flyer available) Casino Night on Sat. Feb. 23, 4pm ? 10pm. MAJOR fund raising effort for the Cpl. Larry E. Smedley National Vietnam War Museum (aka ?The Bunker?) that operates solely on donations. Dinner at 4pm, tables (Blackjack, Texas Holdem, Let it Ride, LCR) open from 5 ? 8 pm followed by Chinese Auction to use your winning chips - at 3400 North Tanner Road Orlando, FL 32826. New website at: http://www.bunkerflorida.org (event flyer available) 4th Annual Ride for the Stone on Sat. Mar. 2 ? Fund raising effort to provide grave site markers for parents who lose a child and cannot afford a cemetery marker. All vehicles welcome, $10 per person. (Event flyer available) Two starting points at 10:30 ? your choice of Winter Garden or Deland; Last stop at 3:30 at the ?Bunker? - Cpl. Larry E. Smedley National Vietnam War Museum at 3400 North Tanner Road Orlando, FL 32826. Food, drinks, 50/50 draw and live music. For more information: email bradsummersill at aol.com or 407-256-9360. Tico Warbird Airshow - March 22, 23 and 24 in Titusville. Advance tickets available ? 321-268-1941 Info: www.vacwarbirds.org/ Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum - 6600 Tico Road, Titusville, FL 32780 Open 7 DAYS A WEEK 9am ? 5pm EXTRAS of Interest: ? American Warrior Radio Show from 11am-noon EDT on Saturdays, radio station WMEL - AM 1300 Nationwide broadcast: www.1300wmel.com ? iamveteran.com - ?A one stop resource for ALL veterans nationwide who are transitioning from military to civilian life.? There are resources for all veterans, postings for new benefits, jobs, and more! ? WoundedTimes.blogspot.com - Veterans News Service covering news that matters to veterans and their families. Local, state and national news and events ? especially with videos involving Central Florida military and veterans. Dedicated to defeating Combat PTS. ? Shades of Green Resort ? Armed Forces Recreation Center on Disney property provides various packages for active duty, reservists, guardmen, 100% service connected disabled, and retired military personnel and their families. Go to www.shadesofgreen.org for information. Special discounts for rooms may be available based on occupancy levels, and special ticket rates. (407) 824-3400 ? Vet Centers are available for combat zone veterans to help with personal and family readjustment counseling and outreach services. The nearest centers are located in Orlando, Melbourne, Clermont, and Daytona Beach. www.vetcenter.va.gov/ Cpl. Larry E. Smedley National Vietnam War Museum (aka ?The Bunker?) - at 3400 North Tanner Road Orlando, FL 32826. New website at: http://www.bunkerflorida.org The museum is a place full of knowledge, experiences, and memories. It is here that you will discover many unique and historical artifacts of the Vietnam Era. Open to the public with FREE admission on Saturdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm, and Sundays from 10:00pm to 4:00pm. Private and educational tours can be scheduled with prior agreement and confirmation with the museums staff. Hours of operation are subject to change due to restoration in progress. Museum of Military History ?5210 West Irlo Bronson Highway - located west of SR 535 on SR 192 Kissimmee, FL ? near the Poinciana Blvd. intersection on the south side of the road. http://www.museumofmilitaryhistory.com/ "Educating the world about the cost of freedom" with educational exhibits starting with the Civil War, incorporating World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and leading the visitor up to the most current pages of our military history in Afghanistan and Iraq. Hours of 10 am to 6 pm on Tuesdays thru Sunday (Closed Mondays.) For more information call 407 507-3894 *Note: If you or your friends have military items that may not mean much to your other family members, please consider donating them or placing them "on permanent loan" with a Museum for safekeeping. Others may appreciate their historical significance, and it will keep them out of potential landfills. If possible please include the story of the item. I am now accepting information about organizations planning public events that involve military, veterans or patriotic themes. Please include date, location, time, and a point of contact (name, email, phone). Other people cannot attend if they don?t know about the event! Caring and sharing, Cathy Haynes Member/supporter of numerous veterans and military organizations 407-239-8468 From MisterAdvocate at aol.com Thu Jan 10 16:49:30 2013 From: MisterAdvocate at aol.com (MisterAdvocate at aol.com) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:49:30 -0500 (EST) Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Attend the National Labor Exchange Military Online Career Fair - Jan... Message-ID: ____________________________________ ____________________________________ From: Dalene.Renfroe at va.gov Sent: 1/10/2013 10:25:28 A.M. Eastern Standard Time Subj: FW: Attend the National Labor Exchange Military Online Career Fair - January 17 from 12-3 PM Eastern Time Here is another means of job search for veterans that they can participate in, on line. Please get this info to any vets you know that need employment assistance. Thanks, This could be an excellent job search tool, one that you may not have thought about previously. Please consider registering and viewing this event. Please forward this invitation to all the veterans, servicemembers and their families who are looking for jobs. Also, feel free to forward it to employers you know who may also be interested in participating. Thanks for your support in helping veterans connect to employers for current job opportunities! The National Labor Exchange Military Online Career Fair You're invited to attend our Military Online Career Fair on Thursday, January 17 from 12-3 PM (EST) hosted by DirectEmployers Association and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) exclusively for veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and military families nationwide! Come chat directly with recruiters from companies representing the Fortune 1000 corporations and smaller employers that are actively seeking candidates from the military and veteran community. Through State Workforce Agencies, veterans can access job search assistance, resume assistance, labor market information, career counseling, job referral, and referral to other supportive and training resources. Contact your _State Workforce Agency_ (http://www.servicelocator.org/) . Job seekers can register for this no-cost event here: _https://www.brazenconnect.com/event/directemployers_january_17_ (https://www.brazenconnect.com/event/directemployers_january_17) Employers can register here: _https://www.brazenconnect.com/event/directemployers_january_17/employer_ (https://www.brazenconnect.com/event/directemployers_january_17/employer) HOW WILL THE EVENT WORK? This _Military Online Career Fair_ (http://www.brazenconnect.com/event/directemployers_january_17) is the most efficient and effective way to engage directly with employers about future career opportunities. As soon as you register for the event, you'll be able to view the booths of all employers in attendance. During the live event, you'll be able to join an employer's booth and have the opportunity to chat one-on-one with a recruiter from that company. At that time, you'll be able to talk about your background and experience, as well as ask questions. We recommend not waiting for them to chat ? introduce yourself right away! After the chat is over, you'll be able to go back to the Event Lobby and get in line at other employers' booths! Don't miss your chance to find your next great opportunity! _Register_ (http://www.brazenconnect.com/event/directemployers_january_17) for our virtual military job fair today! Email questions to _careerfairs at directemployers.org_ (http://us.mc1847.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=careerfairs at directemployers.org) . Thank you! From MisterAdvocate at aol.com Wed Jan 23 20:22:33 2013 From: MisterAdvocate at aol.com (MisterAdvocate at aol.com) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:22:33 -0500 (EST) Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Washington Seminar Materials Message-ID: <12a87.143403e8.3e31a089@aol.com> ____________________________________ From: dandrews at visi.com To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org Sent: 1/21/2013 3:27:42 P.M. Eastern Standard Time Subj: [Nfbnet-members-list] Washington Seminar Materials Since some people had problems opening up the attachments which were sent out yesterday -- I am resending the material with everything in the body of this message. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused any of you. David Andrews Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans: Priorities for the 113th Congress, FIRST Session The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the nation?s oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind people. As the voice of the nation?s blind, we represent the collective views of blind people throughout society. All of our leaders and the vast majority of our members are blind, but anyone can participate in our movement. There are an estimated 1.3 million blind people in the United States, and every year approximately 75,000 Americans become blind. The NFB?s three legislative initiatives for 2013 are: ? The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act This legislation phases out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows employers to pay disabled workers subminimum wages. By ending this exploitative, discriminatory practice, disabled Americans will receive equal protection under the law to earn at least the federal minimum wage and reach their full employment potential. ? The Technology, Education and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act Electronic instructional materials and related technology have replaced traditional methods of learning in postsecondary settings. Although it would be inexpensive to create e-books, courseware, applications, and other educational devices and materials in accessible formats, the overwhelming majority of these materials are inaccessible to disabled students. This bill calls for minimum accessibility standards for instructional materials, ending the ?separate but equal? approach to learning. ? Equal Access to Air Travel for Service-Disabled Veterans (HR 164) The Space Available Program allows active-duty military, Red Cross employees, and retired members of the armed services to travel on military aircraft if there is space available. HR 164 reverses the exclusion of 100 percent service-disabled veterans who were discharged before retirement and entitles them to the program?s privileges. The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight; it is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exist. Given the proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a physical nuisance. Blind Americans need your help to achieve these goals and reach economic security and full integration into society. Supporting these measures will benefit more than just the blind, as promoting our economic welfare increases the tax base. We urge Congress to hear our demands for equality and support these legislative initiatives. The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013 Current labor laws unjustly prohibit workers with disabilities from reaching their full socioeconomic potential. Written in 1938, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) discriminates against people with disabilities by allowing the secretary of labor to grant Special Wage Certificates to employers, permitting them to pay workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage. Despite enlightened civil rights legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, this antiquated provision is still in force, with some disabled workers making only three cents an hour. The subminimum wage model actually benefits the employer, not the worker. Subminimum wage employers receive taxpayer and philanthropic dollars because the public believes they are providing training and employment for people with disabilities. The executives use the substantial proceeds to compensate themselves with six-figure salaries on the backs of disabled workers they pay pennies per hour. People who raise their own standard of living while taking advantage of those who do not have the same rights as every other American are engaging in discrimination, not charity. This discrimination persists because of the myths that Section 14(c) is: Myth 1?a compassionate offering of meaningful work. Although the entities that engage in this practice demand the benefits that come from being recognized as employers, subminimum wage work is not true employment. These so-called employers offer days filled with only repetitive drudgery for which workers are compensated with third-world wages, leading disabled employees toward learned incapacity and greater dependence on social programs. Myth 2?an employment training tool for disabled workers. Fewer than 5 percent of workers with disabilities in subminimum wage workshops will transition into integrated competitive work. In fact data show that they must unlearn the skills they acquire in a subminimum wage workshop in order to obtain meaningful employment. Therefore Section 14(c) is a training tool that perpetuates ongoing underemployment. Myth 3?a controversial issue among the disability community. More than fifty disability-related organizations and counting support the repeal of Section 14(c) of the FLSA, and many former subminimum wage employers have abandoned the use of the Special Wage Certificate without terminating anyone. Only entities profiting from this exploitive practice refuse to acknowledge that it is discrimination. The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013: Discontinues the practice of issuing Special Wage Certificates. The secretary of labor will no longer issue Special Wage Certificates to new applicants. Phases out all remaining Special Wage Certificates over a three-year period. Entities currently holding Special Wage Certificates will begin compensating their workers with disabilities at no less than the federal minimum wage, using the following schedule: ? private for-profit entities? certificates will be revoked after one year; ? public or governmental entities? certificates will be revoked after two years; and ? nonprofit entities? certificates will be revoked after three years. Repeals Section 14(c) of the FLSA. Three years after the law is enacted, the practice of paying disabled workers subminimum wages will be officially abolished, and workers with disabilities will no longer be excluded from the workforce protection of a federal minimum wage. STOP THE DISCRIMINATION. Create opportunities for real work at real wages. Cosponsor the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. For more information contact: Anil Lewis, Director of Advocacy and Policy National Federation of the Blind Phone: (410) 659-9314, Extension 2374 email: _alewis at nfb.org_ (mailto:alewis at nfb.org) The Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act (TEACH) Inaccessible technology in the classroom creates a separate-but-equal approach to learning that discriminates against disabled students. The evolution of technology has fundamentally changed the education system. The scope of instructional materials used to facilitate the teaching and learning process at institutions of higher education has expanded. Curricular content comes in the form of digital books, PDFs, webpages, etc.; and most of this content is delivered through technology such as courseware, library databases, digital software, and applications. These advancements have revolutionized access to information, but the majority of these materials are partially or completely inaccessible to students with disabilities. Barriers to access for disabled students create a separate-but-equal approach to learning. According to a 2009 Government Accountability Office report, approximately 10.8 percent of students enrolled in postsecondary institutions had some disability. The mass deployment of inaccessible electronic instructional materials creates barriers to learning for millions of disabled students. When a website is not compatible with screen-access software, a blind student is denied access to online course information; if nondisabled students are using an inaccessible e-reader, a student who cannot read print has to petition the school for an accessible device and thus potentially different content. This approach to access is discriminatory and places unnecessary barriers in the way of students with disabilities. Technology exists to remedy this discrimination, but postsecondary institutions are not investing in accessibility. Innovations in text-to-speech, refreshable Braille, and other technologies have created promise for equal access for disabled students; yet an unacceptable number of postsecondary institutions do not make it a priority to purchase accessible technology. Schools are buying inaccessible instructional materials and then separate, accessible items on an ad-hoc basis for students with disabilities. Some resort merely to retrofitting the inaccessible technology, which sometimes makes accessibility worse. Until postsecondary institutions harness their purchasing power, the market for accessible instructional materials will remain limited, and disabled students will continue to be left behind. Equality in the classroom is a civil right. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. The deployment of inaccessible instructional materials violates these laws. Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act: Develops accessibility guidelines for instructional materials. The Access Board will consult experts and stakeholders to develop technical specifications for electronic instructional materials and related information technologies so that those materials are usable by individuals with disabilities. Establishes a minimum accessibility standard for instructional materials used by the government and in postsecondary academic settings. The Department of Justice will implement the guidelines developed by the Access Board as enforceable standards applicable to all departments and agencies of the federal government and institutions of higher education covered in Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Promotes competition while ensuring equality. The guidelines provide guidance to manufacturers on how to develop products that are fully accessible to disabled users, and the required standards will ensure that all colleges, universities, and federal agencies procure and deploy only fully accessible instructional materials, ending the separate-but-equal approach to learning. PROTECT EQUALITY IN THE CLASSROOM. Cosponsor the Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act (TEACH). For more information contact: Lauren McLarney, Government Affairs Specialist National Federation of the Blind Phone: (410) 659-9314, Extension 2207 email: lmclarney at nfb.org Equal Access to Air Travel for Service-Disabled Veterans (HR 164) The Space Available Program denies 100 percent of Service-Disabled Veterans the opportunity to participate. Discharged service-disabled veterans are not entitled to air travel privileges to which other members of the military have access. The Space Available Program allows members of the active military, some family members, Red Cross employees, and retired members of the armed services to travel on military aircraft if space is available. However, members of the military who are 100 percent service disabled do not qualify for this program because they do not fall into one of those categories. This unintentional exclusion denies discharged service-disabled veterans a privilege to which they would be entitled had they not been disabled during service. Those service members who are disabled during active duty and are medically discharged do not have the chance to stay on active duty or fulfill the twenty years requirement to become qualified for this program. Had they not been medically discharged, 100 percent service-disabled veterans are likely to have served until retirement. These men and women have earned the right to space-available travel just as others have because they have defended our country. Equal Access to Air Travel for Service-Disabled Veterans would: Provide travel privileges to totally disabled veterans. This bill amends Title 10 of the U.S. Code, to permit veterans who have a service-connected, permanent disability rated as total to travel on military aircraft in the same manner and to the same extent as retired members of the Armed Forces entitled to such travel. HONOR OUR SERVICE-DISABLED VETERANS WITH PRIVILEGES THEY ARE ENTITLED TO. Cosponsor HR 164. To cosponsor the bill, contact: Mirium Keim, Legislative Assistant Office of Congressman Bilirakis (R-FL) Phone: (202) 225-5755 email: _mirium.keim at mail.house.gov_ (mailto:mirium.keim at mail.house.gov) For more information contact: Jesse Hartle, Government Affairs Specialist National Federation of the Blind Phone: (410) 659-9314, Extension 2233 email: _jhartle at nfb.org_ (mailto:jhartle at nfb.org) _______________________________________________ Nfbnet-members-list mailing list Nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org