[Cinci-nfb] FW: Fall Newsletter
Deborah Kendrick
dkkendrick at earthlink.net
Tue Sep 16 21:55:37 UTC 2014
I am sending this out to the whole chapter, just in case you did not get it
indivdually.
This is our newsletter, edited by Barbara Pierce. It has sme great stuff in
it, so read on.
Deborah
From: Eric Duffy [mailto:peduffy63 at gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 2:36 PM
To: Capital Chapter (Columbus, Ohio) Mailing List
Subject: Fwd: Fall Newsletter
Begin forwarded message:
From: National Federation of the Blind Ohio <peduffy63 at gmail.com>
Subject: Fall Newsletter
Date: September 16, 2014 at 1:48:20 PM EDT
To: peduffy63 at gmail.com
Reply-To: peduffy63 at gmail.com
Test of Buckeye Bulletin. The link was correct. I turned it into a hyperlink
too.
_____
Image removed by sender. National Federation of the Blind Ohio
National Federation of the Blind Ohio
FALL 2014
Buckeye Bulletin
A publication of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
Barbara Pierce, Editor
237 Oak Street
Oberlin, OH 44074
bpierce at oberlin.net
http://www.nfbohio.org
(440) 774-8077
Eric Duffy, President
(614) 935-6965 (NFB-O Office)
Peduffy63 at gmail.com
P.O. Box 82055, Columbus, OH 43202
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.
The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio is a 501 (c) 3
consumer organization comprised of blind and sighted people committed to
changing what it means to be blind. Though blindness is still all too often
a tragedy to those who face it, we know from our personal experience that
with training and opportunity it can be reduced to the level of a physical
nuisance. We work to see that blind people receive the services and training
to which they are entitled and that parents of blind children receive the
advice and support they need to help their youngsters grow up to be happy,
productive adults. We believe that first-class citizenship means that people
have both rights and responsibilities, and we are determined to see that
blind people become first-class citizens of these United States, enjoying
their rights and fulfilling their responsibilities. The most serious
problems we face have less to do with our lack of vision than with
discrimination based on the public's ignorance and misinformation about
blindness. Join us in educating Ohioans about the abilities and aspirations
of Ohio's blind citizens. We are changing what it means to be blind.
The NFB of Ohio has nine local chapters, one for at-large
members, and special divisions for diabetics, merchants, students, seniors,
parents of blind children, guide dog users, and those interested in Braille.
This newsletter appears three times a year and is circulated by email,
posted on NFB-NEWSLINE®, our digitized newspaper-reading service by phone,
and can be read or downloaded from our website, www.nfbohio.org. For
information about the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio or to make
address changes or be added to the mailing list, call (440) 774-8077 or
email bpierce at oberlin.net. For information about NFB-NEWSLINE, our free
digitized newspaper-reading service, call (866) 504-7300. Local NEWSLINE
numbers are: 330-247-1241 (Akron), 330-409-1900 (Canton), 513-297-1521
(Cincinnati), 216-453-2090 (Cleveland), and 614-448-1673 (Columbus).
The NFB now has a vehicle donation program. For complete information go to
<www.nfb.org/vehicledonations> or call our toll-free vehicle donation number
(855) 659-9314.
Table of Contents
>From the President's Desk
by Eric Duffy
Editor's Musings
by Barbara Pierce
The 68th NFB of Ohio Convention
An Opportunity for Learning, Fun, and Fellowship
by Karen Warner
Introducing the Holiday Inn, Worthington
by Barbara Pierce
Bells Ring Again in Columbus
Reflections of a White Cane Guy
by David Cohen
The NSB of Ohio 2014 Scholarship Winners
by Deborah Kendrick
The Road Lies Ahead
Empowering Blind Youth to Renew Camp Experience
by Kaiti Shelton
Why Braille
by Deborah Kendrick
Buckeye Briefs
Activities Calendar
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
2014 Convention Preregistration Form
>From the President's Desk
by Eric Duffy
At a recent gathering of BSVI counselors I was asked why
vocational rehabilitation counselors should attend the conventions of
consumer organizations. Much of my response applies to everyone with an
interest in blindness. Some of what I said was specific to counselors, but I
think the question is worth contemplating for all of us.
From an early age I recognized that jobs were important. I would
hear people ask my dad what he did for a living. Later people asked me what
my dad's job was. For many years now one of the first questions I'm asked
when meeting someone new is either do I work or what do I do for a living.
More often than not I am actually asked if I work. It is generally presumed
that a working-age, nondisabled person has a job. My guess is that one who
fits in that category is rarely asked whether or not he or she works. In any
case a large part of one's identity is wrapped up in what one does for a
living.
Those charged with the responsibility of helping people train,
prepare for, and find jobs have a heavy burden to bear if they take that
responsibility seriously. This is even more true for those working with
blind job seekers because the needs of the blind are highly specialized and
often misunderstood.
My observation is that most BSVI counselors have very little
interaction with blind people outside of their direct working relationship.
It seems to me that, in order to know what blind people are really capable
of accomplishing, this contact with the blind has to be vastly expanded. I
have had counselors tell me that they don't understand how I do all of the
traveling I do. They have asked how I handle the airports, hotels, and
unfamiliar cities. When participating in a convention, one can't help
learning how blind people get things done.
We are often asked to serve on task forces and advisory bodies
and testify at hearings or write letters in support of the OOD. We certainly
should do these things, but the support cannot be one-sided. Whether the
agency knows it or not, it is in its best interest to have strong consumer
organizations of the blind. Counselors should do what they can to understand
what we are about and help us build our organization. Dr. Jernigan used to
point out that, when a state agency is under fire, weak consumer
organizations will be of no help. That is the moment when counselors and
administrators want and need strong, articulate, passionate consumers to
stand up and tell legislators just why the agency needs funds and political
friends and fight to win them.
We change attitudes about blindness every day, and we help
change the lives of blind people. We raise their expectations of themselves
and their state agency. This is not something for an agency to be afraid of
or discourage.
So what should each of us be doing before convention? We should
certainly urge chapter members to attend convention. We should tell them how
much fun and inspiration are to be found there. We should answer their
questions and soothe away their doubts about their ability to move around
the hotel and get where they want to go. But we should do more. If we are in
contact with BSVI counselors, we should invite them to the convention. Give
them a printout of this article and the convention information in this
newsletter. We should be prepared to put the case for their attending part
or all of the convention. We have every reason to be proud of our annual
convention. We know firsthand that conventions change lives; they can also
change the attitudes of the counselors who make decisions that change our
lives.
You may have noticed new language at the front of this
newsletter. It is the brief message that we are using to explain what the
National Federation of the Blind is and does. It also explains why we gather
to gain strength and inspiration from each other. I close this column with
these sentences because their message should inspire all BSVI counselors to
attend our convention. The National Federation of the Blind knows that
blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every
day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations
create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life
you want; blindness is not what holds you back.
With these things in mind, I think the better question is why
shouldn't counselors participate in our convention. In fact, I believe that
participating in local, state, and National meetings of the blind should be
a part of the continuing education requirement for counselors.
-----
Editor's Musings
by Barbara Pierce
It shouldn't be news to anyone that the NFB of Ohio is in a deep
financial hole. We have cut corners to an astonishing degree, and Eric and I
have talked about fundraising till we are blue in the face. Those who know
what they are talking about in fundraising tell us that, short of discoving
a wealthy uncle to underwrite our budget or coming up with the equivolent to
the ALS Foundation's IceBucket Challenge, our best bet is to conduct a
fairly spectacular event with sponsors and some headlining attraction and
throw in an auction. Such an event requires that lots of people come and
have a good time spending money. Planning such an evening has always struck
us as a lot of time, trouble, and risk, but it has come to the point that we
don't have any choice but to try.
We have chosen the first night of our state convention as the
time and place. The good news is that it is October 31, which means that it
will fall into Meet the Blind Month. The attraction is Art Schreiber, who is
flying in from Colorado to be with us that evening and the remainder of the
weekend. Art chairs the New Mexico Comission for the Blind. He is a blind
guy who has worked in radio all of his career. He got his start in
Zanesville and worked for a while for WKYC in Cleveland.
Fifty years ago he was assigned to travel for two weeks with the
Beatles on their first American tour. He has written a book about his life
that talks some about his experience. He has wonderful stories and anecdotes
about that tour, and he will be talking about his experience that evening.
Our hope is to attract Beatles fans. In addition we will have music from the
British Invasion provided by the John Schwab Band. In addition we plan a
silent auction.
If your reaction is that this sounds like a lot of work, you are
right. We are approaching businesses and corporations for sponsorships at
various financial levels. These sponsors will sbe given free tickets to the
event and advertising in the program for the weekend. The catch is that we
need everyone's help and support. Who do you know who might be willing to
sponsor the event? What about providing auction items for the display? We
all have contacts. The question is to come up with who might sponsor and who
might donate? But one thing is certain: they will not take part in the event
if we do not invite them to do so.
I hope that no one will dismiss this column thinking that this
plea is aimed at other people. I am asking you what contacts you have. Who
might be a sponsor or might contribute a quality item to the auction? Then,
when you have come up with ideas, go talk with the company. Here is the
notice that we are circulating. You can print it up and take it with you, or
you can ask Eric to send a PDF version that you can print and take with you.
The ball is in your court.
-----
The Blind of Ohio Are Counting on Your Support
The annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio will
be the largest gathering of blind people in the state this year. We are
asking businesses for support in a way that we have never done before. We
are bringing in an audience on Friday evening that we have never had, and we
want to give business leaders and owners the opportunity to reach this
audience.
Art Schreiber, a reporter who traveled with the Beatles for two weeks during
their first American tour fifty years ago, will tell stories and recount
anecdotes about the Fab Four. The John Schwab Band will play golden oldies
of the period, and we will have a silent auction.
We invite your support at one of the following levels:
* White Cane Sponsor: $4,000 and above (25 complimentary tickets).
Additional tickets
* may be purchased at a discounted price.
* Platinum Sponsor: $3,000 to $3,999 (20 complimentary tickets).
Additional tickets may
* be purchased at a discounted price.
* Gold Sponsor: $2,000 to $2,999 (15 complimentary tickets).
Additional tickets may be
* purchased at a discounted price.
* Silver Sponsor: $1,000 to $1,999 (10 complimentary tickets)
Additional tickets may be
* purchased at a discounted price.
* Bronze Sponsor: $500 to $999 (5 complimentary tickets). Additional
tickets may be
* purchased at a discounted price.
* Friend of the Blind: $25 to $499 (for a tax deductible donation at
this level we will list
* your name in the program)
Because we are a not-for-profit organization under Internal Revenue Service
Code 501(C3), all contributions are tax deductible. All sponsors will be
listed in our program in every available format, including Braille. All
sponsors will be mentioned at various times throughout the weekend, but of
course the level of sponsorship you provide determines how much advertising
you will receive. White Cane sponsors will have the opportunity to address
the Convention should they wish to do so.
The Convention will take place Friday, October 31, through noon Sunday,
November 2, at the Holiday Inn, Worthington, 7007 North High Street.
For more information contact Eric Duffy peduffy63 at gmail.com (614) 935-6965
P.O. Box 82055
Columbus, Ohio, 43202
www.nfbohio.org
The 68th NFB of Ohio Convention
An Opportunity for Learning, Fun, and Fellowship
by Karen Warner
Editor's note: Karen Warner chairs our Convention Arrangements
Committee. Here are her reminders about the NFB of Ohio convention October
31 to November 2:
It is nowSeptember, and we are looking forward to the state
convention taking place in the Columbus area. We will be at the Holiday Inn,
Worthington, 7007 North High Street. This convention promises to be one of
our best ever. We will have a jam-packed agenda with plenty to do for
everyone. It will be a great opportunity for learning, fun, and fellowship.
Preregister for the convention now and save.
The board meeting will begin at 11:00 a.m., and Eric assures us
that it will last only an hour. The opening first convention session will be
called to order on Friday afternoon. This will be an abreviated session so
that committee meetings that normally take place Friday evening can be held
late Friday afternoon.
On Friday evening we are going to have a fundraising event of a
magnitude that we have never tried before. Arthur Schreiber, a former radio
reporter who traveled with the Beatles during their first United States
tour, will tell us how Ohio's own John Glenn helped him get his radio career
started. He will tell us how Paul McCartney saved his career. We will see
rare footage of the Beatles' first U.S. tour, and at some point during the
weekend you will hear how Art became a committed member of the National
Federation of the Blind.
The John Schwab band will entertain us with music from the 1960s
and more. We will also have a not-so-silent auction that evening. So
we need you to bring your money as well as high-quality auction items.
Our room rate is $76 a night plus tax for all rooms. Remember
that this excellent rate vanishes when our room block is released on October
4, so make your reservation today by calling the hotel, (614) 436-0700. Tell
the reservations clerk that you are registering for the convention of the
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, and be sure that the hotel is
aware of any special needs when making your room reservations. For example,
if you need a wheelchair-accessible room or a room close to the elevators,
let them know. The following article provides some important information
about the layout of our hotel.
Please preregister for the convention, because doing so gives us
more accurate information about meal counts and room setups. To encourage
you to preregister, we provide some financial savings to those who do so.
The deadline for preregistering is October 18. I urge you to take this
deadline seriously. We often hear pleas to grant the preregistration
discounts to late registrants because the member really intended to get the
form and payment in by the deadline but just didn't get organized soon
enough. We provide as much time as we can, but we absolutely must enforce
the cut-off date so that we have time to process the registrations we have
actually received before leaving for the convention. Once again we are
offering the opportunity to register online. This will make life easier for
you and for us. The website to use to preregister is
https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=6tpgtapab
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001tf7Zbd1UIAkI6IuU9a7jbh5uA-tyD8YfHQcL4NSvRL3W
rX9hSr6jWqXLoHNyuCDoP0_cb4oLk21Rjt7s9tVF63x1xEtGWgD2awpba7hLsFyq3WYgqFyJR0cQ
cRImT99b61h5t3ctGRGgy9pyyNlqH41Hz3wIi8miUiOEE1y2AQ_KNR6-AdM9puGH1rVMd0SWuHuv
skLQS0k1fzBxGGKqg4cb_qkmy3YxadRzofY85TI=> &oeidk=a07e9rwrwvt3ae91ce2&oseq=.
Here are some important things to remember when planning for the
convention. The first full convention event is the board of directors
meeting on Friday at 11:00 a.m. This will be your first chance to meet Dr.
Maurer and his wife Patty. Dr. Maurer is our national representative this
year. Dr. Maurer of course is the immediate past president of the National
Federation of the Blind and a longtime leader of our movement.
After a quick lunch we will gather for the Friday afternoon
convention session. Later in the afternoon the vendors and the members at
large will meet, as will the Resolutions and Nominating Committees.
Please remember this important policy concerning resolutions.
Through this committee the policies of the affiliate begin to take shape. If
you have an issue you believe the affiliate should address in some way,
write a resolution. It should be printed out and, if possible, accompanied
by a Braille copy. If you cannot transcribe it into Braille, do not be
discouraged. The important thing is that we have a print copy from which to
work.
Resolutions must be sent no later than one week before the
Resolutions Committee meeting. This year resolutions must be received in
either the Columbus office or the home of Deborah Kendrick, the committee
chair, by Friday, October 24, 2014. Anyone wishing to submit a resolution
for consideration after this date must persuade a member of the Resolutions
Committee to sponsor it and bring it to the committee meeting. Resolutions
for which the committee votes to recommend do not pass will not be
considered by the Convention unless three chapter presidents present and
voting at the convention sign a request to bring the resolution to the
floor.
The Nominating Committee will also meet briefly late Friday
afternoon. Members of this committee are appointed by chapter presidents,
and the President of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio selects
the committee chairperson from those appointees.
Because of the Friday evening activities mentioned above, we
will not have the play sponsored by Ohio NAPUB that we have had for the last
three years. The plays have been enjoyable for the cast and the audience,
but we just can't fit it into the convention schedule this year.
Saturday we will have a morning convention session and the usual
NAPUB continental breakfast meeting and lunch meetings of parents, seniors,
guide dog users, and students. The students will probably bring in pizza,
but the other groups should be sure to sign up for the meal associated with
their meetings.
We plan to have an afternoon convention session that will take
place from 2:00 to 5:00. The banquet will begin at 6:00 this year, and we
will continue partying after the banquet. Sunday morning we will have an
early continental leadership breakfast for chapter and division presidents
and treasurers. The final session of the convention will be called to order
at 9:00 AM. We will conduct affiliate elections, have a discussion of NFB
philosophy, membership building, and affiliate history, as well as a brief
business meeting. We will adjourn at noon.
It is important to understand that this article is intended to
provide a general idea of what the convention schedule will likely be and to
encourage readers to plan to attend the entire event. Because plans for the
convention are really just beginning to take shape at the time of this
writing, things might be slightly different when the agenda goes to press.
This is especially true when we are making substantial changes to the
convention schedule, as we are doing this year. What we do know, however, is
that this is the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind
of Ohio with all of the promise, hope, and love that our conventions offer.
We hope that you will make plans now to join us at this year's
convention. You will be sorry if you miss it, and so will we.
-----
Introducing the Holiday Inn, Worthington
by Barbara Pierce
The Holiday Inn, Worthington, is located at 7007 North High
Street. You enter the building on the second floor-sleeping rooms are on all
three floors. But all the meeting rooms are located on the second floor.
When you step through the front door, you are facing south. The
check-in desk is on your right, on the west wall of the lobby. When you
finish checking in, turn 180 degrees so that you are facing east with your
back to the desk. Walk about ten feet and turn right, south. Walk
twenty-five feet. You will find a wall in front of you with the Adams Room
slightly to the right and the restaurant, Connections, to the left. You can
turn left and travel east about thirty feet, looking for a hallway to the
right. The Worthington Room is at the south end of this hall.
If at the Adams Room you turn right, west, instead of left, you
are heading toward the North Exhibit Area. On the right is the swimming
pool, and on the left is a blank wall, which is the north wall of the
ballroom. This area dead-ends into the Patio doors and a wall. You can turn
right and travel about forty feet to a left turn, which is the north wing of
sleeping rooms. The elevator for these rooms is at the extreme west end of
this hall.
If you turn left, south, at the Patio doors, you will find
yourself in the foyer to the Griswold D, C, B, and A Rooms, which constitute
the ballroom. The Griswold Rooms open on the east side of the foyer, with D
at the north end and A at the south end.
Halfway along Griswold C, an east-west hallway goes west from
the foyer. Six meeting rooms, three on each side, open into this hall. The
rooms are, east to west, on the south, left, side of the hall: Wright Room,
the Stansbury Room, and the Morrison Room. On the north, right, side are the
John Snow Room, the McGregor Room, and the Chase Room. Note that restrooms
are located before these meeting rooms, just after the right turn. The
women's room is on the left, just before the Wright Room, and the men's room
is on the right, just before the John Snow Room.
This is the south wing, and the sleeping rooms follow the
meeting rooms. The elevator is at the extreme west end of the hall, but you
must jog to the right to find it.
I suggest that you read through this article several ties, if
possible before the board meeting. In that way you can check out the floor
plan while you are at the meeting.
----
Bells Ring Again in Columbus
Editor's note: July 21 was a red letter day in Ohio. The
previous Saturday and Sunday volunteers from around the state gathered at
the Ohio State School for the Blind to prepare for BELL 2014, Braille
Enrichment for Literacy and Learning. This was our second year for BELL, and
we were ready with improvements and new ideas.
Debbie Baker was back as a teacher, but this time we also had
Marianne Denning to share teaching responsibilities. Shelbi Hindel with some
help from Annette Lutz was on deck to prepare lunch and supervise cooking
activities. More about this later. Aleeha Dudley, Aliyah Johnson, Macy
McClain, and Barbara Pierce were present as aides both weeks, and Deborah
Kendrick was on hand as an aide the first week to help with the six
students, ranging in age from seven to eleven. Ub addutuib we were kycjt
ebiygh to have help from two Columbus area teachers of visually impaired
students several times during the week.
This is a report of the two weeks of BELL camp from the
Federationists who staffed it.
Debbie Baker: Bells were ringing again daily at approximately
9:00 in Columbus to celebrate successes and independence of our six student
participants. Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) occurred
this year at the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB) from July 21 through
August 1. Four repeaters from last year returned, and we had two new
participants. One student will attend first grade in Huber Heights, Ohio,
during the 2014-15 school year. One will attend second grade in Cincinnati
in 2014-15. Two will attend OSSB for the upcoming school year, one in second
and the other in sixth grade. One student will attend second grade in
Commercial Point, Ohio, and we hope to have a new student, formerly of
Reynoldsburg schools, also attending OSSB in the fifth grade this coming
year.
The students remembered and enjoyed old favorite Braille games,
Braille Twister and Oddball. This year they also played Red Light Green
Light while using their canes. They went on two scavenger hunts, one
individually, using their canes to locate objects strategically placed in
the walking path. The other scavenger hunt required them to locate specific
sounds in the environment. This was played as two-person teams. We used a
stove to cook playdough colored and scented with flavored Kool-Aid. They
also measured, mixed, and cooked Rice Krispy treats and No-Bake Cookies.
Some students remembered to take home their Braille and print recipes for
No-Bakes, Rice Krispy Treats, and playdough, while others said they had
forgotten and requested that the teachers email the recipes. We practiced
pouring wet and dry ingredients and spreading butter, peanut butter, and
frosting.
Beginners practiced reading, forming and writing the Braille
alphabet in several ways, from manipulation of tennis balls in a muffin tin
to eating Braille in the form of Tasty Dots. A competent Braille reader
(adult volunteer) read a Braille book to the children each day. Four of the
six students practiced again this year as last, writing with a slate and
stylus. Students wrote a journal entry about each day's events at the end of
each afternoon.
Students used one of the new currency readers from the Bureau of
Printing and Engraving to identify paper money and renewed their skills to
identify coins correctly. Since most learning center lessons were completed
in the main school building, we had to return to one of the school
dormitories to cook. So for several days, when we finally practiced cardinal
directions, students listened to an i-Phone Compass telling them their
initial direction of movement. Then they practiced cardinal directions as we
traveled and in the classrooms. Students thanked all adult volunteers who
helped with BELL, both those present onsite and those who Brailled
flashcards, donated food, took pictures of activities, helped with
transportation, etc. They Brailled thank you cards and decorated them as
best the glued-on decorations would hold.
We visited the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus
for the entire day on Tuesday, July 22. We swam in the OSSB swimming pool in
the afternoon of July 23 and walked to aa bus stop and took the bus to
McDonald's restaurant for lunch on Friday, August 1, the last day of the
program. Each student was given a $10 bill to order and pay for his/her
lunch at McDonald's. After lunch we walked to the bus stop and rode the COTA
bus back to the school. During the last afternoon students listened to A
Picture Book of Louis Brailleand ate chocolate or vanilla cupcakes decorated
with words spelled in M&M Braille dots: "Happy birthday Louis Braille, Love,
BELL." They also used wooden spoons to whack and break a piñata, created and
donated by Aliyah Johnson, daughter of Shelbi Hindel.
When we host a BELL program here in Ohio, we all finish feeling
exhausted, and parents report that the students sleep well at night too. But
it's that good kind of tired; you know-the kind that leaves you with the
feeling that you have accomplished something good and worthwhile.
Marianne Denning: We held our second BELL camp during the weeks
of July 21 and 28. We had six students who were between first and sixth
grades. Four students attended camp last year, and they had matured a lot.
Their Braille reading and writing skills also improved. We tried to
challenge them again this year. The two new students were also experienced
Braille readers.
We did three activities every day: Bell ringers, singing "Ring
My Bell" and the "Braille Rap Song," and reading a book after lunch. Some of
our students helped us read the books. Some of the highlights included a
trip to COSI, swimming, riding public transportation to MacDonald's to order
lunch, and a Louis Braille birthday party that included breaking open a
piñata.
We tried to work with students based on skill level. Some
students were beginning to read and write Braille, and others had several
years of Braille reading and writing experience. The volunteers were
terrific working with each student. All camp activities were held at the
Ohio State School for the Blind. Most activities were in the main classroom
building, and we went to a cottage for lunch. The students prepared lunch
one day, made playdough, and No-Bake Cookies and Rice Krispie Treats using
the stove.
Each student walked with a blind adult between the classroom
building and the cottage. This helped teach them that blind people are
capable of independent travel. We had volunteers who worked during the camp
and others who braillled materials for the camp. This camp would not have
been possible without the volunteers, and we hope others will consider
volunteering next year.
Aleeha Dudley: This year I had the pleasure of volunteering for
the Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) program for a second
time. I knew that these two weeks would be exhausting but never expected the
tremendous amount of difference I was about to see made in these children's
lives. I first met our group of students bright and early Monday morning.
Those returning from the previous year were excited to see us again, and the
new students seemed a bit nervous, but that quickly changed. As we led these
students through various activities to strengthen their skills, it was clear
that we were working with an incredibly intelligent and diverse group. They
were ready and eager to learn. Even when they were afraid to touch something
while cooking, for example, they never gave up.
Each student had his or her own unique set of strengths and
weaknesses, which were always being built on throughout the program. It was
particularly special to watch these children explore COSI, take a city bus
for perhaps the first time, order their own food, and find out for
themselves what independence means. Some learned that blind people could be
cooks, teachers, and anything they desired to be. Some learned that it was
OK and safe to travel with a blind adult. Each moment brought a smile to my
face as I helped to make these students have the time of their lives. Our
young people are truly the future of the NFB. I am proud to say that I have
made and will continue to make that future bright by assisting with this
fantastic program.
Deborah Kendrick: I love learning. I love when I am learning,
when I see someone else learning, when I realize that a whole batch of
people I care about are learning together; and that is perhaps the best way
to summarize our 2014 BELL program in Ohio.
Every one of us was learning every day. Sure, the amazing group
of kids participating this year were all learning. They were learning
Braille or improving Braille skills; they were learning to use their white
canes and other senses to keep track of themselves and their belongings;
they were learning to try new things (jumping in the swimming pool,
spreading peanut butter, reading Braille with two hands instead of only
one); and they were learning that there is just about nothing blind people
can't do!
But we adults were learning too. Seven totally blind people
living together in one place has no particularly remarkable elements to it,
except perhaps our combined learning to recognize that each of us had
individual approaches to getting things done. We were learning how to
communicate efficiently with one another. (Our words rather than gestures
quickly conveyed the location of such object as furniture rearranged,
teaching tools, household products, children, and dogs. We learned to work
with the combined strengths among us. (Barbara's patience, for example, and
Debbie's absolute calm are both traits I covet!)
Each day delivered a collection of mental photos I will carry in
my imagination for some time to come. One child's lyrical reading.--Another
child's joy at splashing in the pool.--Two children engaged in hilarious
word play conversation over lunch. --The sweetness of a little boy making
(and breaking) his candy necklace, and his joy when I re-gifted the one he
made for me.--Kids playing red light, green light with their canes, making
their own lunches, exuberantly adding one more "bell ringer" to the
list.-And, best of all perhaps, kids catching on with the profound "aha"
that, even though we're grown-ups, we can't see either, so a) you need to
"peep" to let others know your location and, b) you can grow up to do
anything you want to do.
And alongside these visual images are plenty of aural ones: the
songs we sang, bells we rang, and the joy in learning and laughing that has
many of us eager already for BELL 2015.
Macy McClain: This year was my first year volunteering at the
Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) program. The two-week
program was enjoyable for students and staff alike. From pouring water to
learning more about the Braille code, students gained skills in reading and
writing, daily living skills, and orientation and mobility. I am very proud
of the progress they've made, and hope they'll make more progress during the
school year. I don't have a favorite student; all of them are my favorites
in their own ways. From seven-year-old MaKenzie Love, who affectionately
calls me "Miss Macy," to Aidan Carter, who repeatedly sang "You're a Fake
One, King Eric!"), and many in between, I enjoyed working with all of them.
I also enjoyed getting to know more about the staff during the program. By
the end of each week, we had many Bell Ringers.
Congratulations to the students on a job well done; keep working
hard, and we'll see you next year. Thank you to the parents for entrusting
your children to us during these two weeks. We're very proud of them and
hope that you have high expectations for them as they journey into the rest
of their lives. Eric Duffy coordinated the entire event, and I can't thank
him enough for allowing me to be a part of this awesome experience. Marianne
Denning and Debbie Baker were excellent teachers; they were great to work
with and get to know better. Shelly McCoy and Elli Kalas, two teachers for
the visually impaired in the Columbus area who gave us some timeand were
great to work with, and the kids loved them.
There are more people than just the core teachers, coordinators, etc .,that
I should thank. David Cohen, Paul and Bernie Dressell, Colleen Roth, and
others devoted their time and energy to Brailling the cards for kids to
learn and practice reading. Thanks to all of you for what you do. This was
definitely an experience that I'll keep with me. I really hope to do this
again next year.
We were very grateful to OSSB for use of its facility for BELL
this year. Two teachers made room for us in their classrooms. We tried to
return things to their original condition from before we moved in with our
books, supplies, and equipment. We had a new appreciation for the sacrifices
teachers make, after two weeks of sitting in tiny chairs. It's a long way
down to those chairs and even further back up again.
Our plan has always been to serve a nourishing and tasty lunch
each day to the students and staff. We learned to our dismay on the Friday
before the beginning of BELL that the kitchen we would be using to prepare
lunch was the one in the dormitory that we used. We had to locate extra
tables and chairs to put up and take down each day to seat up to sixteen
people. Shelbi Hindel was the chief cook, and somehow she coped with almost
no counter space and only a standard refrigerator. We did have a functioning
microwave and a real stove, which was an improvement over last year. As for
the quality of the food, MaKenzie said it best when she announced that Miss
Shelbi and Miss Annette were "the best cooks I know."
We came away from BELL again this year exhausted but dazzled by
the skill and dedication of the teachers and Eric Duffy's calm efficiency
and delightful way with the children as director of the program. They all
obviously loved him and loved teasing him. But most of all we were touched
and impressed by the children. Several of them were amazingly good Braille
readers. The courage and determination of those with additional disabilities
was inspiring. We can only hope that word of this program will spread. It is
a shame that we don't have to turn students away at the door. So spread the
word. The bells will be ringing in Ohio again next year.
-----
If you or a friend would like to remember the National Federation of the
Blind of Ohio in your will, you can do so by employing the following
language:
"I give, devise, and bequeath unto the Ohio Council of the Blind dba
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, P.O. Box 82055, Columbus, Ohio
43202, an Ohio nonprofit corporation, the sum of $ (or
" percent of my net estate" or "The following stocks and bonds:
) to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind persons."
Reflections of a White Cane Guy
by David Cohen
Editor's note: David Cohen is a longtime Federationist. When he
was young, we helped him get to BLIND Incorporated in Minneapolis for
blindness training, and he has been putting that training to good use ever
since. He now lives in the greater Dayton area again. He recently sent a
very funny post to the Ohio listserv. We asked him to expand a bit on that
reflection for the newsletter. His thoughts are amusing, but they also
provide an insight into the reflections and reactions of a competent blind
person with an irreverent sense of humor. This is what he wrote:
Yesterday afternoon I walked to a shopping center/mall near my
home in Kettering to buy some bed sheets. After making my purchase, I
decided to check for a DVD title at another store inside the mall called
Second & Charles, a used book, music, and movie place. I turned into the
store and heard a woman's voice saying hello to me.
"Hi, Second & Charles?" I asked, raising my eyebrows to her for
confirmation.
"Yes," she said; "You've got it."
"Do you work here?" I asked.
She said, "No," so I continued in the direction of the main
customer service counter, not breaking stride. From behind me the woman
who'd greeted me was giving me the standard audible play-by-play, less the
crowd noise."Right, now left," etc.
I turned to face her and smiled, mouthing the words "I'm okay,
thanks." You got to handle the public sometimes with kid gloves, as y'all
probably know.
I continued on my way. From behind me this woman called to me,
"I gotcha. My ex-husband is a white cane guy."
I laughed aloud, and without turning held my left arm up with a
thumb's up sign for her to see. I can do without all the euphemisms spoken
to avoid saying "blind." Still, if the word "blind" was good enough for the
Bible, the Quran, the Hindu Vedas, etc., shouldn't it be good enough for
speakers today? But this white cane guy label I can really get used to this.
I like it. I can see it working for me.
"What's your sign? You act like a Virgo."
"Nope, nope. I'm a WCG [white cane guy]." "SingleWCG seeking
SWF {single white female}. must like dogs, fish fries, college football, and
Braille literacy."
"Oh there's a white cane guy at our office. I know exactly what
you're talking about."
Text message: LOL! [laughing out loud] BTW [By the way] the WCG
[white cane guy] called, LVM [leave a voicemail]. RE: Friday BYOB. [bring
your own bottle].
So White Cane Guy leaves the mall with sack containing bed
sheets and a DVD purchase of Sean Penn's All the King's Men in hand. This
mini-mall has a sidewalk extending the entire width of the front of the
building, but the sidewalk is not even close to being a straight shot. The
pathway is also cluttered with anything the designers salvaged after the
project's completion. This sidewalk also has more curves than a full Braille
cell, so I walk in the frontage road along the curb, shorelining the outer
edge of the sidewalk.
I am several shop door entrances along my shorelining route and
have just passed another because I hear the squeaking hinges of one of these
glass doors opening behind me, and a man's voice calls to me, "You're in the
street, you know that, right?" he says, stating the obvious. I know that as
a blind person I am a living message board for postings of the obvious and
have learned to handle this maturely 90 percent of the time. "The sun is
out; that's my foot you're standing on; the bus is here; I'm standing in
front of you now; it's raining; you're breathing and standing
upright....that's Braille; you have a pulse."
Again I raise my left arm, plastic sack in hand. I turn my head
slightly and, again smiling, tell the fella, who is watching me as if I'm
the end of a parade route "There are fewer obstacles out here."
"No kidding," the fella cries out with surprise, and the sound
of his voice is delighted with this insight on my behalf. "Oh yeah? you're
right ha ha ha ha," and again White Cane Guy has brought a bit of pleasure
into the life of Joe Citizen, and maybe, just maybe I'll meet him again some
day.
Personally I think it is very difficult to communicate with the
many unknowns who enter my sphere of being. I alluded to this earlier when I
said sometimes I've got to handle people with kid gloves. It is such a fine
line to walk when so many situations like this one imply and assume minute
examination, so routinely you know you're being watched with intrigue. I
don't think folk realize that I know by their sound and movement that they
are watching me, and that such focused attention on me walking through a
tile-floored mall or looking for a urinal in the men's room is like the
pressure of shooting free throws in March during the NCAA college basketball
tournament with 20,000 voices screaming at you when you're team is down two
points and only seconds remain on the game clock. Seriously, I think blind
people and disabled people in general should be highlighted on ESPN for all
that we do so silently as such pertains to what the professional sporting
experts call "being in the zone," not to mention handling your emotions in
hostile environments as the sporting vernacular often states is necessary.
The depth of the mall parking lot extends northwards to my right
side and beyond its sparse occupancy I can hear the street I will eventually
need to cross. This is my landmark, and, no matter how out of the zone I
get, I can always reorient myself by listening for the ever-present sound of
this heavily-traveled road in Kettering.
But again allow me to digress for a personal reason and say that
I do not, do not like it when someone tells me or asks me if I am
disoriented or lost. I'm not, although I may acquiesce and say "yes mam" or
"yes sir, I am" in order to keep the world moving, but what I am telling
myself is that I am only temporarily misplaced like car keys or a
smartphone. Blindness is, like our organization has said for many decades, a
nuisance, and well you know this. Here's the deal. I'm shorelining the curb
of the sidewalk at the front of the shopping mall. The incoming traffic from
the main road and the exiting shoppers with their groceries from Trader
Joe's and tennis shoes from New Balance are driving in both directions
slowly to my immediate right side, and I need to get across this access
frontage road and through the parking lot to the sidewalk along the main
road. Unfortunately there is no pedestrian sidewalk extending through the
parking lot, and my hot air balloon is at home in the garage-the cloth
ripped by the clawed feet of a crow who perched atop me when I floated over
the local amphitheater to listen to Jackson Browne perform several years
ago. But this is no problem because at the end of this sidewalk curb there
is a stop sign for the access frontage road. In fact there is a four-way
stop here, so I can put it on cruise control and listen ahead for engines
rolling to a stopand then moderately accelerating after the pause to know
where I need to be. Voila! White Cane Guy is planning his work and working
his plan.
"Oh I am so fortunate to have received good training and to have
experienced the know-how of others before me who were doing then what I
wanted to do and am doing now," I think to myself. I'm not kidding. On my
worst days I can if I am able to muster the attitudinal strength, accentuate
the positive, eliminate the negative, and latch onto the affirmative as
Johnny Mercer sang. I cannot always find and do this, but at least I know
it's possible, and I have my memories to serve in this capacity if I feed
them properly.
So I'm marveling in my aptitude for cane travel, and my cane tip
is metronomically playing the soundtrack to my travels. I've found the
four-way stop thanks to one automobile's exit route, and I've followed this
vehicle's trajectory of departing sound all the way to the sidewalk along
the busy road. I'm asking myself if I should wash the sheets first or do the
man thing and simply spread 'em and do this when absolutely necessary. The
answer comes to me in 1.5 seconds.
I arrive at my corner mentally ready to listen for and align
myself to the passing traffic at this intersection of four lanes north and
south and four lanes east and west each direction also engineered with a
filter lane, so the width is actually five lanes. I stand and listen...
listen... I am listening, yes listening and a crow flies overhead and
announces itself as Jimmy Cagney.
"Huh" I thinks to myself, "This light sure is taking a long time
today." I listen to one, two, three, six cars roll up, stop California
style, and accelerate around the corner in front of me. "The traffic light
must be out of order," I tell myself because White Cane Guy is not only
omnipotent, he's a traffic engineer on his day off. A seventh car rolls up
next to me and stops, then accelerates, and the cross traffic in front of me
continues passing at forty MPH.
"The sun! Where is my sun?" my internal problem-solving voice
asks, and I turn around only to realize it's clouded over since I last knew
where the heck I was and began daydreaming about my White-Cane-Guy aptitude.
Another car rolls up next to me, and now White Cane Guy is going
to interact with citizenry. I turn to my left to face the paused vehicle and
make the universal hand-and-arm motion for someone to roll his or her window
down, but I remember that I have been here forty-four winters and that this
one-time universally recognized signal may be lost on someone of the
everything-electronic world, or worse, the hand gesture may suggest
something offensive to someone visiting the Kettering Towne & Country Mall
from one of the other six continents. For all I know, I might be signaling
like a prostitute does in Paraguay and end up with two halves of a broken
cane and a blackened eye and still waiting to cross this street.
Instead I lean into the space between myself and the idling car
and mouth words silently in just the same way I did inside Second and
Charles when the unknown woman declared me White Cane Guy. "Is the traffic
light out of order?" I mouth, pointing my outstretched arm up into the air
where my mind has told me most certainly the traffic light should be
hanging. The car's tires squeal twice front to back and spit gravel, and I'm
wondering how ridiculous I look to the passerbys still moving at forty MPH
on the other side of the street.
"Something's wrong here," I finally admit. "Anything's possible.
White Cane Guy has walked into the women's restroom before, and he's also
walked past his own driveway," I remind myself.
I gather my secret strength-my brain-and I really tune in to my
surroundings. Wait a bloody second here. I've awakened. There's no
persistent ringing of the superfluous street-crossing signal which White
Cane Guy knows to be an invention of the same conspiracy which put Braille
on drive-thru ATM machines and limited Braille on McDonald's drink lids and
probably funded the training of the rehab counselor who asked me, "What is
that thing" when I pulled my slate and stylus from my pocket to write down
his office information twenty-five years ago.
"I'm south of where I need to be," my brain and true Orient
Express tells me. Oh joy, joy, joy, joy and joy. I win again! Temporarily
misplaced just like any sighted person who exits the mall and cannot
remember where the car is parked. I must have been curving westward. "That
crow was telling me this, and I did not listen. That crow has been watching
me silently from above for years, observing me and learning how a blind
person does what a blind person does and therefore has never needed to ask
me questions for which answering the obvious makes no sense other than to
communicate the simple truth that what White Cane Guy does is the only
answer to all mysteries herein."
I'm two blocks south of where I need to be, and I get on with
it. I reach the corner where I believed I was, and on my approach I'm
hearing the familiar traffic signal noise and send out apologies and
gratitude to the conspirators who inadvertently gave a practical use for my
ears after all.
-----
NFB of Ohio 2014 Scholarship Winners
by Deborah Kendrick
Editor's note: Deborah Kendrick chairs the NFB of Ohio
Scholarship Committee. Below she introduces the 2014 scholarship winners.
This is what she says:
All too often the general public thinks of blind people as
individuals to be recipients of volunteer assistance. Certainly many of us
are grateful for the volunteers who help us do what we need or want to do by
driving, reading, or assisting us in other ways. But many blind people are
also active volunteers themselves-giving generously of their time and talent
to help others-and our three 2014 NFB Ohio scholarship winners are excellent
examples.
Elif Emir Oksuz came to this country with her husband in 2012,
both on grants from their native Turkey, to pursue advanced degrees. Elif
immediately found the National Federation of the Blind, and her enthusiasm
at what she has found is infectious.
Elif is finishing a master's degree in counseling at Xavier
University and will begin work on her doctorate in counselor education at
the university of Cincinnati at the end of 2014. She has been so elated at
the abundant information found in such publications as the Braille Monitor
and Accessworld that she, together with a blind friend in Turkey, has
founded an online magazine in the Turkish language. What appear there areas
Elif's own translations of articles she reads in English from the above
publications. She found like-minded independent blind people here in the
U.S., and she is generously sharing what she learns here with her blind
colleagues in her native land.
Jonathan Thomas is a beginning freshman at Wright State
University, planning to major in psychology. When asked what he might do
with a single wish, his immediate response was to end world hunger. For
three years now he has participated in a global fundraiser called the 30
Hour Famine. His zealous commitment to social justice and helping those less
fortunate in the world sparked a shoe drive during his senior year at
Fairfield High school. Called Shoes for Hunger, his campaign collected over
3,600 pairs of shoes, which were then shipped to countries where
shoelessness and poverty have led to the loss of many lives.
Kaiti Shelton is of course known to many of us already for her
dedicated work as president of the Ohio Association of Blind Students, our
NFB Ohio student division. Since winning the NFB of Ohio scholarship in
2012, she has been active in both our state and national student divisions,
as well as activity in numerous student organizations at the University of
Dayton where she is a junior working toward her bachelor's degree in music
therapy. Kaiti volunteered in the Ohio BELL program in 2013 and was honored
as a youth volunteer during high school for her work with blind children at
the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
All of these students participate in a wide variety of
organizations, volunteering their time, teaching others what it means to be
blind and living fully. Add to that that each of them has a record of
academic excellence, and you will join with me in celebrating our 2014 NFB
of Ohio Scholarship class.
-----
The Road Lies Ahead: Empowering Blind Youth Through a New Camp Experience
by Kaiti Shelton
Editor's note: Kaiti Shelton is president of the Ohio
Association of Blind Students and a 2014 NFB of Ohio scholarship winner. The
following is an interesting variation of the old standard
what-I-did-this-summer essay. This is what she says:
On August 1 I embarked on a trip to Michigan to serve as a camp
counselor at a unique pilot program called "The Road Lies Ahead." First
conceptualized by Students of the Braille Beats Fine Arts Program and
sponsored by Blind Vision Inc. and World Access for the Blind, the Road Lies
Ahead offered fun and engaging training in perceptual mobility through
hiking, games, and traditional camp experiences to emphasize daily living
skills. Daniel Kish, founder of World Access for the Blind and a certified
orientation and mobility specialist who is also blind himself, served as the
director of the program and also taught students how to use flash sonar
techniques.
The pilot program consisted of two age-differentiated sessions,
each lasting four days. The first session had two younger students, and both
worked on basic cane techniques using their ears to analyze what was going
on around them and on independence in general camp life, including getting
their own food at meal times and tying shoelaces. The second group had five
campers between the ages of fifteen and eighteen and worked on more advanced
techniques using flash sonar to play various games.
One of the most engaging aspects of the program was the
opportunity the participants had to experience adapting activities to
support their own strengths. For example, on the first day the staff and
students of the program made play swords by taping plastic grocery bags on
both ends of pool noodles. The bags created sound whenever the pool noodle
was swung through the air, and thus made the swords audible. We then
practiced fencing in an open field so students could hear where sounds were
coming from to dodge and block THEM. Another game that was invented by the
students and one instructor in the first session was a modified version of
Capture the Flag called Black Ops. Basing it on a version of hide and seek
and a water pistol game, students combined the elements of both these games
into a game of stealth and strategy. Each team had an audible flag, which in
our case were IPhones playing music in protective Ziploc bags. They set up
camp at opposite sides of a grove of trees in the woods. The typical rules
of Capture the Flag applied, but players could also be frozen if someone
from the opposite team hit them with water from their pistol or managed to
hit them with the end of a pool noodle when we chose to play a dry version
with the swords. It was a lot of fun and taught students skills, including
aiming and targeting sounds. Many of the students had never had an
opportunity to aim at a target before, so something as simple as shooting a
water gun was a new experience for them too.
My favorite game that we devised was a spin-off of Quidditch
from the popular Harry Potter series. Much like a combination of soccer and
tag, Quidditch gave students opportunities to use their ears while playing a
fun and complex game. Each team had a keeper, at least one chaser, and a
seeker, just like in the Harry Potter novels. A soccer ball loosely tied in
a plastic grocery bag served as our quaffle, and the chasers would try to
kick the quaffle down-field towards the opposing team's goal. Meanwhile, the
seekers would scour the field for a player who would make a clicking sound,
characteristic of Daniel Kish's flash sonar technique. The game was also
complete with human bludgers, who knocked into the chasers, keepers, and
even the snitch at times to make the game realistic. The games provided
great amusement and fun for all and encouraged all campers to use and hone
their listening and perceptual skills.
The program was not just fun and games. After dinner the campers
were exposed to a variety of tactile maps and a tactile globe and were
taught how to use compasses for navigation. The directors of Camp
Tuhsmeheta, the site of our program, were gracious enough to teach all
campers and staff how to extinguish a fire properly. Skills such as pouring
glasses of milk and serving from a buffet were covered at meals. At the end
of each session campers were taught ways to pack their suitcases properly to
go home and were taught to be responsible for finding any misplaced items in
the cabins. Nevertheless, the students seemed to enjoy even the more
practical activities they could use in their studies at school. Several
staff members eagerly became engaged when our youngest camper, age nine,
declared that he wanted to disassemble the entire Jernigan map of the United
States and put it back together again. It was a scramble to get the U.S.
back into shape before the student's early bedtime, but he enjoyed it a lot
and even found the correct placement of a few states along the way.
Students were also exposed to regulation sports, which they
could participate in. On the last day of the second session students scaled
a forty-foot climbing tower and rappelled down. The camp also boasted a
regulation Showdown table, which quickly became a favorite attraction for
students and staff alike. Showdown, a sport similar to air hockey or table
tennis and regulated by the International Blind Sports Federation, is played
under sleep shades using wooden paddles to hit a ball with BBs inside away
from a player's goal. The game was perfect for the program since it required
players to listen for the direction in which the ball was coming and quickly
aim their paddle to knock the ball to their opponent's side of the table.
Play was so intense between staff members when the game was first introduced
that the Showdown ball was broken and needed to be replaced by the program.
Once the broken ball had been replaced and the second session of campers had
arrived, play resumed in tournament style between campers and counselors.
Additionally, some campers experienced for the first time hiking
in the woods with compasses for navigation and also learned to read engraved
print so that they could read signs announcing trail numbers, arrows
pointing to different locations around camp, and building names. Upon
learning that the camp lacked a tactile map that could be used by other
blind campers, staff and students also set out to create a tactile map that
could be given to the camp's director for future display and use. This
activity required students to organize the location of buildings and locales
in their heads and so exercised spatial awareness and memory while giving
back to the camp site.
Through it all each student learned new skills, gained a sense
of empowerment, and had fun. Each had his or her own small victories
throughout the sessions. One student who attends a school for the blind in
Florida and was not used to a high level of independence among blind people
kept remarking on the things he had never done with a group of blind people
before. Other students and counselors rediscovered the joys of being
outside, I being among them. As someone who has not particularly favored
sports since my childhood, I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed
running around the Quidditch pitch, aiming at my friends and campers with a
water pistol, and charging other counselors in a renegade sparring session
with the audible swords. It reminded me why I used to enjoy summer camp so
much when I was the age of the campers at the program, and I marveled at how
much more these kids enjoyed sports and the outdoors because of the
opportunities presented to them this summer. I hope the students left
feeling empowered and excited to come up with their own adaptations to
games, to explore the world around them through sound and cane travel, and
to feel positive about what it means to be blind and know what their
capabilities really are.
Flash sonar is a unique way to perceive the world through sound.
The sounds are produced by making a sharp click of the tongue, but one can
also rely on other, natural sounds for feedback. The clicking is mainly to
elicit sound responses from objects which typically do not produce an
audible noise or objects which are farther away than a cane's reach. At ten
feet away, a click in the woods might alert me to a nearby tree or even the
person hiking in front of me. It can be useful in judging proximity to
buildings and can also perceive differences in an object's density, size, or
shape if proper techniques are applied.
I began receiving flash sonar training from Daniel Kish at the
Braille Beats Fine Arts Program in 2008 and have been eager to hone my
skills ever since. It has been very helpful in activities such as marching
band, where few blind students march in competitive settings without the aid
of a guide or another student to move from position to position on the
field. A woman in Canada has trained herself to use flash sonar while
horseback riding, and a team of experienced flash sonar users known as "Team
Bat" is known for mountain biking, independent of sighted assistance,
scanning for objects in their path as they ride. Between sessions I was able
to work to hone my own flash sonar skills and reached the point where at
eighteen inches I could tell the difference between a business card and a
debit card based on the density and hardness of the surface of both objects.
It is another useful tool to have in one's mobility training tool box.
The success of the pilot program has prompted a second year to
take place at Camp Tuhsmeheta in Greenville, Michigan, in the summer of
2015. The camp is tentatively scheduled for either the third and fourth
weekends of July or the fourth weekend of July and the first weekend of
August, elongating each session for younger and older campers to a week
apiece. Anyone interested in learning more about the Road Lies Ahead for
next summer may contact me, and I will be happy to put you in touch with the
program's directors. I would likely recommend the experience to any parent
or student interested in improving orientation and mobility skills, and I
can't wait to see the program become bigger and better in the years to come.
-----
Why Braille?
by Deborah Kendrick
Editor's Note: Deborah Kendrick is a member of the NFB of Ohio's
board of directors and president of the NFB of Cincinnati. She is also an
experienced user and teacher of Braille. We asked her to summarize the
arguments for Braille that the panelists gave at a recent workshop for BSVI
counselors. This is what she wrote:
Answers supplied by BSVI counselors recently in a brief survey
regarding their attitudes toward Braille prompted me to weep. I didn't,
though. Their attitudes are misguided. But they are the misguided attitudes
rooted in good intentions. We blind people have not spent sufficient time
providing them with the information they need, and that is what I commit to
doing until the numbers of Braille-literate (and subsequently the numbers of
employed) blind Ohioans increase.
Very few counselors offer Braille to their consumers who are new
to vision loss. Why? Mostly they believe it to be unnecessary due to
technological advances and too difficult to learn.
These are myths rooted in rumor rather than fact, and, while
directing our attention elsewhere, we have not been fervent enough, constant
enough to dispel and put them to rest.
I had the opportunity to speak to Ohio's BSVI counselors at a workshop in
August (along with three other adults who use Braille), and here are some of
the facts we addressed in that presentation.
Braille Means Jobs
Although 70 percent of working-age blind and low-vision adults
are still without jobs, 85 to 90 percent of those lucky enough to hold jobs
are users of Braille. If you doubt this, count the blind people working in
any group you know, and you will find proof of this statistic again and
again.
Replace by Technology
Braille has not been replaced by "technology." By this statement
well-intentioned naysayers are probably referring to technology that speaks.
While screen readers are essential to efficient management of electronic
data, many blind professionals actually access that information via a
combination of speech and magnification or speech and Braille. Sighted
people love technology too, and they too have devices that talk. That
talking technology has not replaced the need to see certain words at a
glance or put down certain words in a flash for your own personal retrieval.
All of those ordinary ways in which a sighted person uses print, ways as
intrinsic and routine as breathing and ways not involving technology, are
the same kinds of needs that spell independence for the Braille user.
Examples: Braille labels on spices, cooking ingredients,
electronics chargers, hand tools, small components of an art or craft hobby,
file folders, or household products. How does a blind person distinguish the
file folder containing his 2014 bank statements from the file folder
containing drawings made by a grandchild? How does a blind person know which
bottle contains insect spray and which furniture polish? How does a blind
person pull the desired size knitting needle or socket wrench from an
assortment? How does a blind executive refer to his agenda? Or blind Girl
Scout leader to her song lyrics?
Braille is the answer to these and millions of other mundane
situations where the only independent path to success is a few written
words. Without Braille in such situations, that same competent blind person
is on hold until someone else's sight is available.
Who Can Learn?
Braille is not the rocket-science-caliber code that some fancy
it to be. It is comprised of sixty-three different characters (the number of
permutations available when beginning with a six-dot cell). Yes, learning to
use those sixty-three symbols according to the rules takes some study, but
so does learning the ABC's of print. (Some would argue that print, with its
infinite fonts and styles is far more difficult. Braille, after all, has its
sixty-three shapes that never change.)
I personally have taught people from the age of six to sixty-six
to read and write Braille, and I have been acquainted with people both older
and younger than those years who have become fluent. In approximately four
months, assuming that the student is meeting with a competent instructor
twice a week and given significant practice assignments between meetings,
most individuals of any age can become fluent.
In half that time, an individual could at least become familiar
with basic Grade 1 Braille (alphabet and punctuation marks only), which at
least enables the individual to label items, note a phone number for
independent access, or make a list of bullet points for presentation.
Connecting the Dots with Attitude
For many adults losing vision and wanting to work, the BSVI
counselor is the first expert encountered. Attitude is everything. If you
believe your life will continue and be full without sight, it will be. If
you believe you can continue to work, you can. And if you believe that
reading and writing now depend upon learning a new system, a tactile system
of reading and writing, well then, you will learn.
If the adult in transition from sight to blindness is asked what
she needs, chances are that she simply won't yet know what she needs and
certainly won't know the power of Braille. If the new guide whom she now
trusts to tell her, her BSVI counselor, presents the facts above and
demonstrates a belief in Braille, she will learn.
So...Why Not Braille?
My challenge to counselors and rehabilitation professionals
everywhere is this: encourage and support the use of Braille. Operate with
the presumption that, if one needs BSVI services, one of those services will
be Braille unless the consumer chooses not to learn it. If counselors
believe that all blind people should learn Braille in the same way that
sighted people should learn print, we will see those unemployment statistics
plummet!
----
Buckeye Briefs
Hetlioz Update: In the spring 2014 issue of the Buckeye
Bulletin, Eric Duffy wrote about a new medication called Hetlioz marketed by
Vanda. This medication treats the non-twenty-four sleep-wake disorder
experienced by many blind people. Here is his brief report on his experience
with the medication:
In the article I said that I thought I would be one of the first
people in the country to get the medication. I think that I was, despite
encountering some obstacles along the way. Although my doctor assured me
that he would prescribe the medication when it came to market, another
doctor was seeing his patients when I reported that Hetlioz was available
and requested the promised prescription. That doctor said she was
uncomfortable prescribing a medication that was so new. She asked if I was
willing to go to a sleep clinic. I told her that I was not because I had
already been to a sleep clinic and undergone a variety of tests.
To make a long story short, I eventually saw the doctor who
promised the prescription. He sent the promised scrip to Walgreen's
pharmacy. Little did I know that it had to go to the Walgreen's specialty
pharmacy and that a lot more paperwork had to be done. In late July I
finally got the call saying my medicine was being shipped. I took my first
pill on August 4. The instructions say the medication should be taken at the
same time each night. I take it shortly before 11:00 p.m., one hour before
bedtime. On the first night I fell asleep a little more than an hour after
taking the pill. I woke up a few times but went back to sleep quickly. Since
then I have had a few days in which I have not experienced tiredness at all.
I think it is safe to say that my sleep cycle is improving, but
the verdict is still out. Each individual's circadian rhythm is different.
It could be weeks or even months before Hetlioz has the desired effect. I
don't know what will happen as I continue to take the medication, but right
now I can say the prognosis looks good.
We have been deeply concerned about Cleveland chapter president
and state board member William Turner, who fell seriously ill this spring
and is now recovering from the double amputation of his feet. Here is a
letter that he provided when I asked for an update on his condition:
Dear Ohio Federationists,
As many of you know, a couple of days after the 2014 Washington
Seminar, I fell very ill. Little did I know that, after rooming with our
president and vice president, I would go missing in action. So, if you see
either of them, tell them I shall return-just a little humor.
For the last seven months I have been on one of the most
powerful and challenging journeys of my life. I had taken simple activities
for granted. I never thought about routine, and I became acquainted with
patience the hard way. Never would I have thought my life would have taken
such a drastic and yet transcendent turn. Without going into too much
detail, I will simply say that it is good to be alive.
I was diagnosed with lupus in 2012, and the effects of this
complicated disease are crippling in many ways. It never alerts one to its
attacks and does not discriminate in its destructions. Therefore I must
learn to do the most modest daily tasks differently with accommodations and
support. The progress is slow. But again, I am still alive! I have traveled
from hospital to rehab and back to hospital again for treatment and
appointments. It has not been easy, nor has it been pleasurable. However, I
am optimistic and encouraged by the care and prognosis that I have received
from my team of physicians.
Please continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers. If all
is well, I will perhaps see you at the state convention. I will be the one
with a smile and a hug for all. I am currently residing at Bradley Bay
Health Center, 605 Bradley Ave., Bay Village, Ohio. My telephone number is
(440) 808-5534.
Thank you again for your generosity, love, and support.
William H. Turner
The NFB of Springfield will host an informational meeting and
membership recruitment drive on Saturday, October 11, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in
the Gayer Room of the Clark County Public Library, 201 S. Fountain Ave.,
Springfield, OH 45506.
The NFB of Lorain County will conduct its annual hike-a-thon on
Saturday, October 4, in the Metro Park. It is a five-K walk or run, and all
are invited.
The NFB Scrip Ohio fundraising program continues to be an easy
way to donate to the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio without having
to sell anything or take money out of your pocket. Simply by purchasing gift
cards for your favorite merchants and restaurants from
<www.shopwithscrip.com> you will donate a percentage of your purchase to the
Ohio affiliate. To sign up, visit the website shown above and use enrollment
code 444D4FLD314L4.
We are delighted to announce that the STEM2U program taking
place in May at COSI in Columbus will include several Federationists.
Elementary students MaKenzie Love and Andrew Gallesby, both BELL students,
are enrolled in the program. Lilly Pennington of Cincinnati has been chosen
as a high school mentor, and Elli Kalas will be an instructor.
Congratulations to all four.
Emily Pennington, older sister of Lilly, received a $5,000 NFB
scholarship at the NFB convention in Orlando, Florida, in July. In addition
to the scholarship, Emily received her trip to Florida and an additional
$2,000 in awards from Ray Kurzweil and Google as well as a Google tablet
computer. Emily was a tenBroek Fellow, which means that this was the second
NFB scholarship that she received. Congratulations.
Chapter-Building in Stark and Summit Counties: The National
Federation of the Blind has committed to building seventy-five new chapters
and strengthening seventy-five existing chapters or divisions in
seventy-five days. The seventy-five days of action began on September 2 and
will end on November 16, the NFB's seventy-fourth birthday.
The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio has committed to
working in Akron, canton, and Columbus. Although strictly speaking we will
not be starting a new chapter in Akron or Canton, we are building from the
ground up in both of these areas because both chapters have been inactive
for quite some time.
On Saturday, November 15, we will be hosting A Day of
Empowerment for the Blind and Visually Impaired at the Main Library in
Canton. We will have dynamic speakers, new technology, and light
refreshments. Activities will begin at 10:30 a.m., and end at 3:00 p.m.
The library is located at 715 Market Avenue North in Canton. We
will be in the McKinley room.
We are inviting the blind of Stark and Summit Counties to
attend. We don't intend to combine the chapters, but we want to take this
opportunity to give the Summit County chapter a shot in the arm. We want
blind people in these counties to know that they too ccan live the lives
they want.
-----
Activities Calendar
September 20, Deadline for Gavel Award reports and other award nominations
September 20, Fall board meeting, Worthington
October 1-31, Meet the Blind Month
October 4, Release of hotel room block
October 15, White Cane Safety Day
October 24, Preregistration deadline
October 24, Deadline for submitting resolutions
October 31, British Invasion Fundraiser
October 31-November 2, Convention of the NFB of Ohio, Worthington
November 16, Kick-off of the NFB's 75th anniversary celebration
December 1, Deadline for expressing interest in the Washington Seminar
January 4-11, Braille Literacy Week
January 26-28, Washington Seminar
March 31, National scholarship application deadline
May 1, Ohio scholarship application deadline
May 14-16, STEM2U at COSI
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
2014 Convention Preregistration Form
Holiday Inn, Worthington
7007 North High Street October 31 - November 2
Please complete and return this form by October 18, even if
someone else is reserving a room for you. Mail the completed form and check
made payable to NFB of Ohio for registration and meal reservations to P.O.
Box 82055, Columbus, OH 43202. Preconvention rates are dependent on receipt
of payment before the convention. If you are preregistering and buying
tickets for others, on the back of this form please list their names as they
should appear on name tags. All costs will be higher if you register at the
convention. Ticketed activities are listed below. Indicate the number of
reservations for each event and total money for each.
Saturday NAPUB Breakfast: $13 ($16 at the door) ________ $____________
Saturday boxed lunch: $18 ($20 at the door)
Mark the number of lunches ordered for each activity:
_____Parents _____Seniors ____Ohio Association Of Guide Dog Users
$_______________
Banquet: ______ $30 ______
($35 at the door)
Convention registration prior to convention: $15 _________ $_________
($25 at the
door)
Total check enclosed:
$_______________
Registrations or meal orders without payment will not be valid.
NAME: (for name tag) _______________________________________________
ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________
CITY/STATE/ZIP: ____________________________________________________
TELEPHONE: ____________________EMAIL:_______________________________
I wish to make a donation (always appreciated) of $____________ to the
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. My check is enclosed. (Make check
payable to the NFB of Ohio.)
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