From jfranks at nfbtx.org Wed Nov 1 18:02:00 2017 From: jfranks at nfbtx.org (Jonathan Franks) Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2017 13:02:00 -0500 Subject: [Community-service] (no subject) Message-ID: Hello all, hope you are doing well. As it is now November 1st, Meet the Blind Month has come and past. SO, I was wondering what you, your chapter/affiliate/division or group of friends/ colleagues did? A few examples from the Austin Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas are: Volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club: One of our chapter members is employed there and they read braille stories to the children, utilized the new tactile art kit from the Action fund and talked about guide dog handling with the children. Volunteering at The Thinkery: The Thinkery is a STEAM focussed interactive Children's museum where myself and another chapter member is employed. I along with 4 other chapter members brought Perkin's Braillers, Slate and Styllus, a laptop with Jaws installed, a Victor reader and the Museum provided Braille children's books, braille blocks with numbers on them, letter and number magnets with braille, a board that had crayons with the braille in front of it assigning what color it was. We talked about braille, wrote their names and gave them braille alphabet cards, demonstrated how Jaws and a audio book being played by a Victor reader works, how to use a cane and introduced them to guide dogs. We also had one of our members read a couple of children's books during one of the museum's story times for the little kiddos. We also planned and are sending two of our members to a nursing home to help introduce some of their clients with cognitive functionability impairments that are blind to basic blindness training. I would love to hear what you all have done this past month. Warm regards, Jonathan Franks BSW Board Member National Federation of the Blind of Texas Vice Chairman Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities in Austin, Texas Graduate Student MSW Program Texas State University -- 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. From johnawright98 at gmail.com Wed Nov 1 19:59:04 2017 From: johnawright98 at gmail.com (johnawright98 at gmail.com) Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2017 15:59:04 -0400 Subject: [Community-service] (no subject) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: While there is not an active chapter in Macon, GA (I'm working on that), I gave a lecture at Mercer University about blindness and how it affects college students. Furthermore, I presented at a visionary panel and I am in the planning stages of a program that will assist blind students in their transition to college, while also educating professors on best practices when interacting with these students. I'd say I had a pretty successful Meet the Blind Month, and I can't wait to hear what everyone else did! Cheers, Johna Wright Social Media Coordinator National Federation of the Blind Community Service Division > On Nov 1, 2017, at 2:02 PM, Jonathan Franks via Community-Service wrote: > > Hello all, > hope you are doing well. As it is now November 1st, Meet the Blind > Month has come and past. SO, I was wondering what you, your > chapter/affiliate/division or group of friends/ colleagues did? > > A few examples from the Austin Chapter of the National Federation of > the Blind of Texas are: > > Volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club: One of our chapter members > is employed there and they read braille stories to the children, > utilized the new tactile art kit from the Action fund and talked about > guide dog handling with the children. > Volunteering at The Thinkery: The Thinkery is a STEAM focussed > interactive Children's museum where myself and another chapter member > is employed. I along with 4 other chapter members brought Perkin's > Braillers, Slate and Styllus, a laptop with Jaws installed, a Victor > reader and the Museum provided Braille children's books, braille > blocks with numbers on them, letter and number magnets with braille, > a board that had crayons with the braille in front of it assigning > what color it was. We talked about braille, wrote their names and gave > them braille alphabet cards, demonstrated how Jaws and a audio book > being played by a Victor reader works, how to use a cane and > introduced them to guide dogs. We also had one of our members read a > couple of children's books during one of the museum's story times for > the little kiddos. > > We also planned and are sending two of our members to a nursing home > to help introduce some of their clients with cognitive functionability > impairments that are blind to basic blindness training. > > I would love to hear what you all have done this past month. > > Warm regards, > > Jonathan Franks BSW > Board Member > National Federation of the Blind of Texas > Vice Chairman > Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities in Austin, Texas > Graduate Student > MSW Program > Texas State University > > -- > 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. > > _______________________________________________ > Community-Service mailing list > Community-Service at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/community-service_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Community-Service: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/community-service_nfbnet.org/johnawright98%40gmail.com From jfranks at nfbtx.org Wed Nov 1 20:10:11 2017 From: jfranks at nfbtx.org (Jonathan Franks) Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2017 15:10:11 -0500 Subject: [Community-service] what you did for meet the blind month In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <65F0E5DD-C1A5-4BD9-A116-B8E40BBC44DC@nfbtx.org> Sent from my iPhone > On Nov 1, 2017, at 2:59 PM, Johna Wright via Community-Service wrote: > > While there is not an active chapter in Macon, GA (I'm working on that), I gave a lecture at Mercer University about blindness and how it affects college students. > Furthermore, I presented at a visionary panel and I am in the planning stages of a program that will assist blind students in their transition to college, while also educating professors on best practices when interacting with these students. > > I'd say I had a pretty successful Meet the Blind Month, and I can't wait to hear what everyone else did! > > Cheers, > > Johna Wright > Social Media Coordinator > National Federation of the Blind Community Service Division > >> On Nov 1, 2017, at 2:02 PM, Jonathan Franks via Community-Service wrote: >> >> Hello all, >> hope you are doing well. As it is now November 1st, Meet the Blind >> Month has come and past. SO, I was wondering what you, your >> chapter/affiliate/division or group of friends/ colleagues did? >> >> A few examples from the Austin Chapter of the National Federation of >> the Blind of Texas are: >> >> Volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club: One of our chapter members >> is employed there and they read braille stories to the children, >> utilized the new tactile art kit from the Action fund and talked about >> guide dog handling with the children. >> Volunteering at The Thinkery: The Thinkery is a STEAM focussed >> interactive Children's museum where myself and another chapter member >> is employed. I along with 4 other chapter members brought Perkin's >> Braillers, Slate and Styllus, a laptop with Jaws installed, a Victor >> reader and the Museum provided Braille children's books, braille >> blocks with numbers on them, letter and number magnets with braille, >> a board that had crayons with the braille in front of it assigning >> what color it was. We talked about braille, wrote their names and gave >> them braille alphabet cards, demonstrated how Jaws and a audio book >> being played by a Victor reader works, how to use a cane and >> introduced them to guide dogs. We also had one of our members read a >> couple of children's books during one of the museum's story times for >> the little kiddos. >> >> We also planned and are sending two of our members to a nursing home >> to help introduce some of their clients with cognitive functionability >> impairments that are blind to basic blindness training. >> >> I would love to hear what you all have done this past month. >> >> Warm regards, >> >> Jonathan Franks BSW >> Board Member >> National Federation of the Blind of Texas >> Vice Chairman >> Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities in Austin, Texas >> Graduate Student >> MSW Program >> Texas State University >> >> -- >> 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. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Community-Service mailing list >> Community-Service at nfbnet.org >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/community-service_nfbnet.org >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Community-Service: >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/community-service_nfbnet.org/johnawright98%40gmail.com > > _______________________________________________ > Community-Service mailing list > Community-Service at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/community-service_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Community-Service: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/community-service_nfbnet.org/jfranks%40nfbtx.orgJohna, You were certainly busy and productive. Perhaps you can talk with your affiliate president about starting a chapter.