[CT-NFB] (no subject)

[Trudy Swenson]

Thank you Lucia, for memorializing Betty so affectionately. You brought
tears to my eyes and a smile to my face.
Trudy

On Thu, Oct 1, 2020 at 3:49 PM Lucia Lee via CT-NFB <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> *All,*
>
>
>
> *Below please find the latest issue of The Federationist in Connecticut.
> It is also attached as a Word document, if you prefer that. The
> Federationist can also be found on the Connecticut Information Channel of
> NFB-Newsline. Those of you who have requested issues in large print or on a
> thumbdrive should expect their copies in the US mail soon.*
>
>
>
> *Stay safe,*
>
> *Lucia*
>
>
>
> *THE*
>
> *FEDERATIONIST*
>
> *In Connecticut*
>
>
>
> *Summer 2020*
>
>
>
> *Executive Editor: Melissa Carney*
>
>
>
>
>
> *NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF CONNECTICUT*
>
> *111 Sheldon Road, Unit 420
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/111+Sheldon+Road,+Unit+420+Manchester,+CT+06045?entry=gmail&source=g>*
>
> *Manchester, CT 06045
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/111+Sheldon+Road,+Unit+420+Manchester,+CT+06045?entry=gmail&source=g>*
>
>
>
>
>
> *Table of Contents*
>
>
>
> *1: From the Editor, Melissa Carney* <#m_4406610499060387104_editor>
>
>
>
> *2: White Canes, Guide Dogs, Education and Lots of Love*
> <#m_4406610499060387104_pam>
>
>
>
> *3: Journey into Blindness in the Last Green Valley*
> <#m_4406610499060387104_justin>
>
>
>
> *4: How the Deterioration of Sight Leads to Determination of Mind*
> <#m_4406610499060387104_deb>
>
>
>
> *5: Blending Connecticut Values and Expectations for the Blind*
> <#m_4406610499060387104_blending>
>
>
>
> *6: Tackling Blindness at the Roots* <#m_4406610499060387104_roots>
>
>
>
> *7: Steps towards Independence* <#m_4406610499060387104_steps>
>
>
>
> *8: Betty Woodward* <#m_4406610499060387104_betty>
>
>
>
> *From the Editor*
>
> *Melissa Carney*
>
> *Executive Editor, The Federationist*
>
>
>
> *When we read the last issue of the Federationist together, none of us
> could have imagined the events that would unfold in the following months. I
> first want to offer my sincere condolences to anyone who has lost a friend
> or loved one to COVID-19. My heart is with you, as I, too, have been deeply
> affected. Many of us have become fighters overnight, doing our absolute
> best to give strength to those around us, despite the fact that we grow
> weary ourselves. As a result, I felt that it was crucial to take a step
> back from tragedy, and try to focus on what we are grateful for, the
> experiences and memories we cling to in times of grief and unrest. This
> issue of the Federationist spotlights individual journeys to blindness, the
> ways in which our members learned about acceptance, perseverance, and
> raising the bar on societal expectations. Each journey looks a bit
> different, but there is no single correct approach to a unique situation.
> Our members understand struggles, but they also recognize that there is a
> way to combat the “darkness” and appreciate life circumstances for what
> they are, rather than what they are not. I will let each individual’s piece
> speak for itself. I hope that the summer issue of the Federationist in
> Connecticut allows you to find the positivity in your own lives, and strive
> to continue to support those in your local communities as we battle the
> uncertainty of the future ahead.  *
>
>
>
> *If you would like to submit your own piece of writing to the next issue
> of the Federationist in Connecticut, send it my way. This publication
> cannot exist without the support of our CT NFB family. I want to hear your
> ideas, stories, successes, struggles, and everything in between. *
>
>
>
> *Feel free to direct any suggestions, questions, or concerns to Melissa
> Carney, Executive Editor, at carne23m at mtholyoke.edu
> <carne23m at mtholyoke.edu>.*
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *White Canes, Guide Dogs, Education and Lots of Love*
>
> *By Pam Garde*
>
>
>
> *I do not know who said this. But “Love is blind.” What? What’s this? Love
> cannot see? No, this quote does not mean that at all. When you mix love and
> blindness together, you get positive reinforcement. You find great people,
> who show and teach you the ways of the world. *
>
>
>
> *I was born 3 months premature. I do not know why this happened. Perhaps,
> it was because I was in a hurry to leave the womb? Anyway, I was born on
> October 12, 1960, instead of January. I became the first 6-month born baby
> at Manchester Memorial Hospital to live. My parents told me that I was even
> given The Last Rights by a Catholic Priest after Baptism. But, God had
> other plans for me.*
>
>
>
> *I grew up in East Hartford. Like many other kids my age, I was punished
> when I misbehaved, and hugged and kissed when I behaved. I’m the middle
> child of 3 siblings: 1 older sister and 1 younger brother. Both of them are
> sighted. I spent 10 years at Oak Hill in Hartford. I cannot forget the time
> when a social worker, Miss Witmore, came by my house. She brought some cool
> toys with her. I had the time of my life playing with them. During my time
> at Oak Hill, I learned Braille and became very proficient with it, as well
> as other subjects identical to any other school course load: math, reading,
> history, science, gym and even art. I also learned how to travel with a
> white cane. Although I did well enough, I was a wise guy at times. A bunch
> of my friends would goof off in the dining room, singing songs about the
> teachers we could not stand. We paid the price dearly.*
>
>
>
> *Then, something changed, drastically. In 1974, my parents and a couple
> who were blind themselves, persuaded me to attend public school. My parents
> met this couple from their time owning a clothing store. I was living in
> West Hartford at the time, one of few towns in Connecticut which offered
> mainstream schooling. Unfortunately, my grades at Oak Hill were not the
> greatest. I went through a phase of fooling around, but my parents were
> convinced that public school would fit me well. Despite my troublesome
> years at Oak Hill, I was going to miss it. I spent 5 years there as a day
> student and 3 years as a resident student. How would the sighted kids take
> to me in public school?*
>
>
>
> *From 1975 to 1982, I attended public school. In a nutshell, public school
> was exactly what I needed. The first 2 years were difficult at times and
> served as an adjustment period. My first itinerant teacher, Anne, was very
> strict. Sometimes, when I rocked by accident or even moved myself to be
> more comfortable in my chair, she’d take a whistle out and blow it in my
> ear. After a few times, I told her to stop. My ears felt violated. She
> taught me advanced techniques of the abacus, expanding on what I learned at
> Oak Hill. My next itinerant teacher, Gail was the complete opposite. She
> was more warm and personable than Anne. She helped me with my homework so
> that I would not have to do it at home. She gave me my quizzes and tests.
> Gail would be the teacher I would have until graduation.*
>
>
>
> *Despite the occasional bully, I made many friends in public school. I
> even dated. Friends came over to watch TV and listen to music. I went to
> both proms with a great guy. I did a lot better academically and made the
> National Honor Society and National French Honor Society, graduating in
> 1982 with a good GPA.*
>
>
>
> *From 1982 to 1985 I attended Greater Hartford Community College and
> Eastern CT State University. I did pretty well at both schools. Traveling
> around alone with a white cane was good for most of the time, and allowed
> me to be independent, although using the cane throughout the halls at
> school presented some challenges. If I accidentally hit someone, the kid
> would be offended even after saying I was sorry. While Greater Hartford was
> only in 1 building, Eastern was many buildings. One summer day in 1984,
> during a mobility lesson, my instructor asked me, “Did you ever think of
> having a guide dog?” Being as honest as I was, I said that my skills were
> not the best. But Steve convinced me that a dog would do me good. So, I
> worked hard to achieve this goal. I majored in Sociology with a
> concentration in Human Services. Those classes were housed in portable
> classrooms and different buildings which required walking to both sides of
> a large campus. I employed walkers to help me get to class on time at
> Eastern, but I did get to some classes on my own.*
>
>
>
> *In 1988, I received my first guide dog, Chessie. She, along with Faith,
> Vonda and Elcee, came from Fidelco. Then, I received Hildy from Guiding
> Eyes and now, Ume. I may have issues at times, but for the most part, my
> current guide, Ume, is a big hit.*
>
>
>
> *I never used a dog in college but I wish I did. Then, I would not have
> had as many mobility issues. I enjoy working with a dog. I can talk to her
> when I’m down or sing to her when I’m in a good mood. She’s so great!!*
>
> *In closing, having great family, friends, teachers, employers and
> instructors, made and still makes a big difference in my life.*
>
>
>
>
>
> *Journey into Blindness in the Last Green Valley*
>
> *By Justin Salisbury*
>
>
>
> *On an evening flight between Boston and New York City, sighted passengers
> can look down at a constant path of city lights until they think something
> went wrong. For one stretch of the flight, there is a landscape emitting no
> light, and the ground appears to have vanished. This is the Last Green
> Valley, and this is where I grew up. *
>
>
>
> *As a sighted kid, I spent a lot of time on my schoolwork and dabbled in
> sports because that was what I could do for a social outlet. I moved to
> Willington in the third grade, a time when kids are developmentally
> challenging the people around them. None of the kids who moved to
> Willington that year developed a strong social network, but we somewhat
> bonded over that shared experience. I took a lot of abuse from my
> classmates, and I often wanted to disappear or escape. I think I was too
> quick to find ways to escape social interactions, like using my frequent
> headaches to go lay down with an ice pack at the nurse’s office or maybe to
> go work on something during recess. I had some friends, but I struggled.
> Over time, we all hit our growth spurts, but I hit mine earlier than
> anybody else. By the time I was in the seventh grade, I was the biggest kid
> in my grade, but the bullying continued until I realized that I could fight
> back. By the end of that year, I didn’t have any more trouble. This gave me
> the confidence to sign up for the local pop-warner football team, and I
> started to find some semblance of confidence for something outside of
> academics. *
>
>
>
> *In Willington, middle school ends after the eighth grade, and we then
> choose which high school we want to attend. The two most common choices are
> Windham Tech, which could prepare me for a skilled trade, or Smith, which
> was located on the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs and made a
> habit of preparing students for college. This was the point when I started
> to learn what college was. My first instinct was to go to Windham Tech to
> pick up a trade because that was what people in my family did. Nobody in my
> family had ever been to college. I felt no connection to it. I eventually
> decided to apply to Smith, with the general idea that it would give me more
> options down the road. They took me, and I attended Smith. *
>
>
>
> *In that new school environment, I had a fresh chance at making friends,
> and I did not waste it. Smith pulled students from Ashford, Columbia,
> Coventry, Mansfield, Willington, and Windham. Since most of my classmates
> had university employees as parents, being smart was a good thing, and I
> focused on my studies. During the winter of my sophomore year, my stamina
> dropped, my grades suffered, and I was having some trouble with my eyesight
> and concentration. By March, we learned that I had problems with my brain
> swelling. I had brain surgery and all kinds of excitement to go with it,
> and I missed a lot of time from school that year. *
>
>
>
> *After brain surgery, I went through a lot of testing to determine how
> well my brain was functioning. I was a bit unstable at first while walking,
> but I think my muscles figured that out pretty quickly. I remember my first
> mobility lessons in the hospital, where the therapist strapped a belt
> around my waist, and she held the other end. It worked just like a choker
> collar for a dog. When I went somewhere that she didn’t want me to go, she
> tugged on it, and I stopped. She was totally friendly and supportive, but
> this was my introduction to what it would be like to walk around as a blind
> person.*
>
>
>
> *I did not really get back into school in the normal sense until the
> following fall, at the beginning of my junior year. I worried that I was no
> longer good enough in basically every way, and I started acting out in ways
> that undermined by academic trajectory. I started talking like I didn’t
> like school or learning. I started intentionally avoiding more rigorous
> academic content, and I started asking for shortcuts. My school suggested
> that I should learn braille and orientation and mobility, so I accepted the
> instruction. My braille teacher had pretty good attitudes about what blind
> people could accomplish, but I was somehow on a sequence that took me three
> years to learn braille. I elected to take a second senior year, foregoing
> normal graduation, so that I could learn braille before college. Since I
> never integrated braille into my daily life or academic work, I did almost
> nothing with it for some years after high school. With orientation and
> mobility, my instructor was really nice, but I couldn’t figure out what I
> was gaining from the instruction. I remember the day that I had to teach
> her how a blind person could use an escalator since she told me she didn’t
> know how to teach a blind person how to use an escalator. Someone told me
> about a training center for the blind that offered summer programs. I had
> never had the opportunity to go to any kind of summer camp before, so I
> jumped on it. I got to know a lot of blind kids in my age group, and I got
> to know a few blind adults who worked at the center. *
>
>
>
> *I remember learning that one of the blind men who worked at the center
> had a second wife, as the center joked. I learned that he and his wife were
> blind, and his “other wife” had been one of his readers during college. The
> story was that she lived with them and basically took care of them while
> they went out and worked. To me, this was a powerfully damaging form of
> role modeling. I internalized the idea that I would not be able to live on
> my own as a blind person, that I would need a sighted person to take care
> of me. I did not know any blind people who were as independent as I am
> today. *
>
>
>
> *When it came time to choosing a college, I depended on the prevailing
> words in society about public colleges being more affordable and where you
> go to school not being important. I tried to find something that looked
> appealing, a big school with lots of options for extracurricular activities
> and a low sticker price. I later learned that families where people had
> been to college understand the decision process quite differently. I was
> admitted everywhere that I applied, but I chose East Carolina and took off.
> In some ways, I think I felt like I was escaping the competitive atmosphere
> and taking on something that would be more appropriate for me as a blind
> person. After all, I was the most successful blind person I had ever met. *
>
>
>
> *Since I needed to pay for college, I applied for every scholarship I
> could find. I told stories about how hard it was to be blind, and
> committees kept rewarding those essays. I received a scholarship from a
> national blind organization, and they were very hospitable to me. They
> taught me that the most important thing I could do was hate the National
> Federation of the Blind. I didn’t know who the NFB was, but I knew that I
> had a group of blind people giving me money and telling me to hate the NFB.
> Money talks. In the fall of my freshman year of college, I received a call
> from Bruce Woodward, who chaired the scholarship committee of the National
> Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. We arranged for me to fly up to
> Connecticut for the state convention, where I would receive a scholarship. *
>
>
>
> *I put on my mental hardhat and told myself that I would not let any of
> the extremist and militant philosophy of the NFB affect me. I was
> determined to get in, make friends, take the check, and leave, only to
> return if there was more money available at another point. My parents sat
> through the sessions with me, and they pointed out how they were surprised
> that there were so many blind people who were happy. Blind people were
> doing things with their lives. I kept waiting for it. Then, at the banquet,
> Parnell Diggs, our national representative, got on the microphone and told
> his personal story. I saw myself in that story, and I realized that I had
> suffered because of the same kinds of attitudes that had affected him, as
> well. Then, he talked about how the Federation was working to change those
> attitudes about blindness, and I understood what people meant about the
> philosophy of our movement. I was moved to say the least. After his speech,
> we presented the scholarships, and I did my best to integrate all of my
> past messaging about blindness with the new ideas that I had just heard. I
> talked about how science was hard as a blind person, but I would do my best
> to succeed. I still only half believed it, but that was far better than
> where I had been only an hour beforehand. *
>
>
>
> *Immediately after our scholarship speeches, the banquet adjourned, and
> the members of the affiliate were welcomed to come greet the scholarship
> winners. I was immediately surrounded by a blind civil engineer, a blind
> graduate student in environmental science and policy, and a blind PhD
> chemist. They wouldn’t pity me as a blind person studying science. In fact,
> they wanted to help me succeed, and they knew how I could do it. That was
> the first time that I had found myself in that situation, and it was one of
> the most confusing moments of my life. How could all of my ideas about
> blindness be wrong?*
>
>
>
> *Those three scientists were my earlier mentors, and the Federation led me
> to many more. I learned about the training offered at some real training
> centers, with blind staff who lived on their own and took care of
> themselves. After college, I decided to attend one of those training
> centers, the Louisiana Center for the Blind. I learned that I did not need
> to take painkillers every day for the headaches, neck muscle spasms, and
> back pain that came from straining to see everything. I learned that, just
> because I could see to use a computer without a screen reader did not mean
> that I should try to use a computer without a screen reader. I learned that
> nonvisual techniques were not inherently inferior to visual techniques and
> that doing something that a totally blind person might do did not make me
> inferior. Today, I am a social and extroverted person. I like engaging with
> the world. The National Federation of the Blind has helped pull me out of
> the shell that was once mine. The Last Green Valley is still my long-lost
> home, but my feelings about myself and the world are so much better today.*
>
>
>
>
>
> *How the Deterioration of Sight Leads to *
>
> *Determination of Mind*
>
> *By Deb Reed*
>
>
>
> *I remember getting my first pair of glasses at around six years old. I
> was told that while looking out the front door of our family home, I
> misidentified someone across the street. My parents began to notice that
> things were getting worse. I always sat on the floor close to the TV set. I
> can’t tell you how many times one of my parents would say, “Debbie it’s not
> good for your eyes to sit that close.”*
>
>
>
> *I recall my first pair of eyeglasses were pretty thick. I’ll never forget
> the day in first grade as I did my schoolwork with my face about three
> inches away from my paper, the teacher, grabbed a bunch of my hair and
> pulled my head up! I was so humiliated. Did she think I was doing that
> because I liked the way the paper smelled? Keep in mind this was in 1963.
> What kind of person becomes a teacher that would do something like that?
> By the age of 10, with my vision continuing to get worse, the doctor
> decided to try hard contact lenses. They definitely took some getting used
> to but it was nice not to have those heavy glasses on my face. Unlike the
> soft lenses of today, the hard ones could easily become detached from your
> eyes and then the fun began. I remember losing one at recess, playing
> Chinese jump rope. Tears came to my eyes as I knew how expensive these
> lenses were and money was tight. I remember losing one at an eighth grade
> dance! The band was playing and we were dancing and then it happened. The
> song finished and the lights went up to find Debbie‘s contact lens. I mean
> there were so many people moving around the chances of finding it in one
> piece, but WE DID!!  *
>
>
>
> *Fast forward to high school and by then I was told that the glasses they
> were going to make me were the strongest they’ve ever made. They were
> supposed to serve as something to use around the house to rest my eyes from
> the uncomfortable hard contacts. I was at a basketball game on one of the
> bleachers pretty high up from the court, when it happened again. The lens
> popped out of my eye and down in between the bleachers. After feeling
> around where I was sitting and not having any luck, my friends and I
> decided to go underneath the bleachers and again we found the lens. *
>
>
>
> *When I got to the point in my life when I had to give up driving, that
> was the big change. After being diagnosed with glaucoma on top of the
> myopic degeneration, the glaucoma doctor took one look at my file and said
> you should definitely not be on the road. I loved the work I did and the
> people I worked with as a homemaker companion. You become like family to
> these people and know you’re helping the quality of their lives. *
>
>
>
> *The first thing you’re concerned with after surrendering your license is
> transportation. At the time, fellow NFB member Cheri Duquette worked for
> the Connecticut Regional Planning Agency. Both she and Paul had just gone
> through all of these initial challenges after their motorcycle accident and
> Paul’s vision loss. Cheri proceeded to share with me their story and all of
> the resources that they learned about. It was her office that certified
> people to ride Paratransit. She also told me about the Central Connecticut
> Chapter of the NFB. I was grateful for all this information and then to
> become part of a group of people who had similar challenges. I have been a
> member since 2010, and each year brings more knowledge, empowerment,
> friendships and opportunities to fight for civil rights. *
>
>
>
> *Although blindness does change your life significantly, this organization
> has shown me the important work that we are all involved in every day. The
> NFB has given me so many positive experiences and courage to face whatever
> the future holds.*
>
>
>
>
>
> *Blending Connecticut Values and *
>
> *Expectations for the Blind*
>
> *By Justin Salisbury*
>
>
>
> *I am proud to say that I’m from Connecticut. When we move to other parts
> of the country, as I have a few times, we tend to realize things that are
> special to our home state that we always took for granted and never
> questioned.*
>
>
>
> *In Connecticut, we have an undying belief in the human ability to learn,
> grow, and change. This is not the case in many other places. It is part of
> what has helped me as a teacher, and it is part of why we, in Connecticut,
> value education so highly. In Connecticut, we don’t become skeptical of
> people who want to continue their education. We also believe that anyone
> can know anything. It is perfectly normal for a carpenter who is mending a
> porch to stop and have a conversation with a kid learning Shakespeare just
> inside the window. We don’t put up barriers on people’s ability to
> contribute. Part of this ability to grow and learn means that we give
> second chances better than any place I’ve ever been. Whatever people do
> wrong, they can change so that the problem discontinues. *
>
>
>
> *Another part of our culture in Connecticut is the emphasis on
> productivity. Many of our cultural rules are based on the implications for
> productivity. For example, if we have information that can help the group,
> that other people do not seem to have, it is our responsibility to come
> forward with it, not to quietly be seen and not heard. When someone is new
> in one of our circles, we want to find out what skills and talents that
> person brings to the table so that they can help the group and help us
> advance as a community and as a state. I always appreciate the willingness
> of our people to step up and contribute because we expect it. As a kid, I
> remember seeing a sign on the way home from school every day that read “Let
> ‘em work, Let ‘em live.” That’s what we do.*
>
>
>
> *Unfortunately, societal expectations for the blind are still low. A
> negative part of our culture ends up working in tandem against the blind,
> and it is up to the NFB of Connecticut—no other organization—to fix that.
> We also have a cultural value that, if a person cannot or will not
> contribute, they should get out of the way. I would be lying if I said that
> I did not feel that way toward some people sometimes, though I think it
> happens less often as I age. I have learned it from our community and
> culture. The problem really comes in when we assume that blind people
> cannot perform and cannot learn to perform, so then we must get out of the
> way. I felt this a lot, even as a kid. I think it has led me to have a fear
> of missing out, which the college kids today call “FOMO.” I think we all
> have that to some extent. Now that I know I can be included, I always want
> to be included. Coming to understand that required that I leave
> Connecticut, travel west of the Mississippi River, and attend one of the
> training centers operated under the direction of the National Federation of
> the Blind. If I had not done that, I would likely still be holding back,
> for fear of getting in the way and being less competent than the next
> person. *
>
>
>
> *One of my dreams for this organization is that all of our members can
> overcome that toxic societal message and the feeling that lingers in us
> until we drive it off. I dream that all of our members can come to the
> point of truly being active so that we can achieve equality, opportunity,
> and security for the blind in Connecticut and across the United States. I
> hope that we can show the entire NFB what Nutmeggers can do and make
> Connecticut a model state for strong expectations for the blind**.*
>
> *Tackling Blindness at the Roots*
>
> *By Al Daniels*
>
>
>
> *The thoughts of a blind gardener are subject to change as growing older,
> or, experience is the best teacher. Basic things like turning over the soil
> and enriching the soil with fertilizer are the same, but things can be done
> differently as we learn year after year. This year, because of COVID-19, I
> had more time to spend working in the garden. Naturally, the results are
> evident.  The more time you spend watering, cultivating and harvesting the
> more you will get out of the endeavor. That also goes for physical exercise
> in all of the activity of gardening. In the spring, I planted only plants,
> purchased from a local garden center. That was fine for lettuce, brussel
> sprouts, collards, chard and maybe a few other things I can't recall right
> now. These plants grew and were harvested in a timely fashion and were
> quite good on the table.*
>
>
>
> *But, then it was still early in the season, and I needed to continue
> garden practice late in June. True, I said that planting seeds was a futile
> activity for this blind man because they are so tiny when they come up and
> weeds can fool you by touch. Well, I went against my experience and planted
> seed. However I planted only things that are a large seed and produce a
> large cotyledon or sprout. It worked; the squash was large enough to detect
> when it came up and the same holds true for beans. I did manage to get a
> few late cucumber plants from the center and they were of good size. Tomato
> plants are good to plant, but I am plagued by an element, either fungus or
> insect that decimates my plants when they blossom. I use insecticides and
> fungicides very sparingly and sometimes not at all, therefore, I have to
> suffer the consequences. Flowers like marigolds are supposed to prevent
> those nasty aggressors, but I am not convinced, as they haven't been
> infallible for me.*
>
>
>
> *As far as planting next year, and that's always the saying at the end of
> every season, I think I will start the smaller seeds early in the spring in
> pots where I can nourish them until they are large enough to plant in the
> garden.*
>
>
>
> *Because I am home every day, I was able to cultivate around the plants
> almost every other day. That, of course, means I was there to pull weeds
> and stones out as a ritual. When you have a garden, any experienced
> gardener will tell you, if you don't spend the time from the beginning,
> eliminating weeds and let them get ahead of you, it's all over. To pull
> weeds and stones is not that difficult if you can sit or kneel on a raised
> seat. An old bucket works fine for me, but you can find all kinds of
> accommodating seats in a garden center. Bending over is sheer torture. I
> once heard an editorial comment that people's contortions while working in
> their gardens are most fascinating and quite humorous. That also goes for
> apparel while gardening. It's a pursuit that each person does in their own
> way. So grab your trowel and cultivate, have a happy gardening experience.*
>
>
>
>
>
> *Steps towards Independence*
>
> *By Bri Rigsbee*
>
>
>
> *Growing up completely blind, I was not always taught to do things on my
> own, most blind children are not. It’s always easiest for the sighted
> people to do things because unfortunately, we are seen as incapable. Not on
> purpose, but because we can’t see, it’s a knee-jerk reaction for them to
> want to help; it’s just instinct. Like me, though, a lot of people who are
> blind have a glow-up, as us young people say, a time period in which we
> take steps to better ourselves. We have these moments where we realize that
> independence is not simply given to us, we have to take it. These are three
> steps that I have taken to grow into my independence.*
>
>
>
> *•Taking my first solo flight*
>
> *Vacations with my family were always long and tiring. We would drive all
> the way from Connecticut to North Carolina, which, on average, should take
> about 12 hours or so. Driving with my family, however, took us just a
> little bit longer. I vowed to myself that if given the chance, I would
> definitely be flying to where ever I had to go. And low and behold, that
> opportunity presented itself. In January of 2018, I took my first flight to
> Washington, D.C. From take-off, to touch-down, it was the best experience
> I'd ever had. I got through TSA without a hitch, and boarded the plane. I
> sat next to one of my very best friends, who is also blind, as she
> described to me everything that was happening while we took off. Flying was
> one of my biggest, but not so big, fears, and I'm so glad I did it.*
>
>
>
> *•My first convention*
>
> *November 2017 was my very first state convention. It was both
> nerve-wracking and exhilarating to say the least. I arrived at the hotel on
> Friday, November 1, 2017, and was instantly taken with all the NFB had to
> offer: new friends within the student division, mentors within the more
> seasoned Federationists, and more importantly, a community that I could
> count on for support in the best way possible. From sharing laughs and
> stories, to sharing trials and tribulations, I am happy that I was able to
> have such a wonderful experience. It was so empowering to see the room
> filled with so many dedicated, driven individuals who shared some of my
> struggles, hopes, and dreams.*
>
>
>
> *•Taking leadership roles within my community*
>
> *Just recently, I started a creative writing group called the Wordsmiths.
> Although I'd taken on leadership rolls before, such as the First VP of the
> Connecticut Association of Blind Students, I had never done something like
> facilitating a group all by myself before. I am very proud of myself, and
> happy that I get to be creative with such innovative thinkers and writers.*
>
>
>
>
>
> *Betty Woodward*
>
> *By Lucia Lee*
>
>
>
> *How would one define Betty Woodward? I can think of many good adjectives:
> friendly, loving, intelligent, eloquent, dignified, gracious, tenacious,
> competent, humble, funny; in other words, a true lady. She was also super
> at advocating and networking. The world is a better place for people like
> Betty. As Trudy Swenson put it, she was a treasure.*
>
>
>
> *She made friends wherever she went…in the NFB statewide and nationwide,
> at the office, in her neighborhood, at church, on the Hartford Transit bus,
> at the various stores that she frequented, at Moosehead Lake in Maine,
> everywhere. Betty thoroughly enjoyed meeting new members and seeing old
> friends at state and national NFB conventions. She knew and loved many NFB
> members from all over the country. *
>
>
>
> *Betty joined the NFB of CT and our Danbury Chapter in the 1970s, I think
> around 1977. She was very active in that chapter. She and Helen Brennan
> would organize the chapter hosting a table at the week-long Danbury Fair
> each year. When she moved to East Hartford, she joined the Hartford Chapter
> where she served in many board positions over the years. Once she and Bruce
> married, they hosted the Hartford Chapter picnic each June. The chapter
> invited everyone in the state affiliate, and each year, the picnic grew in
> size until it had to be moved to Wickham Park in East Hartford. Betty &
> Bruce enjoyed opening their home to many a Federationist.*
>
>
>
> *I first met Betty when I took a temporary job at the NFB of CT in the
> basement office at 135 Burnside Avenue
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/135+Burnside+Avenue?entry=gmail&source=g>
> in East Hartford. She worked in the big room where in the evenings, our
> callers were busy making calls to Connecticut residents to raise funds for
> us. During the day, Betty called businesses trying to raise funds. One day,
> she called Coccomo Construction in Windsor and talked to a guy named Dick
> Circosta. Based on his chat with Betty, he recommended that John A.
> Coccomo, Sr, help support the NFB of CT, thus beginning our relationship
> with the Coccomo Foundation that lasted for many years. *
>
>
>
> *Betty and I would eat lunch together most days. It was during these
> lunches that she talked about Bruce, her 5 kids and her grandkids; Bruce
> and Betty’s trips and good times with friends at Moosehead Lake; and enough
> bus stories to fill a book. She became like family to me; my kids knew her
> well and loved her. Diane, Betty and I would go out to lunch together three
> times a year, for each of our birthdays. In more recent years, we would
> take lunch to her house and sit out on their deck for lunch. This tradition
> continued until Betty moved to NH to live with her daughter Maria.*
>
>
>
> *In 1996, Betty retired from her job as business caller to enable her to
> seek a board position with our affiliate. For several years, she served
> first as Board Member, then as President, then as Board Member again, and
> in 2013, became our President Emeritus. Betty continued to come to the
> office to carry on Federation work whether or not she was a board member
> until 2010 or so. She believed that one didn’t need a position on the board
> to carry out the work of the NFB.*
>
>
>
> *Over the years, Betty’s advocacy for blind people was unstoppable. She
> attended meetings to ensure that blind kids learned Braille; she supported
> a high school senior who wanted to operate a Business Enterprise Program
> food stand; she advocated for a young man who wanted to attend tech school
> to become a certified auto mechanic; in 2003, when then-Governor Rowland
> closed BESB Industries for the Blind resulting in layoffs of all the
> employees, she worked tirelessly to help create a plan to reinstate this
> employment program; and then there were the efforts to keep BESB a
> stand-alone agency. Many state legislators got to know her very well!*
>
>
>
> *For many years, Betty was the Public Relations Chair for our affiliate.
> She participated in many radio and community cable station interviews,
> talking about the NFB of CT and our various programs.*
>
>
>
> *Betty loved attending State and National NFB conventions as well as
> Washington Seminars. She could tell you where each convention was and what
> happened. Beth Rival especially remembers a particularly cold trip to
> Washington DC for the Seminar. Despite the frigid weather, before their
> trip home, Betty and Bruce talked Beth and Charlie into forging on to the
> Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, laughing and freezing the entire way.*
>
>
>
> *NFB-Newsline was another passion of Betty’s. In the early years of
> NFB-Newsline, she and Bruce worked tirelessly to raise over $100,000 that
> was needed to start up and continue NFB-Newsline in Connecticut. These
> funds enabled blind people to access NFB-Newsline in two areas of the
> state; Hartford beginning in mid 1998 and Stamford beginning in early 2000.
> We can all thank her for that initial drive to bring NFB-Newsline to our
> state.*
>
>
>
> *She loved music, all kinds of music from church hymns to symphonies to
> rock. She loved it when her son Phillip would get out his guitar, and she
> and her kids would sing. She especially loved when her kids would sing
> Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Teach Your Children”. She so enjoyed going to the
> Bushnell with Bruce for the symphony where they had season tickets for
> several years. One of the highlights of our office Christmas party was when
> Betty would pull out 12 slips of paper, one for each of the “Twelve Days of
> Christmas”. Each of us would be given one slip (or maybe 2 if there weren’t
> twelve of us present) and as we all sang the song together, each of us
> would pitch in their day. No one wanted the first day!*
>
>
>
> *Betty loved the National Federation of the Blind. She knew our history
> through and through, she lived our philosophy about blindness on a daily
> basis, and she loved her NFB family. She firmly believed in the
> capabilities of blind people and worked to encourage blind people to live
> the lives they want. She played such a huge part of our affiliate’s story.
> We should all strive to follow in her footsteps.*
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
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>
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>
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>
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>
> --
*Trudy Swenson*
*trudyswenson at gmail.com <trudyswenson at gmail.com>*
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